Maria Ortiz, 58, has been missing since July 20. Her family says she has shown serious signs of dementia for the past six years — and this isn’t the first time she has wandered off. The search has been focused primarily in east Montgomery County, near State Highway 99 and Farm-to-Market Road 1485.

Stories like this are exactly why the Montgomery Police Department started using a program called “Take Me Home” — a database designed to help officers quickly identify and safely return someone who is lost or unable to communicate due to a developmental or cognitive disability.

The program is simple. Families fill out a two-page document and submit a photo. But the information collected goes far beyond basic identification.

• Family of fallen Montgomery County Deputy Erika Serrato files wrongful death lawsuit over fatal I-45 crash

“There are seven questions total,” said Lt. Joe Belmares of the Montgomery Police Department. “One of them asks about favorite attractions or locations where they may be found — so that would be our first go-to to possibly recover that individual. There’s another question about the method of preferred communication. If they’re nonverbal, there may be other ways to get that individual’s attention, keep them there and make them comfortable so we can get a family member there to help them recognize someone on scene and get them safely home.”

The form also collects tracking information, likes and dislikes and de-escalation techniques — details that can make a critical difference when an officer encounters someone in distress.

“If we get a call for service and the officer can search the database we have for the Take Me Home program, this form will populate and it could help aid them in recovery,” Belmares said.

The program is still in its early stages. Belmares says six families with seven loved ones are currently enrolled — and so far, none of them have needed to use it.

“We’ve been very fortunate that those individuals have not needed this program as of yet,” Belmares said.

• La Porte man arrested in 2012 killing of 16-month-old after Texas cold case review

But the department wants to be ready in case they do — which is why they are working to get the word out.

The Take Me Home program is open to anyone — seniors, adults and children — who may have difficulty communicating due to a developmental or cognitive disability. All it takes to get started is a photo and a completed form, which is available online through Montgomery PD.

Many other agencies have similar programs as well, including the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.

Aryana Trevino Martinez was last seen Sunday around 7 p.m. in the 4000 block of Allegheny Drive in San Antonio, Texas.

The girl was later found unresponsive in a brush area around midnight near the area where she disappeared. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

An SAPD investigator told KSAT News that Martinez was located in an overgrown, water-filled creek area. The investigator said she was captured on video walking alone in an alley before her death.

Aryana’s cause and manner of death remain under investigation.

The AMBER Alert was canceled around 3 a.m.

Authorities have not released any further information about Martinez’s death.

This school year, 33 Houston ISD campuses will no longer participate in the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), a program that allows qualifying schools to provide free breakfast and lunch to every student without requiring individual meal applications.

• How to apply for free or reduced cost meals at Houston ISD schools

Students attending those campuses may still qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, but families will need to complete a meal benefits application to determine eligibility.

The change comes as a new study highlights a growing hunger crisis across Texas.

What parents need to know

• 33 Houston ISD campuses are leaving the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP).
• Students who qualify can still receive free or reduced-price lunch by submitting a meal benefits application.
• Breakfast remains free for all Houston ISD students, regardless of meal eligibility.
• There is no deadline to apply. Families can submit an application at any time during the school year.

Texas leads the nation in food insecurity

According to the Houston Food Bank’s latest Map the Meal Gap study, Texas continues to have the largest food-insecure population in the nation.

The report found:

• Nearly 1 in 5 Texans are experiencing food insecurity.
• 1 in 4 Texas children—nearly 2 million children—are food insecure.
• More than 6 million Texans are experiencing food insecurity.
• In Southeast Texas, 1 in 5 children faces food insecurity.

Houston Food Bank President and CEO Brian Greene said children often experience higher rates of food insecurity because many live in households with younger parents who are still working to build financial stability.

“Now, this is really surprising that children have a higher food insecurity rate. Children tend to have younger parents who are earlier in their income streams. So these are families that have less money and that struggle more to get by. And unfortunately, that often results in food insecurity.”

For many students, breakfast and lunch served at school aren’t simply convenient—they’re among the most reliable meals they receive each day.

The Community Eligibility Provision is a federal program that allows qualifying schools to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students without collecting individual meal applications.

Beginning this school year, 33 Houston ISD schools will no longer participate in the program.

Greene says the change doesn’t mean schools are ending meal service, but it does mean some students who previously received free meals automatically may now have to qualify individually.

“So the districts that are moving away from that in general, it’s not that they’re ending lunch and breakfast, it’s just that everybody doesn’t qualify anymore. So we have to worry about some of the children not wanting to look like they’re the kids that have to get the lunch program. Other kids, their parents may not be able to afford the difference, it’s a reduced lunch. And then in general, there were a lot of the kids that, okay, they weren’t that low income, but they were still benefiting from the program. So we see this as a net loss. This is going to impact health for children, long-term consequences, and this will impact education in Texas.”

According to Houston ISD, students attending the affected campuses must have an approved meal benefits application on file to determine eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch.

Breakfast will continue to be provided free of charge to all HISD students.

As food insecurity continues to rise, the Houston Food Bank says it’s working with school districts across Southeast Texas to help families access nutritious food beyond the cafeteria.

Greene said the organization partners with hundreds of schools throughout the region but says charitable programs alone cannot replace broader nutrition assistance.

“So, Houston Food Bank for years, we have our backpack program, we have our school markets, so we work with most of the school districts in the area. We work with hundreds and hundreds of schools, providing emergency food for children on weekends, but also supplemental food, working with the schools to reach the families. I do want to be clear, though, when you’re talking about these kinds of losses, our volume, as depressing as this might look, is not enough to overcome that. So there is going to be an increase in childhood food insecurity from this.”

Which Houston ISD schools are affected?

The following campuses will not participate in the Community Eligibility Provision during the 2026-27 school year:

Elementary Schools

• Baker Montessori
• Briarmeadow Charter School
• Bush Elementary
• Condit Elementary
• Harvard Elementary
• Helms Elementary
• Kolter Elementary
• Mandarin Immersion Magnet School
• Poe Elementary
• Sinclair Elementary
• Twain Elementary
• Wharton Elementary
• Horn Elementary*
• Oak Forest Elementary*
• River Oaks Elementary*
• Roberts Elementary*
• Travis Elementary*
• West University Elementary*

Middle Schools

• Hogg Middle School
• Lanier Middle School
• Pin Oak Middle School
• T.H. Rogers School

High Schools

• Bellaire High School
• Carnegie Vanguard High School
• Challenge Early College High School
• DeBakey High School for Health Professions
• Energy Institute High School
• Heights High School
• Houston Academy for International Studies
• Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts*
• Lamar High School
• Waltrip High School
• Westside High School

*These campuses also did not participate during the 2025-26 school year.

Other Houston-area school districts

KPRC 2 also reached out to Fort Bend ISD.

Fort Bend ISD will operate the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) at the following 27 campuses for the 2026-2027 school year:

• Willowridge High School 
• Hightower High School 
• Marshall High School 
• MR Wood Center for Learning
• Missouri City Middle School 
• Sugar Land Middle School
• McAuliffe Middle School
• Hodges Bend Middle School
• Lake Olympia Middle School
• Jones Elementary 
• Ridgemont Elementary 
• Quail Valley Elementary 
• Townewest Elementary 
• Lantern Lane Elementary 
• Hunters Glen Elementary 
• Barrington Place Elementary  
• Burton Elementary 
• Goodman Elementary 
• Jordan Elementary 
• Holley Elementary 
• Armstrong Elementary 
• Parks Elementary 
• Heritage Rose Elementary 
• Ridgemont Early Literacy Center 
• Aldridge Elementary
• Mission Elementary 
• Henry Elementary

When is the deadline to submit a free/Reduced Price Meal Application?

RESPONSE: Families at non-CEP campuses can apply for Free & Reduced meals any time throughout the school year. Students who were approved for Free or Reduced-price meals for the 2025-2026 school year will have a 30-day carryover period at the beginning of the 26-27 school year. This means that those students will have last year’s meal eligibility until September 23, 2026, or until they complete a new 26-27 application. So, any student who does not reapply by 9/23/26 will become a full-paid student on 9/24/26.

KPRC 2 also reached to Cy-Fair ISD

CFISD has 47 campuses that currently participate in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). A full list is available on our website here: https://nutritionservices.cfisd.net/cafeteria-accounts/community-eligibility-provision-cep .

CEP has a four-year cycle, and CFISD is going into year three of the four years. Free and reduced meal applications are accepted year-round. Student eligibility must be established every year. The application for the 2026-27 school year went live on July 13 and is available to families by logging into their School Café account. This information, as well as instructions and links, are available on the nutrition services website at www.nutritionservices.cfisd.net.

The state case against Vance Boelter had been on hold pending resolution of the federal case.

Monday's procedural state court hearing came less than two weeks after Boelter's sentencing in federal court. He pleaded guilty to the federal charges related to the killing of former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, as well as critically wounding state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette.

Boelter, 59, agreed to plead guilty to the federal charges in June, almost a year after the Minneapolis-area attacks, so federal prosecutors would not seek the death penalty.

Boelter told the judge at Monday's hearing that over a span of eight years he had met with Minnesota elected officials in Washington, D.C., including U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported.

“We have found no record of my ever meeting or speaking with this murderer who will be spending the rest of his life in prison,” Klobuchar said in an emailed statement. "This is the second time he has falsely brought me into his tormented web and no one should be giving him more attention."

“Does this court have the authority to bring her in to testify?” Boelter asked Hennepin County Judge Juan Hoyos. “Or is she above the law?”

Boelter also told the judge that his rights had been violated during the 14 months he has been in federal custody, the Star Tribune reported. The judge told Boelter that any arguments he wants to make about his case could be made at future hearings by his attorney.

If convicted of the state charges, Boelter could face mandatory life in prison without the possibility of parole. Minnesota abolished capital punishment in 1911 and has never had a federal death penalty case.

In state court, Boelter faces two counts of murder for killing the Hortmans, four counts of attempted murder, impersonating a police officer and animal cruelty. The Hortman family’s golden retriever was gravely injured in the shootings and had to be euthanized.

Hoffman and his family also filed a personal injury lawsuit against Boelter in April.

Boelter's next state court appearance is set for Sept. 2.

The shooting happened on E. Cypresswood Drive near the North Freeway.

The injured man was transported to a local hospital.

An adult male sustained a gunshot wound and has been transported to a local hospital for treatment.

The investigation remains active, and deputies continue to gather information. Please avoid the area and expect a heavy law enforcement presence while the investigation continues. pic.twitter.com/kUQdftHPLi

— Mark Herman, Harris County Constable Precinct 4 (@Pct4Constable) August 2, 2026

On Monday, the constable’s office said further investigation revealed that the victim had arranged to meet with a male suspect to purchase narcotics. During the encounter, the two became involved in a struggle over a firearm, resulting in the victim being shot.

The constable’s office said Tarvis Howard was booked into the Harris County Jail and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

According to a news release from the Houston law firm representing Serrato’s parents and her estate, the lawsuit was filed against North Houston Pole Line, L.P., Ian Perez, Quanta Services, Inc., Quanta Telecommunication Solutions, LLC, and Element Fleet Corporation.

• Montgomery County deputy killed by vehicle on I-45 North near The Woodlands, officials say

Serrato’s parents, Leticia and Rodolfo Serrato, are seeking damages for the loss of their daughter, while her estate is seeking damages for the injuries she allegedly suffered before her death.

Deputy was assisting at crash scene

Serrato, who had served with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office for six years and had been promoted to deputy about six months before the crash, was responding to assist with a multi-vehicle crash on I-45 North in the early morning hours of June 28.

Authorities previously said she was outside her patrol vehicle with emergency lights activated when she was struck by a commercial truck around 2:52 a.m. She was taken to a hospital with critical injuries and later died.

Her death prompted an outpouring of support across the Houston area and led to a Montgomery County DWI enforcement initiative in her honor.

• Montgomery County DWI initiative honoring fallen Deputy Erika Serrato results in 54 intoxication charges

What the lawsuit alleges

According to the lawsuit, Perez was driving approximately 65 mph when he allegedly fell asleep behind the wheel and failed to:

• Keep a proper lookout.
• See emergency lights ahead.
• Slow down or move over.
• Apply the brakes or steer away from Serrato.

The lawsuit alleges Perez violated Texas’ Move Over or Slow Down law, which requires drivers to slow down or change lanes when approaching emergency vehicles displaying flashing lights.

The petition also alleges Perez was acting within the course and scope of his employment for North Houston Pole Line, Quanta Services and Quanta Telecommunication Solutions at the time of the crash. Attorneys claim the commercial truck was owned or registered by one or more of those companies and leased through Element Fleet Corporation.

In addition to claims against Perez, the lawsuit alleges the corporate defendants failed to properly hire, train, supervise and retain him. Attorneys claim the companies did not adequately review his driving history, monitor fatigue or hours of service, or ensure he was fit to safely operate a commercial vehicle during the overnight hours.

The lawsuit seeks damages for wrongful death, survival claims on behalf of Serrato’s estate, exemplary damages, court costs and other relief allowed under Texas law.

Attorney: ‘She deserved to return home safely’

“Deputy Serrato dedicated her life to protecting others, and she deserved to return home safely,” attorney Brant J. Stogner said in a statement. “The lawsuit alleges that this tragedy occurred because a commercial driver fell asleep at highway speed and failed to heed the emergency lights ahead. We are committed to seeking answers, accountability, and justice for Erika’s family.”

Attorneys representing the Serrato family are expected to discuss the lawsuit during a news conference Tuesday morning in Houston.

The General Assembly heard hours of debate and testimony on a proposed constitutional amendment intended to give Democrats greater latitude to draw congressional maps favoring their party, which already represents seven of the state's eight House districts. The legislation was expected to reach a vote on final passage Tuesday, and the proposed changes to the state constitution would have to be approved by voters before lawmakers could begin considering new district lines.

Deep blue Maryland’s move is the latest turn in the national battle over redistricting, which kicked off a year ago and has reshaped the U.S. House map ahead of this year’s midterms.

Leaders of the General Assembly — who have been vague about their future plans for redrawing districts but in recent years have attempted to craft 8-0 maps — have characterized their proposal as an attempt to make sure Maryland is well-positioned to respond to redistricting by red states and contribute to efforts to elect Democrats who could serve as a check on the Trump administration.

The state’s Republicans called the proposed amendment a blatant power grab aimed at ousting Maryland's lone GOP representative in Congress, Rep. Andy Harris.

“Gerrymandering is wrong. Whether it’s in a red state, a blue state — it's just wrong,” said state Sen. Mary Beth Carozza.

Democrats see an eventual opportunity to pick up one seat

Harris, chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, represents Maryland's 1st District, which is centered on the mostly rural Eastern Shore, part of a scenic peninsula separated from the rest of the state by the Chesapeake Bay.

In 2021, lawmakers tried to remake the maps in a way that made Harris' district more competitive for a Democrat to win, drawing in communities across the bay. But a judge struck down those districts in 2022, calling them a “product of extreme partisan gerrymandering.”

In light of that decision and in hopes of avoiding future adverse legal rulings, lawmakers began advancing legislation to amend the state constitution to make clear that the parameters the judge cited — including that districts be compact in form and have regard given to “natural boundaries” — apply only to General Assembly districts, not congressional ones.

If approved by a three-fifths vote of both chambers, the amendment would go before voters in the Nov. 3 general election. If approved there, lawmakers could revisit the congressional maps for the 2028 election cycle under the constitution’s new guidance.

Republicans say the move sets up a gerrymander

Harris, in an interview ahead of the session, said the “gerrymandering that this constitutional amendment sets up” would break up areas of common interest into districts predominated by urban and suburban areas, disenfranchising rural voters. Such a move would “of course” face a court challenge, he said.

Democratic Gov. Wes Moore cast the move as an urgent necessity in light of Republican redistricting elsewhere. The proposal currently before lawmakers will ultimately give voters, not “party bosses,” the final say, he said.

“And if the people determine that there’s nothing to do, then there’s nothing to do. But if the people determine that we move, we move,” he said in an interview as he became chair of the National Governors Association.

Redistricting reverberates around the country

Maryland’s special session is part of a new phase in a national redistricting battle that began a year ago, when President Donald Trump urged Republican-led states to redraw congressional districts to help the party hold on to its slim House majority in the midterm elections. Republicans think they could win as many as 16 additional seats from new House maps enacted in eight states — Texas, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Florida, Tennessee, Louisiana and Alabama. Democrats, whose counterattack faced several setbacks, think they could win up to six additional seats from new districts in California and Utah.

Now some states, such as Maryland and New York, are taking steps to redraw congressional districts ahead of the 2028 elections. New York’s Democratic-led Legislature has approved a proposed constitutional amendment to authorize mid-decade redistricting, repeal prohibitions on partisan gerrymandering and make it easier for lawmakers to bypass an independent redistricting commission in the future. The measure needs another round of legislative approval next year before it can appear on a statewide ballot.

In Maryland, the issue divided Democrats earlier this year.

Democratic state Senate President Bill Ferguson blocked a different Moore-backed redistricting initiative this spring that could have put new maps in place before the fall elections, citing concerns that the move could backfire upon judicial review. But he has said his views shifted after the U.S. Supreme Court weakened the Voting Rights Act in late April. That decision offered new grounds for Republicans to swiftly reconfigure districts in Southern states with large minority populations that have elected Democrats, moves that Ferguson called “painful” to watch.

“It felt like the unwinding of any type of democratic norms in the blink of an eye,” Ferguson said in an interview.

___

Associated Press reporters David A. Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri, and Steven Sloan in Oklahoma City contributed to this report.

Abbott announced Monday that he has instructed the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to verify and audit all data centers currently advancing through ERCOT’s interconnection process.

Under the directive, the audit must be completed before any data center project can move forward. Projects that fail to meet requirements established by the PUCT, ERCOT and state law will be denied access to the Texas electric grid.

“Our top priority is to protect Texans’ safety and quality of life,” Abbott said in a statement. “Any project that fails to comply with the requirements set forth by the PUCT and ERCOT, and by state law, must be denied connection to the Texas grid. Simply put, Texans must come first.”

Why Abbott says the audit is needed

According to the governor’s office, ERCOT is currently reviewing more than 474 gigawatts of requests to connect to the Texas grid, more than five times the state’s record peak electricity demand.

Officials said roughly 90% of those new power requests come from data centers, which have rapidly expanded as demand for artificial intelligence and cloud computing grows.

Abbott said that level of projected electricity demand could threaten the reliability and stability of the state’s power grid if projects are not properly evaluated.

What information data centers must provide

Building on a directive Abbott issued on June 10, the governor is also requiring the PUCT and ERCOT to collect additional information from each proposed data center project, including:

• Whether the project is receiving state or local financial assistance, including tax incentives, grants or abatements.
• Whether the facility plans to generate its own electricity or rely on the ERCOT grid, along with projected annual and peak electricity demand.
• Water usage plans, including expected consumption, water sources and whether the facility will use water-efficient cooling technologies.
• Measures to reduce impacts on surrounding communities, such as noise mitigation, lighting controls, traffic improvements and emergency response coordination.
• Information identifying the project’s ownership and controlling interests.

State officials said the additional information will help determine whether proposed facilities can support Texas’ growing economy while minimizing impacts on the electric grid and local communities.

Speaking at an unrelated Oval Office event, Trump ducked questions about whether he'd fire Pirro, a former Fox News host and longtime ally he handpicked as top federal prosecutor in the nation's capital. But the president kept up his drumbeat of sharp criticism, saying he remained disappointed by her assessment that damage to the Reflecting Pool was the result of shoddy construction, not vandalism.

“Frankly, I think she choked because the judge was really vicious. Instead of going after the people that did it, the judge went after her and went after her department, and I guess she choked,” Trump said in response to a reporter's question after he signed an executive order for military spouses. “I don’t know what the hell happened.”

The move to dismiss charges against David Hearn was an embarrassing setback for the Justice Department and marked a rare moment during Trump’s second term of an aide or political appointee openly defying him.

After initially posting on social media over the weekend, “I disagree 100% with Jeanine Pirro,” Trump was still fuming two days later, insisting for several minutes that vandalism had marred the troubled project.

“I was disappointed with Jeanine Pirro, really disappointed,” the president said Monday. “She folded like an umbrella.”

Pirro seen later at the White House

Though she has not commented publicly since Trump's initial social media post criticizing her, Pirro was spotted walking into the White House on Monday evening. Also spotted was Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who has been outspoken in defending the president's suggestions that vandalism was to blame.

Hearn has said he was on a bike ride June 19 when he reached in to examine the pool’s newly peeled coating and briefly touched a chunk attached to the side of the pool. But he said he obeyed a park worker who told him to let go of it.

Republican Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy said of Pirro, “All I know is, you better not go before a federal judge and make allegations you can’t back up.”

A lawyer who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Kennedy added, “They are very serious about it.”

“I think he’s going to sue” or file for compensation under the Federal Tort Claims Act, Kennedy said of Hearn. “I mean, I would.”

Trump denies knowing the contractor, contradicting his own past comments

Meanwhile, charges also have been dropped against three other people charged in the same D.C. court with misdemeanors for allegedly removing pieces of paint from the Reflecting Pool, according to online court records.

Justin Carreno, Cameron Thiers and Sophie Dennison-Gibby all pleaded not guilty during their initial court appearances last month. They had been accused of destruction of property with a value less than $1,000.

The president further used his Monday comments to distance himself from the troubled project, which he had touted as part of his overarching efforts to spruce up the nation's capital.

Trump said in April that he had consulted with a trio of firms that had worked on swimming pools at his properties and that the one he picked for the Reflecting Pool project had done work at his golf course in Northern Virginia. That firm was Virginia-based Atlantic Industrial Coatings, which was awarded a $14.7 million no-bid contract to repaint and waterproof its concrete floor.

“I have a guy who’s unbelievable at doing swimming pools,” Trump said then. “He looked at it. He called me up. He said, ‘Sir, we can do something on it.’”

But the president insisted Monday that “I didn’t know the contractor” and for the first time hinted that he wasn't pleased by the work that was done to get the Reflecting Pool ready in time for Independence Day celebrations.

“I’m not saying I was 100% thrilled with the contractor, but the contractor was rushing. We wanted to get it open for July 4th,” he said.

Crews drained the Reflecting Pool weeks ago to launch a new round of repairs. The White House hasn't said when those might be finished or how much more they will cost, but the Trump administration did not seek new bids from other companies on the new round of repair work.

Trump also said Monday that the Reflecting Pool would be “fixed” and reopened in the next week and a half to two weeks — without providing further details.

___

Associated Press writers Matthew Daly and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.

But prosecutors said she may have done it under pressure while Judge Kelli Johnson is deciding whether to give Brown a bond.

A photo shown in court Monday revealed bruises covering the woman’s legs.

Prosecutors say they came from beatings while Brown’s defense team claims they were caused by rough sex and her work as a dancer.

“The allegations are very salacious, but allegations are just that,” said defense attorney Samuel Milledge II.

What prosecutors say happened

Brown is accused of kidnapping the mother of his children and holding her inside a closet at a home on Darby Retreat Lane in Cypress for several days in July. Harris County Constable Precinct 4 investigators say she escaped wearing only her underwear and handcuffs.

She flagged down a neighbor and claimed to have been sexually assaulted, according to a search warrant. Inside the home, investigators found a urine-soaked mattress and rotten food, among other evidence they allege indicated a person had been restrained without consent or by force.

When Brown got arrested during a traffic stop on July 25 on warrants involving an alleged assault of the same woman, she was able to escape from the home only after realizing he was gone, according to court records.

• RELATED: Houston rapper Cartel Bo accused of holding mother of his children captive at home in Cypress

She later was found at a Waffle House, according to the search warrant, and taken to the hospital by EMS.

As part of a video statement she provided to the defense team, she repeatedly claimed to have been pressured by law enforcement to make a statement and pressured by EMS to go to the hospital.

She also signed a notarized affidavit of non-prosecution, according to Milledge, which was provided to the court on Monday.

Why prosecutors say the recantation may not be genuine

Prosecutors allege that before Monday’s hearing, Brown used another inmate’s credentials to make jail calls to the victim — urging her to sign an affidavit of non-prosecution and record a video statement recanting her claims.

The calls were not played in court and Milledge said he still needs to listen to them to verify if it’s his client on the phone.

Brown’s defense team relied heavily during the bond hearing on the victim recanting and claims she was forced by law enforcement to make her original statement while under the influence, according to what she has allegedly told the defense team.

Prosecutors also allege the victim is financially dependent on Brown and that the two have a pattern of domestic violence.

Expert says recantations in domestic violence cases are common

Houston trauma therapist Chau Nguyen said what’s happening in this case is not unusual.

“It’s actually a lot more common than you think, and it’s actually quite alarming,” Nguyen said. “We do know in cases of domestic violent when two people are involved and then law enforcement gets involved and the victim shares his or her testimony, oftentimes that testimony gets reneged, recanted. They soften the testimony, they don’t want to talk to prosecutors anymore.”

Nguyen explained what typically keeps victims from leaving abusive situations.

“We always look at two barriers to leaving an emotionally domestic violence situation. And those barriers oftentimes involve kids and money,” she said.

Prosecutors noted the victim is financially dependent on Brown.

Where the bond hearing stands

Brown’s defense team is pushing for bond in this case and is pointing to the victim’s recantation as evidence the alleged crimes didn’t happen, while also claiming the state didn’t prove he’s a danger to the community, law enforcement, and the victim.

The defense also noted Brown has a criminal history, and despite cutting off his ankle monitor and fleeing to Miami while on bond during a past case, they said he otherwise has shown up for all of his court settings.

Prosecutors urged Judge Johnson to deny bond — arguing that if Brown is released, the only question is what happens to the victim next.

“We have to let these things play out. I ask everybody to not rush to judgment,” Milledge said.

A decision from Judge Johnson is pending.

Under the expanded program, Rice said students from families earning $100,000 to $200,000 will receive free tuition. Students from families earning less than $100,000 will receive full coverage of tuition, mandatory fees, and room and board. The university said it will continue to meet 100% of demonstrated financial need without requiring student loans.

Previously, the Rice Investment covered tuition, mandatory fees, and room and board for students from families earning $75,000 or less and provided free tuition to students from families earning $75,000 to $140,000.

“This is a defining moment for Rice University and for the future of higher education,” President Reginald DesRoches said in a statement, citing alumni and donor support as key to the expansion.

Rice said the program, launched in 2019, has provided more than $1 billion in financial aid, a 75% increase compared with the seven years before the program began. University leaders also pointed to broader growth since 2020, including a roughly 25% increase in undergraduate enrollment and a roughly 20% expansion of the faculty while maintaining a 6-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio.

“As Rice grows, accessibility and excellence must grow together,” Provost Amy Dittmar said in a statement.

Yvonne Romero, vice president for enrollment and dean of admissions and financial aid, said the higher income thresholds are aimed at families who may assume they would not qualify for significant aid.

Rice said the expansion was made possible through university investment and sustained philanthropic support, and that maintaining the program will remain a fundraising priority.

Wildfires west of Athens jumped containment lines a day after a midair collision between two helicopters killed two crew members. A Greek and a Danish national died and two others were hospitalized following the collision on Sunday.

All four were private operators chartered by the Greek firefighting service.

In France, firefighters in the region around Bordeaux guarded against potential flare-ups inside a still-burning scar four times the size of Paris.

A prolonged heat wave and lack of rainfall led to the driest July in England and Wales in nearly 200 years of recordkeeping, according to provisional statistics, the U.K.’s weather service said Monday.

All of Wales and more than half of England are officially in drought, the Met Office said. The dry spell was accompanied by sweltering temperatures across much of the U.K., following heat waves in May and June.

Wales tied its record for its warmest mean temperature for July while England and the U.K. recorded their second-warmest July.

The Athens region remains at high risk with hundreds evacuated

Strong winds returned to southern Greece late on Monday, pushing flames into mountain home clusters, destroying farms and property, and closing a highway.

Areas surrounding the Greek capital remain at high risk through the week with temperatures set to rise further. More than 1,000 people have been evacuated from around the seaside resort of Porto Germeno and other areas west of the capital — including more than 250 rescued by boats from beaches in the area.

“This is a difficult fire that has troubled us,” Fire Service spokesman Yiannis Artopios said, adding that 12 water-dropping planes and 11 helicopters were operating in the area Monday.

The blaze was blamed on a faulty power line from a wind farm and led to the arrests of two contractors on charges of negligent arson.

Despite improved detection methods and expanded cooperation among European Union members, Greece and other countries along Europe's Mediterranean coast suffer devastating wildfires every summer as spells of heat wave temperatures grow longer.

Europe is Earth’s fastest-warming continent, heating at more than twice the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union’s Copernicus climate service. Rising temperatures and prolonged drought leave vegetation drier and more combustible, allowing fires to spread faster and burn more intensely.

France's massive blaze is contained as evacuees return home

Thousands of evacuees were allowed to return home or to their holiday accommodations in France on Monday after a massive wildfire remained contained. More than 224,000 people had fled in what officials said was the country’s largest civilian evacuation outside wartime.

The wildfire burned about 420 square kilometers (162 square miles), making it France’s largest wildfire on record. Monday's return includes Cap Ferret peninsula, a tourist hot spot along the Atlantic coast, and Le Porge, the municipality hardest hit by the fire, where 183 homes were destroyed. Campsites remain closed.

A second wildfire in Provence did not flare up overnight, but was still not contained on Monday as stronger winds were expected, firefighters and authorities said. About 1,500 firefighters, supported by water-dropping helicopters, continued reinforcing fire lines along the blaze that tore through about 18 square kilometers (7 square miles).

The European Forest Fire Information System said the risk of wildfire remains high across parts of the continent through Aug. 5, including in traditionally cooler northern countries.

Firefighters in the Netherlands were battling a large blaze on Monday in a forest in the southern province of Limburg, authorities said, as the country sweltered through another day of hot, dry summer weather. The national railway operator halted trains between two towns in the area due to the fire.

The Dutch air force sent two Chinook helicopters equipped with large water containers to help firefighters tackle the blaze. Media reported that a campsite in the area was evacuated due to poor air quality caused by a large plume of smoke.

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Corbet reported from Paris. Associated Press writers Elena Becatoros in Athens; Thomas Adamson in Paris; Mike Corder in The Hague, Netherlands, and Brian Melley in London contributed to this report.

The fires in and around Spokane, the state’s second-largest city, were among the most destructive in state history. About 700 buildings had been destroyed — a number that was expected to climb — and some 67,000 people were under evacuation orders. The cause was under investigation.

“Hundreds of people have completely lost their homes and farms, and many are prohibited from returning to their homes or neighborhoods as crews continue to extinguish smoldering embers,” the state's entire congressional delegation wrote Monday in asking President Donald Trump to approve an expedited emergency declaration.

The fires jumped roads and rivers and had burned about 12.5 square miles (about 32 square kilometers) by Monday. The sky filled with smoke and haze. Calmer winds and lower temperatures arrived to help firefighters, but it was expected to be hot and dry again by midweek.

In one Spokane neighborhood, blackened vehicles, a boat twisted by the heat and melted plastic recycling bins remained. Across the street, lawns were still green and houses were spared, as residents continued to run hoses or sprinklers to water their properties.

Among those who returned were Miriam and Daniel Sim, both 76. Miriam held her hand over her mouth as she surveyed the ruins of the home where they had lived since 2005.

"It’s like a war zone,” Miriam said. “There’s nothing to save.”

“At our age, do we want to rebuild?” her husband asked.

No deaths or major injuries have been reported so far

Cpl. Mark Gregory, a spokesperson for the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, said the county initially received nearly 300 reports of missing people, but by Monday they had cleared all but 14.

Those outstanding reports more likely represented people who had not been in contact since evacuating than people who were truly missing or in danger, authorities said.

The Spokane-area wildfires were completely uncontained, said Courtney James, a spokesperson for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.

They were among dozens across the Western U.S. stretching the ability of federal, state and local agencies to fight them. At least 390 square miles (1,000 square kilometers) has burned across Washington, which has contended with severe drought and a paltry snowpack.

Authorities warned people not to fly drones near the burned areas, saying it could force them to delay aerial firefighting operations.

Homes, cars, possessions lost in flames

Angela and Wayde Deatherage, both 49, evacuated shortly after 3 p.m. Saturday with a son, grabbing a few bins of family photos and heirloom rings but not much else. Roughly 30 minutes later, their security camera was sending fire notifications to Angela’s phone.

Wayde Deatherage took some back roads and returned by early evening. He stopped at the end of the street and called his wife: “Our house is done.”

Deatherage, however, wasn't done with his neighborhood. He propped a hose at another house so it sprayed the property. That home survived.

The couple returned to their property Sunday.

“It’s just ash,” Angela Deatherage said of the home where they had lived for nearly 22 years. ”It’s like our house sunk down in the basement. ... There’s just so much loss for so many people.”

Karen Faggioli, 61, figured she would be returning to her home. She recalled how other recent fires had been brought under control. But a relative texted her the bad news: Her house and three vehicles were destroyed. A daughter lost her nearby house, too.

“Why cry? What’s crying going to do? I’ve been through so many tragedies myself,” said Faggioli, who is recovering from breast cancer. “This is nothing. Like I told my granddaughter, ‘We’re strong — and now we get all new things.’ I’m emotionally numb.”

Friends and relatives of fire victims posted online appeals for money, clothes and basic necessities.

Grassland burns in Idaho, Oregon and Utah

Spokane was hardly the only place struggling to contain fires.

A lightning-caused fire that has burned over 530 square miles (about 1,370 square kilometers) of grassland in western Idaho and eastern Oregon continued to grow Monday. The area is home to cattle ranches, and authorities said the fire is threatening more than 600 homes and 800 other structures.

In central Utah, a blaze quadrupled in size over the weekend to nearly 109 square miles (282 square kilometers) by Monday afternoon. More than 100 cattle have been killed, according to law enforcement.

Heavy winds helped flames jump containment lines, but forward progression was slowed toward Fillmore, a town of about 2,600 people and the seat of Millard County, officials said. Mandatory evacuations were ordered Sunday evening for the town's southern portion, and inmates at the county jail were transferred.

Spokane sets up shelter for impacted residents

In Spokane, about 400 people were staying at city's main convention center, which was turned into a shelter, officials said.

Spokane Public Schools opened a free emergency drop-in camp for children on Monday. Trials at the county court were pushed to Aug. 10.

Several larger fires continued to burn in less populated areas northwest of Spokane.

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Johnson reported from Seattle, and White from Detroit. Associated Press writers Manuel Valdes in Spokane; John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas; Kathy McCormack in Concord, N.H.; and Martha Bellisle in Seattle contributed.

A censure registers the House’s deep disapproval of a lawmaker's conduct that does not meet the threshold for expulsion.

Edwards, 65, has denied that any of his conduct was intended as a sexual or romantic advance, but the committee said his behavior would “lead a reasonable observer to interpret it as such.” It also described his actions as “beyond inappropriate.”

The panel highlighted numerous examples of actions it considered improper, including Edwards providing the young women with lavish and recurrent gifts, making comments regarding their appearance and dress, inviting them to intimate dinners and vacations, and sending notes regarding his affection.

Report found Edwards made aides ‘uncomfortable’

The Ethics panel found no evidence Edwards explicitly propositioned any person under his employ or engaged in any sexual activity with them. But it also said he failed to adhere to “the spirit of rules prohibiting sexual harassment of and unwanted advances to House staffers.”

"Both women were uncomfortable with his behavior (which they attempted to communicate) but were put in an untenable position by virtue of his status as their boss and a Member of Congress," the Ethics Committee said in its 25-page report. “Representative Edwards was at minimum blind to that reality, and at worst, dismissive of the impact his inappropriate conduct had on the careers and well-being of two women on his staff.”

One aide worked for the congressman's office for about two-and-a-half years and the other for about three years. They no longer work there. The Ethics panel said they left due to conduct described in its report, although they provided other explanations to Edwards.

In a 15-page response to the report, Edwards' attorneys argued that the committee's findings “exonerate” the congressman, pointing to the conclusion that he did not engage in sexual activity or explicitly proposition any staff member.

His attorneys said the recommendation of censure was an “extraordinarily harsh and infrequent punishment” that is based on vague standards and adherence to the spirit of House rules, “not based on a direct violation of House rules addressing sexual misconduct.”

Paul Shumaker, a spokesperson and strategist for Edwards' reelection campaign, said the Ethics Committee's staff took it upon themselves to write rules inconsistent with the written rule of law or House rules.

“Representative Edwards looks forward to having his name cleared and will work to ensure that the full light of day is brought on this process and that every member of Congress and the public can see the attempt to harm the Congressman who has brought no harm to others,” Shumaker said in a written statement.

The committee's report detailed numerous gifts that Edwards gave the two aides, calling the gifts “beyond norms of professional behavior.” The women received jewelry totaling more than $1,000, designer purses, guns, shoes, flowers, a laptop and cell phone, as well as vacations, tickets to performances, and one-on-one dinners.

There are House rules in place to protect staff

House members are prohibited from engaging in sexual harassment or making unwanted advances toward their subordinates.

The Edwards investigation came at a time of heightened scrutiny of lawmakers’ behavior toward female staffers following the resignations of Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell and Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales. Both were facing calls for their expulsion before they stepped down earlier this year.

In May, House leadership designated Reps. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., and Teresa Leger Fernández, D-N.M., to lead a bipartisan effort to combat sexual misconduct in Congress. Their work is focused on making Capitol Hill a safer job environment for women.

The Ethics panel said Edwards cooperated with the investigation and acknowledged to them that at least some of the behavior at issue could be viewed as inappropriate. However, he has not acknowledged or taken responsibility for the harm he caused, the committee said.

In his interview with the committee, the panel said Edwards repeatedly asserted that he knows well what constitutes “sexual harassment,” and seemed to believe he had immunized himself from such a charge by avoiding inappropriate touching and sexual comments and occasionally telling the staffers that they were free to put up boundaries.

“Despite the absence of an explicit proposition, a reasonable person could interpret Representative Edwards’ intimate and effusive attentions, where he prioritized the personal over the professional, as thinly veiled advances," the committee wrote.

The House would have to approve Edwards' censure

The full House will have to vote before any censure would occur. Traditionally, a lawmaker who is censured must stand in the well of the House while the speaker or presiding officer reads the censure resolution as a form of public rebuke.

Lawmakers are back in their home districts for almost the rest of the month, so a vote on whether to censure Edwards won't occur for a few weeks at the earliest.

At the start of the new year, Berg will take over for Don Garber, who has served as the league’s commissioner since 1999.

The 60-year-old Berg, who will divest his ownership interest in LAFC, will be officially introduced on Tuesday at MLS headquarters in New York.

“I’m honored to lead Major League Soccer into its next era,” Berg said in a statement. “Thanks to the vision and commitment of so many people, Major League Soccer has achieved tremendous success, but I believe our greatest opportunities are still ahead. We have an extraordinary opportunity to strengthen the quality of our competition, develop more world-class players, deepen our connection with supporters, and continue elevating Major League Soccer’s place in the global game.

“Together with our owners, clubs, players, partners, supporters, and league staff, I could not be more excited for what comes next.”

Garber will remain MLS commissioner through the end of the 2026 season before taking over as chairman of the league. MLS has grown tremendously during Garber’s tenure, and hopes to capitalize on the momentum of the 2026 World Cup.

“Having worked closely with Larry over the past decade, I’ve seen firsthand the qualities that make him an exceptional leader, and I have complete confidence he is the right person to serve as Major League Soccer’s next commissioner,” Garber said in a statement. “His integrity, judgment, collaborative leadership, and unwavering commitment to building LAFC and the league have made him an invaluable partner. I look forward to working alongside Larry during this transition and supporting him as he leads MLS into its next chapter.”

Berg previously held ownership stakes in Serie A club AS Roma, as well as Swansea City AFC in Wales. Under Berg’s ownership, LAFC won the MLS Cup in 2022, and the Supporters’ Shield in 2019.

Before he came to MLS, Garber was head of NFL International. In 1999, NFL team owners Lamar Hunt and Robert Kraft approached Garber and asked if he might be interested in serving as commissioner of the league, which was launched in 1996.

At the time Garber took over, the league was in trouble. By 2001 MLS appeared on the verge of folding, but Garber steered the league out of the crisis.

Under his watch, the league has expanded from 12 to 30 teams with the addition of San Diego FC in 2025. He introduced the league’s marketing arm, Soccer United Marketing, encouraged the construction of soccer-specific stadiums and spurred the growth of an academy system to develop players in the United States.

Five clubs, Inter Miami, home of superstar Lionel Messi, LAFC, the LA Galaxy, Atlanta United and NYCFC are valued at over $1 billion, according to Forbes.

At the start, Berk will help guide the league as it shifts to a new calendar, with the season running from on a summer to spring schedule to more align with its international counterparts. Currently the league plays a late winter to late fall schedule.

Following the conclusion of the current season, MLS will play a shortened 14-game “sprint season” in early 2027 before the league switches to its new schedule, kicking off in July with the league championship to be played in May 2028.

Last week in an interview with The Associated Press, Garber said it in was important for his successor to share the collective vision for the league.

“The next commissioner, I hope and expect, is going to believe in the future opportunity for our league and our clubs, and what role we can play domestically and internationally to grow the game and be responsible stewards for the game, and drive value for every stakeholder, every group that cares about their local club,” Garber said.

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

The 28-year-old Rutschman is hitting .251 with eight home runs and 47 RBIs this season. He earned an All-Star nod for the third time but is currently on the injured list with left wrist inflammation. He's also dealt with an ankle injury and a concussion this year.

The deal was announced about an hour before Monday's trade deadline. Baltimore also sent catcher Jake Rogers to the Red Sox. In return, the Orioles received minor league right-handers Anthony Eyanson and Kyson Witherspoon, minor league outfielder Enddy Azocar, catcher Carlos Narváez and a player to be named later. Eyanson, Witherspoon and Azocar were ranked among Boston's top five prospects by MLB Pipeline, with Eyanson in the top 50 in all of baseball.

In another move involving a former top 5 draft pick, Boston traded shortstop Marcelo Marcelo — the fourth overall pick in 2021 — to San Francisco for left-handed reliever Erik Miller. The Red Sox also dealt right-hander Tyler Uberstine to Atlanta for outfielder Eli White.

In Mayer’s case, it ends a short and injury-plagued run in Boston that saw the 23-year-old play in only 114 games over two seasons. His trade comes while he is currently on the injured list recuperating a stress reaction in his left forearm.

If he can return to the field soon, Rutschman is a significant addition for a Boston team that stormed back into the postseason picture with a 15-game winning streak last month. The Red Sox needed catching help, and their offense is also dealing with injuries to Triston Casas, Trevor Story, Roman Anthony and even the recently acquired Curtis Mead.

The Orioles drafted Rutschman with the No. 1 overall pick in 2019, but unlike Bobby Witt Jr., the second pick that year, he hasn't signed a long-term contract. Rutschman can become a free agent after next season.

Trading him to an AL East rival is a bitter pill for some Baltimore fans. In many ways, he represented both the success and failure of the past few years for the Orioles. He made his debut in 2022 and the team took off, finishing with a winning record that year and then storming to a 101-win campaign in 2023.

Baltimore made the playoffs in 2024, but Rutschman slumped down the stretch and was unable to rebound in 2025, when the Orioles collapsed to a last-place finish. He's been better this year but has played in only 67 games. Baltimore is 54-58 and entered Monday 2 1/2 games behind the final playoff spot in the American League.

Samuel Basallo, who has 16 homers this season, now becomes Baltimore's clear No. 1 catcher. However, the 21-year-old Basallo is currently on the injured list as well.

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

Elections officials have advised voters in the affected areas to use a state website to verify whether the ballots they have cast have been received and how to obtain a replacement ballot if necessary. Voters have until 8 p.m. local time to have their ballots hand-postmarked at a U.S. Post Office or returned to a ballot drop box. One drop box in the evacuation zone will be closed once any remaining ballots are collected, according to a Spokane County advisory.

Roughly 67,000 people in the Spokane area are under evacuation orders. The state conducts elections almost entirely by mail with relatively little in-person voting.

A key U.S. House battleground this fall will be in the state's 3rd Congressional District in southwest Washington, bordering Oregon to the south and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Democratic U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is running for a third term in the seat she first won narrowly in 2022. She faces eight primary challengers, including Republican state Senate Minority Leader John Braun, who has a key endorsement from President Donald Trump.

Washington state has a top-two primary system in which all candidates compete on the same ballot and the two highest vote-getters regardless of party advance to the general election.

Trump received 50.3% of the vote from 3rd District voters in 2024, while Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris received 47%. Gluesenkamp Perez received 50.1% and 52% of the vote in the 2022 and 2024 general elections, respectively.

Incumbents are running for reelection in nine of the state’s 10 congressional districts. The exception is the 4th Congressional District, where Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse is retiring after six terms. Newhouse was among 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of his supporters.

Eleven candidates are running to replace him, including Yakima County Commissioner Amanda McKinney and entrepreneur and former NASCAR driver Jerrod Sessler, both Republicans. Trump endorsed McKinney in January on the five-year anniversary of the insurrection. He previously endorsed Sessler’s unsuccessful bid to unseat Newhouse in 2024. Trump received 59% of the 4th District vote in the presidential election that year.

About half of Washington’s 49 state Senate seats and all 98 state House seats are up in 2026. Democrats currently control about 60% of seats in each chamber.

Three of Washington’s nine state Supreme Court justices are on Tuesday’s ballot, including Chief Justice Debra Stephens. A fourth seat is open. Although state Supreme Court seats are nonpartisan, liberals hold a majority and the ideological balance of the court is not at stake.

Here are some of the key facts about the election and data points the AP Decision Team will monitor as the votes are tallied:

When do polls close?

In-person voting centers close at 8 p.m. PT, which is 11 p.m. ET.

What’s on the ballot?

The Associated Press will provide vote results and declare winners in contested primaries for U.S. House, state Senate, state House and state Supreme Court.

Who gets to vote?

Any eligible voter may participate in the state’s top-two primary system.

How many voters are there?

As of July 1, there were about 5.1 million registered voters in Washington.

How many people actually vote?

About 2 million votes were cast in the 2024 all-party primary for governor. That was slightly higher than the roughly 1.9 million votes cast in the 2022 all-party U.S. Senate primary.

How much of the vote is cast early or by absentee ballot?

Washington conducts its elections almost entirely by mail, and very few voters cast their votes in person. In the 2024 state primary, about 58.5% of voters delivered their ballots to a drop box, while about 41.3% sent their ballots through the mail.

As of Friday, about 780,000 ballots had already been cast in Tuesday’s election.

When are early and absentee votes released?

The first vote updates of the night tend to include mostly results from mail voting with relatively few results from early in-person or in-person Election Day voting. A handful of counties, including two of the more populous in the state, Spokane and Clark, often release the bulk of their absentee results in their first vote update, but most counties roll them out over the course of the night.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the 2024 state primary, the AP first reported results at 11:06 p.m. ET, or six minutes after polls closed. The last vote update of the night was at 11:43 p.m. ET, with about 51% of total votes counted. The vote count surpassed the 75% mark on the Thursday following the election at 7:56 p.m. ET and reached about 95% of the total vote six days after the election at 7:24 p.m. ET.

When will the AP declare a winner?

The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow a trailing candidate to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

How do recounts work?

Machine recounts in Washington state are automatic if the vote margin between the top two candidates is less than 2,000 votes and less than 0.5% of the total votes cast for both candidates. Manual recounts are required for statewide contests if the margin is less than 1,000 votes and less than 0.25% of the total votes cast for both candidates. For all other races, manual recounts are required when the margin is less than 150 votes and less than 0.25% of the total votes cast for both candidates. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

Are we there yet?

As of Tuesday, there will be 91 days until the 2026 midterm elections.

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

It is unclear how long the audit will take, but the effort is Abbott’s strongest effort yet to slow the development of these data centers statewide and underscores how little information members of the public, including state leaders, know about the facilities. 

Abbott is asking the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to ensure data center developers provide information on tax breaks they will receive; power use and generation; water use and cooling operations; efforts to reduce impacts on local communities; and ownership of the facility. Any projects that fail Abbott’s ordered “comprehensive verification and audit” should be denied connection to the grid, the governor said.

“Our top priority is to protect Texans’ safety and quality of life,” Abbott wrote in a statement. “Any project that fails to comply with the requirements set forth by the PUCT and ERCOT, and by state law, must be denied connection to the Texas grid. Simply put, Texans must come first.”

Abbott’s letter to the PUCT and ERCOT directs them to conduct the audit on all data centers advancing through ERCOT’s interconnection queue, or the line for energy intensive projects seeking connection to the electric grid. ERCOT is currently tracking more than 1,800 projects in the queue, representing over 474 gigawatts of electricity, or more than five times the grid’s record for peak demand, according to ERCOT. Approximately 90% of the new power requests are data centers, Abbott said. 

ERCOT and the PUCT are already conducting a review of some of the projects in the queue through a process known as “batch zero.” It is unclear if Abbott wants agencies to audit those projects or all those currently in the queue. Following Abbott’s directive, ERCOT said Monday they are putting the batch zero review on pause.

There is no state or federal government database of the facilities, but the Texas Tribune has identified at least 335 data centers operating in Texas. The state is currently the second largest market for the facilities in the country, behind Virginia, and is poised to take the top spot. The Tribune has identified at least 248 planned data centers coming to the state, although hundreds more in lesser development phases have lined up in the power queue.

While Abbott’s directive pauses the approval of new data centers seeking connection to the ERCOT grid, some data centers are building on-site power generation that allows them to bypass traditional connection to the grid. The ERCOT region also does not include the entirety of the state, like El Paso, which has seen the development of several large data centers. 

The Data Center Coalition, a trade group that represents some of the nation’s largest tech companies, said it was hopeful Abbott’s directive could separate responsible developers from irresponsible ones and urged regulators to quickly conduct the audits. 

“Done correctly, this review can showcase the good actors in the data center industry rather than delaying them unnecessarily, ensuring Texas will continue to be the national leader in economic development,” the organization’s spokesman Dan Diorio wrote in a statement Monday.

Lack of transparency

Lawmakers have spent much of this year seeking clarity about the facilities’ electricity use, water use and access to tax incentives as the Legislature considers tighter regulation of the industry. 

Abbott cited the failure of some data centers to comply with a recent PUCT’s survey measuring water and power usage as the reason the audit was needed because it hinders the agencies’ ability to make informed decisions.

Developed by the PUCT in collaboration with the Texas Water Development Board, the survey collects information about a data center’s water consumption, cooling systems, water sources, electricity demand and whether facilities are connected to the state’s electric grid or have their own on-site power source such as a gas-fired power plant. The responses are meant to inform long-term state water planning.

State law requires the PUCT to share the data with the water development board and state environmental regulators and to submit a report to the governor and the Legislative Budget Board by the end of the year.

Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Salado, a member of the House Natural Resources Committee called survey participation “pretty pathetic” during a June hearing. Of the 377 companies PUCT staff said it notified when the survey was launched, 28 submitted responses.

Also in June, Abbott directed the PUCT and ERCOT to require data centers fully fund the costs of electric infrastructure needed to serve them and take other measures to reduce electricity costs to residents. 

On July 17, PUCT Chair Thomas Gleeson responded to Abbott with his own letter outlining efforts the agencies have already taken and calling on the Legislature to grant them more authority to regulate the industry.

The PUCT did not respond to questions about the scope of the audit, saying the agency would work with ERCOT to ensure Abbott’s new directives are carried out.

Abbott’s proposal may disrupt ERCOT’s ongoing rework of its approval process for projects in the interconnection queue, requiring large-load projects to provide more detailed information before they can advance. The new rules for the first set of projects under consideration, known as “batch zero,” were approved by the PUCT in June. The agencies are currently working to develop a more permanent set of rules for projects still in the queue. 

An ERCOT spokesperson said the grid manager is reviewing Abbott’s order and will postpone the batch zero transmission planning study that is currently underway. 

Calls for a full moratorium 

City and county governments in the state have tried to slow data center development amid grassroots resistance to the facilities’ construction. Hood County rejected two attempts to pass a countywide moratorium in February after state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, warned the commissioners court it lacked the legal authority to do so. In May, Hill County approved the state’s first moratorium on the development of data centers but rescinded the measure a month later after a developer sued for $100 million in damages. And in June, San Marcos became the first Texas city to issue such a moratorium.

Nationally, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, faced criticism from President Donald Trump after she last month issued a year-long pause on the construction of the largest data centers.  

Opponents of the data center industry say Abbott’s Monday directive to regulators comes up short of a true moratorium. 

Texas Department of Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller called Abbott’s directive vague and said it was not a substitute for legislative action, although he applauded the additional scrutiny. 

“Without legislative action, this directive is all hat and no cattle — empty political rhetoric wrapped in meaningless fluff,” Miller wrote. “Texans need laws with teeth, not another press release designed to make it look like something is being done while hyperscale projects continue moving forward.”

Miller, along with many other opponents of data center development, has been calling on Abbott to order a special session that would allow legislators to pass laws regulating the industry. 

“AI has real promise, but it shouldn’t come at the cost of our water, our air, and our neighborhoods,” said Luke Metzger, executive director of Environment Texas, in a written statement about the need for a data center-focused special session. “Now that the state is asking the right questions, it needs to use the answers to develop safeguards that protect Texans.”

State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, an Austin Democrat running against Abbott, said his directives do not go far enough. 

“So nice to see another strongly worded letter from Abbott after he proudly made Texas the wild west of data centers,” Hinojosa wrote in a statement. “Abbott’s call for a ‘pause’ could be for one day – and no one buys it. He’s taken millions from data center CEOs while giving Texans lip service to non-existent restrictions.”

Alejandra Martinez contributed to this report.

Pittsburgh, looking to end a decade-long playoff drought, sent 21-year-old shortstop prospect Sammy Stafura to the Mets in exchange for the 32-year-old Weaver.

The addition of Weaver signals an unusually aggressive financial push by the typically frugal Pirates. Weaver is in the first season of a $22 million, two-year contract.

The move comes with Pittsburgh's bid for a National League wild card flickering a bit following a 2-7 stretch in which the bullpen faltered repeatedly, most notably in an 8-7 loss to Cincinnati last Friday when a two-run lead in the eighth inning quickly evaporated.

The Pirates have blown 20 of 42 save opportunities this season and already released reliever Dennis Santana, who began the year splitting the closing duties with Gregory Soto.

Pittsburgh also added two more right-handed relievers — two-time All Star Kirby Yates of the Los Angeles Angels and Lake Bachar of the Miami Marlins — right before the deadline. Weaver, Yates and Bachar will join a bullpen that's undergone a significant makeover in the last week. The Pirates brought in former All-Star reliever Camilo Doval from the New York Yankees on Saturday. Doval allowed a run in one inning of work during his Pirates debut in a loss to Cincinnati on Sunday.

Weaver had been one of the few bright spots this season for the last-place Mets, going 2-1 with a 1.84 ERA and one save in 42 appearances. A converted starting pitcher, Weaver has been excellent since moving to the bullpen full-time in 2024 with the New York Yankees. He has a 13-8 record with a 2.90 ERA and 13 saves in 168 games with the Mets and Yankees over the last two-plus seasons.

Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly called Weaver's experience a plus for a young staff, most of whom are in a playoff race for the first time. Weaver excelled during the 2024 postseason with the Yankees, recording four saves and posting a 1.76 ERA while helping New York to the World Series.

“The demeanor and just the way he goes about things is something that has stood out to me from the other side, and how he stays poised and continues to attack the strike zone,” Kelly said. "He’s been really good against righties and has had success against left-handers as well.”

While the Pirates could use Weaver as a closer, he's more likely to see action in high-leverage situations before the ninth.

“I’m sure he’s going to close some games, and I’m sure that we’ll see him in the seventh and eighth,” Kelly said. "He’s going to pitch in big spots.”

Yates also has plenty of experience in significant moments. The 39-year-old led the National League with 41 saves in 2019 with San Diego and was an All-Star in 2024 for the Texas Rangers. He is 0-5 with a 3.95 ERA in 31 games this season with the Angels.

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AP freelance writer Rich Rovito in Milwaukee contributed to this report.

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

The 30-year-old construction worker ended up curling up with other Cubans on the city's sea wall, the Malecón, in a desperate attempt to escape the suffocating summer heat during yet another islandwide blackout.

Sunday night marked the sixth islandwide blackout since Trump administration effectively cut Cuba off from oil — its main energy source — in January. The move plunged the endemically crisis-stricken country into free-fall. While authorities on Monday said they were working to get the power back on, much of the island still had no electricity.

The energy grid collapses have left people like Ríos García with fewer options to get by as the U.S. maintains its pressure campaign against the communist-led government.

"Things are only getting worse. Tomorrow it’ll collapse again ... and we’ll be back to sleeping on the Malecón,” said Ríos García, who used a piece of yellow foam as a pillow to cushion his head from the tough concrete.

The recurring power outages combined with the stifling heat have created collective insomnia on the island as residents struggle to get through the night. While some like Ríos García have slept on the boulevard, others struggle to get some rest on balconies and front porches.

The day of the latest blackout on Sunday, the temperature hit 93 degrees Fahrenheit (34 Celsius), but ended up feeling like 106 F when combined with the Caribbean's 80% humidity levels.

It marks just one of a growing number of struggles on the Caribbean island where day-to-day life has grown increasingly difficult since the U.S. threatened to impose a tariff on any goods from countries that sell or provide it with oil. That was a debilitating blow after decades of U.S. economic sanctions, with the island's infrastructure crumbling and a surge in migration.

Multiple outages since March

Sunday's latest total blackout confirmed by the state-run energy company came after sweeping outages across western Cuba, including the cities of Pinar del Río, Matanzas and Havana the day before.

Energy authorities reported two nationwide grid collapses in March and three in July, along with several partial outages.

Rolling blackouts now last more than 20 hours a day. Obtaining gas and basic goods have become daylong endeavors. Cubans worry about precious food like frozen chicken rotting in their fridges without power. The island’s once bustling tourism industry has bottomed out, leaving even fewer with a source of income allowing them to get by. With little fuel, public transportation in Havana has effectively collapsed. Hospitals have been left reeling and have sought to install solar panels to keep the lights on.

Cubans have long displayed a characteristic resilience to hardship, adapting to twists and turns and unexpected shortages after decades of living under a U.S. trade embargo. But in recent months and years, a sense of hopelessness has increasingly gripped those still remaining on the island.

Among them was 30-year-old physical education teacher Elaine Delis Ramos, who curled up next to loved ones on the boardwalk on top of a thick blanket in search of a breeze.

“Just when we start hoping (the energy grid) wouldn't collapse again, there it goes again," she said. “We don’t have any solution.”

Clancy described feeling anxious and overwhelmed with motherhood, including her struggles to get her newborn Callan to sleep and constant worries of his being sick. She also expressed concerns about going back to work as a labor and delivery nurse, not being able to breastfeed, and feeling disconnected from her children and her then-husband.

“I’m so desperate to get a mental break from taking care of everyone that my mind is trying to find something physically wrong with me,” she wrote in a Nov. 18, 2022, entry.

Clancy's defense says she was a loving mother who was overmastered by postpartum psychosis, a dangerous psychiatric condition that afflicts a small proportion of women after childbirth and affects their hold on reality.

Prosecutors contend that she acted intentionally and should be held criminally responsible for the deaths of Callan, Dawson and Cora Clancy, who ranged in age from 8 months to 5 years.

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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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Clancy’s lawyers don’t dispute that she killed the children. But in the criminal trial and a medical malpractice lawsuit, her attorneys say the 35-year-old had bipolar disorder that wasn’t fully diagnosed until after the killings.

Her attorneys say her condition seemed to worsen on an ever-shifting lineup of psychiatric prescriptions, some of them problematic for bipolar patients.

Her diary sheds light on the mental health issues at the heart of the case

In the three months before the killings, various clinicians prescribed a range of antidepressants, sleep aids, an antipsychotic and other medications while she reported increasingly profound insomnia, anxiety, despair and confusion about what was real, according to her lawsuit.

Both the prosecution and her defense attorney read pages from her journal Monday as she chronicled those difficult months.

“I want help. I want to be well,” Clancy’s attorney Kevin Reddington read from one journal entry.

She also wrote of feeling “incredibly sad and guilty” about not breastfeeding and was “obsessed” with Callan’s sleep and nap schedule.

“I have crazy brain fog. I feel like I can’t make a plan,” she wrote in another, undated entry. “I live moment to moment waiting for the next nap time. I’m terrified of Cal getting overtired now because I feel can’t help him.”

In separate lawsuits, Lindsay and ex-husband Patrick Clancy allege that various providers failed her, and should have recognized she was a risk to herself and the children. The providers, at least those who have responded to date, deny the allegations and dispute that she clearly told them she intended to harm the kids.

Lindsay Clancy was seeking help before the killings

When she sought care at a postpartum depression program in late December 2022, providers noted that her symptoms might be due to medication, according to her lawsuit. It says those clinicians told her to taper off the antipsychotic drug and then discharged her after a day.

Clancy checked herself into a psychiatric hospital that New Year’s Eve and spent several days there. Once home, she resumed appointments with her psychiatrist, who last saw her for 17 minutes on Jan. 23, 2023, according to her lawsuit.

The next day, she believed a commanding voice was telling her to “kill the children so you can kill yourself,” according to her lawyers.

That evening, she asked her then-husband to run some errands, a request that prosecutors cast as a ploy to get him out of the house.

Father returns home to a shocking scene

Lindsay Clancy wept at the defense table last week as Patrick Clancy and other witnesses testified.

He told jurors about returning to a horrible scene at their house: a bloodied bedroom, an open window, his wife on the ground below it, the children in the basement, throttled with exercise bands.

“She killed the kids!” he told a 911 dispatcher on a call played in court.

Lindsay Clancy remains paralyzed from the waist down because of the fall.

In the hospital two days later, when a forensic psychologist asked Clancy how she felt, she responded: “horrified.” She also asked if she had a lawyer and whether her body and legs were broken. She was intubated and could only communicate through written messages on a whiteboard, the psychologist testified.

“She then asked, can she have visitors, and where her family is,” Dr. Jhilam Biswas of Brigham and Women’s Hospital recalled.

Doctors testified Monday that 8-month-old Callan was in cardiac arrest when he arrived at a hospital in nearby Plymouth. He needed a ventilator at Boston Children’s Hospital to help him breathe, but did have a heartbeat. He died after three days.

Prosecutors will try to keep the spotlight on Clancy

Prosecutor Shanan Buckingham sought in an opening statement last week to keep jurors' focus on the defendant, not her doctors.

“This is not a public debate about women’s mental health and how the medical system treats women,” Buckingham said.

If convicted of murder, Lindsay Clancy faces life in prison without parole. If found not guilty due to a lack of criminal responsibility, she would be committed to a state mental health facility.

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Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz contributed from New York.

The attack Saturday at a new In-N-Out Burger in Twin Falls ended when the gunman, identified by police as 24-year-old Chad Williams, shot and killed himself. On Monday, police were still trying to determine why Williams carried out the attack, which happened early in the afternoon in a busy shopping plaza in the southern Idaho city.

Many details about Williams' life were still unknown Monday, but an initial search of court records in Idaho and Arizona, where he used to live, didn't show any criminal cases matching his name and birth date.

Man who knew gunman says he was ‘pretty chill’

Elijah Moseley, who lived across the hall from Williams in a College of Southern Idaho dorm a few years ago, described him as “an introvert” and “a pretty chill guy.”

“I was never scared or weirded out by him,” he said.

Moseley said he considered Williams a relatively close friend, though they lost touch a couple of years ago.

“I’m shocked by this and sick to my stomach about this,” he said.

Detectives are confident that Williams acted alone, Police Chief Matthew Hicks said Sunday, noting that Williams’ family is cooperating fully with the investigation.

Two of the wounded victims were treated at a hospital and released, three were listed as stable, and two others were in critical condition, police said Sunday.

During the attack, an off-duty state trooper and a civilian fired on Williams and diverted him from the restaurant, the chief said. Police haven't disclosed their names or those of the victims, but some victims have been identified by friends and relatives. Twin Falls spokesperson Josh Palmer said Monday that police were still trying to identify next of kin.

A vigil is planned for Tuesday evening at Twin Falls City Park, Palmer said.

In-N-Out employee among those killed

The attack happened at an In-N-Out that opened late last month as part of the California chain’s Idaho expansion, and an employee at the burger joint was among those killed, the fast-food chain’s owner, Lynsi Snyder, said in a statement. She didn't identify the worker.

Kimberley Castaneda confirmed to The Associated Press that her brother, Christopher Claunch, was among those killed, but she declined to discuss him further.

Garren Taylor, one of Claunch's friends, said that two years ago, Claunch completed a rehab program for alcohol abuse at Renaissance Ranch Recovery Center in Rupert, Idaho, and was immediately hired there. Taylor said Claunch, known to those close to him as “Toph,” had since then dedicated his life to helping others get sober.

“He helped hundreds of people,” Taylor recalled Monday. “He was just a gift to anyone he came in contact with. It wasn’t about the paycheck, his attitude was: ‘I get to help someone today.’”

Renaissance Ranch declined to comment Monday.

Wounded man moved closer to gunfire to help

In a Facebook post, Marcus Scott said his son Austin “A.J.” Scott was critically wounded in the attack and faces a long recovery. He said his son was shot after he moved “toward the danger” when he heard gunfire in an effort to protect others.

“We are incredibly thankful that God spared his life and that his wife and friend were there to provide immediate care until he could get to the hospital," he wrote.

Marcus Scott said in a message to the AP on Monday that his son used to work as a law enforcement officer for the Twin Falls police and the Idaho State Police. He declined to comment further on his son’s actions, saying it is his son's story to tell.

Terry Dudley, a driver for North Star Taxi, was shot as he was charging one of the company’s Teslas in a parking lot next to the In-N-Out Burger, said James Palmer, who owns the taxi service and is Dudley’s friend.

Palmer said Dudley called him to tell him he was shot after he couldn’t get through to 911. He said Dudley was flown to a hospital in Boise and remained there Monday with serious injuries, he said.

“It’s a lot, man,” Palmer said. “It’s daunting, to say the least, to even try to gather the scope of all this. It’s been absolute chaos."

He said Dudley was “kind of like my right hand.”

Gunman left local college before graduating

Williams attended the College of Southern Idaho from August 2022 and December 2023, according to the school's president, L. Dean Fisher. He didn’t graduate or earn a certificate from the school, which has about 10,000 students.

Williams served in the student senate but was unanimously impeached by his fellow senators in February 2023. Moseley, who served as the senate pro-tempore at the time, said Williams was ousted because he wasn't very active or engaged in student government.

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Associated Press reporters Christopher Weber and Jamie Stengle contributed to this report.

In Detroit, El-Sayed posed for photos and participated in interviews with content creators at a backyard pool party before a final rally with supporters. On the state’s west side, Stevens appeared alongside Michigan Democratic officials.

It was a fitting final contrast in a race that has become one of the clearest tests yet of where Democratic voters want their party to go. El-Sayed, a progressive backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders and other leaders on the party’s left, has run against much of the Democratic establishment. Stevens, a four-term congresswoman backed by Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and many of Michigan’s top Democrats, has made electability and experience central to her case.

Tens of millions of dollars have poured into the race, much of it from outside groups supporting Stevens. But the contest now comes down to which candidate can assemble enough of Michigan’s Democratic coalition to win Tuesday.

El-Sayed opted to focus in his campaign’s final days on Detroit, which he called a “spiritual home” and a place where he wanted to “demonstrate what this movement is and what it could mean.”

Stevens, meanwhile, spent time in Detroit before heading to the state's west side. She called the final push the “last word phenomenon."

“Everyone’s trying to get in their last points," she said.

Both candidates focused on Detroit-area churches and union halls Sunday

Both candidates have spent parts of the campaign’s final days in Detroit, where Black voters have long been crucial to winning Democratic primaries.

El-Sayed began Sunday by sitting alongside his wife and Black political leaders in a packed Detroit church, clapping as the congregation sang and the pastor preached. Then he stood before the room and asked for their votes.

“I believe in the kind of America where no matter where you grow up, the color of your skin, how you pray, you deserve equal rights in this country,” El-Sayed told the congregation at Kingdom Covenant Church.

“You deserve to go to a good school, you deserve to get healthcare, you deserve to graduate and get a good job,” he added.

El-Sayed was joined by Democratic Reps. Summer Lee of Pennsylvania and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, as well as Yusef Jackson, the son of the late Rev. Jesse Jackson who is president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.

Pastor David A. Johnson II said welcoming a political candidate was not something he typically did, but “this particular season, it’s time for us to do something different.”

For Robin Robertson, a 59-year-old Detroit resident, El-Sayed’s visit came just in time. Robertson said she had gone back and forth over whom to support, waiting until the campaign’s final days to decide.

She ultimately settled on El-Sayed, saying Stevens “had a good run.”

“His agenda seems to match more for me the things that we need right now,” Robertson said. “And then, he’s here in my little church. That was confirmation that I’m going to vote for him.”

Stevens, meanwhile, emphasized her longstanding connections to Detroit-area churches.

At a church in Pontiac on Sunday afternoon, Stevens stayed after the service to speak individually with congregants, greeting many like familiar faces.

“I come here year-round. This isn’t just a campaign thing,” Stevens said. “Our churches are places of community refuge, community connection.”

Stevens and her allies have also made a direct appeal to Black voters through advertisements highlighting her ties to former President Barack Obama and her work as chief of staff for his administration’s auto rescue effort from 2009 to 2011.

Her campaign acknowledges that a strong showing among Detroit voters will likely be necessary for her to win Tuesday.

Reggie Williams, a longtime constituent who was supporting Stevens at an Oakland County event Sunday evening in a union hall, said he continues to back her because she “has always been there for the people.”

“She is out and about in the community, always has boots on the ground,” Williams said.

Stevens, El-Sayed

focus on different parts of Michigan on final day of campaigning

After spending much of Sunday pursuing some of the same Democratic constituencies, El-Sayed and Stevens took different paths across Michigan for the final full day of the primary.

For El-Sayed, that meant leaning into a volunteer operation his campaign says has grown to 12,000 people statewide. Stevens is relying on the broader institutional support she has accumulated across the state, including endorsements from many of Michigan’s most prominent Democratic officials, such as Sen. Gary Peters and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

El-Sayed remained in Detroit, trying to turn enthusiasm in the state’s largest city into votes. Monday evening he plans to close his campaign with a voter mobilization event in Detroit, alongside other candidates running for Congress and state office.

Stevens' Monday included a stop at a soul food restaurant and bakery in Muskegon Heights, where she addressed just over 20 people and positioned herself as the only candidate who can win against Republican Mike Rogers in November.

Sharri J. Lane, who owns a jewelry business and grew up in Muskegon Heights, was in attendance and had already voted for Stevens.

“I hope that she will keep her word and will do things that will benefit so many communities like ours,” Lane, 54, said while standing next to a rack of her earrings for sale. “Sometimes we’re forgotten about, you know, after the voting ends.”

Can Michigan Democrats come back together after Tuesday?

The primary has been bruising and expensive. And after Tuesday, Michigan Democrats will have to figure out how quickly they can put it behind them.

The winner will immediately face the task of bringing together supporters of two candidates who have offered different visions for the party and whose campaigns have grown increasingly contentious in the closing weeks.

El-Sayed and his allies have sharpened their attacks on Stevens. He told Semafor in July that a pro-Israel group backing her needed to “teach her how to string together two coherent sentences.” Stevens escalated her own criticism in the campaign's final days, responding to a clip of El-Sayed on July 31 by saying, “Everyone in America understands you want to blame all of your problems on Jewish Americans.”

Michigan Democrats are hoping to begin the process of coalescing almost immediately. The party plans to bring its nominees from across the state together in the days after the primary for a general election kickoff aimed at presenting a united front heading into November.

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GaNun reported from Muskegon Heights, Michigan.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said both people had underlying health conditions that may have been impacted by the intestinal illness and dehydration. The department said it would not provide additional information about the deaths.

Cyclospora is a microscopic, spherical parasite that commonly causes watery diarrhea “with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Outbreaks tend to occur most often in the late spring and summer.

The CDC says the illness, called cyclosporiasis, is rarely deadly.

The heat-loving parasite infects the bowels and spreads through feces. In the past, people have been infected by consuming fruits or vegetables that were exposed to feces-contaminated irrigation water.

Dr. Joel Kammeyer, the division chief of infectious diseases at Wayne State University and the Detroit Medical Center, called the deaths a “tragedy” but noted that despite thousands of cyclosporiasis cases, only two people have died.

“For someone who comes into an urgent care and cyclosporiasis is their only issue, it’s relatively easy to treat,” Kammeyer said. But for people who are struggling with other illnesses, he said, “it stands to reason that there are some patients that might not be able to withstand the dehydration that can come with severe cyclosporiasis.”

Cyclosporiasis is less common than other foodborne illnesses, including salmonella and E. coli. Many cases are never linked to a specific food or other source and, for years, few U.S. cyclospora outbreaks were reported. But the number started rising about a decade ago, with a particularly notable spike in 2018 and 2019.

Previously, 2019 saw the most reported U.S. cyclosporiasis cases, with about 4,700.

The CDC said it is aware of more than 18,000 confirmed or suspected cases in the current surge. But CDC numbers can lag state reports, which suggest the number is more than 20,000 nationwide.

Federal health officials have identified lettuce from Mexico served at Taco Bell locations in nine states as a source of the widespread outbreak. As of late July, the number of cases linked to the lettuce was 1,947, including at least 98 people who had to be hospitalized, according to the CDC.

The agency has said other “brands, restaurants, retailers, or distribution channels” could be tied to the outbreak as the investigation continues.

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Associated Press reporter Mike Stobbe in New York City contributed.

Nikolay Mladenov, the high representative for Gaza, held “constructive and detailed” talks with Netanyahu and his team, the Board of Peace said in a statement.

“The goal is clear and is not in question: the complete decommissioning of weapons in the Strip and the transition away from rule by the gun to civilian governance,” it said, referring to the embattled enclave.

Mladenov also pressed Netanyahu to halt Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip, according to two people familiar with the meeting. Mladenov and his team, including senior adviser Aryeh Lightstone, are pressuring Israel to stop striking Gaza as they push ahead with the agreement to decommission the weapons held by Hamas.

In a statement Monday, Hamas said the group and various other Palestinian factions “remain committed to what was agreed regarding the implementation of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, including all parties’ obligations.”

Hamas added it was awaiting “a clear and official response” from Mladenov and the mediators regarding what was agreed upon.

Meanwhile, in Washington, members of the Board of Peace met with U.S. congressional staff on Monday to detail their ongoing efforts and to work with Congress “to advance peace, security, governance, and reconstruction in Gaza,” according to a brief statement released by the board.

President Donald Trump had announced the agreement, which is part of a broader ceasefire deal reached last year, on Thursday. It calls for Israel to cease its military operations and for Hamas and its allies in Gaza to halt all militant activity. The agreement also laid out in general terms what the decommissioning process would look like.

After the text of the agreement was released, Israel said it had “serious security concerns” and that it shared those with the United States. It also ramped up its strikes in Gaza, killing 17 people overnight Saturday and into Sunday, according to local health officials. No airstrikes were reported in Gaza on Monday.

Israeli attacks have killed 1,250 people since the ceasefire deal was reached in October, an agreement that ended major fighting in the Israel-Hamas war that had raged for two years.

Egypt, Qatar and Turkey — mediators in the Gaza truce negotiations — denounced the latest Israeli strikes in a statement Monday, saying that the particular targeting of healthcare facilities, medical infrastructure and resulting civilian casualties constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law.

‏The mediators also called on the international community to continue to pressure Israel to fulfill its end of the deal.

The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage.

Israel's military offensive in Gaza has since killed 73,375 people, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Its figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants but they are considered generally reliable by the United Nations and other international organizations.

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Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

The pair of aggressive moves was a part of a hectic day of swaps, featuring dozens of deals in the hours leading up to Monday's 6 p.m. EDT deadline. Also on Monday, the Houston Astros added veteran outfielder Daulton Varsho from Toronto in exchange for right-hander Spencer Arrighetti, and the Chicago Cubs got pitcher Clay Holmes from the New York Mets.

The Los Angeles Dodgers woke up already looking like the deadline’s biggest winners after adding two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal to a loaded roster Sunday. The Dodgers are chasing a third straight World Series title.

Rutschman gives Red Sox young catching star

Rutschman was the No. 1 overall pick in 2019 out of Oregon State and has largely lived up to the high expectations with five quality seasons with the Baltimore Orioles.

Now he moves to the Red Sox, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade hadn't been announced.

Boston started slow this season but revitalized its playoff hopes with a franchise record-tying 15-game winning streak in July. The 28-year-old Rutschman — who is under team control for one more season in 2027 — has had a bounce-back season at the plate with a .762 OPS, which helped him earn his third All-Star nod.

Rutschman is currently on the injured list with left wrist inflammation. He’s also dealt with an ankle injury and a concussion this year.

Arraez gives Philly an elite contact hitter

Arraez comes from the San Francisco Giants, and he'll be expected to create RBI opportunities for Phillies sluggers Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber.

Arraez is hitting an NL-best .324 in a resurgent season after signing a $12 million, one-year deal with San Francisco early in spring training. The 29-year-old has his highest batting average since 2023, and he's played better defense at second base after questions about his glove hindered his market in free agency.

Schwarber is second in the majors with 33 home runs entering Monday yet ranks 31st with 63 RBIs, while Harper has driven in 66. The team's .304 on-base percentage is the second lowest in the majors.

Philly also got reliever Caleb Kilian back from the Giants in the trade for two minor leaguers, and it swung a separate deal for left-handed reliever Brooks Raley with the Mets.

Former Cy Young winner Robbie Ray goes to Padres

The San Diego Padres acquired veteran left-hander Robbie Ray from the Giants on Monday in a trade for two prospects.

The Padres have won eight of nine to move one game back of the final wild-card playoff position, and this latest surge in their up-and-down season apparently prompted general manager A.J. Preller to trade yet another chunk of his severely depleted farm system for another chance to win now.

San Diego gave up right-hander Miguel Mendez and 17-year-old shortstop Joniel Hernandez for the 34-year-old Ray, a former Cy Young Award winner who will be an unrestricted free agent this winter. The Padres also got cash in the deal.

Ray is 10-6 with a 3.08 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 122 2/3 innings this season, his third with San Francisco.

Dodgers keep adding

The Dodgers added 2025 All-Star left-hander Kris Bubic from the Kansas City Royals for minor league right-hander Carlos Duran, a person familiar with the deal told the AP. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade hadn't been announced.

Bubic is on the 60-day injured list with shoulder and elbow issues, but the Royals had expected him to return in late-August, which would put him in line to pitch out of the bullpen for Los Angeles during the playoffs. He was an All-Star last season and is 3-2 with a 4.11 ERA in nine starts this season. Duran is 3-2 with a 3.38 ERA for the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City.

Los Angeles also traded for backup catcher Ben Rortvedt for the second year in a row. This time, the Dodgers got Rortvedt from the Mets for right-hander Chayce McDermott. The 28-year-old Rortvedt hasn’t played in the big leagues this season and wasn’t on the Mets’ 40-man roster.

Varsho helps Astros

The 30-year-old Varsho has had a disappointing offensive season with a .682 OPS over 99 games with the Blue Jays, but he earned a Gold Glove award in 2024 and remains an excellent defender.

Houston came into Monday's games with a 58-55 record, which is good for first place in the AL West. The Astros took over the division lead for the first time since April after a three-game sweep of the Rangers over the weekend.

The Blue Jays received Arrighetti, who is 7-5 with a 4.60 ERA over 17 starts this season.

Other trades of note

— The Pittsburgh Pirates added veteran right-hander Luke Weaver from the Mets. Weaver is in the first season of a two-year, $22-million deal. He had been one of the few bright spots this season for the last-place Mets, going 2-1 with a 1.84 ERA with one save in 42 appearances. The Mets received minor league infielder Sammy Stafura.

— The Cubs got left-hander Braxton Garrett from Miami for two minor leaguers. Garrett — the former seventh overall draft pick who turns 29 on Wednesday and will be under club control for two more seasons after this — suffered a torn UCL midway through the 2024 season. His only two big league starts since then came in mid-May, when he struck out five while allowing seven runs over 4 1/3 innings. He has since been at Triple-A. In 67 games for the Miami Marlins since his MLB debut in 2020, he was 16-20 with a 4.16 ERA. The Cubs also added righty Ryan Zeferjahn from the Los Angeles Angels for minor league catcher Moisés Ballesteros and minor league right-handed pitcher Mason McGwire, the son of former MLB slugger Mark McGwire.

— The Seattle Mariners acquired outfielder Taylor Ward from the Orioles in exchange for minor league right-handers Alex Hoppe, Brock Moore and Harrison Kreiling. Ward, 32, is hitting .246 with seven home runs and 30 RBIs in 111 games. He adds to Seattle’s outfield depth and could make impending free agent and All-Star outfielder Randy Arozarena expendable.

— The Blue Jays bolstered their rotation with an eye on 2027 by acquiring right-hander José Soriano from the Angels for three prospects. The 27-year-old is 9-6 with a 3.29 ERA and has a 3.72 ERA over four big league seasons. He's under team control through 2028. Infielder Arjun Nimmala, a 2023 first-round pick, headlined the minor leaguers going to Los Angeles, along with outfielder Eddie Micheletti Jr. and right-hander Angel Rivero.

— The Cleveland Guardians picked up a power bat and some outfield versatility by adding Jo Adell from the Angels, who received minor league catcher Jacob Cozart. The 27-year-old Adell has 16 homers and 62 RBIs this season, one year after hitting a career-best 37 homers with 98 RBIs. Adell has spent his entire career with the Angels after being the 10th overall pick in the 2017 amateur draft.

— The Tampa Bay Rays added catcher Liam Hicks in a trade with the Marlins while Miami received prospects RHP Jacob Kisting, SS Adrian Santana and INF Brayden Taylor. Hicks, 27, is in his second big league season and batting .282 with 14 homers and 62 RBIs. He's under team control for the next four seasons.

— The Chicago White Sox acquired outfielder Brenton Doyle from the Colorado Rockies for a pair of prospects. Doyle, who recently came off the injured list due to a bruised oblique, is hitting .214 with a homer and nine stolen bases. He’s won two Gold Glove awards for his work in center field. The Rockies received right-hander Mason Adams and infielder Carlos Vielma.

The White Sox also added righty reliever Huascar Brazobán from the Mets for minor league right-handers Gabe Davis and Zach Franklin. The 36-year-old Brazobán is 5-2 with a 2.56 ERA over 46 games this season.

— Toronto got utility player Josh Smith and minor league right-hander Josh Stephan from Texas for rookie left-hander Adam Macko. Smith, who in 2024 won a Silver Slugger as a utility player, was at Triple-A Round Rock. He went into this season with the chance to be the Rangers’ everyday second baseman, but he hit .213 in 45 games and missed 37 games because of injuries and a bout with viral meningitis.

— The Atlanta Braves acquired veteran left-handed reliever Brent Suter from the Angels for minor league infielder Nacho Alvarez Jr. The 36-year-old Suter provides some bullpen depth for the NL East leaders. He was 1-2 with a 4.12 ERA over 63 1/3 innings in 41 appearances for Los Angeles. The Braves also traded outfielder Eli White to the Red Sox, obtained right-hander Tyler Uberstine, who was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett, and traded backup catcher Joey Bart to the White Sox for right-hander Duncan Davitt.

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AP Baseball Writers Jay Cohen, Mike Fitzpatrick and Noah Trister and AP Sports Writers Kristie Rieken, Dave Skretta and Alanis Thames contributed to this story.

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

The brothers, longtime sport fishermen who live in Massachusetts, released a juvenile tiger shark in late July after catching it from a beach. The five-foot shark is far more common in warmer, southern waters such as the Caribbean Sea, and scientists said its appearance off Falmouth, Massachusetts, is an indicator of warming seas caused by climate change.

Nate and Nelson said the late-night catch was a thrill after hours of seeking far more common brown sharks.

“And I saw those horizontal lines, indicating it was a tiger shark, which was super cool,” said Nate, who is the social media manager for On The Water magazine. “Immediately I started yelling to my brother, ‘It’s a tiger, it's a tiger shark!' And he was in disbelief.”

The Rouette brothers caught a young specimen of a shark that can grow to more than 15 feet (4.6 meters) and 1,400 pounds (635 kilograms). Tiger sharks eat a wide array of other ocean life, including fish, crustaceans and birds, and are famous for sometimes eating man-made items such as old license plates and shoes that are later found in their stomachs. The adults are also more dangerous to humans than most shark species, though unprovoked fatal bites are rare.

Juvenile tiger sharks have been spotted more often in northern waters in recent years, said John Chisholm, adjunct scientist at the New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life in Boston. Rising temperatures of global seas appear to have made the Atlantic Ocean off New England more hospitable to them, he said.

Young tiger sharks are historically less common than adults in northern waters, which makes the brothers' discovery even more surprising, Chisholm said.

“Maybe they are coming up here because conditions are right. There's food, there's warm waters,” he said. “Maybe it's becoming a nursery -- that's one of the issues that we will investigate.”

Tiger sharks are among many kinds of sea life that have been trending north in recent years as seas have warmed, and other sharks have done the same, scientists have said. Sightings of great whites off Cape Cod have been increasingly frequent, and the big sharks have also been seen off of New Hampshire and Maine. Scientists have attributed the shift in great white sightings to factors including a higher abundance of seals, which the great whites prey on.

Other sea animals, including black sea bass, appear to be moving north because of the warming of the ocean.

For the Rouette brothers, the encounter with a tiger shark provided a thrill they won't forget. Nate said the discovery was a reminder of that warming.

“People are definitely seeing more species that indicate that,” Nate said.

Trump said a day earlier he’d called off major strikes against Iran at the urging of Gulf allies, the latest in a pattern of threats and subsequent backpedaling from the U.S. president.

Meanwhile, 25 states sued the Trump administration Monday over its latest tariffs, calling them a pretext for replacing import taxes the Supreme Court struck down in February. The U.S. last month imposed double-digit tariffs on 59 countries and the European Union just as the clock ran out on temporary tariffs Trump had turned to after the Supreme Court defeat.

Here is the latest:

Sen. Chuck Grassley invites former special counsel to testify about Trump investigation

Grassley says he has invited Jack Smith to testify before his panel on Sept. 22.

In a social media post announcing the invitation, Grassley, the chairman of the Republican-led committee, said that the American people “deserve nothing less than full transparency + accountability” related to the handling of the investigation into Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

Grassley wants to ask Smith about records showing that his team obtained phone records of some lawmakers on Capitol Hill, as well as the content of their text messages. Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, last month referred Smith to the Justice Department for a possible false statement investigation related to testimony about the records.

Lawyers for Smith say he testified truthfully and did nothing wrong.

Smith conducted two investigations into Trump, including related to his retention of classified records, that resulted in indictments. Both cases were abandoned after Trump won back the White House.

Trump Board of Peace officials meet congressional leaders as questions remain over Gaza peace plan

Members of President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace that is seeking and end to the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza met with U.S. officials and lawmakers in Washington on Monday.

The board members met with congressional staff and others to describe “current efforts to implement President Trump’s Comprehensive Peace Plan” and to work with Congress “to advance peace, security, governance, and reconstruction in Gaza.”

No details of the meeting were disclosed in a brief statement issued by the the Board of Peace.

The meeting took place as more senior officials from the Board of Peace met with top Israeli leaders in Israel.

25 states sue over Trump administration’s latest tariffs, citing Supreme Court ruling

Twenty-five states sued the Trump administration Monday over its latest tariffs, calling them a pretext for replacing import taxes the Supreme Court struck down in February.

The United States last month imposed double-digit tariffs on 59 countries and the European Union, charging that they had not done enough to crack down on imports produced by forced labor. The new tariffs took effect just as the clock ran out on temporary tariffs President Donald Trump had turned to after the Supreme Court defeat.

“After losing at the Supreme Court, the administration is once again trying to illegally raise taxes on families and businesses with a new round of tariffs,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James.

▶ Read more

Trump Washington surge opponents file complaint

A group of activists opposing the continued law enforcement and National Guard presence in Washington submitted a letter Monday to the D.C. Superior Court chief judge asking that he assess the seriousness and racial aspect of cases being brought by prosecutors during the surge.

Frankie Seabron, of CourtWatch DC, said 100 people a day were being taken into custody for minor crimes that would not have been pursued as vigorously before.

“Judges are not defenseless,” she said, “especially when they know prosecutors are abusing their powers.”

Seabron’s organization was one of several at a protest at Superior Court led by FreeDC. Ellen Hornstein with Lawyers Defending American Democracy also announced an ethics complaint had been filed last month against Jeanine Pirro with the Attorney Grievance Committee for the Supreme Court of the State of New York. The action cited her behavior in several cases, the reflecting pool vandalism case.

Trump says Pirro ‘folded like a cheap umbrella’

The president reiterated his disappointment with U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro for a court filing in which her office blamed a contractor’s shoddy work on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool rather than vandalism.

“I guess she choked. I don’t know what the hell happened,” Trump said, later adding that the former Fox News host “folded like a cheap umbrella” in moving to drop criminal charges against the former Olympian accused of deliberately damaging the pool.

Trump refused to say whether he’d move to fire Pirro. But he also acknowledged that the contractor was “rushing” to finish the project before July 4 — which didn’t ultimately happen.

And he suggested he “didn’t know” the contactor working on it, contradicting his own comments from April when he said he chose the company involved since it had performed work at his golf course in Virginia.

Trump avoids answering whether he supports MLB salary cap

Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement is set to expire Dec. 1 and there’s growing speculation that there could be a lockout that jeopardizes the 2027 season

The central point of contention is MLB owners push for a salary cap. Asked if he supported the owners push for a salary cap, Trump demurred.

“Well, we’re going to talk about that at a different time,” said Trump, a New York Yankees fan. “You know, it’s a complex situation, but not too complex for me.”

The president previously has suggested that he views salary caps in pro sports favorably. Trump in June told reporters that “if you don’t have a salary cap, you don’t have a sport” and suggested MLB “should have done it a long time ago.”

Trump says he looks forward to meeting DC’s new mayor

Trump said he’d welcome meeting with Janeese Lewis George, likely the next mayor of Washington, D.C., after he wrongly referred to her as a communist.

Lewis George is a self-described democratic socialist and a member of the D.C. Council who won the Democratic mayoral primary in June. In the overwhelmingly Democratic city, she is likely to take the top spot in November’s general election. She would succeed moderate Muriel Bowser, who decided to step down after three terms.

“I have not met her yet. I look forward to meeting her,” Trump said of Lewis George.

Trump says oil companies Chevron and Exxon Mobil made ‘too much money’

The U.S. president said major oil companies are earning excessive profits because of high oil prices.

“They made too much money, too much money, “ Trump said. “They ought to give some of that back to the public, and they better cut the retail price.”

Trump said he’s not happy with profits reported by Chevron and Exxon Mobil, even though the higher margins reflected energy prices that had increased after Trump launched a war with Iran and the Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed to oil and natural gas tankers.

Trump’s predecessor in the White House, Democrat Joe Biden, also attacked oil companies for their profits when inflation was a major problem with voters.

Trump says he doesn’t know what was agreed to on to advance Blanche’s nomination

The president said, “I understand there’s been a sign off” but that “I don’t know what they agreed” to.

“I think Todd Blanche agreed to reconfirm things that he’s already said. And what he said was OK,” Trump added.

Two Republican Senators who had blocked the confirmation of Blanche, the acting attorney general, to lead the Justice Department said they’d reached an agreement to end the impasse.

Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis said they struck a deal to formally rescind the $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” that could have been used to compensate Trump supporters who overran the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Despite saying he didn’t know the details of the deal to advance Blanche’s nomination, Trump defended the fund, saying his supporters had been “treated very unfairly.”

Trump defends his exemption from IRS audits because government was ‘weaponized’ against him

The U.S. president defended an agreement to exempt him, his sons and his business from tax audits.

The IRS had until Trump audited presidents since 1977, but the administration struck a deal to avoid audits of Trump as part of what was an initial agreement to end a lawsuit over the leaking of his tax records.

Trump said that before he ran for president in 2016 that an IRS audit of him had been settled. He said the audit was then reopened and he used it during the campaign a decade ago to justify not releasing his tax returns as other candidates have done.

“They went after me illegally and they did a lot of bad things to me like they did to other people,” Trump said. “It was weaponized against me.”

Trump says he’s leaving the Rep. Max Miller situation to the families involved

A day after telling reporters that he’d look into the allegations against the Ohio congressman, Trump said he’ll let the families “figure that out.”

“It’s a very sad thing,” Trump told reporters Monday in the Oval Office. “I know Max. He’s a good person.”

Miller is accused of domestic violence by his former wife, Emily Moreno, the daughter of Ohio Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno, who is close to Trump. Miller denies the allegations.

The senator said Sunday that his former son-in-law should not serve in Congress.

“You know, those families, I know they’re working on it. It’s a very sad thing,” Trump said. “Especially when you know somebody so well to be going through that. But it’s accusations, and I’m going to let them figure that out.”

Trump says new talks are ‘last chance’ for Iran to forge deal and avoid escalation of US strikes

President Donald Trump said Monday that newly planned talks with Tehran are the “last chance” for Iran to forge a deal and avoid an escalation of U.S. strikes on the country.

Trump, speaking at the Oval Office, said he expects negotiations that will reopen the Strait of Hormuz and create a pathway for Iran to address United States’ concerns about it’s nuclear program will begin in the next day or two.

The Republican president says, “The first phase is the opening of the straits. The second phase will be the denuclearization.” Trump says that ”will take a little while.”

While Trump has reveled in the U.S. military decimating layers of Tehran’s leadership and devastating its air force and navy, Iran is betting it can outlast Trump as he faces diminished stockpiles of munitions and the difficulty of executing a war that is unpopular with the American electorate ahead of November’s midterm election.

▶ Read more

Trump signs executive order on military spouses

The order creates the “Presidential Military Spouse Commission” to address issues facing troops and their families. Jennifer Hegseth, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s wife, will lead it, Trump said.

The president said the new commission would “develop suggestions to address particular challenges in housing, employment, health care, education, child childcare and just about everything else you can think of.”

Many of the issues have been tackled in various forms by multiple administrations.

Jennifer Hegseth’s role mirrors that of other defense secretary spouses who have advocated for families while their husbands ran the Pentagon. Charlene Austin, Lloyd Austin’s wife, sat on the advisory boards for the Purdue Military Family Research Institute, and Military Child Education Coalition.

Trump calls Iran ‘unbelievably duplicitous’ with regard to peace talks

Trump is venting about the status of peace talks with Iran.

He criticized Iran's leadership for claiming that its meetings with Oman on Monday were focused solely on establishing a temporary route for safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

The president previously said he held off on a massive weekend strike against Iran because there was another framework for a ceasefire and the full reopening of the strait to oil and natural gas tankers.

“Iranian Leadership is unbelievably duplicitous!” Trump posted on social media Monday. “They ask for a meeting, some would say “beg,” talks begin, with more scheduled in the immediate future, and they say, openly and proudly, that they’re not having any discussions, that nothing is being talked about, and they’re only dealing with ‘Oman.’”

Trump said whether “Iran wants to admit it or not, we are, in fact, talking” about preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

Breakneck pace in immigration courts is driving up deportation orders

The Trump administration is packing immigration courtrooms with speedier hearings to clear a decades-long backlog in asylum claims. New data shows a historic rise in missed court dates and immediate deportation orders as judges struggle to keep up the pace.

Hundreds of immigrants’ cases a day are being assigned to individual judges as the number of “mega” master hearings significantly increase. More than 1,300 were held in June alone, a nearly threefold jump from the previous June, according to Mobile Pathways, a nonprofit that tracks immigration court data.

The data also shows that courts have severely cut preparation time in complex immigration proceedings, so people are missing hearings and being told they’ve abandoned their asylum claims at unprecedented rates.

Those who favor limiting immigration see this as a course-correction for a longstanding problem. But the nonprofit’s chief operating officer says cases are being closed without being heard.

▶ Read more

GOP holdouts say they will vote to advance Blanche’s nomination for attorney general

Two Republican senators who threatened to block acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s bid to lead the Justice Department said Monday that they will vote to advance his nomination, ending an impasse over plans to create a fund to compensate the president’s allies.

The statement from Republican Sen. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis came after Blanche issued an order late Sunday formally rescinding the $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” to compensate people who believe they were unfairly prosecuted by the Justice Department.

Cornyn and Tillis had said they would not support Blanche’s nomination without written confirmation that the fund is dead.

▶ Read more

Trump stands to profit off US policy announcements by selling fast access to his social media posts

The president knows the world hangs on his every word. Now he wants you to pay for it.

Trump’s Truth Social business began selling sneak peeks of his social media posts on Saturday, offering early access to market-moving news to Wall Street traders willing to pay up. The move raises the prospect of big profits for Trump’s company, and big questions about insider trading and using public office for private gain.

Similar fast-speed feeds are sold by other social media firms and media providers, but Truth Social doesn’t just distribute the news, it makes it as Trump announces changes on everything from war to central bank leadership to tariffs.

“If this was the CEO of a public company, this would be jail time,” said Irene Aldridge, head of Able Alpha Trading.

Initial sales details may be disclosed when Truth Social’s parent company announces quarterly earnings.

▶ Read more

Democrats’ future is at stake as El-Sayed and Stevens make final push in Michigan

Tuesday’s Senate primary in Michigan between congresswoman Haley Stevens and public health official Abdul El-Sayed is one of the clearest tests yet of where Democratic voters want their party to go.

El-Sayed is a progressive backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders who’s run against much of the Democratic establishment. Stevens is backed by Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and has made electability and experience central to her case.

The winner faces Republican Mike Rogers in November for an open seat Democrats likely need to hold to take control of the Senate next year.

▶ Read more

Trump decries negative public polling and claims he’s never been more popular

The U.S. president said on social media that independent surveys showing low approval ratings are false — denying a clear trend of lower support for Trump because of inflation and the Iran war, among other issues.

“My REAL Polling Numbers, not those made up by the Fake News Media, are the best they have ever been,” Trump asserted, providing no data to back up his claim.

The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that just 33% of U.S. adults approve of Trump. That survey from late July also showed a drop since the start of Trump’s second term in adults who “strongly approve” of him.

Contrary to the evidence of multiple surveys, Trump said his popularity is based on his income tax cuts, his job numbers, his efforts to secure the U.S. border with Mexico and his use of American military force in Venezuela and Iran.

Trump going to Los Angeles on Tuesday and speak in Las Vegas on Wednesday

The White House said the president will go to California and Nevada to talk up the economy and border security and slam Democrats ahead of the November elections.

Trump on Tuesday will attend a Republican National Committee dinner at the Trump National Golf Club in Los Angeles.

On Wednesday, the president is slated to talk about the economy at Red Rock Casino in Las Vegas.

Falling oil prices help calm Wall Street’s inflation worries, while chip stocks get back to sinking

Oil prices are easing and helping to calm Wall Street’s worries that inflation could potentially get even worse. That has U.S. stock indexes rising early Monday, but several major chip stocks are falling again including Micron and AMD.

The S&P 500 rose 0.4%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 625 points, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.2%. The price of a barrel of Brent crude fell 5.1% to $83.42 after Trump said over the weekend he would hold off on ordering new strikes against Iran at the urging of allies in the region. Treasury yields fell.

▶ Read more

Trump overhaul could gut Head Start preschool quality standards

The Trump administration is planning a dramatic overhaul of Head Start that would gut its quality standards, two people familiar with the deliberations said.

Head Start, established in the 1960s to help fight poverty, has long been considered by experts to be a gold standard for early education. It has more than 100 pages of regulations that cover everything from child-to-teacher ratios and child health screenings to family engagement.

The Republicans would replace these with around a dozen pages of rules that leave most specifics to state and local law, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the information is not yet public and they feared reprisal.

The draft rules would require more documentation from homeless or unemployed parents, and an early version would have barred even the U.S. citizen children of parents who are in the United States illegally.

▶ Read more

The United States last month imposed double-digit tariffs on 59 countries and the European Union, charging that they had not done enough to crack down on imports produced by forced labor. The new tariffs took effect just as the clock ran out on temporary tariffs President Donald Trump had turned to after the Supreme Court defeat.

“After losing at the Supreme Court, the administration is once again trying to illegally raise taxes on families and businesses with a new round of tariffs,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Joining New York in the lawsuit announced Monday are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.

Trump, who argues that high tariffs will revive American manufacturing, last year overturned decades of U.S. policy that favored lower tariffs and ever-freer trade. Invoking the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, he imposed double-digit tariffs on imports from almost every country, saying America’s longstanding trade deficit amounted to a national emergency.

But the Supreme Court ruled that IEEPA did not authorize tariffs. The decision forced the administration to send refunds to importers who’d paid the tariffs. Eager to make up the lost revenue, Trump turned to temporary 10% worldwide tariffs. But they expired at midnight July 24.

Now he’s tapping more durable tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which permits the president to impose import taxes and other sanctions against countries found to engage in unfair trade practices. Trump used Section 301 to impose big tariffs on China in his first term, and they survived court challenges.

The administration invoked Section 301 to impose the forced-labor tariffs, which range from 10% to 12.5% and hit countries that provide 99% of American imports.

“The United States is using its lawful authority to obtain the elimination of unreasonable acts, policies, and practices that burden U.S. commerce,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said. “A foreign country’s failure to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labor is unreasonable and burdens U.S. commerce, including American workers, and must be addressed. Section 301 tariffs have proven to be a legally durable tool since the President’s first term, and they remain so now.”

The states’ lawsuit follows two other lawsuits filed in The Court of International Trade in July by small businesses that also challenged the 301 tariffs.

Both of those lawsuits argue that the government didn’t adequately establish its case against each specific economy or spell how the tariffs will eliminate the specified practice they are being levied for, as required by Section 301.

Barry Appleton, a law professor and co-director of New York Law School’s Center for International Law, said the challenges stem from the fact that the 301 tariffs are the third time the administration has tried to impose similar worldwide tariffs under different statutes, and their “nearly copy-pasted” nature could pose a challenge to defend in court.

However, he said while the statutes that the administration implemented tariffs under previously were novelties and hadn’t been used before for that purpose, Section 301 has been used before.

During Trump ’s first term, he cited Section 301 to impose tariffs on Chinese imports, which survived legal challenges.

“Presidents have used it for decades, and Congress built it with real guardrails: investigation, consultation, a public record,” Appleton said. "The government’s defense won’t be ‘I had no power to do this.' It will be, 'I stayed inside the lines Congress drew.' That is a real fight, not a formality, and it is the one that will decide this case.”

—-

Anderson reported from New York.

Head Start, established in the 1960s to help fight poverty, has long been considered by experts to be a gold standard early learning program. Its regulations, which stretch more than 100 pages, outline requirements on everything from child-to-teacher ratios and child health screenings to family engagement.

Trump's Republican administration would replace those regulations with around a dozen pages of rules, leaving most of the specifics up to state and local law, said the people familiar with the deliberations, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss information that was not yet public and because they feared reprisal.

In a post on X on Saturday night, the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees Head Start, said to expect a rule to be published this week. The administration “remains committed to strengthening Head Start by preserving federal investment in the program while advancing reforms that expand access, increase local flexibility, reduce unnecessary administrative burden, and ensure services are delivered effectively to children and families in need," department spokesperson Emily Hilliard said Monday in an email.

The draft rules would require more documentation from parents who are homeless or unemployed, the people familiar with the deliberations told The Associated Press. An early version of the proposal also would have barred parents who are in the United States illegally from enrolling their children, even if the children are U.S. citizens. It's unclear whether those provisions will make the final draft.

Head Start, which operates in all 50 states, has long enjoyed robust bipartisan support. But some prominent conservatives in recent years have called for its elimination, saying the federal government should get out of the education business at every level. Deregulating the program would deliver a win for them and aligns with the Trump administration's goals of scrapping rules it views as onerous or unnecessary.

Head Start is designed to target poverty, experts say

Head Start serves more than half a million low-income babies, toddlers and preschoolers nationwide. For families that qualify, it offers free preschool and screenings to identify developmental delays. It also offers supports for families.

If the changes take effect, they could make Head Start unrecognizable, said Khari Garvin, who ran the Office of Head Start under Democratic President Joe Biden.

“We'd have the carcass of Head Start,” Garvin said. “You might have a program that's called Head Start, but in substance it will not be.”

The proposed rules were originally reported in The Bulwark.

Tommy Sheridan, deputy director of the National Head Start Association, said the organization has yet to see the proposed rules. But he said the potential for a massive overhaul has left the organization on edge.

“We're very anxious,” Sheridan said. “When it does come out ... we’ll be ready to fight back where we need to fight back.”

Still, he emphasized that Head Start centers might not be impacted for months, if the rules get on the books at all. Once the proposal is made public, federal law requires the administration to give at least a month for the public to weigh in on it. Then, once finalized, it may take more time for the rules to take effect. There's also the potential for a lawsuit to halt implementation.

Current rules cover dental screenings and staff-to-student ratios

Head Start was created as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty and targets the myriad challenges that low-income households face. It serves children and adults alike, coaching parents on reaching their goals, connecting them with services and even employing them.

Head Start operators, which include school districts and nonprofit organizations, are required to provide medical, dental and vision screenings for children and to monitor them for developmental delays. There's also a curriculum framework and prohibitions on physical and emotional abuse of children.

Many of the features that make Head Start distinct from mainstream preschools are spelled out in 122 pages of performance standards. The Trump administration's proposal would toss most of that rule book and replace it with a much shorter version that eliminates or loosens many requirements, the people familiar with the proposal said. But the proposal also calls for some new regulations, such as requiring all instruction in English.

Requirements around staff-to-student ratios and safety standards would be erased. Operators instead would be instructed to follow local and state laws, which are often far more permissive. And the new proposal also says nothing about suspensions and expulsions, the people said, making it easier for programs to kick out kids with disabilities who are difficult to educate.

Jody Smith, a lead teacher for a Head Start program south of Seattle, said she’s seen firsthand how critical many of the requirements are, especially the ones for engaging with families and screening kids for disabilities. Smith was a high school dropout and a young mother when she enrolled her first child in Head Start, where she was encouraged to go back to school and inspired to become a teacher. Later, Head Start helped diagnose her youngest child with autism.

Without Head Start, “I would have probably stayed as a poverty line,” Smith said. “And I don’t know that we would have gotten as far in life as we have.”

Head Start has faced several threats

The numerous standards are key to preparing Head Start kids for kindergarten, said Ruth Friedman, who helped President Barack Obama's administration draft the regulations now in jeopardy.

“If the administration strikes down those standards, it would set back our nation’s educational goals and our efforts to reduce poverty, and it is explicitly prohibited by the Head Start law itself,” Friedman said.

Head Start, which has enjoyed robust bipartisan support for decades, has faced several threats since Trump took office last year. Project 2025, a conservative policy blueprint authored by the official who is now Trump's budget chief, called for the federal government to get rid of the program altogether. Last year, in a draft budget, the administration proposed exactly that, saying: “The federal government should not be in the business of mandating curriculum, locations, and performance standards for any form of education.” After public outcry, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose department oversees Head Start, told Congress the program's funding was safe.

Funding for the program was disrupted not long after Trump took office, leading some programs to have to shutter temporarily. It was once again halted after a government shutdown in October that led some centers briefly to close their doors.

Earlier this year, Trump officials also erased a Biden-era rule that mandated raises and greater benefits for Head Start employees. When the rule went in to effect in 2024, Head Start teachers, the majority of whom have bachelor's degrees, earned less than $40,000 a year on average.

___

Associated Press writer Ali Swenson contributed reporting.

___

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

Monday, August 3

• Houston students and teachers share their work beyond the classroom in new exhibition “The Sequence Is Yours”
• • Contemporary Arts Museum Houston‘s ‘The Sequence Is Yours’ Exhibition
• Sip, savor and celebrate Labor Day Weekend at the Galveston Island Wine Festival
• • Celebrity Chef Brian Duffy serves up a preview of the Galveston Island Wine Festival
  • Moody Gardens Galveston Island Wine Festival
• Modern dental implants give Houston patients natural, comfortable smiles
• • Texas Dental Implant Center

Friday, July 31

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• ‘Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live: Glow-N-Fire’ brings high-octane family fun to Houston
• • Hot Wheels Monster Truck Live Glow-N-Fire at Toyota Center
• There’s a story behind every building: Take a tour of Downtown Houston with Preservation Houston
• • Preservation Houston

Thursday, July 30

• Meet the twin sisters who turned their cheesecake passion into a successful business
• • KK Cheesecakes
• How HCU’s high-tech simulation lab is preparing nursing students for in-demand jobs
• • Houston Christian University Linda R. Dunham School of Nursing
• Gexa Energy marks 25 Years by volunteering with Meals on Wheels and The Beacon
• • Gexa Energy
• Garbage Girlfriend

Wednesday, July 29

• Houston Shakespeare Festival is back at Miller Outdoor Theatre with a reimagined lead in “The Tempest”
• • Houston Shakespeare Festival
• In the CLASSROOM with Kroger: How they’re helping parents and kids start the school year happy, healthy, and prepared
• • KPRC 2 INSIDERS: Enter for your chance to win a $250 Kroger gift card!
  • Kroger
• Happy National Lipstick Day! Here’s the lowdown on choosing a matte, glossy, or satin pigment 💄
• • Makeup Artist Darcie Teasley
• Tony Danza is coming to Houston this week, here is where to see him
• • Doc’s Houston Presents Tony Danza - “Standards and Stories”

Monday, July 27

• Back-to-school safety: What kids should know and what parents should watch for in case of a school emergency
• • CPR and Safety Lady Gail Gould
  • Back to School Safety Webinar with CPR and Safety Lady Gail Gould
• Anaheim: The Urban Basecamp You Didn’t Know You Needed In Southern California
• • Gabe Saglie The Travel Guy
• Houston students turn thousands of plastic bags into an award-winning business
• • Plastic Free July
  • Next Use
• Allied Outdoor Solutions

Friday, July 24

• Houston celebrates Art House Theater Day with a “Car Wash” screening and preshow party
• • Houston Art House Theater Day
• The best tacos in Texas arrive in Houston this weekend + Texas Monthly Taco Editor‘s spicy gig getting paid to eat tacos
• • 2026 Texas Monthly Taco Fest South
  • Huncho’s Tacos
• BISSELL Pet Foundation Empty the Shelters
• Rosenberg Animal Control and Shelter

Thursday, July 23

• Meet the Houston Rig Hands: The city’s pro 3-on-3 basketball team 🏀🏀
• • Follow Houston Rig Hands on Instagram
  • BIG3 Playing at Toyota Center Tickets
• Houston City College’s Coleman Campus: Training the next generation of health care workers
• • Houston City College
• Vic Mignogna on Anime Matsuri, Star Trek & life with Dominique Sachse
• • Follow Vic Mignogna on Instagram
  • Anime Matsuri

Wednesday, July 22

• 16th annual Mayor’s Back 2 School & Health Fair brings free supplies, screenings to Houston families
• • Mayor’s Back to School & Health Fair
• Tips for Planning the Perfect Summer Getaway
• • Travel Expert, Jeanenne Tornatore | The Outside Insider
  • Marriott Bonvoy
  • Official Guide to Breckenridge
• Celebrate National Tequila Day at Zanti Cucina Italiana in River Oaks
• • Zanti Cucina Italiana
• Academy Award-winner Morgan Freeman heading to Houston for blues experience
• • Performing Arts Houston Presents "Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience"

Tuesday, July 21

• How CenterPoint Energy says they’re building a stronger, more resilient electric grid
• • CenterPoint Energy Action Center
• NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior”
• Ox St. Kitchen
• Ivan Chavez Chavos BBQ
• The world’s fragrance community comes together at FRAGCON in Houston
• • Global Fragrance Convention

Monday, July 20

• Houston’s Girl Gone Grilling shares her buffalo chicken stuffed garlic bread
• • Katherine Salom “Girl Gone Grilling”
• Powerhouse performer Christina Wells, now in a wheelchair, is still lighting up Houston stages
• • Christina Wells
• When a smile needs more than veneers: one Houston patient’s transformation
• • Texas Dental Implant Center

Friday, July 17

• Hidden Omakase serves up a Summer favorite while continuing its comeback story
• • Hidden Omakase
• East Houston Medical Center works to improve access to health care in the community
• • East Houston Medical Center
• “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” at The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts
• 13th Annual Ohana Surf Dogs Competition

Thursday, July 16

• 93Q’s Cowboys & Angels Concert Brings Country Stars to Houston
• • 93Q’s Cowboys & Angels
• Here’s Blue Willow Bookshop’s summer reading picks you need to add to your TBR
• • Blue Willow Bookshop
• UniverSoul Circus brings big top thrills to Houston Life
• • UniverSoul Circus

Wednesday, July 15

• Llamas, haunted houses, and mermaids?! Houston realtor Noel Collier talks HGTV’S ‘Extreme Buyers Club’
• • HGTV’s ‘Extreme Buyers Club’
  • Noel Collier Group
• Protect Yourself After a Crash: What to Do If You’re Illegally Solicited
• • The Miller Law Firm, home of The Texas Bulldog
• Skip the oven and beat the summer heat with this no-bake chocolate raspberry tart
• • Florence Jackson
• Raising Cane’s and the Norris family to honor Chuck Norris’ legacy on National Chicken Finger Day
• • Raising Canes

Tuesday, July 14

• Casa de Cultura turns a Houston gallery into a living archive one family story at a time
• • Photographer Violeta Álvarez
  • FreshArts
• The late Chuck Norris continues to empower kids through Kickstart Kids martial arts program
• • Kickstart Kids
  • Raising Canes
• Protein-Packed Plates: Casa do Brasil, Los Tios and a High Protein Bowl with Tanji Patton of Goodtaste TV
• • Goodtaste for the Soul with Tanji Patton

Monday, July 13

• Remembering the iconic artist David Adickes on his 99th birthday and his lasting legacy in Houston
• • David Adickes Art
• Spend the Summer at Moody Gardens: Animal encounters, weekly themes, and how to register
• • Moody Gardens
• There’s a story behind every building: Take a tour of Downtown Houston with Preservation Houston
• • Preservation Houston
• Celebrate 713 Day with Houston Rap Legend Lil’ Keke
• • Follow Lil Keke on Instagram
• Best places and deals around Houston to celebrate 713 Day

Friday, July 10

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• Houston Hula Academy brings the spirit of Polynesia to Houston Life
• • Houston Hula Academy
  • Drums of the Pacific
• A car lover’s dream! Where to see life-size Hot Wheels cars in the Houston area
• • Hot Wheels Legends Tour
• Fire Up The Grill: Easy Grilling for a Crowd
• • III Catering
• Sleep in Heavenly Peace

Thursday, July 9

• Meet the Houston 6-year-old golfer makes national tournament history
• • Ascend Golf Academy
• Fort Bend County Fair Celebrates 90 Years with Pat Green, Sawyer Brown and a Star-Studded 2026 Lineup
• • Fort Bend County Fair
• Houston City College: College that fits your schedule
• • Houston City College
• Goode Company Seafood celebrates 40 years
• Goode Company Seafood x Texas Parks and Wildlife

Wednesday, July 8

• Fort Bend County Fair
• Fung’s Kitchen
• East Houston Medical Center hosts free FIFA World Cup 2026™ watch parties and a chance to win a free trip to the final
• • East Houston Medical Center
• Houston’s Ensemble Theatre marks 50th anniversary with premieres, revivals and, honoring the past
• • The Ensemble Theatre
• Stars of Netflix’s ‘Little House on the Prairie’ chat reimagining the iconic story
• • Netflix’s Little House on the Prairie

Tuesday, July 7

• KPRC 2 Insider
• Inside the New Era of Fitness: How 24 Hour Fitness Is Rethinking the Modern Gym
• • 24 Hour Fitness
• Cosmic Ice Cream and Trill Burgers teaming up for National Ice Cream day
• • Cosmic Ice Cream
  • Trill Burgers
• Houston Ballet’s Dance 2 Thrive program brings movement, music and wellness to the Community
• • Houston Ballet
  • Dance 2 Thrive registration form

Monday, July 6

• Why Trae Tha Truth Keeps Turning His Birthday Into Houston’s Biggest Give-Back
• • Traeday 2026
• PopUp Bagels lands in Houston — grip, rip and dip your way to a viral bagel
• • PopUp Bagels
• When a smile needs more than veneers: one Houston patient’s transformation
• • Texas Dental Implant Center
• Your Bucket List Guide
• Flora Houston
• Make this at home! The Two-Ingredient Cocktail Popping Up Around Houston During the FIFA World Cup 26™
• • Bucanita by Buchanan’s

Thursday, July 2

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• These women athletes from Afghanistan escaped Taliban rule. Now the players of Houston Shine FC find joy in soccer again
• • Houston Shine FC
• ‘Read With Jenna’ debuts cozy Book Nook aboard MSC Seascape sailing from Galveston
• • ‘Read with Jenna’
• Keep Kids Safe Around Water: Expert Guidance on Supervision and Drowning Prevention
• • Bivona Law Firm
• New Sprouts in Kingwood Is Here | And Yes, You Can Sample Just About Anything
• • Sprouts Farmers Market

Wednesday, July 1

• Celebrate America’s 250th with Houston Life’s special Fourth of July Show
• • Houston Christian University’s Independence Hall
  • Baytown’s Fourth of July Festivities
  • PBS’s Annual A Capitol Fourth celebration
  • Houston Zoo
  • Blue Bell Creameries
• LIST: Fourth of July fireworks, parades, celebrations across Greater Houston

Tuesday, June 30

• This Thai-inspired hot dog brings new flavor to your Fourth of July cookout
• • MaKiin Concepts Hospitality Group
• Firework Safety | Cy-Fair Fire Department, TX
• United Against Human Trafficking
• Houston native shares how being stranded at sea during COVID inspired a documentary, memoir and mission to help others
• • Angela Harger Productions
• 5 Things Houston Homeowners Should Know Before the Next Power Outage
• • GenPro.com

Monday, June 29

• Meet the cast of ‘Young Washington’ ahead of the film’s July 3rd release
• • ‘Young Washington’
• From Houston to American homes: Good Ranchers celebrates America’s 250th with homegrown meat
• • Good Ranchers
• New Zealand by train: Scenic journeys, culture and food
• • Gabe Saglie The Travel Guy
• Gexa Energy gives back: Make-A-Wish reveal brings joy to local child
• • Gexa Energy
• Hands-on training at Houston City College prepares students for high-demand careers
• • Houston City College

Friday, June 26

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• Best Friends Animal Society hosts a free pet adoption event this Saturday
• • RSVP to Best Friends “Bring Love Home” Adoption Event
• Houston’s own Tyce Green stars in Disney’s ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’
• • Houston Broadway Theatre’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”
• Stay connected with reliable internet during hurricane season
• • Ezee Fiber
• Better STAAR scores, bigger goals: Here’s why Good Reason Houston focuses on a path to a living wage
• • Good Reason Houston
• Baytown Is Going Big for the Fourth of July
• • Visit Baytown
• Rodney Atkins

Thursday, June 25

• Best Friends Animal Society hosts a free pet adoption event this Saturday
• • RSVP to Best Friends “Bring Love Home” Adoption Event
  • Best Friends Houston
• A New Sprouts Farmers Market Has Opened in Webster—Here’s What You’ll Find Inside
• • Sprouts Farmers Market
• Why this financial expert says small business success starts with financial organization
• • Aragon Tax Return Services
• Mattress expert links poor sleep to serious health risks
• • Texas Mattress Makers

Wednesday, June 24

• Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo announces historic agriculture complex benefitting Texas youth
• • Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
• Vegan recipes to add to your summer cookout menu
• • Dr. Chinwe Orabuchi
• Could your roof be hiding storm damage: What Houston homeowners should know
• • Adams Roofing
• Companion Energy brings ‘Energy that Cares’ to the Houston Humane Society
• • Companion Energy
• Travel Mom Emily Kaufman says now’s the time to book Australia
• • Travel Mom
  • Visit Sydney
  • Visit South Wales

Tuesday, June 23

• Houston Life goes LIVE from new IKEA Webster ahead of Grand Opening
• • KPRC 2 Insiders, Enter for a chance to win IKEA gift cards!
  • IKEA
  • IKEA Webster: Friends and Family Shopping Event

Monday, June 22

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• Family-owned restaurant Foreign Grill shares Uzbek flavors ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ match
• • Follow Foreign Grill on Instagram
• Prime Day Picks to upgrade your home
• • Home Improvement Expert, Kathryn Emery | Be The Best Home
• Meet the Houston skincare brand embracing beef tallow with no frills and all the beneficial ingredients
• • NutréLux Beauty
• Future-Proof Careers: Celebrating the HVAC Technicians Who Keep Houston Cool
• • Fortis College
• Why cruises are the hottest ticket this summer - expert tips & where to go
• • Carnival Cruises
  • Travel Expert, Jeanenne Tornatore | The Outside Insider

Thursday, June 18

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• KPRC 2 INSIDERS: Enter for your chance to win a $250 Kroger gift card!
• • Kroger
• The South Dakota Road Trip You Didn’t Know You Needed
• • Your Bucket List Guide
  • Travel South Dakota
• Hands-on training at Houston City College Southeast prepares students for high-demand careers
• • Houston City College
• Stay connected with reliable internet during hurricane season
• • Ezee Fiber

Wednesday, June 17

• WANTED: An audience ready to laugh at the Texas Outlaw Comics tonight at Houston Improv
• • Texas Outlaw Comics
• The cast of Netflix’s ‘I Will Find You’ talks bringing the bestselling thriller to life
• • Netflix’s Harlan Coben’s "I Will Find You"
• Saunawelt opens Houston’s first public European sauna house
• • Saunawelt
• Village Plumbing, Air & Electric shares summer safety tips as company celebrates 80 Years of servicing Houston
• • Village Plumbing

Tuesday, June 16

• ‘Heart & Hustle: Houston’ Star Muneera Page opens up about fame, friendship and season two
• • OWN’s “Heart & Hustle: Houston”
• Looking for a Father’s Day activity? See more than 100 exotic cars at Velocité in Houston
• • Velocité – A Father’s Day Tradition in Motion
• AEW Star Thunder Rosa balances two wrestling worlds while inspiring fans to chase their dreams
• • All Elite Wrestling at Smart Financial Centre
  • Follow Thunder Rosa on Instagram
• Transform your outdoor space with Carvestone - Plus, a chance to win $5,000 in outdoor furniture
• • Allied Outdoor Solutions

Monday, June 15

• Local 17-year-old filmmaker makes her mark with movie focusing on men’s mental health
• • “Used to Be” tickets
• WWE star Braun Strowman chats season 2 of ‘Everything On The Menu’
• • USA Network’s “Everything on the Menu With Braun Strowman”
• How Houston Habitat for Humanity is helping families build generational wealth
• • KPRC 2 Habitat for Humanity
  • Houston Habitat for Humanity
• Houston’s own Cris Sosa competes on NBC’s ‘America’s Got Talent’ Season 21
• • Comedian Cris Sosa
  • NBC’s “America’s Got Talent”

Friday, June 12

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• Why the Rothko Chapel may be Houston’s most transformative space
• • Rothko Chapel
• Keep your home cool and save on energy with these tips from Champion & Nash
• • Champion and Nash
• Marco’s Pizza brings New York-style pizza to your neighborhood
• • Marco’s Pizza
• Meet Yassine Cheuko, personal bodyguard to soccer superstar Lionel Messi

Thursday, June 11

• FIFA Fan Festival™ Houston

Wednesday, June 10

• Houston physician and educator Dr. Tim Garson makes history approachable and relatable to modern life in new book
• • Dr. Arthur “Tim” Garson
  • Book: “Five Thousand Years of Controversies: A Family’s Journey Through World History”
• Ishida Dance Company presents ‘Waiting/Rex’ at Asia Society Texas
• • Ishida Dance Company Tickets
• Father’s Day finds and summer-ready home upgrades
• • Kathryn Emery
• Peptides and functional health: How Antiage Institute helps Houstonians age better
• • Antiage Institute

Tuesday, June 9

• How a community effort saved Houston’s printmaking legacy
• How custom coasters are made by hand at Red Bird Press studio
• • Red Bird Press
• A 34-Day soccer watch party in Houston with Diplo, wagyu burgers and VIP lounges?
• • The Ranch Presents Pitch Live
• Find the right mattress with expert help in Texas
• • Texas Mattress Makers

Monday, June 8

• Meet Saxboy Billy, the man behind the viral “Puerto Rico Song”
• • Follow Saxboy Billy on Instagram
• Celebrate Culture through music and movement with Tx2 Dance Company
• • T2 Dance Company
• NBC’s ‘American Ninja Warrior’ Season 18: What Lauren Kelly learned from the Hosts
• • NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior”
• Replace an entire arch, not just a tooth: How ONEARCH changes lives
• • Texas Dental Implant Center
• Visit San Antonio

Friday, June 5

• The music collective behind the Houston remix for FIFA World Cup 2026™
• • Bombón
  • Official FIFA World Cup 26™ Houston Sonic ID
• Why Alley Theatre’s “Misery” is leaving Houston audiences gasping
• • Misery at Alley Theatre
• Young Houstonians will learn how to train like a pro at the Simple Truth Will Anderson Jr. ProCamp
• • Will Anderson Jr. Football ProCamp

Thursday, June 4

• Magician Michael Carbonaro is ready to wow fans in Houston with his new show ‘WONDERBOY’
• • Michael Carbonaro at Houston of Blues
• HCC Southwest ramps up hands-on training in AI, robotics and cybersecurity
• • Houston City College
• The Travel Mom’s tips for planning and booking a breathtaking Alaskan cruise
• • The Travel Mom
  • Holland America Cruises
• Spice Routes: Cardamom Challenge a culinary passport awaits at Houston’s stunning Ismaili Center
• • Ismaili Center

Wednesday, June 3

• Celebrate Freedom Festival returns to Emancipation Park this Saturday
• • Juneteenth Houston
• Why this red velvet cornbread recipe belongs on your Juneteenth table
• • Chef Cassi
• Houston Rockets Skills Camp returns to various locations this summer
• • Houston Rockets Youth Skills Camp
• KPRC 2’s 2026 Hurricane & Flood Survival Guide
• IMDB “Masters of the Universe”

Tuesday, June 2

• CPR and AED basics: Simple skills that can help save a life
• • Register for FREE CPR webinar on June 3
  • Gail Gould
• Meet the local break dancers uplifting women and youth through hip-hop, culture, and the arts
• • BGirl City Worldwide
• Cool Treats in the Heights: Where to find Hawaiian shaved ice and frozen cocktails
• • Happy Go Lucky

Monday, June 1

• Houston Author Jenny Block drops new book about finding authenticity, success and joy in life
• • Follow Jenny Block on Instagram
• The laughs keep coming in season 2 of Netflix’s ‘The Four Seasons’
• • Netflix’s “The Four Seasons”
• Discovery Green celebrating summer with free family fun and soccer-inspired events
• • Discovery Green
• Why natural looking dental implants are the new luxury in facial rejuvenation
• • Texas Dental Implant Center

Friday, May 29

• Texas Teen Pageant Queens use their platforms to empower foster kids, fight bullying, and inspire future farmers
• • Kyleigh’s Kidz
• Immersive Gamebox is launching ‘Soccer Arcade,’ the world’s first immersive soccer experience
• • Immersive Gamebox
• Tanji Patton reveals what’s next after 11 seasons of Goodtaste TV
• Sweet, Savory & Spicy: Creative cantaloupe recipes worth trying this Summer
• • Goodtaste with Tanji Patton

Thursday, May 28

• Game day skin care tips for FIFA World Cup 2026™ watch parties and summer heat
• • Board-Certified Dermatologist Dr. Sherry Ingraham
• A Quick Drive From Houston, This Louisiana Resort Delivers Vegas-Style Luxury Without the Flight
• • Coushatta Casino Resort
• Licasa Treatment Center Opens in Conroe to expand compassionate mental health and addiction care
• • Licasa Treatment Center

Wednesday, May 27

•  Powering Houston’s future: Electrical apprentices showcase skills at annual Wire-Off Competition 
• • IEC Texas Gulf Coast
• Los Souldees is the local band bringing the sounds you love from the past with a fresh Houston twist
• • Los Souldees

Tuesday, May 26

• Lone Star College
• A Houston little boy’s toughest battle led to a monster surprise!
• • Gexa Energy
• Captain MC’s Seafood
• The Window Source Houston

Friday, May 22

• Get your bike ready for summer rides with these simple safety tips
• • Sun & Ski Sports
• This easy road trip from Houston comes with luxury suites, gaming, and a powerful legacy
• • Coushatta Powwow
  • Coushatta Casino Resort
• Hear the hits - ‘Beautiful: The Carole King Musical’ in Houston
• • “The Carole King Musical” at Theatre Under the Stars
• Support local veterans while having fun at the Patriots Charity Classic
• • Patriots Charity Classic Event

Thursday, May 21

• The World comes to Houston! Here’s what to expect ahead of the FIFA Fan Festival™ kicking off in EaDo
• • FIFA Fan Festival™
• This easy road trip from Houston comes with luxury suites, gaming, and a powerful legacy
• • Coushatta Casino Resort - New Legacy Tower
• SUMMER SWEEPSTAKES: Enter to win 3 weeks of free airport parking from The Parking Spot
• • The Parking Spot
• Train for Houston’s in demand jobs at HCC Northeast - Public Safety, Automotive, & more
• • HCC Northeast
• Schlotzsky’s Deli launches new stacked subs in Houston - Try three bold flavors
• • Schlotzsky’s Deli

Wednesday, May 20

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

Tuesday, May 19

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

Monday, May 18

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

Friday, May 15

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

Thursday, May 14

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

Wednesday, May 13

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

Tuesday, May 12

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

Monday, May 11

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

Friday, May 8

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

Thursday, May 7

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

Wednesday, May 6

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

Tuesday, May 5

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

Monday, May 4

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

Friday, May 1

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

Thursday, April 30

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

Wednesday, April 29

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

Tuesday, April 28

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

Monday, April 27

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

Friday, April 24

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

Thursday, April 23

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

Wednesday, April 22

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

Tuesday, April 21

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

Monday, April 20

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

Friday, April 17

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

Thursday, April 16

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

Wednesday, April 15

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

Tuesday, April 14

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

Monday, April 13

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

Friday, April 10

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

Thursday, April 9

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

Wednesday, April 8

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

Tuesday, April 7

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

Monday, April 6

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

Friday, April 3

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

Thursday, April 2

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

Wednesday, April 1

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

Tuesday, March 31

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

Monday, March 30

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

Friday, March 27

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

Wednesday, March 25

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

Tuesday, March 24

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

Monday, March 23

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

Thursday, March 19

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

Wednesday, March 18

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

Tuesday, March 17

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

Monday, March 16

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

Friday, March 13

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

Thursday, March 12

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

Tuesday, March 10

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

Monday, March 9

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

Friday, March 6

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

Thursday, March 5

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

Wednesday, March 4

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

Tuesday, March 3

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

Monday, March 2

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

Friday, February 27

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

Thursday, February 26

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

Wednesday, February 25

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

Tuesday, February 24

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

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

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

February 6 - 20

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

Thursday, February 5

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

Wednesday, February 4

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

Tuesday, February 3

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

Monday, February 2

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

Friday, January 30

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

Thursday, January 29

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

Wednesday, January 28

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

Tuesday, January 27

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

Monday, January 26

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

Friday, January 23

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

Thursday, January 22

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

Wednesday, January 21

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

Friday, January 16

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

Thursday, January 15

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

Wednesday, January 14

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

Tuesday, January 13

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

Monday, January 12

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

Friday, January 9

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

Thursday, January 8

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

Wednesday, January 7

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

Tuesday, January 6

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

Monday, January 5

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

Friday, January 2

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

Thursday, January 1

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

SEEN ON HL 2025 ARCHIVE

SEEN ON HL 2024 ARCHIVE

SEEN ON HL 2023 ARCHIVE

But a new exhibition organized by the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston’s Teacher Advisory Group is changing that and giving Greater Houston students and their teachers a chance to see their work presented in a gallery setting.

“The Sequence Is Yours” features artwork from elementary through high school students alongside work created by teachers. Some pieces are by individual artists, while others reflect an entire classroom working together to showcase one collective work.

This collection is organized by CAMH’s Teacher Advisory Group, also known as TAG. It is an annual cohort of 15 art teachers from across the Greater Houston area. Launched in 2021, TAG was created to bring teachers’ perspectives into CAMH’s education and public programming and empower young creators to create conversations through art.

Applications for the 2026-27 TAG cohort are open and close Aug. 17, 2026.

The exhibition is on view at Mid Main Lofts (3550 Main St.) through Sept. 3, 2026.

You can also attend the TAG Alumni Celebration and Reunion on Friday, Aug. 28 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Mid Main Lofts; admission is free with registration.

Watch the complete interview at the top of this article.

For more information about the exhibition, visit camh.org/event/the-sequence-is-yours-teacher-advisory-group-exhibition-midmain.

Why adoption matters

🐶Every year, thousands of pets end up in shelters through no fault of their own. When you adopt, you’re not just bringing home a companion — you’re helping save a life. And every adoption creates space for another animal to be rescued and cared for.

Not ready to adopt? Consider fostering

🏡Even a short-term foster can make a lasting difference. It gives pets a break from the shelter environment, helps them adjust to home life, and supports shelters as they work to care for more animals in need.

How you can help right now

• 🐈Adopt or foster a shelter pet
• 🗣️Spread the word to friends and family
• 📤Share adoptable pet posts from local shelters and rescues

Houston, let’s show up for these animals — because every pet deserves a safe, happy, forever home.

🐾 Find a list of participating shelters and rescue groups at click2houston.com/community.

The S&P 500 jumped 1.5% and is just 0.1% below its record set earlier this summer. It was coming off a frenetic July, where it swung up and down as oil prices shot higher because of the war with Iran, before ultimately ending the month just about where it started.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average, which measures a narrower slice of the U.S. stock market, climbed 693 points, or 1.3%, to an all-time high, while the Nasdaq composite leaped 2.1%.

Stocks got a lift as the price for a barrel of Brent crude sank 4.7% to $83.77. It dropped after President Donald Trump said over the weekend that he decided to hold off on new strikes against Iran at the urging of allies in the region.

Brent’s price careened between $72 and $102 last month as worries rose and fell about when the war with Iran would allow oil tankers to freely exit the Persian Gulf again to deliver crude to customers worldwide. The latest acquiescence by Trump helped to ease worries about the global flow of crude, and Treasury yields correspondingly fell in the bond market.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury sank to 4.68% from 4.75% late Friday. It, though, remains well above its 3.97% level from before the war with Iran.

Higher yields threaten to undercut prices for stocks and other investments, while slowing the economy by making borrowing more expensive for U.S. households and businesses. The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate has already leaped to its highest level in a year.

Monday’s ease in oil prices helped airlines and other companies with big fuel bills lead the market. United Airlines flew 5.8% higher, while American Airlines climbed 5%. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings steamed 6.6% higher.

Boeing jumped 8% after U.S. regulators certified its 737 MAX-7 planes, clearing them for commercial service.

Tyson Foods rose 2.8% after the meat company reported a slightly stronger profit for the spring than analysts expected. CEO Donnie King said strength is continuing in the company’s chicken business and its prepared foods, which include brands like Jimmy Dean and Hillshire Farm.

It joined a lengthening list of big U.S. companies to deliver a bigger profit for the spring than analysts expected. That’s imperative for Wall Street because stock prices tend to follow the path of corporate earnings over the long term, and worries were rising that U.S. stock prices may have broadly already shot too high.

Companies in the S&P 500 are on track to deliver earnings per share for the spring that are 47% higher than a year before, according to FactSet, with more than half of the companies in the index having already reported. If that ends up being the case, it would be the strongest growth since the spring of 2021, when the economy was roaring out of the COVID pandemic.

Also offering encouragement for profits was a report on Monday showing that growth for U.S. manufacturing accelerated to its strongest level since 2022.

Keeping Wall Street unsettled, though, were swings for stocks of companies that make computer chips. They’ve been veering up and down for weeks on worries about whether their surging revenues because of the artificial-intelligence boom are sustainable.

If AI ends up producing less profit and productivity than hoped, Big Tech companies could curtail their spending sprees on data centers that have helped chip stocks soar to tremendous heights.

Micron Technology went from a drop of 6.4% to a gain of 1.7% through the day before ending with a gain of 0.8%, for example. It’s up roughly 190% for the year so far.

All told, the S&P 500 rose 110.78 points to 7,600.50 and finished just shy of its all-time closing high of 7,609.78. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 693.38 to 53,178.41, and the Nasdaq composite rallied 540.04 to 25,913.90.

The manic swings for AI stocks have been most dramatic in South Korea, where the Kospi index is dominated by just two tech titans, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.

Seoul’s Kospi fell 5.1% Monday, coming off Friday’s 17.9% surge that was its best day in history.

In neighboring Japan, Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.9% after the United States and Japan confirmed they had moved together to prop up the value of the Japanese yen against the dollar. A stronger yen would help to limit inflation in Japan, but it could also potentially hurt Japan’s exporters.

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AP Writers Matt Ott, Elaine Kurtenbach, Mayuko Ono and Mari Yamaguchi contributed to this report.

According to Paxton’s office, Eric Johnson was arrested by the La Porte Police Department in connection with the 2012 homicide of Shawn McCloskey. The arrest comes after the case was reexamined by the Office of the Attorney General’s Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit during its “Texas Solves: Collaboration Workshop” in May 2026.

Authorities said Shawn’s mother found the toddler unresponsive on July 19, 2012, after Johnson, who was her boyfriend at the time, had cared for the child overnight.

Shawn was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

An autopsy later determined the child suffered multiple blunt force injuries comparable to those seen in a high-speed vehicle crash. His death was ruled a homicide.

Investigators with the La Porte Police Department identified Johnson as the primary suspect early in the investigation. However, officials said there was not enough evidence at the time to file criminal charges, and the case remained unsolved for 14 years.

The breakthrough came after La Porte police submitted the case for review during the attorney general’s Texas Solves workshop, a program that brings together investigators and forensic experts to revisit cold cases.

Following the two-day workshop, investigators from the La Porte Police Department and the attorney general’s Cold Case Unit worked together to reexamine evidence and develop new investigative strategies.

According to the attorney general’s office, that collaboration led to new information that established probable cause for Johnson’s arrest.

“My Cold Case Unit has secured the evidence needed to arrest Eric Johnson for the murder of 16-month-old baby Shawn McCloskey,” Paxton said in a statement. “My office worked closely with the La Porte PD to bring justice to the victim of such a heartbreaking and heinous violent crime. We will continue to do everything we can to solve cold cases across the state.”

Johnson is now in custody, and the case will proceed through the court system. Authorities have not released additional details about the new evidence that led to the arrest.

A night before the trade deadline, Harper went from calling out Dombrowski to texting him, noting he would move from first base back to right field if it helped upgrade the lineup.

Harper is indeed now the Phillies right fielder — just for the remainder of this season — after Dombrowski swung a deal Monday for three-time batting champion Luis Arraez from the San Francisco Giants.

“I think any chance that we have an opportunity to win, I'd do anything for this organization," Harper said ahead of Monday's game against Washington. “They know that.”

Arraez is the proven bat Philadelphia’s lineup needed in its chase for a fifth straight trip to the playoffs and first World Series championship since 2008.

Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said Arraez will play second base, triggering a defensive shuffle that switched up the corner positions.

Bryson Stott will move from second base to third, and third baseman Alec Bohm will shift to first, where Harper has played since returning from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in 2023.

The 33-year-old Harper long-tossed in the outfield before Monday's game and conceded there would be an adjustment in the position shift.

“I think it's probably just more of the arm-care stuff,” Harper said. “Maybe a little of the bit of the legs, as well. At 33 right now, this is the best I've felt in a long time. I feel healthy, I feel strong. Obviously, may need to get my arm going a little bit more. You don't show too much arm strength at first base."

Mattingly said there was never a consideration to moving shaky shortstop Trea Turner, who has 18 errors this season, to the outfield.

Mattingly, 50-34 with the Phillies since he replaced Rob Thomson in April, also wanted assurances from Harper he was on board with leaving first base.

“He just came up to me and said, ‘Hey, are you serious?’ I said, ‘yeah,’” Harper said.

Harper, a former catcher who spent the bulk of his career in Washington and Philadelphia as an outfielder, brought his outfielder's glove with him on last week's trip to Miami, just in case it was needed. The Phillies lost eight of nine games after the All-Star break before winning two straight over the weekend in Baltimore.

In Miami, Harper was blunt on the Phillies' chances, saying “I think we need some help.”

All he had to do was change positions for the Phillies to add reinforcements.

Harper added he “loves” first base and the move is “something I'm doing just for the team.”

“I don't have to do that," Harper said. “Hopefully it helps. I think it's helped us obviously get the guy that we need.”

Arraez gives the Phillies a needed contact hitter

Arraez is batting a National League-best .324 with four homers and 47 RBIs with an .801 OPS. He’s a four-time All-Star and, of importance in the free-swinging Phillies lineup, is a contact hitter who rarely strikes out.

He has struck out just 236 times over his eight-year career.

Arraez has 25 walks to 21 strikeouts this season. The Phillies .304 on-base is second worst in the majors, only ahead of the New York Mets.

Arraez is eligible for free agency at the end of the season and has played for five teams in the last five seasons. He played in the All-Star Game last month in Philadelphia.

The Phillies also acquired right-hander reliever Caleb Kilian in the trade in exchange for minor league right-handed pitchers Ramon Marquez and Marty Gair.

The Giants are 47-65 and have been of baseball’s bigger disappointments.

The Phillies struck a separate deal for Mets left-hander Brooks Raley in exchange for minor league right-handed pitcher Luke Gabrysh and minor league outfielder John Spikerman. They also sent out righty reliever Nolan Hoffman to Kansas City for minor league righty Manuel Colón, a move that opened a spot on the 40-man roster.

Raley has a 5-5 record with a 1.96 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 45 games. His 1.96 ERA is tied for the fourth-lowest mark in the majors among left-handed relievers and 35 appearances this season have been scoreless.

Philly has a big gap to catch the Braves in the NL East

The Phillies entered Monday’s game against Washington at 59-53 and hold one of the final NL wild-card spots. They are eight games back of Atlanta in the NL East.

Arreaz led the National League in hits the past two seasons and had signed a $12 million, one-year contract this season with the Giants. He spent his first five major league seasons with the Minnesota Twins before they traded him to the Miami Marlins in January 2023. San Diego acquired him in May 2024.

Stott, who blossomed into a Gold Glove candidate, echoed Harper's comments and said he was fine with heading to third base.

“It should be not lost that our superstar first baseman, two-time MVP is willing to move,” Stott said. “When you're on a team and you see a guy like that, what we are going to say, no, we're not moving?”

Dombrowski came out swinging with deals that — while not at the level of the Dodgers trading for Tarik Skubal — showed the Phillies are serious about staying in the playoff hunt and making a World Series push in October.

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

Now, he’s bringing those culinary talents a little closer to home as he heads to Galveston for one of the biggest food and wine events of the year.

And if you’re looking for a delicious way to celebrate Labor Day weekend, head to the coast to join Chef Duffy (among many others!) for the Galveston Island Wine Festival, returning to Moody Gardens September 4–6 with three days of exceptional wines, incredible cuisine, live entertainment and unique experiences.

Whether you’re a seasoned wine enthusiast or simply looking for a fun weekend getaway, the festival offers something for every palate. Guests can sip and sample their way through a variety of events while enjoying the beautiful surroundings of Moody Gardens.

For tickets, hotel packages and the complete festival schedule, visit moodygardens.org/winefest and start planning your Labor Day weekend getaway.

Watch as Lauren Kelly catches up with Chef Brian Duffy about what dishes he’s planning to bring to this year’s festival, along with what he’s most excited to do when he gets to Galveston.

The festival takes place September 4-6, transforming Moody Gardens into a destination for wine lovers, food enthusiasts and anyone looking for a fun coastal getaway.

Each day offers a unique experience for guests to enjoy, kicking off Friday with the White Linen Seafood Extravaganza, celebrating fresh Gulf Coast flavors paired with outstanding wines in an elegant setting.

On Saturday, guests can enjoy Penguins & Pinot, one of the festival’s signature events that combines wine tasting with the unforgettable atmosphere of Moody Gardens’ famous Aquarium Pyramid.

The celebration concludes Sunday with the Grand Finale Wine Dinner, an elegant evening featuring expertly crafted cuisine and thoughtfully paired wines to close out the holiday weekend in style.

Beyond the featured culinary events, there will be live music at the pool, additional entertainment at Palm Beach, and a spectacular 9 p.m. drone show that lights up the night sky to cap off the Labor Day celebration.

For tickets, hotel packages and the complete event schedule, visit moodygardens.org/winefest or call 409-744-4673.

Watch as Lauren Kelly gets a preview of the event, along with a fun chat with Celebrity Chef, Brian Duffy.

The court filing is tied to a lawsuit filed against Capital One by one of Trump’s financial holding companies shortly after he was sworn into office a second time. Trump alleges that Capital One illegally closed his accounts for political reasons, following the Jan. 6 attacks on the U.S. Capitol.

Capital One wants the lawsuit dismissed.

“The closures were the result of months of analysis and a careful review by Capital One’s AML team in accordance with bank policies and regulatory guidance,” the bank said in the court filing. The term “AML” is an abbreviation for anti-money laundering.

Trump has sued Capital One, as well as JPMorgan Chase, for allegedly debanking him after he left office in 2021. Debanking occurs when banks shut down customer accounts because they believe they pose financial, legal or reputational risks to the banks.

Both banks have denied they severed their relationships with the president, his sons, and other related businesses for political reasons. The lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase is seeking damages of $5 billion. JPMorgan has said it does not close accounts for political reasons, but closes accounts “with or without cause” and also accounts that create “legal or regulatory risk.”

In July, after the original lawsuit had laid dormant for months, lawyers for the president filed an amended lawsuit that alleged the bank debanked him for political reasons. The bank says the new allegations are without merit, saying the complaint rests on “new theories are based on cherry-picked quotations."

President Trump's legal team dismissed that claim Monday, but did not address the internal findings by the bank.

“Capital One, along with other major banks, de-banked President Trump, his family, and his businesses for blatantly political reasons," a spokesperson for Trump's legal team said. "President Trump’s powerful lawsuit holds Capital One accountable for its disgraceful conduct, and we look forward to seeing this matter through to a just and proper conclusion.”

Conservatives have long alleged that banks debank them and their political allies. The allegations became louder after Operation Choke Point, an initiative during the Obama Administration when regulators pressed banks to cut off financial services to the firearm industry, tobacco, and payday lenders, among others. The cryptocurrency industry alleged it was also a victim of debanking during the Biden Administration.

Trump signed an executive order in August 2025 titled “Guaranteeing Fair Banking for All Americans” directing federal bank regulators to terminate examinations of banks over who they were doing business with. The Trump administration has also subpoenaed records of the biggest banks as part of an investigation into alleged debanking.

Trump had more than 300 bank accounts with Capital One before they were closed. The bank accounts were for a variety of Trump-branded businesses, ranging from a golf course to a winery. Trump had banked with Capital One for more than a decade before the accounts were closed.

In the court filing, Capital One said it had no reason to make a political statement with the closure of Trump’s accounts in 2021 and the move had everything to do with activity in the accounts being flagged by anti-money laundering experts with the bank.

“Capital One never publicized the termination decision nor its confidential internal process giving rise to the closure, and it permitted Plaintiffs several months (and granted several extensions) to find new banking services, which they did,” the bank said.

Talks between the U.S. and Iran are critical to ending the monthslong conflict and reviving stalled cargo traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway through which about a fifth of all traded oil and natural gas passed before the war.

Trump, who has made a habit of threatening strikes on Iran only to dangle the prospect of a last-minute diplomatic reprieve, said the negotiations would be the “last chance ” for Iran to forge a deal to reopen the strait and address his concerns about its nuclear program.

But Iran’s foreign ministry said it's negotiating with Oman, not the U.S., prompting Trump to criticize the country’s leadership, which has grown increasingly divided over the war’s endgame.

Whether “Iran wants to admit it or not, we are, in fact, talking," Trump maintained.

Elsewhere, Israel bombed the Gaza Strip and the Syrian president met in Damascus with the Iraqi Kurdish regional leader over security concerns. In Iran, the government executed two men it claimed were Israeli spies.

Here is a look at the most important developments Monday in the Middle East.

Trump announces renewed talks

Trump said Sunday that he decided against carrying out major strikes against Iran at the urging of Gulf allies Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

He said a plan was in place for U.S. forces to carry out “the biggest attack since World War II,” but he decided to give diplomacy more time after hearing from key Gulf leaders and fielding requests from unnamed Iranian officials. He did not provide further details or say who would be involved in the talks.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry maintained that the country was not currently holding negotiations with the United States.

Esmail Baghaei, an agency spokesperson, said Monday that ongoing talks were with Oman, the country on the other side of the strait, and were focused only on establishing a temporary route for safe navigation through the channel.

Nine vessels transited through the strait Sunday, most of them using an Iranian-controlled route, according to trade data and analytics platform Kpler.

Trump voiced frustration at Iran's public posturing, suggesting the country's leaders begged for the discussions, despite their claims of only wanting to deal with Oman.

“Iranian Leadership is unbelievably duplicitous!” the U.S. president vented on Truth Social, his social media platform.

Iran's top delegates head to Iraq and Pakistan

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived Monday in Iraq’s holy city of Najaf to participate in the Arbaeen commemorations, an annual pilgrimage for Shiite Muslims, his office said on social media.

Araghchi’s trip comes as Iraq has been walking a tightrope between Iran and the U.S., an act that has only grown more fraught since the U.S. and Israel went to war with Iran in February.

Meanwhile Iran's Minister of Industry, Mines and Trade, Mohammad Atabak, headed Monday to Pakistan for a two-day visit expected to focus in part on ways to ease transit bottlenecks and move more Iranian containers through Pakistani ports during the U.S. naval blockade.

Syrian and Iraqi leaders discuss security concerns

Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Iraq’s Kurdish regional president met Monday in Damascus to discuss ways of improving mutual cooperation and contributing to regional security.

The meeting between al-Sharaa and Nechirvan Barzani came amid regional tensions as Iranian-backed Iraqi militia groups carried out multiple drone strikes targeting American interests across Iraq, including the country’s Kurdish region.

Syrian state media reported last month that authorities at the country’s border with Iraq thwarted an attempt in June to smuggle weapons believed to have been headed to the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. Hezbollah denied the charges.

Iran executes 2 men it says spied for Israel

Iran’s judiciary said it executed two men Monday after convicting them of spying for Israel during both last year’s 12-day war and the ongoing conflict.

The judiciary’s Mizan news agency identified the two as Omid Behzad and Pouria Safvat, who were accused of providing military coordinates, images and other intelligence used in attacks on Iranian targets. The agency did not specify where the executions took place.

Last week, Iran publicly hanged two men convicted of killing four police officers during nationwide anti-government protests in January.

Gaza official urges Israel to halt attacks

A top official overseeing Gaza’s postwar transition met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, in part to press him to halt military attacks on the territory.

Nikolay Mladenov, the high representative for Gaza on the Board of Peace, also discussed with Netanyahu the need to decommission all weapons in the enclave, the international body established by the U.S. said in a statement.

An Israeli strike Monday evening hit a car in Gaza City, killing two men, according to Shifa Hospital, where the casualties were taken. Over the weekend, Israeli attacks left at least 17 people dead, including children, according to hospitals in Gaza.

The Israeli military said the weekend strikes targeted militants. It confirmed Monday's strike and said it would release more information later.

Days earlier, the U.S. and Hamas reached a deal to disarm the militant group, a potential step toward ending the war in Gaza.

Gaza residents swelter in tents

Soaring temperatures in Gaza this summer have turned the makeshift tents sheltering hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians into suffocating ovens. Made of plastic sheets, the shelters trap heat during the day and offer little ventilation, forcing many families to spend hours outside.

The extreme weather compounds an already dire humanitarian crisis. With limited access to clean water, electricity and sanitation, residents of the overcrowded camps are at high risk of dehydration, heat-related illnesses and the spread of skin infections, diarrheal diseases and other communicable illnesses, humanitarian agencies warn.

“There is no breeze, nothing,” said Aida Abu Hadeesha, a woman displaced from the town of Rafah, near the border with Egypt. “Our kids are suffering."

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Becatoros reported from Athens, Greece and Boak from Washington. Associated Press reporters Julia Frankel in Jerusalem, Bassem Mroue in Beirut and Philip Marcelo in New York also contributed to this report.

The schools announced Monday they have agreed to a four-game home-and-home series. Notre Dame will play in Los Angeles on Aug. 31, 2030, and the Trojans will visit South Bend, Indiana, on Aug. 30, 2031. The meetings in 2032 and 2033 will be played in the first three weeks of the season.

The teams met each non-pandemic season from 1946-2025, typically in October or November, in what became known as “the greatest intersectional rivalry in college football." The exception was the 2020 season when most schools played a conference-only schedule.

The 2030 date opened up when defending national champion Indiana canceled a home-and-home series with the Irish that was scheduled for 2030 and 2031, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no official announcement had been made.

Negotiations between Notre Dame and USC to continue the annual series became challenging after the Trojans joined the Big Ten in 2024. The Trojans expressed that they did not want to play nonconference games after September. Notre Dame beat the Trojans 34-24 in South Bend last Oct. 18, and the series officially went on hiatus in December when the Irish announced they had filled the last open spot on their 2026 schedule with a game at BYU.

Notre Dame and USC first played in 1926 and the Irish lead the series 53-38-5. The series also was put on hold from 1943-45, during World War II.

The two schools have combined to win 22 national championships and produce 15 Heisman Trophy winners, and the discontinuation prompted consternation on both sides. Navy is the only team Notre Dame has played more than USC, at 98 meetings.

Notre Dame and USC play for the Jeweled Shillelagh Trophy, a tradition which began in 1952. The Jeweled Shillelagh Trophy is presented by the Notre Dame Club of Los Angeles. Notre Dame victories are marked by green-jeweled shamrocks while USC victories are marked by ruby-jeweled Trojan heads.

“USC’s historic rivalry with Notre Dame holds a special place in the history of college football, and we are happy to resume a series that means so much to the entire Trojan Family,” USC athletic director Jen Cohen said. “It remains important for us to play this game early in the season, as it allows us to schedule competitively with our Big Ten peers and takes into account the health and best interests of our student-athletes and program. We are excited for our fans, and we look forward to more memorable matchups and unforgettable games between the Trojans and the Irish.”

The Hoosiers and Irish last met in the first CFP playoff to be held at a campus site in December 2024. Notre Dame won 27-17 in South Bend and reached the national championship game before losing to Ohio State 34-23.

In 2021, Indiana and Notre Dame agreed to what was supposed to be the first regular-season game between the two in-state schools since 1991. The Irish have won seven straight in the series with Indiana's last victory coming in 1950.

But since the arrival of coach Curt Cignetti in 2024, Indiana has not played any Power Four schools, or Notre Dame, outside the conference schedule or the playoffs. The Hoosiers drew some criticism last summer when they also canceled a scheduled home-and-home series with Virginia. Indiana responded by winning its first Big Ten title since 1967, the first national championship in school history and by becoming the first 16-0 team in major college football since the 1890s.

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AP Sports Writer Michael Marot in Indianapolis contributed to this report.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

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The president on Monday said that new talks between Washington and Tehran are the “last chance” for Iran to forge a deal and avoid an escalation of U.S. strikes on the country.

Trump, speaking at the Oval Office, said he expects negotiations will focus on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and create a pathway for Iran to address the United States’ concerns about its nuclear program. He told reporters they would likely learn about the status of the negotiations “today or tomorrow.”

“The first phase is the opening of the straits. The second phase will be the denuclearization," the Republican president said. “And that will take a little while.”

While Trump has reveled in the U.S. military decimating layers of Tehran’s leadership and devastating its air force and navy, Iran is betting it can outlast Trump as he faces diminished stockpiles of munitions and the difficulty of executing a war that's unpopular with the American electorate ahead of November’s midterm election.

Trump said he decided to hold off on ordering American forces to carry out new massive strikes against Iran at the urging of Gulf allies Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

He said a plan was in place for U.S. forces to carry out “the biggest attack since World War II” on Sunday. But he decided to scrap the plan and give diplomacy more time to play out after hearing from key Gulf leaders — including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — as well as at the request of unnamed Iranian officials.

But Trump reiterated that he’s running out of patience with Iran.

“This the last chance for them to sign a good document,” Trump said.

Earlier Monday, Trump had criticized Iran on social media as being “unbelievably duplicitous.”

His ire was raised by Iran claiming that its meetings with Oman on Monday were focused solely on establishing a temporary route for safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for the global oil trade.

“They ask for a meeting, some would say ‘beg,’ talks begin, with more scheduled in the immediate future, and they say, openly and proudly, that they’re not having any discussions, that nothing is being talked about, and they’re only dealing with Oman,” Trump grumbled.

Trump said whether “Iran wants to admit it or not, we are, in fact, talking” about preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

Trump has threatened to escalate attacks on Iran only to edge away from his threats several times since the start of U.S. and Israel strikes on Feb. 28.

Asked by a reporter how Americans view him repeatedly making grim threats on Tehran before backing away, Trump responded that he’s showing patience out of a consideration for Iranian life.

“I want to give them every last chance before decapitation,” Trump said. He added, “Hopefully, they’ll come to their senses.”

Critics see Trump reaching for a reset button as a pattern

Trump may still come to the conclusion that a massive escalation in the conflict with Iran is necessary.

But critics say his hesitation also might reflect an unspoken understanding inside the administration that U.S. military might alone may not be enough to compel Iran to back down and bring an end to a now monthslong war that Trump had earlier downplayed as a weekslong excursion.

“I think what we’re seeing here is a president who has an approach that’s just rather erratic,” said Sen. Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, on CBS News' “Face the Nation.” “At this point, he's trying to get us back to February. And I think if he could — if he had a big reset button he could hit — he would certainly take that option.”

There have been several moments over the course of the conflict when Trump has demonstrated his proclivity for the bellicose only to back off at the last minute, while declaring his threats spurred progress:

— In early April, the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire in an announcement that came less than two hours before a deadline Trump had set for Tehran to capitulate or face attacks on bridges and power plants — strikes he said would mean “a whole civilization will die.”

— After days of dire threats against Iran, Trump announced on May 18 he was holding off on a major planned military strike because “serious negotiations” were underway, crediting Gulf allies for persuading him to show restraint.

— Then in June, Trump threatened on social media to hit Iran “VERY HARD” and seize Iran’s energy base on Kharg Island to "assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets,” only to call off the strikes in another post after claiming that peace negotiations had progressed with high-level Iranian leaders.

Call with Saudi crown prince affected Trump's decision

With this latest episode, Trump suggested that the Saudi crown prince played a particularly important role in him turning away from escalating the fight.

The U.S. president spoke by phone with the de facto leader of the kingdom on Saturday before announcing he was halting planned strikes.

The crown prince conveyed that an escalation in fighting could have a severe impact on the global economy if Tehran responded to a new U.S. bombardment by targeting some of the United States’ Gulf allies, according to a person briefed on the call who was not authorized to comment publicly and insisted on anonymity.

Saudi officials, the person added, have underscored in their engagements with the Trump administration that the kingdom is in a good position to defend itself against further potential Iranian strikes — as are fellow energy titans Qatar and the United Arab Emirates — but that Kuwait could be more vulnerable to attacks by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq.

As Trump threatens escalation, Republicans face tough polling

Trump has insisted that November’s midterm elections aren't shaping his approach to the conflict, which has spurred unease across the global economy.

But it's certainly on the minds of his fellow Republicans.

About two-thirds of U.S. adults say the war with Iran has not been worthwhile, according to polling from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research published last week. That includes the vast majority of Democrats and independents, as well as about 37% of Republicans.

One of Trump's most outspoken allies on Capitol Hill suggested on Sunday the administration needs to modulate its approach on Iran.

Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy said on NBC's “Meet the Press” that the debate in Washington has lost perspective on the devastation the U.S. military has inflicted on Iran since the start of the war.

Still, the Republican lawmaker acknowledged that further escalating the conflict could lead to another surge in already elevated energy prices and “a lot of inflation for the American people.”

Kennedy made the case that tightening sanctions and targeting Iran's nuclear program — rather than escalating the conflict — might be the best bet for the moment.

“They’re all hellish choices,” Kennedy said. “But for the moment I’d maintain the status quo.”

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AP writers Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Josh Boak in Washington contributed reporting.

The endorsement from GOP Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis paves the way for the Senate Judiciary Committee to advance Blanche's nomination on Tuesday after the Justice Department and lawmakers reached a deal to formally rescind the $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund" proposed to settle Trump's lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service.

Cornyn and Tillis had refused to back Blanche's bid for the permanent post without official confirmation killing the fund meant to compensate people who believe they were unfairly prosecuted by the Justice Department. Blanche's written order, issued late Sunday, came after the days of negotiations between the Justice Department and the Republican senators who are leaving Capitol Hill when their terms end in January.

“We want to express our gratitude to Mr. Blanche and his staff for working with us on this, and we look forward to voting to advance his nomination out of the Senate Judiciary Committee soon," Cornyn, of Texas, and Tillis, of North Carolina, said in a statement.

DOJ order says ‘beyond any doubt’ that fund is dead

Blanche has repeatedly said that the Justice Department was scrapping plans for the fund, which sparked bipartisan outcry over the possibility that violent rioters who attacked police at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, could be considered for payments. But skeptical lawmakers said they were concerned that could be revived without a commitment in writing, especially because Trump has continued to defend the idea.

In his order posted on social media late Sunday, Blanche wrote that the department was confirming "beyond any doubt, that there is no Fund.”

Since the settlement of the president's lawsuit against the IRS was announced, “No Members were appointed; no funds were transferred; no process for receiving claims was established; no claims were paid,” the order said. “This order establishes, beyond any doubt, that there is no Fund.”

Cornyn and Tillis had also pressed the Justice Department to limit the scope of a separate piece of the settlement that provided broad immunity for Trump and members of his family from tax audits.

Under the deal, the Justice Department clarified in writing that the tax audit immunity agreement “applies by its terms only retroactively” to claims open at the time of the settlement and does not protect the president from examination of future tax filings. It also makes clear that only the parties that brought the lawsuit — Trump, two of his sons, and the Trump Organization — are covered by the tax agreement.

Cornyn and Tillis said in their statement that they were “pleased” with the concessions made by Blanche.

“From the outset, we were clear that we needed a written document addressing our concerns on the IRS audit agreement and the anti-weaponization fund that included constraining the scope of audit protection by limiting it to the parties of the Settlement Agreement and legally ending the anti-weaponization fund," they wrote.

Democrats, however, noted that the order rescinding the fund doesn't stop the Trump administration from compensating Jan. 6 rioters through a previously established process that allows people to file claims for damages if they believed they were wronged by the government.

“This supposed ‘deal’ doesn’t prevent payouts to violent insurrectionists in the future,” Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff said in a social media post. Schiff added that it also “leaves in place a tax-immunity deal that could help Trump skip taxes on the $2.3 billion he made last year, and still leaves it vague who and what is covered.”

Cornyn, Tillis echo GOP colleagues' concerns as they b

locked Blanche nomination

Blanche’s nomination was thrown into doubt last week after the Judiciary Committee postponed a vote that had been scheduled for Thursday morning as Tillis and Cornyn said they needed more from the administration before they could provide the necessary votes.

After the Thursday vote was delayed, Trump said in a social media post that he might pull Blanche’s nomination and resubmit it after Cornyn and Tillis leave office next year. And on Saturday the president threatened to push forward with the fund if the two Republicans blocked Blanche's nomination.

On Sunday evening, Trump said that people who had faced charges from the Jan. 6, attack on the Capitol and could have benefited from the fund had “their lives destroyed.”

“This would be a reimbursement for the pain that they suffered,” Trump said. “A lot of people like it.”

Blanche, who served as Trump’s defense lawyer in his criminal cases, entered the Justice Department last year as deputy attorney general. He was elevated to the top post after Pam Bondi was fired in April by Trump, who was frustrated by her failure to successfully prosecute his political enemies.

Though Blanche insisted he wasn’t auditioning for the permanent job, he has moved quickly since taking the reins of the department to promote the Trump administration’s agenda and accelerate investigations into the president’s perceived foes.

Two photographs published with the announcement showed Suu Kyi shaking hands with Arnaud de Baecque, the ICRC’s representative to Myanmar, and meeting with him in a wood-paneled room.

The Presidential Press and Information Bureau, which released the photographs, said the meeting was held Monday morning but did not disclose the location or provide details about what was discussed.

The ICRC confirmed in a statement on Monday that one of its delegates visited Suu Kyi under its standards and procedures for visiting people deprived of liberty, and spoke with her in private, but it did not disclose details of the discussion.

The organization said it continues to engage with all relevant actors to maintain and expand its access to places of detention in Myanmar.

Two other photographs showed Suu Kyi cutting a pink birthday cake bearing the inscription, “Happy Birthday Aunty Suu,” suggesting they may have been taken during a celebration for her 81st birthday in June.

In the photos, Suu Kyi appeared relaxed and was smiling. She did not show any obvious signs of ill health, although her physical condition could not be independently assessed from the images.

The release came as calls are growing from other countries, including Myanmar's fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, for access to or engagement with Suu Kyi as part of efforts to resolve the country's political crisis.

Kim Aris, her younger son living in London, and Myanmar democracy activists have been waging an online campaign to demand evidence that his mother is alive and well.

In a statement sent to the AP, Aris welcomed the reported ICRC visit, saying it could mark the first positive development concerning his mother in more than five years.

“This may be a first step, but it must not be the last,” Aris said.

He thanked governments, the international community and supporters for standing with his family and backing his campaign to seek proof of his mother’s well-being, while stressing that he had not yet received independent confirmation of her condition.

He said he hoped the visit would lead to direct family contact and her eventual release together with all political prisoners.

Suu Kyi was detained Feb. 1, 2021, when the army seized power from her elected government. She has not been seen publicly since then, and the last official photo of her released was in April, when she was moved from prison to house arrest and her sentence was reduced as part of a prisoner amnesty for a Buddhist holiday.

The country's military leaders, who have faced sanctions and widespread international isolation since seizing power in 2021, have sought to project a return to normalcy by holding a 2025 election and increased engagement with regional neighbors.

However, critics say the transition to a nominally elected government largely composed of former generals and holdovers from the previous military-led government has done little to change the military’s grip on power.

Nay Phone Latt, a spokesperson for the opposition National Unity Government, said the ICRC’s meeting with Suu Kyi shouldn’t be taken as a real move to address human rights or democracy issues.

“Since, from the outset, a country’s leader was wrongfully arrested and imprisoned by finding faults where there were none, she must be released without any conditions,” he said.

The United Nations welcomed the ICRC visit and reiterated its call “for the swift and unconditional release of all those arbitrarily detained as a fundamental step toward conditions conducive to a credible and transparent political process."

U.N. deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said Secretary-General António Guterres stresses the importance of a dialogue between all Myanmar parties and his special envoy Julie Bishop on how the U.N., the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and other key players can help peacefully resolve the current conflict.

Police who responded to the shooting found the body of the suspected gunman in an area near the restaurant, Twin Falls city public information officer Josh Palmer said. He did not know if the suspect was included in the fatality count.

Officials were still working on notifying the family members of victims and so were not yet releasing the names, ages or other details about the people hurt in the shooting, Palmer said. Some of the people injured are in critical condition, Palmer said.

Police were still trying to determine the shooter's identity and motive, Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said in a news conference earlier Saturday.

“We believe the threat to the community is over,” Hicks said. “It was a very chaotic scene.”

Palmer said investigators were still interviewing witnesses to the shooting. The restaurant is in a busy shopping plaza, and hundreds of people were in the area when it happened around 2 p.m.

Lane Koehn, 34, said he was at a stoplight near the In-N-Out when he saw a person with an AR-style rifle emerge from the drive-thru. A man with a pistol started firing at the shooter.

He then saw someone in an In-N-Out uniform drag a person, also uniformed, bleeding from a gunshot wound in her chest across the parking lot. The employee, Koehn and the man with the pistol stayed until paramedics arrived for her.

“She was pretty bad off, but I don’t know. I hope she made it,” Koehn said.

Koehn said he was told by police to evacuate because the shooting was still active.

He also said the shooter fired at least three or four rounds and it was not clear whether or not anyone in particular was targeted.

Video taken by a driver from across the street captured a shooter, who appeared to be dressed in black, walking up to a white car carrying a long rifle, opening the driver-side door and popping the trunk. The person then walked to the trunk and reached inside. At that point the driver who shot the video left quickly, fearing that the man might be getting more weapons.

Twin Falls resident Haley Dodaro, 43, and her mother went to In-N-Out for lunch Saturday afternoon. While waiting in the drive-thru line, they saw people running across the road and workers bolting out of the restaurant. At first Dodaro thought there might have been a fire, but then a man directing traffic in a reflective vest said there was a shooter.

“So that’s when we knew there was a shooting. People were running out crying and screaming. It was very scary,” Dodaro said in a text message to The Associated Press.

Nayeli Rodriguez, 40, of Burley, was inside waiting for food with her daughters when she heard shots from the kitchen. An employee said it was a shooting and told people to get down. Rodriguez said an older man tried to protect her and her daughters, and they were among the last to run outside.

“We were trying to get as far as we could and some angels let us in their car,” Rodriguez said, also via text message. “I left my car there in the parking lot.”

The In-N-Out opened just about a week earlier, on July 24, as part of the company’s recent expansion to Idaho.

Police said multiple people were taken to St. Luke's Magic Valley Medical Center. Hospital spokesperson Taylor Marschner said in a statement that it was “working closely with law enforcement and emergency responders as they manage the situation.”

Twin Falls, a city of about 56,000 people, is about 130 miles (205 kilometers) southeast of Boise and about 40 miles (64 kilometers) north of the Nevada border.

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Bellisle reported from Seattle and Raza from Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

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This story was first published on Aug. 1. It was updated on Aug. 3 to correct that Twin Falls is about 40 miles, not 75 miles, north of the Nevada border.

Investigators are confident that the gunman, identified as 24-year-old Chad Williams, acted alone during the shooting Saturday at an In-N-Out location in Twin Falls, Police Chief Matthew Hicks said at a news conference.

In all, four people died, including Williams, and seven others were injured at the recently opened restaurant in the southern Idaho city of about 56,000 people. Authorities said Sunday that two of the injured were treated at a hospital and released, three were listed as stable, and two were in critical condition.

Hicks said an off-duty state trooper and an armed citizen — whose identities weren't immediately disclosed — both fired back and diverted the gunman from the restaurant.

“We believe their actions helped drive the suspect away from the scene, preventing further casualties,” the chief said. “We want to take a moment and commend the actions of the off-duty officer and the citizen, and their heroic action to stop this incident.”

Hicks said detectives are working to determine Williams' motives, and said the suspect's family was cooperating fully with law enforcement. Officials asked potential witnesses or anyone with information to contact police.

The chief also warned of misinformation spreading online identifying a different man as the shooter, saying that person had “no involvement in this incident whatsoever.”

In-N-Out worker among the victims

One of those killed was an employee, the fast-food chain’s owner said.

“My heart is broken, my chest is heavy, my eyes burn from the tears I've shed. We lost one of our beautiful Associates tonight,” In-N-Out owner Lynsi Snyder said in a statement released early Sunday on social media. “In-N-Out will be mourning with the families and praying for them as they tread through a very painful season.”

The FBI on Sunday encouraged the public to submit images and videos related to the shooting Saturday in Twin Falls that left seven other people wounded, some critically.

The In-N-Out had opened just about a week earlier, on July 24, as part of the California-based company’s recent expansion to Idaho.

Snyder did not identify the worker. Officials were still trying to notify relatives of victims and so were not yet releasing the names, ages or other details about the people hurt in the shooting, Twin Falls spokesperson Josh Palmer said Saturday.

Police who responded to the shooting found the body of the suspected gunman in an area near the restaurant, Palmer said.

Palmer said investigators were interviewing witnesses to the shooting. The restaurant is in a busy shopping plaza, and hundreds of people were in the area when it happened around 2 p.m.

Witnesses describe chaotic scene

Lane Koehn, 34, said he was at a stoplight near the In-N-Out when he saw a person with an AR-style rifle emerge from the drive-thru. A man with a pistol started firing at the shooter.

He then saw someone in an In-N-Out uniform drag a person, also wearing a uniform, bleeding from a gunshot wound to her chest across the parking lot. The employee, Koehn and the man with the pistol stayed until paramedics arrived for her.

“She was pretty bad off, but I don’t know. I hope she made it,” Koehn said.

He said the shooter fired at least three or four rounds and it was not clear whether or not anyone in particular was targeted.

Video taken by a driver from across the street captured a shooter, who appeared to be dressed in black, walking up to a white car carrying a long rifle, opening the driver-side door and popping the trunk. The person then walked to the trunk and reached inside. At that point the driver who shot the video left quickly, fearing that the man might be getting more weapons.

Twin Falls resident Haley Dodaro, 43, and her mother went to In-N-Out for lunch Saturday afternoon. While waiting in the drive-thru line, they saw people running across the road and workers bolting out of the restaurant. At first, Dodaro thought there might have been a fire, but then a man directing traffic in a reflective vest said there was a shooter.

“So that’s when we knew there was a shooting. People were running out crying and screaming. It was very scary,” Dodaro said in a text message to The Associated Press.

Employee told people to get down

Nayeli Rodriguez, 40, of Burley, was inside waiting for food with her daughters when she heard shots from the kitchen. An employee said it was a shooting and told people to get down. Rodriguez said an older man tried to protect her and her daughters, and they were among the last to run outside.

“We were trying to get as far as we could and some angels let us in their car,” Rodriguez said, also via text message. “I left my car there in the parking lot.”

Twin Falls is about 130 miles (205 kilometers) southeast of Boise and about 40 miles (64 kilometers) north of the Nevada border.

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This story was first published on Aug. 2. It was updated on Aug. 3 to correct that Twin Falls is about 40 miles, not 75 miles, north of the Nevada border.

White families make up most of the participants so far, as do those considered low-income, the comptroller’s office noted in the report released Monday. The report did not say how many students previously attended private school or received home schooling, although earlier data showed that 57% of families invited to the program fell into that category.

While it appears unlikely that the majority of first-year voucher recipients will come from public schools, the largest numbers of participating families live within the boundaries of some of the state’s most populous districts — with Houston, Dallas and Northside in the San Antonio area leading the way.

“No Texas child should be trapped in a failing school or forced to attend a school that is unable to provide the services they need to address disabilities such as dyslexia, dysgraphia or auditory processing disorders,” newly appointed Comptroller Don Huffines said in a statement. “I am committed to improving and growing this program so every Texas child can have the opportunity to reach their dreams.”

Texas invested $1 billion in the program, making it one of the largest in the country. Republican state leaders made several key promises when it became law: that it would primarily benefit students with disabilities, those from low-income families and those longing to escape their neighborhood public schools.

However, state Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, an Austin Democrat running against Huffines in November, said the first voucher report  “proves this program is a billion-dollar handout to exclusive private schools concentrated in big cities, while public schools across the state are underfunded and closing at an alarming rate.”

As the program rolls out for the upcoming school year, children with disabilities make up roughly 24% of students, while pre-K families comprise 11% of participants, the most of any grade level.

And of the more than 122,000 families invited to participate, 85,344 accepted as of July 29. More than 121,000 students are on a waitlist.

Final numbers could change because some families have yet to accept or decline their invitations, according to the comptroller’s office. They had a July 15 deadline to do so. Participating private schools had until July 31 to confirm their enrollment.

Senate Bill 2 — the Texas law creating the education savings accounts, or ESAs — required that the comptroller’s office submit an annual report to legislators summarizing demographic information of participating students by Aug. 1. Huffines, a former Republican state senator, was sworn in as the state’s new finance chief the same day.

Most participating Texans with children in private schools will receive about $10,500 annually. Home-schoolers can receive up to $2,000 per year. Children with disabilities qualify for up to $30,000 — an amount based on what it would cost to educate that child in a public school.

When lawmakers debated the program last year, Republicans argued that vouchers would benefit all Texans — not just white and wealthy families. Democrats worried that ESAs would drain resources from public schools as state funding is tied to attendance.

The state considered roughly 274,000 applicants in order of priority:

• Students with disabilities and their siblings in families with an annual income at or below 500% of the federal poverty level, which includes a four-person household earning less than roughly $165,000 a year (12% of applicants).
• Families at or below 200% of the poverty level, which includes a four-person household earning less than roughly $66,000 (32% of applicants).
• Families between 200% and 500% of the poverty level (29% of applicants).
• Families at or above 500% of the poverty level (22% of applicants). These families collectively can receive up to $200 million of the program’s total budget. Children who attended public school for at least 90% of the prior school year will receive priority within this group (5% of applicants).

Monday’s report does not include finalized numbers, though the early returns show that families in the first two tiers received the majority of the funding so far. About 68,000 students come from low-income households, 17,300 come from low-to-middle income families, and fewer than 30 come from the wealthiest group.

Roughly 41% of participating students are white; 28% are Hispanic; and 14% are Black. By comparison, 24% of Texas public school students are white; 53% are Hispanic; and 13% are Black.

About 60% of public school students are considered low-income, defined as a family of four earning $61,050 or less annually.

According to a new analysis by SmartAsset using recently released data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Texas ranks No. 14 in the nation for the largest year-over-year increase in wage inequality.

The study found that pay disparity between the state’s top earners and middle earners increased by 2 percentage points over the past year.

To break into the top 10% of earners in Texas, workers now need to make at least $125,220 annually. By comparison, the statewide median annual wage is $48,620.

That means the minimum income needed to join Texas’ highest-paid workers is now about 158% higher than the state’s median wage, according to the study.

Researchers analyzed Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data to measure how income inequality has changed from one year to the next in each state.

While Texas ranked 14th for the increase in wage disparity, other states saw even larger gaps.

According to the report, California and New York have the greatest wage inequality in the nation, while North Dakota has the smallest gap between top earners and median wage workers.

The findings come as many Americans continue to grapple with rising living costs, even as wages have increased in some industries. The study does not examine the reasons behind the widening wage gap but instead measures how earnings at the top compare with median wages in each state.

See the full report here.

Sony on Sunday projected that “Spider-Man” would net an estimated $355 million in its first weekend playing in 4,487 theaters, just barely missing the 2019 “Avengers: Endgame” record of $357 million. But the fourth Spider-Man movie starring Tom Holland had a stronger than expected Sunday and ultimately came in ahead.

Tom Rothman, the chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group said in a statement, “records are made to be broken, but we will take great pride in this one, for as long as we hold it.”

Before “Avengers: Endgame,” no movie had opened over $300 million domestically. The previous record holders were “Avengers: Infinity War,” which launched with $257 million in 2018, and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” ($247 million in 2015). In December 2021, during the pandemic, the third Holland Spider-Man movie “No Way Home,” earned a place on the list with a $260 million debut on its way to $1.9 billion globally.

The high-earning combination of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” and “The Odyssey,” which share actors Holland, Zendaya and Jon Bernthal, also propelled a record weekend overall for movie theaters in the U.S. and Canada.

According to Rentrak, the domestic box office overall is up over 15% from last year with over $6.2 billion in ticket sales to date.

According to Paxton’s office, the investigation will examine whether companies violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act by promoting foods as beneficial for heart health despite containing ingredients the attorney general says may contribute to health problems.

Companies under investigation

The Office of the Attorney General said it has issued Civil Investigative Demands (CIDs) to several food manufacturers, including:

• Frito-Lay
• Flora Food Group
• ACH Foods

The investigation could expand to additional companies.

Why Paxton says the labels are misleading

In announcing the investigation Monday, Paxton argued that some products marketed as “heart healthy” contain ingredients that consumers may not associate with healthy eating.

His office specifically pointed to products ranging from Mazola Canola Oil to Sun Chips, alleging they contain ingredients such as seed oils, added sugars, refined grains and other additives that the attorney general believes can negatively affect health.

The announcement also criticizes labels that highlight attributes such as low cholesterol or low sodium while, according to the attorney general’s office, overlooking other ingredients it considers unhealthy.

What the investigation will examine

The attorney general’s office said investigators will determine whether the companies’ advertising and labeling practices misrepresent the health benefits of their products to Texas consumers in violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

As part of the investigation, the companies have received Civil Investigative Demands, which are similar to subpoenas and require businesses to provide documents and information relevant to the state’s inquiry.

Paxton released the following statement:

“I won’t allow corporations to slap a ‘heart healthy’ symbol on their food labels as an attempt to market seed oils and other chemical-filled foods as healthy,” Paxton said in a statement. “I have seen that many products with this ‘heart healthy’ label can actually impair heart function. I am committed to Making America Healthy Again, and this is another piece of that broad effort to protect Texans’ health and well-being.”

The attorney general’s office noted that cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide and said food labeling plays an important role in helping consumers make dietary decisions.

The investigation comes as food labeling, processed foods and seed oils have become the focus of increased public debate and scrutiny in recent years.

The tragic story of a 17-year-old from Tangier is representative of the plight of many of the more than 800 minors who four days after the collective push by migrants into Ceuta face a scary present and an uncertain future.

She told an Associated Press photojournalist how she and her family joined the massive crowd that tried to swim around a border fence to reach the Spanish territory on Thursday. Like many, she said they did so seeking better opportunities. The AP is withholding her identity because she is a minor in a vulnerable situation.

She described how she saw Spanish police pull the body of her 8-year-old brother from the water.

She made it to the shore but became separated from her mother, and has spent the last four days on her own. She said some locals gave her food and some clothing, with one woman taking her into her home so she could bathe. She then went to a center for youths run by the government for some help, but found it was full.

“I saw people stepping on the dead,” she said through a translator since she doesn't speak Spanish. “Now we are children begging on the street.”

She is one of some 860 minors who remained in Ceuta on Monday after crossing over, according to local officials. AP journalists saw other minors asking for food.

Those minors now make up a large part of the 3,000-5,000 migrants who have avoided expulsion from Ceuta of the original 60,000 who came across. Spanish authorities confirmed 72 people died, mostly in the water, during the crossing. Morocco reported 11 deaths which are not included in the Spanish total, the Spanish interior ministry said.

Minors must be cared for under Spanish law

Spanish law says that adult migrants can apply for asylum. If rejected, they will face expulsion procedures. The bar is normally very high for Moroccans to be granted humanitarian protection.

Migrant minors who are unaccompanied by adults, however, are supposed to be granted protection and taken care of by Spanish authorities.

An AP journalist witnessed Spanish soldiers escorting an unaccompanied Moroccan boy who was crying and begging not to be sent back to Morocco. A few meters before reaching the border, and due to pressure from local residents who insisted he was a minor, as well as the presence of the media, a lieutenant colonel in the Spanish Army stopped the repatriation and transferred the boy to the Spanish Civil Guard.

Most of the Moroccan adults have either voluntarily gone home or were pushed back by Spanish police. Among those who remain in Ceuta are significant numbers of people from other countries, including Sudanese fleeing their war-torn country, Palestinians from Gaza and Afghans, as well as people from several African nations.

The city’s migrant center with a capacity for 600 people is completely full. Food is scarce among the migrants, according to reporting by AP journalists.

“The strategy is that hunger, thirst and exhaustion forces these people to finally decide to voluntarily return to Morocco,” said local migration activist Ramsés Mohamed Azumik of Asociación Elín.

Many migrants sleep or rest on the beach or hills surrounding the speck of Spain. In the hazy distance, mainland Europe, their ultimate goal, lies across the sea.

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Associated Press writer Joseph Wilson reported from Barcelona, Spain.

It can play a part in helping America break the chokehold China has on processing critical minerals, but it will take up to a year and a half to build a new factory as the Trump administration pushes to expand domestic production. The company, Phoenix Tailings, recently got a $500 million loan from the Pentagon to ramp up its work, after starting out eight years ago as a backyard lab seeking a cleaner metal-refining method. It's just the latest critical minerals company the government has backed.

The task that workers carry out in heat-resistant suits and sealed face masks has become more urgent as the Iran conflict draws down key munitions such as Tomahawk cruise missiles and THAAD interceptors. While the White House is demanding military contractors speed up production, it’s also imposing stricter rules banning them from sourcing critical minerals from China.

“It will be a tall order and a challenge to replenish these stocks and scale up in the timeframe needed to meet defense demand and regulations,” said Anthony Balladon, chief commercial officer and a co-founder of Phoenix Tailings. He said the company is working hard to boost capacity.

Although the U.S. is quickening its pace to build domestic supplies of critical minerals free of control from its most formidable rival, it will likely take years for companies across the industry to build new mines and boost production of the high-powered magnets essential in many high-tech applications. Extracting some of the hard-to-pronounce elements from existing mine waste can help satisfy the growing demand in the meantime, but it will likely take several companies to do that.

Critical minerals industry has big plans, but it will take time to ramp up

Phoenix Tailings taps waste from traditional mining as well as recycled magnets and disk drives as raw materials, working to counter China in processing where it has the strongest hold on the supply chain.

The company based in the Boston-area city of Woburn, Massachusetts, plans to build a bigger facility to extract and produce critical metals needed in not only defense but also the aerospace and automotive industries.

“We call it the freedom facility because, ultimately, the purpose of this is to ensure that the entire Western Hemisphere, the United States and its allies are free of Chinese influence within the rare-earth space,” Balladon said.

On a recent afternoon, two technicians in heat-resistant hazmat suits were operating an apparatus of cylinders, tubes, funnels and control panels set up on a platform with bright yellow railings. A chemical process involving electricity removes oxygen and turns the material into a grayish metal that can be used to make the extremely strong permanent magnets used in fighter jets, missiles, radar systems and drones.

The metals that Phoenix Tailings refines and other critical minerals play “an outsized role” in defense systems, Balladon said. A $150 million weapons system won’t work if it's missing critical minerals that may be worth only $20,000 to $30,000, he said.

The defense sector is particularly reliant on the metal samarium and needs 50 to 100 tons each year, but U.S. capacity is very limited, he said.

Phoenix Tailings is among the few companies capable of producing the final metal, according to Balladon, but its capacity is only about 200 kilograms (440 pounds) a year. He said the company will scale up to about 5 tons in the next three months but that it will be next year or 2028 before it reaches its goal of 120-ton capacity.

Another US magnet maker looks to France for raw materials

Arnold Magnetic Technologies for years relied on China for samarium to produce the extremely strong, stable-in-high-temperatures magnet that goes into precision-guided missiles such as Tomahawks.

That doesn’t work anymore. For Arnold, the solution to getting the critical minerals it needs has come from a relic of Europe’s past rare-earth industry — abandoned mining dirt in the French city of La Rochelle.

Solvay, a Belgium-headquartered chemical company, stopped separating and processing rare earths from the mined dirt in the 2000s. That was when China was building up most of the world’s processing capacity with a determination to dominate the industry.

China weaponized that near-monopoly last year by choking off its flow of processed critical materials and forcing the U.S. government to back off during a trade war. Solvay then restarted work and has added other rare earths this year, including samarium.

“This ramp‑up is driven by several factors: rapidly growing demand for permanent magnets, increased geopolitical focus on supply chain security, and strong customer demand in Europe and the United States for more diversified, resilient and traceable sources of supply,” a Solvay spokesperson said.

For Arnold Magnetic Technologies, paying more to get its supply from Solvay instead of China has not been a deal-breaker, because the samarium-cobalt magnets it makes account for only a small cost in a weapon system, said Matt Blake, Arnold's CEO.

“They are not the absolute cost drivers,” he said.

Plus, the company says the surge in demand for magnets has worked in its favor.

Some concerns remain. The U.S. is dependent on imports of the critical mineral tungsten, with China controlling roughly 80% of the global mine supply and an even larger share of processing, according to Brodie Sutherland, CEO of Patriot Critical Minerals Corp.

Sutherland, whose company seeks to explore and mine tungsten in the U.S., is concerned that America will not be able to get by without China-sourced tungsten after a Pentagon-imposed deadline of Jan. 1, 2027.

Efforts to ramp up U.S. production will take years, he said, and in the meantime, the Pentagon and its defense contractors will need to rely on existing inventories, expanded recycling and limited non-China sources.

The Iran war and Trump's China order create pressure and opportunity

The need to increase production has become more urgent as renewed fighting with Iran digs into the U.S. military’s already diminished stockpiles of advanced missile interceptors, including Patriots and THAADs, according to a recent analysis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank.

It also has raised concerns that the military would have diminished firepower in any potential future conflict with China. CSIS warned in May that it could take at least three years to replenish stockpiles of Tomahawks, Patriots and THAADs, or Terminal High Altitude Area Defense interceptors.

At the same time, President Donald Trump has announced stricter controls on defense contractors sourcing critical materials from China.

“It is the policy of the United States that not only the finished equipment deployed by our military, but also the critical materials and components necessary to manufacture, maintain, sustain, and repair that equipment, are sourced domestically or from allied nations,” the July 20 executive order says.

Lockheed Martin, which makes THAADs and many other weapons systems, said “we continuously assess the global rare earth supply chain to ensure access to critical materials that support our customers’ missions.” Several other major U.S. defense contractors, including Raytheon Technologies and Northrop Grumman, didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Balladon, of Phoenix Tailings, was confident in U.S. companies.

“Ultimately, with the right support and partners across the industry, we think we can make it happen,” he said.

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Funk reported from Omaha, Nebraska.

Persistent drought and successive extreme heat waves have deprived one of Europe's largest rivers of water, pushing the Danube's levels in Hungary's capital Budapest to around 10 centimeters (4 inches) on Monday, well below the previous all-time low of 33 centimeters (13 inches) set in 2018.

Water levels are not expected to rise on the Danube in the coming days or even weeks as no significant rainfall is forecast, and as a renewed extreme heat wave bears down on the region with daytime highs topping 38 Celsius (100 Fahrenheit), electricity and water use are on the rise.

Hungary's Paks nuclear plant on brink of shutdown

The Danube's record low levels have pushed Hungary's only nuclear power plant, the Soviet-built, four-reactor plant at Paks, to the brink of powering down entirely for the first time in its 44 years in service.

The Paks plant, which uses water from the Danube to cool its reactors, on Monday was producing only 240 megawatts of power rather than the usual 2,000. In video posted to Facebook on Monday, Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar said engineers had managed to keep the plant’s final operating turbine temporarily running, averting an expected shutdown on the weekend.

“This is very good news, because the complete shutdown of the Paks power plant can still be avoided, at least temporarily, on one of the biggest consumption days,” he said, adding that a full power-down was likely on Tuesday or Wednesday.

The Paks plant, located around 90 kilometers (55 miles) south of Budapest, accounts for nearly half of Hungary’s electricity production and around a third of its consumption. Hungary has relied on regional electricity imports as well as renewable sources to try to make up for the deficit from the Paks plant.

Hungary’s government last week asked major industrial users to curb their electricity consumption and sought voluntary savings from households in order to conserve supply, particularly in peak demand hours between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m.

It also announced that electric-powered freight trains would not be permitted to run during peak hours beginning on Monday in order to conserve an estimated 70 to 90 megawatt-hours of electricity per day.

While conservation measures were initially voluntary, Magyar’s government on Saturday issued a decree allowing for them to be made mandatory for large industrial or commercial consumers.

He said Monday that the conservation push had resulted in 700 fewer megawatts of electricity being used the previous day, and thanked Hungarians for their efforts.

Serbia and Romania grapple with low Danube levels

Meanwhile, plants in neighboring countries have also seen dramatic drops in power generation, as well as disruptions to shipping and agriculture.

Romania’s military on Monday used 180 kilograms (397 pounds) of explosives to blast rock near the Danube’s Bala Canal in order to redirect water into the river’s main channel and toward the state-owned Cernavoda nuclear power plant.

The Danube's water flow has fallen to 1,500 cubic meters per second in Romania, less than a third of its July average. Authorities have already shut down one reactor unit at the Cernavoda plant, which is operating at about half its normal capacity.

Acting Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan announced a nationwide state of alert in the energy sector on Friday, and warned that the Danube’s low water levels threatened the shutdown of Cernavoda’s second reactor. He appealed to citizens to voluntarily limit electricity usage in peak evening hours.

After meeting with major industrial consumers on Monday, Bolojan said carmakers Dacia and Ford had gone into maintenance and halted auto production until Aug. 19, while other companies agreed to reduce their energy usage during peak hours.

In Serbia, record-low Danube levels have pushed the country’s key hydroelectric plant to operate with only 20% of its capacity, prompting Prime Minister Djuro Macut to preside over an emergency meeting on Monday focusing on energy problems.

Macut appealed to residents to “minimize the use of big consumers of electricity in their homes, such as air conditioners.” He described the situation in a statement late on Sunday as “serious and demanding.”

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Associated Press writers Jovana Gec in Belgrade, Serbia, and Stephen McGrath in Leamington Spa, England, contributed to this report.

We’re hanging on to the very little dry air that moved in over the weekend, we’ll see temps really take off this afternoon. We could see a number of sites making a run at 100 today or Tuesday.

High for the first half of the week will still push into the upper 90s before more clouds and rain chances start to move in for the back half of the work week.

Monday’s rain chance sits around 10%. If a shower or storm does develop, it could bring a brief downpour Monday evening. Rain chances will start to push up later in the week as the sea breeze gets more aggressive.

Tracking the tropics:

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

10 Day Forecast:

Temperatures remain in the upper 90s next week, and since we are now in the heart of summer there is no major break from the heat. Overnight lows are also close to 80°. Late week showers possible as an onshore flow kicks in.

The collision happened at approximately 10:39 p.m. Sunday at the intersection of State Highway 249 and Spring Cypress Road, near a Mobil gas station. Two SUVs and a sedan were involved in the crash.

• White House uses Bad Bunny song in deportation video, sparking debate across social media

Three victims were transported to an area hospital. Their conditions were not immediately known. No fatalities were reported.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office District 6 responded to the scene. The HCSO Vehicular Crimes Division was on scene investigating. No arrests were made in connection with impaired driving.

The spill happened just before 8 a.m. Monday, during the morning rush hour.

Motorists should allow for extra time or find alternate routes of travel.

Clean-up of the spill continues; no word as to when impacted lanes will reopen to traffic.

Kuwaki closed with a 1-under 70 and looked like a winner as she waited nearly 30 minutes in the scoring room. Henseleit, in the final group, holed a 40-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole at Royal Lytham & St. Annes for a 70 to join Kuwaki at 5-under 279.

Henseleit then had the advantage in the playoff when the 23-year-old from Japan was in deep grass short of a bunker and had to lay up short of the green. Kuwaki hit wedge to 3 feet to save par and got another chance when Henseleit missed a 15-foot birdie putt for the win.

The tables turned on the second extra hole. Henseleit's tee shot on the 18th drifted far enough to the right that it was beneath a gorse bush. She did well to get that back to the fairway, and hit wedge to about 12 feet. But her par putt stayed left of the cup, and that left Kuwaki to tap in for par.

“Very happy with how I gave myself the opportunity to win today and how I handled myself. Just got a bit unlucky on the second playoff hole there,” Henseleit said. “I tried really hard and I guess it just wasn’t meant to be today.”

This is the second straight AIG Women's Open title for Japan, following Miyu Yamashita's victory last year at Royal Porthcawl. Kuwaki, often known for her fashion, becomes the fifth player from Japan to have won an LPGA major over the last three years.

“I can’t believe it,” Kuwaki said through a translator and the trophy presentation.

She had planned on going to the LPGA qualifying tournament this fall, but her victory gives her a five-year exemption.

“So I don't have to worry about that anymore,” Kuwaki said.

She had until midnight local time to accept LPGA membership. Because there are only four months left in the season, the LPGA said Kuwaki chose to defer her membership until 2027.

Tough round for Noh

The disappointment belonged to third-placed Yealimi Noh (74), the 25-year-old Californian who began the final round with a three-shot lead until it slowly went away with bogeys. She fell out of a share of the lead with a bogey on the 14th hole. Noh was one shot behind and had two reasonable looks at birdie — with Kuwaki already in the clubhouse at 279 — but failed to convert.

“It stings being one short,” said Noh, who had missed three straight cuts before this week. “I told myself this morning, no matter what happens I'm happy to be in this position again. A couple of weeks ago, I was losing a lot of motivation. This week has helped me feel so much better about my game.”

Haeran Ryu fell short in her bid to become the first player since Inbee Park to win three straight majors in one year. Ryu, who won the KPMG Women's PGA and Evian Championship, was still in the mix on the back nine. She needed birdies and instead closed with two straight bogeys for a 74 to tie for sixth.

Nelly Korda, the No. 1 player in women's golf and winner of the year's first two majors, started eight shots behind and closed with a 68. She was the leader in the clubhouse for the longest time at 2 under until Kuwaki finished.

Korda tied for fourth along with Jeeno Thitikul (73).

Eyes covered

Kuwaki, at No. 46 in the women's world ranking, played bogey-free over the last 13 holes as everyone around her made mistakes. She was in the scoring room after signing and stayed there, even as Henseleit and Noh had birdie chances on the final two holes to force a playoff.

Henseleit delivered with a most unlikely putt, 40 feet across the 18th green. The 27-year-old German raised her right arm as the golf ball still had a few feet to go and punched the air when it dropped for birdie.

It was only the second playoff since the Women’s British Open became a major in 2001.

Kuwaki covered her eyes when she watched the putt go in on TV, then broke into a smile. And moments later, she was in a cart and off to the 18th tee for a playoff and immediately in trouble. Her tee shot stayed short of a bunker but in the slope of thick grass. She smartly tried to get it back in play, and her wedge to 3 feet was as important a shot as any.

It gave her another chance, and the final mistake belonged to Henseleit with the tee shot on the 18th for the second playoff hole.

Kuwaki already has won twice this year and is fourth on the money list on the Japan LPGA, the tour that has produced five recent major champions, including Yamashita, Mao Saigo, Yuka Saso and Ayaka Furue. Kuwaki is now on that list.

“Just to be on a stage like this is just an honor, and every hole I was just focused shot-by-shot and just tried to enjoy it out there as much as I could,” she said.

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

U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney responded to an NCAA request for clarity about her Friday ruling that granted a fifth year to athletes who graduated high school in 2022 and were not included in the new NCAA rule that allows five seasons of eligibility for Division I players.

She said the decision still stands. But the clarification said her ruling had no impact on other NCAA rules, which would include its prohibition on players signing pro contracts, then coming back to college.

The NCAA filed its intention to appeal the case later Sunday night.

The ruling, as first written, had the potential to upend the upcoming college football season, where teams are starting camp planning on the “five for five” rule to take effect beginning next fall.

Extending it to players this fall granted hundreds a chance to return to school. In the direct aftermath of the decision, some media reports were listing players on NFL and CFL rosters who were signaling they’d be open to returning to school.

But that appears to be off the table after Sweeney's clarification that said it was strictly about the players whose eligibility ended last school year. It did not extend beyond that — neither to rules regarding when athletes can enter the transfer portal nor to elements of the landmark House lawsuit settlement, which dictates how many players teams can put on rosters and how much schools can pay them.

The rulings out of U.S. District Court in Denver figures to impact sports differently. Football teams, for instance, have already started practice for this season, while baseball doesn't start for a while.

In making decisions, teams figure to factor the NCAA's appeal of Sweeney's order and whether to risk bringing back players who could then be declared ineligible if her decision is overturned.

NCAA President Charlie Baker issued a statement after Sweeney's initial ruling came out Friday, saying the ruling was potentially chaos-inducing and a reason Congress needs to pass the Protect College Sports Act. That bill, being considered in the Senate, includes lawsuit protection for the NCAA over eligibility rules, the likes of which they are defending in several courts around the country.

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AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports

Infantino’s secretive proposal to raise $4.2 billion from investors including the New York investment firm of Joshua Kushner was dropped early Saturday, days after the revelation in media reports provoked a global furor.

UEFA led the backlash and on Thursday its 55 member federations met to agree boycotting all FIFA events and competitions while the proposal was active.

Now lawyers for UEFA have informed FIFA that the European body is “actively considering legal action, arbitration, and/or regulatory complaints ... arising out of and in connection with the FFE (FIFA Forward Enterprise) plan proposed by FIFA and all related matters.”

The letter dated Friday from the legal firm Dechert in New York was seen Monday by The Associated Press.

The letter named 18 FIFA executives who it said should retain data, documents and electronic messages as potential evidence. They include Infantino, Zurich-based chief finance officer Thomas Peyer and Arsène Wenger, the coaching great who is FIFA's head of global soccer development.

“UEFA puts you on formal notice that any destruction, deletion, alteration, concealment, or loss of relevant materials following receipt of this notice — or following any earlier date on which you were, or reasonably should have been, aware that proceedings were anticipated — may constitute spoliation of evidence,” the letter said.

Europe seeks rival candidate to lead FIFA

The Swedish soccer federation confirmed Monday that UEFA is actively looking "to come up with an alternative candidate” as FIFA president. The next election is scheduled in March.

On Saturday, UEFA signaled it wants to end Infantino’s decade-long presidency, saying he had lost the confidence of world soccer and that “no option should be off the table.”

Hours earlier, Infantino had withdrawn the divisive proposal that offered FIFA’s 211 member federations one-off payments of $20 million each with a mid-September deadline to accept.

The FFE spin-off valued by FIFA at $20 billion would have taken control of the soccer body’s money-making commercial and tournament operations through at least 2038. It promised to more than double development money over that time for the 211 members who already effectively own the Zurich-based not-for-profit governing body.

It was the project of just one man, FIFA’s chief operating officer Kevin Lamour said in a stinging statement Friday to the AP which said staff felt deceived by their boss Infantino.

Legal proceedings are “reasonably anticipated,” UEFA’s lawyer Andrew J. Levander wrote, citing the belief of soccer stakeholders that the plan was “fundamentally incompatible with the proper governance of football.”

Opposition to Infantino

UEFA has been most outspoken against its former employee Infantino while the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF, the North and Central American and Caribbean soccer body, also have made strong statements to oppose Infantino’s plan.

Infantino has most support from his traditional base in Africa, while South America’s CONMEBOL is relying on him to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams from 48. That would give more hosting games to Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, the home country of CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez.

Infantino's path to stabilizing the presidency he has held for 10 1/2 years was unclear Monday which began in New York with a report he was seeking support from the administration of his close ally U.S. President Donald Trump, possibly in a call with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

“There are no plans for @SecRubio to speak with Infantino and there is no call this morning,” Dylan Johnson, assistant secretary of state for global public affairs, posted on social media.

A week is a long time in politics

The private equity plan has provoked a stunning turnaround in fortunes for Infantino since it was revealed last Tuesday by The Times of London.

The 56-year-old FIFA leader left New York after the World Cup final two weeks ago seemingly a lock to be re-elected unopposed next March for a fourth and final term in office through 2031.

The spin-off operation could have created a commissioner-like role for him beyond 2031 paying much more than his current $6 million annual salary and bonus deal as president.

FIFA briefed at the World Cup that Infantino had got pledged letters of support from about 200 of the 211 member federations.

Those letters are now likely being withdrawn across Europe with the Wales federation the first to announce its reversal.

The candidate deadline is Nov. 18 for an election exactly four months later in Morocco, one of Infantino's strongest allies and a co-host of the 2030 tournament with Spain and Portugal.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and AP World Cup coverage

A small fly has the potential to impart a big impact on Texas’ beef and agricultural industry.

On June 3, the New World screwworm was detected in a three-week-old calf in Zavala County by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Since then, the agency reported more screwworm infestations in Texas.

The fly poses a multibillion-dollar crisis for the state’s cattle industry, which generates $41 billion a year. It could also increase already record-high beef prices nationwide.

It’s unclear how many cases could hit Texas. Nearly 28,000 cases have been detected in Mexico since November 2024, according to Mexican officials.

State and federal officials are working together to stop the northern migration, which they have tracked since 2023. In response to the cases, USDA and the Texas Animal Health Commission have ramped up animal surveillance of animals near the confirmed detections by setting up zones around each infestation. Animals are not allowed to leave infested areas without being properly inspected.

Officials are also increasing fly traps, surveillance of wildlife and releasing sterile flies, which are used to break the reproduction cycle of the parasitic screwworm fly.

What is New World Screwworm?

New World Screwworm is a parasitic fly that is attracted to living tissue, burrowing their larvae into open wounds. After they hatch, the maggots then feed off that living flesh, causing damage to the animal. If untreated, the damage can even cause the animal to die.

Screwworm can also burrow through openings in the skin, such as the corner of an eye or through the nose.

From a biological standpoint, all mammals are vulnerable to screwworm, including pets and humans. However, livestock and wildlife tend to be the most susceptible because they spend their entire lives outdoors.

Dogs and cats are vulnerable through small wounds or scratches that break the skin. Health officials recommend pets be medicated for fleas and ticks year-round, said Casey Locklear, veterinarian and parasiticides lead for Elanco Animal Health.

“As a pet owner, if you were to notice that your dog or cat had a wound, especially if it’s foul smelling, it’s enlarging, you may actually see the maggots,” Locklear said. “If you see a wound, get treatment early. Whether that’s for yourself or your pet, early treatment is key.”

Read more about the screwworm here.

The decision late Sunday marks a victory for the Trump administration as it races ahead with efforts to build a $46 billion wall along the U.S.-Mexico border from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico.

The town of Presidio, with a population of about 3,200 people, argued the wall could cause flooding and that the administration isn’t following the law as it rushes forward with its plans. The town’s development district sued earlier this year to stop the department from going forward with construction.

But the judge said in his ruling Sunday that they were unlikely to succeed on the merits of the case.

“For the foregoing reasons, despite the understandable concerns expressed by the plaintiff regarding the harms it and the plaintiff’s residents might sustain by the potential construction of the Smart Wall, the Court is compelled to deny the plaintiff’s motion for a stay,” wrote Judge Reggie B. Walton.

DHS has been charging forward with its wall-building plan with senior administration officials saying a first layer of the structure will be done by next year. In its push, the Secretary of Homeland Security has waived numerous regulations designed to protect the environment, wildlife, archaeological and Native American sites.

But the department has been running into opposition by landowners, environmental groups, Native American tribes and others who argue that the government’s rapid construction endangers environmental and religious sites and a way of life along the border. Opponents also question the urgency to finish the wall when migrant crossings from Mexico are already at extreme lows.

Lawyers for Presidio's development district argued in a court hearing that the government’s plans could compromise the levee system protecting the town from flash flooding and that the government flouted a key act that requires it to seek permission from the Army Corps of Engineers before building on or near the levees.

“We are very disappointed that the court will allow this potentially disastrous construction to continue, but we remain committed to protecting the Big Bend area and those who rely on the threatened levees," said the town's development district in a statement Monday.

Presidio is protected by a series of berms and levees built in the 1970s and 1980s along the Rio Grande and tributaries to combat flooding.

In court documents, Presidio’s development district said Customs and Border Protection plans to “replace the earthen slope of the existing levee with a concrete wall, with 30-foot steel bollard panels installed on top.” The district said it asked the agency for more details but was told they can’t be shared due to “national security.”

The government has argued that there is no final plan for where the border wall will go or how it will be built. And the administration has maintained that it has the authority given to it by Congress to waive a vast swath of regulations to build the wall as it seeks to get the number of people crossing the border every day to zero.

In his ruling, the judge bolstered that argument, saying that it was clear "that Congress did not intend to limit the Secretary of DHS’s waiver authority."

The government is also facing another lawsuit in Texas where an environmental group and a church preservation group have teamed up to oppose DHS’s plans.

The 54-year-old Pochettino, who took over the national team in October 2024, led the U.S. to the round of 16 at this year's World Cup, where the tournament co-hosts were eliminated in a 4-1 loss to Belgium.

Still, he helped the seeded U.S. team to a pair of firsts in the expanded 48-nation tournament, clinching advancement from the group stage with a game to spare and winning three games in a single World Cup. The team captivated American fans with excited audiences in stadiums and record television viewers.

“The magic thing that happened during the World Cup, the connection with the people, of course with the whole organization and everything was a key point,” Pochettino said during a Zoom news conference from his home in Barcelona, Spain.

Since reaching the quarterfinals at the 2002 World Cup, the U.S. has lost four round-of-16 games.

“What we learn(ed) is that we can compete, that we have the quality and we have the talent,” Pochettino said. “We were so close. That gap with the best teams in the world is not too big.”

Pochettino said there is potential to make soccer in the U.S. “grow and grow and grow and be one of the important sport(s) in America, like it is in the rest of the world.”

“We have players and organization that can compete with the best organization in the world in that sport,” he said. “We learned that the fans are amazing and when they were so excited to discover a sport that made our fans become crazy, no? The connection was amazing.”

Pochettino views the next cycle as a new start for a program lacking quality depth at goalkeeper and central defender.

“It is going to be important to provide the young kids that we really believe (in) that they have the potential to arrive in 2030, in four years,” he said.

Before taking the U.S. job, Pochettino coached Espanyol (2009-12), Southampton (2013-14), Tottenham (2014-19), Paris Saint-Germain (2021-22) and Chelsea (2023-24).

When Pochettino replaced Gregg Berhalter two years ago, he signed an initial contract through the 2026 World Cup. Pochettino said ahead of the tournament that he had discussed a possible new deal with the USSF. He also said in May that his agent had spoken with AC Milan, a club that then hired Rúben Amorim.

Pochettino, who has homes in Spain and London, said he may move to the U.S. He intends to stay with the American team until 2030 but left himself an out.

“Four years time is a really long period. You never know what can happen in soccer,” he said. “Today people really love you. In eight weeks time, maybe that change(s), that feeling."

He has led the U.S. to 17 wins (including a penalty-kick victory), 13 losses and one draw. Twenty-three of 62 players to appear under Pochettino have accounted for the team’s 57 goals.

“We know we have a lot of work to do to achieve our clear ambitions, including competing to win Men’s World Cups and having soccer become the most played sport in every community,” USSF CEO JT Batson said in a statement.

Hedge fund manager Ken Griffin is again the lead philanthropic funder supporting Pochettino’s contract with additional support by Scott Goodwin, Adam Freede and commercial partners. Pochettino earned just over $5 million in his first seven months as coach, according to the U.S. Soccer Federation tax return.

U.S. coaches have not been successful when they remained for a second World Cup cycle.

After leading the Americans to the 2002 quarterfinals, Bruce Arena was unable to get his team past the group stage in 2006.

Bob Bradley helped the U.S. reach the round of 16 in 2010, then was fired a year later after the team lost the CONCACAF Gold Cup final.

Jurgen Klinsmann took over and in December 2013 was given an extension through the 2018 World Cup. The Americans reached the round of 16 in 2014 but Klinsmann was fired in late 2016 after the U.S. lost its first two games in the final round of qualifying. Arena returned but the U.S. failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.

Berhalter was hired in late 2018 and led the Americans to the round of 16 in 2022. Given a new contract in 2023, he was fired a year later after the U.S. failed to advance past the group stage at Copa America.

“We are going to demand more from them," he said of the players. “We are not going to be in some situation(s) not flexible like we were because before it was (for) the benefit of players, benefit of structures that were already built. But now it’s about to start the house from zero.”

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

Meanwhile, six people were killed by Ukrainian drone debris in Arkhipo-Osipovka, a small town on Russia’s Black Sea coast in the Krasnodar region, regional governor Veniamin Kondratyev said, adding that 40 others were wounded.

Three other people were killed and two were wounded in Ukraine's overnight attack on the illegally annexed Crimea, said the peninsula’s Russian-installed head, Sergei Aksyonov. He gave no details.

Neither side’s claims could be independently verified.

Zelenskyy outlines Ukraine's war strategy

Ukraine’s innovative long-range drone technology developed during the war has enabled Kyiv to sign military cooperation agreements with nine countries, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday.

Under the deals, Ukraine receives long-term funding for its defense industry while partner countries get new defense capabilities, he said, adding that agreements with 15 other countries are being negotiated.

Ukraine is using its long-range strike drones to hit targets deep inside Russia in an effort to push Russian President Vladimir Putin into seeking a peace settlement, Zelenskyy said in a speech to Ukrainian diplomats.

“We will work very hard to make that happen this fall,” he said.

Ukraine wants countries to adopt heavier international sanctions on Moscow, but existing sanctions also need tightening to prevent Russian companies from exploiting loopholes, he said.

Zelenskyy also announced he is appointing Rustem Umerov, who has been involved in U.S. diplomatic efforts to stop the war, as head of the Foreign Intelligence Service.

Russia's glide bombs are big and hard to stop

Russia has used glide bombs against Ukrainian towns and cities since it invaded its neighbor more than four years ago. The Soviet-era bombs are retrofitted with guidance systems and can carry up to 3,000 kilograms (6,600 pounds) of explosives, leaving huge craters. Ukraine has no effective countermeasures.

The Sunday evening onslaught on Zaporizhzhia killed a 71-year-old woman and wounded 31 people, including a 16-year-old girl, as the glide bombs damaged 22 apartment buildings in four districts of the city, Fedorov said.

While Moscow’s forces have captured the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and hold other parts of the region, its capital city of the same name remains in Ukrainian hands. It is one of the four regions, along with Donetsk, Kherson and Luhansk, that Russia illegally annexed in September 2022 even though its forces do not completely control them.

Other large-scale damage of civilian areas has resulted from Russian ballistic missiles, and late Sunday Zelenskyy made another urgent plea for countries to send Ukraine more U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems.

Only Patriot interceptors can reliably stop ballistic missiles, but they are in short supply due to the Iran war.

“The United States knows what we need. Europe knows what we need. Anti-ballistic missiles must protect people — not sit in stockpiles," Zelenskyy said on social media.

U.S. President Donald Trump last week appeared to back off from his earlier commitment to give Ukraine a license to make Patriots itself. He said Friday that he hasn’t made a final decision.

Zelenskyy has suggested an alternative to Trump whereby Elon Musk allows Ukraine to use Starlink satellites to target ballistic missile launch sites inside Russia. Officials haven't publicly said whether that is being considered.

Russia attacked Ukraine with 181 long-range strike drones overnight from Sunday to Monday, according to the Ukrainian air force. It said air defenses jammed and intercepted 163 drones, but 14 caused damage at 13 locations.

The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces struck four bulk carriers carrying cargo for the Ukrainian armed forces, including three in waters of the Black Sea and one in the port of Mykolaiv, but provided no further information.

Ukraine's long-range drone strikes cause more damage

Ukrainian drones also struck another major warehouse belonging to Wildberries, Russia’s biggest online shopping company. The strike was part of a campaign that has hit more than a dozen of the retailer’s distribution hubs and severely disrupted its business.

A Wildberries warehouse in the Vladimir region east of Moscow caught fire in the latest attack, the company said Monday. Three people were injured, Vladimir Gov. Alexander Avdeyev said.

Ukrainian drones also struck the Saratov oil refinery in southwestern Russia, Zelenskyy said. Kyiv has repeatedly targeted that refinery, and many others, since last year as it tries to choke fuel supplies to the Russian army and deny Moscow income from oil exports.

Zelenskyy said the Engels military air base near Saratov, the main base for Russian nuclear-capable strategic bombers, and other places inside Russia, including fuel storage tanks at the Lyudinovskaya oil depot in Russia’s Kaluga region, were targeted.

The Russian Defense Ministry on Monday reported that its air defenses overnight intercepted 131 Ukrainian drones over a number of Russian regions, as well as Crimea and the Black Sea.

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

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Matei said the issue came to light after she tried to find local teachers’ wish lists in hopes of donating before the new school year. She said when she could not find any lists online, she posted on social media urging teachers to reach out with their lists, and CFISD teachers responded.

“That’s when I got the DMs coming in saying, ‘I’m not able to publicly post this. I can sometimes privately share it,’” Matei said. “It made me so sad that these teachers are having to jump through all these loopholes.”

So Matei went to TikTok and posted a new video expressing teachers’ claims that CFISD was not allowing them to post their wish lists online.

Here’s what teachers were saying in her comments:

User 1

• “Girl I just post mine and block my coworkers from seeing it.”

User 2

• “I just left CFISD. We were told we couldn’t even post them on our personal Facebook. I still did it because it’s a ridiculous rule, and it was MY friends and family who were donating to ME!”

User 3

• “As a current employee of CFISD, I’m so confused because we never heard of this.”

One of the most puzzling parts of the story is the inconsistencies in what is being communicated.

Matei said the varying reports and teachers’ lack of awareness about certain rules are what concern her most.

“There are so many varying reports,” Matei said. “Some teachers are saying they can’t share anything. Some are saying they have no issues doing that.”

Matei said the only way she has been able to make sense of this is that she believes the policy may be tied to the public perception that school districts are not properly providing resources for their teachers and students, although she stressed it was her opinion.

“I think the school districts are doing this because it’s all PR,” Matei said. “They don’t want to seem like they’re not providing. But if it sounds like a duck, it’s a duck.”

CFISD, however, says teachers can share classroom lists once they receive proper approval.

CFISD issued KPRC this statement:

“To ensure compliance with Board Policy CDC (LOCAL) and District Regulation CDC-R, CFISD has an approval process in place for its two district-authorized crowdfunding websites, DonorsChoose.org and Amazon Classroom Wish List. Once an authorization form is completed and approved by their campus principal, the lists may be made live, and teachers may share links to these lists online. Donors financially support programs like DonorsChoose, in part, based on the needs of students at specific campuses promoted in the description. As such, materials acquired through these donations remain at the campus to continue supporting the students and programs for which the donations were intended. This ensures that donor contributions directly benefit the campus community identified in the funding request.”

Still, Matei said some teachers have privately told her they created personal “birthday” wish lists as a workaround to get classroom items.

Matei also said she has heard from other educators around Texas who have reached out and commented with similar stories.

“I want to support my friends and family. I want to support their kids and their community,” Matei said. “All we want to do is help our teachers and help our kids.”

The embassy said “Kyiv terrorists” wanted to “scare the Italians working in Russia and to show them that they too are in the crosshairs and could become the scoundrels' next victims.”

It said the Saturday night attack on the Balzi Rossi restaurant killed five and injured 19, adding that its Italian chef and his staff were unhurt only thanks to a Russian security guard's “vigilance and selfless dedication to his professional duty.”

There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian authorities.

The National Anti-Terrorism Committee, which coordinates various security agencies, initially reported a lower death toll in a statement issued shortly after the attack. It said the bomb killed three people, including a woman who carried the explosive device into the restaurant, a guard who stopped her, and a guest inside. It said 21 others were injured when the bomb detonated near the restaurant's entrance.

The committee didn’t say who was the target or name the mastermind.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin on Sunday described the bombing as a “brutal terrorist act,” but did not say who was responsible for the blast at the upscale restaurant, which is located on the ground floor of a high-rise apartment building that is one of seven skyscrapers in the city that date to the era of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.

The Russian Foreign Ministry reposted the embassy statement without comment. It did not respond to a request for comment or explain the higher death toll.

Several Russian media outlets claimed the bombing targeted a Russian general who was celebrating his birthday at the restaurant. Some claimed that the general was Col.-Gen. Alexander Chaiko, who led the troops that made a botched attempt to storm the Ukrainian capital in 2022 and recently was appointed the chief of Russia's aerospace forces. The claims could not be independently verified.

The business daily Kommersant reported that the bomb, hidden in a gift box, was probably detonated remotely and the woman carrying it could have been unaware of the content. Kommersant said the bomb contained about 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of explosives and contained metal balls for lethality.

Russia blamed Ukraine for past attacks on military officials

Russian authorities have blamed Kyiv for a series of bombings and other attacks against senior military officials after Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. Earlier this year, Russia’s Federal Security Service said authorities would tighten security around senior military and government officials following the attacks.

In February, Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alexeyev, ​the deputy head of the GRU ‌military ⁠intelligence service, was shot three times at a Moscow apartment building, but survived. Ukraine denied its involvement.

In December, a car bomb killed Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces’ General Staff, in southern Moscow. Ukraine refrained from comment.

In April 2025, another car bomb that Moscow blamed on Kyiv killed Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, a deputy head of the main operational department in Russia’s General Staff. Ukraine didn't claim the attack but hinted at its involvement.

And in December 2024, a bomb hidden in a scooter killed Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, who headed the Russian military’s nuclear, biological and chemical protection forces, one of the few attacks Ukraine openly acknowledged.

Among other prominent victims of bombing attacks in Russia were Daria Dugina, the daughter of influential nationalist thinker Aleksandr Dugin, and Vladlen Tatarsky, a well-known pro-Kremlin military blogger. Kyiv denied involvement in the attack on Dugina, and remained coy about the attack on Tatarsky.

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To help you make the most of your money, “Houston Life” is bringing you an “In the Kitchen with Kroger” series through August.

“In the Kitchen with Kroger” kicked off on April 29 on “Houston Life” at 1 p.m. with ways you can celebrate the special moms in your life this Mother’s Day.

Kroger is also offering KPRC 2 Insiders a chance to win $250 gift cards!

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Insiders can enter the In the Kitchen with Kroger gift card sweepstakes daily during each round through Aug. 28 at 12 p.m. The first gift card winner will be announced on May 29, the day the second round begins. There will be four rounds with a new winner chosen at the end of each round.

Entries reset at the start of each of the four sweepstakes rounds, so make sure to bookmark this article and enter daily!

The schedule of rounds is as follows (all times CDT):

• ROUND ONE: April 29, 2026 at 12 p.m. to May 29, 2026 at 12 p.m. (Winner announced May 29 at 1 p.m. on Houston Life)
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• ROUND THREE: June 26, 2026 at 12 p.m. to July 31, 2026 at 12 p.m. (Winner announced July 31 at 1 p.m. on Houston Life)
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OFFICIAL SWEEPSTAKES RULES

You can save on your groceries starting today with the free Kroger app which is available through the Google Play store and the Apple App Store. Use the app to download digital coupons, make your shopping list, and see weekly ad specials for the best prices.

Grande had been due to star alongside her “Wicked” co-star Jonathan Bailey in a production of Stephen Sondheim’s “Sunday in the Park With George” at the Barbican theater in 2027.

Empire Street Productions said Sunday that Grande will no longer be part of the London production. A representative for Grande told People magazine that the 33-year-old singer “will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour.”

“She looks forward to finishing the tour and ending it on a high note, both healthily and happily, and then taking a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances, which has led to endless, ongoing public scrutiny,” the statement said. A representative for Grande did not offer further comment to The Associated Press.

With Grande’s recent breakup from “Wicked” co-star Ethan Slater, the ongoing tour and last week’s release of the album “Petal,” attention has swelled, fueling rampant speculation online about her health and appearance. Grande has previously expressed discomfort with public discourse around her weight.

“I think we should be gentler and less comfortable commenting on people’s bodies, no matter what,” she said in a 2023 TikTok video.

Late last year, while promoting “Wicked: For Good,” she reshared a 2024 interview in which she said it was uncomfortable having being picked apart for her appearance since she was a teenager. In the December social media post, she called the clip a “loving reminder to all.”

Grande found fame as a child performer on Nickelodeon before releasing her debut album, “Yours Truly,” in 2013. She has won three Grammy Awards and was nominated for a supporting actress Oscar for her role as Glinda in “Wicked.”

Grande's next concert is Monday in Chicago. Her tour is due to wrap up in London on Sept. 1.

“We know this cannot have been an easy decision, and she makes it with our complete understanding and support,” Empire Street Productions said. The company said “Sunday in the Park With George” will open next summer as planned, and that casting would be announced “in due course.”

Cornyn had held up Blanche’s nomination for days in an effort to secure written modifications to a controversial settlement between the DOJ and President Donald Trump that created the $1.8 billion fund, resolving a lawsuit Trump filed over the leak of his tax returns. The deal also extended immunity from tax audits to Trump, his family and his business associates.

The senator confirmed Monday that the deal addressed his concerns with those provisions, and he will vote to advance Blanche’s nomination out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.

Texas’ senior senator had negotiated with the DOJ last week to secure written assurances that the fund was dead, as Blanche had previously declared in verbal testimony, and that the audit deal was limited in scope. Amid the talks, Trump expressed his frustration with Cornyn, speculating that his endorsement of Attorney General Ken Paxton in the May primary runoff, and Cornyn’s loss, were motivating the standoff.

Trump defended the fund and promoted its revival via legislation, demonstrating the rationale behind Cornyn’s desire to see it voided in writing and seemingly hardening the impasse.

But Cornyn insisted that he was withholding his vote to advance Blanche’s nomination through the Senate Judiciary Committee over sincere concerns about the settlement, and that his opinion was shared more broadly among fellow GOP senators. Another Republican on the panel, retiring North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, also vowed to prevent Blanche’s nomination from advancing over similar concerns. Their joint stand forced the Judiciary Committee to delay a planned vote to advance Blanche’s nomination last week.

Blanche, the acting attorney general and Trump’s former personal lawyer, posted a written order late Sunday night rescinding the “anti-weaponization fund” and clarifying the parameters of the audit shield. A Cornyn spokesperson confirmed that the two sides had a deal.

“Sen. Cornyn has reached an agreement with the Department of Justice, which will be issuing a formal order permanently terminating the anti-weaponization fund and making clear in a binding written document that the scope of the audit settlement is limited to only the plaintiffs, including the President, and the IRS,” Cornyn spokesperson Natalie Yezbick said.

The Senate Judiciary Committee had previously rescheduled the Blanche vote for Tuesday morning. With the Cornyn deal now in place, Blanche’s nomination — which cannot afford any Republican defections — appears poised to advance.

In a joint statement, Cornyn and Tillis said the deal met their demands.

“We are pleased that the Department of Justice has issued a formal order terminating the anti-weaponization fund,” the pair wrote Monday. “Additionally, the Department has acknowledged in a binding written order that the audit settlement is limited to the plaintiffs and the scope does not extend beyond the defendants in the lawsuit, the IRS and the Treasury, addressing concerns that multiple of our Republican colleagues share.

“We want to express our gratitude to Mr. Blanche and his staff for working with us on this, and we look forward to voting to advance his nomination out of the Senate Judiciary Committee soon,” they continued.

Blanche’s nomination first appeared at risk in his hearing in front of the Judiciary Committee, when Cornyn pressed him on the gap between his testimony avowing the fund was dead, and the language of the settlement, which states that it may only be modified by written agreement of the parties to the lawsuit. As a vote on Blanche’s nomination approached, Cornyn made clear his vote was contingent on the DOJ putting what Blanche had testified to in writing.

But during negotiations last week, Trump’s fondness for the anti-weaponization fund became clear, threatening to derail Blanche’s nomination.

The president took the unusual step of suing his own government in January over the leak of his 2019 and 2020 tax returns. The Justice Department, representing the Internal Revenue Service, settled the case in May by establishing a nearly $1.8 billion fund for alleged victims of DOJ weaponization, a group that could include rioters who attacked police officers at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. And in an addendum to the lawsuit, Blanche signed an order giving Trump and his family immunity from having their tax returns audited.

Blanche eventually backed off the fund in the wake of bipartisan outcry. But Cornyn, a lawyer and former judge, wanted it killed in writing so that a plaintiff, such as Trump, could not revive the fund by filing a breach of contract lawsuit. And he sought written assurance that the audit shield would apply only to named parties to the lawsuit and would not protect them from IRS audits of future tax returns nor from audits by other agencies — all of which Blanche had testified to.

In announcing the new DOJ order Sunday, Blanche said it came as the result of “good faith discussions” with senators over several weeks. It states that the audit immunity deal applies “only retroactively” and that the acting attorney general stood by his testimony, “including answers to questions asked by Senator Cornyn related to the scope and applicability” of the audit shield.

The episode demonstrated the extent of Cornyn’s leverage and his willingness to use it — even when it puts him at odds with Trump — in his final months in office. Trump lashed out at Cornyn and Tillis numerous times, including in a Saturday morning social media post in which he lamented that the pair were “upset because I wouldn’t Endorse them” and threatened that the fund would “immediately be back on the table” via an “Anti-Weaponization Bill” if Blanche were not approved.

He also said he would keep Blanche in his acting capacity until Cornyn and Tillis leave office if they would not vote to approve his nominee — only for the DOJ to eventually meet the senators’ demands with Sunday’s deal.

Any legislative effort to revive the fund would likely be dead in the Senate, where it is opposed by a number of Republicans and reviled by Democrats.

The Slovenian rider’s UAE Team Emirates-XRG team announced its lineup for the three-week race on Monday, confirming Pogačar will take part after claiming a record-equaling fifth Tour de France crown last month.

“It was my first ever Grand Tour back in 2019 and an amazing experience,” Pogačar said. “Spain is a country I love to visit and race in and I think the time is right to go back.”

Exclusive clubs

Pogačar joined Belgian Eddy Merckx, Spaniard Miguel Indurain, and Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault as the only riders with five Tour de France titles to their names.

Unlike male riders including Hinault, Anquetil, Merckx and Jonas Vingegaard, however, Pogacar has not won the Spanish Vuelta for a hat trick of Grand Tours wins.

Pogačar, who won the Giro d’Italia in 2024 by a big margin, is also bidding to become just the fourth male rider to win the Vuelta and Tour de France in the same year after Anquetil, Hinault and Chris Froome.

Spanish Vuelta

The 81st Vuelta starts on Aug. 22 with an individual time trial in Monaco – where Pogačar lives – before making its way through France and Andorra to Spain. It concludes in Granada on Sept. 13 after nearly 3,300 kilometers of racing.

The 27-year-old Pogačar won three stages when he finished third on his last and only appearance so far at the Vuelta.

“Joining Pogačar are João Almeida, Jay Vine, Pavel Sivakov, Pablo Torres, Kevin Vermaerke, Domen Novak and Ivo Oliveira,” UAE Team Emirates-XRG said.

___

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

The Mutiara Sentosa 2 ferry was traveling from Indonesia’s second-largest city of Surabaya in East Java to the city of Makassar in South Sulawesi. Initial reports said it was carrying 271 people, including 39 crew members, based on the ship’s manifest, when the fire broke out between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m.

However, by Monday officials said many more people were aboard than listed, and the number of people missing was unclear. Officials were relying on reports from families of victims and survivors in an attempt to determine the number of the missing.

It is common in Indonesia for the number of passengers on a boat or ferry to differ from the manifest. Such discrepancies can complicate search and rescue efforts, said Nanang Sigit, the search mission coordinator who also heads the Surabaya Search and Rescue Office.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation. Indonesian navy ships assisted, along with a number of passing vessels, at the scene about 35 kilometers (22 miles) north of Sapudi island in the Sumenep regency.

The vessel was also loaded with 180 vehicles, mostly trucks.

Ahmad Abdul Karim, a survivor, said the fire appeared to have started in a truck on the lower vehicle deck.

“Fanned by the wind, the flames spread extremely quickly,” Karim said, “In less than 30 minutes, everyone had been instructed to move to the bow of the ferry.”

Another passenger, Azhari, said many passengers had just woken up when the fire erupted, apparently from the rear of the ferry.

“The fire spread quickly to the middle of the vessel,” Azhari, who goes by a single name, said in a television interview. “There was no other option for us but to jump into the sea.”

He said passengers were in the sea for about four hours before passing vessels began pulling them to safety.

Television news showed exhausted survivors disembarking from a rescue vessel at a harbor in Surabaya, while rescuers transported bodies to ambulances and grieving relatives waited for information.

Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said the government would review the performance of the ferry’s operator, Atosim Lampung Pelayaran, after the National Transportation Safety Committee, or KNKT, completes its investigation.

“First we need to determine the cause based on KNKT’s findings,” Purwagandhi said.

The ferry was built in Japan in 1992 and was sold to Indonesia in 2015. With a length of 160 meters (525 feet), it can accommodate 689 passengers and 49 crew, along with up to 181 vehicles.

The Mutiara Sentosa 2 serves the Surabaya-Makassar route, a voyage that typically takes around 40 hours and is primarily used by domestic travelers and cargo transport between the islands of Java and Sulawesi.

Indonesia is an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands where ferries are a common method of travel. Disasters occur regularly, with weak safety enforcement often blamed.

___

Associated Press journalists Niniek Karmini and Edna Tarigan in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report.

Before late last week, the dollar was trading above 163 yen, touching 40-year highs. After regulators were suspected of stepping in, it fell below 160 yen.

Early Monday, after the official announcement of the intervention, the dollar fell to nearly 155.20 yen. That’s a big drop for the exchange rate. The dollar was trading at 156.70 yen early Monday Eastern time.

Even though it has attracted millions of bargain-hunting tourists, the yen's prolonged weakness against the dollar has been a source of frustration for Tokyo. Since Japan imports so much of what it consumes, a weak currency pushes prices higher. High oil prices have amplified that problem and that's putting pressure on the administration of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to do more to address the rising cost of living.

Joint intervention was needed to stem the yen's decline

Efforts earlier this year to raise the value of the yen against the dollar did little to budge the exchange rate.

Normally foreign exchange markets determine the relative values of currencies, but there are many factors that shape what happens in the markets.

A big gap between interest rates in the U.S. and Japan has led investors to sell yen and buy dollars to take advantage of the higher yields from dollar-denominated assets. Both the Bank of Japan and the Federal Reserve kept their interest rates unchanged at meetings last week, maintaining that gap.

So, last week, when the dollar slipped below 160 yen and stayed there, the U.S. side was suspected of lending a hand.

Officials usually stay mum on such actions. But on Sunday, Trump confirmed that the U.S. side had helped, and Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama likewise issued a statement saying the finance ministry had purchased yen in coordination with the U.S. Treasury Department.

“We will not hesitate to conduct further joint intervention,” she said.

Such overt acknowledgment of market intervention is rare, said Neil Newman, managing director and head of strategy at Astris Advisory Japan. He said the last big example was when governments intervened following a massive earthquake and tsunami disaster in northeastern Japan in 2011.

Why the US is helping support the yen

When asked why Washington was helping, Trump said Sunday that “We have a good relationship with Japan. We’re very strong —- very, very strong financially — and they are, you know, they have a weakening yen, and they wanted a little bit of help, and we’re always there for Japan. Japan’s been very good to us, with the exception, of course, of Pearl Harbor.”

Trump said the U.S. got “financial benefit” out of the intervention, calling it a “signal of friendship.”

“It’s also good for the world economy,” he said.

A weaker dollar makes U.S.-made goods more competitive, reducing their costs in yen terms, and might help increase American exports to Japan, Newman said.

“It’s very rare that the Americans will work with the Japanese on this, but there is an alignment of interests here basically between Japan and America,” Newman said.

It was a “low-cost” way for Washington to pay a favor to a key U.S. ally, while also protecting the stability of foreign exchange and bond markets, Shigeto Nagai, head of Japan economics for Oxford Economics, said in a report.

Analysts question if the intervention worked

The latest intervention appears to be having a more durable impact than earlier cases this year, and the yen may have a slightly stronger path for the rest of the year, Nagai said.

But the factors that have contributed to the yen's long-term weakness remain.

Takaichi has pushed to cut Japan's sales tax on food to 1% from 8% and to dramatically increase government spending. Such moves would tend to weaken the yen since it would increase inflation and add to Japan's already massive government debt.

The Bank of Japan has moved slowly to raise its benchmark rate from near zero to the current 1%, its highest level in 31 years but still well below the Federal Reserve' s rate of 3.5%-3.75%.

It likely will continue to slow-walk any changes as it evaluates the impact of the Iran war and other factors on the economy, Nagai said.

Meanwhile, a surge in oil prices because of the war and resulting higher inflation has kept the Fed from cutting rates.

“The yield differential remains wide, Japan’s energy-import burden remains significant, and the Bank of Japan is still moving more slowly than the market would normally require to generate a sustained currency reversal,” Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary.

___

Kurtenbach reported from Bangkok. AP journalist Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.

Texas school districts are starting the new school year with stricter heat safety standards for outdoor practices, requiring coaches to monitor conditions more closely than ever before.

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Houston’s Top Headlines 📰

New UIL heat rules are now in effect. Here’s what they mean for Texas football players and marching bands

New UIL heat-safety rules are now mandatory for Texas schools, requiring real-time Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) monitoring before and during outdoor football and marching band practices. The updated standard can trigger more water breaks, shorter sessions, rapid-cooling equipment, delayed start times, or cancellations during extreme heat—aimed at reducing heat illness risk as preseason activities ramp up.

Man injured in shooting at Spring area Burger King

Harris County Precinct 4 deputies are investigating a shooting at a Burger King on E. Cypresswood Drive near the North Freeway in Spring. An adult man was wounded and taken to a local hospital, and officials say to expect a heavy law enforcement presence in the area as the active investigation continues.

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After 14 years of ICE check-ins, Houston woman is detained without a criminal history

A Houston woman who complied with ICE check-ins for 14 years was detained during a routine appointment despite having no criminal history, according to her attorney and family friends. Her case comes as data shows a growing share of ICE arrests in Texas involve people with no criminal convictions or pending charges.

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

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

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

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This school year, that could look different.

Beginning August 1, every University Interscholastic League (UIL) school in Texas is required to follow a new heat safety standard before students participate in outdoor athletic or marching band practices.

The goal is straightforward: reduce the risk of heat-related illnesses by giving coaches and directors a better way to measure how dangerous outdoor conditions have become.

• Houston weather: Foggy morning commute then tracking isolated evening rain Monday

What’s changing?

For the past two years, the UIL recommended schools use something called the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature, or WBGT, to determine whether it was safe for students to practice outside.

Now, those recommendations are mandatory.

Instead of relying only on the heat index, schools must use the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature before outdoor practices begin and continue monitoring conditions throughout practice.

The reading must be taken at least 15 minutes before practice starts and again every 30 minutes while students remain outside.

Why isn’t the heat index enough?

Most people check the heat index before heading outside.

The problem is the heat index is calculated in the shade using temperature and humidity.

Student athletes and marching band members are rarely practicing in the shade.

They’re often wearing helmets, shoulder pads, or heavy uniforms while standing on turf, concrete, or asphalt under direct sunlight.

The Wet Bulb Globe Temperature takes several additional factors into account, including:

• Air temperature

• Humidity

• Direct sunlight

• Wind speed

• Cloud cover

By measuring those conditions together, coaches receive a better picture of how much heat stress students are experiencing during practice.

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What happens when temperatures climb?

The hotter the WBGT reading becomes, the more restrictions schools must follow.

Depending on the conditions, practices could include:

• More frequent water breaks

• Shorter practice periods

• Required rapid cooling equipment, including cold-water immersion tubs

• Delayed outdoor practices

• Canceled outdoor workouts during extreme heat

Rather than canceling workouts altogether, many schools are expected to adjust practice schedules by moving activities to earlier in the morning or later in the evening, when conditions are typically less dangerous.

Football isn’t the only activity affected

While football often receives the most attention during preseason workouts, the new rules also apply to marching band programs across Texas.

Band members often spend hours outside rehearsing routines while wearing uniforms and carrying instruments, placing them at risk for heat-related illnesses as well.

The UIL’s updated requirements are designed to protect all students participating in outdoor school activities.

Why now?

Texas has experienced several summers of prolonged extreme heat, and medical experts continue to warn about the dangers of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, especially during preseason practices.

The Wet Bulb Globe Temperature has been used for decades by organizations including the U.S. military to help prevent heat-related illnesses during strenuous outdoor training.

State officials say making the system mandatory gives schools a more accurate way to determine when outdoor conditions become unsafe.

What parents should know

Parents may notice practices beginning earlier in the morning, moving later into the evening, or shifting indoors when conditions become too dangerous.

Those changes are expected under the new UIL requirements and are designed to reduce the risk of heat-related emergencies while allowing students to continue preparing for the season.

As football teams and marching bands return to practice across Texas, coaches will now be making decisions based not only on the forecast, but on real-time conditions measured where students are actually practicing.

The objective is simple: make sure every student who starts practice safely returns home afterward.

The film also made $572 million from over 73,500 screens internationally, with China contributing $121 million alone, adding up to a $927 million worldwide debut that is second only to “Endgame” ($1.2 billion).

Tom Holland’s run as the comic book webslinger has been a mighty one. “No Way Home,” his third standalone Spider-Man movie, made over $1.9 billion worldwide to become the eighth-highest earning movie of all time, not accounting for inflation. It was also the first movie since the beginning of the pandemic to cross the $1 billion mark.

But the triumph of “Brand New Day” also comes on the heels of another major movie featuring Holland and Zendaya: Christopher Nolan’s“The Odyssey,” which slid to second place in its third weekend in theaters with $51 million. Their combined might helped propel the biggest weekend of all time for North American movie theaters, with an estimated $430 million in total ticket sales, according to Rentrak.

“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” started strong, with a record $168 million opening day from 4,487 theaters in the U.S. and Canada, besting “Avenger: Endgame’s” $157 million Friday. The studio predicted it would lead to a $325 million opening weekend, which would still have beaten the second-place record. It takes the place of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” which opened to $260 million in December 2021. In the realm of best opening weekends in North America, they’re followed by “Avengers: Infinity War” ($257 million in 2018) and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” ($247 million in 2015).

Expectations were always high for “Brand New Day,” which was directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and cost a reported $225 million to produce, not including marketing expenses. But there were worries it wouldn’t attract the same level of mass audience enthusiasm as its predecessor which integrated past Peter Parker actors Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield into the mix. In reality, interest was higher than ever. “Brand New Day” also received strong reviews from critics and audiences. It currently has a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes; Audiences gave it an “A” CinemaScore and a five-star rating on PostTrak.

Ticket buyers were predominately male (about 61%) and many were on the younger side, with slightly more than half the audience under the age of 25, according to PostTrak exit polls. The biggest group was between the ages of 18 and 24, which made up 36% of the audience; 27% were between the ages of 25 and 34. The box office analytics company EntTelligence estimates that about 24.1 million people attended “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” this weekend.

It’s also the biggest ever opening for Sony Pictures.

Tom Rothman, the Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, praised “the incomparable Tom Holland” in a statement. Rothman famously pushed back the production of the movie to allow Holland to act in “The Odyssey” as well.

Cries about the death of the superhero movie have been looming since “Endgame” with more than a few high-profile flops in the years since, including several from the once-impenetrable Marvel Studios. Still, when they work, they really work, most notably with “No Way Home” and “Deadpool & Wolverine,” which made over $1.3 billion.

Marvel Studios president and ‘Spider-Man’ producer Kevin Feige said in a statement, “This debut reflects the enduring power of Marvel’s characters, and the connection they continue to have with fans around the world — and, as audiences saw, it sets up exciting things to come.”

Producer Amy Pascal added that it “reinforces that moviegoers are hungry for stories that are both spectacular and deeply human.”

This year has also seen a resurgence of moviegoing from younger audiences, who have made hits out of movies like “Obsession,” “Backrooms” and “The Drama,” which also starred Zendaya.

They’re also helping blockbusters soar, and in a business that is partly propelled by momentum, “Spider-Man” had the benefit of coming after “The Odyssey,” which fell only 43% in its third weekend. “The Odyssey” has now earned $395.5 million domestically, bringing its global total to $911.4 million. The film will soon open in South Korea (Aug. 5), China (Aug. 14) and Japan (Sept. 11). Its studio, Universal, also became the first this year to surpass $4 billion globally thanks in part to “Michael,” which it distributed internationally, and “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.”

A slew of animated PG-rated holdovers rounded out the top five: “Toy Story 5” was in third place with $6.3 million, followed by “Minions & Monsters” in fourth and “Moana,” in fifth. And there were bright spots further down the chart as well. In sixth place with $2 million, “Hadestown: The Musical” surpassed “Hamilton” to become the highest grossing live theater capture release ever with a running total of $18.2 million.

Paul Dergarabedian, the head of marketplace trends for Rentrak, said the “Spider-Man” effect could help the summer movie season surpass the $4 billion mark for the first time since the Barbenheimer summer of 2023, and the third-ever billion dollar August.

“This is perhaps the most important summer moviegoing season in the history of the business,” Dergarabedian said. August, he added, "could set up a home stretch of the box office year like no other and one that could push us over that $10 billion mark."

Top 10 movies by domestic box office

With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak:

1. “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” $355 million.

2. “The Odyssey,” $51 million.

3. “Toy Story 5,” $6.3 million.

4. “Minions & Monsters,” $5.8 million.

5. “Moana,” $5.3 million.

6. “Hadestown: The Musical,” $2 million.

7. “The Invite,” $1.2 million.

8. “I Want Your Sex,” $600,000.

9. “Young Washington,” $477,727.

10. “Obsession,” $470,000.

“It makes me more hungry to keep proving I am who I say I am,” said the star running back, who received a three-year extension in May worth $45.75 million. “It’s making me want to do more than I’ve done in the past.”

Meanwhile, Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield said he feels “disrespected” by the Buccaneers for not getting the contract extension he sought and plans to play out the final season of his three-year, $100 million deal.

Several players know exactly how they feel, entering the season with something to prove because of either signing a big-money deal, looking for another contract, joining a new team, trying to overcome an injury or working to rebound from mediocre play.

A.J. Brown, WR, Patriots

The three-time Pro Bowl pick was traded by Philadelphia to New England in June for a 2028 first-round draft pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder. Brown, who's still only 29, had 339 catches for 5,034 yards receiving with 32 touchdowns in four seasons with the Eagles — a tenure also marked by cryptic social media posts and comments that soured his relationship with the franchise, including quarterback Jalen Hurts. In New England, Brown gets a fresh start with his childhood favorite team.

Jalen Carter, DT, Eagles

The Eagles signed the ninth overall pick in 2023 to a four-year extension that included $106 million guaranteed through the 2031 season. The huge deal makes Carter the league's highest-paid defensive tackle. It also comes after he had just three sacks last year while shoulder injuries limited him to 11 games. Carter said he feels the responsibility of living up to the contract and returning to his game-wrecking level of play.

Keon Coleman, WR, Bills

The 23-year-old wide receiver has the talent to be a star for the Bills' Josh Allen-led offense. But inconsistency and lapses in focus on and off the field have prevented Coleman from reaching that potential. He has been disciplined three times for being late to meetings. After having eight catches for 112 yards in Buffalo's season opener, Coleman had just 30 receptions for 292 yards in 12 other games. He acknowledged in minicamp that this is a “make or break” season.

Breece Hall, RB, Jets

Hall ran for 1,000 yards for the first time in his career last season and also had 350 yards receiving with five overall TDs while playing in 16 games. He was mentioned often in trade rumors last year, but remained with the Jets. With Frank Reich running the offense, Hall should continue to be a do-it-all bell cow out of the backfield with the hope — based on what the Jets paid him — he'll firmly establish himself as one of the league's top running backs.

Baker Mayfield, QB, Buccaneers

The No. 1 overall pick in 2018 by Cleveland revived his career in Tampa Bay after replacing Tom Brady in 2023. Mayfield insists he has shown himself with the Buccaneers to be a franchise quarterback — and wants to be paid as such. In his first two seasons in Tampa Bay, he made the Pro Bowl and led the Buccaneers to NFC South titles. Mayfield got off to another terrific start last season, but fizzled down the stretch with injuries.

Kyler Murray, QB, Vikings

Arizona released Murray in the offseason, a disappointing end to what was a promising beginning for the 2019 top pick. He signed with Minnesota in March for the veteran minimum of $1.3 million, giving the Vikings a veteran to compete with J.J. McCarthy for the starting job. Murray has been productive at his best as a dynamic dual threat. But he has had to deal with injuries and questions about his work ethic, something he'll try to put to rest with the Vikings. But he needs to beat out McCarthy first.

Michael Penix Jr., QB, Falcons

The eighth overall pick in 2024 came to Atlanta as the Falcons' possible quarterback of the future. Injuries and inconsistency have threatened those hopes. Penix opened last season as the starter, was benched late in Week 3 in favor of Kirk Cousins and then tore an ACL in Week 11. He's working his way back from that injury this summer and the Falcons aren't quite sure when he'll be fully ready. Atlanta signed Tua Tagovailoa, who's also currently banged up, in the offseason to compete with Penix.

Rashee Rice, WR, Chiefs

The 26-year-old wide receiver, who missed the Chiefs’ voluntary offseason workouts and mandatory minicamp, served a 30-day sentence in a Dallas County jail for violating the terms of his probation, stemming from his role in a car crash that left multiple people injured on a Texas highway. Rice also had surgery to clean debris in his right knee shortly before he was sentenced. When he has played, he has been a productive target for Patrick Mahomes with 156 catches for 1,797 yards and 14 touchdowns. But Rice has also played just 28 games in three seasons because of a suspension and injuries.

C.J. Stroud, QB, Texans

The second overall pick in 2023 had a terrific first season, winning AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, leading the Texans to the playoffs, making the Pro Bowl and giving Houston hope its franchise QB was in place. Stroud's last two seasons might have caused some doubt. The Texans have made it to the postseason in each of his three NFL seasons, but Stroud had his worst performance in the divisional round against New England when he threw four first-half interceptions. The Texans exercised the fifth-year option on Stroud’s rookie contract in April and he's eligible for an extension, with talks ongoing.

Brian Thomas Jr., WR, Jaguars

The 2024 first-rounder set franchise rookie records for catches (87), yards receiving (1,282) and TD receptions (10), quickly emerging as Trevor Lawrence's top target. But Thomas' production nosedived last season with 48 catches for 707 yards and just two TDs. He also tied for second in the NFL with 10 drops. Thomas was impressive during offseason workouts and minicamp, and the hope is being in his second year in Liam Coen's offense will help him more closely resemble the playmaker he was as a rookie.

Deshaun Watson, QB, Browns

Healthy again after tearing an Achilles tendon in 2024 and missing last season after reinjuring it, Watson's competing with Shedeur Sanders for Cleveland's starting job. And this could be the 30-year-old QB's last chance to redeem himself. He has played in just 19 games since being acquired from Houston in 2022 for three first-round picks and then signing a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million deal. He was suspended by the NFL for the first 11 games that season for his alleged sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions. If Watson starts in Week 1 for new coach Todd Monken, it'll be his first game since Week 7 of the 2024 season.

Malik Willis, QB, Dolphins

Tennessee thought Willis could potentially be its franchise QB when it drafted him in the third round in 2022. That never materialized and Willis was traded to Green Bay two years later. He rejuvenated his career last season while filling in for an injured Jordan Love and parlayed that into a three-year, $67.5 million deal with Miami. Willis will be the starter from Week 1, but the Dolphins are putting a lot of faith in a quarterback with only six NFL starts.

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

A network of little black cameras on tall metal posts has sprouted up across Texas, in big cities and along remote country roads.

The cameras, produced by Atlanta-based Flock Safety, use artificial intelligence to scan every vehicle that passes by, uploading the plate number, model, color and even bumper stickers to the country’s largest vehicle surveillance database. Law enforcement agencies that contract with the company — here and across the U.S. — can search the accumulated database with a few keystrokes and without a warrant.

A backlash is growing. U.S. Rep. Keith Self, a McKinney Republican, last month proposed legislation to require federal agencies to obtain warrants before accessing Flock camera data. Meanwhile, some Texans are done debating the cameras and are dismantling them instead.

It’s unclear exactly how many cameras dot the state, in large part because one of the biggest users of the cameras is the Texas Department of Public Safety, which declines to disclose how many devices it has positioned across the state.

What is known: The state troopers have partnerships with more than 200 local law enforcement agencies across the state that allow seamless data sharing between DPS and its partner agencies.

Nationally, Flock Safety estimates some 5,000 law enforcement agencies and 6,000 communities use its surveillance products.

Advocacy groups that track camera positions across Texas estimate there are more than 10,000 cameras in the state, including several thousand concentrated in the Houston area. At least 41 cameras have been installed around Waco-area cities and state roadways since 2024, according to public records and law enforcement officials.

Many police departments consider Flock an invaluable crime-fighting tool. Opponents — including privacy, civil liberty and immigrant rights advocates — argue the system’s capacity for abuse is well established. Texas cities such as Austin and Bandera, a town of about 900 people 50 miles northwest of San Antonio, have terminated their contracts over such concerns. They are among 47 cities nationwide to do so, according to DeFlock, an anti-surveillance group monitoring the company.

Despite the backlash, more local law enforcement agencies are considering adopting the technology, including the Waco police department, but some political leaders are skeptical.

“Americans’ Fourth Amendment right to be secure in their privacy does not disappear just because of new technology or artificial intelligence,” Self said in a July news release describing his proposed legislation. “Americans have a constitutional right to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, and our government is supposed to get a warrant before invading that privacy. This bill simply restores that protection. Get a warrant.”

Flock Safety did not respond to a request for comment.

What is a Flock camera?

Most Flock cameras scan license plates, looking for cars associated with warrants, stolen vehicles, missing persons or other suspected crimes.

Surveillance cameras like Flock, commonly referred to as “automatic license plate readers” or ALPRs, are not a new technology. However, Flock’s cameras have additional features that worry privacy advocates.

Flock cameras are notably different from the legacy license plate readers already attached to many police cruisers because they provide access to data by distant law enforcement agencies. Some searches from police departments scan through more than 7,000 camera networks, according to DPS records.

If a department opts in to Flock’s “national lookup” program, officers can search for a vehicle anywhere in the country where another department or agency has opted in. These searches do not require a warrant.

Another Flock difference is an AI capability allowing cameras to create a vehicle “fingerprint” independent of the license plate. A user can search “Blue Toyota Corolla, bumper stickers,” for example, to find matching hits and track the car’s movement. Other search options include accessories like bike racks, or even other vehicles that frequently travel together.

Finally, any user can create a shareable “custom hotlist” of suspected vehicles. Vehicles do not need to be tethered to a suspected crime to be added to a custom hotlist, according to Footnote4a, a nonprofit surveillance watchdog group and creator of haveibeenflocked.com.

Why are they controversial?

The backlash against Flock can’t be attributed to any one concern or trend, but rather a drumbeat of incidents accumulating over several years.

In Baytown, southeast of Houston, the city’s police chief last week announced a criminal investigation into an officer who was accused of misusing the city’s Flock cameras. The officer resigned Thursday, Police Chief John Stringer said, and the department did not specify what the allegations of misuse were.

Cases of Flock misidentifying suspect vehicles, however rare, have resonated well beyond the towns and cities where it happened, fueling fears of opaque technology driving arbitrary arrests.

A Colorado woman was falsely accused of package theft last year after an officer said a Flock camera found her at the scene of the crime. Her story found its way to national news outlets, as did a Denver man who was pulled over repeatedly because of his car’s mistaken addition to a Flock hotlist.

More than one incident has seen innocent motorists surrounded by officers with guns drawn.

Cases of erroneous Flock hits — where the system flags the wrong car — are happening with greater frequency as Flock’s network expands, according to the Institute for Justice, a leading public interest law firm. The institute identified 27 cases in nine states, but none in Texas as of late July.

Flock cameras have also been used to aid immigration enforcement in Texas and elsewhere, even in cases where the Flock customer explicitly restricted sharing with federal immigration agencies. Flock says it does not partner with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

However, immigration agents were able to gain back-door access to a Houston school district’s Flock data through out-of-state police departments the district shared data with, according to a February investigation by The 74. Meanwhile, an investigation by 404 Media last year found several local and state law enforcement agencies in Texas conducting searches on behalf of federal immigration agents.

Those incidents underscore how the ease of sharing data — what makes Flock so effective for solving certain crimes, such as auto theft — makes data difficult to safeguard.

It’s a dilemma that’s hard to avoid when “the entire system depends on encouraging additional connections to the network,” said Beryl Lipton, a senior researcher at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit digital civil rights group.

Blake Burleson, a founding member of the Waco-based Heart of Texas Network for Immigrant Rights, said he’s worried about how state law enforcement might use Flock to accelerate immigration-related stops in Waco.

“Given the evidence we have right now of the Texas Department of Public Safety collaborating with ICE within the Waco city limits, and seeing the destruction they’re doing to families … I hope Waco doesn’t go to this quickly, or maybe never,” Burleson said.

The Texas Department of Public Safety approved a $26 million contract with Flock last year to surveil state roads and support Operation Lone Star, the state’s multibillion-dollar effort to curb unauthorized immigration and fortify the border.

State police have a 287(g) task force partnership with U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, allowing officers to cooperate with immigration agents in the field.

In the Waco-area, the greatest share of Flock critics appears to be concentrated among data center opponents. A search for posts including “Flock” in the Stop the Waco Data Center Facebook group returns more than 100 hits. Those posts present Flock, data centers and surveillance software, such as Palantir, as interconnected problems.

Sean Terrel, an organizer with the Waco data center opposition, does not see the two issues as fundamentally linked. He said the prevalence of anti-Flock sentiment in the data center opposition group is more a general indicator of community engagement.

“The people that are concerned with their community are interested in the things that are happening [to it],” Terrell said. “And these are two big issues.”

Last week, the Institute for Justice published a survey of 28 cases where police officers used Flock to stalk romantic interests. Two of the Flock stalking cases were reported in Texas this month, one of which involved an officer using Flock to stalk a female colleague.

Flock Safety in April introduced a new AI auditing tool billed as a solution to police abuse of the product. At least 20 officers in Georgia have been disciplined or charged with Flock misuse in the past year, according to an Atlanta News First investigation, which partly credited the sudden spike in cases to the new auditing tool.

The “use of automatic license plate reader data for non-law enforcement purposes is strictly prohibited,” according to a DPS policy document governing the department’s use of Flock.

What does a network of Flock cameras look like?

The Waco area provides a window into how Flock cameras are used in communities. Cameras in the region are operated by local police departments, DPS and private businesses. The Waco Police Department has not purchased Flock products, nor has the McLennan County Sheriff’s Office.

Because there is no centralized register of all Flock products in a given area, the most comprehensive list of known camera locations is a user-generated map hosted by DeFlock.

The Waco Bridge confirmed the following camera counts using public records and calls to local police departments:

• Hewitt – 19 ALPR cameras; 2 Flock video cameras
• Robinson – 11 ALPR cameras
• West – 9 ALPR cameras
• Bellmead – 2 ALPR cameras

Both The Home Depot, located on West Waco Drive, and Lowe’s Home Improvement on New Road have Flock cameras installed. Home Depot has said it does not grant federal law enforcement access to its Flock data. Bellmead’s cameras were partly paid for by Walmart, which has a location in the city along Interstate 35.

It’s unclear how many cameras DPS operates in the area or throughout Texas.

The department has a statewide data-sharing agreement with 206 county and local police agencies, according to a list of partners DPS provided to The Texas Tribune on Thursday. That list was up from 122 partner agencies in February, a 69% increase in five months to the state’s vehicle surveillance network.

DPS declined to answer how many cameras the agency operates across Texas.

“As part of continued efforts to improve public safety, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has installed automated license plate readers (LPR) in McLennan Co. – and across Texas – within several state right of ways following authorization by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and once appropriate TxDOT state roadway permits were issued,” DPS wrote in a Thursday statement to The Texas Tribune. “Only law enforcement agencies who have signed agreements with the department have access to footage and images collected by DPS ALPRs.”

Why are they popular with law enforcement?

The value of Flock cameras for quickly investigating some crimes and preventing others is well-documented.

Flock cameras “have proven very effective [in solving crimes],” the DPS wrote in its Thursday statement. The department cited the system’s use in the July felony arrest of four suspects in a San Antonio home invasion case after a Flock hit led authorities to their location in Northwest Austin.

The Hewitt Police Department has been one of the biggest advocates for expanding the Flock network in the Waco area. With 21 cameras, the city has installed more Flock cameras than any other in McLennan County.

That’s not because Hewitt wants to spy on its residents, Hewitt Police Chief John McGrath told The Bridge.

“We have placed these cameras mainly on the outer limits of our city because what we’re interested in is the people that are coming into our city and committing criminal acts,” McGrath said.

He listed several examples where Flock was the deciding factor, including a victim of domestic violence in Hewitt who had a protective order against someone who lived outside the city. The suspect’s vehicle was added to a hotlist, allowing Hewitt officers to intervene when he approached the victim’s home.

Robinson police share Hewitt’s positive impression of the cameras. This week, the Robinson Police Department attributed a steep, year-over-year drop in burglaries, property crime and vehicle theft to the city’s 11 cameras. However, it’s not clear that Flock caused the drop. National crime rates across multiple categories have dropped precipitously since 2022, according to an analysis by the Council on Criminal Justice.

Flock Safety claimed its products helped locate 10,000 missing persons and supported 1 million investigations in 2025 and have specifically pointed to Texas as a demonstration of their importance.

A shooting spree by three teenagers in Austin earlier this year, injuring four people, led to a citywide chase with city police that took hours — only for the suspects to be caught an hour after entering Manor and being spotted on by city Flock camera. Flock touted the incident as an example of the price paid by Austin for cancelling its contract.

“Manor is a city of roughly 20,000 residents with a fraction of Austin’s resources,” a Flock post about the incident read. “What Manor has is an active license plate recognition network and the community support to keep it running. Manor PD located the suspects almost immediately. The spree ended. Residents stayed safe.”

Flock cameras are also heavily subsidized by state grants in Texas, chiefly through the Texas Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority. Hewitt pays $9,600 a year for its camera network; the other $38,400 is paid for by the state grant. Bellmead’s system is partly paid for by the authority’s catalytic converter grant.

Can local law enforcement create safeguards for Flock?

Police departments can determine how Flock cameras are used and regulated, not just the company.

McGrath said his department takes potential officer misuse of Flock seriously. The Hewitt Police Department is an accredited member of the Texas Police Chiefs Association Best Practices Program and has instituted guidelines for proper use of its cameras.

Flock mandates users enter a reason for their search, though instances of vague search reasons have appeared in Flock audits throughout the country, such as “sus vehicle,” “test,” “investigation,” or random letter strings.

Hewitt’s policy demands a higher standard to execute a search, McGrath said. If a case number isn’t supplied, “you can’t just do a search and say something like ‘drugs’ [as a search reason],” he said. Hewitt officers who misuse the system could be fired.

McGrath said he was not aware of any requests from federal agencies to access Hewitt’s Flock data, nor were the cameras purchased with the intent of aiding immigration enforcement. Immigration enforcement is a “prohibited use” according to Hewitt’s Flock transparency portal.

Sign-up for Flock’s transparency portal service is optional. Because Flock data is owned by the user, according to the company, police can also choose the level of data access they grant other agencies.

Are Flock cameras being defaced?

The trend in Flock vandalism points to an emerging movement rejecting mass surveillance technology. Social media posts about damaged Flock cameras, as well as comedic instructionals on how to disable them, have gone viral.

Now, Flock cameras are being hacked, smashed and blinded across Texas, with reports of similar incidents surging throughout the country.

In July, Dallas police reported 25 attacks on Flock cameras since March, while authorities in Houston are investigating a string of anti-Flock vigilantism this month.

Flock cameras have been vandalized in the Hewitt area, too, police said. “We have actually had a couple of our cameras vandalized in Hewitt,” McGrath said, adding that Hewitt police are considering adding surveillance cameras to watch its Flock cameras in the event of a repeat strike.

A suspect in one of those cases was captured by the Flock camera being defaced.

“We will get arrest warrants for them, and we will put them in jail, and we will work with the DA’s office to try and get the maximum punishment,” McGrath said.

— Ayden Runnels contributed to this report.

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

The floodwaters soaked the rug under the new grand piano Connor just bought to replace the one she lost. It totaled her Chrysler Pacifica that took the place of her old truck. It muddied her husband’s tools they’d salvaged last year.

Connor set up a dehumidifier by the piano and got rid of the car and a volunteer group helped clean the tools. Concerned about mold, they again looked for a place to stay in their RV while they fixed their home.

“I don’t care if I end up with zero money in my bank account; I’m going to pay people to get things done,” said Connor, a retired teacher. “We’re tired, and it’s a pretty house when it’s all done.”

When the Guadalupe River flood tore through Hunt, Kerrville and Center Point last year, Connor and many others thought of it as a once-in-a-lifetime storm. The National Weather Service characterized it as a thousand year rainfall — which has a 0.1% chance of happening in a given year.

The July 4 flood struck in the dead of night and traumatized this Hill Country community, killing 119 people in Kerr County, including 27 campers and counselors at Camp Mystic, and sweeping homes off their slabs.

Just over a year later, on July 16, it happened again — another once-in-a-lifetime rainfall. The main difference was where the rain fell, slightly northeast of last year’s deluge. This flood damaged some of the same homes and businesses, in some cases soon after people got them fixed. It ravaged other neighborhoods and businesses anew.

Now people are again facing the physical and emotional toll that can come with living in Flash Flood Alley: mucking out molding homes, piling ruined belongings by the curb, trying to salvage photos, knitted blankets or grand pianos.

Some locals say selling their properties makes no financial sense, even if they wanted to leave. Others couldn’t imagine leaving a place where they have friends, family, jobs.

For the second straight year, they’re encouraging each other. The Federal Emergency Management Agency as of Friday hadn’t approved funding to help individuals recover. Nonprofits have described the difficulty of soliciting donations a second time around.

But still, people are rebuilding. Strangers helping strangers. And grieving again.

“Last year, you’re devastated,” said Laura Cane, who had reopened her vacation rental house in Center Point three weeks before this year’s flood. “This year, you’re broken.”

Flooded twice, but staying

Eleven years ago, Cane and her boyfriend bought the property, which also has two long term rental homes. A mechanical engineer who designed drill bits and lives north of Houston, the 65-year-old retired with the plan of living off the rental income.

Last year they had to rebuild when the flood swept through the buildings.

Cane and her boyfriend got the vacation rental open again June 26. They were putting the finishing touches on the long-term units when this year’s flood arrived, causing worse damage than the first one. The water rose over the new cabinets and ripped stone from the exterior of one structure.

There’s no way, Cane thought as she watched the news that day.

The couple plans to fix everything again. They don’t want to take the financial hit of selling it now when the value is low after two straight floods.

“It sucks,” Cane said. “It’s horrific. It’s mentally, physically, financially horrific. You wouldn’t want anybody to deal with that. But at the end of the day, my family has a family to go home to.”

Twenty miles away, past Kerrville, Jack Hudson, 62, and his wife had survived the 2025 flood on their porch, standing on a short rock wall and gripping decorative iron columns, worried the house would fall apart. Hudson held onto his 150-pound Great Dane while his wife held their 20-pound dachshund.

She thought they saw someone coming to save them; it was their truck floating by.

Four-and-a-half feet of water got into the home, ruining his mother’s handwritten children’s stories about Billy Wiskers, a mischievous goat, and 21 years of his journals. When the water receded, he helped move a body from a neighbor’s mobile home. He didn’t journal anymore after that.

“The community is exhausted, unfortunately,” Hudson said. “We’re deeply saddened to see the same thing happen again.”

This year when Hudson saw the creek rising, he got his dogs in the truck and drove up the hill. His wife was out of town. They had just moved back into their home in February and reopened their handmade wood furniture business in April. He preferred to start over here, where people knew him.

This time, Hudson lost only some lumber. People reordered furniture he’d made that washed away. He empathized deeply with those hit harder downriver who also had to close businesses.

“It can be tough,” he said. “It kind of knocks you down.”

“It’s been a hard week emotionally just to know what they’re going through,” said his wife, Jennifer Hudson, 62.

Michael Ybarra, who installs septic systems, could only think about last year’s flood when this year’s hit. His cousin, Julian Ryan, died a year ago when he punched through a window to save his family as the water rose; he bled to death when the glass gashed his arm. Ryan and his family lived near Hudson, who had helped carry Ryan’s body from his mom’s mobile home.

“All I could think about that night was my cousin and what happened to him,” Ybarra said. “I’m like, ‘What if I’m in that same situation?’ I didn’t know.”

Ybarra and his family got out of their Kerrville-area home as soon as they could after this year’s flood. They didn’t go back for a week, while they tried to find help; everything stunk from the wet and the heat.

Volunteers from Samaritan’s Purse helped Ybarra gut the home. They helped take everything out and spray it for mold. They cut out the drywall, leaving some evidence of his daughter’s scribbles high up on the wall. His 6-year-old daughter is autistic and nonverbal; the change in routine hit her hard.

Ybarra said they’re rebuilding because they own their home, so it makes the most financial sense. His wife has lived there for much of her life, and it’s where they lived during the birth of their two children.

Ybarra said Kerrville is all he knows. So they will take it day by day, with trust in God.

“It’s more than just a house,” he said.

“You remember this”

The flood hit people this year who were spared last year — Ybarra’s mother-in-law said it helped them better feel what everyone else went through.

For Julie Casteel, 48, buying a home felt like a big deal. She’d moved to Kerrville in 2018 to be part of the recovery community. She stayed in a domestic violence shelter and sought help with her with substance abuse. She had experienced homelessness. In Kerrville, she fell in love, and she and her husband moved into their home in October, on a hill.

Last year’s flood missed their house. This one didn’t.

Casteel’s husband Dan, 68, sprung to action. He had once built outdoor fireplaces and other outdoor amenities for a living, and he grabbed a Shop-Vac and pond pump to move water from one room into another, and sawed a notch into the concrete door frame in the house to let the water flow out.

His quick response spared them from having to rip out the flooring or walls — but camping gear, cycling equipment and power tools got drenched. So did photo albums. Casteel had moments of feeling anger and defeat over all she lost, at the idea of starting over again.

“This wasn’t supposed to happen,” she said.

Casteel and her husband both work for a state hospital, where she expects trauma. But their stone home was a safe place as well as a sanctuary for her 15-year-old daughter and the dogs and wild animals Casteel took in — including three snakes, a prairie dog, a rat and an opossum.

Julie Casteel went to work the day of the flood, and got notifications on her Ring camera as a community of people arrived at her home while she was gone to help clean up. Michelle McGuire, who had survived last year’s flood by swimming to a tree, kept checking in on her and suggesting resources.

“We’re rolling up our sleeves and doing it again and helping each other,” McGuire said.

Ties like those keep Casteel here.

“We take care of each other here,” she said.

Last year, Dondi Persyn, through a group called Found on the Guadalupe River, helped connect flood survivors with lost possessions that others found scattered along the river.

This year she’s helping clean out houses, paying for fans and dehumidifiers, and passing out bins for people to sort their flood-damaged stuff.

“We all were starting to settle our shoulders,” she said. “We got through the one year mark and we were like, okay, we can breathe a little bit. It felt hard, but also like okay, we hit that milestone, and then when the second flood hit, everybody was kind of in disbelief.”

She’s reminding the bewildered people she meets that even if the damage didn’t feel as bad as last year, it still mattered.

At Crider’s Rodeo and Dance Hall, a Hunt institution that flooded last year, forcing them to close for the remainder of the summer season, owner Tracy Moore had told her husband that if they flooded again, she couldn’t rebuild a second time.

Moore kept telling her grandkids: Never build a home by the river, no matter how serene it looks.

“You remember this,” she told them. “You remember this until you die.”

This year, their stretch of river rose again. And stopped short of the dance hall, sparing them.

The fires in and around Spokane, the state's second largest city, burned about 8.2 square miles (about 21 square kilometers) over the weekend and were among dozens of wildfires across the Western U.S. that stretched the ability of federal, state and local agencies to fight them.

A total of about 390 square miles (1,000 square kilometers) has burned across the state, and some of the fires, including those in the Spokane area, have not been contained.

No one hurt or unaccounted for — so far

Fire and law enforcement officials said there had been no reports of injuries or people unaccounted for — but they stressed it was early in the response effort.

Officials also said that the evacuees in Spokane included patients at its U.S. Veterans Affairs hospital.

Video from the Spokane area showed buildings on fire, black smoke billowing up near neighborhoods, and the smoking ruins of homes, with only chimneys still standing. Several officials expressed concern that the area does not appear likely to get a break in coming days from the weather, which is expected to remain dry.

“We are not out of danger,” U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell said during a news conference with federal, state and local officials in Spokane. “The next couple of days will be challenging.”

Investigators had yet to determine how the blazes started.

Grassland in flames in parts of Idaho, Oregon and Utah

Spokane was hardly the only place struggling to contain fires.

Crews using bulldozers and helicopters continued for a 10th day to fight a fire that has burned nearly 525 square miles (about 1,360 square kilometers) of grassland in western Idaho and eastern Oregon. The area is home to cattle ranches, and authorities said the fire is threatening more than 600 homes and 800 other structures.

The weather in the area was expected to remain sunny — and dry — well into the week, with temperatures rising to more than 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) on Wednesday. Officials say the fire was caused by lightning.

In central Utah, a massive blaze more than doubled in size over the weekend, jumping from 16 square miles (about 41 square kilometers) to about 56 square miles (145 square kilometers) by Sunday morning. More than 100 cattle have been killed, according to local law enforcement.

Officials called the fire “catastrophic" as heavy winds helped flames jump containment lines overnight. The fire is moving north toward Fillmore, a town of about 2,600 people and the seat of Millard County. Mandatory evacuations were ordered Sunday evening for the southern portion of Fillmore.

The National Weather Service issued warnings about the air quality across the northwest. It issued red flag fire warnings for parts of Utah and Montana and western Nebraska, and extreme heat warnings for the southern parts of Arizona, California and Nevada and northern Montana.

High winds make it hard to fight fires in Spokane area

While temperatures Sunday in Spokane were forecast to remain below 80 F (27 C), wind gusts from 35 mph (56 kph) to 45 mph (72 kph) had been expected by the afternoon, said Benjamin Cossel, public information officer for the federal response team from California called in Saturday night to deal with the fires.

“We have weather working against us, and we have terrain working against us,” Cossel said.

There were three fires in the Spokane area: the Old Trails Fire, the Fairview Fire and the Meadowview Fire. Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency Saturday, and the National Weather Service issued a “particularly dangerous situation” red flag alert for eastern Washington.

Cossel said that as it gets warmer during the day, cool air that's closer to the ground and keeping winds at bay will rise, allowing those winds to move through the area. The Spokane River cuts through the city of about 229,000 people, and there are steep canyons on both sides that channel the wind.

“They push the fire through the canyons, up, up the slopes, and then outside the slopes and around,” he said. “It's very, very hilly, very, very steep slopes, a lot of canyons that create really turbulent, really challenging sort of wind scenarios.”

Spokane sets up shelter for impacted residents

Authorities in Spokane set up a shelter at the city's main convention center. About 400 people were staying there, officials said Sunday.

Spokane County Commissioner Chris Jordan said relatives of his were in an area affected by the fires and that they don't know if their home is still standing. He said he spoke with them as they were leaving the home.

“They’re in their car and all they can see is smoke everywhere, and it was incredibly scary for so many people,” he said during the news conference.

Heather Rosenstrater, president and CEO of Avista Corp., the area's electric and natural gas utility, said about 10,000 people were without power Sunday, down from a peak of 30,000. Avista needs to repair two transmission lines, she said, so it's possible that demand for electricity over the next few days could cause outages.

Meanwhile, several larger fires continued to burn in less populated areas northwest of Spokane, including one about 80 miles (129 kilometers) from the city that has burned about 210 square miles (544 square kilometers). Another fire in eastern Oregon, about 70 miles (113 kilometers) to the northwest in the Stinkingwater Mountains, has burned about 336 square miles (870 square kilometers).

“The whole northwest is heavily impacted right now,” said Keila Vizcarra, the spokesperson for the federal team from California handling what's been named the Big Grass Fire in western Idaho and eastern Oregon.

The remarks by Doron Spielman, spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, were some of the first public comments since U.S. President Donald Trump announced the agreement.

Spielman told The Associated Press that Israel's intelligence assessment is that Hamas remains committed to rebuilding its military rather than genuinely demilitarizing. He said the Israeli military would not withdraw from Gaza — where it controls more than 60% of the territory — before Hamas disarms.

“Our assessment is that if we redeploy before Hamas is truly disarmed, it will quickly expand its presence throughout Gaza, rebuild its terrorist infrastructure, once again threaten Israeli communities, and seek to carry out another Oct. 7-style attack,” he said, referring to the Hamas militant attack on Israel in 2023 that triggered the war in the Gaza Strip.

“Disarming means physically giving up the weapons. Nothing less,” Spielman said.

His comments come days after Hamas said that it would begin disarming as part of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire signed nine months ago to end the nearly three-year-long conflict. It marks a potential breakthrough in ending the conflict, but many hurdles, conditions and long timelines remain.

Hamas says it's agreed to disarm but the process has obstacles

Trump’s 20-point ceasefire plan calls on the militant group to surrender its weapons and destroy its vast network of tunnels. It also envisions Israeli forces withdrawing from Gaza, the arrival of a new technocratic Palestinian government, deployment of an international security force and the rebuilding of the battered Palestinian enclave.

Hamas disarming has been a sticking point and has deadlocked negotiations for months. In announcing the deal on social media on Thursday, Trump said it would be carried out in “carefully structured phases.”

A copy of the agreement obtained and verified by the AP said that all weapons held by the Hamas-run police will be transferred to the U.S.-backed Palestinian technocratic committee, known as the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, upon its arrival in the enclave. It’s not clear when that would happen since it is contingent on other steps.

A process to decommission and store heavy weapons and to dismantle military production sites and tunnels will begin after the arrival of the Palestinian committee and the deployment of international forces. The process will be linked to a phased Israeli withdrawal, according to the agreement.

The areas Israel controls in Gaza have been mostly destroyed and depopulated. Most of the territory’s 2 million Palestinians are in the other part, where hundreds of thousands live in squalid tent camps and destroyed neighborhoods.

Israel appears unlikely to pull back significant forces or make other concessions ahead of its October elections. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a tough reelection battle, with his far-right coalition partners urging him to keep up the pressure on Hamas and leave forces in Gaza, and opponents accusing him of failing to prevent the Oct. 7, 2023, attack.

Hamas-led militants attacked Israeli communities then, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 others hostage. Israel responded with a punishing military offensive that has killed more than 73,000 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

The ministry, which was part of the recently dissolved Hamas-run government, maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and international organizations. It does not distinguish between civilians and militants but says women and children make up around half of all fatalities.

Israel warns that Hamas is rearming

While Spielman said Israel greatly appreciates Trump’s commitment to its security and to finding a durable resolution, the government's position on disarmament is based on detailed intelligence saying that Hamas continues to rearm, recruit fighters, and rebuild its military capabilities.

The White House did not provide additional comments on Sunday, when asked specifically about Israel’s assessment that Hamas remains committed to rebuilding its military.

U.S. officials, who briefed reporters on the disarmament agreement last week, said that Israel had been consulted at every step of the negotiations and was not being asked to do anything more than what it had committed to as part of the ceasefire and hostage release agreement signed last October.

It's unclear what exactly Israel conveyed to the White House. Two people with knowledge of the deal told the AP that Israel had communicated its issues with it to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who's part of the Trump-led Board of Peace. One of them said that among the points Israel wanted was freedom to conduct military operations in Gaza. They spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

According to another person familiar with the deal, the Israelis raised two other issues: that Qatar and Turkey not be involved in verifying the stages of the agreement, and that Hamas’ weapons be destroyed after confiscation. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Israel continues to strike Gaza

Since the ceasefire was signed last October, Israel has continued striking Gaza, saying it’s targeting Hamas and its infrastructure.

Local Gaza hospitals said at least 17 were killed in the latest Israeli strikes, including children. A strike on a residential apartment in southern Gaza killed three family members, including their 4-year-old child, according to Nasser hospital, where the bodies arrived.

The Israeli military said the strikes had targeted militant operatives.

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Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed to this report.

Over in the American League, Tampa Bay beefed up its rotation by adding right-hander Freddy Peralta while the New York Yankees acquired young slugger Luis García Jr. to give their Aaron Judge-less lineup a little more pop.

The trade deadline is Monday at 6 p.m. EDT and some of the biggest pitching prizes are already off the board. But other enticing options still remain, including San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller, San Francisco Giants second baseman Luis Arraez and Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho.

Also on Sunday, the Chicago Cubs added Kevin Gausman to their rotation in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays.

In other recent deals, the surprising Chicago White Sox picked up right-hander Luis Castillo from the Seattle Mariners, and the Atlanta Braves acquired outfielder Lane Thomas from the Kansas City Royals.

Dodgers land Skubal

Skubal is the latest star to join the high-priced roster for the Dodgers that already has big-name players like Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Mookie Betts.

If everyone is healthy, he could be part of a rotation with Ohtani, reigning World Series MVP Yamamoto, fellow two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow. The Dodgers led the majors with a 3.36 ERA from their starting pitchers going into Sunday's games and now add Skubal to the mix.

“I’m excited to be a Dodger,” an emotional Skubal said on Saturday night. “I’m excited to get down there and meet all those guys and chase three championships in a row. That’s hard to do, so I’m so excited to a part of that. But it’s a lot of different emotions. Definitely kind of a roller coaster a little bit.”

The Tigers received three minor league prospects in right-handers River Ryan and Brady Smith and outfielder Zyhir Hope.

Skubal is 7-5 this season with a 2.79 ERA and 116 strikeouts in 96 2/3 innings. He is 61-42 with a 3.04 ERA over seven seasons, all in Detroit. In two postseasons, Skubal is 2-1 with a 2.04 ERA in six starts.

Mets unload Peralta to Rays

The last-place New York Mets traded Peralta to the Rays for three minor leaguers, outfielder Aidan Smith, infielder Émilien Pitre and right-hander Gary Gill Hill.

Peralta, a two-time All-Star who can become a free agent following the World Series, has been a disappointment with the Mets after they acquired him from Milwaukee in a January trade.

But he could boost the middle of a strong rotation for the pitching-rich Rays, who began the day with the best record in the American League at 65-45 and a 3 1/2-game lead in the AL East over the New York Yankees.

Garcia ‘both sad and happy’ about trade to Yankees

García has spent his entire seven-year career with the Nationals but acknowledged he would be excited to move to the Yankees.

“I mean it’s a mix of both sad and happy,” García said. “There’s a new chapter in my career, so yeah, 50-50 right now.”

He has a career-high 23 homers and 76 RBIs this season and could help a lineup that's been without Judge for more than two months after he suffered a stress fracture in his right ribs.

“He's been a hitter who has really come of age this year,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “One of the best left-vs-right hitters in the National League. We think he fits our ballpark very well and should hopefully give a little jolt to our offense which has obviously scuffled a little over an extended period.”

The Nationals received four right-handed pitchers for Garcia — Jake Bird, Yovanny Cruz, Jack Cebert and Ben Grable.

Bird, 30, has a 5.93 ERA in 30 games with the Yankees this season, all in relief. Cruz, 26, has a 1.69 ERA in four games. Cebert and Grable have spent the full season in the minors.

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AP Baseball Writer Mike Fitzpatrick in New York and AP Sports Writer Josh Dubow in West Sacramento, California, and Charles Odum in Atlanta contributed to this report.

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

House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a post on X that throughout her career, Granger "broke barriers for women in public service.” He added that she “was a dear friend who will be greatly missed.”

Granger, who began her career as a high school teacher and a businesswoman, accomplished many firsts as a politician. She was the first woman elected mayor of Fort Worth, Texas, and the first Republican woman to chair one of the most powerful committees in Congress, the House Appropriations Committee.

First elected to the House in 1996, she did not seek reelection in 2024 and experienced worsening “health challenges” in her final months in Congress, according to a statement her office released in December 2024. Granger, who didn’t cast a vote in Washington after July 2024, didn’t specify or elaborate on those health challenges but said in the statement that frequent travel to Washington had become “both difficult and unpredictable" since early September of that year.

Granger graduated from Texas Wesleyan University in 1965 and considered a career in fashion design but followed her mother into teaching. She worked in the Birdville school district for nine years, teaching English literature and journalism, according to a profile compiled for the publication “Women in Congress, 1917-2006.”

A divorce would lead to a career change. To earn more money, Granger worked from home selling insurance. Her mother, Alliene Mullendore, who moved in with Granger after a stroke, helped keep an eye on the kids. Granger eventually built a successful insurance business that she managed for more than two decades.

“I was a high school teacher with three children, a 2-year and 6-month-old twins, and my husband left," Granger told The Hill in a 2008 profile. “It's the reason I talk so much to working mothers ... you just fight your way through the day.”

Granger got her political start serving on Fort Worth's zoning commission and then won office to the city council. She went on to win election as the city's first female mayor, serving from 1991 to 1995.

Granger’s “Code: Blue” programs included citizen patrol initiatives that halved the rampant crime rate and partnerships with the private sector that drew major businesses to the city. Her resuscitation of Fort Worth’s flagging economic fortunes drew national attention.

In 1996, she was recruited by both parties to run for the House under their banner, and she won as a Republican.

Upon entering Congress, she was named to an advisory board that consulted then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich. She also received seats on three committees: Budget, House Oversight, and Transportation and Infrastructure. She resigned those assignments as part of accepting a seat on the Appropriations Committee.

On the committee, she focused on defense spending, including championing the production of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in Fort Worth.

When Republicans took charge of the House in 2023, Granger became the committee's chair, where she sought to enact steeper non-defense spending cuts than the top-line numbers House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden agreed to as part of avoiding an economically disastrous government default.

The Mutiara Sentosa 2 ferry was traveling from Indonesia's second-largest city of Surabaya in East Java to the city of Makassar in South Sulawesi, with 232 passengers, 39 crew members and 181 vehicles, mostly trucks, and an excavator, when the fire broke out between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. in waters off Sumenep regency, according to Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency, or Basarnas.

The ferry operator, PT Atosim Lampung Pelayaran, reported the incident to the Surabaya search and rescue office about an hour later, Basarnas said in a statement. It said the company received information from the ferry's captain that the vessel was on fire near the northern tip of Madura island, but contact was later lost.

By 9:45 a.m., authorities determined the ferry was about 19 nautical miles north of Buruan Sapudi island after communicating with the nearby cargo vessel Meratus Project 3, which was unable to approach the burning vessel closely because it was carrying a flammable load.

Footage released by the National Search and Rescue Agency showed thick black smoke billowing from one side of the ferry and spreading across much of the ship while videos circulating on social media and messaging groups showed terrified passengers, mostly wearing life jackets, could be seen clustered on the deck and upper sections of the vessel awaiting rescue, some jumping into the sea as orange flames and black smoke billowed from the burning vessel.

The ferry was reported to be nearly engulfed by flames, with passengers gathered on the bridge and bow. A tugboat and another passing vessel moved in and began evacuating passengers shortly before 10 a.m., the statement said.

By Sunday evening, several nearby vessels managed to rescue 227 passengers and crew and recovered five bodies. At least 39 people remained unaccounted for.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known and remained under investigation.

Ahmad Abdul Karim, one of the survivors, said the fire appeared to have started from a truck on the lower vehicle deck.

“Someone came up from the lower deck and told us there was a fire. When we went down to check, two vehicles were already burning," Karim said, "Fanned by the wind, the flames spread extremely quickly. In less than 30 minutes, everyone had been instructed to move to the bow of the ferry.”

Search and rescue teams dispatched a rescue vessel from Surabaya, although officials estimated it would take about six hours to reach the scene. A rigid inflatable boat from the Sumenep rescue post was sent toward the location but later returned to shore because of rough seas and high waves. The Indonesian Navy also deployed a warship to assist.

The 160 meters (525 feet) long and 25 meters (82 feet) wide ferry was built in Japan in 1992 and operated on the Osaka-Shinmoji route as the “Ferry Osaka” before being sold to Indonesia in 2015. It serves the Surabaya-Makassar route, a voyage that typically takes around 40 hours and is primarily used by domestic travelers and cargo transport between Java and Sulawesi.

Indonesia is an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands where ferries are a common method of travel. Disasters occur regularly, with weak safety enforcement often blamed.

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Karmini reported from Jakarta. Associated Press writer Edna Tarigan in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report.

Maria Veronica Ortiz Estrada was last seen by family members around noon on July 20, according to her daughter, Carla Ortiz. A person who lives nearby reportedly saw her around 6 p.m. that day but said she appeared disoriented and unsure which direction to walk.

“She doesn’t know where she’s at most of the time,” Carla said. “Sometimes she doesn’t remember us, and we’re very concerned that she could be anywhere.”

Maria may also use the name Maria Veronica Ortiz. She was last seen wearing a blue Houston Texans jersey with the number 10 on the back, dark blue Adidas shorts and black sparkly Crocs in a size 7. Carla said her mother has short, thick hair and may have been carrying a plastic bag.

Carla said her mother has shown significant signs of dementia for approximately six years. Her condition appeared to worsen after she lost her job and her daily routine during the COVID-19 pandemic, around the same time her own mother died.

“She wants to go to her mom’s house,” Carla said. “Sometimes she doesn’t remember us.”

This is not the first time Maria has wandered away. Carla said her mother went missing last December but was found at a nearby park within 24 hours. This time, nearly two weeks have passed without her return.

Search-and-rescue teams spent hours Sunday searching near Highway 99 and FM 1485 using drones and ATVs. Family members and volunteers have also searched on foot and by bicycle.

“We’ve been on foot, on bikes, on drones, four-wheelers—everywhere in the nearby area,” Carla said. “But it’s a lot of acres to cover.”

The search has taken an emotional and physical toll on Maria’s family. Carla said they have lost sleep and their appetites while spending nearly every free moment checking social media for possible sightings.

“We’re desperate to find her,” she said. “Even if it’s not reliable, we still go.”

Carla is asking people to report possible sightings directly to 911 instead of relying solely on social media comments. She said that would allow authorities to respond quickly and determine whether the person seen is her mother.

The family has also tried playing some of Maria’s favorite music while searching. Carla said her mother enjoys listening to Vicente Fernández and that Sprite is her favorite drink. Maria responds to both Maria and Veronica.

The family is especially hoping Maria will return in time to celebrate her second grandchild’s birthday.

“We’ve really been wanting to celebrate it with her,” Carla said.

Anyone who sees Maria or has information about where she may be is asked to call 911 or 936-538-5900.

Most of the 60,000 migrants who swam, scrambled and later charged into the tiny Spanish exclave in North Africa this week had walked back to Morocco by Sunday, but some stayed on in the hills surrounding the city. Spanish authorities continued searching for bodies in the waters near the stretch of urban beach that tens of thousand of migrants had breached days earlier.

Shops in Ceuta reopened, and the usual blend of residents and tourists in the city of 84,000 were filling the open-air terraces, restaurants and cafes.

At least 72 migrants died, including some who drowned and others who were killed in a stampede to cross a breakwater barrier, Spanish authorities said Sunday. Morocco reported 11 deaths on its side of the border, but it wasn’t immediately clear if these were in addition to those reported by Spain. The kingdom's authorities blamed misinformation and human traffickers for the breach, adding that they were investigating the events.

But the city that prides itself on being home to four cultures was still grappling with the aftermath of the border surge, with locals disagreeing on what caused it and who exactly is to blame.

“It's not the young men's fault,” said Mohamad Abdelkader Driss, 44, a waiter at a fish restaurant in town. “If you open the border, of course everyone comes in, but the young men aren't to blame. The authorities are responsible.”

Some migrants who returned to Morocco described a border that was effectively open and said authorities did little as they watched thousands of people cross.

The unauthorized arrivals on Thursday and Friday of 50,000 to 60,000, mostly young men, swelled Ceuta's population by more than half. Abdelkader lamented what happened, but said that those who breached the border behaved relatively well.

“It could have been much worse,” he said.

Far-right politicians call for remaining migrants to be expelled

The humanitarian crisis caused by the sudden rush of people reignited a debate around immigration in Europe and beyond. Over the weekend, far-right, anti-immigrant Spanish politicians and well-known right-wing influencers descended on the city, sparking counterprotests that included members of the Spanish city's large Muslim population, many of whom are of Moroccan descent.

Alvise Pérez, a far-right Spanish politician and member of the European Parliament, called on Saturday evening for migrants to be expelled as he faced an angry crowd of rival protesters. Pérez eventually had to shelter in a bar as residents banged on the windows, until police escorted him away.

Among the counter-protesters on Saturday was 20-year-old Ceuta resident and student Noor Ahmed. She denounced the protest and presence of figures like Pérez in her city as opportunistic.

“They just want to take advantage of the humanitarian crisis Ceuta is currently experiencing,” Ahmed said.

Santiago Abascal, the leader of the far-right Vox party, visited Ceuta on Sunday, slamming the Spanish government for the surge in migrant arrivals, which he called “an invasion.”

“The frontiers of Ceuta and Melilla are the walls of our home and homeland, and they are not being protected by a corrupt and traitorous government,” he said.

The Pope said he was alarmed

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday said he was “following with concern the alarming situation in Ceuta, asking God … that solutions of peace, stability and justice may be found.”

Migration has been one of Pope Leo’s priorities, which he underlined during a recent visit to Spain's Canary Islands, one of Europe’s main migrant entry ports.

Trump added that a plan was in place for U.S. forces to carry out “the biggest attack since World War II” on Sunday. But he decided to scrap the plan and give diplomacy more time to play out after hearing from key Gulf leaders — including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — as well as at the request of unnamed Iranian officials.

“I said to the crown prince, ‘What would you rather do? Would you rather us do this or not?’” Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he flew back to Washington after spending the weekend at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. “They said we would much prefer a deal as opposed to an attack, because you don’t know where these attacks lead.”

Trump and the crown prince spoke on Saturday before the U.S. president announced in a social media post that Mideast allies had reached the "perimeters" of a deal to end the 5-month-old war.

It was another turnabout for Trump, who a day earlier said he’s “losing faith” in negotiations with Iran and offered the ominous warning that the U.S. military “will be hitting them very hard.”

Trump on Sunday reiterated that the emerging deal would include a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the critical waterway where about a fifth of all traded oil and natural gas flowed before the start of the war, and would resolve U.S. concerns about Iran’s nuclear program.

Iran has repeatedly attacked vessels attempting to transit through the Strait of Hormuz without its authorization as part of its conflict with the U.S.

And Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said on Sunday that the Strait of Hormuz “will in no way return to the status it was before February 28th,” the day the war started.

On a call with Iranian state TV, he added that Iran is discussing shipping through the strait with Oman, on the other side of Hormuz, but that there’s no current talk about reopening the crucial waterway.

Trump has announced halts to strikes on Iran on several occasions since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, only for things to unravel and fighting to resume again.

Iran’s defense minister said on X that the country was “neither surprised nor passive” following Trump’s announcement and said the Islamic Republic remains alert in the face of concrete threats from the U.S.

While Iran’s leaders appear united in a war strategy signaling strength and endurance, a struggle for control seems to be brewing within the theocracy’s leadership between those who oppose all negotiations with the U.S. and others who count on military pressure to win at the negotiating table.

The latest proposal would bring sides back to negotiations

Trump on Sunday said he expected negotiations to resume “tomorrow afternoon” but did not detail who would be involved in such talks.

A regional official said the proposal announced by Trump over the weekend calls for the U.S. and Iran to return to negotiations and continue working out many of the issues that have stymied prior progress on the deal.

The official, who is involved in the mediation efforts, said the proposal calls for reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and halting attacks across the region, including by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, on Arab Gulf countries and Jordan.

The U.S., in exchange, will end its naval blockade on Iran and allow Tehran to export its oil as stated in the tentative ceasefire deal, he said.

No deal has been reached yet but mediation efforts are underway, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to talk to the media.

Trump said that Israel is joining his commitment to end the war by implementing the ceasefire deal reached in June. Israel did not publicly comment on the announcement.

Saudis are concerned about Iran's retaliation

Prince Mohammed, the kingdom’s de facto leader, raised concerns about the U.S. potentially escalating the conflict when he spoke with Trump by phone on Saturday.

The call was “candid and constructive,” according to a person briefed on the call who was not authorized to comment publicly and requested anonymity.

The crown prince conveyed that an escalation in fighting could have a severe impact on the global economy if Tehran responded to a new U.S. bombardment by targeting some of the United States' Gulf allies.

The call happened before Trump’s social media announcement, the person said. The crown prince sought clarity from Trump on what potential new action he was weighing to take against Iran.

Saudi officials, the person added, have underscored in their engagements with the Trump administration that the kingdom — as well as fellow Persian Gulf energy titans the United Arab Emirates and Qatar — are in a good position to defend against further potential Iranian attacks, but that Kuwait could be more vulnerable to attacks by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq.

Trump suggested that his conversation with the Saudi crown prince weighed heavily in his decision to halt his plans to carry out strikes on Iran.

“It would have been disastrous for them. And they didn’t want us to do it," Trump said. "And frankly, Saudi Arabia didn’t want it either. They thought that a deal is imminent.”

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Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Toqa Ezzidin in Cairo, Giovanna Dell'Orto in Jerusalem, Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Natalie Melzer in Nahariya, Israel, contributed to this report.

Granger was the first Republican woman elected to represent Texas in Washington, D.C. 

She took the seat in 1997 after Democrat Pete Geren retired, defeating Hugh Parmer, and went on to serve Texas’ 12th Congressional District for nearly three decades. Granger was the most senior Republican member of the state’s delegation by the end of her tenure. During this time, she also rose through the ranks to lead the powerful House Appropriations Committee, the first woman from her party to hold that position. 

Across the Texas delegation, Granger’s legacy was honored. Sen. Ted Cruz called her life one of “historic firsts” and Sen. John Cornyn described her as “a trailblazer.”

Rep. Craig Goldman, R-Fort Worth, Granger’s successor, said in a social media post Granger “transformed the city she loved,” working “to improve the lives of those she represented.”

A defense hawk, Granger became one of the House’s most reliable champions of military spending. In 2011, she co-founded the bipartisan Joint Strike Fighter Caucus to shield from budget cuts the F-35 fighter jet program — assembled at Lockheed Martin’s main plant in her own west Fort Worth backyard. Six years later, she became the first woman to chair the Appropriations Committee’s defense subcommittee, where she helmed a $9.3 billion buy of the jets in 2018, before rising to lead the full committee and securing a $34 billion Pentagon contract for 478 more F-35s during her yearlong tenure. Fittingly, Lockheed Martin’s employees and PAC were her single largest source of campaign money over her career, combining for nearly $800,000 in contributions.

“It was an honor to serve alongside her on the House Appropriations Committee and to call her a friend,” said Rep. Jake Ellzey, R-Waxahachie, who served with Granger on the panel. “She made history throughout her career, but she never lost sight of the people she represented.”

Granger’s pull stretched well beyond Washington, reshaping her hometown’s skyline. She was the driving force behind Panther Island, an $1.1 billion effort to reroute the Trinity River and turn 800 acres north of downtown Fort Worth into a riverwalk-style entertainment and flood-control district. Her son J.D. Granger ran the project for 16 years as head of the Trinity River Vision Authority — a role that fueled accusations of nepotism, especially as Panther Island struggled to nail federal funding. He stepped down in 2022 just months after the project received $403 million from President Biden’s infrastructure law, which his mother voted for yet publicly celebrated the family’s signature project.

As her seniority grew, so did the friction between her brand of old-school, defense-focused Republicanism and a party base pulling hard to the right. Hardline conservatives often criticized her as too moderate and as part of a GOP establishment willing to compromise with Democrats.

U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, said her “work left a lasting mark on Fort Worth, Texas, and the Appropriations Committee.”

Granger once called herself a “pro-choice Republican,” and her first congressional campaign in 1996 was boosted by a PAC dedicated to electing abortion-rights supporters. Facing a well-funded, MAGA-aligned primary challenge from tech executive Chris Putnam in 2020, Granger reversed course, declaring herself anti-abortion and eventually signing onto a legal brief urging the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade. She survived that primary, though by her smallest margin in a decade.

Granger’s final year in Congress, though, was steeped in mystery. She announced in late 2023 that she would not seek reelection and stepped down from her role as appropriations committee chair in early 2024. She then missed several months of votes due to her declining health, and neither she nor her staff had told constituents for months.

The Dallas Express, whose CEO is Putnam, reported in December 2024 that Granger was living at a senior facility. Her son Brandon then confirmed to The Dallas Morning News that she had been dealing with “dementia issues.”

Rep. Roger Williams, R-Willow Park, remembered her as a “patriot who understood the true meaning of public service.” 

“Her word was her bond, and she led with strength, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to the people she served,” Williams said. “I was proud to call her a friend, and she will be greatly missed.”

Prior to her barrier-breaking tenure in Congress, Granger also left her mark locally for almost five years as Fort Worth Mayor, predating her defense advocacy. She became Fort Worth’s first female mayor in 1991, just as the Cold War waned, and aerospace giant General Dynamics ordered massive layoffs, and Carswell Air Force Base, one of the area’s biggest employers, was slated to close. 

Granger spent her years in local office fighting to soften the blow, lobbying to convert Carswell into a Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base rather than lose it outright, while also pushing citizen-patrol programs that helped cut the city’s crime rate by roughly half.

In a Facebook post honoring Granger, Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker described her as a “trailblazer and tenacious leader” as well as “a mentor and friend.” 

“What a lady, and the end of an era in political service,” Parker said.cebook post honoring Granger, Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker described her as a “trailblazer and tenacious leader” as well as “a mentor and friend.” 

“What a lady, and the end of an era in political service,” Parker said.

Toss in a crescendoing meteor shower and a six-planet parade on the same day, and the heavens will be overflowing with awe.

Daytime darkness will descend Aug. 12 across the Iberian Peninsula close to sunset — plus slivers of Greenland and Iceland — as the sun, moon and Earth align perfectly in the sky.

Starting near the North Pole before tracking south, totality will last up to two minutes and 18 seconds, an appetizer for an even longer solar show next year — a 6 ½-minute extravaganza that will sweep from Spain to North Africa and the Middle East.

It will take 1 ½ hours for the umbra, or moon’s sun-blocking shadow, to race along the 5,130-mile (8,260-kilometer) course, most of it over an empty Atlantic. Maximum totality will occur off Iceland’s west coast. By the time it reaches a small patch of Portugal and then Spain with its massive crowds, totality will have dwindled to a minute or so. The spectacle will end in the Mediterranean.

Eclipse chasers gear up for the solar spectacle

Hundreds of millions more on the sidelines are in for a treat as well.

A partial eclipse will delight as far away as Alaska and Siberia, enveloping Canada, the northern U.S., and much of Europe and West Africa.

The closer to totality’s course, the more the sun will vanish behind the moon – 94% coverage in Dublin and 83% in Oslo, Norway. Montreal will see an 18% bite out of the sun, tapering to 9% in New York and 2% in Norfolk, Virginia.

Special eclipse glasses are crucial. even if a morsel of sun is showing.

Adding to the cosmic wonder, the day begins with six of our neighboring planets forming an arc in the sky before dawn and end with the Perseid meteor shower peaking after nightfall under the new moon. Streaking meteors could photobomb totality, with some of the brighter planets and stars visible in the background.

Eclipse mapmaker Michael Zeiler is chasing an even more elusive interloper: the northern lights.

For his 13th total solar eclipse, Zeiler will be on a cruise ship in a Greenland fjord, sailing as a guest lecturer. He’ll point a video camera toward the north to capture any aurora forming during totality. A massive outburst from the sun would be the icing on his eclipse cake.

“What gets me excited is viewing rare phenomena,” Zeiler said in an email.

He’s not the only one revved up.

See who's hosting solar eclipse watch parties and science experiments

The European Space Agency will host a live webcast from Spain’s Astrophysical Observatory of Javalambre and a public celebration in Leon. NASA will provide its own coverage, as will the Italian-based Virtual Telescope Project and others.

“For me, it’s not just a scientific moment. It’s not just an incredible alignment of heavenly bodies. It’s also a very human moment,” said ESA’s director of science Carole Mundell. “It’s a real human connection between us with our feet planted on the Earth and the cosmos.”

Two of ESA’s space telescopes will observe the eclipsed sun and its corona, or outer atmosphere. Proba-3, the space agency’s artificial eclipse-making satellite duo, will be in the wrong part of its orbit during totality as seen from Earth, but will try to sneak in some before-and-after shots.

U.S. college research teams are also pitching in, launching more than 60 high-altitude balloons from Spain and Iceland to study Earth’s atmosphere and other changes during the eclipse when the temperature momentarily drops. They launched 10 times as many balloons during the 2024 total solar eclipse that captivated North America.

“A couple of minutes isn’t a lot of time, but it’s still plenty to affect the atmosphere and to make that cold, dark shadow of the moon on Earth,” said Montana State University’s Angela Des Jardins, who leads the NASA-funded balloon project.

Southwest Research Institute’s Amir Caspi also expects a scientific bonanza from his study aboard a NASA high-altitude plane. Four cameras will record the corona in nine wavelengths as the jet chases the eclipse at 460 mph (740 kph), extending totality to nearly three minutes in the air. Caspi anticipates thousands of images gathered from each camera during those precious 180 seconds.

"It’s true the eclipse is short, but it’s still incredibly valuable," he said.

And there's more to come

An exceptionally long total solar eclipse is in store for 2027, yielding nearly three times more observation time.

The southern tip of Spain will take center stage on Aug. 2, 2027, with up to six minutes and 23 seconds of totality extending into Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Somalia.

Then on Jan. 26, 2028, a ring-of-fire eclipse will round out Spain’s celestial trifecta — “a lucky coincidence,” according to ESA’s Mundell.

It’s all the more extraordinary considering Spain’s last full solar eclipse — not counting the Canary Islands — occurred two days before the Titanic’s sinking in 1912. Because that rare hybrid eclipse toggled between a ring-of-fire and just a few seconds of totality for Spain, some consider 1905 for the country’s last pull-out-all-the-stops solar eclipse.

The Royal Observatory of Belgium’s Andrei Zhukov can’t get enough of them regardless of their length or origin. His Proba-3 science mission has created more than 60 simulated total solar eclipses over the past two years, with the longest lasting five hours and 38 minutes from two satellites flying in formation.

“We’re looking forward to more eclipses,” Zhukov said, “natural or artificial.”

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

Curator Marcus Lobbes and his team were greeted with boos and whistles as they took to the stage at the end of Saturday evening's performance of “Götterdämmerung,” German news agency dpa reported. However, there was warm applause for the singers and musicians, and particularly for conductor Christian Thielemann.

Festival organizers said ahead of the performance that it would be the first time AI took part on stage at the event, “not as a character, but as an image-generating force.” They said that singers would be “the fixed point within a visually seething cosmos of light, texture, history, and association, amidst projections that erupt, constantly shift, and merge into one another.”

The AI-assisted projections included scenes from previous performances of Wagner's “Ring” cycle and historical themes, and drew from images pre-selected by Lobbes, the director of the Academy for Theater and Digitality in Dortmund, and his team.

The collage that the technology projected on stage puzzled the audience, dpa reported, with images including former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, the towers of the World Trade Center after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, and a special postage stamp marking German reunification in 1990.

The festival website said that “every performance will be unique — because the images and associations never stand still.” Two more performances are scheduled.

The Tigers traded the two-time reigning AL Cy Young Award winner to the Los Angeles Dodgers for three minor league prospects in a deal that was agreed to late Saturday night.

“Baseball has a funny way of challenging you to deal with change,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said before the series finale against the Athletics on Sunday. “Sometimes that’s difficult, sometimes it’s part of the game and part of the business. These guys are callous to some of the emotions that come with it.”

Hinch's team responded with an 11-0 win to complete the series sweep and keep the Tigers within 2 1/2 games of the last wild-card spot.

“We played a really good series in the midst of a lot of different things swirling around us,” Hinch said. “This group’s pretty tough. We go through it game by game and showed a lot of character, obviously.”

Moving on without Skubal will be the ultimate challenge. The ninth-round draft pick in 2018 developed into one of the best pitchers in baseball, winning the Cy Young in 2024 and '25 and posting a 2.40 ERA over the past three seasons.

Skubal is 7-5 this season with a 2.79 ERA and 116 strikeouts in 96 2/3 innings and had a major impact in the clubhouse. But with him set to become a free agent after the season, the Tigers opted to trade him for minor league right-handers River Ryan and Brady Smith and outfielder Zyhir Hope.

Hinch said it was important for the players to appreciate what Skubal gave the team while still understanding the task ahead.

“He wasn’t going to pitch today. So we have to be sort of cold about we got to move on and go play today’s game that he wasn’t going to impact despite the loss of his presence in our clubhouse,” Hinch said. "We have a ton of respect for what he brought every day, his preparation, his attitude, his desire to win. That impact doesn’t leave with him as he gets on a plane to go to a different team. The day-to-day does, and we’re going to have to find a way to overcome it.”

News of the trade broke during Detroit's 8-6 win over the A's on Saturday night with many players first hearing about it from fans near the dugout during the game. Skubal was back in the clubhouse beyond the center-field fence at the minor league stadium where the A's play when he got the news, making it impossible for the players to get the news directly from him until after the game.

But they managed to focus on the game and come up with the win.

“The team’s handled it really well,” first baseman Spencer Torkelson said. “Leading up to the trade, I thought we blocked out the noise amazing. Even in the sixth inning when everyone’s screaming at us from the stands that we traded our best pitcher, I think we kept our focus and kept the main thing the main thing. I think as a team we still believe in ourselves and we know that we’re definitely not out of it.”

The trade came at an uncertain time for the Tigers, who have overcome a slow start to the season to get close to playoff position.

Prized prospect Max Clark was called up from the minors on Friday and has delivered by reaching base safely nine times in three games. But the team also scratched Casey Mize from his scheduled start this weekend in case he gets traded before the deadline Monday.

“It’s a weird, weird place," Mize said. “We’ve played really good baseball the last couple days. We trade our best player. It says we’re 2 1/2 back, but obviously there’s a lot of teams still to overpass, so it’s certainly a strange spot."

The task now will be to try to get back to the playoffs without Skubal after they lost in Game 5 of the division series the past two seasons. Skubal started both of those losses. He had a rough start and took the loss in 2024 against Cleveland. He had a strong start last season with 13 strikeouts in six innings against Seattle but the bullpen squandered a 2-1 lead and the Tigers went on to lose 3-2 in 15 innings.

Skubal said Saturday night after the trade that it hurt that he couldn't help deliver Detroit its first World Series title since 1984.

“Over the last couple of years, we don’t get anywhere near to what we’ve done without Tarik Skubal,” Mize said. “I hope our fan base is appreciative of that, even if it maybe didn’t end the way that everyone wanted it to.”

The Tigers fans might get a chance to see Skubal again later this month when the Dodgers visit Detroit Aug. 28-30.

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

“Perfect pace, perfect read,” he said.

The 24-year-old Thorbjornsen sealed his spot in the FedEx Cup playoff after rolling into the Motor City No. 69 in the standings. The top 70 advance to the postseason after next week’s Wyndham Championship.

“Just to be in the playoff for the first time is very exciting, he said. ”It's great to be playing against the best players in the world."

Thorbjornsen started the fourth round three shots behind leader Davis Riley, whose rough start opened opportunities for the field.

“The start got the best of me and kind of put me behind the eight-ball early unfortunately,” Riley said.

Thorbjornsen took advantage, surging into the lead at No. 14 with his third of four birdies in a six-hole stretch and closing with a clutch, curling putt that went in the right side of the cup.

He's the eighth first-time winner this season on the PGA Tour and the second straight, following Jackson Koivun’s victory last week at the 3M Open.

“It was such a battle, playing with some great players," Thorbjornsen said. "Everyone was in the mix after nine holes.”

Xander Schauffele (65) briefly led during the final round and finished second, two shots behind Thorbjornsen.

“I played really well and he just beat me straight up, so hats off to him,” Schauffele said.

Riley (70) was another stroke behind in third, falling out of the lead with four bogeys.

Rasmus Hojgaard (68) was alone in fourth, four shots back.

Hideki Matsuyama (64), Matt Wallace (67), Kristoffer Ventura (68) were another stroke back, tied for fifth.

Thorbjornsen was born in Cleveland, grew up in Massachusetts and attended Stanford. He won the 2018 U.S. Junior Amateur over Akshay Bhatia, who has three PGA Tour wins.

He went straight to the PGA Tour in 2024 as the No. 1 player in the PGA Tour University ranking.

“I think it's one of the best programs in golf,” Thorbjornsen said. “It’s changed all of our lives.”

Thorbjornsen chipped in from 35 feet for birdie at No. 12 on a day when he accurately aimed for pins that left him with some short birdie putts before his long one on his 72nd hole.

He had a bogey-free round, an accomplishment many other players on the leaderboard were unable to pull off on a day that started with rain and became windy when the clouds cleared.

Riley started with a one-shot lead and quickly lost it — and couldn't find his ball in fescue at No. 4 after about a dozen people helped him try — with three bogeys through six holes.

He rallied with three birdies in a seven-hole stretch before giving back a stroke with a bogey at No. 17, taking away his chance to possibly force the tournament into a playoff.

The eighth and final Rocket Classic drew its strongest field and biggest crowds.

The PGA Tour is moving to a new model for 2028, effectively creating two tours and Rocket Mortgage decided not to exercise its option to host another tournament next year. The Detroit-based company isn’t interested in continuing to spend $15 million a year to be part of the second tier in the new era and didn’t want to double the costs to be part of the elite tier.

“There have been some conversations about having a tournament here again," tournament director Mark Hollis said. “Michigan deserves to have professional golf.”

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

Lula's rival, Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, has enjoyed open support from members of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, Argentina's President Javier Milei and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Brazil's president said in his party convention speech he wants to boost his country's defense industry, protect its rare minerals, and claimed “no Chinese, no American, no French will touch” these resources without respecting the South American nation's sovereignty.

“We will have to be much more daring to change a lot of things in this country,” Lula said.

Other members of his party highlighted the risk of foreign intervention in Brazil's elections, pointing to Trump and Milei. However,

“This election in Brazil determines the future of Latin America,” Edinho Silva, the Workers' Party chairman, said during Sunday's convention. Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia have elected Trump-inspired presidents in the recent past.

Flávio Bolsonaro's father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, was an ally of Trump but is now serving a 27-year sentence under house arrest for an attempted coup.

Lula has managed to draw centrist parties away from his right-wing adversary and arrives at his party’s convention with higher popularity in the polls than six months ago.

His campaign is specifically boosting a change to Brazil's income tax system that charges less to people on low incomes and a debt forgiveness program that has quickly become very popular.

Workers' Party politicians have expressed worries about foreign-sponsored threats of coordinated automated bot campaigns and social media manipulation designed to influence voters and undermine trust in Brazil's electronic voting system.

On Wednesday at the party convention, Lula said he doesn't want Trump as an enemy.

Brazilian Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, who will run again alongside Lula, said Sunday that Brazil’s electronic voting system “is so good that it doesn’t take votes from Argentines and Americans,” in a reference to Milei and Trump.

Lula is counting on some level of interference

The Trump administration has also imposed new tariffs on Brazilian exports and changed the designation of two local criminal groups to terrorist groups, which legal analysts say could hurt companies and open a path for other kinds of intervention. Both moves took place after Sen. Bolsonaro visited the White House and the Department of State.

Argentina’s Milei came to Sao Paulo on July 25 to speak at Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party convention and sparked a diplomatic crisis when he insulted Lula and the Supreme Court justice who oversaw the elder Bolsonaro's trial and conviction over the attempted coup.