The military said Hellfire missiles were launched at the ship in the Gulf of Oman late on Wednesday, after its crew failed to comply with U.S. orders, adding that the vessel was one of “nine non-compliant vessels” it had disabled since the blockade took effect.

An accompanying video appeared to show an explosion after a strike on one of the ship’s compartments.

The Guinea-Bissau-flagged tanker was the third vessel hit this week after two Palau-flagged ships were “disabled” earlier.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S and Iran traded strikes for a second day, pushing the Middle East closer to the resumption of a full-scale war.

The American attack, which lasted into Thursday morning in Iran, appeared more intense and wider than the day before, but Tehran released little information on the extent of the damage. An Indian official said a U.S. attack on an oil tanker allegedly trying to violate Washington’s blockade on Iranian ports killed three Indian mariners, underscoring the danger to seafarers.

It was the third time this week that back-and-forth strikes have rattled the Middle East. The first involved attacks between Iran and Israel, followed by the two rounds of fire between the U.S. and Iran, which hit countries in the region that host American bases.

The new exchange of fire came as efforts to negotiate an end to the war appeared stuck, with U.S. President Donald Trump warning that Tehran would “pay the price” for stalled negotiations. Iran’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement Thursday that the U.S. attacks had “effectively rendered the ceasefire ... meaningless,” without saying it was abandoning it.

Central to the negotiations is Iran’s stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, which has disrupted global energy supplies, driven up fuel prices and made food and other basics more expensive well beyond the region.

Iran announced Thursday that the strait was closed — but it was unclear what that meant since it has severely restricted traffic through the waterway since early in the war and only a trickle of ships have gotten through. The U.S. military's Central Command disputed the claim — and Trump said Wednesday that the U.S. has undertaken a secret mission in recent weeks to sneak ships through the passage.

The two sides also remain at odds over Iran's nuclear program, which Tehran insists is peaceful but which the U.S. and Israel fear could be used to build an atomic weapon due to its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. The U.S. and Israel said a major reason they went to war on Feb. 28 was to ensure that Iran would never be able to do that.

US strikes Iran and Iran fires back at Gulf states

Central Command said its latest round of airstrikes came “in response to Iran’s unwarranted and continued aggression” and targeted “Iranian military surveillance capabilities, communication systems and air defense sites.” It did not elaborate on the damage done by the strikes, which it said ended just before sunrise Thursday in Iran.

Explosions from the strikes echoed around Iran’s capital, as well as the port city of Bandar Abbas and other southern areas along the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard later said sites hit included a manufacturing complex, a military barracks and a local Guard base outside of Tehran.

Iran said it fired back at Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan, as it had a day before.

Kuwait closed its airspace for several hours because of the attack, but did not elaborate on any damage. Jordan said it intercepted 20 Iranian missiles fired toward an area that is home to a base hosting U.S. troops, though no one was hurt.

Bahrain's Interior Ministry said an 11-year-old girl was hurt and cars and homes were damaged by debris from interceptions responding to the Iranian attack.

Meanwhile, Israel warned residents in the country’s north to seek shelter after the detection of suspected incoming fire from Lebanon, where Israel is fighting the Iran-allied Hezbollah militant group.

Trump says the US is sneaking oil through the Strait of Hormuz

Iran's ability to control the Strait of Hormuz has proved a strong bargaining chip since the narrow waterway's effective closure has severely disrupted the global economy.

Trump said Wednesday that the U.S. military has undertaken a mission since last month to sneak oil shipments past Iran’s forces in the strait, aided by the destruction of Iranian radar equipment.

Trump said as a result more than 100 million barrels of oil have evaded Iran’s chokehold. There was no immediate confirmation of that figure, which equals roughly five days of oil shipments through the waterway before the war began.

But the seas remain dangerous for mariners. Indian Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal announced on X that three Indians missing after the American attack on the tanker Settebello had been killed.

The U.S. military’s Central Command had accused the Settebello of having “violated the ongoing blockade by attempting to transport oil from Iran.” American forces fired into the ship’s engine room to stop it Wednesday.

The leader of the International Maritime Organization, a United Nations agency, condemned the attack. India’s foreign ministry summoned a senior U.S. diplomat to convey its “deepest concerns” over the attack and formally protest the strike, spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

Another tanker near where the Settebello was struck off Oman experienced a fire in its engine room on Thursday, according to the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Operations center. It wasn't immediately clear what sparked the blaze.

Big disagreements stand in the way of a quick peace deal

Trump suggested earlier this week that an agreement with Iran could be close — but the exchanges of fire have called that into question, and big differences remain.

The U.S. wants to see Iran give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, which is a short technical step from weapons-grade levels.

Iran is refusing to give up the uranium and demanding relief from sanctions. It also wants the release of frozen assets even before a final agreement is in place, something Trump rejected.

Iran has insisted that any deal to end the war must also end fighting between its ally Hezbollah and Israel. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears intent on pursuing his goal of destroying the militant group.

A Qatari diplomatic delegation, negotiating in coordination with the U.S., left Tehran on Thursday morning after holding talks, according to an official with knowledge of the team who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the mediation. Pakistan, meanwhile, expressed deep concern over rising tensions and urged both Iran and the U.S. to adhere to the ceasefire.

___

Price and Toropin reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Sheikh Saaliq in New Delhi, Munir Ahmed in Islamabad and Victoria Eastwood in Cairo contributed to this report.

The 44-year-old Williams' doubles partner, 19-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko, was forced to withdraw from the draw on Thursday because of a knee injury she sustained in a singles match against Karolina Pliskova in the last 16 on Wednesday.

In her first professional match since the 2022 U.S. Open, Williams teamed up with Mboko to beat third-seeded duo Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe 7-6 (2), 6-2 at the grass-court event on Tuesday. They were scheduled to face Leylah Fernandez and Laura Siegemund in the quarterfinals.

Williams is set to play doubles at the Berlin Open in Germany next week. Her partner has yet to be announced, though British newspaper The Times of London reported it was Karolina Muchova.

Williams won 23 Grand Slam singles titles — including seven at Wimbledon — before stepping away from the game, saying at the time she was “evolving” away from tennis rather than "retiring."

___

This story has been corrected to say Mboko was injured in the last 16 of the singles, not the last 32

___

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

It means everything to Hunter to be able to play and be valued so highly by his hometown football team.

At Morton Ranch in Katy, Hunter emerged as a blue-chip LSU football recruit who doubled as an extremely fast 400-meter runner who also excelled in the high jump.

The Texans hammered out a one-year, $40.1 million contract extension for the five-time Pro Bowl defensive end Danielle Hunter that includes a $30.7 million signing bonus this spring.

Hunter has a $30.2 million base salary in 2027 that is fully guaranteed for skill, injury and salary cap and annual $500,000 per game active roster bonus totals.

Hunter previously signed a two-year, $55.1 million extension through the 2026 season with $54.1 million of that fully guaranteed. Now, Hunter is under contract through the 2027 season.

“It means a lot to be able to come back for another year, playing for the hometown, being able to play in front of people I love, people I grew up with in the city that I really care for,” Hunter said during the Texans’ minicamp. “It shows that this organization really values me as a person and as a player. It just leaves me to do my part, go out there and keep handling business.”

Hunter looks like he’s built out of granite. His chiseled muscles pop out of his uniform. His biceps are softball-sized. Hunter finished third in the NFL as he recorded 15 sacks last season at the primary measuring stick statistical category for defensive ends. He tends to be quiet and understated most of the time.

Hunter chooses his words carefully and is the opposite of a self-promoter. He doesn’t talk himself up at all and consistently deflects praise to his teammates and coaches and discusses team goals and accomplishments. He’s a Quiet Storm type. They call him Cyborg.

And Hunter works tirelessly to achieve a goal that’s been unreached by him when he was with the Minnesota Vikings and for a Texans franchise that has lost three consecutive AFC divisional round playoffs games: reaching and winning a Super Bowl.

“Each year I just start over,” Hunter said. “I start from the fundamentals and just work my way back up. The biggest thing in my career is that, I really want to go to the final game.

“That can only happen if I pass the knowledge that I have along to the team, my teammates, defensive line room and everybody else, so that we can all play together and have that confidence to make it to the final game.”

For that to happen, the Texans’ offense needs to approach the gold standard of the Texans’ absolutely loaded defense.

Hunter is seeing signs of progress, including quarterback C.J. Stroud.

“The few days I’ve been here, I’ve noticed a lot from the offensive line and the quarterback play, how they work together in sync,” Hunter said. “It’s definitely better across the offensive line and C.J. just having his pocket awareness, he’s able to step up and make plays.

“I just got finished talking to C.J., telling him he’s doing a good job of stepping up and having awareness of the edge rushers. He was complimenting us back and how we play together as a string, but definitely across the offensive line and C.J. just making his reads.”

Hunter’s skills leave teammates wowed.

With a low-key personality and a humble approach to football and life, Hunter doesn’t beat his chest with pride.

Hunter has run the 40-yard dash in 4.57 seconds with a 36 1/2 inch vertical leap, a 10-10 broad jump and has bench pressed 225 pounds 25 times. He has every physical trait an NFL team could cover in a pass rusher.

Whether it’s the Euro step, spin move, cross-chop, bull-rush, swim move or just a pure speed rush, Hunter, 30, is a dominant force whatever move he chooses to employ on any given snap or Sunday. He’s at the peak of his game and physical ability.

One of the smartest investments that Texans general manager Nick Caserio has made was signing Hunter and extending him.

Lots of pass rushers are long-armed, tall and fast like Hunter.

Few can match his imagination and intellect. His vision for creative moves and his passion for the game, relentlessly chasing down quarterbacks are rare traits.

Figuring out how to generate explosiveness off the football and time up the snap count without jumping offsides is another plus for Hunter.

“The biggest thing is I just go by getting off the ball,” Hunter said. “Me being a vet, I know how to dissect my guy. The biggest thing I do out there is dissect my guy.

Spoken like a true surgeon at his craft.

Does he have a favorite move? Not really. Whatever gets him into the backfield and reaching his destination, zeroing in to apply heat on the quarterback, at the top of his rush.

“Not really,” Hunter said. “My best thing is to just go. Find a way. Whatever your God gives you, adapt and find a way to the quarterback. Just doing what I can do to get better.”

Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is simply glad that he doesn’t have to compete against Hunter.

And he marvels at how Hunter engulfs quarterbacks. He rarely draws holding calls, too. That reminds Stroud of how NBA superstar LeBron James doesn’t always get the calls in his favor.

“That dude is special, man,” Stroud said. “I think, honestly, like who he is at practice too helps us as a team. He don’t take no plays off. I think that is just iron sharpening iron, Proverbs 20:17 is one of DeMeco’s mottos: ‘Iron sharpens iron, and so does another man sharpening another.’ In the world. You can do it in football as well. Who he is on Sundays, is who he is during the week. No surprise, but I got to watch little more this week, which was amazing.

“I even feel like against a couple other teams, he is getting held a lot. There is no calls. His presence is felt. Now, I understand why LeBron got so many foul calls until he became a Laker. Now, I see why he gets so many fouls is that he is so dominant, and you have to hold him or you have to do something to stop a fast break. Same thing with Danielle. He is so dominant that you have to do something to chip him or do something to knock him off his game. I’m not saying he’s LeBron, but he’s up there though, for sure.”

Hunter has posted 14 or more sacks four times in his career, becoming the 13th player in NFL history to accomplish the feat.

The tandem with All-Pro defensive end Will Anderson Jr. is arguably the best in the league.

“Cyborg, man, he’s also physical and relentless, but a little bit more methodical, a little bit more unorthodox,” Texans defensive line coach Rod Wright told KPRC 2 last season. “Hard to guess what he’s going to do from play to play when it comes to rushing. Both are very disciplined when it comes to the run game. And both guys obviously present a challenge to any opposing lineman they’re going against.

“With D-Hunt, he’s been there, done that. Seen it all, doesn’t overreact to anything. Very calm demeanor, kind of the Yin and Yang type of deal. Both have a presence about them, but it’s very different. Don’t sleep on Danielle’s personality. Really funny guy, likes to have fun as well. Got to behind closed doors, though. If you don’t really know him, he’s kind of a more reserved type of guy.”

Hunter, profiled last season by KPRC 2 for his passion for fashion and wardrobe of custom suits designed by the Gentleman’s Playbook, is a sharp dressed man who chooses his game fits carefully with his personal stylist.

“He’s put together,” Wright said. “He had a leather jacket this past weekend, I told him: ‘Make sure I get one in my size.’ He doesn’t need it. He probably has about 10 of them.

Hunter, 31, has 114 1/2 sacks in the regular season.

Hunter earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week last season as he posted a career-high-tying 3.5 sacks, four tackles for loss, four quarterback hits and one forced fumble.

With a rare and incredible blend of speed, power and precision, Hunter displayed in one fluid motion why he’s one of the most dominant pass rushers in the game.

Hunter has emerged as the master of the Euro step pass rushing move and many other strategies that have befuddled opposing linemen and the quarterbacks they’re paid handsomely to protect.

Although he’s a defensive lineman who represents the prototype for an NFL pass rusher, Hunter has a smooth, loose way of getting after the quarterback. His body-fat percentage is lower than most cornerbacks and wide receivers.

With a super humble approach to football and life, Hunter doesn’t beat his chest with pride.

At 6-foot-5, 263 pounds, Hunter has run the 40-yard dash in 4.58 seconds with a 36 1/2 inch vertical leap, a 10-10 broad jump and has bench pressed 225 pounds 25 times. He has every physical trait an NFL team could cover in a pass rusher.

Whether it’s the Euro step, spin move, cross-chop, bull-rush, swim move or just a pure speed rush, Hunter is a dominant force whatever move he chooses to employ on any given snap. He’s at the peak of his game and physical ability.

“I feel like he’s a unique, unique athlete,” Wright said. “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a guy like him. He’s one of a kind. There’s nothing that man can not do.

“I love that a lot of people don’t talk about him. He doesn’t want the attention. He wants the respect and he wants to win. I love that about him. There’s a humbleness about him that speaks loudly to our group, to our team. So he’s exactly who he needs to be and who we need him to be.”

For the Texans to take the next step after going 0-7 all-time in the AFC divisional round will take a concerted team effort.

Hunter likes the vibe he’s seeing across the roster and throughout the building.

“We definitely have the team,” Hunter said. “We have a group of great men, we are able to have a great coach, a great front office, that’s able to lead us the right way and a lot of guys that are just young and just buying into the program. I feel like that’s the first step to going in the right direction.”

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

Expect a mix of sunshine and cloud cover, with temperatures climbing into the upper 80s and lower 90s. Factor in the humidity, and we’ll feel closer to the triple digits.

There is a 20% chance of showers and storms in the afternoon. If you do see a downpour, it can bring a quick inch or so of rain and frequent lightning strikes.

Three-Day Forecast

We are back in a typical June pattern! We’re hot and humid with afternoon highs feeling like 100 degrees. Every day there will be a chance for a quick afternoon downpour, but we aren’t expecting anything widespread like last week.

Tracking The Tropics:

The National Hurricane Center has marked an area in the Bay of Campeche for a 10% chance of development over the next week or so. A broad area of low pressure could form. Still, conditions are not expected to be favorable for significant development as it’ll move inland over eastern Mexico late this weekend, totally squashing any chance of formation.

This means impacts on Texas will be indirect. Instead of a named storm, we’ll likely see increased tropical moisture, which could boost our rain chances starting Sunday and lasting into early next week.

This won’t lead to a washout, but it could mean periods of heavy downpours around the Houston area, including during some of the World Cup festivities this weekend.

We’re watching tropical moisture building up in the Gulf. Depending on its movement, it could reach southeast Texas by Saturday. That would bring back the risk of downpours and flooding if it lifts in our area.

There is a risk of flooding on Sunday, which is when Houston hosts its first World Cup game. This does not mean it will be a washout, but it does mean any shower or storm that we see before, during, or after the game can lead to street flooding. Stay weather aware on Sunday!

Your extended forecast:

We are back to a more typical weather pattern, but there is an increasing chance for rainfall into the end of the weekend and into next week.

Both qualities have been on display for the rookie offensive lineman.

Not only has Rutledge lined up with the starters at center as he competes with Jake Andrews for the job, the former All-American selection has also cross-trained at offensive guard.

Rutledge lined up with the first-team offense at left guard Wednesday during a full-team minicamp one day after playing center and having a few rough snaps. The Texans are preparing Rutledge to line up as soon as possible and are confident in his transition to the NFL.

“Keylan has done a great job,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “Keylan’s moved around from guard to center. He’s done a great job with both. Really great communicator as a young player, aggressive, intense, just like the tape you saw at Georgia Tech, so it’s looked great so far.

“I’m excited to see him as another guy, with all the rookies, I’m just excited to see the guys put the pads on in training camp and truly compete, get the opportunity to play in some preseason games.”

The Texans’ offensive line Wednesday included returning left offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery, Rutledge, reserve center Evan Brown, returning right guard Ed Ingram and former Pro Bowl selection Trent Brown at right tackle with projected starter Braden Smith working his way back from a neck injury from last season with the Indianapolis Colts. Wyatt Teller, a Pro Bowl selection with the Cleveland Browns previously, has been the first-team left guard for the majority of the offseason workouts.

Nicknamed ‘Big Red,’ Rutledge signed a four-year, $19.276 million fully guaranteed contract last week that includes a $10.479 million signing bonus.

Rutledge is known for his nasty streak.

He has already made a lasting first impression on hard-hitting Pro Bowl middle linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair

“The best offensive linemen I know are like gnats,” Al-Shaair said. “You blow them away, you get off the block, and then by the end of the play, you just feel somebody breathing on you like, ‘Man, get the hell away from me.’ That’s how it’s been for him specifically.

“There are times when I’m over there thinking about punching him, because he’s just right there, just on you and I love that. I think those are the best players at that position that I’ve played against just won’t stop. The mindset, the attitude, is stuff that is hard to coach. It’s hard to coach somebody to be physical. It’s just either you got it or you don’t.”

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

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

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

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

Key told KPRC 2 he believes that Rutledge can be an All-Pro center one day.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He is known for his power, strength, technique and go-for-the-throat style.

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

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

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

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

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

Where Rutledge winds up playing is still being determined, but Wyatt Teller, signed to a two-year, $23 million deal, and Ingram, signed to a three-year, $37.5 million deal are expected to start at left guard and right guard, respectively.

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

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

Right guard is where Rutledge has played the most, though, at the collegiate level.

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

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

NOTES: Veteran defensive lineman Logan Hall, a former University of Houston standout and Tampa Bay Buccaneers starter signed to a two-year, $13.75 million deal that includes $9 million guaranteed, has been sidelined at minicamp.

Hall is attending the workouts, but not practicing. He is expected to recover from a groin injury and knee tendonitis and be ready for training camp, per a league source.

Rookie tight end Marlin Klein, a second-round draft pick from Michigan, is recovering from a strained hamstring, per a league source. Klein hasn’t been practicing, running on the side with trainers.

The Texans have limited Pro Bowl wide receiver Nico Collins in drills.

Wide receiver Tank Dell, on a comeback path for training camp, has participated on a limited basis. He is recovering from a devastating knee injury suffered in December 2024 while catching a touchdown pass against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.

Dell has made significant progress after undergoing two surgeries to repair a dislocated knee along with torn anterior cruciate, medial collateral and lateral collateral ligaments. He is expected to increase his activity next month at training camp.

Several other players aren’t practicing, including safety M.J. Stewart as he continues to rehab from a torn quadriceps tendon last season, linebacker E.J. Speed, who sustained a season-ending torn quadriceps tendon and partially torn quadriceps muscle, per sources, while performing a single-legged squat in the weight room.

Nickel Jalen Pitre intercepted quarterback C.J. Stroud and returned the interception for a touchdown.

Al-Shaair delivered an acrobatic interception of a Stroud pass.

Stroud had some sharp throws, too, including passes to tight end Dalton Schultz and wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson. Backup quarterback Davis Mills threw a touchdown pass to Jaylin Noel, who has been the primary slot throughout the offseason after catching two touchdowns as a rookie last season. Mills’ timing and accuracy showed up on a slick, toe-tapping sideline catch from rookie wide receiver Lewis Bond.

“It’s that time of the year where you can show up and kind of just get by or you can actually try to push yourself to be better,” said Al-Shaair, who signed a three-year, $54 million extension this spring. “For me, coming into the NFL every single day, you have got to show up and work, and that’s all I know.

“That’s how I got to where I’m at in the first place, so I think that’s just the mentality of our team, and, obviously, as a leader, if you’re not doing it, you know, nobody else is going to really want to follow you.”

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

Executives at Walmart, Kroger and H-E-B say they are lowering prices on thousands of products as competition intensifies in the grocery industry.

• Nearly 40% of Houston families face food insecurity, new report finds

Walmart says it has already reduced prices on more than 7,000 items, representing a more than 20% improvement in pricing compared to last year.

Kroger has also announced plans to lower prices on select products while expanding its footprint by opening between 70 and 80 new stores.

The moves come as consumers continue searching for ways to stretch their grocery budgets amid higher costs for food and other household necessities.

Consumer experts say shoppers can maximize savings by paying close attention to sales, comparing prices between stores and taking advantage of loyalty programs and digital coupons.

• Houston inflation continues to climb, up since start of year, new data shows

Dominique Jones, a consumer science expert at the University of Houston, says shoppers should also consider purchasing store-brand products instead of name-brand items whenever possible.

Store-brand options for products such as soup, cheese, milk, lunch meats and ice cream are often significantly less expensive while offering similar quality, Jones said.

While inflation has eased in some areas of the economy, many families are still feeling the impact of elevated grocery prices. The latest efforts by major retailers could provide some relief for consumers looking to save money on everyday purchases.

RELATED: FIFA World Cup 2026 in Houston: Complete guide to matches, parking, Fan Fest, Transportation and more

A Global soccer celebration in Houston

The festival will transform several city blocks into a World Cup watch party featuring giant video screens, food vendors, interactive activities and entertainment designed to showcase Houston to visitors from around the globe.

“It’s something for everyone. It’s something for families to come down to,” said Patti Smith, the festival’s director. “We really tried to design this to show the world who we are as a city.”

Organizers expect thousands of fans to visit the festival each day, particularly during Team USA, Mexico and Houston-hosted matches. Admission is free, but entry will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis. The festival can accommodate approximately 7,500 people at a time.

Be ready for the heat

With Houston’s summer heat expected to be a factor, organizers are encouraging attendees to plan ahead and stay hydrated.

“Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate,” Smith said. “That’s why we want you to bring your own water bottles.”

Fans are allowed to bring clear refillable water bottles and can use hydration stations located throughout the festival grounds. Organizers have also added misting stations, shaded viewing areas and multiple air-conditioned spaces where visitors can cool off.

Transportation and parking tips

Officials are also urging attendees to consider alternative transportation options. Parking closest to the festival site will be limited, and organizers recommend using METRO, rideshare services or bicycles whenever possible.

What to do in an emergency

Medical personnel, security officers and volunteers will be stationed throughout the venue to assist guests. Organizers say anyone experiencing signs of heat-related illness should seek help immediately.

“If you’re not feeling right, flag anybody down and say, ‘I’m not feeling right,’” Smith said. “We’ll take you right to the medical trailer and have them take care of you immediately.”

Organizers’ message to fans

As Houston prepares to welcome soccer fans from around the world, organizers say the goal is simple: come prepared, stay hydrated and enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime World Cup experience in the heart of the city.

The statewide ad buy, first shared with The Texas Tribune, comes in at more than $800,000, according to Talarico’s campaign, a sizable spend nearly five months out from Election Day. It is a sign of the Austin Democrat’s cash-flush campaign coffers and his focus on bringing Latino voters back to the fold, following recent election cycles when their swing to the right powered landslide wins for Texas Republicans.

The ad is set to air on Telemundo during every U.S. and Mexico group stage match of the tournament. It will first go up Thursday during Mexico’s match against South Africa, and continue during five other games over the next two weeks: U.S. vs. Paraguay on Friday, Mexico vs. South Korea on June 18, U.S. vs. Australia on June 19, Mexico vs. Czechia on June 24 and U.S. vs. Turkey on June 25. The World Cup will be hosted in Houston, along with 15 other cities across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

“Since the beginning of this campaign, I’ve pledged to be a senator that represents all 31 million Texans, including the nearly 8 million Texans who speak Spanish,” Talarico said in a statement to the Tribune. “Building a movement to take power back for working people requires uniting together on one team to take power back for ourselves and our communities.”

Talarico is facing Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee, in what will be a vastly expensive battle. Talarico’s ad buy, fueled by his record-breaking fundraising, is the first by either candidate in the general election.

In the 30-second ad, a narrator in Spanish emphasizes Talarico’s background as a teacher and public education advocate, his plans to defend Social Security and Medicare, and his push to raise taxes on billionaires.

“Talarico’s shown he has the grit and determination, but he’s still depending on your vote,” the narrator says in an English translation. “And just like that, we’ll all be yelling: ¡Talaricooooooooo!”

The spot is a continuation of Talarico’s efforts to shore up support from Latino voters, who helped power his Democratic primary win. Ahead of the March contest against U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, the Austin Democrat aired ads in Spanish, maintained a social media presence in Spanish and leaned on influential figures such as Carlos Eduardo Espina, a popular Latino content creator who promoted Talarico to his millions of TikTok followers.

Recent polling has shown Talarico and Paxton running essentially even. A public poll fielded by Texas A&M University, Siena Research Institute and ReconMR from June 1 to June 4 found Talarico winning Latino voters by 12 percentage points over Paxton. The Austin Democrat maintained a net positive 11-point favorability rating among Latinos, with a quarter unsure, while Paxton was 12 points underwater with 20 percent unsure.

Meanwhile, in surveys across the country, Latino voters have cooled on President Donald Trump over rising everyday costs and the administration’s high-octane deportation campaign. A scattering of special elections, including a Democratic upset in a North Texas state Senate district, also have measured a fizzling of Latino support for down-ballot GOP candidates.

Latino voters made up nearly one in four votes cast in Texas during the 2024 general election, according to estimates by VoteHub. Republicans, led by Trump at the top of the ticket, made significant gains with Latinos that cycle, especially in South Texas. Those voters are expected to play a significant swing role in this year’s midterm elections, when Democrats hope backlash to the Trump administration and broader political tailwinds can help power them to their first statewide victory in Texas since 1994.

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

The National Weather Service said it received more than a dozen reports of tornadoes Wednesday across northern Missouri, Iowa, Kansas and Illinois. There were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths.

Weather service meteorologist Frank Pereira said the frontal system that produced the storms, including high winds and hail, was moving eastward Thursday. There was also a slight risk of severe thunderstorms in parts of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. The storms are being fueled by cool air from Canada clashing with warm, humid air from the South.

“Going forward, we’re expecting another area of severe weather to develop across portions of the central Plains, Midwest, particularly from Iowa, northern Missouri, northeastward through the Great Lakes,” Pereira said. “Again, it’s all tied into a pretty well-defined frontal system.”

Storms moved into the Chicago area on Wednesday afternoon, downing trees and damaging some buildings.

The two major Chicago airports, Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Chicago Midway International Airport, temporarily put all flights on hold in the evening due to thunderstorms. A similar ground stop was issued at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York due to thunderstorms.

By Wednesday evening, more than 1,000 flights going into and out of Chicago had been delayed or canceled, according to FlightAware, a flight tracking website.

Air traffic appeared to return to normal Thursday morning, with only 24 flight cancellations and 34 delays nationwide, FlightAware reported.

Strong winds blew part of the roof off an apartment building in the Chicago area, forcing residents to leave, according to NBC 5 Chicago. Elsewhere, barns collapsed in Wisconsin, buildings were crushed in rural northern Missouri and some large trees and power lines were downed in other areas across the Midwest, photos and video online showed.

Around 390,000 customers had no electricity in the Midwest on Thursday. There were nearly 226,000 outages in Illinois, including around 150,000 in Cook County, while 85,000 homes and businesses were without power in Michigan, according to poweroutage.us.

Commonwealth Edison Company, which provides electric service across northern Illinois, said the storms had downed poles and wires.

“We know this is challenging and will restore service as safely and quickly as conditions allow,” the company said in a post on X.

The storms soaked Rate Field in Chicago before Wednesday night’s game between the White Sox and the Atlanta Braves.

___

The story has been updated to correct the name of the White Sox stadium to Rate Field, from Guaranteed Rate Field.

___

Associated Press reporter Dave Collins contributed from Hartford, Connecticut.

The kingdom slapped a ban on Lebanese fruits and vegetables in 2021, saying they were being used to smuggle drugs. In one notable case, Saudi Arabia announced it had seized over 5 million pills of the amphetamine drug Captagon hidden in a shipment of pomegranates coming from Lebanon.

Months later, the wealthy Gulf country extended the ban to all Lebanese products after Lebanon's information minister at the time, George Kordahi, publicly criticized Saudi Arabia's war against Iran-backed rebels in Yemen.

At the root of the diplomatic crisis was Saudi Arabia's regional rivalry with Iran and its displeasure with the influence of the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon. The ban came at a time when Lebanon's economy was already reeling from a major financial crisis and the collapse of its currency.

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement Wednesday that the reversal of the ban at the order of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman came as a result of “positive steps taken by the Lebanese state.”

It did not specify what those steps were, but over the past year, the Lebanese government has announced plans to disarm all non-state groups, including Hezbollah. Before the outbreak of the latest Israel-Hezbollah war, the Lebanese army had made progress on implementing the plan in southern Lebanon.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in a statement thanked Prince Mohammed for the decision, which he said “will contribute tangibly to reviving the national economy and providing support to broad segments of Lebanese producers and exporters.”

The current government of Lebanon, which came to power last year with promises of reform, has sought to rebuild ties with the Gulf countries. Before the outbreak of the latest war, Lebanese officials were courting Gulf tourists to return to the country in hopes of reviving the economy, and some Gulf countries had lifted travel bans preventing their citizens from visiting Lebanon.

Soccer fans, good news! If you’re in town for the FIFA World Cup or if you just happen to live here, today will begin some of the many festivities that will be taking place in the city this month.

Yep, starting today, you can visit the FIFA Fan Fest in East Downtown. It’s a free gathering place for soccer fans to watch matches, grab food and enjoy live entertainment and games.

Thousands of fans are expected to visit the festival each day. Although entry is free, it will be on a first-come, first-served basis, accommodating 7,500 people at a time.

To read more, click here.

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YOUR MORNING FORECAST ☀️

TODAY:91° TONIGHT: 78°

KPRC 2 Meteorologist says:

“Expect a mix of sunshine and cloud cover, with temperatures climbing into the upper 80s and lower 90s. Factor in the humidity, and we’ll feel closer to the triple digits. There is a 20% chance of showers and storms in the afternoon. If you do see a downpour, it can bring a quick inch or so of rain and frequent lightning strikes.”

Get your forecast details here.

TOP STORIES

Will Houston’s power grid hold up during the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

With the FIFA World Cup 2026 set to bring hundreds of thousands of visitors to Houston this summer, CenterPoint Energy says it has spent more than a year preparing the region’s electric and natural gas infrastructure for the global event.

Houston will host seven World Cup matches between June 14 and July 4, prompting concerns from some residents about whether the electric grid can handle the increased demand during one of the hottest times of the year.

Houston man says $22K FIFA ticket purchase didn’t match seats he was shown

As excitement builds ahead of the FIFA World Cup in Houston, one local soccer fan says the premium seats he believed he purchased for $22,000 ended up being different from what he was shown during the sales process.

Saad Qureshi, a Houston resident and longtime soccer fan, says he purchased five FIFA hospitality packages through FIFA’s official hospitality provider, On Location, after months of discussions with a sales representative about seating options.

FIFA World Cup 2026 in Houston: Complete guide to matches, parking, Fan Fest, transportation and more

For one month this summer, Houston will be among the cities hosting the FIFA World Cup 2026 with seven matches at Houston Stadium (also known as NRG Stadium) and welcoming hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the globe.

Whether you’re planning to attend a match, visit the FIFA Fan Festival, host out-of-town guests or simply navigate the city during the tournament, here’s what Houstonians need to know.

ARE YOU A KPRC 2 INSIDER? HERE’S SOME EXCLUSIVES

Get 2 know Bombón: The music collective behind the Houston remix for FIFA World Cup 2026™ 🎵🎵⚽

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A Black teenager was sentenced to more than 30 years in prison on Tuesday after being found guilty of stabbing a white teenager to death at a track meet near Dallas, Texas.

This verdict comes after a heavily watched trial, where race and other factors played a huge role in its heightened interest.

The jury rejected now 19-year-old Karmelo Anthony’s claims of self-defense during a confrontation with Austin Metcalf in stadium bleachers last year. Most of the people who testified were students who described a heated exchange on a rainy spring day over Anthony’s refusal to leave a tent that belonged to Metcalf’s team.

Notoriety about the case spread, in part, because of a flood of social media posts that amplified the killing in racial terms. Anthony is Black; Metcalf was white. Lawyers on both sides, however, told jurors that the tragedy had nothing to do with race.

To read more, click here.

➡️ Love our morning newsletter? Share it with your family and friends!

YOUR MORNING FORECAST ☀️

TODAY:90° TONIGHT: 82°

KPRC 2 Meteorologist says:

“Wednesday will be very similar to Monday and Tuesday! Expect a mix of sunshine and cloud cover, with temperatures climbing into the upper 80s and lower 90s. Factor in the humidity, and we’ll feel closer to the triple digits.”

Get your forecast details here.

TOP STORIES

Will Houston’s power grid hold up during the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

With the FIFA World Cup 2026 set to bring hundreds of thousands of visitors to Houston this summer, CenterPoint Energy says it has spent more than a year preparing the region’s electric and natural gas infrastructure for the global event.

Houston will host seven World Cup matches between June 14 and July 4, prompting concerns from some residents about whether the electric grid can handle the increased demand during one of the hottest times of the year.

Contaminated Circle K fuel claims spread to Baytown as some customers begin seeing reimbursements

Reports of contaminated fuel damaging vehicles at Circle K gas stations in the Greater Houston area have now reached Baytown, while some affected customers are beginning to see reimbursements.

KPRC 2 News reporter Corley Peel has been following the story for the past week after first reporting on customers in Spring Branch and Bellaire who had their vehicles damaged by water-contaminated gas. A young mother in Baytown is the latest to come forward.

Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office fires deputy involved in fatal shooting of Texas State student in Lake Jackson

Kevin Tippit, the deputy involved in the fatal shooting of John Mendoza Jr. in Lake Jackson has been fired from the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office.

Brazoria County Sheriff Bo Stallman made the announcement in a video statement posted on YouTube Tuesday. “Based on the ongoing investigations and the information available to me at this time, I have determined that due to the policy violations related to the handling and discharge of his firearm, the employment of the deputy involved in the shooting on June 1st, Kevin Tippit, has been terminated effective today,” Stallman said in the video.

ARE YOU A KPRC 2 INSIDER? HERE’S SOME EXCLUSIVES

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METRO announced plans to increase service across its system from June 7 through July 11, 2026, to accommodate the influx of visitors expected for the international tournament while continuing to serve daily riders.

• Houston man says $22K FIFA ticket purchase didn’t match seats he was shown

“Our approach is not to build a system just for the event, but to strengthen the one Houston relies on every day and scale it to meet global demand without compromising service for our regular riders,” METRO said in a statement.

METRORail will operate extended hours until midnight throughout the tournament.

On the Red Line, trains will run every six minutes during peak travel periods and every 12 minutes late at night.

Green and Purple Line trains will operate every 12 minutes with extended service hours through midnight.

• FIFA World Cup 2026 in Houston: Complete guide to matches, parking, Fan Fest, transportation and more

METRO said local bus routes will see increased frequency and extended service hours along key corridors and activity centers.

Park & Ride service will also expand during the World Cup, operating seven days a week with extended hours and more frequent service.

Off-peak Park & Ride routes will run every 30 minutes until midnight.

Airport connections

Visitors arriving in Houston can use METRO’s 500 Downtown Direct service, which connects George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport with downtown Houston.

The route operates every 30 minutes and costs $4.50 for a one-way trip.

Additional security and rider assistance

METRO plans to stage additional vehicles at high-demand locations throughout the transit system to handle increased ridership.

The agency will also increase police presence in coordination with regional law enforcement partners. Officials said a unified command structure will allow for real-time communication and rapid response during the tournament.

• FIFA World Cup just days away; how to avoid headaches in the commute to Fan Fest in downtown

METRO Ambassadors will be stationed at key transit hubs and stations to assist riders and visitors.

Despite the service enhancements, METRO said fares will remain unchanged during the World Cup.

The transit agency has spent months coordinating with the City of Houston, regional partners, law enforcement agencies and event organizers to prepare transportation and traffic plans ahead of the tournament.

Officials said the improvements are intended to leave a lasting impact on Houston’s transit network beyond the World Cup, creating a safer, more reliable and more accessible system for residents in the years ahead.

The stabbing happened around 1 a.m. at an apartment complex in the 1700 block of Seaspray Court.

Investigators said the victim and a 20-year-old woman had attended a pool party earlier in the day along with several friends. After returning to the apartment complex, the two women began arguing over a boy.

• Funeral fraudster who targeted grieving families headed back to prison after probation revoked

According to police, the argument turned into a fistfight before the confrontation initially ended.

Authorities said the 20-year-old suspect then went inside her downstairs apartment. However, the victim followed her into the apartment, where the fight resumed.

During the second altercation, police said the victim was stabbed in the temple.

After being injured, the woman ran out of the apartment and into the parking lot before collapsing. Neighbors came to her aid and called for help.

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Houston Fire Department paramedics transported the victim to a nearby hospital, where she remains in critical condition and has been placed on life support, police said.

The 20-year-old suspect, who lives alone in the apartment where the stabbing occurred, is in custody and cooperating with investigators.

As of Thursday morning, no charges had been announced.

The crash happened around 11 p.m. Wednesday in the 600 block of Century Plaza near Woodham Drive.

According to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, a vehicle traveling eastbound on Century Plaza lost control, left the roadway, and crashed into the grassy median.

• Suspect arrested, charged in 2024 deadly mass shooting at North Houston ‘teen club’ venue

Investigators said the vehicle’s 30-year-old male passenger was ejected during the crash. Deputies said he was not wearing a seat belt.

Paramedics pronounced the man dead at the scene.

The female driver was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. During the investigation, deputies determined she was intoxicated and arrested her. She has since been charged with intoxication manslaughter.

Investigators also said speed appears to have been a factor in the crash. According to Deputy Laura Vasquez, the driver told deputies she was traveling about 60 mph in an area where the speed limit is 35 mph.

• Houston ICE detainee escaped federal facility using yoga mat to scale wall, unsealed documents reveal

Authorities said the driver and passenger had been in a common-law marriage and had been together for approximately six years.

No other vehicles were involved in the crash, and no other injuries were reported.

The exchange came shortly after the U.S. launched a second round of airstrikes overnight Thursday. Bahrain is the headquarters of the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet.

The new assault across multiple Iranian cities came as efforts to negotiate an end the war appeared to have stalled, with Iran insisting it would maintain its grip on the Strait of Hormuz. Talks have also faltered because of Israel's attacks against the Iranian-allied Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. On Monday, Iran and Israel targeted each other.

In a first exchange of missile fire from Iran and airstrikes by the U.S. on Wednesday, Iranian missiles were launched at missiles at Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan. Those came in the wake of American strikes in reprisal for the shooting down of a U.S. helicopter in the strait.

The U.S. Central Command said it completed its latest round of airstrikes just before the sun rose Thursday in Iran. It said the strikes targeted military surveillance, communications and air defense sites and were carried out by the U.S. Air Force, Marines and Navy. It did not elaborate on the damage done by the strikes.

Explosions from the strikes echoed around Iran’s capital, Tehran, as well as in the port city of Bandar Abbas and other southern areas along the strait.

Here's the latest:

Iran’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement Thursday saying the U.S. attacks had “effectively rendered the ceasefire ... meaningless,” without saying it was abandoning it.

Iran's says US attacks have rendered ceasefire meaningless

Iran’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement Thursday saying the U.S. attacks had “effectively rendered the ceasefire ... meaningless,” without saying it was abandoning it.

Pakistan expresses concern over tensions

Pakistan on Thursday expressed deep concern over rising tensions between the United States and Iran and urged both sides to adhere to a ceasefire understanding, saying Islamabad would continue efforts to promote dialogue and diplomacy.

“Pakistan reaffirms its support for the peaceful resolution of all outstanding issues,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi told a news briefing in Islamabad.

India says 3 Indian mariners killed on tanker hit by US military

An Indian official says three Indian mariners were killed on board a tanker targeted by the U.S. military over allegedly violating America’s blockade on Iran.

Indian Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal announced the three mariners’ killing on X in the attack on the Palau-flagged tanker Settebello.

“Sadly, three Indian seafarers initially reported missing are now confirmed dead after two bodies were recovered,” he wrote. It wasn’t clear where the third body was.

The U.S. military’s Central Command had accused the Settebello of having “violated the ongoing blockade by attempting to transport oil from Iran.” It fired into the ship’s engine room to stop it.

Kuwait closes its airspaces as it intercepts incoming fire

Kuwait says it has closed its airspace over ongoing Iranian attacks and said flights were being diverted to alternative airports, without elaborating.

Flights had been circling outside of Kuwait for some time before the announcement after it said its air defenses were firing.

Kuwait International Airport had taken a direct Iranian hit in recent days, which killed one person and wounded dozens.

Kuwaiti air defenses fire at incoming missiles, Bahrain sounds alerts

Kuwait's military said its air defenses were firing Thursday morning after Iran threatened retaliation for U.S. airstrikes overnight. Bahrain separately sounded its missile alert sirens in the island kingdom that hosts the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet headquarters.

The restart of No. 6 reactor at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station earlier this year was meant to spur a movement to bring more nuclear reactors online. Kashiwazaki-Kariwa is one of three plants whose cooling pools will be full in five years, according to the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan.

“Without solid (fuel management) plans, our power generation will stall sooner or later,” Kashiwazaki-Kariwa General Manager Takeyuki Inagaki said.

After decades of seeking permanent storage for highly radioactive spent fuel, the government is considering Minamitorishima, a remote Pacific island south of Tokyo. But the selection has faced skepticism and criticism stemming from Japan's arbitrary actions on spent fuel and radioactive waste management.

Only 15 of Japan’s 54 reactors have restarted since the March 2011 Fukushima disaster, when a 9.0 earthquake off Japan’s northeastern coast and a subsequent tsunami caused meltdowns at three reactors operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, or TEPCO. About 160,000 people fled from Fukushima and some areas remain unlivable.

Kashiazaki-Kariwa, also run by TEPCO, was shut down after the Fukushima disaster as part of a nationwide nuclear power stoppage.

The spent fuel in a cooling pool at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa No. 6 reactor, which is 88% filled, can be seen from a top-floor observation area. TEPCO has installed filtered venting systems and devices to prevent hydrogen explosions among additional safety measures based on lessons from Fukushima.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is pushing to bring more nuclear plants online, resulting in more spent fuel. Without a viable permanent storage plan, there are worries that reactors will have to close when storage space runs out.

Fuel recycling plan has stalled

There are two options for dealing with spent nuclear fuel: direct disposal as waste or recycling to extract plutonium and uranium for reuse.

Japan insists on recycling, saying it will help the resource-poor nation's energy needs while reducing the toxicity and volume of radioactive waste. But a reactor designed for plutonium reuse, a key part of the recycling, has failed. Reprocessing also won’t be able to handle all the spent fuel, adding to a plutonium stockpile that already is large enough to arm thousands of atomic bombs.

Experts say Japan should also consider the direct disposal option.

As of December 2025, cooling pools at 17 Japanese nuclear power plants held more than 17,000 tons (15,422 metric tons) of spent fuel, using nearly 80% of total storage capacity, according to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Beyond the large amount of radioactive waste from normal reactors, Japan also “has to deal with massive and largely unknown high-level nuclear waste from the Fukushima disaster,” said Lila Okamura, a Senshu University professor and expert on environmental politics and nuclear waste management.

Choosing a final disposal site for spent fuel and building a facility would require 100 years and tens of thousands of years to monitor the storage deep underground. For a generations-long project, Japan should plan carefully and not rush the current plan that is full of uncertainties, Okamura said.

A remote island is a possibility

Weeks after Kashiwazaki-Kariwa's No. 6 reactor came back online for the first time in 14 years since the Fukushima disaster, Industry Minister Ryosei Akazawa approached Ogasawara village to request a feasibility study for a high-level radioactive waste site on Minamitorishima, an island administered by Ogasawara, which is part of Tokyo.

“With a lot of spent fuel accumulating at nuclear power plants across the country, a final disposal of radioactive waste is a crucial challenge that must be resolved,” Akazawa said in a letter to Ogasawara Mayor Masaaki Shibuya.

The government-owned Minamitorishima, about 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) south of Tokyo, has no permanent residents. The Japanese army is constructing a firing range for long-range, surface-to-ship missiles as a deterrent to China. The island also has deep sea deposits rich with rare earth minerals.

“The move seems political,” said Satoshi Takano, a member of a government panel looking at final disposal of spent fuel. “There will be little opposition from a government-owned remote island.”

Some experts say the island, which sits on a geologically stable tectonic plate, could be suitable. Many residents on Ogasawara and two nearby islands raised concerns about safety and tourism.

“I was baffled when I heard about the plan,” Ogasawara assembly member Yusuke Hirano told an assembly meeting. “I think nuclear waste is incompatible with islands that are a UNESCO Natural World Heritage site.”

Struggling to find a final disposal site

Finding a community willing to host a highly radioactive dump site has been difficult, even with a raft of financial enticements. Minamitorishima is the fourth location to have a feasibility study since the government started looking in the early 2000s.

The whole review process will take about two decades. Municipalities participating in the first stage can receive up to 2 billion yen ($12.8 million) in government subsidies. The next stage would bring up to 7 billion yen ($44.7 million). Funding details for a final study haven't been disclosed.

The world’s first final disposal site for spent nuclear fuel is set to open in Finland later this year. Britain, Germany and the United States have abandoned reprocessing largely because of high costs and technical challenges, while several other countries are discussing plans for direct disposal sites.

Inagaki, the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa general manager, said TEPCO is transferring spent fuel from No. 6 reactor to other reactors at the plant with more space, but the utility hopes to resume shipments to a dry cask storage in northern Japan as a near-term solution. Other utilities with nearly full pools have announced plans to build dry-cask storage at their plants.

Many residents worry about Japan's growing stockpile because high-density storage of spent fuel could also increase overheating risks.

Mie Kuwabara, a civil activist in Niigata, wondered “where will it go next?”

“It's irresponsible to accelerate restarts and produce more spent fuel without deciding its final destination,” said Kuwabara, who also is skeptical about using Minamitorishima.

“It's like saying that it's OK to put a facility there because nobody is around to complain if there is a problem,” Kuwabara said. “It's scary.”

After years of a strained relationship between Greg Abbott and the Texas GOP, the governor has emerged as a key sponsor of the event. Dustin Burrows, after presiding over a wave of conservative wins in his first term leading the House, will be the first sitting speaker to address the convention. And party leaders are lining up behind Abraham George in his reelection bid to continue chairing the party.

It’s a stark change from the Texas GOP of years past. In just the last five years, one party chair resigned to primary Abbott, another endorsed against then-House Speaker Dade Phelan, convention attendees booed U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and as recently as last year, George entertained censuring GOP lawmakers who voted for Burrows.

With Attorney General Ken Paxton’s defeat of Cornyn in the primary runoff two weeks ago, party leaders hope to have allies in the governor’s mansion, atop the speaker’s dais and in Cornyn’s Senate seat next year, passing a new batch of conservative priorities approved by convention delegates this week.

That’s if Republicans can hold the line against Democrats in November. Paxton, Abbott, Burrows and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick are scheduled to address the convention Friday. The subtext of their united front, spelled out in warnings from Patrick and others in recent months, is that Republicans need to shelve lingering grudges and support the entire ticket.

One of the biggest lingering intraparty feuds dissolved last week when Secretary of State Jane Nelson, an Abbott appointee who opposed the Texas GOP goal of closing its primaries, leading the party to sue her in federal court, announced she is resigning her post in five weeks.

In a statement to The Texas Tribune, George noted that the governor, lieutenant governor and House speaker — the “Big Three” of state government — and many other elected officials and candidates are partnering with the conservative grassroots to put on the convention.

“Since becoming Chairman, one of my top priorities has been uniting every corner of the Republican Party of Texas to fight and win the 2026 midterms,” George said. “This convention has been a major step toward that goal.”

Yet, the undercurrents that brought the Texas GOP civil war to a boiling point in 2024 have carried through, albeit more quietly, among some of the party’s rank-and-file activists. The party rules, platform and legislative priorities adopted at the convention will set the tone for next year’s legislative session, helping determine whether the party will partner with GOP lawmakers on policy goals or reprise its heckler role on the fringes of Texas politics.

The Abbott and Burrows redemption arcs

The shift in the Texas GOP’s messaging comes after Abbott and the Burrows-led Texas House pried loose longtime party priorities that had gotten stuck in the lower chamber, sometimes for years on end after sailing session after session through the Patrick-led Senate.

For Abbott, it was the culmination of a multiyear arc dating back to his pandemic lockdown measures, which led to a fraying of his relations with the Texas GOP and his reputation among the hardcore activists who form the state party’s backbone. But after weathering attacks from the right in his 2022 primary, Abbott became a leading foil to President Joe Biden on immigration, revving up his Operation Lone Star border crackdown as the GOP base was fuming over a record spike in illegal immigration.

The governor also took ownership of a longtime conservative goal, private school vouchers, then launched a campaign to oust the House Republicans who thwarted it in 2023. By the end of the runoffs the following year, Abbott helped flip enough seats to secure the bill, which passed with all but two GOP members voting in favor.

The governor’s primary warpath won him extra goodwill among the grassroots by ushering in an insurgent freshman class that, beyond supporting vouchers, had run on shaking up the Capitol and steering the House rightward, setting the stage for stalled priorities — like restrictions on foreign land purchases — to reach Abbott’s desk.

Burrows’ relations with the state party started from an even deeper pit than Abbott’s. The Lubbock Republican won the speakership in January 2025 by banding with Democrats to defeat the House GOP caucus’ pick, carrying on a practice of courting the minority party dating back to former Speaker Joe Straus’ election in 2009. The GOP grassroots, after years of frustration with the San Antonio moderate and his lieutenants for stonewalling certain right-wing bills, feared more of the same from Burrows.

The abrupt path to redemption for Burrows and the House began when the chamber passed the voucher bill in late April 2025. Then the avalanche of GOP priorities followed.

Burrows’ rapprochement with the Texas GOP started coming into focus over the summer, while House Democrats camped out across the country to stall Republican-drawn congressional maps. In the meantime, the Texas GOP’s governing board met in the state Capitol to draft a report intended to outline Republican members’ transgressions against the party and its legislative priorities.

The morning of that meeting, Abbott brought the party leaders together with Burrows at the Governor’s Mansion, marking the two sides’ first meeting since Burrows took over the gavel. There, mere weeks after he had dismissed George as “not worth responding to,” the speaker discussed the conservative bills passed in the first half of the year and the state’s efforts to corral the absconding members.

“We have an open line with the speaker,” George told the Tribune after the meeting. “You don’t have to agree all the time. We probably are still going to have some disagreements. That’s part of the process.”

When the Democrats finally returned to Austin, the Legislature passed the congressional maps and capped off the year with a final batch of GOP wins: a bill to crack down on the manufacturing and distribution of abortion pills and legislation — once allegedly opposed by Abbott — restricting which restrooms transgender people can use in government buildings and schools.

The “bathroom bill,” as it was known, began its journey through the Legislature 10 years prior, once forming a major fissure between Texas Republican leaders before ending up as one of last year’s marquee wins for conservatives.

Despite this year’s unity push, some grassroots activists maintain it was the party’s threats to ban House Republicans from the 2026 primary ballot, should they run afoul of party principles, that pressured Burrows and the chamber into action.

Former Texas GOP Chair Matt Rinaldi, who oversaw the introduction of that mechanism, said it “definitely helped” move the needle. So, too, did the party structure that allows the grassroots to set the legislative priorities that lawmakers can be censured for defying.

“If the Republican Party is just a cheerleading society for elected officials in general elections, they’re not an institution of power, and that’s the case in virtually every other state,” Rinaldi said in an interview with The Texas Tribune. “But here in Texas, it is a center of power, and they have a seat at the table.”

Corporate dollars start to flow again

The Republican Party of Texas is the state’s affiliate of the national party, organized to elect Republican officials and enact conservative policies — the latter increasingly coming to the fore in the last 10 years. But some Republican lawmakers view the state party as a band of far-right activists who use the party label and institution to browbeat Republicans who don’t tout the party’s brand of conservatism.

When the last GOP convention rolled around in 2024, the party’s finances were in their worst shape since 2017, with party leaders having alienated traditional corporate donors through their activism, including then-Chair Rinaldi’s attacks on House leadership and his dismissal of calls for the party to distance itself from an influential GOP group, Defend Texas Liberty PAC, with ties to white supremacists. In those donors’ places, the party increasingly relied on contributions from Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks, the West Texas oil barons who funded Defend Texas Liberty and used it as their latest means of financing political opposition to more moderate House Republicans. Dunn-associated groups continue to be some of the party’s top donors, the Texas GOP’s latest campaign finance filings show.

With the 2026 convention coming to Houston, event finances threatened to again become a headache for the party.

Christin Bentley, a retiring member of the State Republican Executive Committee, emailed fellow members of the party governing board earlier this week alleging that the party was taking a $651,000 loss to run the convention. In a response on Wednesday morning, George said the deficit was currently closer to $100,000.

“When you factor in the registrations that will be paid over the next couple of days, that budget shortfall will not only be covered but we will turn a profit,” he wrote.

The George R. Brown Convention Center, the site of this week’s gathering, is one of the most expensive venues available to the party, located in the heart of downtown in a city that’s more than 600 miles away for some attendees. Adding to the potential costs for attendees is the convention’s timing, coming as global soccer fans arrive for the World Cup, with games beginning in Houston the day after the convention wraps.

Helping allay the financial burden on the party and attendees, Abbott’s campaign gave $150,000 to the state GOP in March, according to campaign finance reports, one of the party’s largest ever convention sponsorships by an elected official. In addition, Burrows gave $50,000, while Patrick gave $75,000. Other sponsoring electeds have kicked in as much as $50,000 each.

The Abbott campaign is also subsidizing tickets and lodging for some senior and young adult attendees, organizing cross-state buses and establishing an incentive program for county parties to fill their allotted delegate seats.

Abbott’s campaign declined to put a number on his overall contribution, but George told the conservative site Texas Scorecard in February that the governor was pitching in $2 million to fund or subsidize various convention programs. Abbott’s contributions, George told the party executive committee that same month, could help bring back corporate donors that hadn’t supported the convention in 10 to 12 years.

“Some of the major corporate sponsors are now thinking they can come back when they hear the governor is the top sponsor,” George said. “They like to be nice to the governor and I guess they want to be part of that.”

As of Wednesday, George said the party had raised $1.3 million through the convention, nearly offsetting the cost of running it and more than the $900,000 brought in at the last convention.

Campaign finance reports later this year will reveal the complete sponsorship picture, but current backers include the Associated Builders and Contractors, and American Energy Works, an advocacy group linked to energy executive and former state Rep. Jason Isaac.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform, a perennial convention presence and one-time GOP kingmaker, has stepped up as a top sponsor this year, its first time since at least 2018. The group’s rival, the Texas Trial Lawyers Association, and a new organization, Republicans Against Texans for Lawsuit Reform, are also sponsoring the event.

However, the party’s old top-dollar corporate sponsors don’t appear to be making a comeback, with none of the companies who dropped their support named on the convention’s public list of backers.

Sponsors at the 2018 convention, the last held in person before Rinaldi took over as chair, included Verizon, Anheuser-Busch, the United States Postal Service, Saulsbury and CenterPoint Energy. The Houston utility provider was one of the few corporate sponsors to remain through Rinaldi’s tenure and is among the sponsors again this year.

Rinaldi said the decline of corporate sponsors began at the 2020 convention, a trend he attributed to companies’ broader retreat from political activity during President Donald Trump’s first term. Notably, sponsors for that year’s event, before it moved online, included Comcast, Fenoglio Boot Co., Anheuser-Busch, Charter Communications, the Texas Medical Association, Chevron and other energy companies.

George told the Tribune that, for the first time in years, the party has sold out its convention exhibit hall, where sponsors, conservative media and activists pitch their missions to attendees.

Abbott’s convention sponsorship helps bolster his relationship with the party, but the programs to maximize attendance are also an opportunity to convert attendees into committed party organizers — future blockwalkers, phone bankers and campaign volunteers supporting the Republican ticket in November and beyond.

Additionally, the convention dovetails with Abbott’s pledge to spend millions bringing Harris County back under Republican control this fall.

In bolstering the party, Abbott is raising it up as a partner to combat the political headwinds of the 2026 election, when Democrats hope their Senate nominee, Austin state Rep. James Talarico, can harness the favorable climate to defeat Paxton. Even a close loss at the top of the ticket could help Democrats narrow Republicans’ margin in the state House and limit GOP redistricting gains in Texas — an outcome that could decide the balance of power in Congress.

Abbott campaign spokesperson Eduardo Leal said in a statement that the governor was “proud to support this year’s convention and looks forward to joining Texas Republicans as we work together to defeat the radical left from gaining a foothold.”

“Unity drives victory, and Republicans across Texas are united on delivering results for Texans and keeping Texas the strongest conservative state in America,” Leal said. “Party activists play a critical role in turning out voters, and their grassroots efforts will be essential to success this fall.”

Setting the tone

Mere weeks ago, Texas Republicans were locked in a bitter primary battle between Cornyn and Paxton, with Paxton calling the incumbent a Republican-in-name-only career politician and Cornyn labeling his challenger corrupt and a threat to the party’s success.

Since Paxton’s landslide win, party leaders from Abbott on down have eagerly moved to put the bad blood behind them. Patrick has nominally endorsed the GOP railroad commissioner nominee, Bo French, who the lieutenant governor once called on to resign as Tarrant County GOP chair. And Abbott has broken bread with comptroller nominee Don Huffines, who tried to primary the governor in 2022.

Two years ago, the Republican Party was more focused on beating each other.

The 2024 convention took place the week of early voting in the primary runoffs, days before party activists hoped to oust Phelan from the speakership. In his address to the gathering, Paxton celebrated his political survival after his impeachment by the Phelan-led House and proclaimed the son of Beaumont would “lose not only the speakership but also his House seat.”

Although Phelan would survive his runoff by 389 votes, six of his allies lost their runoffs, and by December, Phelan scrapped his bid to retain the House gavel.

During the convention, delegates approved an overhaul of the party’s censure process, creating the means to ban incumbents from the next primary ballot if they ran afoul of party principles. Last year, the Texas GOP’s governing board censured five House Republicans using the new rule, but, in a tacit reflection of the chamber’s rightward turn, stopped short of trying to bar them from the ballot.

With Burrows at the helm, the lower chamber passed more than 40 bills from the state party’s list of legislative priorities, more than the Legislature had passed in any of the years since it began compiling the running shortlist.

George, as chair of the party, has warmed up to Burrows, guiding the party through the transformative period. Their relationship began with the party running ads in Burrows’ district opposing his election as speaker. But by last October, the first-term GOP chair was trying to balance the relationship between the House, the White House and members of the State Republican Executive Committee.

During deliberations leading up to the censure votes, George warned the governing board that the Trump administration was watching their livestream and that White House officials had “strongly expressed” their opinion on censuring and potentially blocking candidates from the primary ballot. Near the end of the meeting, George briefly cleared the room for Trump political director Matt Brasseaux to speak privately with the executive committee, where he told them the administration did not support gatekeeping ballot access, according to sources in the room.

Since the end of the session, George has been laudatory of Burrows for passing conservative priorities but acknowledged that tension remains. The announcement that Burrows would speak in Houston and sponsor Friday’s “Lonestar Liberty Grassroots Club Breakfast” drew mixed reactions, with activists still faulting him for partnering with Democrats to win the gavel.

George, who hopes to be reelected for a second term during the convention, faces a challenge from his current vice chair and former running mate, D’rinda Randall. And it is George’s cordial relations with elected leaders that, in part, are animating Randall’s supporters, who charge that the incumbent chair has been too welcoming to establishment Republicans.

Randall’s running mate is David Covey — the candidate who nearly defeated Phelan in the former speaker’s 2024 primary runoff.

Despite his mixed reputation among the party rank and file, Burrows, a former convention delegate and precinct chair, has publicly conveyed his respect for the role played by the state GOP and its local chapters. In a statement to the Tribune, Burrows campaign spokesperson Kim Carmichael said the speaker “will deliver a message of working together to help all Republicans win in the November election.”

“These conventions are where it all starts: grassroots conservatives coming together to shape our platform and chart the path forward,” Burrows posted on social media after speaking at the Lubbock County GOP Convention in March. “If we want to keep Texas red, we can’t take anything for granted. Now more than ever, we must stay united, focused, and ready to fight for the values that make our families, our economy, and our state strong.”

But even as Abbott and Burrows make overtures to the party through the convention, some delegates are intent on ensuring elected Republicans continue to toe the party line.

On Monday, convention delegates submitted numerous proposals to expand the ballot banning process, including extending the scope of “censurable offenses” beyond two years and turning the two-year ban into one that would apply for life. Despite lingering discontent from those who unsuccessfully tried to bar members from the 2026 ballot, one by one, the panel tasked with reviewing the party rules batted down nearly every tweak to the measure, including efforts to beef up the punishments.

In testimony the morning after the panel rejected those proposals, outgoing SREC member Paul Hale remained set on holding Republicans accountable for ceding power to Democrats early in the 2025 legislative session.

“Some people need to answer for it. There needs to be accountability,” Hale said. “What would these people have to do — how far would they have to go to rouse you enough to want to hold them accountable?”

Disclosure: Anheuser-Busch, CenterPoint Energy, Comcast, Texans for Lawsuit Reform, Texas Medical Association and Texas Trial Lawyers Association have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

After hearing the horrendous way it affects livestock, many were left asking: What about my fur baby?

The parasitic fly targets animals with wounds and lays its eggs in any openings, leaving the eggs to hatch into maggots and burrow into the animal to feed on living flesh. It is notorious for devastating the cattle and livestock industry and, so far, cases have been caught in young calves and a goat in South Texas. However, a dog from New Mexico that visited Andrews County in West Texas also has a confirmed case of the screwworm.

“It’s not a time to panic,” said Guy Loneragan, dean and professor for the Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine. “We have been preparing for this for almost 18 months or longer in many cases, and there is a plan to address it.”

Local, state and federal officials are working to track screwworm cases and containment efforts, including the release of sterile flies to mate with the screwworm so she will lay unfertilized eggs. Experts, including U.S. Agriculture Sec. Brooke Rollins, say the screwworm outbreak may continue for a few months at least.

Since the New World screwworm targets any warm-blooded mammal, including humans, pets are at risk of screwworm infestation.

Here are some things pet owners need to be aware of:

Can screwworms affect my cat or dog?

Short answer: yes. The screwworm can affect all warm-blooded animals and in different ways. For example, the screwworm tends to infect any open wound on an animal. For pet owners, this could be any regular, everyday wound, such as tick bites, small scrapes and cuts from being outside, or if their cat or dog gets into a fight with another animal.

It can also invade any openings on the body — the mouth, eyes, nose, even the reproductive areas. The screwworm will lay eggs on the edge of the wound or opening, which hatch quickly and become maggots. One female can lay 200-300 eggs at a time, and may lay up to 3,000 eggs during her 10- to 30-day lifespan.

“There are lots of areas that can become infested,” said Loneragan.

According to Texas A&M AgriLife, the maggots have sharp mouth hooks that can tear at the tissue of the animal it’s in. The wound becomes larger and deeper as more eggs hatch and larvae continue to feed on the animal. The infestation could be fatal for dogs and cats, depending on the location of the infestation and the severity, along with the timing of the diagnosis.

Loneragan said birds can also become infested, but it’s not very common.

“That’s beneficial to us because it means that migrating birds aren’t moving this around to the best of our knowledge,” Loneragan said.

What symptoms should I look for?

If an animal becomes infected, owners will know based on how the animal acts. The maggots feeding into their flesh causes discomfort and intense pain in some cases. There may be some discharge coming from the infected area that can help pet owners identify the infection.

“The animals will demonstrate they are uncomfortable or a wound is causing a lot of pain,” Loneragan said. “Discharge coming from the area is described as having a foul, putrid smell.”

Other signs include seeing animals bite or lick at their wounds, and unusual restlessness. In some cases, according to A&M AgriLife, the animal may become aggressive or lethargic from irritability.

When should I take my pet to see a veterinarian?

Pet owners who suspect a case in their cats or dogs should contact their local veterinarian and the Texas Animal Health Commission right away.

Loneragan said the Food and Drug Administration has made certain medicines available, including antiparasitic chewable tablets or topical solutions, to veterinarians to treat both dogs and cats. In the rare case that either a wild bird or a pet bird does get infected by the screwworm, there are FDA-approved antiseptic products to treat them too.

Is screwworm treatable?

Yes, as long as the infection is caught and treated early. Loneragan said that pet owners need to report any suspicions or concerns they have to their veterinarian. The veterinarian can come up with a treatment plan that best fits the animal, the type of wound they have, and where it is.

“Treatment generally will involve removing the larvae, then using a product that would kill any remaining larvae that is too small to see or can’t be seen,” Loneragan said.

Larvicides and insecticides are two products that help veterinarians treat the infections after the maggots are removed. Screwworm may seem scary, especially given its prominence in the media, but Loneragan said the parasite is treatable. Moreover, veterinarians have tools available to treat a wide variety of animals, he said.

“Ultimately, the sooner you can get to the veterinarian, there are excellent treatment options they can prescribe and implement,” Loneragan said.

How can I keep my pets safe?

The most vital thing pet owners can do during this screwworm outbreak is to be extra vigilant and check their animals every day. Owners should inspect their pets for any wounds or openings that could be vulnerable to the screwworm. Keep pets clean and make sure there aren’t any insects, flies or maggots laying on them.

Loneragan said this is also an important time to establish a good relationship with your local veterinarian, if you don’t have one already. Veterinarians will help diagnose and report cases, which will also help officials track where the screwworm is. Many of the treatments also have to be prescribed by a veterinarian.

Texas A&M AgriLife recommends that if a pet is near the U.S.-Mexico border, or traveling to or from Latin America, then that pet should be monitored more regularly. It’s also recommended to use flea, tick and mite medications as needed for parasite management.

There are some scenarios, such as the screwworm flying inside a home, that can only be avoided through fly control techniques.

“They’re a fly. They’re going to move around and can fly between spaces or in spaces,” Loneragan said. “Implement the usual fly control in the house you would normally do, whether it’s a fly swatter or whatever. At that stage, you would be going after all flies.”

Is it contagious?

The infection from a New World screwworm is not contagious like the common cold. Loneragan said just because one pet has it does not necessarily mean another in the house might get it.

However, owners should be extra vigilant if they have multiple pets. For example, a household with more than one dog might have a situation where the dogs fight and scratch each other.

“Now you’ve got two dogs that you really ought to pay close attention to while those wounds are healing,” Loneragan said.

What about stray animals and wildlife?

Stray animals are more susceptible to open wounds and are vulnerable because they live outside, so it’s important that caretakers of stray cats or dogs are also checking for signs of an infection. Similar to inside pets, stray animals will show pain or may have discharge around the wound. If any symptoms are found, Loneragan says to call the local animal control to report it.

“Those things ought to be brought to the attention of animal control very quickly,” Loneragan said. “They can work with the veterinarians they usually do to address it and can implement the same sort of treatment plans if appropriate.”

If you suspect a case of the screwworm in wildlife, don’t approach the animal any closer than 25 yards and report the sighting to the local Texas Parks and Wildlife Department or to the Texas Animal Health Commission. According to A&M AgriLife, commonly infested areas of wildlife include the head and neck, along with the umbilical region for newborn animals. Deer are also susceptible to infestation where their antlers shed from their skull or if their antlers are damaged while they grow.

Birthing season for wildlife can also put female animals and their young at risk for infection, causing high mortality for both. Screwworm also has the potential to severely reduce the population of large mammals, such as the white-tailed deer, mule deer and bighorn sheep.

Leo is spending the final two days of his weeklong trip to Spain in the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago closer to Africa than the Iberian Peninsula and a key point of entry for migrants smuggled from West Africa.

He is meeting with recently arrived migrants and representatives of the church and humanitarian organizations that care for them and work to integrate them into Spanish society.

Most poignantly, he will commemorate the thousands of lives lost at sea from a port that in 2020 became known as the “dock of shame” because of the squalid conditions migrants lived in when they came ashore during a spike in arrivals.

Spain’s Socialist-led government, which had been shamed by the 2020 crisis, has bucked a trend in Europe and the United States by defending immigration on economic and humanitarian grounds. It launched a legalization push earlier this year for hundreds of thousands of immigrants without authorization.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has highlighted the benefits to the economy with an aging workforce and low birth rate.

A historic speech defends dignity of migrants

Leo has already called for strengthened international efforts to prevent the smuggling of migrants, the creation of safe pathways for them to move legally and development in countries of origin so more people can choose to stay home.

In a speech to the Spanish Parliament earlier this week, the first-ever by a pope, Leo demanded welcome and integration for those who do choose to flee, insisting on their inherent human dignity.

“The moral greatness of a nation is manifested, above all, in its capacity to accompany, protect and love those lives that are most fragile,” Leo said in a speech that also upheld the inherent dignity of the unborn, the elderly and sick. He received a 7-minute standing ovation at the end.

A visit to the ‘dock of shame’

Migrant arrivals in the Canary Islands peaked in 2024 at nearly 47,000, but have fallen dramatically, with just over 3,000 people landing there in the first five months of 2026.

Upon his arrival in Las Palmas, Leo was to head to Arguineguin, where in 2020 arrivals reached such numbers that migrants were forced to sleep in makeshift camps in the open air on a dock that became known as the “dock of shame.”

Many migrants were left to sleep for weeks with just a blanket and no showers. Potential asylum seekers had no proper access to legal advice and some people were held for weeks, much longer than the three days that the law allowed. The ombudsman later forced the government to shutter the makeshift camp and relocate the migrants.

Learning of the crisis, Francis had planned to visit the Canary Islands to bring his solidarity, but never managed the trip. Francis had made the plight of refugees a hallmark of his papacy, following the Gospel mandate to “welcome the stranger.”

Leo has followed suit, insisting especially on the dignity of migrants in his native United States amid the Trump administration’s crackdown and mass deportation program.

Next month, on July 4, the American pope will spend U.S. Independence Day on the island of Lampedusa, Sicily, another main point of entry for migrants smuggled from North Africa trying to reach Europe.

Francis had visited Lampedusa in 2013, on his first trip outside Rome, and tossed a wreath into the Mediterranean in honor of the thousands of migrants who died in the perilous crossing. It was on that trip that he coined a phrase that became a mantra during his pontificate denouncing the “globalization of indifference” that the world showed migrants.

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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Oil prices fell after rising earlier as the U.S. launched a second round of airstrikes against Iran.

In early European trading, Germany's DAX was nearly unchanged at 24,188.88 and the CAC 40 in Paris gained 0.4% to 8,192.55. The FTSE 100 in London added 0.5% to 10,307.39.

The future for the S&P 500 was up 0.8%, while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.7%.

Tokyo's Nikkei 225 edged up less than 0.1% to 64,217.27 after falling earlier in the day, while the Kospi in South Korea gained 0.4% to 7,763.95.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.7% to 24,249.29, while the Shanghai Composite index was down 0.2% to 3,987.01.

In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 likewise shed 0.2% to 8,633.20.

Taiwan's Taiex slipped 0.2% and India's Sensex rose 0.2%.

On Wednesday, Wall Street’s former superstars continue to face heavy scrutiny.

The S&P 500 dropped 1.6% for its first back-to-back drop in three weeks. Closing at 7,266.99, it's back to where it was in early May.

The Dow tumbled 1.9% and the Nasdaq composite led the market lower with a 2% slide.

Wall Street has been shaky since last week, when AI stocks went from roaring to records to suddenly turn lower. Among the worries is that their prices may have shot too high, too fast because of AI mania. The question now is whether the break lower has cleared out excessive optimism that may have built into their stock prices, or if it’s the start of a longer downturn.

Micron Technology swung from an early loss of nearly 4% to a modest gain and back to a loss of 4.7%. It’s coming off a wild stretch where it sank 7.7% last Thursday, then plunged another 13.3% Friday and rallied 9.9% Monday.

Nvidia, the chip company that’s grown into a nearly $4.9 trillion behemoth because of the AI boom, was the heaviest weight on the S&P 500 after falling 3.7%. The second heaviest was another AI winner, Broadcom, which fell 5.1%.

Some of the pressure on AI stocks could also be coming from investors pulling cash out to prepare for high-profile debuts on the U.S. stock market for several AI giants. SpaceX’s initial public offering could come later this week, for example.

Early Thursday, Brent crude oil, the international standard, fell $1.30 to $91.80 per barrel. It was at around $70 a barrel before the start of the war in late February.

U.S. benchmark crude oil was down $1.22 to $88.81 a barrel.

Oil prices climbed on Wednesday after President Donald Trump warned Iran would “pay the price” for stalled negotiations between the two sides. The war in the Middle East has been keeping the Strait of Hormuz effectively shut to oil tankers, which has prevented the delivery of crude from the Persian Gulf to customers worldwide.

High oil prices have sent inflation higher, and a report on Wednesday showed that prices for U.S. consumers jumped in May at the highest speed in three years.

Traders are betting the Federal Reserve will have to hike its main interest rate at least once this year, given price pressures and the strength of the U.S. job market.

High yields can slow entire economies and undercut prices for all kinds of investments, including stocks and cryptocurrencies. They hit investments seen as the most expensive in particular, and some critics are calling AI a bubble where investment inflated too far.

In other dealings early Thursday, the dollar slipped to 160.54 Japanese yen from 160.56 yen. The euro fell to $1.1534 from $1.1537.

A heat wave may be the most obvious health threat. But infectious diseases can spread in a crowd, and experts are set to scrutinize wastewater, hospital visits, even social media for any signs that an outbreak might be brewing.

Measles, one of the most contagious diseases, is among the top concerns, sparking a warning this week from the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO. With a nearly six-week stretch of packed stadiums, bars and tourist sites in 16 cities, officials are on the lookout for a long list of infections, from the stomach bug norovirus to mosquito-borne dengue fever.

“This is truly a marathon,” said Palak Raval-Nelson, Philadelphia's health commissioner.

The mass gatherings come at a tense moment for budget-strapped health agencies in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hit hard by Trump administration staffing cuts, already was grappling with a growing Ebola outbreak in central Africa and a cruise ship hantavirus outbreak. While CDC officials have advised state and local health departments behind the scenes, its expected World Cup disease surveillance dashboard still was “in final development” days before games began, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

“Our public health professionals are pretty stretched,” said global health specialist Rebecca Katz of Georgetown University, who is leading an unusual new hub to help.

At the Health Security Operations Center, a joint effort between Georgetown and MedStar Health, workers are analyzing data from around the country so they can alert health authorities, even emergency rooms, to any early signs of trouble. The center is issuing daily “situation reports” about disease trends around World Cup host cities and team base camps to several hundred local and federal public health groups, emergency management and hospital officials and others who’ve signed up.

“It's important that we don't become alarmist,” said MedStar emergency medicine specialist Dr. Shane Kappler. “We're trying to be the insurance policy.”

Measles is a top concern for potential World Cup spread

Already more than 2,000 people in the U.S. have come down with measles this year, nearly as many as during all of last year, according to the CDC. Patients can spread measles before the rash appears and they realize they're sick. Not too long ago, the U.S. seldom saw measles except from international travel by unvaccinated people.

Now with frequent U.S. outbreaks, "actually a lot of our international partners are worried about measles being exported to them after the games,” said Georgetown’s Katz.

Measles is spreading in Canada, too, and has exceeded 11,000 cases in Mexico, according to PAHO. It’s urging soccer fans to be sure they’re vaccinated, with a health campaign saying a single measles patient can spread the virus to up to 18 unprotected people.

Is Ebola a concern at the World Cup?

Brown University’s Dr. Craig Spencer, who survived Ebola while working in the West Africa outbreak over a decade ago, said he’s repeatedly asked about the risk of Ebola during the World Cup — but “for me, Ebola is not the No. 1 or No. 2 or even No. 3 threat.”

“I am concerned about importation of measles, I am much more concerned about the importation of other infectious threats that may not seem as scary to us as Ebola,” Spencer said.

Many health experts agree that the risk of Ebola spreading in the U.S. is very low. That’s partly because of government travel screenings and restrictions on people recently in outbreak-affected areas. Moreover, Ebola spreads by contact with bodily fluids from someone showing symptoms, not through the air like measles or respiratory viruses.

“One fortunate thing about this virus is you’re most contagious when you’re really quite ill. It’s not like COVID, where you could be sitting next to someone who doesn’t even know they’re infected and perhaps contract the virus,” said Jennifer Nuzzo, director of Brown’s Pandemic Center.

How to spot brewing diseases

There’s precedent for germs invading major sporting events. Canadian scientists linked a community measles outbreak to the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, and clusters of norovirus had to be contained during the Olympics this year in Milan and in 2018 in South Korea.

One way to detect signs of trouble: People with certain viral or bacterial infections shed genetic material that sophisticated testing of wastewater can spot. For example, measles can appear in wastewater days before an emergency room sees its first patients.

This week's surveillance reports from Katz's center note that wastewater testing recently found diarrhea-causing rotavirus, hepatitis A and norovirus in some parts of the U.S., something to watch as soccer crowds arrive.

In Dallas, officials ramped up wastewater screening including at the international airport, casting a wide net rather than looking for specific illnesses, said Dr. Phil Huang, director of Dallas County Health and Human Services.

His team also is enhancing the usual mosquito testing, checking not just for West Nile virus that regularly spreads in the U.S. but for viruses more common in other countries like dengue and chikungunya.

Public health officials have been preparing for months, said Philadelphia’s Raval-Nelson, including with mock emergency drills and communications with counterparts around the country.

“I don’t want to send a message that there’s one key thing," she said. “We have the frameworks in place to carry out what we need to.”

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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.

Some of them aren’t too enthusiastic.

“I think they’re all a waste of time,” said Shirley Prior on the choice of candidates in Makerfield, where a special election on June 18 has drawn interest from journalists around the world. That level of attention is all-but unheard of for a midterm by-election to fill one of the 650 seats in the House of Commons.

If Andy Burnham from the center-left Labour Party wins, there’s a strong chance he will replace embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer as leader of both party and country. He's up against Reform UK, a hard-right party hoping to prove that this longtime Labour stronghold is fertile ground for its anti-immigration message, with potentially seismic consequences for British democracy.

This district has elected Labour lawmakers for 120 years, but Burnham is not a shoo-in. Reform, led by the veteran anti-immigration politician Nigel Farage, won 24 of the 25 council seats up for grabs in local elections in this area last month.

“I always voted Labour because my dad, my grandad, everybody voted Labour then,” Prior said. “I’ve never done that for a lot, a lot of years.”

Immigration is a top issue

The election is taking place amid heightened tensions over immigration. A stabbing in Belfast this week, for which a Sudanese man has been charged with attempted murder, triggered violent protests in Northern Ireland in which cars and houses torched.

In the constituency’s main town of Ashton-in-Makerfield, 200 miles (320 kilometers) northwest of London, some voters echo Reform claims that recent arrivals are straining housing and public services.

“Immigration’s too high, all the services are being put under pressure and Labour just keep inviting more and more people into the country and it’s the taxpayer who has to pay for them,” said retiree Phil Arrowsmith.

Annual net migration to the U.K. reached more than 900,000 in 2023, under the previous Conservative government, before falling to 171,000 last year.

That decline has done little to boost a Labour government that has floundered since winning election in July 2024.

Starmer has struggled to deliver promised economic growth, repair tattered public services and ease the cost of living, and been hamstrung by repeated missteps, including his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson, a scandal-tarnished friend of Jeffrey Epstein, as Britain’s ambassador to Washington.

A dismal performance in local elections last month sparked a clamor from Labour lawmakers for Starmer’s resignation. He has refused, but Cabinet minister Wes Streeting quit so he can run in a leadership contest that could come soon.

Burnham, the popular mayor of Greater Manchester, also harbors leadership ambitions, but needs a seat in Parliament if he wants to challenge Starmer. An opening emerged when Josh Simons, the Labour lawmaker for Makerfield, stepped down to trigger a special election.

Burnham said he understands that voters are “fed up” and calls the large Reform UK vote “a cry for real change” that Labour must heed.

The ‘King of the North’ eyes power in London

The Makerfield constituency is a capsule of British history, a collection of former coal-mining communities turned commuter suburbs. The slag heaps and slum housing in the area described by George Orwell in his 1937 book “The Road to Wigan Pier” have been replaced by suburbs of tidy modern houses amid Victorian workers’ cottages, interspersed with farmers’ fields.

Though far from the city center, it is part of Greater Manchester, and Burnham gets honks and thumbs’ ups from passing drivers as he walks down the street in his smart-casual uniform of dark jeans with a navy blue shirt and jacket.

The 56-year-old has been mayor of the region of 3 million people since 2017, a period that has seen central Manchester boom, with skyscrapers blooming on postindustrial sites. Many residents praise him for championing the city, and for taking a piecemeal public transport system under municipal control as the Bee Network.

For a decade and a half before that he was a lawmaker in Parliament, and a minister in Labour governments. He doesn’t emphasize that part of his CV, preferring the outsider status that has seen him nicknamed the King of the North.

“What we’ve built in Greater Manchester needs to go national,” Burnham told reporters during a campaign event this week. “I know what it is to turn places around.”

Many predict a close contest

The campaign is an odd mix of the local and the international. Some voters cite immigration as a top concern. Others mention struggling main street shops, potholes and petty crime.

Burnham’s main rival is Reform UK candidate Rob Kenyon, a 41-year-old plumber and local councilor who came second to Labour here in the 2024 national election. He says he’s an unpolished regular bloke, though opponents have criticized him over crude, sexist and anti-vaccine comments on social media.

Reform voters are also being targeted by Restore, an even more hardline anti-immigration party.

Michael Poultney, a retired teacher and Labour supporter, thinks the unpopularity of Starmer’s government means Burnham faces a stiff challenge.

“Without his personal vote, I think we would struggle,” he said. “Keir Starmer has done reasonably well on the international stage, but the government are yet to be in control of the economy.”

Burnham insists he is running for the people of Makerfield, not his own ambition, and is not taking victory for granted.

“I am making no assumptions beyond the 18th of June,” Burnham said.

But he stressed that “this is a change byelection.”

“I will take the fight for the changes I want to see in politics as far as I can take it,” he said.

The 7.8 magnitude offshore quake, one of the strongest to hit the Philippine archipelago in a half century, struck Monday off the southern province of Sarangani and has left at least 47 people dead and injured 688 with 31 still missing.

More than 45,000 people remained displaced, about half in emergency shelters, after the quake damaged more than 12,600 houses in farming towns and cities. Many were still too traumatized to return home due to aftershocks, provincial officials said.

Sarangani reported 20 dead from the quake, the highest toll from the affected provinces, mostly due to a landslide that buried houses in the coastal town of Glan, according to the government's Office of Civil Defense, which deals with major disasters.

Glan Mayor Victor James Yap said power has not been restored to his province and 10 of 31 villages in his town of more than 100,000 people remained inaccessible mostly due to landslides. He asked the government to immediately deploy air force helicopters to deliver food and other aid to the stricken areas.

“We need food and water but it’s difficult to transport them to some of our villages which remain isolated,” Yap told DZMM radio network. “Choppers are needed to transport food because people there are already very hungry.”

A key access road to the town has been reopened and will allow the delivery of fuel as early as Thursday, but the town remained without power and cellphone services were still spotty, according to Yap.

The Office of Civil Defense said more than 26 million pesos ($426,000) worth of food packs, cash and other aid have been provided so far and 180 government and military planes, helicopters, ships and trucks have been deployed to respond to the disaster.

About 3,400 government and military personnel were involved in search efforts for the missing, debris-clearing in roads, damage assessment and other disaster-mitigation work, it said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday visited the hard-hit city of General Santos city, where he inspected damaged hospitals and schools and discussed recovery efforts. He ordered the release of 100 million pesos ($1.6 million) for the repair of the partly collapsed city hall and 50,000 pesos ($820) for the families of each of the victims who died in the quake.

Most of the deaths from the quake were caused by falling debris from collapsed buildings and landslides in Sarangani, the coastal city of General Santos, and the outlying provinces of South Cotabato and Davao Occidental.

Two swimmers drowned and one remained missing off General Santos after being swept out to sea shortly after the quake hit. Waves of up to 1.4 meters (4.6 feet) above tide level were measured in the country’s south and smaller waves washed ashore in Indonesia and Palau and as far away as southern Japan.

The earthquake was one of the strongest to hit the country since an 8.1 magnitude quake and tsunami on Aug. 17, 1976, that killed about 8,000 people.

The Philippines is often hit by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of seismic faults around the ocean.

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Associated Press journalist Jim Gomez contributed to this report from Manila, Philippines.

Demonstrators wearing masks tore bricks from the walls outside homes and smashed sidewalks with sledgehammers to toss at riot police. In one place, the unruly crowd used sections of a dismantled picket fence to take cover on the street.

The clashes with police came several hours after a 30-year-old man from Sudan appeared in a Belfast court charged with attempted murder in a stabbing attack that left a man seriously injured and triggered anti-immigrant violence.

Hadi Alodid, 30, was ordered held in jail after appearing by video in Belfast Magistrates’ Court, where a detective said he blinded Stephen Ogilvie in the left eye during the knife attack. He was also charged with possessing a knife and threatening to kill a radiographer while being treated for a hand injury after the assault.

When police arrived at the crime scene, they found Alodid on the man, armed with a kitchen knife, the detective said. Alodid later told hospital staff: “I’ve killed someone, I don’t know if they are dead,” and said, “I will kill you."

He refused legal representation through an Arabic interpreter and did not enter a plea.

Police were prepared for more violence after masked men on Tuesday set fire to several homes they believed to house immigrants, burned trash bins, torched a Belfast bus and pelted police with objects.

Firefighters rescued several people from burning houses and more than two dozen people were left homeless.

Anselme Shima, a Belfast resident originally from Congo, said he saw smoke from burning vehicles near his home.

“I’ve lived on my street for almost 10 years, I have a good relationship with my neighbors, but last night was a horrific one,” he said. “We don’t know what to do. I’m scared. Seeing this, I’m wondering if I’m next.”

Families, one with a baby, were rescued and taken to police stations for safety, Police Service of Northern Ireland Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said.

“These weren’t just families from ethnic minority communities, these were families from across communities that were caught up in this vile behavior last night," Boutcher told the BBC. “There is absolutely no excuse for it.”

Boutcher said 200 more officers would be on the streets Wednesday and the PSNI was calling in support from other forces. Bus and train operators in Belfast said they would stop services early because of expected protests.

Ogilvie’s family appealed for an end to the violence and said migrants “make a deeply valuable contribution to our country.”

“We do not want this terrible tragedy to be used to divide people or fuel hostility,” the family said in a statement.

Politicians from both parts of Northern Ireland’s power-sharing government condemned the violence. First Minister Michelle O’Neill of Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein said it was “thuggery.”

“Groups of masked men burning families out of their homes is nothing less than disgusting cowardice,” she said.

Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, of the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party, said that “taking frustration at the evil actions of a person out on those who had no part in it is utterly wrong.”

The attack was caught on video

Monday’s attack, caught in video footage that quickly spread on social media, was seized on by anti-immigration activists. Ogilvie, a man in his 40s, was hospitalized with deep cuts to his head, face and back.

Police said Alodid entered Northern Ireland from the neighboring Republic of Ireland in 2023, applied for asylum and was given a five-year permit to remain.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland said there is no information to suggest the attack was terrorism-related.

Protests were encouraged online by far-right activists, and the street violence erupted despite politicians' calls for calm.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the stabbing attack as “sickening,” but said violence against people based on their background would not be tolerated.

“The scenes in Belfast last night were shocking and completely unacceptable," Starmer said on X. “There is no justification for the violence and disorder that we saw threatening our communities, nor for those who encouraged it, online or elsewhere.”

Northern Ireland Justice Minister Naomi Long said social media agitators who “yesterday would have struggled to find Belfast on a map” were “weaponizing” the fears of local people.

“If you’re driving people from their homes based on nothing but the color of their skin, you can’t dress that up any other way, it’s racism, and those bad faith actors need to take a step back,” she told the BBC.

Some raise questions about the Irish border

Some politicians said the stabbing should spark a review of the open border between Northern Ireland, which is part of the U.K., and the Republic of Ireland.

The border is a highly sensitive issue. Allowing the free flow of people is a major pillar of the peace process that largely ended decades of violence known as “The Troubles.” The conflict involving Irish Republican and British Loyalist militants and U.K. security forces left almost 3,600 people dead before a 1998 peace accord.

Much of Tuesday’s violence took place in working-class areas where former paramilitary groups still hold considerable sway over the streets.

Last week a separate case of a university student who was stabbed to death in Southampton, England, in December was seized on by activists and U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who blamed immigration for the violence, an idea rejected by Starmer and other British politicians.

Henry Nowak, who was white, was killed by Vickrum Digwa, a Sikh who falsely claimed to police that he was the victim of a racist assault by Nowak. When police officers arrived, they initially treated the wounded Nowak as a suspect before noticing his injury and trying to resuscitate him.

Digwa was convicted of murder and sentenced last week to life in prison with a minimum 21-year term. A protest over Nowak’s death turned violent, with some attacking police with chairs and rocks. Several people were charged with violent disorder.

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Lawless reported from London. Brian Melley contributed to this story.

Leo called Gaudí’s unfinished temple, one of the world’s most visited monuments, a “sign of unity and harmony for all of Spain,” an ongoing building project like the lifelong journey all Christians make to find God.

“We are all the living stones of this edifice,” Leo said from the altar of the basilica, with Spanish King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia sitting to his side and a hundreds-strong choir filling the basilica with song.

The service was the highlight of Leo’s weeklong visit to Spain, the first by a pope in 15 years to the once-staunchly Catholic European country that, like many others, has experienced secularizing trends.

The trip, though, has underscored how the country of 50 million people, which experienced a religious crisis after its 20th century dictatorship ended, still has plenty of faithful Catholics who have turned out in droves to welcome the American pope.

An estimated 120,000 people lined the streets around Sagrada Familia for the event, with streets closed to traffic and a heavy police presence, given the attendance of the royal couple and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. The crowds remained after Mass to watch as Leo inaugurated the basilica's final Tower of Jesus Christ that has made it the world's tallest church.

Speaking in Catalan and Spanish, Leo blessed the tower and its illuminated ceramic cross from outside the basilica, surrounded by bishops craning their mitre-capped heads to look up. An angelic boy's choir sang as a spectacular light show lit up the basilica's stained glass windows from the inside and fireworks shot off its facade.

Honoring Catalonia's Christian traditions

Earlier Wednesday, Leo celebrated a more ancient sacred monument, traveling to Montserrat, a mountain complex outside the city that is dear to many Catalans. The complex, which includes an 11th-century Benedictine abbey and a 16th-century basilica, is revered for its Black Madonna statue and is home to a boy's choir that has existed since the 13th century and is Europe's oldest.

Thousands of faithful arrived early at the monastery, with groups of nuns and schoolchildren singing and waving signs and photographs of the pope outside the basilica. Bells rang out over the spire-like rock formations that top Montserrat and the valley below as Leo arrived in a golf cart.

In recent years, the Montserrat abbey has faced numerous accusations from survivors of clergy sexual abuse and was included in the Spanish ombudsman’s 800-page report on the crisis in 2023. The report found 15 victims and three alleged perpetrators linked to the abbey.

“It’s very painful because there are members of the church who committed errors,” said the Rev. Cesario Escarda, a Toledo priest, as he waited for Leo at the abbey. “What the pope wants to do is shine a light on the truth and ask forgiveness and bring in the victims and listen to them and accompany them.”

The Bible carved in stone

The highlight of Leo’s visit, though, was his Mass at Sagrada Familia to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the death of its famed Catalan designer, Gaudí, who died at age 73, three days after he was hit by a tram.

A century after construction began during the pontificate of Leo’s namesake, Pope Leo XIII, the basilica has become one of the world’s most visited but unfinished monuments, annually drawing upward of 5 million visitors a year.

Commemorating Gaudí's death, Leo said he wanted to give thanks to all the supporters, artists and workers who “cooperated in the construction of an architectural masterpiece, which is also an eloquent catechesis made of stones, colors and light.”

Gaudí, who is on the path to possible sainthood, spent four decades designing and building the temple as the summary of the Christian faith carved in stone. The most important stories of Jesus’ life, the Nativity and Passion, are etched into the basilica’s east and west facades. A third facade facing south, the Glory, will serve as the basilica’s main entrance when finished.

The temple is an architectural and geometrical masterpiece inside and out, an art nouveau celebration in form and symbol of Christianity and God’s creation through stone and light.

“Much more than a monument, the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia remains a work in progress today, reminding us that the Christian life is always a journey, because it is a project that God is carrying out,” Leo said in his homily.

A total of 18 sandcastle spires rise up from the top and pierce Barcelona’s skyline: 12 to symbolize Christ’s 12 apostles, four for each of the four Evangelists who recorded Christ’s life in the Gospels, one topped with a star over the apse honoring the Virgin Mary and, tallest among them, the Tower of Jesus Christ.

When the final Christ tower was finished at a height of 172½ meters (564 feet) last year, it made Sagrada Familia the world’s tallest church. Construction is expected to be fully complete within a decade.

“The entire structure of the Sagrada Familia is striking,” said Laura Rincón, who was on hand outside along with two friends for the Mass, after she finished work in a nearby shop. She said that she was sure the pope would be impressed by the church she marvels at every time she passes by.

“If you look at it just for its architecture, it is amazing,” she said. “Inside, its columns make you feel like you are inside a forest.”

An interior that looks like a forest

The cross-shaped interior, with the altar at the apse, is an homage to light and nature. Treelike columns soar to the sky, colored by constantly changing light filtered through stained glass windows like the sun poking through leaves in a forest.

“Nature is my teacher,” Gaudí once said. “Everything comes from the great book of nature, always open that we must read.”

The colors of the window glass have meaning: The blues and greens of the eastern portal windows, where the facade depicts Christ’s birth, look more joyful and are most brilliant when the sun rises and light passes through. The coarser shades of red and orange, illuminated by the setting sun on the western portals, color the side of the basilica that depicts Christ’s Passion. Behind the altar and above the cross are yellows and gold that glimmer in the noonday sun.

Historian Mònica Santín, who leads tours of the basilica, said that in designing Sagrada Familia, Gaudí was guided by two books: the Gospels and nature.

“The way he lets in the natural light is also an invitation to the Christian mystery,” she said, citing the three facades depicting Christ’s birth, death and glory.

“And when you enter inside, it is all light,” Santín said. “What is that the symbol of? We can’t see God, but we perceive his light all around us. I think that is how you can read this message, and it is fascinating.”

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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

The long road back to the top of the NBA is almost complete for the New York Knicks, and the step they took Wednesday night was unforgettable.

The Knicks came from 29 points down and moved to the brink of their first championship since 1973 by beating the San Antonio Spurs 107-106 in Game 4 of the finals on OG Anunoby's tip-in with 1.2 seconds remaining.

“That has to be the most iconic shot in the history of New York basketball,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said.

It's certainly high on the list — as high as Anunoby leaped when Jalen Brunson's long 3-point shot bounced off the front of the rim, with his right hand stretching high to softly flick it in.

“Right hand from God,” Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns said.

The Knicks, who have just two titles in their 80-year history and hadn't even been to the NBA Finals since 1999, have a 3-1 lead and three chances to win the best-of-seven series — starting with Game 5 on Saturday night in San Antonio.

It looked impossible early, when the Spurs rolled to a 27-point halftime lead. But Brunson helped bring the Knicks back with 36 points and Anunoby finished with 33.

The Knicks weathered a playoff storm

No team had come from more than 24 points down in a finals game, when Boston did it against the Lakers in 2008, since the NBA began keeping detailed play-by-play for all four quarters in 1997. The Spurs led 81-52 in the third quarter.

“We’re a resilient group. We’ve been through a lot,” Anunoby said. “We’ve come back plenty of times when we’re behind. Just staying with it, weathering the storm, not being too down or angry or frustrated.”

The only bigger comeback on record in any playoff game was 31 points by the Los Angeles Clippers against Golden State in Game 2 of a first-round series in 2019.

“You look at it when you’re down 29 of, ‘OK, let’s get it to 20.’ There’s three minutes left in the third quarter, we’re down 18, you’re thinking, 'Let’s get it to 10,” forward Josh Hart said.

“In the fourth quarter, you’re like, this is winning time. Anything can happen.”

And it did.

The Spurs started out awesome but then were awful

The Knicks had their 13-game winning streak snapped in Game 3 and seemed headed for a second straight defeat throughout the first half, when Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs opened the biggest halftime lead by a visiting team in the finals.

But the young Spurs, who made 11 of their first 16 3-pointers, went cold in the second half, going 3 for 17 behind the arc as the Knicks outscored them 58-30.

“We got on our heels — we missed some shots,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “It’s disappointing, to say the least.”

Delirious fans inside Madison Square Garden sang along to Journey's “Don’t Stop Believin’” a few minutes after watching something that seemed almost impossible.

Wembanyama had 24 points and 13 rebounds but shot just 9 for 25 from the field.

Road teams had won the first three games, only the second time that had happened in the finals. San Antonio was well on its way to making it 4 for 4.

Knicks scrap watch party and fans have nothing to cheer early

President Donald Trump wasn’t at this game — Taylor Swift was — but the same restrictions remained around Madison Square Garden as when he attended Game 3. That angered the Knicks, who decided not to go forward with plans to hold an outdoor watch party outside the arena.

Inside the building in the first half, there wasn’t much for the hosts to be happy about, either.

But the Knicks gave themselves a chance by limiting the Spurs to 14 points on 4-for-20 shooting in the third quarter, using a 13-0 run to get back in it and cutting it to 90-75 heading to the fourth.

These Knicks, who erased a 22-point deficit in the fourth quarter against Cleveland in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, just don’t quit. Even when the comeback seemed for naught when Stephon Castle was fouled after the Knicks had taken the lead and made two free throws to put San Antonio back ahead with 30 seconds left, the Knicks had one more rally in them.

Dylan Harper scored 21 points and De'Aaron Fox and Devin Vassell each had 18 for the Spurs, who will try to regroup and send the series back to New York for Game 6 next Tuesday. Only one team — Cleveland in 2016 — has recovered from a 3-1 deficit in the finals.

“I think it began before (the fourth quarter),” Wembanyama said of the Spurs' collapse. “I can’t really explain it right now. I don’t know. ... We clearly weren’t the most hungry in the second half.”

Fans booed Wembanyama when he came on to the floor to warm up about an hour before the game and the Knicks tried to get rough with him, with Mitchell Robinson called for a flagrant foul for hitting him above the shoulders and Jose Alvarado reviewed for one after going below the belt.

Wembanyama — who was also called for a flagrant — stood up OK against the Knicks but will regret the two free throws he missed with 1:47 left and San Antonio leading 104-103.

The Spurs broke to a 12-2 lead, giving them a double-digit advantage in the first quarter of all four games. They kept pouring it on and led 41-22 after one, then extended it to 57-32 when Julian Champagnie’s 3-pointer made them 11 for 16 behind the arc.

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

Swift wore a blue T-shirt with “Stevie Knicks” printed in orange lettering and was seated courtside on Wednesday night next to Ben Stiller. She attended along with singers Este and Alana Haim, who also had Knicks-related references on their shirts: “Knickole Kidman” and “Knickleback.”

They were joined midway through by third Haim sister Daniella, and the quartet witnessed the biggest comeback in finals history as the Knicks rallied from a 29-point deficit to win 107-106 on OG Anunoby's tip-in with 1.2 seconds left.

Swift jumped around in celebration, waving a rally towel after leaving the court for the bowels of the Garden. She may be back soon.

Less than a year after their August engagement announcement, reports of Swift and Kelce’s impending nuptials have reached a crescendo. TMZ and the New York Post’s Page Six recently started insisting Swift and Kelce will marry at the Garden in early July, despite their close connections to everywhere from Kansas City, Missouri, and Nashville, Tennessee, to Cleveland and Rhode Island.

Swift and the Haim sisters were among several celebrities in the house, including Tate McRae and Hailey Bieber, and regulars like Timothée Chalamet and Spike Lee. Swift and Kelce attended Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Knicks and Cavaliers, not far from where the Kansas City Chiefs tight end is from in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.

This is the latest sporting event for Swift, who along with Kelce also attended a game during the NHL's Stanley Cup Final a year ago in Sunrise, Florida.

The Madison Square Garden wedding reports remain unconfirmed, and a spokesperson for Swift has not responded to The Associated Press’ requests for comment about the wedding plans. The arena’s calendar of upcoming events lists nothing from June 29-July 6.

Swift first performed at Madison Square Garden in 2009, during her “Fearless” tour, and she celebrated her 30th birthday at the arena 10 years later as part of iHeartRadio’s “Jingle Ball.” She has since graduated to larger venues when she swings through the New York area; her Eras tour shows were just across the river at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

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AP Entertainment Editor Mallika Sen contributed to this report.

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

Mexico jointly hosts the soccer tournament with the U.S. and Canada and kicks off festivities Thursday with a star-studded event, even as some critics say the government has spent too much time and money catering to international visitors at residents' expense.

The games begin as Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum walks a political tightrope, navigating a deteriorating relationship with the U.S. ahead of July trade negotiations, along with political scandals and security concerns following a burst of violence in a World Cup host city in February.

Pressure has mounted as guests flood into Mexico City. Residents say authorities have prioritized the competition over pressing social needs.

On Wednesday night, more than 1,000 relatives of Mexico's missing people marched toward the stadium where the opening match was set to be played Thursday carrying candles and photographs of their missing loved ones.

Earlier in the day, Sheinbaum also said it was unclear whether Mexico City could host its free fan festival on opening night because a teachers' union protest camp has blocked access to the plaza.

“Mexico wants to project an image to the world that doesn’t exactly square with reality,” said Carlos Pérez Ricart, a political analyst at the Mexican Center for Research and Economic Education. “The World Cup is putting the president in a vulnerable situation … The government is under extreme pressure.”

World Cup is a showcase for the country

FIFA's logo, orange Mexican marigold flowers, giant soccer balls and other decorations line streets across Mexico’s capital and the two other host cities, Guadalajara and Monterrey. Fans buzzed with excitement as they strolled through Mexico City's streets.

The competition is expected to bring in $3 billion for hotels, restaurants and sports venues, according to the Mexican Soccer Federation.

Thursday's fan festival and opening match, where Mexico will face off against South Africa, are expected to draw more viewers than much of the competition, with Colombian superstar Shakira and others scheduled to perform.

If all goes off without a hitch, it will be a feather in Sheinbaum's cap, said Pérez Ricart, showing the world that Mexico is “modern and capable of organizing high impact events.”

‘Everything is under control’

Mexican authorities have fortified security following violence that paralyzed host city Guadalajara in February. More than 100,000 soldiers, sailors, National Guard members and police officers are expected to be deployed across the three host cities, yet social tensions have posed the greatest obstacle, particularly in Mexico City.

For more than a week, the country’s teachers' union has toppled World Cup statues and blocked roads in an annual push for better working conditions. The night before the inauguration, more than a thousand family members of Mexico’s more missing people also marched through the streets of Mexico City in protest of a crisis fueled by years of cartel violence and impunity.

As they walked toward the Aztec Stadium, where the opening match is slated to be held, some families shouted while others walked in silence, making few demands. A number government officials arrived to the protest and told the families they could only advance until “the last mile” before the stadium.

“We just want to be seen,” said Adriana Lozano, 56, from Los Cabos, who has been searching for her son for nine years. "What we are looking for is peace. We want this to end because so many young people are disappearing.”

Sheinbaum had denied there was any social unrest ahead of the tournament, but on Wednesday she acknowledged that “if for some reason the Zócalo cannot be used for the opening, there are 18 venues where people can watch it free of charge.”

“Everything is under control,” she added.

‘The prices are sky-high’

Airports across the Americas were filled with fans. Panama City's airport — one of the main gateways between North and South America — was a sea of multicolored jerseys from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Spain, Germany and elsewhere.

“This year we’re defending the title, and we’ll follow Argentina to the ends of the earth,” shouted Emilio Sosa, a 29-year-old from Buenos Aires on his way to Los Angeles.

David Botero, a 43-year-old Colombian, was traveling to Mexico City with his family to watch Colombia’s opening match on June 17 against Uzbekistan.

“What matters is that we’ll get to see our team up close," Botero said.

Others, like 66-year-old Dr. Jose Luis Muñoz, struck a more skeptical tone as he read and smoked a cigarette next to a park in downtown Mexico City that once teemed with street vendors. It has since been cleared out by authorities in an effort to clean up the streets. Muñoz said some of his fondest memories were taking his children to games during Mexico’s 1986 World Cup and celebrating their home team's winning streak.

“I was so excited, and that joy I passed on to my children,” he said.

This year, though, he was priced out from attending games. Tickets cost hundreds of dollars.

“The prices are sky-high. Many people aren’t going to be able to go unless they’re foreigners with a lot of money,” Muñoz said. “It feels very discriminatory."

Still, he added, he will root for Mexico's team from home with his children and grandchildren.

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Associated Press journalists Nayara Batschke contributed to this report from Mexico City.

After clanking his shot off the rim at the buzzer on what would have been the Game 2 winner, Wembanyama did the same on two key free throws late in Game 4 on Wednesday night. With the chance to put his team up by three with 1:47 left, he instead went 0 for 2, and the New York Knicks took the lead and went on to win 107-106 on OG Anunoby's tip-in with 1.2 seconds left.

“It's just a shot,” Wembanyama said. “You might work on your form hours and hours. At the end of the day it's just a shot, so you need to shoot it the normal way.”

Wembanyama and the Spurs are now on the brink of elimination, down 3-1 in the best-of-seven series. It mattered little that the 7-foot-4 big man from France scored 24 points and had 13 rebounds.

It mattered more that the Knicks held Wembanyama to eight points in the second half on the way to rallying from 29 points down, the largest comeback in finals history. Game 5 is Saturday night San Antonio.

“It’s going to go one of two ways,” Wembanyama said. “One of two ways, a bad one and a good one. The bad one would be giving up. The good one would be getting stronger through this, getting more together. I know this is what we’re going to do.”

Wembanyama enters Game 5 on the edge of possible discipline after being called for a flagrant foul early in the second half for a right elbow to Karl-Anthony Towns' chin. Because of the NBA's flagrant foul point system, he now has three and is one more away from an automatic one-game suspension.

“Of course I'm going to be a little more careful, but it’s not going to change much,” Wembanyama said.

An officiating decision in the aftermath of Game 3 going the other way would have put him in danger of already staring down a suspension. The NBA acknowledged officials missed Wembanyama striking Knicks guard Jalen Brunson in the head but did not retroactively make it a flagrant.

“The league’s going to do what they’re going to do,” New York coach Mike Brown said before Game 4. “They aren’t going to listen to me. They aren’t going to listen to nobody else.”

Wembanyama early in Game 4 looked to be getting under the skin of his opponents. After scoring on Mitchell Robinson and letting him hear about it while going back down the court late in the first quarter, he took a forearm to the face and appeared to say, “I'm in your head, bro,” while pointing to his right temple.

A similar play happened early in the second, when 6-foot guard Jose Alvarado jostled with Wembanyama before ultimately pushing the 7-4 big man's right leg to get him to the ground.

Things changed after halftime. San Antonio had its biggest lead of the night at 81-52 when Wembanyama elbowed Towns, and the Knicks outscored the Spurs 55-25 the rest of the way.

Wembanyama played all but three minutes of the first half, which coach Mitch Johnson called normal. Johnson said Wembanyama, who ended up playing nearly 44 minutes, got a little more playing time to try to close it out.

“With two days after this, what was at stake, we wanted to win the game and try to put it away,” Johnson said.

Asked if that caused him to wear down as the game went on, Wembanyama responded: “Substitution patterns, I don’t know. It’s not really my expertise. But, yeah, I guess I did.”

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

The U.S. attorney's office in Minneapolis notified the court Wednesday that the Justice Department would not seek the death penalty against Vance Boelter in accordance with a proposed plea agreement. Boelter’s attorneys did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. The court filing did not detail the terms of the plea agreement.

Former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, and state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette Hoffman, were shot by a man who came to their doors in the early hours of June 14, 2025, disguised as a police officer and driving a fake squad car. The Hortmans’ golden retriever was so gravely injured that he had to be euthanized.

Boelter, 58, was captured near his home in rural Green Isle late the next day after what prosecutors have called the largest search for a suspect in Minnesota history. He faces federal and state murder, attempted murder and other charges. His state case has been on hold pending the resolution of his federal charges.

Minnesota abolished capital punishment in 1911 and has never had a federal death penalty case. Daniel Borgertpoepping, a spokesperson for the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, said the federal plea deal would not affect Boelter’s state charges.

While the Trump administration has pushed for greater use of capital punishment, there were questions about whether Boelter’s case would qualify for the death penalty under federal law.

Prosecutors have called the shootings political. When they announced the federal indictment in July, they released a rambling handwritten letter they say Boelter wrote to FBI Director Kash Patel in which he confessed to the attacks. However, the letter didn’t make clear why he targeted the Hortmans or the Hoffmans.

In some messages to media, Boelter referenced a vague and cryptic “investigation” he had been carrying out, sometimes suggesting it was about the COVID-19 vaccine.

Friends described Boelter as an evangelical Christian and occasional preacher and missionary, who held politically conservative views and had been struggling to find work.

John Hoffman said in a lawsuit filed against Boelter in April that his left arm and hand likely would never fully recover, and that he also had permanent injuries to his digestive and urinary systems.

Yvette Hoffman was left with permanent physical weakness, the lawsuit said, while their adult daughter, Hope Hoffman, who was there and called 911 but was not shot, suffered severe psychological trauma.

A lawsuit brought by former Republican gubernatorial candidate Duke Rodriguez and other plaintiffs challenges the process used by Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's administration to eliminate an income cap and co-pays for childcare assistance before the Legislature had a chance to weigh in or approve funding.

“This is executive overreach. The program was launched unlawfully,” said Rodriguez, who lost his party’s nomination in New Mexico’s recent primary.

The state’s childcare agency disputes that, arguing in court filings that lawmakers have since “expressly authorized” and funded the expansion, rendering the lawsuit moot. Lujan Grisham signed legislation in February enshrining the program into law provided state finances remain healthy.

District Judge Elaine Lujan could issue a ruling Thursday on whether the lawsuit can proceed. A potential pause to the program would put thousands of New Mexican families back on the hook for daycare payments and create a headache for businesses.

Ilene Harding, who runs seven daycare centers in the Albuquerque area, said the expansion has boosted enrollment and streamlined billing.

“We’ve always been financially solvent, but it’s given us stability,” Harding said.

The challenge comes as New Mexico looks to cement its place as the first U.S. state to cover all working families’ daycare bills regardless of income. But the stakes extend nationwide as policymakers from New York to California look for models to reduce costs for families and expand public investment in childcare.

New Mexico’s program, which is financed in large part on revenue from oil and gas production in the state, was among the nation's most generous before November’s expansion, waiving costs for families making up to 400% of the federal poverty rate or roughly $132,000 per year for a family of four.

Legislative analysts already have raised questions about the sustainability of New Mexico's expanded program, noting earlier this year that the state Early Childhood Education and Care Department started overspending just weeks into the November launch.

The state agency acknowledged at the time that enrollment grew faster than expected, leading to higher costs, but disputed that it was over budget.

Trump has doubled down on his temporary pick for director of national intelligence, federal housing finance regulator Bill Pulte, even though he has little experience for the job. Democrats say they won't support the renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, known as FISA, unless the president withdraws Pulte's appointment and nominates a permanent replacement.

The House will try early Thursday to approve a short-term FISA extension, but passage is unlikely. The Senate may follow suit, hoping to prevent what could be an unprecedented lapse in the surveillance tool.

The impasse could soon result in limitations on what intelligence the U.S. government can collect abroad just as World Cup games begin in cities around the country and ahead of celebrations for the nation’s 250th anniversary. The law expires on Friday at midnight.

“We can’t let them extort us,” Trump said of Democrats.

Trump has stuck with Pulte as the acting head, rebuffing demands from lawmakers for a more qualified nominee. He asked Congress for a short-term extension of the law to “provide time for the selection and confirmation” of a permanent director. He said he wants Pulte to begin downsizing intelligence agencies.

The parties leveled blame for the potential interruption in what has been seen as an essential, if long-debated, surveillance program for keeping the country safe.

“We’re going to ask every member here to do the right thing,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. “We cannot allow that to go dark.”

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said if Trump wants a shot at a short-term extension, he needs to pull the Pulte appointment. Pulte is a “disgraceful individual” and a “partisan political hack" who is deeply unqualified for the job, Jeffries said.

GOP leaders lobby the White House, to no avail

Congressional Republicans have lobbied Trump all week to quickly nominate a permanent replacement. But he said he needs more time to do so.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Republican leaders have “made our views known” to the White House.

Trump has said that he is interviewing five candidates for his pick to lead the agency permanently, after the resignation of Tulsi Gabbard.

And Johnson said the president has made it very clear that Pulte will serve a “very short term — a sort of renovation role” to help the Office of the Director of National Intelligence be “renovated and downsized.”

But Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee led by Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut said in a letter to the president that Pulte is a “uniquely poor choice” to serve even in the acting capacity.

Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers skeptical of Pulte have pointed to his lack of intelligence experience and also his record at the Federal Housing Finance Agency. In the position, he has been linked with criminal referrals over allegations of mortgage fraud by public officials Trump sought to punish, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat; Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.; and Lisa Cook, a board member of the Federal Reserve.

“He has distinguished himself only as someone who will do or say anything to stay in your good graces,” Himes and the other lawmakers wrote, "qualities that are precisely the opposite of what our nation needs.”

FISA will lapse at midnight Friday

Section 702 of FISA allows agencies such as the CIA, National Security Agency and FBI to collect communications from foreign targets overseas without a warrant.

While members of both parties who cite privacy issues have long wanted to limit the authority, there was broad bipartisan support to renew it, especially after Republicans and Democrats recently worked out a compromise bill.

Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, has worked with Republicans on the compromise legislation to renew the authority. But he called Pulte’s appointment to replace Gabbard “a live hand grenade” disrupting the process.

Warner said the only way he’ll support a short-term extension of the surveillance law is if the principal deputy director of national intelligence, Aaron Lukas, is the acting leader during the duration of that extension.

Sen. Tom Cotton, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, have warned the administration that the spy tool is likely to lapse.

The administration should prepare “for a potential significant gap in foreign intelligence collection,” they wrote in a letter.

Trump doesn't back down on Pulte

After bipartisan pushback to Pulte’s temporary appointment, Trump said last week that he would not permanently nominate him to the position. But Democrats, and some Republicans, want his appointment pulled immediately and for Trump to nominate a replacement that can be confirmed by the Senate.

On Tuesday, though, Trump announced that Pulte would not only take over as acting director — he'd also start earlier than expected, on June 19.

One of several possible replacements could be Pete Hoekstra, Trump’s ambassador to Canada and a former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. The White House has reached out to Hoekstra about the job and conversations are ongoing, according to a person familiar with the outreach who requested anonymity to discuss the private conversations.

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Associated Press reporters Joey Cappelletti, Kevin Freking and Eric Tucker contributed to this report.

The new U.S. assault across multiple Iranian cities came as efforts to negotiate an end the war again appeared stuck, with Iran insisting it would maintain its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, which has disrupted global energy supplies and sent oil prices higher.

It was the third time this week that back-and-forth strikes have tested a two-month shaky ceasefire.

Trump has urged Iran to sign a deal to end the war and suggested earlier this week that an agreement could be reached in days.

But Iran has proved resilient despite weeks of heavy bombing. It is betting that its ability to effectively close the Strait of Hormuz — a crucial passageway for oil and natural gas — gives it a strong bargaining chip.

Iran’s United Nations envoy said the U.S. should refrain from threats of force if it wants a deal.

Still, both countries seem to be looking for a way to end the conflict — if they can manage to sell it as a win at home.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears intent on pursuing goals that make compromise harder: the collapse of Iran’s theocratic government, the elimination of its nuclear program, and the destruction of the Iranian-allied Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. On Monday, Iran and Israel targeted each other.

US strikes Iran and Iran fires back at Gulf States

The U.S. Central Command said it had “completed” its latest round of airstrikes just before sunrise in Iran. The military command said the strikes came “in response to Iran’s unwarranted and continued aggression” and targeted “Iranian military surveillance capabilities, communication systems and air defense sites.” It did not elaborate on the damage done by the strikes, which it said were carried out by the U.S. Air Force, Marines and Navy.

Explosions from the strikes echoed around Iran’s capital, Tehran, as well as the port city of Bandar Abbas and other southern areas along the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran responded by launching strikes on Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, and Kuwait closed its airspace as its air defenses fought off the attack. Kuwait’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation said flights were being diverted to other airports, without elaborating.

“This measure comes in light of the state of Kuwait being subjected to sinful Iranian aggressions and the potential risks that may result from this on civil aviation traffic in the region,” Kuwait said.

Kuwait International Airport took a direct Iranian hit in recent days, killing one person and wounding dozens. On Wednesday, Iran responded to U.S. strikes with attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, all of which host U.S. troops.

Israel early Thursday also warned residents in the north to seek shelter after the detection of suspected incoming fire from Lebanon, while the U.S. Embassy in Jordan issued a warning that “reports indicate missiles, drones or rockets are in Jordanian airspace.”

There was no immediate acknowledgment from Jordanian state media about the reports of missile fire, but Iran said it again targeted Jordan's Muwaffaq Salti Air Base on Thursday.

Trump says US is sneaking oil past the Strait of Hormuz

Since the U.S. and Israel started the war with Feb. 28 attacks on Iran, the conflict has shaken the global economy, driven up energy prices worldwide, and made food and other basics more expensive.

The international benchmark for crude oil traded above $93 a barrel on Wednesday, up more than 25% since the start of the war.

Trump said the U.S. military has since last month undertaken a “secret mission” to sneak oil shipments past Iran’s forces in the Strait of Hormuz. He said ships were slipping through at night, aided by the destruction of Iranian radar equipment.

Trump said as a result more than 100 million barrels of oil have evaded Iran’s chokehold on the strait. There was no immediate confirmation of that figure, which roughly equals five days of oil shipments through the waterway before the war began.

The military’s role was not immediately clear. Capt. Tim Hawkins, a Central Command spokesman, said U.S. forces “communicate and coordinate” with commercial ships in the area, but gave no details on military support being offered.

The U.S. Central Command on Wednesday refuted Iran’s claims that the Strait of Hormuz is closed, saying commercial ships are continuing to transit in and out.

US and Iranian strikes shake the Mideast

Earlier Wednesday, the U.S. military said an American aircraft fired “precision munitions” into the engine room of the Palau-flagged vessel M/T Settebello as it attempted to breach the naval blockade with a shipment of Iranian oil. It was the eighth merchant vessel disabled by U.S. forces in waters off Iran.

India’s foreign ministry said three Indian sailors were missing after the Settebello was struck, while 21 others were rescued. Its statement did not mention the U.S. military or the blockade.

Hawkins of the U.S. Central Command said American forces warned the crew before firing on the ship.

The U.S. military said strikes earlier Wednesday targeted “air defense, ground control stations, and surveillance radar sites."

Iran said U.S. strikes hit two water reservoirs in the southern city of Sirik, temporarily cutting off water to thousands of people. U.S. Central Command had no immediate comment. Tehran later claimed attacks in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the American attacks as a violation of Iranian sovereignty.

Still, efforts to mediate a deal continued. Following consultations with the U.S., a delegation from Qatar arrived in Tehran for talks earlier Wednesday, according to an official with knowledge of the visit who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks.

The exchanges of fire came a day after a U.S. Army attack helicopter crashed near the Strait of Hormuz. The helicopter collided with an Iranian drone, according to a U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation. It wasn’t clear whether the collision was intentional.

A drone boat rescued the helicopter’s two crew. Trump said they were uninjured.

Big disagreements stand in the way of a quick peace deal

Wary of high gas prices in the run-up to congressional elections in November, Trump seems to be looking for a quick win. But he is also making demands that will be tough for Iran to swallow.

The U.S. wants to see Iran give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. While Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful, that uranium is a short technical step from weapons-grade levels.

Iran is refusing to give up the uranium and demanding relief from sanctions. It also wants the release of frozen assets even before a final agreement is in place, something Trump rejected.

Iran has insisted that any deal to end the war must also end fighting between its ally Hezbollah and Israel. Israel has instead intensified its military campaign against the Lebanon-based militant group.

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Price reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Konstantin Toropin and Will Weissert in Washington; Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations; Natalie Melzer in Nahariya, Israel; David Rising in Bangkok; Bassem Mroue in Beirut; Michelle L. Price in New York; Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia; and Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City contributed to this report.

Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen says Javian Major’s probation was revoked after repeated violations. Major was originally arrested on a forgery charge in 2024 after scheming grieving families out of funeral services. Last week, he was sentenced to two years in prison after being found to have an illegal drug and for providing funeral services not approved by the court.

KPRC 2 News reporter Corley Peel spoke with one of the families Major allegedly targeted and has been following Major’s activities for more than a year.

• RELATED: ‘His body was bloated’: Man posed as funeral director, mortician, allegedly stole life insurance money of dead people

Shauntayvia Banks learned her father passed away in a Beaumont prison on Thanksgiving Day 2025. Shortly after posting about his death on Instagram, she says Major sent her a direct message portraying himself as a funeral home director.

“He presented me funeral home packages that he could provide. He also made it seem as though he was incarcerated with my father — that he knew my father,” Banks said.

Banks says her concerns grew quickly. Her family was repeatedly denied requests to view her father’s body, which she suspected was improperly embalmed. Jewelry went missing. Payments and cremation arrangements were unclear. Ultimately, Banks says she paid about $5,600.

Today, she is not even sure the ashes she received belong to her father.

• RELATED: ‘I wanted to bring my dad home’: Daughter says man who posed as funeral director tried to scam her back in 2022

“It’s very hard to even know if it is, in fact, my dad’s ashes — just based upon how everything went,” Banks said.

Court records show Major was not supposed to be involved in any type of funeral work following his 2024 forgery arrest. Despite that restriction, investigators say he continued targeting families.

Banks is hoping her story serves as a warning to others and encourages anyone who dealt with Major to speak up.

“If anyone else has experienced something with him, that they do come forward and feel safe coming forward,” Banks said.

Banks says she does not feel two years in prison is long enough.

Experts recommend several steps to protect yourself from funeral fraud. Consumers can verify whether a funeral home is licensed through the Texas Funeral Service Commission website. Additional precautions include searching for complaints online, asking for a detailed General Price List upfront and being cautious of businesses that refuse to provide licensing information, lack a physical address or request large payments without documentation.

Constable Alan Rosen’s office is asking anyone who believes they may have been a victim of Major to contact them at (713) 755-5200

Saad Qureshi, a Houston resident and longtime soccer fan, says he purchased five FIFA hospitality packages through FIFA’s official hospitality provider, On Location, after months of discussions with a sales representative about seating options.

• Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton investigates FIFA over World Cup ticket seat complaints

Qureshi said he was thrilled when he learned World Cup matches would be played in Houston.

“I don’t know if you’ll ever get another opportunity,” Qureshi said.

The hospitality packages covered two Houston matches and cost a total of $22,000, according to purchase documents reviewed by KPRC 2.

Text messages showed specific seating sections

Qureshi provided KPRC 2 with text messages exchanged with an On Location sales representative identified as Eric.

In the messages, Qureshi repeatedly asked about seating locations, sightlines and hospitality options. He ultimately told the representative he wanted the “Champions Club” package.

The sales representative responded by sending stadium diagrams with specific seating areas highlighted in red and discussed pricing differences based on how close seats would be to the field, according to screenshots provided by Qureshi.

Qureshi said he understood from those conversations that his seats would be located in lower-level sections near the pitch.

“He told me this is the Champions section, this is where you’re sitting,” Qureshi said.

When ticket assignments were released this week, Qureshi said he discovered his seats had been assigned to Section 308 in the upper deck instead.

Qureshi said he compared the assigned seats to the diagrams he received during the sales process and immediately noticed the discrepancy.

“From my perspective it is worse off,” he said. “You expect to get what you paid for.”

In documentation submitted to FIFA and On Location, Qureshi described the difference as a “material seating-location discrepancy” and requested a relocation to the originally represented seating area.

FIFA hospitality provider called it an upgrade

After contacting On Location and FIFA hospitality representatives, Qureshi said he was told the reassignment constituted a complimentary upgrade because it included access to a higher level of hospitality service.

An email reviewed by KPRC 2 stated the new package would provide access to a “higher level of service.”

Qureshi disagrees with that assessment.

“From my perspective and my friends’ perspective, it’s not an upgrade because we paid for actually watching the game,” he said.

While he says he appreciates the opportunity to attend the World Cup, he believes customers should receive what they were led to expect.

“I don’t dislike my seats,” Qureshi said. “I just feel like it’s unfair because I paid for something and then I’m getting something so different.”

KPRC 2 reviewed FIFA World Cup 2026 Hospitality Sales Regulations.

The regulations state that an order confirmation is only an indication of availability and “does not guarantee the customer shall receive such hospitality packages.” The terms also specify that sales materials, illustrations and descriptions are intended to provide only an approximate idea of hospitality packages and do not form part of the sales agreement.

• FIFA’s Infantino defends World Cup ticket prices, says fans ‘should chill’ about ref denied US entry

The regulations further state that On Location sales agents do not have authority to make guarantees, commitments or warranties on behalf of the company.

Qureshi said no one verbally told him that the seating sections shown in the diagrams were not guaranteed.

Qureshi said he has filed a complaint with the Texas Attorney General’s Office and hopes FIFA and On Location will reconsider his seating assignment or provide another resolution.

KPRC 2 reached out to On Location, FIFA’s official hospitality provider, for comment regarding Qureshi’s concerns and the communications he provided. As of yet, no response had been received.

The law firm Zimmerman & Reed may be looking into pursuing a class action lawsuit.

Montgomery capped a 2-for-5 night with a game-ending, two-run homer in the 10th inning to lift the Chicago White Sox to a 6-5 win over Atlanta Braves. He became the fifth player in MLB history to hit a walk-off homer in his debut, joining Billy Parker (1971), Josh Bard (2002), Miguel Cabrera (2015) and Carlos Pérez (2023).

Montgomery was still buzzing hours after his 343-foot, opposite-field shot cleared the fence in left field.

“I don't know if I would be considered calmed down at this point,” Montgomery said. “Just been enjoying it, sharing it with my family.”

White Sox manager Will Venable said he isn't worried about the 23-year-old getting ahead of himself after one game.

“We haven't had anybody with a debut like that, but I think he's as grounded as they come,” Venable said. “This is a guy that has really high expectations of himself. I'm sure he envisioned himself doing this, what he did last night. To be honest, his idea of what he can do in this league is as high as anybody else's. It was exactly what he expected.”

Montgomery didn't slow down Wednesday night, hitting two doubles and scoring the first run in a 2-1 win over the Braves.

“He just goes up there with extreme confidence, putting really good swings on pitches,” Venable said. “I think his swing decisions have been great. He's a very talented hitter and for him to come up and be so comfortable and be locked in and show what he's able to do early has been awesome.”

Montgomery spent the start of his second day of his big league career responding to the text messages he continues to receive — “The number shrinks and grows as I answer them, but more come in,” Montgomery said — and spending time with his parents and family, who were sitting behind home plate Wednesday night.

His mother, Gretchen Montgomery Willock, posted a video of the family celebration in the stands that went viral on social media. On Wednesday, she posted, “Let me tell you about a dream I had last night.”

“It's not really something you can imagine,” Montgomery said. “You just kind of go into it with your expectations and do whatever the game brings.”

One of the top prospects in the White Sox organization, acquired from the Red Sox in the December 2024 trade that sent Garrett Crochet to Boston, Montgomery was hitting .315 for Triple-A Charlotte. He became the 12th White Sox rookie to debut this season, the second-highest total before the All-Star break since the 1944 Cincinnati Reds had 13, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

The influx of youth has helped the White Sox go 29-18 since April 17, second only to the New York Yankees (30-17), despite injuries to Munetaka Murakami and Everson Pereira. among others. The White Sox are 5-4 since Murakami, a rookie from Japan who leads the team with 20 homers, injured his right hamstring on May 29.

Colson Montgomery joined that list Tuesday. He is day to day with a sore back and was not in the lineup Wednesday. The second-year shortstop, a relative veteran of 135 MLB games, said his younger teammates are feeding off each other to pick up the slack.

“You get up here, and it's like, these are my boys, my teammates, this is nothing new,” Colson Montgomery said. “That's why a lot of our young rookie guys are coming up here and they're thriving because they're just being themselves and they know they can be themselves. ... We have a lot of guys in the minor leagues who are coming up and they’re ready to show their impact.”

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

The accusation came in a new, 149-page report alleging that the forced displacement of West Bank Palestinians resulted from a concerted state policy, and not just the actions of violent settlers. While much of the displacement is driven by settlers who build outposts on Palestinian land, the report asserts that the process could not occur without the support of the government.

The international community overwhelmingly considers the settlements illegal. Israel, meanwhile, views the West Bank as disputed territory and says its final status is subject to negotiations.

U.N. data says that over 100 West Bank villages have been fully or partially emptied out between January 2023 and April 2026. At the same time, the United Nations has tracked more than 7,280 instances of individual Palestinian displacement because of demolition of homes and structures by Israeli forces, a figure that includes people who were displaced more than once.

Israel has in the past denounced such accusations — including allegations of “ethnic cleansing,” a term referring to forced expulsions of population by violence — as reflecting longtime unfair bias. It did not immediately respond to the report.

Amnesty says settler violence is sanctioned by the state

“These abuses are not the result of a few ‘bad apples.’ Settler violence is a core component of a state-sanctioned campaign of ethnic cleansing," said Agnès Callamard, the head of Amnesty. “What we are witnessing is deliberate, state-led annexation, in complete violation of international law unfolding before the eyes of the entire world.”

Israeli leaders have condemned particularly grave violence by Jewish settlers but tend to denounce them as exceptions. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government is dominated by settler leaders and supporters, and key Cabinet ministers are pushing for a formal annexation of the territory.

The government has come under heavy criticism from Palestinians and rights groups for accelerating settlement expansion, which they say is aimed at preventing the establishment of a future Palestinian state there. Over 700,000 Israelis now live in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, areas captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war and claimed by the Palestinians as parts of a future state.

Amnesty says it has identified dozens of bills in Israel's parliament, the Knesset, to extend Israeli civil law and jurisdiction over settlement blocs, as well as over courts that try Palestinians. Recently, the parliament approved a measure making the death penalty the default punishment for West Bank Palestinians convicted of killing Israelis.

Last year, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. The U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and the Hamas militant group that aimed to stop the war in Gaza also acknowledged Palestinian aspirations for statehood.

Villages in remote areas are most vulnerable, rights groups say

Amnesty says the large-scale displacement of Palestinian Bedouin communities in the territory is caused by settler violence, advancement of new settlements and the Israeli takeover of large swaths of unregistered land. Rights groups have raised the alarm about this form of displacement before 2023, but say it dramatically intensified after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel that year that triggered the war.

Rights groups say Bedouin herding communities in remote areas of the West Bank are most vulnerable to displacement. Unlike Palestinians in cities and towns across the West Bank, the villagers are less able to withstand the pressure from often-armed settlers as they establish new outposts around Palestinian villages.

The anti-settlement monitoring group Peace Now says that 212 of at least 363 existing outposts in the West Bank were created since 2023. The outposts are built without permission from Israeli authorities, who sometimes dismantle them but often turn a blind eye or even legalize them retroactively.

Amnesty said its report looked into 27 hamlets and villages in the West Bank where Palestinians were displaced between 2023 and 2025. Researchers interviewed dozens of Palestinians and lawyers, spoke with witnesses of settler violence, watched over 420 videos and analyzed government statements and other reports.

The group also said the international community has failed to act to stop the displacement.

Dror Etkes, who runs the settlement watchdog group Kerem Navot, said that since the October 2023 attack, settlers have taken about 12.5% of West Bank territory — land that Palestinians can no longer access or cross safely.

These graveyards form when whale carcasses fall to the sea floor, becoming a sustaining snack for nearby critters. This one, located up to 23,000 feet (7 kilometers) below the surface of the southeastern Indian Ocean, spans the largest area and is so far the deepest and oldest found.

A whale's sheer size and the unique chemistry of its bones are the keys to forming these unique underwater neighborhoods, said Xikun Song, a biologist with the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering.

“At the same time, the very nature of the deep ocean makes these sites exceptionally difficult for scientists to locate,” Song, who was involved with the latest find, wrote in an email.

Researchers explored the remains during multiple deep-sea submersible trips in 2023, collecting samples and mapping the extent of the necropolis. They found five carcass sites and fossils, including skulls belonging to beaked and baleen whales. The oldest bones date back 5.3 million years.

Feeding and living on the carcasses were myriad creatures, large and small, including sea cucumbers, squat lobsters and saltwater clams. Many of them are likely species that have never been documented, according to findings published Wednesday in the journal Nature.

“The potential number of specimens is just astounding,” said paleontologist Stephen Godfrey with the Calvert Marine Museum in Maryland, who wasn't involved in the research.

Many factors likely conspired to preserve the bones for millions of years, according to the study authors. They’re dense enough to outlast attacks from bone-eating worms, and located deep enough in the ocean to avoid getting buried by dust and loose particles. The bones also were coated with a light layer of minerals from the surrounding seawater, which may have prevented them from degrading.

Why did so many whales die here? Maybe they were already living in the area and died of natural causes. A few could have perished from exhaustion or illness caused by deep-sea diving. The area's shape, akin to the letter V, could also have funneled the remains to their resting spot, the authors wrote.

Such discoveries are important because they clue scientists into the vibrant communities that find a way even in remote, hard-to-reach environments.

Studying the whale graveyards “is important for understanding how life can adapt to such extreme conditions, not only due to the lack of light and oxygen but also to the incredibly high pressure,” said study co-author and paleontologist Giovanni Bianucci with the University of Pisa in Italy in an email.

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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.

The 13 websites purported to be affiliated with consulting companies that advertised job openings for current and former holders of security clearances. But the companies were all fakes and the job postings were a sham, officials said.

The internet domain seizure is part of a broader effort by Western law enforcement and intelligence agencies to sound the alarm about alleged Chinese government plots to recruit workers who can be duped into disclosing sensitive information.

Last week, for instance, the English-speaking Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance — Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the U.K. and the U.S. — issued a bulletin warning that China is targeting personnel from those countries on job websites to get access to classified or sensitive information.

The bulletin said spies for Chinese military intelligence have been posing as workers acting on behalf of private businesses or think tanks, advertising for bogus jobs such as foreign policy or defense analysts and pressuring candidates to provide “non-public” information.

According to an FBI affidavit filed in connection with the website seizure, the fake websites relied on fraudulent or stolen identities and AI-generated photographs to give them the appearance of legitimacy, and advertised generic “consulting” jobs geared toward current or former U.S. government employees.

“These websites are often linked or referenced within the entities’ job postings on LinkedIn and other hiring platforms,” the affidavit said.

Applicants and recruits were offered money for reports related to their work and for sensitive information, the Justice Department said. The operators of the plot, who officials allege to be tied to Chinese intelligence services, used cryptocurrency and online payment systems to hide their real identities, officials said.

Law enforcement officials identified the websites through information from targets who came forward to report what they believed to be suspicious interactions.

“A lot of this information came from doing interviews, interviews with people who came forward that something didn’t seem right,” Dan Wierzbicki, the special agent in charge of the counterintelligence and cyber division of the FBI’s Washington field office, said in an interview.

“They provided information and said, ‘Hey, this is kind of weird, we’re kind of getting paid by a cryptocurrency or an online payment system that’s not typical,'” he added.

He said the FBI believes there are other websites serving a similar purpose and is seeking the public's help in identifying them.

A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington called allegations of Chinese espionage “entirely fabricated” and “malicious slander.”

___

Associated Press writer Didi Tang in Washington contributed to this report.

Omar Artan, who was named as Africa's best male referee in 2025., said he plans to be at the next World Cup and urged Somali youth to be proud of their country.

Artan was set to be the first referee from Somalia to officiate at a World Cup after making FIFA’s final list for the tournament.

He was denied entry to the U.S. at Miami International Airport on Saturday over unspecified “vetting concerns,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement, without giving details of the concerns. FIFA subsequently cut him from the tournament's referee list.

Artan was issued a visa to travel to the U.S. last week, according to the Somalia Embassy in Kenya, which processed it. The U.S. is co-hosting the tournament with Mexico and Canada, and Artan was due to meet up with other World Cup referees at their training base in Miami.

Arriving in the capital, Mogadishu, he thanked the Somali government and public as well as FIFA for their support.

“I promise you, God willing, that I will attend the next one,” he said as hundreds of supporters at the airport waved Somali flags. “I want the Somali public to take comfort in this and remain confident.”

Later on Wednesday, thousands of soccer fans packed the stadium in Mogadishu for a welcome ceremony for Artan, with patriotic songs echoing through the arena as supporters waved the nation's flag and cheered him on.

Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre also hosted Artan, writing in a post on X that the referee had “already won the hearts of millions and secured his place in history.”

“He devoted himself to ensuring that football was decided by merit, yet fate denied him the stage he so richly deserved,” Barre said.

The U.S.'s highly unusual move to deny a FIFA-appointed match official permission to enter a World Cup host country drew outrage across the world and raised questions among some fans about America's capacity to host the competition.

Somalia is one of nearly 40 countries subject to new travel restrictions under the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration.

On Wednesday, the United Nations’ top human rights official called for a “massive rethink” of immigration policies especially in the United States around the World Cup.

Hundreds of supporters, government officials and members of Somalia’s football community gathered hours before Artan arrived at Aden Adde International Airport.

As he disembarked, supporters waving Somali flags crowded around him before draping him in the flag.

He was then escorted by police officers to the airport’s VIP terminal, where he was welcomed by Somalia’s sports minister and other dignitaries, and spoke to journalists.

“It is up to all of us to defend the Somali name,” Artan said. “Somalia belongs to us, whether it is in a bad state or a good state. That flag belongs to us, and that passport belongs to us.”

In a country where decades of war and the rise of the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group have limited the potential of many in Somalia, Artan's denial brought disappointment but reminded people what is possible if they chase their dreams.

Artan's expected milestone at this year's World Cup “stands no matter what,” the World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus — from neighboring Ethiopia — wrote Tuesday on X. “You reached the summit of your profession and inspired a generation back home just by getting there, and being kept off the pitch you earned doesn’t change that.”

The defendant, Vance Boelter, was scheduled for a change-of-plea hearing Thursday morning in federal court in Minneapolis.

“The Attorney General has authorized and directed the government not to seek the death penalty against Defendant Vance Luther Boelter in accordance with the terms delineated in a proposed plea agreement,” assistant U.S. attorneys Bradley M. Endicott and Matthew D. Forbes wrote in a letter to the court Wednesday.

The Justice Department had said earlier in the week that it decided not to pursue the death penalty. While the Trump administration has pushed for greater use of capital punishment, there were questions about whether Boelter’s case would qualify for it.

Boelter’s attorneys did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. The court filing did not detail the terms of the plea agreement.

Former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, and state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette Hoffman, were shot by a man who came to their doors in the early hours of June 14, 2025, disguised as a police officer and driving a fake squad car. The Hortmans' golden retriever was so gravely injured that he had to be euthanized.

Boelter, 58, was captured near his home in rural Green Isle late the next day after what prosecutors have called the largest search for a suspect in Minnesota history. He faces federal and state murder, attempted murder and other charges. His state case has been on hold pending the resolution of his federal charges.

Minnesota abolished capital punishment in 1911 and has never had a federal death penalty case.

Daniel Borgertpoepping, a spokesperson for the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, said the federal plea deal would not affect Boelter's state charges.

Under federal law, to obtain the death penalty against Boelter, prosecutors would have to show he committed the killings during another “crime of violence.” Boelter's underlying charge was that he stalked the victims.

A federal judge in New York earlier this year barred prosecutors from seeking the death penalty against Luigi Mangione in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, ruling that stalking doesn’t count as a violent crime.

Prosecutors have called the attacks on the Minnesota politicians political. When they announced the federal indictment in July, they released a rambling handwritten letter they say Boelter wrote to FBI Director Kash Patel in which he confessed to the shootings. However, the letter didn’t make clear why he targeted the Hortmans or the Hoffmans.

In some messages to media, Boelter referenced a vague and cryptic “investigation” he had been carrying out, sometimes suggesting it was about the COVID-19 vaccine.

Friends described Boelter as an evangelical Christian and occasional preacher and missionary, who held politically conservative views and had been struggling to find work.

When Minnesota's legislative session convened in February, Hoffman got a warm welcome as he walked up the stairs into the Senate chamber. He said in a lawsuit filed against Boelter in April that his left arm and hand likely would never fully recover, and that he also had permanent injuries to his digestive and urinary systems.

Yvette Hoffman was left with permanent physical weakness, the lawsuit said, while their adult daughter, Hope Hoffman, who was there and called 911 but was not shot, suffered severe psychological trauma.

___

Johnson reported from Seattle. Former AP reporter Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis contributed.

Attorneys presented opening statements in the trial of Jonathan Rinderknecht, who has pleaded not guilty to starting what became one of the most destructive wildfires in California history. Whether prosecutors can prove to jurors that Rinderknecht, 29, started a fire in Los Angeles on Jan. 1, 2025, and that it then turned into the Palisades Fire will be at the center of the trial.

Prosecutors say the Jan. 1 fire burned undetected deep in root systems before flaring back up on Jan. 7. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt O'Brien told jurors that security camera footage shows where and when the fire ignited atop a hill, and investigators were able to place Rinderknecht nearby because he called 911 for help 16 times in quick succession on the evening of Jan. 1.

O'Brien said that Rinderknecht was the only person there that evening. He said that after firefighters arrived, Rinderknecht followed them up the hill to take videos of them putting out the blaze. Investigators later seized a barbecue lighter from his car that he admitted to having with him on the trail.

Defense attorney Steve Haney said Rinderknecht was on the hilltop near the fire's ignition that night, but only to watch the fireworks after dropping off Uber passengers nearby. Haney said multiple witnesses as well as first responders will testify that they heard fireworks in the area around the time the fire ignited.

“When all the evidence is in, there will be one thing missing: proof that Jonathan Rinderknecht started that fire on Jan. 1,” Haney told jurors.

The Palisades Fire ultimately killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes as it incinerated hillside neighborhoods in Pacific Palisades and the city of Malibu. Rinderknecht faces at least five years in prison if convicted of charges that also include malicious destruction by means of a fire.

O'Brien, in his opening, painted a picture for the jury of a troubled young man who was lonely and angry at the world after a recent breakup.

“He wanted revenge — revenge against society because he blamed society for all his troubles,” he said.

O'Brien also showed jurors a prompt that Rinderknecht had entered into ChatGPT six months earlier. “So on the far left, we're going to have a burning forest and then you have a bunch of people running away from that,” the prompt began.

Haney reminded jurors it didn't matter if they liked his client or “approve of the way Jonathan uses his computer.” He said Rinderknecht’s behavior after the fire, from calling 911 to cooperating with investigators, demonstrated his innocence.

Haney played an audio recording of Rinderknecht’s conversation with a 911 operator during which he reported a fire in the Pacific Palisades.

When federal investigators knocked on Rinderknecht's door, he didn’t hide or refuse to answer, Haney said. Rinderknecht even agreed to drive back to the Palisades to help investigators pinpoint the start of the fire.

“It’s the voice and actions of a man who was trying to stop the fire,” Haney said.

Leading up to the trial, Haney has argued that Rinderknecht is being made as a scapegoat for the Los Angeles Fire Department’s failure to fully extinguish the Jan. 1 blaze.

Judge Anne Hwang has ruled that the defense can’t introduce evidence or arguments about alleged negligence by the Fire Department, saying it was irrelevant and could confuse the jury. Defense attorneys had planned to include testimony from a firefighter that the fire was visibly smoldering when first responders left before it reignited days later.

Prosecutors began presenting their case by calling witnesses with California State Parks and the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area to establish that the fire affected areas with federal jurisdiction.

They also called Special Agent Michael Montevidoni with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, one of the lead investigators in the case.

Montevidoni spent hours on the stand explaining to jurors how investigators gathered evidence and interviewed more than 100 of Rinderknecht's friends, family and acquaintances.

Prosecutors also introduced a multitude of digital records into evidence obtained from his phone, email, Uber, OpenAI and various social media accounts.

Montevidoni said he reviewed thousands of conversations between Rinderknecht and ChatGPT, during which Rinderknecht lamented wealth disparity and climate change in the world and his inability to do anything about it.

These conversations led up to early hours of Dec. 31, 2024, during which Rinderknecht sent angry messages to a woman that he had a prior romantic relationship with. At the same time, he vented to ChatGPT, Montevidoni said.

“It was consistently showing anger and frustration,” Montevidoni said.

The crash occurred near Muzaffarabad, the regional capital, during an ongoing protest and strike called by the Joint Awami Action Committee, a recently banned alliance of various groups.

The military didn't suggest any link between the protest and the crash.

Witnesses said that the helicopter crashed shortly after takeoff from a helipad. Ambulances arrived at the scene and transported the victims to a nearby hospital.

“Rescue and recovery teams immediately reached the crash site,” the military said, adding that a board of inquiry had been ordered to determine the exact cause of the crash.

Residents in Muzaffarabad said that the helicopter was carrying an unspecified number of paramilitary Rangers deployed by the government for security duties in the region, where tensions have been high since the weekend, when members of an outlawed group attacked police and security forces, killing four personnel.

Witnesses said they saw smoke billowing from the crash site, and several ambulances were seen transporting the victims.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed sorrow over the crash, paying tribute to those killed. In separate statements, they conveyed sympathies to the victims' families.

Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, also expressed deep sorrow over the loss of life and extended condolences to the families of those killed, according to the statement.

Such crashes aren't uncommon in Pakistan. In September, an army helicopter on a routine flight crashed in northern Pakistan, killing two pilots and three technicians on board.

Former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Scott Erickson must also pay $1.17 million in punitive damages.

That is in addition to the $176 million in damages for wrongful death and emotional distress that jurors ordered Grossman and Erickson to pay parents Nancy and Karim Iskander last week, after finding them negligent in the deaths of Mark, 11, and Jacob, 8.

“This verdict sends a clear message that everyone must be held accountable when their selfish actions put innocent lives at risk,” Brian Panish, the Iskander family's attorney, said in a statement Wednesday.

Erickson's attorney, Jeff Braun, said they respected the verdict.

“In the coming days, we will review the verdict with our client and discuss the appropriate path forward,” Braun said in a statement. “Today, however, our focus is on acknowledging the extraordinary loss the Iskander family has endured. We extend our sincere condolences to them and continue to keep them in our thoughts.”

Grossman's attorney, Esther Holm, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Grossman was sentenced in 2024 to serve 15 years to life in prison after being convicted of second-degree murder, gross vehicular manslaughter and hit-and-run driving in a separate criminal trial. She is a co-founder of the Grossman Burn Foundation and the wife of a prominent burn doctor.

The boys’ parents also filed lawsuits in civil court against both Grossman and Erickson, who was driving ahead of her when the Iskander brothers were killed. That trial began in April.

The deadly crash occurred on the evening of Sept. 29, 2020, in Westlake Village, a city on the western edge of Los Angeles County.

Panish, the Iskander family’s attorney, argued that Grossman and Erickson were both driving recklessly after drinking margaritas together. The two were dating at a time when Grossman and her husband were separated.

Panish said Grossman was driving 73 mph (117 kph) when her car struck the boys in a crosswalk on a road where the posted speed limit was 45 mph (72 kph).

He said Grossman was following Erickson, who was also speeding and narrowly missed the family.

Holm, Grossman's attorney, denied that her client was intoxicated. She said Grossman was distracted when she saw the boys’ mother dive out of the way of Erickson’s vehicle.

Braun, Erickson's attorney, called the boys’ deaths a tragedy but emphasized that the vehicle he was driving “made no contact with the children.”

In an opening statement provided to The Associated Press, Gates said he “should never have met with Epstein in the first place,” but that he “never witnessed nor had any indication that Epstein was engaged in ongoing criminal conduct.”

The tech billionaire became the latest powerful figure linked to Epstein to testify before the House Oversight Committee in a closed-door deposition. The committee chairman, Republican Rep. James Comer, formally requested that Gates testify after he appeared multiple times in a trove of documents released by the Justice Department as part of its Epstein probe.

As Gates arrived at the Capitol, he noted that his appearance was voluntary and said he hoped his testimony would help lawmakers “find justice for the victims.” Gates did not take questions from reporters at the conclusion of the interview late Wednesday afternoon.

Gates, who chairs the Gates Foundation, has not been accused in connection with Epstein's crimes and has repeatedly denied any knowledge of Epstein’s abuse of girls. He has said the two met only to discuss philanthropy and previously described the relationship as “a huge mistake.”

Most Democratic members who participated in Wednesday's questioning described Gates as cooperative. They said some of the most useful information he provided involved other influential people in Epstein’s orbit. Lawmakers also said they pressed Gates on why he continued interacting with Epstein after he pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting prostitution from a minor.

Gates was aware that Epstein had been convicted of “a horrific crime and continued to interact with him to seek money for his foundation,” said Rep. Robert Garcia, the top-ranking Democrat on the committee, who described Gates' actions as “a horrific judgment call.”

Before the interview began, Comer told reporters that the committee's effort was “about trying to figure out how the government failed.”

Lawmakers scrutinize Gates’ relationship with Epstein

Gates said he was introduced to Epstein through people involved in his professional and philanthropic work and was drawn in by Epstein’s claims that he could help raise billions of dollars for global health initiatives.

Their relationship began in 2011, three years after Epstein’s guilty plea in Florida, according to the Justice Department files. Gates said he cut ties in 2014 after concluding Epstein could not deliver on those promises.

Included in the files are calendar entries for meetings between Gates and Epstein, email correspondence between the two about philanthropic projects and photos of Gates at events that Epstein also attended.

Gates added that he never went to Epstein's island or his other infamous properties.

“I have never victimized anyone. While he may have sought to foster a personal relationship, I was never interested in that and never reciprocated,” Gates said.

Lawmakers offered differing accounts of the interview as they exited the room throughout the day.

GOP Rep. Tim Burchett described the questioning as “intense,” while Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi said Gates was “combative” and “not terribly forthcoming or candid.” Garcia, by contrast, said that while Gates pushed back on some inquiries, “he’s answering the questions.”

Democratic Rep. Melanie Stansbury said Gates acknowledged maintaining contact with Epstein because he believed the “narrow relationship” was “an acceptable means to access wealthy donors.”

The Gates Foundation said in February that a small number of employees had met with Epstein based on his “claims that he could mobilize significant philanthropic resources" for global health. They never created a charitable fund together, and the foundation made no payments to Epstein.

Both Gates and his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, have said his association with Epstein created tension in their marriage.

Broader Epstein investigation continues

Epstein was federally indicted in July 2019 on charges of sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors. The Justice Department alleged that Epstein formed a vast network of girls, some as young as 14, for him to sexually abuse between 2002 and 2005. He died by suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial.

The files released by the Justice Department read like a who’s who of powerful men across tech, finance, politics and other industries. All have denied involvement in Epstein’s crimes, but some maintained or formed friendships with him even after his history of sexual abuse came to light.

At another closed-door deposition in February, former President Bill Clinton faced more than six hours of questioning from lawmakers about his association with Epstein more than two decades ago. Epstein visited the White House several times during Clinton’s presidency, and Clinton flew occasionally on Epstein's private jet.

The former Democratic president said he saw no signs of Epstein’s sexual abuse and stopped associating with him long before Epstein's 2008 guilty plea. Clinton has not been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein.

Democrats on the House committee have pushed for testimony from President Donald Trump, a Republican who had his own relationship with Epstein. Republicans have said they have not come across any evidence that Trump did anything wrong during his well-documented friendship with Epstein.

Comer said Wednesday that he's planning to ask attorney Alan Dershowitz to appear and that he's been in communication with the Justice Department about acting Attorney General Todd Blanche coming in for questioning as well.

___

Schoenbaum reported from Salt Lake City.

The event is part of the 250th anniversary of America’s founding, and is scheduled for the weekend with the main attraction — seven mixed martial arts matches — on Sunday.

That is, if a judge doesn't halt the proceedings, which is sought by two Virginia residents in a federal lawsuit against the National Park Service, which oversees the South Lawn.

The agency filed a rebuff of the request Tuesday in court, and, in it, laid out the operations for the event.

“Well over $60 million and tens of thousands of hours of labor have been expended,” the document read, adding that the money came from the UFC and groups affiliated with it.

The Octagon

It's the eight-sided cage that surrounds the sometimes bloodied combatants and sits at the center of the constructed arena on the South Lawn.

The arena is expected to hold 4,000 spectators, with another 120,000 visitors — who swung tickets from an online lottery — anticipated to watch from the nearby Ellipse.

The installation began May 20, and the Secret Service worked with the UFC to screen between 20 and 30 trucks of equipment — as well as between “700 and 900” staff — that came in daily for the installation.

The document did not specify the extent of government resources spent on the project, but said seven agencies, including Homeland Security and the Federal Aviation Administration, have “allocated significant resources and manpower."

The schedule

It’ll kick off Saturday with a ceremonial weigh-in at the Ellipse, followed by a concert by country musicians The Zac Brown Band.

A UFC Freedom 250 Fan Fest will be ongoing through the weekend, with “interactive experiences,” live shows, celebrity appearances, “exclusive on-stage moments,” meet and greets, live music and interviews with the athletes.

Sunday night is when the seven bouts kick off. At the close, Trump is scheduled to fly to France for the G7 summit.

Disassembly of the installations will begin the next day, and they are expected to be entirely removed by June 23.

The athletes' Epsom salt baths

There are 14 athletes competing, and their training is rigorous.

Preparations start months in advance, working toward more intense weight cutting and diet alteration in the final week that can include fasting, extreme sauna use and hot Epsom salt baths.

They could be shaving as many as 20 pounds before weigh-ins, which are designed to keep the competition fair between similarly weighted combatants.

Lawsuit calls it ‘corrupt’

It was filed Saturday by the Public Integrity Project on behalf of the two Virginia residents and argues that Trump’s authorization of the event violated National Park Service regulations prohibiting sporting events on federal parklands.

One of the attorneys, Brendan Ballou, characterized it as a “corrupt use of our most sacred national monuments for private gain."

The National Park Service pushed back on that claim, but also detailed the event's preparations to make a point.

“All these hopes could be dashed at the very last moment," it read, "by the whim of two people who believe they have superior taste and want to spoil the event for everyone else.”

A crash involving multiple vehicles has caused all eastbound lanes of the Westpark Tollway to be shut down.

The crash happened near SH-6 in the Mission Bend area of Harris County.

Houston Transtar cameras show emergency vehicles blocking the eastbound lanes.

Seek an alternate route and prepare for delays if you are in the area.

Briscoe died Sunday at an assisted living facility in Kapolei, Hawaii, said his wife, Leonor Briscoe. He was diagnosed in April with amyloidosis, a disorder in which protein buildup can lead to organ damage.

In a career spanning decades and continents, Briscoe brought a reporter’s curiosity to his native Utah, to Washington and to Hawaii. But it was his perch in Manila that put him at the center of his biggest story.

Taking the helm as bureau chief in 1980, Briscoe charted the waning years of Ferdinand Marcos’ authoritarian regime and the turmoil unleashed by the assassination of opposition leader Benigno Aquino Jr. He and his staff fanned out across the country in chartered planes, rented jeeps and, at least once, a horse-drawn cart. They covered a relentless stretch of investigations, hearings and a presidential campaign so improbable it seemed scripted, with a reluctant widow thrust by tragedy to the forefront of a democratic movement.

That thrilling conclusion, with Corazon Aquino ascending to the presidency and Marcos dramatically driven into exile, would stay with Briscoe forever. He recalled searing images “of nuns kneeling in front of military tanks” and “soldiers and civilians crying in each other’s arms.”

“I expect to witness or cover no greater event in my life,” he wrote in AP World, an in-house magazine, in 1986, recounting his coverage of the upheaval.

A love affair with the Philippines

David Chesley Briscoe was born July 30, 1943, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to a union steward father and a homemaker mother who raised her two sons in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He grew interested in journalism at the University of Utah, writing for the student paper and eventually getting hired at the Deseret News, where editors handed him obituary assignments and pieces on standout local students.

After two years there, Briscoe signed up for the Peace Corps and was assigned to Paracale, and then Naga City, in the Philippines, where he taught English. For a young man who had scarcely left Utah in his youth, every corner seemed to be a revelation, of water buffalo shimmering from mud baths and children running down dirt roads.

He was smitten with his new home. When his Peace Corps tour ended, Briscoe bristled at the idea of leaving. He found work at a local newspaper, and while staffing an event in which Marcos was to speak, he met the former Leonor Aureus, editor of a rival paper. The two were soon walking down an aisle they lined with copies of The Naga Times and the Bicol Mail.

A dramatic revolution unfolds

Briscoe was hired by the AP in Manila in 1970, covering a deadly earthquake that rocked the capital, an assassination attempt on Pope Paul VI and the hijacking of a plane. By the next year, though, AP said he’d have to spend some time working in the U.S. He returned to Salt Lake, hoping fate might someday bring him back to the Philippines.

In his hometown, he found ties with his faith were fraying. His wife says he was disciplined by the church after discussing its exclusion of Black men from its priesthood in a class he taught. Briscoe opposed the ban. The church later lifted the restriction.

He also found himself at odds with the church over a three-part series he wrote with a colleague, Bill Beecham, examining its intricate web of business interests and tithing by its members that the reporters estimated brought in more than $1 billion a year. No Utah newspaper dared to run the stories, the pair said.

Briscoe spent nine years in Salt Lake before his bosses dangled a chance to return to Manila as bureau chief. He rushed to phone his wife with the news.

“Noree, are you sitting down?” she remembered him asking.

From Washington back to the Pacific

After his six-year stint running the AP’s office in the Philippines, Briscoe moved in 1986 to Washington, where he focused on international affairs. He was bureau chief in Honolulu from 2001 until retiring in 2009.

There, dressed in aloha shirts and bathed in a tropical sun, Briscoe could again call a Pacific island home. He spoke of being “halfway back.”

To his final days, he cherished his time in the Philippines. As the end neared, his family gathered around him and prayed. He grabbed his wife's hand, told her he loved her, and asked her to let him go.

The family plans to hire a boat and scatter Briscoe’s ashes in the waters of the Pacific, hoping the currents take his remains back to his adopted home.

“The land that David learned to love,” his wife said, “and where he met the love of his life.”

___

Matt Sedensky can be reached at msedensky@ap.org and https://x.com/sedensky

Tuesday afternoon's act sent shock waves through a city where more than one in four people are Black. Some people drove or walked by, staring, and a video of the cross-burning gained traction online.

The video, taken by a motorist, shows the wooden cross engulfed in bright orange flames as it leans against a tree in Grant Park, located in the core of the city's downtown and near Lake Michigan.

Mayor Brandon Johnson said he was “deeply disturbed” by the images.

“Hate has no place in our city. Every Chicagoan deserves to feel safe, protected, and respected while going about their day or enjoying our public spaces,” Johnson, who is Black, said on a post on X Wednesday. “We will continue working across city government to uphold that standard and ensure Chicago remains a welcoming, inclusive, and safe place for all.”

Chicago police urged the public to come forward with any information. A community alert issued by police included an image of a person walking away from the area.

Police said the person was seen “fleeing from the scene” where an object was constructed and burned in the park. The alert provided no update on the arson investigation.

The Chicago Fire Department confirmed the flaming object was a cross and said officials put out the fire.

Officials with a local Catholic church, The Faith Community of Saint Sabina, posted on social media a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone who was involved. The Rev. Michael Pfleger, senior pastor, called the cross burning an act of hate.

“It cannot be tolerated,” Pfleger told TV station FOX 32. “I really believe it should be treated as a hate crime just like a swastika is.”

Cross burnings have historically been symbols of hate

Keinika Carlton, 43, was driving home from running errands with her daughter and mother-in-law when they saw the cross on fire. She said she felt a combination of shock, sadness and disgust, as well as curiosity.

“Is this a racial thing? Is this a religious thing?” she said. “As Black women, of course, our first thought is racial, because burning crosses are known to be used as a tactic, an act of violence toward Black Americans in the South.”

Carlton estimated the cross was at least 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall. As they slowed down to shoot a video of the flames, she saw other cars also slowing down and people walking nearby, staring at the cross burning.

While the motive behind the burning cross was not immediately clear, cross burnings in the U.S. have historically been seen as “symbols of hate” that are “inextricably intertwined with the history of the Ku Klux Klan,” according to a 2003 U.S. Supreme Court decision written by the late Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. The justices ruled that the First Amendment allows bans on cross burnings only when they are intended to intimidate because the action “is a particularly virulent form of intimidation.”

Alyna Carlton, 22, said she never thought she would see something like that in her lifetime.

“It kind of really opened my eyes, had me realize that I’m not that far removed from the past.”

Some attribute the act to divisive political times

Gina Miranda Samuels, faculty director of the Center for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture at the University of Chicago, said the burning of crosses may no longer create the degree of fear it did decades ago — but there's sadness at the reminder of the level of hate that still exists.

“The burning a cross in Grant Park, personally, does not instill terror,” she said. “If it was on my personal lawn, that would concern me. This doesn’t cause me to want to flee Chicago.”

Miranda Samuels laid some of the blame on the current political climate.

“I do think we’re living in a time when we have a president that stokes this kind of thing and invites this type of stuff,” she said. "People feel emboldened and are invited to see how far they can go.”

Frank Chapman, executive director of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression and a Chicago resident, agreed. He pointed to how people who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, were ultimately not punished. President Donald Trump pardoned, commuted prison sentences or ordered the dismissal of cases for all of the nearly 1,600 people charged in the attack.

“The same kind of people got the same white supremacist mentality as a cross-burning,” Chapman said. "So, they figured like they got a license now ... with people pardoned and more or less shaking hands with the devil.”

Next week, Obama will be joined by other former presidents and dignitaries to dedicate his presidential library, named the Obama Center, on a sprawling complex less than 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of Grant Park. The center opens to the public on Juneteenth, the federal holiday marking the end of slavery in the U.S.

___ Associated Press writers Terry Tang in Phoenix and Corey Williams in Detroit contributed to this report.

Trump would not say if he planned to follow through on threats he made earlier in the war to attack bridges and utility plants. He urged Iran to sign a deal with the U.S.

Also Wednesday, the president signed a $70 billion immigration enforcement bill that aims to ensure uninterrupted funding for the administration’s deportation agenda through the end of his term.

The Latest:

$60M and 7 federal agencies required to stage Trump’s UFC fight at White House

The president’s planned UFC fight on the South Lawn has required a monumental effort from more than seven federal agencies, hundreds of staff working on-site daily and at least $60 million, according to a legal filing that offers a glimpse into the preparations.

The event is part of the 250th anniversary of America’s founding, and it is scheduled for the weekend with the main attraction — seven mixed martial arts matches — on Sunday.

That is, if a judge doesn’t halt the proceedings, something sought by two Virginia residents in a federal lawsuit against the National Park Service, which oversees the South Lawn.

The agency filed a rebuff of the request Tuesday in court and in it laid out the operations for the event.

“Well over $60 million and tens of thousands of hours of labor have been expended,” the document reads, adding that the money came from the UFC and affiliated groups.

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OB-GYN group makes vaccine recommendations for the first time

A prominent OB-GYN group announced vaccine recommendations Wednesday that differ from what the U.S. government advises.

The schedule is specifically for pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women. It aligns with prior recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, before changes were made under the Trump administration and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists withdrew this year from a CDC advisory committee on vaccines because of those changes, which have spawned legal challenges.

“So now for the first time, ACOG has made the decision to formally release its own immunization schedule to provide and communicate clear evidence-based guidance and to address the growing vaccine misinformation that is circulating,” said Dr. Christopher Zahn, the group’s chief of clinical practice.

The schedule has been endorsed by 13 other professional and medical societies. Some other groups, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, have also put out schedules this year that differ from the CDC’s.

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Florida high court allows use of new US House districts drawn by Republicans for midterms

The Florida Supreme Court declined a request to issue a temporary injunction against the map, which is backed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Attorneys representing voters had argued that the new districts violate a state constitutional ban on political gerrymandering.

Republicans currently hold 20 of the state’s 28 U.S. House seats, and the new voting districts could improve the GOP’s chances to win four additional seats this year.

Republican Attorney General James Uthmeier, who defended the new districts in court, declared “complete and total victory” in a social media post.

Opponents expressed outrage while vowing to continue the court fight, even though it may stretch into the 2028 election cycle.

Trump has urged Republican-led states to redraw voting districts to try to hold on to a slim House majority in November.

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Administration plans intensive, year-round construction schedule for Trump’s triumphal arch

Construction of the 250-foot-high triumphal arch that the president wants built near the Lincoln Memorial could occur 20 hours per day, year-round, as officials push to complete the project within three years, according to a preliminary assessment by the National Park Service.

Tower cranes up to 320 feet tall, forklifts, concrete pump systems and other equipment would be needed to build the arch, which would be more than twice as high as the Lincoln Memorial. Work would occur year-round in two 10-hour shifts per day, the Park Service report said.

The 24-page assessment by NPS staff was released last week as a part of a fast-tracked historic preservation review that began Friday. The park service oversees the land where the administration wants to build the arch.

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Judge rejects watchdog bid to block administration’s ‘anti-weaponization’ fund

A federal judge has rejected a government watchdog’s request for a court order temporarily blocking the Trump administration from forging ahead with a new $1.776 billion settlement fund for compensating people who claim to be victims of a weaponized government.

But the judge ended a hearing Wednesday by warning President Donald Trump’s administration not to “play possum” with the court.

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled from the bench in favor of the administration, which argued that the watchdog’s lawsuit is moot because acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told Congress last month that the government is scrapping its plans for the fund.

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US military says it is striking ‘multiple targets’ in Iran in latest escalation of tensions

U.S. Central Command said in a social media post that the military is striking “multiple targets in Iran” and it is happening “in response to Iran’s unwarranted and continued aggression.”

The strikes come just a day after the U.S. hit Iran following the crash of an Army helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz that Trump blamed on Tehran.

US Embassy in Baghdad issues new warning to citizens

In a statement it advised U.S. citizens in Iraq “to maintain heightened readiness and stay alert to local news sources” as “travel disruptions and airspace closures could occur on short notice.”

Washington previously issued a warning for U.S. citizens not to travel to Iraq and advised those there to leave. The statement reiterated that warning.

The advisory comes amid rising tensions and renewed exchanges of strikes between the U.S. and Iran. After the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, sparking the war in the Middle East, Iran-backed Iraqi militias launched regular attacks on U.S. bases and diplomatic facilities in Iraq.

Hegseth says US has ‘options’ when asked about possible operation in Cuba

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters the military has various options for the president if he greenlights military intervention there.

Asked about the possibility of a capture-or-kill operation, the defense secretary said: “All I would say is options, options, options. Our job is to present options at different scales depending on where the commander in chief and president the United States wants to go.”

Trump has warned that Cuba is next following a U.S. military raid in January that captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Trump has also ordered a punishing oil embargo on the island nation, while former Cuban president Raúl Castro, 95, faces federal murder charges if ever brought to the U.S.

Hegseth says US will strike Iran tonight

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the military will strike Iran “hard” Wednesday night following threats for more strikes from Trump earlier in the day.

While Trump said the strikes are further retaliation for what he said is Iran’s downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter, Hegseth said they are happening “not because we want to restart anything” but because the Pentagon “is prepared to set the terms to ensure that we get the kind of deal President Trump expects.”

“Those strikes that will happen tonight will be strong; they will be clear,” Hegseth said. “If they have to happen tomorrow night, they will be strong and they will be clear.”

Iran’s UN envoy says Trump should refrain from threats of force if he wants a deal

Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani stressed to the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday that “no sustainable deal can be reached through terrorists, intimidation, or the use of force.”

“Iran has never negotiated under threats and pressure and will never submit to pressure or question,” he said.

Iravani said the United States has repeatedly pursued this policy and should have learned by now “that threats and military intimidation are counterproductive.”

“If Washington is genuinely interested in a diplomatic solution, it must abandon the language of terrorism and engage with Iran on the basis of mutual respect, sovereign equality, and full adherence to international law,” the Iranian ambassador said.

Israeli defense minister says Israel is prepared to strike Iran ‘with great force’

Speaking at a ceremony in Jerusalem on Wednesday evening, Israel Katz said the campaign against Iran was “far from over” and warned that if Iran attacks Israel again, “it will suffer a severe blow.”

The comments came shortly after Trump said the United States would be striking Iran again on Wednesday, after a day of escalating attacks in the region.

Israel and Iran traded fire earlier this week for the first time in two months.

Trump says he ordered US military mission to help oil tankers navigate Strait of Hormuz

The president said on social media that he ordered the U.S. military last month to execute “a secret mission to support Oil Tankers and other Commercial Ships” through the strait. He claimed the effort helped get more than 100 million barrels of oil through the strait, though there was no immediate confirmation of that figure.

It was not immediately clear what role the military played. When asked about the secret mission, Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, said, “U.S. forces continue to communicate and coordinate with commercial vessels seeking to freely and safely transit.” He did not offer details on the specific military support being offered to vessels.

Hegseth warns Cuba over buying certain weapons, saying it will invite confrontation

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth continued his tough talk against Cuba’s government while visiting the U.S. base on the island, warning Cuba against the purchase of weapons that could strike the Guantanamo Bay Navy base or the U.S. mainland 90 miles (145 kilometers) away.

“They would be inviting the kind of confrontation, not only do they not want, but they could not stand,” Hegseth said, adding that the U.S. military “will give the commander in chief every single option he needs inside that contingency.”

Trump has been threatening Cuba with military intervention as he tries to pressure its government’s leadership into stepping down.

Rubio to attend World Cup opening ceremony and US-Paraguay match in LA

The State Department says the secretary of state will travel to Los Angeles for Friday’s U.S. opening ceremony of the World Cup 2026 soccer tournament and Team USA’s first match against Paraguay that night.

The department said in a statement that Rubio would lead the U.S. delegation to the opening and be accompanied by Secretaries of Transportation and Homeland Security Sean Duffy and Markwayne Mullin.

In addition to attending the World Cup events, Rubio will also meet with Paraguayan President Santiago Peña in Los Angeles.

US says it has boosted Ebola response funding by another $20 million

The State Department says that the Trump administration has contributed another $20 million toward efforts to counter the spread of the deadly Ebola virus in Africa, bringing the total U.S. contribution to more than $220 million since the outbreak began last month.

The department said the new funds would go to assist the most affected countries — Congo and Uganda — as well as Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and South Sudan, to help them prepare for an outbreak and prevent its spread. That will cover support for national emergency operations centers, surveillance, testing and border screening, and infection prevention and control, as well as assistance in managing potential victims of the virus.

The announcement came a day after Secretary of State Marco Rubio told EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that Europe needed to step up its response to Ebola.

Hegseth tells US troops in Cuba: ‘We are taking back our hemisphere’

Speaking to American troops in Cuba on Wednesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. is “defending the homeland. And we are taking back our hemisphere.”

Hegseth cited the 19th-century Monroe Doctrine, which is often invoked to justify U.S. intervention in the Western Hemisphere. He also mentioned the “Donroe Doctrine” to reference Trump’s aggressive focus on Latin America and drug cartels.

Trump has been trying to bring about regime change in Cuba with a punishing oil blockade on the island nation and federal charges against former Cuban President Raúl Castro. Trump has also threatened military intervention while pointing to the U.S. capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January.

UN chief warns escalating attacks and rhetoric risk ‘full war’ in Iran and Gulf region

Secretary-General António Guterres told the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday that the ceasefire in the Gulf region “is more like a lesser fire,” as the world has witnessed in the last 48 hours, with the downing of a U.S. helicopter, U.S. retaliatory attacks on Iranian targets, and the Iranians firing at U.S. bases and facilities in the Gulf.

“The world needs to see a complete ceasefire, with navigational rights and freedoms restored … and serious negotiations on the nuclear issues — ensuring that Iran’s nuclear program is exclusively peaceful,” he said.

Guterres also called for full implementation of the ceasefires in Lebanon and Gaza and an end to settler violence in the West Bank, now averaging six attacks a day.

He said, “It’s time to get serious about the only credible way forward” — moving toward a two-state solution where Israel and Palestine live side by side in peace.

GCC condemns Iranian strikes on Gulf states and Jordan

The Gulf Cooperation Council, or GCC, condemned Iranian air attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan on Wednesday, saying the “new heinous Iranian aggression” doesn’t create stability or build relations.

“The Council affirms that these hostile acts do not serve any understanding or rapprochement, but rather distance people from one another, undermine the foundations of trust, sow discord, and close the doors of dialogue to which the GCC states have always called,” the GCC said in a statement on the sidelines of a meeting it held in Bahrain’s capital of Manama.

The GCC blamed Iran for destabilizing the region and impacting international navigation and energy supplies through these “hostile acts.”

The ministerial council said GCC states remain committed to diplomacy and good-neighborly relations, but questioned how future ties could be built while the attacks continue.

Treasury sanctions Chinese and Hong Kong-based people and companies for supporting Iran

The U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on nine people and firms allegedly associated with supporting Iran’s weapons procurement program.

Among those hit with sanctions is Hong Kong‑based firm Mustad and its leadership, who are accused of acting as an intermediary to facilitate transactions that would help Iran procure weapons.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement that his agency is “disrupting the foreign procurement networks that support the Iranian military’s efforts to acquire weapons.”

Speaker Mike Johnson says Pulte is coming ‘short term’ to renovate and downsize intelligence office

The Republican leader spent another morning with Trump at the White House and said the president is “working very hard” to name a more permanent pick to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence – perhaps even by the time Pulte takes over June 19.

Johnson called it a “good faith gesture” from Trump that Democrats should accept as part of an agreement for a short-term extension of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, known as FISA. The spy tool expires on Friday if Congress fails to act, but lawmakers object to Pulte in the role, saying he is unqualified.

Trump made it very clear, Johnson said, that Pulte will serve a “very short term – a sort of renovation role” to help the Office of the Director of National Intelligence be “renovated and downsized.”

US military disables merchant vessel trying to transport oil from Iran

The U.S. military disabled an eighth merchant vessel in the waters off Iran on Tuesday, U.S. Central Command announced in a social media post on Wednesday.

According to U.S. Central Command, U.S. forces disabled Palau-flagged M/T Settebello, which they say was trying to transport oil from Iran, after their crew failed to comply with their directions. “A U.S. aircraft fired precision munitions into the ship’s engine room,” the statement said.

In a black-and-white video accompanying the statement, a small object can be seen slamming into the back of the ship before a large explosion erupts. Afterward, the video zooms out, and the ship is seen floating, but with smoke billowing from the back.

Trump seems to suggest the US is ferrying oil out of the Strait of Hormuz

The U.S. president seemed to say that “millions of barrels of oil” have been secreted past Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz, helping to ease energy price pressures.

“Do you know, we’ve been taking out millions of barrels of oil?” Trump said. “Nobody knows it. You know who doesn’t know about it? Iran. Until right now. We took out the other night, 22 ships late at night with no lights, because they don’t have any radar, because we blasted the crap out of it.”

The president said that U.S. forces have been removing millions of barrels of oil on a nightly basis, and he had previously “wanted to say it so badly.”

Inflation just climbed to 4.2% annually, and Trump calls those numbers ‘great’

As affordability concerns hurt his popularity, the U.S. president declared that he loves the figures in the latest consumer price index report, which showed inflation hitting 4.2%, the highest level since April 2023.

“I love it,” Trump said without irony. “The numbers were great.”

The president said that he thought the numbers were good because he believes that they’ve been driven by higher energy costs tied to the Iran war, suggesting that inflation would ease “as soon as this war is over.”

Inflation has worsened under Trump’s watch, initially because of last year’s tariffs and now because of a conflict that has blocked oil and natural gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump piles on about Platner, saying ‘he’s just an outright pig’

The president continued his sharp criticism of Platner in subsequent comments, saying, “He’s like a pig.”

“I watched him a couple of times,” the president said. “He’s like a pig. That’s what he reminds me of.”

Trump added, “You know, I come up with good names for people. I don’t want to stick him with that one, although I think pigs would be very upset,” drawing laughter from Republican lawmakers in the Oval Office with him.

Trump has used “pig” or variations of it as insults before against reporters and political opponents.

Trump signs $70 billion immigration enforcement bill

Trump has signed a bill into law that gives his immigration and deportation agenda a nearly $70 billion boost for the rest of his time in the White House.

The bill provides $38 billion for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and $26 billion for the Border Patrol. An additional $5 billion would cover unforeseen costs, according to the White House.

Trump signed the legislation in the Oval Office on Wednesday, a day after House Republicans pushed the measure through by a 214-212 vote over the objections of Democrats. His signature ended a nearly six-month fight over Department of Homeland Security funding that began with the shooting deaths of two U.S. citizens, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, in January during federal immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis.

Trump says he does not want to renew trade pact with Canada and Mexico

The U.S. president told reporters that he’s “not looking to renew” the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, a trade deal that, without a commitment by July 1, would face annual reviews of its status and possibly expire in 2036.

“I’m not looking to renew it,” Trump said, even though he originally negotiated the pact to replace an earlier trade deal for North America.

Trump said that the earlier agreement was worse than the USMCA. Still, he was displeased with the results.

“You know, with Mexico and Canada, we have trade deficits,” Trump said. “We should have surpluses with them. We don’t need their cars. We don’t need their lumber. We don’t need their energy. We don’t need anything that they have.”

Trump says Maine’s Collins is ‘not my best friend’ but he’s backing her

Trump said that Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine has his backing in her reelection campaign this year, even though she voted in 2021 to convict him of impeachment for the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.

After repeatedly insulting Collins’ Democratic opponent, Graham Platner, Trump said he was backing Collins “because she’s a sane woman.”

“She’s not my best friend at all,” the president added.

Trump said that Collins has “maybe a little different ideology than me,” but she’s “a respected person” and a better choice than Platner.

Iran says the US bombed 2 of its water reservoirs

Water supply to thousands of residents was cut off on Wednesday after two reservoirs in the city of Sirik were damaged by a U.S. strike, according to Hashem Amini, the head of the state-owned National Water and Wastewater Engineering Company, and the head of the local water company.

Iran’s state media published a video of what it said was a damaged water reservoir in southern Iran. The Associated Press could not immediately verify the footage or the claims.

U.S. Central Command had no immediate comment. Central Command said earlier Wednesday that it had “struck Iranian air defense, ground control stations, and surveillance radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz.” Sirik is at the eastern end of the strait.

Trump announces more strikes against Iran

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that the U.S. would be striking Iran again on Wednesday after a helicopter collision with an Iranian drone.

“We’re going to hit them again hard today,” Trump said. He wouldn’t say if he planned to follow through on threats he made earlier in the war to attack bridges and utility plants in Iran.

He urged Iran to sign a deal with the U.S., saying “we were really close to a deal but they keep tapping us along.”

For residents of the Heights, walking to school, a park, or a nearby business is part of daily life. But for years, many of those trips have come with safety concerns for pedestrians navigating busy streets.

According to Texas Department of Transportation crash data, 119 pedestrians were reportedly killed on Houston roadways in 2024 — roughly one pedestrian death every three days. The city also recorded 345 overall traffic fatalities, making 2024 the deadliest year ever documented on Houston streets.

• Houston City Council passes $7.5 billion budget amid debate over fees and financial stability

Those sobering numbers have fueled calls for safer infrastructure from transportation advocates, including Link Houston, a nonprofit focused on improving mobility and street safety across the region.

In response, Houston City Council recently approved more than $130,000 for several pedestrian safety projects in the Heights.

The upgrades include new and enhanced crosswalks, sidewalk improvements, fresh roadway striping, and the installation of rectangular rapid flashing beacons — high-intensity pedestrian-activated warning lights designed to increase driver awareness at crossings.

The largest concentration of improvements will be along West 11th Street, including intersections at Ella Boulevard, T.C. Jester Boulevard, Bays Oaks Road, and several other locations.

One of the most noticeable changes will be at the intersection of White Oak Drive and Greenleaf Street, where rectangular rapid flashing beacons will be installed. Pedestrians activate the lights before entering the crosswalk, alerting drivers and encouraging them to slow down and yield.

• Houston ICE detainee escaped federal facility using yoga mat to scale wall, unsealed documents reveal

Transportation safety advocates say infrastructure improvements are important, but education remains a critical part of keeping pedestrians safe.

“One of the most important things parents can do is walk with their kids, bike with their kids,” said one safety expert. “These are not skills you can tell somebody, ‘Hey, go be a safe person.’ You have to show them what that means,” said Robin Holzer, Executive Director of LINK Houston.

The expert added that even marked crossings require awareness and judgment from pedestrians.

“A painted crosswalk or a push button at a signalized intersection are not magic devices that tell everybody what to do,” the advocate said. “Kids need to understand how to make eye contact with drivers, look down the road, and gauge the speed of approaching vehicles. They can do that, but they need practice,” Holzer said.

Link Houston says effective street design must account for everyone who uses the roadway, not just motorists. Better pavement markings, more visible crossings, and pedestrian-activated warning systems help create clearer expectations for both drivers and people on foot.

While the upgrades may seem simple, advocates say they can have a meaningful impact.

For a child walking to school or a family heading to a neighborhood park, a flashing beacon and a safer crosswalk could make all the difference.

Isabel Tristan wanted answers from Brookshire City Hall after paying $75 for a commemorative brick to honor her grandfather.

The brick was never installed.

Tristan purchased the brick through a city program, expecting it to be placed near the downtown amphitheater. When nothing was installed, she contacted the city on multiple occasions to ask about the status of her brick.

After receiving no concrete resolution, she contacted 2 Helps You.

“I think it’s the principle,” Tristan said. “You sold this brick for $75. It’s never been laid. I don’t know if it even exists.”

In situations like this, Tristan did everything right. She sent registered letters and made phone calls. Then, last month, she emailed us. We showed up a few days later.

Following KPRC 2’s initial report, the mayor of Brookshire reached out directly to Tristan with a resolution.

“I got a call from the mayor,” Tristan said. “He said he was returning my $75 and was giving me a complimentary brick.”

On Tuesday, we accompanied Tristan to Brookshire City Hall, where she received her refund check in person.

A few minutes later, she walked out smiling, never expecting the day would come.

“I feel good. I am pleased that the mayor and the City of Brookshire did the right thing,” Tristan said. “This is my hometown. These are my people, and I’m just thankful that he did the right thing.”

When asked what the outcome says about 2 Helps You, Tristan didn’t hesitate.

“Y’all are awesome. Y’all are awesome. Thank you so much.”

This story originated from an email sent to 2 Helps You. We are always listening. If you’ve done your part and still can’t get action, we don’t mind lending a hand.

In a letter to state regulators, Abbott outlined a series of proposals designed to ensure data centers shoulder the costs of their growth rather than Texas ratepayers.

Among his legislative priorities:

• requiring new facilities to add power generation to the state’s power grid
• requiring data centers pay for their own grid interconnection and infrastructure costs
• mandating the use of “closed-loop” water systems, which draw a large amount of water at the start but reuse it over some period of years
• require annual reporting by all data centers on electricity and water use
• establishing best-practice standards to address community concerns like noise
• repealing data center sales tax exemptions and “other outdated or unnecessary incentives for data centers”

The Texas Tribune reported earlier this year that the state is poised to lose $3.2 billion in sales tax revenue over the next two years because of a sales tax exemption.

“The rapid scale of data center development requires oversight to ensure everyday Texans are not burdened with the costs of infrastructure driven by data center expansion, and to ensure that as data centers interconnect to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) grid, residential electric bills are not negatively affected,” Abbott wrote in the letter first obtained by the Texas Bullpen.

It’s a striking call for industry regulation by the Republican governor in a state that has long prided itself on being a favorable environment for business. In recent months, Abbott has toed the line of championing the industry, declaring Texas the “epicenter” of AI development, and issuing statements about how his office was sensitive to the concerns about strain on resources and quality of life.

The Data Center Coalition welcomed the governor’s proposals saying the industry already follows many of the recommended practices and is committed to working with agencies to support “responsible infrastructure growth.” 

“It’s important to recognize that data centers are a diverse industry serving a wide range of needs, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to facility design, cooling technology, or regulation. The right approach in one community may not be the right approach in another, which is why siting and operational decisions are made in close coordination with local utilities, water providers, and management districts,” said Dan Diorio, the organization’s vice president of state policy.

At the Texas GOP convention in Houston, early reactions to the governor’s recommendations from a handful of members from his own party were that it was a good start — but more is required.

Rep. Cody Vasut of Angleton agreed with repealing the sales tax exemptions, and floated the idea of expanding counties’ authorities to address some of the concerns.

Speaking at the same panel focused on data centers, Hood County GOP Chair Greg Harrell said he wanted Abbott to call a special session to tackle the issues immediately. There are eight proposed data centers for the north central Texas county

“Now’s the time,” he said.

In the immediate, the governor directed the Public Utility Commission of Texas to “initiate action to reduce residential transmission costs” by July 31 and start requiring data centers to pay for all of their costs associated with building power infrastructure for their operations, to ensure residential ratepayers bear none of it.

He’s also asked the PUC and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the state’s main grid operator, to submit a joint memorandum by July 17 summarizing what they’ve done to prevent that data center development have caused risks and added costs onto Texans.

The move comes as opposition to large-scale data center projects grows across Texas. Community groups have organized against proposed developments over concerns about water use, noise, land impacts, and strain on local infrastructure. A March Quinnipiac poll found that 65% of Americans oppose the building of an AI data center in their community.

A Texas Tribune analysis found that nearly 60% of data centers that are planned or under construction would be in red state House districts that voted for President Donald Trump.

As of May, ERCOT reported that large projects requesting to connect to the grid totaled 439 gigawatts of power capacity — five times larger than the all-time peak demand on the state’s grid. Of those projects, about 89% are data centers, though energy experts say it’s unlikely that all of them will be built.

ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas previously described the influx of requests as “an unprecedented change in the pace of growth.”

A Tribune analysis found the state has 335 existing data centers, with more than 248 in the works. Only Texas and Virginia, which has been the top state for data centers for the past few years, had more than 100 active projects under way as of March, according to Aterio, a company that tracks industrial development.

Notably absent from Abbott’s priorities was any proposal to expand local control over data center development. That omission comes as counties across Texas argue they lack the authority to regulate projects increasingly locating in rural, unincorporated areas where zoning restrictions do not exist. Some state officials have expressed interest in expanding counties’ regulatory authority over data centers.

Last week, the Tribune reported that in rural Hood County, eight projects have been proposed over 10 months and local officials had no authority to reject them. Efforts by lawmakers to slow development have been met with threats from state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, and from lawsuits from data center developers.

Abbott’s recommendations follow interim charges in both chambers. Lawmakers have been charged with studying the development of data centers and examining the total water usage of data centers in the state.

General Manager Whitney Grant said they first tried motion sensors and cameras. “But didn’t last very long, which is why now we have the actual security, which is really what’s been effective for us. It’s the security plus the parking,” said Grant.

Grant said the number of reported car break-ins to them has gone down. Houston police crime statistics reported 5,540 of cases of theft from vehicles from January through April 2026.

Mike Morrison is a regular customer at Axelrad and said he doesn’t mind paying for parking. “You go to any place in Houston, any venue at all, valet and your car is safer. You park and pay, It’s better than leaving it on the street and having something happen to it,” said Morrison.

The lot at Alabama street and Almeda street have a scan to pay option, like similar lots around the city. There are also similar signs on the lot shared by Axelrad Beer Garden and two nearby businesses — Luigi’s and Retrospect.

“We are really happy with the results that we are seeing with less break-ins,” said Grant. “It is definitely effective. I think that most of the feedback we got from that post is that people feel better having their stuff be secure in their cars,” said Grant after receiving feedback on this new policy online.

Grant said paid parking revenue helps cover the cost of patrols that now run daily. Managers say the moves are intended to protect customers’ belongings while venue crowds increase for events such as FIFA watch parties and Pride celebrations.

Axelrad is also offering a 5% to those choosing an alternative transportation method like bike, on foot or by ride‑share. All they have to do is tell the bartender before they close to get that 5% off their tab.

The budget, which takes effect July 1, includes a new $5 monthly solid waste administrative fee and a right-of-way charge on Houston Water and Wastewater operations. Supporters say the measures help close budget gaps and maintain city services, while opponents contend the plan lacks transparency and fails to address deeper financial concerns.

Among the most vocal critics was Controller Chris Hollins, who sharply condemned both the budget and the council’s decision to approve it.

“I’m genuinely disappointed in both what’s in this budget, the lack of transparency, the lack of honesty, and city council’s willingness to take the city further down this path of financial mismanagement,” Hollins said to KPRC 2 News.

Hollins argued the budget relies on accounting maneuvers rather than sustainable financial reforms.

“There’s so many gimmicks in here, so many hidden costs, and so much dishonesty about the burden that’s going to be placed on regular Houstonians,” he said.

The controller gave the spending plan a failing grade.

“If I were grading this budget, this budget would get an F. On transparency, on accountability, and on the financial ground that it’s putting the city on, but we move forward,” Hollins said.

A major point of contention remains the new trash fee, which city leaders say is necessary as solid waste operations transition toward a utility model. Hollins argued the charge unfairly impacts lower-income residents.

“But this $5 fee, which doesn’t even start to pay for the actual cost of trash, this $5 fee is going to be paid by poor people while we’re subsidizing rich people,” Hollins said. “This $5 is going cost the average Houstonian three times more than a basic property tax increase that would have raised the same amount of money.”

While several council members ultimately voted in favor of the budget, some expressed reservations, particularly regarding the new solid waste fee.

Council member Amy Peck supported the budget but made clear she has concerns about the city’s handling of trash collection services.

“I remain convinced that the city should seriously consider getting out of the trash business because for too long we have demonstrated an inability to consistently provide the level of service our residents deserve,” Peck said.

Still, Peck said she was willing to support the administration’s approach for now.

“I am willing to give the mayor’s new approach an opportunity because the status quo isn’t working, and I trust that the mayor will get this right,” she said. “But let me be clear about this. If residents are asked to pay more, they deserve better service in return.”

Peck also issued a warning that her support could be short-lived if services don’t improve.

“If I do not see a measurable, meaningful improvement in the performance of the new solid waste division, I will personally author a Prop A ordinance to repeal this fee,” she said.

Council Member Edward Pollard voted against the budget, arguing the city continues to spend more without delivering better results for residents.

“There’s no denying that we have a spending problem in the city of Houston,” Pollard said. “Over the last two fiscal years, our city has faced the largest budget deficits in the city’s history.”

Pollard questioned whether increased spending has translated into improved city services.

“Are we getting better streets? Are we more affordable housing? Are we less homelessness? Are we better trash collection? Stronger infrastructure? The answer is no,” he said.

Like Hollins, Pollard criticized the proposed trash fee, saying residents have not been given enough information about how the money will be used.

“Now this budget proposes to impact the solid waste department by adding a $5 admin fee. But at the moment, there are no real specifics on what that admin fee is actually going to do,” Pollard said. “What are we actually getting for the $5? Will we get on-time trash pickup? Because if we are going to get that, then I think people would be in favor of it. But that $5 is a patchwork job.”

Other council members voiced concerns but ultimately backed the budget. Council Member Alejandra Salinas expressed reservations about drawing funds from Houston Water but said she was willing to trust the administration’s assurances. Council Member Joe Panzarella emphasized that his support should not be viewed as unconditional.

“My yes vote is not a blanket support of this fund,” Panzarella said, adding that his vote came with expectations for accountability and results.

Council Member Sallie Alcorn defended the budget, describing it as a practical step toward improving city services.

“I see this budget as a positive step towards better service,” Alcorn said. “This budget is smart. It does provide a new revenue, in terms of a fee.”

The approved budget represents the culmination of weeks of hearings and debate over how Houston should address mounting fiscal pressures while maintaining public services. While city leaders say the plan puts Houston on firmer financial footing, critics warn the debate over fees, spending priorities, and long-term sustainability is far from over.

Speaking Wednesday at the Houston Touchdown Club’s annual Red Raider luncheon near the Galleria, McGuire addressed the situation publicly for the first time since the ruling.

Rather than focusing on the legal battle, McGuire emphasized Sorsby’s ongoing recovery from a gambling addiction.

“Brendan Sorsby is recovering from an addiction. He’s recovering,” McGuire told attendees. “I’m sitting down with this young man multiple times. The things that he is going through and what he’s been through are serious.”

OUR FIRST REPORT: Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby granted injunction in gambling case, cleared to play in 2026

McGuire added that even expectations of Sorsby returning to the field by Week 3 of the season may be premature.

“Us even saying to the point, before we get to the legal part, that he could be ready Week 3 against Houston is still a stretch, because guess what? He’s still recovering,” McGuire said.

The controversy has quickly become one of the biggest stories in college football after Ken Curry, a Lubbock County judge, granted Sorsby a temporary injunction Monday, allowing him to play during the 2026 season while his legal challenge against the NCAA moves forward.

In granting the temporary injunction, Curry wrote that Sorsby faced “probable, imminent, and irreparable injury” if he were prevented from participating during the 2026 season.

The ruling drew criticism from across the collegiate sports world, including within the Big 12 Conference, where athletic directors have reportedly expressed frustration with the decision and Texas Tech’s handling of the situation.

Gambling violations led to NCAA suspension

Sorsby, one of the most sought-after quarterbacks in the transfer portal before transferring from Cincinnati to Texas Tech, was ruled ineligible earlier this year after an NCAA investigation into his gambling activity.

According to court documents, Sorsby wagered nearly $100,000 over a four-year period and placed bets involving the Indiana Hoosiers while he was a member of Indiana’s football program in 2022.

The quarterback later sought treatment for gambling addiction, spending more than a month at rehabilitation facilities, including a treatment center in Arizona.

The judge’s ruling allows Sorsby to participate in the 2026 season but requires him to sit out Texas Tech’s first two games against Abilene Christian and Oregon State.

Under the current order, Sorsby would become eligible to make his Texas Tech debut in the Red Raiders’ Big 12 opener against Houston on Sept. 18 in Lubbock.

NCAA plans to appeal

The NCAA has indicated it intends to appeal the ruling, though that process could take months to resolve.

The case has sparked a national debate over athlete eligibility, gambling-related discipline and the role courts should play in NCAA enforcement decisions.

For now, Sorsby remains eligible to play later this season, though McGuire made it clear the quarterback’s recovery remains the program’s top priority.

San Francisco trailed 9-1 before rallying for five runs in the eighth and five more in the ninth to stun the Nationals and avert a three-game sweep.

Big league teams trailing by at least eight runs in the eighth inning or later had lost 4,291 consecutive games since Cleveland stormed back from 10-2 down to beat Tampa Bay 11-10 on May 29, 2009, per Sportradar.

Matt Chapman had four hits, including two home runs — his second coming as part of back-to-back homers with Rafael Devers in the eighth to set up the comeback.

Jung Hoo Lee singled to extend his hitting streak to 18 games for the Giants, the longest active stretch in the majors.

Luis Arraez and Chapman hit consecutive doubles to begin the ninth. Devers walked and Lee singled to load the bases before Eldridge, who grew up a Nationals fan in Northern Virginia, drove a 2-0 slider from Mitchell Parker (2-3) into the right-field arcade for the rookie's fourth home run.

Lee raised his arms in celebration before the ball went over the wall.

James Wood hit his 18th home run for Washington. Daylen Lile added four hits, and Curtis Mead also homered on a day when every Nationals starter had a hit while seven players drove in at least one run.

Washington, which had already clinched its fifth consecutive road series win, was on the verge of finishing a 5-1 trip before collapsing in the ninth.

Reiver Sanmartin (1-0) retired six batters to earn the win. He gave up Mead's leadoff homer in the ninth that made it 10-6, but that insurance run wasn't enough for Washington.

Wood got the Nationals going in the third when he crushed a high 3-1 fastball from starter Robbie Ray and sent it over the center-field fence.

Washington scored three runs in the sixth and added three more in the seventh before the Giants rallied.

Ray allowed five runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings.

Up next

Nationals: RHP Zack Littell (6-4, 4.76 ERA) faces the Seattle Mariners on Friday.

Giants: Had not announced a scheduled starter for Friday’s home game against the Chicago Cubs.

___

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

Ladislav Petro, 51, escaped from the Houston Contract Detention Facility on March 15, prompting about a 24-hour manhunt.

After his escape, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson would not provide specifics on how Petro got out of the facility.

In April, a federal grand jury indicted Petro on charges including willfully preventing or hampering departure after a final order of removal and escape, records show.

Petro had multiple criminal arrests and an Interpol Red Notice for production and distribution of child pornography, according to an ICE spokesperson.

MORE ON ICE: Largest ICE detention facility wasted millions and put detainees at risk, report finds

How the escape happened

According to the newly unsealed federal criminal complaint, ICE learned about the escape from the facility on Export Plaza Drive on Sunday, March 15, around 4:22 p.m.

Detention officers from Core Civic, the contractor responsible for the detention of ICE detainees, allegedly told ICE staff the escape happened sometime between 9:20 a.m. and 2 p.m.

It was not discovered until around 4 p.m. during a facility headcount, according to records.

Surveillance video showed Petro on the recreation yard, and when investigators searched the yard, they found a yoga mat, according to records.

“Further investigation revealed the defendant used that yoga mat to scale the recreation yard wall to the roof of the building and then subsequently jumped from the roof to an area outside of the facility,” and ICE officer wrote in the complaint.

Petro had been ordered removed from the U.S. in May of 2024, according to records, and his case was pending with the Board of Immigration Appeals.

The escape prompted a multi-agency manhunt.

“Following the escape, detention staff immediately notified local, state, and federal authorities, and a coordinated, multi-agency search was immediately launched to quickly locate Petro. Thanks to the efforts of all agencies involved, Petro was safely apprehended in just over 24 hours not far from the Houston Contract Detention Facility,” an ICE spokesperson told KPRC 2 News three days after the escape.

Obtaining the documents

The criminal complaint detailing exactly how Petro escaped was filed under seal on March 15.

Even though Petro was arrested and in custody, the document remained sealed.

In late April, KPRC 2 News asked the U.S. Department of Justice why the document remained sealed, and without any reasoning but within hours, federal prosecutors filed a motion to unseal the criminal complaint.

Records show U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Palermo signed an order to finally unseal the records last week.

Petro remains in federal custody with a trial date scheduled in June.

KPRC 2 News has reached out to ICE to find out if any procedures have changed, and if any tools like yoga mats have been removed or restricted for use or access by detainees.

An ICE spokesperson provided KPRC 2 with the following statement:

Immediately following an escape at an ICE detention facility, a Corrective Action Team is deployed to conduct an exhaustive review of the circumstances that led to the escape to identify any deficiencies or vulnerabilities and to make recommendations regarding potential enhancements to current policies, procedures, and training to prevent future escapes. In the event human error is discovered to have contributed to the escape, ICE leadership counsels the individual(s) at fault and takes further corrective or disciplinary action, if warranted.

For operational security reasons, ICE is unable to comment on any potential deficiencies or vulnerabilities that were identified, or any remedial actions that were implemented, following the escape at the Houston Contract Detention Facility.

But the judge ended a hearing by issuing a “fair warning” to President Donald Trump's administration: “Don’t play possum with this court,” U.S. District Judge Richard Leon told a government attorney.

Leon ruled from the bench in favor of the administration, which argued that the watchdog's lawsuit is moot because acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told Congress earlier this month that the government is scrapping its plans for the fund. Leon, who was nominated to the bench by Republican President George W. Bush, said he accepts Blanche's representation for now.

The judge's refusal to issue a temporary restraining order isn't the final word on the fate of the government’s “Anti-Weaponization Fund." Leon said he will consider a separate request by the plaintiffs — Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington — for a preliminary injunction that would block payouts from the fund on a more permanent basis.

A different federal judge, sitting in Alexandria, Virginia, already has temporarily blocked the fund's operations. However, that order by U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema is due to expire Friday unless she extends it after a hearing on the same day.

The administration created the fund last month to resolve Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns. The Justice Department hasn’t formed the five-member commission that will decide on payout criteria, so there has been no money paid out nor claims accepted.

The fund has generated a fierce bipartisan backlash. Even many of the Republican president's allies are opposed to compensating rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. During a May 19 congressional hearing, Blanche wouldn’t rule out the possibility that rioters who assaulted police at the Capitol could be eligible for fund payouts.

Later, during a House hearing on June 2, Blanche said, “We are not moving forward with the fund, period."

“Not moving forward ever?” asked Rep. Grace Meng, a New York Democrat.

“Correct,” Blanche answered.

Leon asked Justice Department attorney Andrew Block why Blanche doesn't formally rescind his May 18 order establishing the fund.

“I don't know the reason for that,” Block said.

Block said Blanche's statements to Congress are sufficient to moot the watchdog's claims. He also argued that the group doesn't have the legal standing to bring them.

Plaintiffs' attorney Nikhel Sus noted that Trump himself contradicted Blanche's testimony. During an interview on June 3, a day after Blanche's House testimony, Trump expressed support for continuing with the fund despite the Virginia judge's ruling against it.

“On paper, the fund is still a legally operating entity," Sus said. “Nothing has changed.”

A federal judge in Florida overseeing Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS ordered Trump’s attorneys to respond to “grievous allegations” by settlement critics that the president abandoned his claims to avoid the court’s scrutiny of an illegal deal. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams gave them until Friday to respond in writing to allegations of collusion and whether the case should be reopened because the court was the “victim of a fraud.”

In Virginia, attorneys from the legal advocacy group Democracy Forward are seeking a court order halting the fund’s implementation and preventing the Trump administration from disbursing any payouts from it. The plaintiffs in the Virginia case include a fired prosecutor and a college professor acquitted of assaulting federal agents at a protest.

Michael Rollert shared his experience in a video posted to Facebook on Monday, describing what he called one of the most realistic scams he has ever encountered.

According to Rollert, the ordeal began around 3:15 a.m. when his phone rang unexpectedly. The incident occurred while he was out of town attending a bachelor party in Port Aransas, separated from his wife and family.

The caller ID displayed his mother’s name and phone number.

“I’ve been called by spammers all the time, right, but not at 3 a.m. from an actual cell phone contact on your phone,” Rollert told KPRC 2’s Michael Horton. “Being her name and all that stuff and the timing of night, that makes it very realistic.”

When he answered, he heard what sounded like a distressed woman struggling to speak.

“My first thought was maybe she’d been in a wreck,” Rollert said. “Maybe somebody was calling from her phone to tell me she needed help.”

Moments later, a man took over the call.

“‘Hey, look, bro, I got your mom with me,’” the caller allegedly said before demanding money.

Rollert said the man claimed he did not want to hurt his mother but needed cash because he was “in a bind.”

Unlike many scam calls that contain obvious red flags, Rollert said this one felt authentic.

“No part of this was robotic or copied or an AI voice,” he said. “It was a real person speaking.”

As the conversation continued, Rollert tried to buy time while evaluating whether the threat was real. The caller directed him to send money through Cash App and eventually demanded $3,000.

“It’s a lot of money, but it’s not like he was asking for $50,000 or some crazy amount,” Rollert said. “It was believable.”

The scammer also appeared to know personal information about Rollert’s family.

At one point, Rollert asked the caller what town he was in.

According to Rollert, the man correctly identified the East Texas town where his parents had recently moved and then provided details about their home.

“He named the town they had just moved to and then gave me some descriptions of the house,” Rollert said. “At that point, in my mind, I’m thinking this is real.”

Rollert said they included information most people would not expect a stranger to know.

“They can tell you the size of your house, descriptions, colors, driveways — things that only you would think matter in that moment,” he said.

Convinced there was a chance the threat was genuine, Rollert prepared to send the money.

“I really didn’t want to do it, but I didn’t want to not do it and regret it later,” he said.

Then the call suddenly disconnected.

“After that happens, he calls back. I call my mom immediately,” Rollert said.

His mother answered and was safe at home.

“I was immediately relieved that it was actually her on the phone.”

As he spoke with his parents, the scammer continued calling. Rollert eventually answered one of the calls and merged his parents into the conversation so they could hear the caller themselves.

Law enforcement was contacted and no money was ever sent.

A Scam Designed to Create Panic

Although the scam failed, Rollert said the experience changed his perspective on how convincing modern scams have become.

A self-described skeptical person, he said he previously believed he would never fall victim to something like this.

“I know a lot of people would say, ‘I wouldn’t fall for that,’” Rollert said. “But if your daughter is four hours away at college and calls you at 2 a.m. and she’s in trouble, you can’t tell me that you wouldn’t believe it for at least a little bit.”

He said scammers are intentionally targeting people during moments of panic, when emotions override logic.

During the response, Rollert said an East Texas sheriff’s deputy told his family about a similar scam that had recently victimized someone else.

In that case, the deputy said scammers allegedly spoofed the name and phone number of a real law enforcement officer and referenced an actual case involving a legitimate citation. The victim reportedly paid the money because the call appeared legitimate.

“I don’t think a lot of people realize they can get your contact information to show up as your actual contact,” Rollert said. “Or imitate somebody’s voice.”

Family emergency scams are not new, but experts say advances in technology are making them increasingly difficult to identify.

Criminals routinely use caller ID spoofing to make calls appear as though they are coming from trusted friends, relatives or government agencies. They may also gather personal information through social media accounts, public records and online searches to make their stories more believable.

In recent years, concerns have also grown about AI-generated voice cloning technology, which can create realistic imitations of a person’s voice using audio clips posted online.

While Rollert does not know exactly how the scammers obtained their information, he believes the combination of personal details and apparent access to his mother’s phone number made the scam especially convincing.

“These guys can get way more information than you think,” he said.

The experience prompted him to publicly share his story in hopes of preventing others from falling victim.

“If this helps one person or one family avoid going through this, then it’s worth sharing.”

How to Protect Yourself from Family Emergency Scams

As scams become more sophisticated, experts recommend several steps families can take to protect themselves:

Never Trust Caller ID Alone

Phone numbers can be spoofed. A call appearing to come from a family member’s phone is not proof that the caller is legitimate.

Verify Through Another Contact Method

Hang up and call the person back directly. If they do not answer, contact another family member, friend or spouse who may be able to verify their whereabouts.

Be Skeptical of Urgent Payment Demands

Scammers often create panic and insist that money be sent immediately through Cash App, Venmo, wire transfers, gift cards or cryptocurrency.

Establish a Family Safe Word

Rollert said every family should create a secret word or phrase known only to close relatives.

“If there’s anything people take away from this, get together with your family, put your phones away, and come up with one safe word nobody could ever guess.”

Limit Personal Information Online

Review privacy settings on social media accounts and avoid publicly sharing sensitive details such as travel plans, addresses or information about family members.

Prepare Children and Older Relatives

Scammers frequently target both younger and older victims. Make sure family members understand how these schemes work and know how to verify emergencies.

Contact Law Enforcement

As artificial intelligence and other technologies continue to evolve, cybersecurity experts warn that impersonation scams are likely to become more common.

If you receive a call claiming a loved one has been kidnapped or harmed, notify local law enforcement immediately and document any phone numbers, payment accounts or identifying information provided by the caller.

The Chiefs and the two-time MVP agreed to a restructured contract Wednesday that adds two years to his deal and pushes the total compensation past a half-billion dollars, a person familiar with the terms told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Chiefs do not disclose financial terms of their contracts.

The Chiefs later posted a photo of Mahomes signing his extension on social media.

Mahomes signed a 10-year, $450 million contract in 2020 that set a benchmark not only for the quarterback position but for any football player. The latest extension ties the two-time MVP to the Chiefs through the 2033 season, when Mahomes will be 38, and it comes in at $504.75 million, with incentives and escalators that could push the value $522.25 million.

“Over the last decade, Patrick has become one of the most iconic, beloved sports figures of all time,” Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said. "He has helped lead our franchise to five Super Bowl appearances and three championships, he has been instrumental in shaping the Chiefs brand and putting Kansas City on the world stage, and on top of it all he has been an outstanding role model.

“Patrick is a generational talent and an elite human being and I'm so excited he will continue to lead our team into the future.”

The Chiefs and Mahomes regularly rework his contract in the offseason, giving the team the financial flexibility to surround him with enough talent to compete for championships. The latest deal, though, includes a massive pay increase after recent deals done for other quarterbacks — among them Dak Prescott, Jordan Love, Joe Burrow and Josh Allen — had reset the QB market.

Prescott's four-year deal included a league-leading average of $60 million per year. Mahomes will now average $63.1 million.

“The magic continues,” his agency, Equity Sports, and its chief executive Chris Cabott wrote on social media Wednesday.

Mahomes underwent season-ending surgery last December after tearing ligaments in his left knee in the waning minutes of a loss to the Chargers. He has spent the entire offseason rehabbing the injury in Kansas City, and he has been on the field for the entirety of the Chiefs' offseason program, which concludes Thursday with the final day of their mandatory three-day minicamp.

“I like what I've seen. He's working hard,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said earlier in offseason workouts. “This is good for him, I mean getting out there and throwing. It’s good rehab as he continues to rehab, so he keeps the feel with the wide receivers. Or he’s doing partial practice and — but it’s important that he keeps his timing up. He’s busting his tail to put himself in this position.”

Mahomes has insisted ever since his injury that his goal was to be ready for Week 1 of the coming season.

The Chiefs play their preseason opener against the Rams on Aug. 15, but their regular-season opener is not until Sept. 14, when they face defending AFC West champion Denver in a marquee Monday night matchup at Arrowhead Stadium.

“I want to be out there with my guys,” Mahomes said recently, "but I know that’s still a long ways away, and so all I can do is execute the day and do whatever I can do to be better that day. We’ve done that up until now, and we’ve set these checkpoints and these goals of where I want to be at, and I’ve gotten to those. So now I just have to continue to do that at the right pace.”

Mahomes has been shattering records ever since the Chiefs made him their starter for the 2018 season. He has thrown for nearly 36,000 yards, earned six Pro Bowl nods and won three Super Bowl titles in five trips to the championship game.

The Chiefs had been to three straight Super Bowls before finishing a disappointing 6-11 last season. Mahomes was on injured reserve for the final three games, all of them losses, while the Chiefs turned their attention toward the coming season.

“As a competitor and as a football player, I want to be there,” Mahomes said. “I can’t predict the future. All I can do is be great today and then continue to be great tomorrow, but I’ve gotten to where I’ve gotten to because of that mindset and the goal at the end — the very far end — is to be ready and to be able to go out there and play with the guys Week 1.”

___

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

“Oh yes, totally,” said Giovanna Figueroa, worker at Elotes Bravos, FIFA Fan Fest vendor. “Just to be there with all the crowd, to me that is the best.”

Ride METRO said the goal is for a smooth commute for everyone during these FIFA festivities. METRO is offering increased transit frequencies, extended weekend operations and Park & Ride services with direct access to downtown. Plus, this includes its METRO Rail. If you are leaving a match at the Houston Stadium, METRO said the best way to get to Fan Fest is catching the rail. First, catch the red line and then follow the green and purple lines to make it downtown. Anna Carpenter with Ride METRO said it can all be done on your phone.

“All of your planning can be done through our Ride METRO app, which is free, or through RideMETRO.org,” Carpenter said. “We do have a Plan Your Trip tool, which gives you the options on how to get there.” Another transportation option available to residents and visitors is the Community Connector, a free electric shuttle service operating in five designated zones across Houston.

The shuttle can be booked through the METRO On Demand app when space is available. Riders can use the service to travel within specific areas, including routes connecting Emancipation Boulevard and Bagby Street.

As Houston enters the final stretch before the World Cup begins, officials are encouraging residents and visitors to plan ahead, allow extra travel time and take advantage of public transportation options to avoid delays around Fan Fest activities and match venues. As for construction still going on in the city, FIFA Houston told us everything is set to be on-time for FIFA Fan Fest.

Jakorian Mouton, 19, has been charged with capital murder and tampering with evidence in connection with the Dec. 14, 2024, shooting.

Officials confirmed that Mouton is being held in the Jefferson County Jail following his arrest Tuesday by officers with the Beaumont Police Department and members of the Southeast Texas Violent Crime Task Force.

OUR FIRST REPORT: 2 teens dead, 4 others hurt in mass shooting at ‘pop-up’ party in North Houston

The shooting happened at The Curfew Club, a makeshift party venue operating inside a commercial building at 10126 Jensen Drive at the time, according to the Houston Police Department.

Shots rang out at around 11:20 p.m. during an event advertised on social media as a teen club. When officers arrived, they found hundreds of juveniles and young adults fleeing the venue.

Six people were struck by gunfire.

16-year-old Randle King was pronounced dead at the scene. Fourteen-year-old A’Ziria Bankhead was transported to Texas Children’s Hospital, where she later died from her injuries.

Four additional female victims were hospitalized with gunshot wounds. One of the injured victims was reported to be just 13 years old.

According to investigators, multiple witnesses reported seeing a tall, thin male dressed in all black clothing, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and face mask, firing a handgun into the crowd before fleeing.

Detectives later identified Mouton as the suspected gunman. The investigation remains ongoing.

Investigation into ‘Teen Club’

At the time of the shooting, Houston police described The Curfew Club as a “pop-up club” operating out of a vacant commercial building on Houston’s north side.

The case drew widespread attention after city officials revealed the venue was operating without a valid certificate of occupancy.

According to Houston Public Works, inspectors visited the building days after the shooting and determined the club was operating illegally.

City records showed the last application for a certificate of occupancy was filed in October 2023. An inspection conducted in February 2024 identified deficiencies that needed to be corrected, but the project became inactive after the issues were not addressed.

MORE INFO: Unlicensed Houston teen club should never have opened, city officials say after deadly shooting

Officials posted a notice on the building shortly after the shooting and gave operators seven days to respond.

Witnesses told KPRC 2 that attendees were charged a cover fee to enter the event and an additional fee for guests who brought their own alcohol. Because the venue did not sell alcohol, it was not required to have a permit from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission.

Investigators said the event had been organized through social media, making the investigation more challenging.

“Since they’re not under any regulations, which is what causes the problems with these types of events with no regulations, there’s nothing guarding it,” HPD Assistant Chief Luis Menendez said in the days following the shooting.

Houston Mayor John Whitmire also responded to the scene and called the shooting a preventable tragedy.

“It’s a tragedy. I feel for the families. We ought to keep them in our prayers. We lost some young people tonight that was very preventable, if they didn’t come to locations such as this,” Whitmire said.

Victims’ Family Speak Out

The shooting devastated the families of the victims.

King’s mother previously told KPRC 2 that her son, an aspiring singer and rap artist, had attended the event to perform live.

“He just always loved music, so he decided to make that his career,” she said.

According to his mother, King never got the opportunity to take the stage before gunfire erupted.

“Nothing that I add or say is going to bring my son back. He is my only son. My baby,” she said.

READ MORE: ‘He was my only son’: Mother of 16-year-old artist killed during teen club shooting before taking stage

But as the team hosts its first NBA Finals games in 27 years, the city is restricting spontaneous gatherings outside the famed arena.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his police department have cited a range of reasons for the ban, including President Donald Trump’s attendance at Monday’s game.

Ahead of Game 4 on Wednesday, the NYPD announced it would again prevent fans from gathering around MSG, unless they were going to the game or had “business specific to that area.”

Instead, the city said it had approved a permit to allow 1,000 fans access to a watch party outside the Garden — a scaled-down version of previous viewing parties, which the NYPD had sought to have canceled for rowdiness, before later reversing course.

Otherwise, fans need an “authorized reason” to be inside a security perimeter that stretches for several blocks around the arena. While bars and restaurants will stay open, they were subject to “strict capacity limits,” police said.

Hours before the game on Wednesday, Knicks owner James Dolan indicated the watch party wouldn’t go forward, saying that he had never agreed to the city’s restrictions.

A statement released by the Madison Square Garden Co. also accused Mamdani of transforming the streets around the arena into a “police state” in order to “freeze out fans from celebrating.”

The measures have also enraged nearby restaurants and bars, as well as civil liberties groups.

“It’s ruining my business,” said Angela Reilly, the owner of Molly Wee, an Irish pub near the arena. “I haven’t seen anything like this level of security in 46 years.”

Molly Biklen, the legal director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, agreed the tactics seemed heavy-handed. “Crowd control for major events is reasonable, but historic moments are not carte blanche for overpolicing or excessive NYPD responses,” Biklen said.

The conflict has also focused attention once again on the shaky alliance between the mayor and his police commissioner, Jessica Tisch. To some, the security restrictions appeared at odds with Mamdani's broader agenda, which included improving access to public spaces and limiting how the NYPD polices major events.

“The NYPD is historically extremely risk-averse to disorderly behavior by crowds, whether they be celebratory or protesting,” said Jeffrey Fagan, a law professor at Columbia University who studies policing. “The mayor now faces a difficult calculus between the strong emotions of Knicks fans and the political risks if crowd control isn’t airtight.”

In recent days, members of Mamdani’s administration have pressed Tisch to allow some version of the watch parties to go forward outside Madison Square Garden, according to two people familiar with the meetings, who spoke with The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the meetings.

Tisch, meanwhile, has advocated for the security perimeter, citing the need to control against crowds that have at times become violent and unruly. Some recent fan gatherings in Manhattan have led to dozens of arrests and several injuries to police officers.

Following the Knicks′ loss Monday, at least 21 people were taken into custody. The NYPD also said it is currently searching for members of a group that ripped a San Antonio Spurs jersey off a man while punching and kicking him.

Shaun Geddes, a Knicks fan who runs a popular podcast about the team, said he had celebrated multiple series-clinching victories outside the arena and found the vast majority of fans were respectful.

“Then there’s a small group of people out there cosplaying as Knicks fans and doing performative things to go viral on TikTok,” Geddes added. “But being passionate as a Knicks fan doesn’t mean assaulting anyone.”

In response to criticism about the closure, city officials have noted there isn’t a recent precedent for the position in which they now find themselves. The Knicks have not been to an NBA Finals since 1999. Most of the city’s other major sports teams play in the less-crowded outer boroughs or in New Jersey.

But when the New York Rangers — who also play in the Garden— last won the Stanley Cup, in 1994, the NYPD took another approach to managing elated fans.

Ahead of the game, police announced they would clear the area around the arena of potential projectiles, like metal trash cans or debris, but would allow fans to move freely.

“We expect the fans to be extremely vocal,” Allen Hoehl, an NYPD chief at the time, said at a 1994 news conference. “If they want to go from here to there, we’ll escort them in any direction.”

Attorneys for voters who sued had argued that the new congressional districts violate a state constitutional prohibition on partisan gerrymandering, and that the court should order the state to continue using the same districts as in the previous election. The Supreme Court, in a 6-1 decision, denied their request for a temporary injunction without ruling on the merits of the case. The judges said they lacked jurisdiction to intervene while the lawsuit gradually plays out in the lower courts.

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

The court's decision provides some certainty for prospective congressional candidates, who face a Friday deadline to qualify for the state's Aug. 18 primaries.

Republican Attorney General James Uthmeier, who defended the new districts in court, declared “complete and total victory” in a social media post.

Opponents expressed outrage while vowing to continue the court fight, even though it may stretch into the 2028 election cycle.

“The Florida Supreme Court's failure to stop this brazen partisan power grab is not only an assault on democracy, but an abdication of its duty to the people of Florida,” said Genesis Robinson, executive director of Equal Ground, a community organizing group that sued.

The new districts are “a pretty clear partisan gerrymander,” said Amy Keith, executive director of Common Cause Florida. “We’re going to do everything we can to prevent this map from impacting further, future elections.”

Florida's map is part of a national GOP effort

Voting districts typically are redrawn after a census near the beginning of each decade. Florida is one of several Republican-led states that have undertaken mid-decade redistricting as part of President Donald Trump’s plan to try to hold on to a slim House majority in November by reshaping district boundaries to the GOP’s advantage.

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

DeSantis had called lawmakers into a special session before the high court’s ruling, but he had anticipated the eventual outcome. DeSantis’ office asserted that no racial data was used for the map he presented to the Legislature. The new map, among other things, redraws a southeastern Florida district that DeSantis’ office said was created to help elect a Black representative in an attempt to comply with the federal Voting Rights Act.

In addition to barring partisan gerrymandering, a constitutional amendment approved by Florida voters in 2010 also prohibits districts from being drawn to deny or diminish the ability of racial or language minorities to elect the representatives of their choice. It further requires districts to be compact and, where feasible, use existing political and geographic boundaries.

Republicans assert that redistricting restrictions are invalid

In a memo to lawmakers, DeSantis’ General Counsel David Axelman asserted that the racial redistricting provision of Florida’s Fair Districts Amendment violates the U.S. Constitution. If one element is invalid, Axelman wrote, then the entire 2010 amendment is void, including provisions barring partisan gerrymandering.

Attorneys representing state officials made similar arguments to the Florida Supreme Court, after a lower court judge last month declined to issue a preliminary injunction against the new map. They also argued it was too late in the election season to revert to the previous maps.

In a filing with the Florida Supreme Court, attorneys representing state officials said the new map was “cause for celebration” during America’s 250th anniversary. “Perhaps for the first time in Florida’s history, the State has a truly colorblind map; a map that refuses to assault the dignity of men and women by color-coding them,” their court filing said.

Attorneys who sued on behalf of voters argued the new districts were crafted with political favoritism. They argued in documents filed with the state Supreme Court that the new congressional districts are “among the most extreme partisan gerrymanders enacted in any state over the past half-century.”

Under the new House map, 82% of voters in districts represented by Republicans remain in the same districts as under the previous map, said attorney Chris Shenton, who represented Common Cause and other groups challenging the map. Just 41% of voters in districts represented by Democrats are kept in their same districts, he said.

Justices differed on urgency of Florida case

The Supreme Court's majority issued only a brief written opinion, but two of its members elaborated about the importance of the case. In a concurring opinion, Justice Adam Tanenbaum said the judicial system follows a deliberative process, and “there is no need for special treatment in this case.”

In a dissent, Justice Jorge Labarga expressed frustration that an appellate court hadn't sent the case straight to the Supreme Court. He said the state constitution “anticipates that some matters may be so urgent as to require an expedited path to this Court.”

“Surely, the upcoming 2026 congressional elections affecting the representation of millions of Floridians meet that threshold,” Labarga wrote.

It means AI agents can not only recommend products but complete the purchase on the user’s behalf at potentially any merchant that accepts Visa. The payment network's previous attempts at this technological leap were confined to a single retailer or a small set of enrolled merchants.

It is not OpenAI’s first attempt at e-commerce. The company late last year announced Instant Checkout, which allowed ChatGPT to scour the internet for a specific item like a digital personal shopper. But the process was prone to errors and was not widely adopted by merchants due to the fee that OpenAI was charging merchants. The company retired Instant Checkout in March.

Visa’s collaboration is different from OpenAI’s previous attempts, as it will allow users to link their Visa cards to ChatGPT to shop and make it easier for merchants to accept transactions initiated by agents.

OpenAI will provide the technology to allow agents to interact, make decisions and initiate purchases through ChatGPT. Visa, the world’s largest payment network outside of China, will provide the payment authorization and fraud monitoring needed to do this at scale.

“As AI agents become active participants in the economy, Visa’s focus is to ensure transactions are trusted, secure and seamless,” said Jack Forestell, chief product and strategy officer at Visa.

ChatGPT as a personal shopper

Speaking at a company event Wednesday in San Francisco, Forestell gave an example of a customer telling ChatGPT they're looking for a pair of wireless headphones under $150. The chatbot would find a pair for sale under those parameters and buy it on behalf of the customer.

“I think we're generally at a place where most people are very comfortable with the shopping aspects of it and have discovered this as a superior discovery experience,” Forestell said in an interview. But, he added, making the leap from having AI agents recommend what to buy to doing the purchasing “just requires a whole different level of trust.”

“But that all comes from the underlying infrastructure, the process, the security that we build into it and the rules,” he said.

Visa and OpenAI did not disclose the financial terms of the collaboration and did not give details on the fees merchants or customers would have to pay.

Instant Checkout charged merchants 4% of the transaction's value, which merchants saw as being too expensive.

Guardrails include spending limits, approvals

Allowing AI agents to buy products on behalf of a consumer raises concerns for both banks and retailers. A customer could overspend, or the agent buys the wrong item, or the customer claims they did not authorize that transaction. Banks have been concerned about potential fraud claims that could occur when an agent uses a bank customer’s credit or debit card.

Visa says the feature will have guardrails like spending limits, required approval steps and approved merchants for shopping in order to protect consumers and minimize fraud.

Forestell said Visa will handle disputes with the same essential rules it uses for any other transaction: Did the consumer really intend to make the purchase and did the merchant process it the correct way? Where it might change, he added, is if both the consumer intent and the merchant processing were done the right way, but “something happened in the middle that caused a problem.”

“And that’s why we’re modifying our whole token framework and data capture process with Visa Intelligent Commerce to make sure that problem doesn’t happen,” Forestell said.

Retailers have introduced shopping assistants powered by AI that can recommend products and personalize the customer's shopping experience, with the earliest iterations of those experiments being Amazon’s Alexa. But Alexa could only shop on Amazon, and OpenAI's Instant Checkout feature was limited to select merchants.

Visa’s biggest competitor, Mastercard, has also been introducing its own AI-shopping features to its payment network on a smaller scale.

Mastercard announced that AI agents will have the capability to procure services on behalf of a business. For example, a coffee shop wants to start an advertising campaign as part of a launch, so it gives an AI agent the authorization to purchase services from web and ad providers in order for the coffee shop to build out its campaign.

It will take time for people to fully trust AI agents to do their shopping, Forestell acknowledged. At first, Visa expects the majority of transactions to still loop in humans, with AI agents sending a notification for consumers to approve the actual purchase.

“Now, imagine you do that a thousand times over the course of some period of time,” he said. “And then your agent says, ‘Do you want me to just not check?’”

___

Sweet reported from New York.

Tower cranes up to 320 feet tall, forklifts, concrete pump systems and other equipment would be needed to build the arch, which would be more than twice as high as the Lincoln Memorial. Work would occur year-round in two 10-hour shifts per day, the Park Service report said.

The 24-page assessment by NPS staff was released last week as a part of a fast-tracked historic preservation review that began Friday. The park service oversees the land where the administration wants to build the arch.

The National Capital Planning Commission voted last week to seek more information from the Interior Department, which oversees the park service. The vote essentially kept the project alive as officials study how the arch could potentially impact air travel, as well as other specifics on construction and traffic in the area.

The June 4 vote came after nearly three hours of public comment from about 20 members of the public, some representing historic and architectural organizations, and most of whom expressed concerns about the arch that is one of several projects the Republican president is pursuing to leave his imprint on Washington.

Preliminary surveys and testing of the arch site began last month, and other approvals are underway. The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts — which only oversees designs and has no role in the actual construction or funding of the arch or any other project it considers — has approved the arch’s design.

Concerns over arch's height

The capital planning commission is seeking more information justifying the proposed height of the towering arch, as well as additional details about lighting, management of storm water and how traffic and parking would be regulated for visitors.

The planned site for the arch, across the Potomac River from the memorial, is on a flight path near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday it is reviewing whether the project’s planned height poses a risk to airplane travel in the area. An American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided a year ago in crowded skies near the airport, killing 67 people.

The FAA review “found no adverse impacts to operations” at Reagan Airport from the proposed arch. but determined that the top of the structure would need to be lit with red obstruction lights -- a common safety tool, spokesman Donnell Evans said. The FAA will conduct a full aeronautical study in coordination with the National Park Service, he said.

The park service, in its report, said aviation-required safety lighting would be incorporated into the arch design “using the least intrusive technology available, ensuring compliance with aircraft visibility requirements while limiting unnecessary light emission."

Will Scharf, who has served as Trump’s White House staff secretary, heads the commission and has said he believes a federal law limiting building heights for new construction in Washington should not apply to the arch. The law restricts most construction in Washington to a maximum height of 130 feet.

The arch faces a legal challenge

Critics have argued that the arch would dominate the skyline and disrupt carefully designed views between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. It would be more than twice as tall as the Lincoln Memorial, which is 99 feet (30 meters), and close to half the height of the Washington Monument, which is about 555 feet (169 meters).

Trump has pushed for the 250-foot-tall arch to mark America’s 250th anniversary, and has said the project could be paid for with private donations left over from the project to build a new White House ballroom. The White House East Wing was demolished to make way for a large ballroom.

A cost estimate for the arch is still being calculated, but a mix of taxpayer and private funds is expected to pay for it. A group of veterans and a historian have sued the Trump administration in federal court to block the project over concerns about disruptions to the sightline.

Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut criticized the administration about what he called its “persistent lack of transparency” in its efforts to advance Trump’s Washington-area construction projects. Besides the planned ballroom, Trump also is renovating the Lincoln Memorial’s Reflecting Pool and rebuilding a public golf course along the Potomac River. None of projects have gone through usual legal reviews or Congress.

“Your disregard for legal process and public interest has been apparent in projects ranging from the construction of a White House Ballroom and triumphal arch to the resealing of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool," Blumenthal wrote in a letter Tuesday to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and acting park service director Jessica Bowron.

___

Associated Press writers Meg Kinnard and Josh Funk contributed to this story.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, R-Fla., and Rep. Young Kim, R-Calif., are planning to sit down with Cheng Li-wun, leader of the Kuomingtang Party, who has supported a peaceful reunification of Taiwan with Beijing.

Mast, in an interview, said he didn’t have specific expectations for his meeting with Cheng but said as the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, “I take intelligence from anywhere I can get.”

A spokesperson for Kim, who leads a subcommittee overseeing East Asia policy, said the lawmaker plans to encourage Cheng and her party to support more defense spending because it would be an “important demonstration of Taiwan’s commitment to self-defense and deterrence.”

Taiwan’s opposition-controlled legislature last month passed a $25 billion special defense budget to fund major U.S. arms purchases. Trump administration officials expressed disappointment that the approved amount is a significant reduction from Taiwan President Lai Ching-te's original $40 billion proposal.

Kim also wants to discuss Cheng’s meeting in April with Chinese President Xi Jinping and “seek greater clarity on the substance of those discussions,” said Ellie Gilchrist, the lawmaker’s spokesperson.

Cheng’s visit to Washington comes as President Donald Trump publicly floats the prospect that he could have a direct call with his Taiwanese counterpart.

The U.S. president had indicated he wanted to speak with Lai as his administration considers whether to go ahead with a $14 billion arms sale for Taipei that Congress approved earlier this year but that has since been on hold.

Trump said last month as he returned to the U.S. from China that he intends to speak with Lai, which would be the first direct dialogue between sitting U.S. and Taiwanese presidents in decades. China has urged against it.

“I’ll always talk to him,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Friday when asked whether he is still considering a phone call with Lai.

That line of political attack was striking coming from a president who himself has been accused of misconduct with women, was once caught on audio bragging about grabbing women by the genitals and was found liable by a New York jury for sexual abuse.

Trump also has endorsed a parade of Republicans with their own personal baggage — but that didn't stop him from faulting the other side for doing the same.

“He’s a thug, and they’re trying to make excuses for him,” Trump said of top Democrats. “I mean, he’s worse than any human being that’s ever run for office, probably.”

The criticism follows Platner's decisive primary victory

Platner, who clinched the Democratic nomination on Tuesday night, has faced criticism over numerous issues, including past inflammatory online posts, a tattoo he had covered up that is widely recognized as a Nazi symbol and sexually explicit texts he sent to women after getting married. He will face five-term Republican Sen. Susan Collins in the November election.

Asked about Trump's comments, Platner's campaign said the candidate remained focused on issues facing Maine.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, in response, issued a statement focused on Collins, who is considered one of the most vulnerable senators up for reelection this year.

“Susan Collins is facing backlash in Maine after voting with Trump 96 percent of the time, being the decisive vote for the justices who overturned Roe v. Wade, and selling out to the special interests that fund her campaigns after three decades in the Senate, and that’s why Trump praised her today in the Oval Office,” spokesperson Josh Marcus-Blank said in a statement.

The White House defended Trump's comments by noting Platner's past social media posts.

“Graham Platner proudly referred to himself as a ‘communist,’ called all police ‘bastards,’ and said rural White Americans ‘actually are’ racist and stupid. President Trump is absolutely correct that Platner is both a thug and a pig. Attempting to compare President Trump to Graham Platner is exactly why trust in legacy media outlets like the failing Associated Press is at an all-time low,” White House spokesperson Kush Desai said in a statement.

‘Can you imagine if the Republicans had him?’

Trump, when speaking about Platner to reporters at the White House during an event to sign an immigration and deportation funding bill, said, “Nobody’s ever had a record like that.”

“He’s like a pig,” the president said, adding that perhaps “pigs would be very upset” to be associated with Platner, drawing laughter from assorted Republican lawmakers in the Oval Office with him.

Trump then brought up another scandal that has swirled around him dating back to his first term as president: his former friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump sought to paint Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer as a hypocrite, saying he “goes crazy over this or that or Epstein, Epstein, Epstein” but instead should be concerned about Platner.

Later, Trump offered, “Can you imagine if the Republicans had him?”

Setting aside the allegations Trump has faced over the years, Republicans have had candidates who were accused of serious misconduct who nonetheless won Trump's backing.

The president this year endorsed Republican Texas Senate candidate Ken Paxton over incumbent GOP Sen. John Cornyn, though Paxton had faced state and federal corruption investigations and a 2023 state impeachment trial in which he was acquitted but publicly exposed his extramarital affair. Paxton has said allegations of wrongdoing were politically motivated.

Trump also didn't back away from endorsing 2017 Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, who was accused of sexual misconduct involving teenage girls decades earlier. Trump, at the time, noted Moore’s denials and said his vote was needed for Republican priorities. Moore's eventual loss gave way to the first Alabama Democratic senator in a quarter-century.

He endorsed 2024 North Carolina gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson and declined to rescind the backing after CNN reported that the candidate had made lewd and racist comments on a pornography website — though he did try to distance himself. Robinson, who later acknowledged making the posts, handily lost the general election in the swing state.

He similarly decided not to revoke his support for Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales this year after the congressman acknowledged an affair with a staff member who later died by suicide. Gonzales ended his reelection bid, and Trump later endorsed someone else.

Trump also picked officials for his second-term Cabinet and other key offices who had been accused of some form of sexual misconduct.

That includes Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who was accused of sexual assault and denied it, and Trump’s initial choice for attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, who faced a Justice Department sex trafficking investigation and a House Ethics Committee investigation into sexual misconduct.

Gaetz denied wrongdoing and withdrew his name from consideration. The DOJ investigation ended without federal charges against him.

Trump has doubled down on his temporary pick for director of national intelligence, federal housing finance regulator Bill Pulte, even though he has little experience for the job. Democrats say they won't support the renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, known as FISA, unless he withdraws Pulte's appointment and nominates a permanent replacement.

The impasse could soon result in limitations on what intelligence the U.S. government can collect abroad just as World Cup games begin in cities around the country and ahead of celebrations for the nation’s 250th anniversary. The law expires on Friday at midnight.

Trump on Wednesday asked Congress for a short-term extension of the law to “provide time for the selection and confirmation" of a permanent director.” But he stuck with Pulte as the acting head and said he wants to begin downsizing intelligence agencies.

“We can't let them extort us,” Trump said of Democrats.

Senate Republicans floated an short-term extension of the law after Trump's request, but it was immediately rejected by Democrats who argued that it's up to the president to replace Pulte.

As the bill stalled in the Senate, Speaker Mike Johnson announced the House would hold a vote Thursday on a stopgap to keep the program running through July 2 even as the chances of passage appeared slim.

“We’re going to ask every member here to do the right thing,” Johnson said. “We cannot allow that to go dark.”

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said if Trump wants a shot at a short-term extension, he needs to pull the Pulte appointment. Pulte is a “disgraceful individual” and a “partisan political hack" who is deeply unqualified for the job, Jeffries said.

GOP leaders lobby the White House, to no avail

Congressional Republicans have lobbied Trump all week to quickly nominate a permanent replacement. But he said he needs more time to do so.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Wednesday that Republican leaders have “made our views known” to the White House about the easiest way to get the bill passed, and “we’re just doing what we can here to ensure that the White House understands what will be necessary in order to make that happen.”

Trump said on Friday that he is interviewing five candidates for his pick to lead the agency permanently and that all have a national security background.

“It’s an important position and one that I think will be filled by a highly qualified person,” said Johnson, who met with Trump twice this week to talk about the FISA impasse.

Trump made it very clear, Johnson said, that Pulte will serve a “very short term — a sort of renovation role” to help the Office of the Director of National Intelligence be “renovated and downsized.”

To unlock votes for FISA, the pick would have to be soon — and Trump's choice would have to satisfy both Republicans and Democrats.

One of several possible replacements could be Pete Hoekstra, Trump’s ambassador to Canada and a former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. The White House has reached out to Hoekstra about the job and conversations are ongoing, according to a person familiar with the outreach who requested anonymity to discuss the private conversations.

FISA will lapse at midnight Friday

Section 702 of FISA allows agencies such as the CIA, National Security Agency and FBI to collect communications from foreign targets overseas without a warrant.

While members of both parties who cite privacy issues have long wanted to limit the authority, there was broad bipartisan support to renew it, especially after Republicans and Democrats recently worked out a compromise bill.

Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, has worked with Republicans on the compromise legislation to renew the authority. But he called Pulte’s appointment to replace outgoing DNI Tulsi Gabbard “a live hand grenade” as they were trying to pass it. Republican leaders tried to start the process last week, but seven Republicans joined nearly all Democrats in blocking a long-term extension after Pulte was appointed. (

Warner said Wednesday that the only way he’ll support a short-term extension of the surveillance law is if the principal deputy director of national intelligence, Aaron Lukas, is the acting leader during the duration of that extension.

Sen. Tom Cotton, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, have warned the administration that the spy tool is likely to lapse.

The administration should prepare “for a potential significant gap in foreign intelligence collection,” they wrote in a letter.

Trump doesn't back down on Pulte

After bipartisan pushback to Pulte’s temporary appointment, Trump said last week that he would not permanently nominate him to the position. But Democrats, and some Republicans, want his appointment pulled immediately and for Trump to nominate a replacement that can be confirmed by the Senate.

On Tuesday, though, Trump announced that Pulte would not only take over as acting director — he'd also start earlier than expected, on June 19.

And he stuck with Pulte on Wednesday, posting that he needed more time to find a permanent replacement and telling reporters that the agencies need to be downsized.

Both Republican and Democratic senators skeptical of Pulte have pointed to his lack of intelligence experience and also his record at the Federal Housing Finance Agency. In the position, the Trump loyalist has been linked with criminal referrals over allegations of mortgage fraud by public officials Trump sought to punish, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat; Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.; and Lisa Cook, a board member of the Federal Reserve.

___

Associated Press reporters Joey Cappelletti and Kevin Freking contributed to this report.

Dr. Richard LeConey explains that prevention and individualized care are central to long-term results.

The rise of peptides — what they are and how they help

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The ambitious double bill reimagines two literary classics—Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot and Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus—through movement, transforming familiar stories into emotionally charged and visually striking performances.

ISHIDA Dance Company brings together exceptional dancers from across Texas and around the world, including artists affiliated with renowned organizations such as Houston Ballet, Ballet BC, Nederlands Dans Theater, English National Ballet, Staatsoper Wien, and others.

The production offers audiences a rare opportunity to experience a world premiere work that blends literature, movement, and emotion into a compelling contemporary dance event. Get more info --> HERE.

Performance Schedule

Thursday, June 11 – Saturday, June 13, 2026

• Performance begins at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, June 14, 2026

• Performance begins at 3 p.m.
• Post-show talkback with Artistic Director Brett Ishida and the dancers

Watch as Mel Camp brings us a preview of this weekend’s big performances.

Speaking to fans and boosters at the Houston Touchdown Club, coach Joey McGuire acknowledged the “rage” surrounding the situation, with athletic directors across college football saying that the NCAA ban on players who gamble should remain sacrosanct and a court order won this week by Sorsby to restore his eligibility crossed a line that should never be crossed.

“For some reason, as a society, we’ve been OK with other things that happen and allowing players to play, and this has been the one thing that has united people, that they were against,” McGuire said. “It’s crazy because it’s not murder, it’s not beating somebody -- so there’s a lot of things that we’re working through. None of this is OK.”

Texas Tech officials canceled a news conference that was scheduled for before the luncheon. After his speech, McGuire said he'd only take questions from “Red Raider fans” and answered them for about 10 minutes.

According to court filingss earlier this year, Sorsby made thousands of impermissible bets on college and pro sports that were worth at least $90,000 while at Indiana, Cincinnati and Texas Tech. Those bets include the ones he made while a freshman with the Hoosiers in 2022, though none were on games in which he played. Sorsby sought the injunction against the NCAA in a lawsuit filed May 18, the same day Texas Tech ruled him ineligible, a necessary step before the school could pursue his reinstatement — an effort twice denied by the NCAA.

Three top Texas Tech leaders go on the offensive

Cody Campbell, the billionaire Texas Tech booster and chairman of its board of regents, issued a statement and so did athletic director Kirby Hocutt, who said he wanted to “offer a few facts that seem to be getting lost in the noise" and noting the school is not part of Sorsby's lawsuit against the NCAA.

“A young man in treatment for a clinically diagnosed addiction exercised his legal right to seek a remedy in court and a judge agreed with him,” Hocutt said. “Our role has been to support his recovery, not to engineer his eligibility.”

Under the court order, Sorsby will be suspended for the first two games of the season. The NCAA plans to appeal the ruling, with President Charlie Baker telling reporters in Las Vegas that the case illustrated “a new low” in college sports.

McGuire likened Sorsby recovering from his addiction to fellow Texas Tech quarterback Will Hammond’s recovery from knee surgery. Both he and Hocutt said Sorsby would be evaluated — “his recovery, compliance and readiness," the athletic director said — before he would be cleared to play in Week 3 against Houston on Sept. 18 in the team's Big 12 opener.

“I’ve sat down with this young man multiple times and the things that he is going through and what he’s been through, it’s serious," McGuire said. “And I have a number of people in my family that were addicted to different stuff and so I’ve seen what addiction does to people.”

Billionaire booster says boycotting Texas Tech could lead to legal action

Campbell, a key figure in helping Texas Tech land top players over the past two years, took a far more aggressive and defiant stance on a podcast appearance with Dan Dakich.

“As it stands right now, the kid is eligible, so we don’t have a whole lot of choice but to play him," he said. "Not only on a legal grounds, but ethically and morally. We told him we were going to back him up and support him, and Texas Tech does what it says it’s going to do and keeps the promises it makes.”

He also addressed reports that schools have been talking about boycotting Texas Tech in light of the ruling, suggesting that could lead to legal action.

“I love when the Big Ten or the K-State AD comes out and says we’ve all gotten together and we’ve talked about how we’re not going to play Tech, because guess what? That’s collusion,” he said. "That’s an antitrust violation. So have fun with that one, guys. You can’t do that.”

Hocutt also struck back at those who questioned what this does to the integrity of college football.

“The integrity of sport matters,” he said, “So does the integrity of how we treat a 22-year-old who sought help, entered residential treatment, and is working every day toward recovery. Those two things don’t have to be in conflict.”

McGuire was adamant that the most important thing in this story is supporting Sorsby in his “darkest times.”

“He’s the first person to tell you it was his fault,” McGuire said. “He chose to do this, but when you know anything about addiction, there’s a point that you choose it and then all of a sudden you don’t choose it anymore. There’s not something that you can do by yourself to get past where you’re at. So I wasn’t going to turn my back on him.”

McGuire added that Sorsby was “back in the building” after spending some time away from the facilities while he was dealing with his issues.

“Do I see a different person? I know it sounds crazy, but I do,” McGuire said. “I see a kid that feels like he’s got 1,000 pounds of weight lifted off of him. He’s made the statement that he feels like this is a moment that can actually change his life.”

Sorsby may soon explain himself to fans, critics

The coach also said that Sorsby wants to address fans of his new school.

“At some point soon, I would expect Red Raiders will hear from Brendan Sorsby because I think it’s really important,” McGuire said. “And I will tell you, he thinks it’s really important for him to get everybody to understand exactly where he’s at.”

The injunction comes with conditions that Sorsby must continue counseling for his gambling and to participate in peer support through Gamblers Anonymous or a similar group. He also must continue treatment to address “the underlying anxiety that served as the primary driver of (his) gambling behavior.”

McGuire said Sorsby is working through many things right now and provided more details on restrictions that will be put in place for the quarterback in his return. He said that there will be technology on any device he has “for us to know everything that’s going on.” Sorsby, who reportedly signed a multimillion-dollar deal to join the Red Raiders after two years at Cincinnati and two years at Indiana, will have a person that will account for “every single penny that he has.”

“The proper steps are in place to get for him to get to the point where we can get him playing,” McGuire said. “There’s a lot of stuff to go through.”

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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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Asked about the new report that the consumer price index in May had jumped 4.2% over the last year, the president took a surprisingly optimistic tack with the challenging news. Trump didn't dismiss the affordability issue as a “hoax” that was started by Democrats, as he has done previously. Nor did he claim that he was bringing down the cost of living.

Instead, after the government said that inflation spiked to the highest level since April 2023, Trump praised the numbers.

“You know what I really love?" Trump said. "I love the inflation.”

It was an unexpected take given that voters ahead of the November midterm elections have ranked the economy as a top concern — and have given Trump low marks on that issue. Within minutes of his on-camera comment, Democrats quickly rushed to promote it on social media.

Trump had pledged in his 2024 campaign to quickly vanquish inflation, but his argument now is that higher prices are solely a function of the Iran war raising energy costs. On Wednesday, he claimed that relief is already on its way because of a secret military operation that had ferried what he said was 100 million barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, the primary shipping channel for 20% of the world’s global oil supply that has been effectively closed by the war since late February.

“Trump really said, ‘I love the inflation.’ On camera. For all of America to hear,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer quickly posted on X. “His contempt for you knows no bounds.”

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on X that with Trump's stated love of inflation, "We finally found something that Donald Trump loves as much as he loves himself."

Rep. Emilia Sykes, D-Ohio, quickly pressed Energy Secretary Chris Wright at a hearing about whether he, too, loved inflation.

“Do you love inflation?” Sykes asked.

“I love ending Iran’s ability to have a nuclear weapon,” Wright answered. He only conceded after being pressed: “No, I would prefer lower inflation.”

When asked about Trump's specific comments, Wright said, “He's an entertaining, hyperbolic guy who's done tremendous leadership.”

Trump claimed the secretive shipments were why oil prices had fallen below $90 a barrel, after surpassing $110 at the start of April.

“I'm just announcing today for the first time, but we’ve been taking out millions of barrels of oil, millions of barrels every night,” Trump said.

On social media, the president said the mission began last month and had “resulted in more than 100 MILLION Barrels of Oil making its way through the Strait, and into the Open Market. More than 200 Commercial Ships have safely traveled through the Strait.” There was no immediate data available to back up that total, and it was not immediately clear what role the U.S. military had played.

To put that figure into context, a daily average of 20 million barrels of oil had gone through the strait before the war, which would mean that Trump's mission had resulted in the equivalent of five days' worth of normal oil shipments.

Responding to the new inflation report, the White House pointed out that some expenses had dropped in May relative to the previous month: the price of new vehicles, prescription drugs and auto insurance, for example. But when the overall inflation number is paired with the change in hourly wages, there is a bleak sign that people's spending power relative to their earnings has declined.

“President Trump has consistently maintained that oil and gas prices — and thus overall inflation — will plummet once the Iran situation is resolved, and the administration will continue pushing our affordability agenda to enable Americans to keep more of their hard-earned money,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said in an email.

But the financial markets were cautious about Trump's claims that he was lowering prices by getting oil tankers through the strait — claims that came as the United States also launched airstrikes against Iran, and as Tehran fired back at countries in the region.

U.S. crude oil futures climbed roughly 4% on Wednesday, closing at nearly $92 a barrel.

Infantino spoke with reporters during a rare question-and-answer session on the eve of the opening match of an expanded 48-nation, 104-game World Cup tournament. He defended record ticket prices, said FIFA was powerless to get the U.S. government to admit a Somali referee, and praised his ability to get Iran's national soccer team into the United States.

FIFA priced tickets starting at $140 for group-stage games, but regular seats for the July 19 final outside New York were listed at up to $8,680 and hospitality seats at up to $73,200. It raised prices for the final to $10,990 and then $32,970.

After much criticism, FIFA offered $60 tickets to national federations for their regular supporters. Infantino said 130,000 tickets were offered in that category.

Four years ago at the tournament in Qatar, prices ranged from $69 to $1,607.

“If you sell it at a lower price point,” he said, “in this particular market it would have gone — which is perfectly legal in this country ... in secondary markets at much, much, much higher prices and where would the money go then? Well, to those who organize secondary markets or black market activities and not to football.”

Infantino said the average ticket price was below $500 for the tournament and was comparable to other U.S. sports during their playoffs, a claim that while true for resale prices does not appear to be accurate for list prices. Major League Baseball's average World Series ticket price has been $350 to $400 in recent years and NFL prices last season averaged $230 for the wild-card round, $320 for divisional games, $450 for conference championships and $3,300 for the Super Bowl.

Infantino said he was unconcerned about ticket probes by attorneys general in California, New Jersey, New York and Texas.

“When it comes to these legal investigations or complaints that were made in some states in the U.S.,” he said, "we are very relaxed about it because before starting to sell 6 and a half or 7 million tickets we check what we do with the best lawyers, with the best experts. If we do something wrong, then probably everyone selling tickets in North America is doing something wrong, as well.”

Infantino pointed to the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs as an example of how other major American sporting events are experiencing a similar surge in prices.

The get-in price on FIFA's resale site for the World Cup final is $9,805. The NBA Finals have had wildly varied get-in prices, ranging from a minimum of about $500 for the first two games in San Antonio to about $10,000 for Game 3 in New York. Game 4 in New York was much less, dropping to about $4,000 on Wednesday.

The Stanley Cup Final this year between teams in Las Vegas and Raleigh, North Carolina, has included a get-in price of at least $600 for each of the first four games of the best-of-seven series.

“We welcome every investigation,” Infantino said. “We are happy to present everything, and we are happy to make our case.”

Infantino says FIFA is powerless to get US entry for denied Somali referee

Infantino said it was unfortunate Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry to the U.S.

“We don’t control everything. We try. We’ll discuss, we will speak, we’ll see. Maybe sometimes it’s good as well to just chill, relax,” he said. “We try to solve everything. Sometimes to immediately start screaming and shouting has the opposite effect of finding a solution. Believe me when I tell you, or don’t believe me if you don’t want, but we try always to find solutions, always. But then we need to respect that we are not the kings of the world who can rule over governments and police forces.”

Set to become the first Somali referee at a World Cup, Artan was denied entry to the U.S. at Miami International Airport on Saturday over unspecified “vetting concerns,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement, without giving details of the concerns.

“Our world is a very aggressive world and security goes above everything and you need to respect the decisions which are taken," Infantino said. “We are working behind the scenes.”

Infantino thinks FIFA deserves credit for ensuring Iran’s participation

Infantino praised FIFA for working through details that allow Iran to play in the tournament at a time the U.S. is at war with that country. The Iranian team moved its training camp from the U.S. to Mexico and will fly to the United States just before matches.

“I think it has already been successful to bring Iran to play in America," he said. “I don’t know who would have managed to do that. And of course everyone here believes it’s the right thing to do. But, again, we don’t live on the moon. We live on planet Earth and you have to deal with different situations.”

Infantino claimed the tournament will be “the biggest event probably in the history of mankind.”

Infantino claims tournament could not have taken place without Donald Trump

“Without his engagement and his involvement I think it would have been impossible — as simple as that, it would’ve been impossible to organize a World Cup in the United States,” Infantino said. “He understood immediately the magnitude of the World Cup, the impact of the World Cup.”

Infantino says FIFA could make far more money with more broadcast sales to pay services

FIFA is projecting $11 billion in revenue for the tournament, and Infantino said the governing body could have generated far more.

“We could put everything on pay. We would generate $30 billion revenues, probably," he said. "But then you have billions of people in the world who would not be able to watch the World Cup.”

This news conference went smoother than Infantino’s opening comments in Qatar

Four years ago, Infantino scolded critics during a news conference ahead of the opening match in Qatar. He lectured Europeans for criticizing Qatar’s human rights record during a bizarre appearance in which he claimed to feel gay, like a woman and a migrant worker, among other odd claims.

Now 56, Infantino has been FIFA president since 2016 and intends to seek another term next year that runs through 2031.

Infantino kept an empty seat at the news conference for Christophe Gleizes, a French freelance reporter given a seven-year prison sentence in Algeria last year over an interview with a soccer official accused of ties to a banned separatist movement.

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AP Sports Writer Ronald Blum in New York contributed to this report.

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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

Alongside new policy proposals from the maker of the Claude chatbot, Anthropic CEO and co-founder Dario Amodei published an essay on his personal website that expanded on his position that the government should promise economic support for those financially impacted by AI. The technology could produce much larger disruptions to the labor market than previous technological advancements, Amodei wrote, and those disruptions could last longer.

“The key challenge in such a world won’t be incentivizing growth, but finding a way for everyone to share in the benefits,” Amodei wrote.

The announcement comes on the heels of Anthropic rival OpenAI on Monday outlining goals that included ensuring gains from the technology are “widely shared.” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently met with Sen. Bernie Sanders to discuss a plan for the public to take an ownership stake in artificial intelligence companies like OpenAI, using their stock to create a public wealth fund that would spread the fortune generated by AI behemoths.

In the Oval Office on Wednesday, President Donald Trump told reporters that he will soon meet with executives from several leading AI companies to discuss “giving back” to the public.

"We’re talking about giving back ​something to the public, and if we do that, the ⁠public will become very rich,” Trump said. “I think they’ll do that, and I think it’ll make ​it very popular.”

In his essay, Amodei said he has warned of job displacement not because he is “trying to be a ‘prophet of doom’” but because he wants “both policymakers and the private sector to have the best chance to adapt and respond.” He proposed better data collection to track AI job displacement, pro-employment policy incentives to slow or reduce displacement and “mechanisms such as universal basic income” if job displacement more permanently drives down labor demand.

That universal basic income could be financed through taxes on "relevant companies” or by raising the capital gains tax, Amodei wrote.

Scant details were available Wednesday about the $200 million commitment from Anthropic, but the company said it will go to what it calls an Economic Futures Research Fund that will back research trials and “program evaluation” on public policies it deems promising. The company is also establishing a $150 million national fellowship program it says will help early-career professionals “extend the benefits of AI to communities across America.”

Anthropic and OpenAI each recently announced they were moving toward initial public offerings of shares, following Elon Musk’s rocket company SpaceX, which is pitching itself as an AI-focused space company as it prepares to go public.

The economic policy framework Anthropic proposed Wednesday set recommendations for how the U.S. government could respond to three levels of economic disruption caused by AI: one in which the national unemployment rate reaches 5%, 10% and an unspecified, “unprecedented” level. The latest unemployment rate, reported last week, was 4.3%.

In the “unprecedented” scenario, the company wrote that more permanent support will be necessary, and it listed several ways to generate and share revenue broadly, including basic income, sovereign wealth models and equity-sharing mechanisms. This would be “novel economic territory,” the company wrote.

The company's proposals also outlined several suggestions for mitigating safety and security risks. Anthropic is known for its emphasis on safety and building reliable, “steerable” AI systems, with Amodei and its co-founders splitting off from OpenAI to form the new company in 2021.

The proposals add that the government should be able to “block or deter” the rollout of AI models that “pose a significant risk of catastrophic harms.”

Amodei wrote that AI regulations should match the rigor of Federal Aviation Administration regulations in that AI models would be required to go through technical testing and auditing like airplanes. They wouldn’t be released if they didn’t meet high safety standards.

Last week, Trump signed an executive order on AI oversight that established a framework for the government to vet the national security risks of the most advanced AI systems for up to a month before their public release.

Amodei added existing regulations for aircraft, automobiles and drugs should serve as models for regulating AI. They are all “powerful technologies essential to the modern economy,” he wrote, “but capable of killing large numbers of people if designed or operated poorly.”

Fresch, a former Rice standout who has 4.40 speed and a 41-inch vertical leap,led the UFL with 333 punt return yards and averaged 10.4 yards per punt return.

He recorded 29 tackles, 1 1/2 sacks and four passes defended.

Fresch participated in the Texans’ local prospect day last year before going undrafted and signing with the San Antonio Brahmas of the UFL.

The Austin native and former All-Conference USA freshman selection started 42 games for the Owls. He had 52 tackles, nine passes defensed and one interception as a senior. He also caught a 40-yard pass.

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

The amendment would tighten existing restrictions in the Southern Baptist Convention, which already has a faith statement opposing women pastors.

The vote was 6,028 to 2,026 — a 3-to-1 margin — which easily exceeded the required two-thirds majority. It will require a similar two-thirds vote at next year's meeting to become part of the constitution.

The two-day meeting concluded Wednesday after bringing more than 11,000 delegates, or messengers, to a cavernous convention center in Orlando, Florida.

Typical of the SBC’s annual meetings, the gathering carries the feel of a town hall with a cast of thousands. It mixes worship and sermons with numerous motions and resolutions governed by parliamentary procedure, where the sacred and the arcane are debated with equal fervor. A debate Wednesday over the location of a future SBC annual meeting took longer than the debate over women pastors.

Albert Mohler, who sponsored the amendment on women pastors, said it addressed a defining issue.

“This is an opportunity for Southern Baptists to speak in truth, in unity, in conviction,” said Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.

“There’s a great line that divides liberal and biblical evangelicalism, and you can see it on this very issue,” he said. “The trajectory of liberal denominations is clear.”

There was only brief debate — and none of it contained support for women pastors.

The sole opposition came from South Carolina pastor Doug Mize. He said the measure wasn’t necessary because the denomination already has a mechanism to expel churches with women in senior pastoral positions, and it’s done so multiple times.

“What we have already works,” he said.

Southern Baptist leaders cite biblical passages that limit pastors to men. Advocates for women’s ministry cite biblical passages that proclaim men and women as equal under God and where women are called to proclaim the gospel.

Southern Baptists can expel churches

While the SBC can't tell its self-governing churches what to do, it does have the power to expel churches from convention membership, declaring them not in “friendly cooperation.”

There’s already wide agreement within the denomination that its belief statement — the Baptist Faith and Message — rejects the appointment of women as senior pastors who lead churches. Debate has persisted regarding churches with women serving in assistant pastoral or preaching roles.

“We need constitutional clarity on this issue,” Mohler said. He had a lead role in drafting the Baptist Faith and Message, which passed in 2000.

The amendment's language requires the exclusion of any church that acts “to affirm, appoint, or endorse a woman serving in the office or function of a pastor/elder/overseer, specifically preaching to the assembled congregation.”

Churches were removed in recent years for having women pastors

In the previous three annual meetings, a majority of representatives voted to amend the SBC constitution to ban churches with women in any pastoral role. But only in one of those years did the measure get the needed two-thirds supermajority, so the matter languished.

The denomination has expelled churches with women in senior pastoral roles, including the large Saddleback Church of California, on the grounds of an existing clause in the constitution barring churches whose “faith and practice” was out of harmony with the denomination’s.

The SBC debate stands in stark contrast to the practices of numerous historic, more liberal Protestant denominations, which ordain women and have opened their highest offices to them. Practices vary widely in conservative, evangelical denominations — particularly in Pentecostal and charismatic circles, where prominent women pastors include Paula White-Cain, head of President Donald Trump’s White House Faith Office.

But other, more conservative Protestant groups do not ordain women as clergy. And the Catholic and Orthodox churches — the world’s two largest Christian communions — ordain only men to the priesthood.

Some Baptists disagree on women's roles

The organization Baptist Women in Ministry, which works with female ministers in various Baptist denominations, issued a statement lamenting the vote.

“We express our solidarity with the women in ministry who have been harmed by this vote, the hateful rhetoric and propaganda leading up to the vote, and the damaging theology the vote represents,” it said. “Women in ministry deserve affirmation, respect, and the opportunity to follow God’s call. We are heartbroken that they have been denied those fundamental freedoms in the process of this vote.”

Baptists say the Bible places high value on both men and women as created in the image of God while assigning them different roles in churches and homes. The Baptist Faith and Message not only asserts a male-only office of pastor but also the “servant leadership” of husbands over wives.

“I realize that in our egalitarian society, that runs against the grain,” Mohler said afterward. But he said Southern Baptists have a “pricelessly high view of the role of women and even the necessity of the gifts and contribution and work of women in every sphere of life.”

Resolutions passed on immigration and political violence

Later Wednesday, SBC messengers approved a resolutions denouncing political violence and hateful speech. They approved another that called for humane treatment of immigrants while affirming the legitimacy of immigration enforcement and rejecting nativistic and dehumanizing rhetoric.

They also approved a resolution denouncing antisemitic violence and conspiracy theories, notably those arising during Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza.

At the same time, the resolution affirms Southern Baptists’ hope for Jews’ conversion to Christianity. In 1996, an SBC resolution called for the evangelization of Jews, prompting major Jewish leaders to call it a setback for interfaith relations.

On Tuesday, delegates elected Florida pastor Willy Rice to be its next president. He won 58% of the votes over South Carolina pastor Josh Powell.

Rice supported the amendment barring churches with women pastors, as did Powell and the SBC's departing president, Clint Pressley.

Rice, senior pastor of Calvary Church in Clearwater, drew support from advocacy groups such as the Center for Baptist Leadership, which have argued SBC leadership has gone “woke” on issues ranging from race to gender to immigration.

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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Consumer prices rose 4.2% in May from a year earlier, the Labor Department said Wednesday, up from 3.8% in April and the third straight monthly increase. On a monthly basis, prices rose 0.5% last month, after big gains of 0.6% in April and 0.9% in March.

Prices have now risen faster than wages for several months, pressuring many Americans' finances and causing consumers to take a decidedly dim view of the economy. Families are dipping into savings to maintain their spending, and more people are falling behind on their credit card bills. Large retailers say they have also noticed changes in customer behavior, like buying smaller amounts of gas during visits to the pump.

Inflation is now well above the Federal Reserve's 2% target, which it has surpassed for more than five years. New Fed chair Kevin Warsh will preside over his first policy meeting next week, when the central bank is expected to keep its key interest rate unchanged. But the Fed is also likely to change the statement it issues after each meeting to remove a suggestion that its next move could be to lower rates. With inflation proving stubborn, financial markets expect the Fed could instead raise rates by the end of the year.

When the Fed lifts rates, over time it can make mortgages, auto loans, and business borrowing more expensive.

Outside energy costs, price increases last month were not as dramatic, a sign that sharply higher inflation hasn't yet spread throughout the economy. Should the Iran war end and oil and gas prices decline, headline inflation could begin to cool. Gas prices have fallen this month, though they remain elevated.

Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, core prices rose at a more modest pace. On a monthly basis, they climbed just 0.2%, down from a 0.4% gain in April. Compared with a year ago, they have rise 2.9%, up from 2.8% in April.

President Donald Trump praised the inflation report in comments to reporters Wednesday, saying, “the numbers were great" and “I love it.”

He said the inflation data was good because it showed energy prices were a huge driver of rising costs — the government said they accounted for more than 60% of the monthly increase — and he suggested inflation would ease “as soon as this war is over.”

However, the U.S. launched more airstrikes against Iran on Wednesday, and Trump said more were coming, as Tehran fired back at countries in the region.

Crude prices shot back above $90 a barrel on the violent exchange of fire.

Still, many goods and services rose in price last month: Clothing costs increased 0.3% and are 4.8% more expensive than a year ago. Airline fares, pushed higher by pricier jet fuel, jumped 2.7% just in May and are nearly 27% higher than a year ago. Electricity prices rose 0.6% in May and are up 5.9% in the past year.

Grocery prices were tamer in May compared with previous months, rising just 0.1% from April. Still, they are up 2.7% from a year ago and have risen sharply since the pandemic.

“I don't think we're anywhere near out of the woods yet,” Omair Sharif, chief economist at Inflation Insights, said. Price increases “were stronger under the hood.”

Sharif and other economists point out that the cost of services, including child care, home health care, and dental services are still rising much more quickly than is consistent with the Fed's 2% inflation target.

Bill Adams, chief U.S. economist at Fifth Third Commercial Bank, attributed some of the gain to a crackdown on immigration, which has likely forced many employers in those industries to raise wages.

Inflation had been cooling before Trump imposed sweeping tariffs in April 2025, which lifted the costs of many goods. Prices have since surged after the Iran war made oil and gas more expensive, making affordability a key political issue.

Small businesses are struggling with higher costs, some of which they are passing on in the form of higher prices. Others have slowed hiring or even cut jobs.

Beth Benike, the founder of Oronoco, Minnesota-based Busy Baby, said her small company was hit hard by tariffs last year and is now struggling with higher shipping costs stemming from more expensive fuel. The company sells silicon placemats and toys that attach to high chairs and strollers.

Sales have declined as inflation has worsened, and Benike recently reduced one full-time employee to part-time hours. She said that more of her customers are now grandparents of newborns, rather than the parents.

“Grandparents have a little more disposable income than the generation that’s having babies,” she said.

Gas prices rose in May because of Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has choked off about a fifth of the world's oil supply. Prices at the pump rose, on average, from about $4.04 in mid-April to $4.49 in mid-May, according to the Energy Information Administration.

They have since fallen back to $4.16 on average nationwide, according to AAA, which could lead to a cooler inflation reading in June. That doesn't mean gas prices are not prominent in the minds of most Americans. A gallon of gas has hovered above $4 a gallon since March.

Major retail chains have discounted prices to accommodate customers who are watching their spending more closely.

Dollar General is expanding the number of items that cost $1 or less, including frozen food. The shift has come with shoppers swapping out favored retailers for dollar stores.

“When that (gas) price hits that $4 mark and then crosses it and then sustains for a while, you start to see that trade-in come in and you start to see that our core customer needs us most,” Dollar General CEO Todd Vasos said this month.

Amber Greenwell, executive director of the America First Credit Union’s charitable foundation, based in Ogden, Utah, says the cost of gas, housing and groceries have risen sharply in her state and much of the west in the past year. Her organization organizes food and diaper drives in the six states where the credit union operates.

“There is substantial growth in families who need more food resources as well as diaper resources,” she said.

Stubbornly high inflation has shifted the debate among Fed policymakers, who had signaled at the start of the year that they were inclined to cut their key rate twice more this year. Now, more officials are saying they expect the Fed's next move will likely be a hike rather than a cut.

Despite higher inflation, the job market appears to be improving, with hiring increasing to a healthy level in May, and the economy is still growing. These positive signs suggest the Fed doesn't need to cut rates to stimulate growth and hiring. They also signal that the Fed's rate isn't so high that it is weighing on the economy. Yet some officials want rates to cool growth a bit, because that can bring down inflation.

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AP Writers Josh Boak and Anne D'Innocenzio contributed to this report. D'Innocenzio contributed from New York.

The S&P 500 dropped 1.6% for its first back-to-back drop in three weeks and is back to where it was in early May. The Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled 953 points, or 1.9%, and the Nasdaq composite led the market lower with a 2% slide.

Wall Street has been shaky since last week, when AI stocks went from roaring to records to suddenly turning lower. Among the worries is that their prices have simply shot too high, too fast because of AI mania. The question now is whether the break lower has cleared out excessive optimism that may have built into their stock prices, or if it’s the start of a longer downturn.

Super Micro Computer, which sells AI servers, tumbled 28% after saying late Tuesday that it plans to raise $7 billion in cash by selling shares of stock and convertible preferred stock. Such moves raise the most money for companies when their stock prices are high, and they can dilute the ownership stakes of existing shareholders.

Micron Technology swung from an early loss of nearly 4% to a modest gain and back to a loss of 4.7%. It’s coming off a wild stretch where it sank 7.7% last Thursday, then plunged another 13.3% Friday and rallied 9.9% Monday. Despite all the swings, the computer memory maker’s stock is still up 212.5% for the year so far.

Nvidia, the chip company that’s grown into a nearly $4.9 trillion behemoth because of the AI boom, was the heaviest weight on the S&P 500 after falling 3.7%. The second-heaviest was another AI winner, Broadcom, which fell 5.1%.

Some of the pressure on AI stocks could also be coming from investors pulling cash out to prepare for high-profile debuts on the U.S. stock market for several AI giants. SpaceX’s initial public offering could come later this week, for example.

Weakening stocks for companies with big fuel bills also pulled the market lower. United Airlines sank 6.2%, and cruise-operator Carnival fell 6.3% after oil prices rose due to the latest fighting in the war with Iran.

The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil rose 1.8% to $93.10 after President Donald Trump warned Iran would “pay the price” for stalled negotiations between the two on their war. The war has been keeping the Strait of Hormuz effectively shut to oil tankers, which has prevented the delivery of crude from the Persian Gulf to customers worldwide.

High oil prices have sent inflation higher, and a report on Wednesday showed that prices for U.S. consumers jumped in May at the highest speed in three years.

But Treasury yields nonetheless held relatively steady in the bond market because the figures were pretty much exactly what economists had forecast. The rise in an important underlying measure of inflation, meanwhile, was not as bad from April through May as economists expected.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury edged up to 4.54% from 4.53% late Tuesday. The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for what the Federal Reserve will do with its overnight interest rates, held at 4.13%.

Traders have been building bets recently that the Fed will have to hike its main interest rate at least once this year, given how high inflation is and how strong the U.S. job market remains. Wednesday’s inflation update didn’t sway them much, according to data from CME Group.

High yields can slow entire economies and undercut prices for all kinds of investments, including stocks and cryptocurrencies. They hit investments seen as the most expensive in particular, and some critics are calling AI a bubble where investment inflated too far.

All told, the S&P 500 fell 119.66 points to 7,266.99. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 953.33 to 49,918.78, and the Nasdaq composite sank 509.32 to 25,169.50.

In stock markets abroad, indexes in Europe were mixed following sharper drops in Asia.

South Korea’s Kospi tumbled 4.5%, hurt by losses for tech giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 sank 1.9% after data showed Japan’s producer price index, a measure for prices at the wholesale level, rose in May at the fastest pace in more than three years. Shares of technology and telecommunications giant SoftBank Group, which has a strong AI focus, lost 8.3%.

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AP Business Writers Chan Ho-him and Matt Ott contributed to this report.

The indictment describes threats and vandalism at officials' homes, some businesses and the Jewish Federation of Detroit.

“In America, we rule by law not by fear. These alleged threats and attempts to terrorize government officials, businesses, and the Jewish Federation are anti-American. We will counter intimidation with justice," U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr. said.

The document highlights several incidents that made headlines in the past few years, including fake bloody corpses that were placed in an elected university board member's yard and the spray-painting of anti-Israel messages at the home of the school's president at the time, Santa Ono.

Two glass jars filled with a blue substance were thrown through a window at the home of the university provost, the government said.

“They marked their victims with threatening symbols used by Hamas, including red inverted triangles and red handprints,” the indictment states. “They used the internet and social media to broadcast their message to ensure their threats and commitment to continuing criminal activity were heard by their victims and others who support Israel.”

All eight are charged with conspiracy to transmit threats through interstate commerce, but some face more charges than others.

Five people made an initial appearance in federal court in Detroit; four of them were ordered to remain in custody at least until another hearing Friday.

About two dozen supporters appeared at the courthouse. Some carried Palestinian flags outside, and one had a sign that read, “Drop The Charges.”

“Everything that happened today is a shock,” said Eaman Ali, an organizer with the TAHRIR Coalition, a group of students and Ann Arbor community members that calls for divestment from Israel. “When one of us is targeted, we want to make sure we show up for them.”

Ali declined to comment about the specific allegations.

Since the Israel-Hamas war began, pro-Palestinian protesters have demanded that the University of Michigan’s endowment stop investing in companies with ties to Israel. But the university has insisted it has no direct investments and less than $15 million placed with funds that might include companies in Israel. That’s less than 0.1% of the total endowment.

In 2024, a pro-Palestinian camp on campus was cleared by police after a month. The university said it was a threat to public safety.

Sarah Hubbard, a member of the university's Board of Regents who found phony corpses on her lawn in 2024, welcomed the indictment, saying she was “very appreciative of the tireless work” of law enforcement.

Another board member, Jordan Acker, said his home, car and law office were vandalized with paint.

These big coastal floods happen when high tides and storm surges — the amount above normal tide level — combine with seas that are already rising. Those pile on top of natural climate patterns and other human influence.

Climate change has strengthened storms like Hurricane Ian, which caused significant flooding in 2022, scientists say. Flooding threatens hundreds of millions of people each year in low-lying coastal areas across the globe. It also causes billions of dollars in damage and can be deadly.

Floods that historically had a 1% chance of striking a coastline in a year are now about 12 times more likely, on average, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Climate Change on Wednesday. Those events have become about four times more likely due to human-driven climate change, the research shows.

Researchers looked at how often extreme sea level events — which cause coastal flooding — happen by considering long-term records from tide gauges at more than 100 sites, as well as using climate modeling. The study looked at the increase from 1900 to 2005. It was limited through 2005 because after that, there weren't enough models that could point to instances of human-driven climate change. The researchers said their findings likely understate today's risk, because human contributions to changes in coastal extremes have only increased since then.

Researchers looked at which changes were caused by human activity, natural forces or shifts in the landscape. Although sea level changes earlier in the 20th century could mostly be chalked up to natural forces, the scientists found that since the 1960s, human-caused warming was the main reason sea levels are going up.

A separate study published in the journal Science Advances on Wednesday also supports the idea that extreme ocean heights come from climate change, specifically around 58% of the days with big floods from 2000 to 2018. Climate change has also, on average, nearly tripled the number of days where the sea tops extreme flood levels since the 1970s, according to that study.

“Essentially every coastal flood today has human fingerprints on it through climate change,” said Ben Strauss, chief scientist at Climate Central and a co-author of the Science Advances study. “Without the extra bit of sea level rise caused by global heating, most of these events would not have reached the status of flood.”

The research in Nature Climate Change didn't fully examine individual human factors, said Sönke Dangendorf, the lead author, but he noted greenhouse gases — the result of burning fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal — are the most significant.

“Since the 1970s, it’s by far the dominating factor, and this is of course not good news,” said Dangendorf, also an associate professor at Tulane University. He said the threat is growing, and communities need to do more to prepare.

Jeff Williams, a retired United States Geological Survey oceanographer who wasn’t part of either study, said the research shows that planners need to take the growing threats into account. They should also think about how much money they'll need to increase coastal protection, he said, and figure out who pays for it.

The current protections for New Orleans, for instance, “will likely not be adequate beyond the next couple decades,” Williams said.

Nations across the globe are increasingly using renewable energies like solar and wind. Last year, clean power generation exceeded overall global electricity demand growth, and the share of renewables hit more than one-third of the world’s electricity mix for the first time.

Even in the United States, where the Trump administration has boosted fossil fuels, solar is growing as coal power declines. As such, scientists have recently said the world is no longer on track for the worst case scenario for warming — but it's also not on track to the best case, either.

“The impacts, even of a relatively little sea level rise, can be pretty impactful on our coasts,” Dangendorf, the Tulane author, said.

“There is a silver lining because we have control about how much we emit, right?” he said. “So we can stop that development, at least to some degree.”

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Alexa St. John is an Associated Press climate reporter. Follow her on X: @alexa_stjohn. Reach her at ast.john@ap.org.

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Read more of AP’s climate coverage.

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

Unveiled by Ian McKellen, the plaque at 22 Lupus Street in Pimlico marks the place where Olivier began acting as a child.

“For those of us who were lucky enough to have seen him in the theater, it’s of course quite right that, because he was the leader of our profession for so many years, it’s appropriate that this should be put up," McKellen told The Associated Press after the event. “Actors go out of fashion very quickly, but I've a feeling that this man's name will never be forgotten, and perhaps because of this plaque."

Olivier lived at Lupus Street between the ages of 6 and 11. While there, he reportedly transformed a wooden box and blue curtains into a makeshift stage where he sang, danced, and acted for hours at a time.

Olivier was venerated as a Shakespearean actor, playing many iconic protagonists in London including Hamlet, Henry V, Macbeth and, controversially, Othello. For his role as Hamlet, Olivier won his only Academy Award for best actor in 1949. Other famous screen roles include ones in “Rebecca," "Wuthering Heights"," "Marathon Man" and "Sleuth."

London owes much to Olivier, who died at age 82 in 1989.

He campaigned for the establishment of the National Theatre. The building that now houses the theatre officially opened in 1976 and its largest auditorium is named after Olivier.

“Laurence Olivier transformed British theater and film through the brilliance, range and intensity of his performances," said English Heritage senior historian Howard Spencer. "The plaque celebrates the formative home where one of Britain’s greatest cultural figures first found his voice as an actor.”

The Olivier Awards, which celebrate London's theater scene, were named in his honor.

The London blue plaque program began more than 150 years ago. The plaques commemorate notable people who made London their home at some point. There are more than 900 official plaques in the capital.

The first plaque commemorated the poet Lord Byron in 1867 but the house was later demolished. The oldest surviving plaque commemorates France’s final emperor, Napoleon III.

The warrant signed by a federal judge last week approved the seizure of documents and records related to the “storage, use, or disposal” of methyl methacrylate, the chemical inside the affected tank.

“Samples of the substance within any tank, tote, drum, vat, vessel, or container suspected of containing or having previously contained methyl methacrylate and/or any hazardous substance” were also sought, according to the warrant.

The warrant also orders agents to seize records related to “any cooling equipment or other equipment used to control or regulate the temperature of methyl methacrylate.”

The FBI confirmed its agents were searching GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems in the Orange County city of Garden Grove. Multiple vehicles and several federal agents were seen outside the facility Wednesday morning.

Company says it's cooperating with authorities

GKN Aerospace makes cockpit windows, canopies and windshields. The tank that overheated contained 6,000 to 7,000 gallons (22,700 to 26,500 liters) of methyl methacrylate, which is highly flammable. The liquid is used in the manufacturing of plastics and coatings, such as Plexiglas and dental prosthetics.

Exposure to the chemical can cause serious respiratory problems, neurological issues and irritation to the skin, eyes and throat, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

The chemical that overheated is still in the holding tank, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency, which is leading the site cleanup and waste removal efforts.

The agency had planned to pump the neutralized methyl methacrylate from the storage tanks into sealed trucks for transport and disposal starting at the end of last week, according to a press release on the agency’s website. But on Friday, they said the removal didn’t happen “due to unavailable resources.”

Once a new date is confirmed, they will provide advance notice to the community.

Responding to a request for comment on the FBI investigation, a GKN spokesperson told the AP on Wednesday morning: “We are cooperating with authorities at our Garden Grove facility and will continue to do so.”

GKN Aerospace’s Steve Carlin spoke at a community meeting Tuesday evening. He thanked the firefighters and local leaders who responded to the incident at the plant that employs more than 500 people, and apologized to the community.

“On behalf of GKN and the Garden Grove plant I want to say that I’m sorry that this event and this incident occurred. I understand and I realized sitting here tonight what a disruptive event it was and how unsettling it is to the greater community. Particularly unsettling to us at GKN because of the long history that we have with Garden Grove and how connected we are to this community.”

Garden Grove city leaders and residents urged GKN Aerospace to consider moving these tanks of methyl methacrylate off of the Garden Grove plant, so the chemical would be far away from residents and businesses. But Carlin said it is very early in the investigation into what happened, so it is too soon to decide what the company might do in response to the incident. He promised to be transparent with the community about the investigation.

Overheating tank risked a catastrophic explosion

The incident was reported on May 21 and evacuations began the next day. The tank overheated because a valve on the cooling system that kept it at 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius) failed, officials said.

Crews sprayed water on the tank until the interior temperature stabilized to 92 F (33.3 C), down from 100 F (37.7 C). A sprinkler system was used to douse the tank, and the company said its technical specialists and firefighters removed insulation from the tank to help cool it.

A crack that formed by chance on the tank relieved pressure and helped avert a catastrophic explosion, allowing most evacuees to return home over the Memorial Day weekend. Authorities announced they were lifting the final orders after the temperature on the tank remained stable for four hours without intervention from sprinklers.

Separately, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office also is conducting a criminal investigation into the GKN Aerospace plant, according to DA spokesperson Kimberly Edds.

“We have sent a preservation letter to GKN directing them not to modify or destroy any evidence, which the company’s outside counsel confirmed receipt,” Edds told The Associated Press in an email.

Lawyers in federal lawsuits welcome the FBI's involvement

About a dozen people and businesses that were among the 50,000 evacuated during the chemical emergency have filed lawsuits against the company. Some residents reported strong odors, respiratory irritation, headaches and dizziness. They question why the chemical plant was allowed to operate so close to homes.

Lawyer Rickard McCune represents Big Rob’s Pizzeria and Fruit Caboose Concessions in a federal lawsuit claiming GKN Aerospace and parent company Melrose Industries were negligent and put the surrounding communities at risk. He said they’re pleased the federal government is investigating. The FBI’s involvement will help bring justice to those who were harmed, he said.

Another lawyer, Alex Wheeler, represents Dinh Tran and Drippys Gourmet Ice Cream Sandwiches and said they’re relieved that the FBI is using its resources to investigate potential criminal acts.

“As more information becomes public, it’s becoming clearer and clearer that the risk to our community posed by GKN’s operation of the Garden Grove facility may require a long term and lasting solution,” Wheeler said.

GKN did not immediately respond to the allegations in the lawsuits.

Orange County health officials assured residents that no contamination or fumes were released, and that they would keep monitoring the air for several months and checking the sewer and storm drains.

The California incident was the first of two major hazardous chemical emergencies on the West Coast within a week of each other. Five days after the GKN Aerospace situation began, a large tank containing a corrosive chemical at a Longview, Washington paper mill ruptured and imploded, killing 11 people.

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Bellisle reported from Seattle. Associated Press journalist Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, contributed.

Sean O'Malley earned American style points for dressing in red — his hair and suit — and blue — dress shirt, tie and, well, hair again — and Michael Chandler visualized accessorizing his fight night walk-out before he dished out a patriotic pounding draped in an American flag.

“For me to walk from the White House to the octagon to represent America, to represent myself, to represent just who I am and what this country means to me,” Chandler said, “it’s just a dream come true.”

The usual foul-mouthed fight hype from UFC's American fighters ahead of their prime-time debut Sunday on the White House grounds largely yielded to bursts of national pride Wednesday.

O'Malley, known as much for his cornucopia of colors that turn his locks into rainbows or cotton candy tops as his fight skills, tried to downplay the week and called it business as usual. In the next breath, O'Malley confessed fighting on a UFC card on the South Lawn was indeed “epic.”

Hokit, meanwhile, wasn't about to modify his style on the microphone just because he will fight in the mixed martial arts show timed to coincide with President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday and the celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary.

"You'll never see me apologize for anything I do,” Hokit said.

Well, the heavyweight is in the right city for that declaration. He was one of several fighters who added a dash of brashness and boldness in the nation's capital just four days before the surreal juxtaposition of pummeling and patriotism set for Trump and UFC boss Dana White's big-fight vision of UFC Freedom 250.

Forget the Washington Monument. The claw, the temporary arena structure that houses the eight-sided cage, is the buzziest landmark this week in DC.

Weather is a slight concern for fight night

Umbrellas were a necessary accessory around Washington early Wednesday and the threat of heavier rain later in the week, which could dampen both a scheduled press conference at the Lincoln Memorial as well as fight night, was the only true concern ahead of the fight card.

White, who helped launch UFC into a global sports empire, insisted inclement weather will not keep the spectacle from proceeding as scheduled.

“We're going to be good on Sunday,” White said this week. “I don't care if it snows, rains, we're going. Even lightning. You guys all played sports when you were growing up. Whenever there was lightning, you'd sit the lightning out. When it was over, you played. That's what we'll do.”

Two titles at stake on the South Lawn

While the South Lawn setting normally reserved for low-contact events like the annual Easter Egg Roll is the real star of the show, there are two championship fights set for the Paramount+ show.

In a card that has been panned by fans online as underwhelming, Brazil’s Alex Pereira will meet France’s Ciryl Gane for the interim UFC heavyweight title. Then Spanish-Georgian lightweight champion Ilia Topuria takes on interim champ Justin Gaethje, one of just two Americans who currently hold even a share of the UFC’s 11 championship belts.

Middleweight Bo Nickal was a three-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion at Penn State who was awed when he met Trump in 2019 at the White House during a ceremony for collegiate national champions.

"The president said hello to all the teams,” Nickal said Wednesday. “When he got to us, he was all excited because he likes wrestlers. He talked to us for maybe 10, 15 minutes because he likes chatting.”

Nickal is set to fight on the main card Sunday against Philadelphia fighter Kyle Daukaus. Nickal called fighting on the show a “massive opportunity,” and one he may have manifested back in that 2019 meeting.

“I told him at that time in 2019 that I was going to fight at UFC,” Nickal said. “He asked if I needed an agent. He’s put in a good word for me, obviously, getting on this card.”

The bulk of UFC's roster seemingly threw their names on the ballot and hoped to get the call they would fight in front of the president.

Chandler, the 40-year-old Missouri native, laughed when he said he would feel “as high as kite in the best way possible” on his way to the cage. He was thrilled when he earned a lightweight bout against Mauricio Ruffy.

“Even if you're not watching, you've heard about this card, whether you like to admit it or not,” Chandler said.

White not fazed by federal lawsuit

Not everyone is on board with fighters commandeering the same South Lawn where Dwight D. Eisenhower once put in a putting green.

A federal lawsuit filed Saturday by the Public Integrity Project on behalf of two Virginia residents contends the Trump administration’s authorization of the event was unlawful. The lawsuit says such approval violated National Park Service regulations prohibiting sporting events on federal parklands, Congress did not consent to the towering arch overlooking the event space and no environmental review was conducted before the construction.

White, a long-time friend and former business associate of Trump's from the days when Boardwalk cards at Trump Taj Mahal lifted UFC into relevancy, brushed off the idea the lawsuit could halt the fight card.

“We were expecting a lawsuit,” White said. “We expected everything coming into this event. We thought it would be sooner. We knew it was going to come. We didn't know who or how, but we knew it was going to come.”

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AP MMA: https://apnews.com/hub/mixed-martial-arts

Long considered among the best actors to never win one, the eight-time nominee will get an honorary Academy Award along with director Ridley Scott and animator Floyd Norman at the annual Governors Awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday.

“Throughout her extraordinary body of work, Glenn Close’s unparalleled emotional range has brought to life some of the most complex characters in cinema,” the academy said in a statement. “Floyd Norman is the legendary animator who has broken barriers and inspired generations of artists over his remarkable career. Sir Ridley Scott is a true visionary whose decades-long legacy has left an immeasurable impact on global cinema and culture.”

Nominations for the 79-year-old Close date back to 1983, when she got her first nod for “The World According to Garp.” She was also nominated for her blockbuster turn as a rabbit-slaying stalker in 1987's “Fatal Attraction” and was most recently up for a statuette for 2020's “Hillbilly Elegy.”

Her eight nominations tie her with Peter O'Toole for the most for an actor without a win.

She has won virtually every other major award within reach, including three Emmys, three Tonys, three Grammys and three Golden Globes.

The Governors Awards often go to artists with extraordinary careers, but no competitive Oscar. Tom Cruise, a recipient last year, is a case in point.

Scott, the 88-year-old director of “Alien,” “Blade Runner” and “Gladiator” whose epic decades of work have blended popular success and prestige like few others, has also never won despite four nominations, including best director nods for “Thelma & Louise” and “Black Hawk Down.”

Norman’s 65-year career began in 1956 when he became the first Black animator for Walt Disney Animation Studios, contributing to “Sleeping Beauty,” “Mary Poppins,” “The Jungle Book” and Robin Hood.” Decades later, he would work on “Mulan,” “Toy Story 2” and “Monsters, Inc.”

Producers Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler will get the academy's Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, presented to “a creative producer whose body of work reflects a consistently high quality of motion picture production,” the academy said.

Vachon and Koffler co-founded the New York-based indie production hub Killer Films in 1995. Their credits as producers include “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” One Hour Photo” and “May December.” Both were nominated for best picture Oscars for “Past Lives” in 2024. Killer Films' output includes “Velvet Goldmine,” “Happiness,” “Boys Don’t Cry,” “Far from Heaven” and “Carol.”

The academy statement says the two “play a central role in American independent cinema, championing bold, ambitious and distinctive storytelling.”

All the winners will be honored at a ceremony on Nov. 15 at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Ovation Hollywood, the same complex that hosts the main Oscars ceremony. Along with luminaries who worked with the honorees, the event has been increasingly packed with young stars as it has become the unofficial kickoff to Hollywood's award season campaigning.

The Governors Awards, named for the academy's board of governors and not the leader of the state, honor “extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences in any discipline, or for outstanding service to the Academy.”

Collins has proved to be a hard target for Democrats, even for candidates without the baggage of Platner, who has faced criticism for his relationships with women, for his inflammatory online posts and for a previous tattoo recognized as a Nazi symbol.

Collins is also the rare Republican these days who can sometimes boost her own popularity back home by keeping her distance from President Donald Trump. She has perfected that delicate dance over the years even as Trump has sharply criticized her and tightened his grip on the party, costing two of Collins' colleagues their chance of reelection.

On Wednesday, however, Trump made clear he is in Collins' corner.

Although the president told reporters Wednesday that “she's not my best friend at all,” he also said “she's a sane person and she's a person that never missed a vote in many years.” Collins recently set a record by casting her 10,000th Senate vote in a row.

Trump suggested Platner is "worse than any human being that’s run for office probably" and went on to insult the Democratic nominee. "He’s a cheap, no-good person," the president said, adding, “He's like a pig.”

With the November general election months away, it is uncertain whether Trump's support for Collins will help or hurt as she seeks a sixth term. Years of practice have made her adept at staying close — but not too close — to the president when it is politically advantageous, and moving away when showing an independent streak is helpful.

“She’s shown time and time again where her state’s electorate is. She understands what’s too far, she understands where she needs to be,” said Republican political consultant Matt Mackowiak.

The road to Senate control goes through Maine

The Democrats need to flip four seats to take control of the Senate. They hope Trump's falling approval ratings and the war with Iran, as well as the fallout on oil prices and the economy, could buoy their chances. Maine is among the top targets, along with Alaska, Ohio and North Carolina.

Platner wants to make the case that Collins is not as independent of Trump as her reputation suggests. He often notes that she allowed his Supreme Court nominees to go through, which in 2022 led to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that had legalized abortion.

"Susan Collins may have started her career decades ago in Washington with good intentions, but she has become just as spineless and corrupt as the establishment she now serves," Platner said at a party Tuesday celebrating his primary victory.

Platner supporters are ready for change, said John Keenan of Sullivan, Maine.

“I think Maine has grown tired of the same old system,” he said. “And putting youth into the campaign, with new instead of a rubber stamp, is very refreshing.”

The National Republican Senatorial Committee posted a pro-Collins video on X that resembled a 1980s video game. It said Collins “has brought more than $1.5 billion back to Maine" and Platner “spent time as a kid at a $70,000 a year prep school in Connecticut.”

Trump has often criticized Collins, but not lately

Collins may still have to stay wary of Trump, who has singled her out for daring to occasionally defy him on some issues. For example, she voted last week with Democrats to block the nearly $1.8 billion fund the president wanted to create to benefit allies that he claims were unfairly targeted by law enforcement.

Nonetheless, he has refrained from criticizing lately, especially as the senator failed to draw a credible GOP challenger and cruised in the primary.

Political advisers close to Trump said the president understands how critical it is that Republicans maintain control of Congress, and that requires accommodating Collins. Trump understands the need to avoid a Republican wipeout like the 2018 midterms when Democrats flipped the House and derailed much of the final two years of his first-term plans.

Collins " represents the people of Maine first and foremost and has proven herself to be a dedicated public servant," said Republican National Committee spokesperson Kristen Cianci in a statement.

Collins spokesperson Blake Kernen said the senator “has worked with five different Presidents throughout her Senate tenure, and has never agreed with any of them on every issue.”

“When she agrees with an effort, she will support it; when she disagrees, she does not hesitate to speak up for what she believes is the right outcome for Maine and for America,” Kernen said in a statement.

Other Republicans ran into trouble with Trump

Sen. John Cornyn of Texas was among his party's top voices, but Trump viewed him as insufficiently loyal. State Attorney General Ken Paxton trounced Cornyn in a runoff race on May 26, just days after receiving Trump's endorsement.

Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana voted to convict Trump during his impeachment trial after the Capitol siege on Jan. 6, 2021. Cassidy lost his primary when Trump-endorsed Rep. Julia Letlow and state Treasurer John Fleming advanced to a runoff later this month.

“She’s always down in the polls and she survives,” Trump said when asked about Collins in an interview with the New York Post last week.

Collins defeated Gideon, the Maine House speaker, by almost 9 percentage points in 2020, the same year that Democrat Joe Biden beat Trump by a similar margin in the state.

Mackowiak said “there’s just no pathway to a MAGA senator from Maine,” referring to Trump's ”Make America Great Again" movement.

“It does appear that the Trump political operation is soberly analyzing the electoral environment in Maine and really kind of follows her lead as it relates to that state and that race, particularly this cycle,” he said.

Maine Republicans are ‘a bit more pragmatic’

Chuck Ellis, a Republican from Westbrook, Maine, who runs a digital marketing company, said Collins' reluctance to move in lockstep with Trump can be a plus.

Although there are some “hard-line” voters who may disapprove, Ellis said, "ultimately a lot of your conservatives, your Republicans, are people who are a bit more pragmatic.”

After Collins opposed the White House’s signature tax cut and spending package last year and voted against a proposal to claw back $9 billion in foreign aid and public media funding, the president complained about her on social media.

“Republicans, when in doubt, vote the exact opposite of Senator Susan Collins," he wrote.

Then, in January, Trump lashed out at the “stupidity” of Collins and four other Senate Republicans who joined Democrats to start a debate over restricting the president’s use of force in Venezuela.

White House may keep a further distance

Trump is unlikely to travel to Maine before November despite visiting other states with key Senate races such as Iowa and Michigan.

Vice President JD Vance has been to Maine, where he promoted his anti-fraud task force. Collins did not attend Vance’s speech in Bangor last month where he acknowledged the senator's distance from the Trump administration.

“If she was as partisan as I sometimes wish that she was,” Vance said, "she would not be a good fit for the people of Maine.”

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This story has been corrected to show the spelling of Collins’ spokesperson’s surname is Kernen, not Kernan.

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Whittle reported from Portland, Maine.

This year's tournament — which is hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico — was expanded to 48 teams that will play in 16 stadiums in a record 104 matches over the 39-day tournament.

Mexico gets the World Cup started Thursday and will be a heavy favorite when it hosts South Africa in Mexico City. The second game of the day will be between South Korea and the Czech Republic in Guadalajara, Mexico. All four teams are part of Group A.

Canada and the United States will host their first games Friday. The Canadians will play Bosnia-Herzegovina in Toronto while the Americans face Paraguay in Inglewood, California.

What to watch June 11

Fox is the exclusive U.S. broadcaster of the World Cup with all 104 matches in English on Fox or FS1. All matches are also available on the Fox One app. Telemundo and Universo will broadcast all of the matches in Spanish. Peacock is the streaming home for Spanish language broadcasts while Telemundo also has an app that includes all the matches.

1. Mexico’s opening ceremony, 1:30 p.m. ET in Mexico City (FOX/Telemundo/Peacock)

2. Mexico vs. South Africa, 3 p.m. ET in Mexico City (FOX/Telemundo/Peacock)

3. South Korea vs. Czechia, 10 p.m. ET in Guadalajara, Mexico (FS1/Telemundo/Peacock)

Mexico is a heavy favorite against South Africa

Boosted by a home crowd and a star-studded opening ceremony with performances that include Andrea Bocelli and homegrown talent like Alejandro Fernández and Maná, Mexico hopes to play better in this World Cup than in 2022, when it failed to advance out of the group stage for the first time since 1978. El Tri will be led by veteran Raúl Jiménez and 17-year-old midfielder Gilberto Mora. Goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa will be competing in the World Cup for a record sixth time. South Africa is playing in its fourth World Cup and first since it hosted the tournament in 2010.

The games in Mexico will be played at high elevation. The Azteca stadium in Mexico City is at roughly 7,300 feet while Guadalajara sits at 5,138 feet, meaning visiting teams will have to make a significant adjustment to the altitude.

South Korea hopes to build on '22 World Cup success vs. Czechia

South Korea is one of the best teams in Asia and has qualified for 11 tournaments in a row since 1986. The Koreans made it to the round of 16 in 2022 before losing to Brazil. Son Hueng-min, 33, is the captain and might be playing in his last World Cup. The Czech Republic is back in soccer's biggest showcase for the first time in 20 years.

World Cup sticker shock with sky-high prices

FIFA has faced pressure for sky-high World Cup ticket prices and sales tactics that fans say left them with worse deals than they wanted.

The attorneys general in New York and New Jersey, which is hosting eight World Cup matches including the final, announced last month that they are investigating whether FIFA’s ticketing practices violated consumer protection laws.

Some seats for the July 19 final are going for nearly $33,000.

In the U.S., bipartisan skepticism of Infantino, FIFA

In the deeply polarized U.S., few things unite elected leaders outside the White House quite like skepticism of Gianni Infantino and FIFA, the governing body for the world’s most popular sport.

It’s a sentiment that cuts across the divide and spans from Washington to state capitals and city halls.

There are mayors like Zohran Mamdani of New York and Karen Bass of Los Angeles, Democrats who’ve balked at ticket prices. Republican Sen. Todd Young of Indiana, who played Division 1 soccer at the U.S. Naval Academy, said FIFA has been “detached from regular people around the world.”

More World Cup news

4. World Cup by the numbers: 104 matches, 48 teams and 3 countries make this the largest ever

5. Iran’s World Cup players wear pins for victims of deadly strike on school as they arrive in Mexico

6. Somali soccer referee denied entry to US for World Cup is welcomed home as a hero

7. Celebrations clash with social tensions in Mexico on the eve of the World Cup

8. Bettors taking a chance on the longshot US in World Cup, though France and Spain remain favorites

9. Pochettino says no Americans among top 100 players yet US can win World Cup

Stats of the day

10. Only eight countries have won the World Cup, with six of those teams winning multiple titles led by Brazil’s five. The only first-time winners in the last 11 Cups came in 1998 when France won the first of its two titles and in 2010 with Spain.

11. There have been six defending champions who failed to make it out of the group stage, including in three of the last four editions. France made it back to the final in 2022 but Italy (2010), Spain (2014) and Germany (2018) all get eliminated before the knockout rounds.

12. South Korea's Son is one of the most accomplished players in the national team's history. His 144 caps rank first while he needs just two goals to match Cha Bum-kun's career record of 58.

13. At just 17 years old, Mexico's Gilberto Mora is the youngest player among the rosters of the 48 teams playing at the tournament. He could become the second-youngest player to score a goal in World Cup history behind Brazil legend Pelé, who was 17 years, 239 days old when he scored in 1958. Here's a look at some of the up-and-coming teenagers in this year's tournament.

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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

Initial public offering, or IPO

A company's first offering of stock to the public. It is the first time a company's value will be determined by a public market.

Prospectus

A formal offer to sell shares in the company. It also includes a business plan with details about the company's finances and operations. Also known as an S-1, after the Securities and Exchange Commission form.

Listing

This describes the ticker symbol for the stock and the public exchange where it is being traded. For example, Apple is traded as “AAPL” on the Nasdaq and Macy's is traded as “M” on the New York Stock Exchange. SpaceX plans to list on the Nasdaq under the symbol “SPCX.”

Underwriter

An underwriter is a bank or other financial institution that acts as the intermediary between the company and investors. They purchase the stock being issued by the company in the IPO and sell it to the public. There are often several underwriters involved to share the risk. The lead underwriters for the SpaceX IPO are Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley.

Roadshow

The name for the presentations given by company executives and underwriters to potential investors, typically institutional investors, before the company issues its shares.

Lockup

This is the period of time when executives, insiders and early investors are legally prohibited from selling their shares. It is typically 90 or 180 days and is meant to prevent insiders from quickly cashing out or dumping their shares. Elon Musk and other SpaceX executives have agreed to a lockup period of 366 days.

Over-allotment

This is a provision that allows underwriters of an IPO to sell more shares than initially planned. It is meant to meet unexpectedly high demand or to help stabilize the stock price.

Price range

This is an estimated range for the price of the shares the company is offering provided before the stock is publicly traded. Investors place bids within that range before the listing price is determined. SpaceX went against convention and set a price of $135 for shares in the offering.

Price discovery

This describes the broader process undertaken by the company and underwriters to determine the listing price for the stock. It attempts to balance demand for the stock with the potential supply of shares. The process typically takes longer when an IPO has high interest from potential investors.

The shooting happened around 1 p.m. in the 10000 block of Belknap Road, according to the Houston Police Department.

Officers responded to a report of a shooting and found a man suffering from a gunshot wound in the parking lot. He was taken to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

The victim was identified as Sean Bree, 39.

Fort Bend County authorities have filed murder charges against Iddris Umaru, 23, and Axzey Mojica, 22, HPD said. Police said both suspects remain out of custody as of this writing.

• Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office fires deputy involved in fatal shooting of Texas State student in Lake Jackson

HPD Homicide Division detectives said investigators quickly identified Umaru and Mojica as persons of interest, and further investigation led to both being named as suspects.

Charges were filed Tuesday, June 9.

Anyone with information about the suspects’ whereabouts or the case is asked to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

Garson recently joined Houston Life’s Derrick Shore and Lauren Kelly to talk about his new book, Five Thousand Years of Controversies: A Family’s Journey Through World History, a wide-ranging look at some of history’s biggest debates and why they still matter today.

If his name sounds familiar, it may be because Garson has worn a lot of hats over the years. He’s a former provost at the University of Virginia, a former dean of the UVA School of Medicine, and has taught or lectured on all seven continents. At the University of Houston and UTMB, he’s known as a respected professor and a recognizable figure in the medical community, often spotted in his fun bowties.

How does a cardiologist end up writing a 750-page history book?

Garson says the idea started with a conversation about education. While serving as provost at UVA, he gathered academic leaders and asked a simple question: What should every educated person know? One answer kept coming up: world history.

After returning to Houston, Garson decided to write the book he wished more people had access to. A book that makes history approachable, conversational, and connected to modern life.

Instead of a textbook-like format, ‘Five Thousand Years of Controversies’ unfolds through family dinner conversations. A mother and her two children debate major moments in history, from ancient Egypt and Julius Caesar to Hiroshima and artificial intelligence. The goal, Garson says, isn’t to tell readers what to think, but to show how people across time wrestled with difficult questions.

One of the themes that stood out during the interview was the idea of learning how to disagree well.

Garson pointed out that people today spend less time having real conversations, especially with those who see the world differently. Through the book’s family-centered format, he hopes readers will feel encouraged to ask questions, listen, and debate respectfully.

He also shared one of his favorite historical controversies from the book: the collapse of ancient Egypt after the pyramid era. Some historians blamed politics or economics, while others pointed to drought and climate shifts. For Garson, it’s a reminder that even 5,000 years ago, people were trying to make sense of complicated problems with limited information not unlike we do today.

Five Thousand Years of Controversies: A Family’s Journey Through World History is available now.

A safety officer blew his whistle and others screamed to warn about 30 firefighters and coast guard personnel to dash to safety as concrete debris crashed down from the leaning three-story building in General Santos city in a frantic scene witnessed by an AP video journalist.

The coastal city, a bustling commercial hub and the country’s tuna capital, was devastated by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Monday and left a trail of destruction across southern Mindanao, the Philippines' second-most populous region.

“It was a strong aftershock and an alarm was immediately sounded so those inside and under the damaged building can run out for a headcount,” said Ressa Mia Tactaquin-Betoya, who speaks for the firefighters searching for the last employee missing in the ruined grocery, where two upper floors collapsed during the initial quake.

“It was scary because we don’t want our rescuers to be harmed so the area must be secured before they can go back in,” she told The Associated Press.

The earthquake has been followed by more than 2,100 aftershocks including a few that ranged up to 6.4 magnitude, which is strong enough to cause more casualties and damage, according to Teresito Bacolcol, who heads the Philippines Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

More than 25,000 people remain displaced, many of them staying in 45 government-run emergency shelters and still too traumatized to return home, officials said.

Monday's quake was one of the most powerful to hit the Philippines in a half century. It injured at least 630 people and damaged more than 3,100 houses, 29 roads, 11 bridges and more than 100 government buildings.

It also damaged the international airport in General Santos, forcing it to shut down indefinitely except for government and military flights transporting aid and disaster-response personnel, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines spokesperson Eric Apolonio said.

About 6,000 public school buildings in quake-hit provinces must be assessed before classes can resume. The quake struck on the first day of classes nationwide after a two-month summer break, and many who sustained injuries were young students who had gathered with excitement for morning flag-raising ceremonies.

Most of the deaths were caused by falling debris from collapsed buildings and landslides in General Santos and the nearby provinces of Sarangani, South Cotabato and Davao Occidental.

At least one person died after being swept out to sea following the quake, as waves up to 1.4 meters (4.6 feet) above tide level were measured in the southern Philippines. Smaller waves washed ashore in Indonesia and Palau and as far away as southern Japan before tsunami warnings were lifted.

Seven swimmers near General Santos were swept away by strong currents in the minutes after the quake. Three were rescued by the coast guard, one managed to swim back to shore, one drowned and two remain missing, the Philippine coast guard said.

The strong currents that swept away the victims were most likely set off by the earthquake, Bacolcol said.

The earthquake was set off by movement in the Cotabato Trench and was one of the strongest to hit the country since the same undersea depression triggered an 8.1-magnitude quake that whipped up tsunami waves on Aug. 17, 1976 and killed about 8,000 people.

The Philippines, one of the world's most disaster-prone countries, is often hit by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of seismic faults around the ocean.

___

Associated Press journalists Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines and Haruka Nuga in Bangkok contributed to this report.

Elon Musk’s rocket company, formally known as Space Exploration Technologies Corp., is steering some of its initial public offering of stock directly to what are called “retail” investors. These are people who buy stocks in a brokerage account on their phone, not pension funds or other big “institutional” investors routing orders to their professional trading desks.

Here are some things to keep in mind as the IPO approaches:

A chunk of SpaceX stock will go to regular investors

Most IPOs offer only 5% to 10% of the total offering to retail investors, according to Fidelity. In this case, though, it could be up to 30%. SpaceX expects retail investors to participate in its IPO through Charles Schwab, Fidelity, Robinhood, SoFi and E-Trade by Morgan Stanley.

At Fidelity, investors with as little as $2,000 in their accounts could potentially snag SpaceX shares in the IPO. That’s down from account minimums of $100,000 or even $500,000 that Fidelity has for other equity offerings.

Demand from investors may be so high in this IPO that not everyone indicating interest will actually get a share.

Trying for a short-term flip has risks

Given all the hype around SpaceX, temptation could be high to grab shares in the IPO and sell them quickly if a frenzy sends its price spiking. But brokerages have policies to block investors from future offerings if they dump shares bought in an IPO quickly, like within a couple weeks.

Big swings in price may be possible

Potentially high interest from retail investors following the IPO is one reason SpaceX is warning that its stock price could be volatile. These investors aren’t known for moving as meticulously as a pension fund, which is trying to build money for payments it must make years or decades in the future.

It’s retail investors, after all, who helped drive GameStop and other “meme stocks” to market-bending heights in 2021 that professional investors called irrational.

IPOs can see a big first-day bounce, but that may not last

The typical IPO has seen a 7% jump in its first day of trading, from 1980 through 2025, according to Jay Ritter, an IPO expert and a professor at the University of Florida’s Warrington College of Business.

But IPOs tend to lag similar-sized peers in the ensuing five years, not including their first day of trading. They do so by an average of 3.6% per year, according to Ritter.

SpaceX has debt and has been losing money

It’s very expensive to launch things out of the earth’s atmosphere and to construct huge AI data centers, and SpaceX has built up $29.1 billion in debt, as of the end of March.

The company also lost $4.9 billion last year and another $4.3 billion through the first three months of 2026. It acknowledges that it “may not achieve profitability in the future.”

Over the long term, a stock’s price tends to track with how much profit the company is making.

You don’t have to buy SpaceX to own it

You could end up owning some of SpaceX even if you never intended to. Consider the many people who own shares of the popular QQQ exchange-traded fund, which tracks the Nasdaq 100 index and has roughly $460 billion in total assets.

Historically, the Nasdaq 100 index would wait until each December to add new members in an annual reconstitution to make sure it includes the 100 largest non-financial companies on the Nasdaq. But Nasdaq recently made changes to allow some big companies to enter the Nasdaq 100 index after just 15 trading days.

That means if SpaceX’s IPO is as successful as expected, it could quickly join both the Nasdaq 100 and QQQ fund, all while QQQ holders do nothing on their own.

The company behind the more popular S&P 500 index, though, is not making changes that would allow SpaceX faster entry.

Any shares bought would take a back seat to Musk’s in influence

In its IPO, SpaceX is offering 555.6 million shares of its “Class A” stock. Each of these shares gives an investor one vote on matters that shareholders decide. That includes such weighty things as who is on the board of directors overseeing the CEO.

This IPO is not offering what are called “Class B” shares, each of which give its holder 10 votes. Musk, meanwhile, owns so many of those shares that he by himself could control more than 82% of all the stock’s voting power following the IPO.

In filings with U.S. securities regulators, SpaceX acknowledges the potential for conflicts of interest between it and Musk, along with other companies he owns, such as Tesla.

Some big investors really disagree with the ownership structure

Officials from pension funds for firefighters, teachers and other workers in California and New York sent a letter to SpaceX last month decrying some of the provisions in its IPO, including “super voting shares,” mandatory arbitration of shareholder claims instead of the possibility of lawsuits and how much power Musk will hold over the company.

They said they could become owners of SpaceX stock because they hold index funds, which automatically buy stocks after they get included in certain indexes.

If Musk is able to control so much of the voting power on the board of directors, it would make him tremendously powerful atop SpaceX, “essentially making him unfireable without his own consent,” the CEO of California Public Employees’ Retirement System, the New York state comptroller and the New York City comptroller wrote in their letter.

“This level of insulation from accountability is virtually unheard of among any other large U.S. issuer whose governing documents foreclose accountability to public owners on these terms.”

Don’t confuse SpaceX with other companies with similar names

SpaceX plans to trade under the ticker symbol “SPCX.” That’s very close to “SPCE,” which is the symbol for Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic Holdings.

Most Latter-day Saints do see themselves as Christians. But there are many prominent Christian clergy and scholars who disagree, citing core differences in how they view God and the Trinity and revere a scripture that is not part of the two-testament Christian Bible.

Utah U.S. Senators Mike Lee and John Curtis, both Republicans and Latter-day Saints, challenged the Pentagon’s exclusion of their faith from its list of Christian religions. It was part of the Department of Defense’s recent effort to significantly pare down a list of more than 200 religious affiliations that troops could choose from, deleting categories such as atheists, Unitarian Universalists, pagans and Wiccans.

“Latter-day Saints are among the most patriotic, service-oriented individuals in our country,” Curtis posted on X in defense of his faith. “They are also unequivocally Christian — just look at who is in the name of the Church.”

He also said in his post that it is “unacceptable” for the government to characterize a faith in a way that contradicts how the religion identifies itself — a sentiment echoed widely in the social media blowback.

The Pentagon responded on Monday by removing the Christian label from 20 other traditions, including Catholic, Lutheran and Pentecostal, and stayed away from labeling Latter-day Saints as Christian. The department also issued a statement saying that the new rubric is not intended to “make any claims on the legitimacy of any faith or religion’s belief,” but to help chaplains do their jobs and structure resources quickly and efficiently.

Latter-day Saints identify as Christians

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon church, has nearly 18 million members worldwide, with the highest concentration in Utah. The church has a long history of military service; it emphasizes patriotism and chaplaincy support.

In a social media post, Lee said: “My church membership is inextricably intertwined with my Christianity, as it is for 17 million other Latter-day Saints. Regardless of what the Pentagon thinks.”

The church’s website states that it is a “Christian Church, but is neither Catholic nor Protestant.”

“Rather, it is a restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ as originally established by the Savior in the New Testament of the Bible,” the site further explains. “Jesus Christ is central to the lives of Church members. They seek to follow his example by being baptized, praying in His holy name, partaking of the sacrament, doing good to others and bearing witness of Him through both word and deed. The only way to salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ.”

Yet the debate about whether Latter-day Saints are Christians goes back nearly 200 years to the days of the church’s founding.

Definitions of God and the Holy Trinity vary

Matthew Bowman, chair of Mormon studies at Claremont Graduate University in Southern California, said the primary difference between major Christian denominations and Latter-day Saints lies in how the nature of God is defined, and their view of the Trinity, the spiritual relationship between God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Most Christian faiths believe God is spirit, while founders of the Latter-day Saints believed that God was a human being who achieved Godhood, he said.

Latter-day Saints also reject the Nicene Creed, which emphasizes the doctrine of the Trinity as one divine being.

“They believe that while the three have a relationship, they are distinct beings,” Bowman said.

The Catholic Church has long held that Latter-day Saints are not Christian. Most recently in 2012, the Vatican stated that even if the Latter-day Saint baptismal rite refers to the Trinity, the church’s beliefs about the identities of the three are so different from Catholic and mainline Christian beliefs that the rite cannot be regarded as a Christian baptism.

Tension over religious beliefs spilled over to politics

This debate has raged on in U.S. politics over the decades, resulting in tensions between evangelical Christians and Latter-day Saints who have long considered themselves members of the religious right. Like evangelicals, most Latter-day Saints hold conservative views on topics such as abortion and LGBTQ+ issues.

Bowman said the question of Latter-day Saints' Christian identity exploded during Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign.

“At the time — and often after that — there continues to be a sense of surprise among Latter-day Saints that the evangelicals didn’t consider them Christian and among evangelicals when they learn that the Latter-day Saints in fact consider themselves Christian,” he said.

The rise of Donald Trump has created a feeling among Latter-day Saints that their old alliance with evangelical Christians is shakier than ever, especially with younger Latter-day Saints viewing evangelicals as a hostile group, Bowman said.

“In the past five years or so, there is a growing push among evangelicals to create a muscular, masculine Christianity, more vocal on doctrine, with some calling (Mormons) heretics,” he said.

LDS chaplains in the military were viewed with suspicion

Philip McLemore, who served as a Latter-day Saint chaplain in the Air Force from 1984 to 2005, said he and others felt discriminated against then, and he was passed up for promotions because of his faith.

“That mostly came from other Christian chaplains and supervisors who believed Mormon chaplains were not Christian,” he said. “They also felt the same way about Christian Scientists.”

McLemore said some of the other Christian chaplains told him they feared that Latter-day Saint chaplains were using the military to proselytize and convert. But he said he could see why other Christians were suspicious of Latter-day Saints.

“Mormonism doesn’t fit comfortably into most classic Christianity mostly because of the founders’ claims of exclusive truth and authority that can be offensive to some,” he said. “Joseph Smith’s first vision — a foundational event for the church — was one of Jesus telling him that all the other churches are false and their creeds are abominations.”

Overall, McLemore does not believe denomination matters much in the military.

“In my experience, service members would not know what your denomination was, and they didn’t care,” he said. “They didn’t consult chaplains on matters of religion. They needed chaplains for personal problems and issues with work, mental health and marriage.”

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AP reporters Konstantin Toropin and Tiffany Stanley contributed to this report.

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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

A simple combination of pineapple and Kool-Aid is taking over the internet, with millions of views across TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook as users put their own spin on the colorful snack trend.

The viral craze involves coating fresh pineapple chunks in Kool-Aid powder and, in many cases, added sugar. The resulting mixture is a sweet-and-tangy treat that many users describe as tasting like candy.

It’s unclear where the trend originated, but multiple influencers have cited a video posted on X on May 29 as inspiration for the idea.

The post was captioned, “One jar can change your life.”

one jar can change your life pic.twitter.com/cSd4JfKfad

— bruski🦎 (@cookerbruski) May 29, 2026

Videos showcasing the recipe have exploded online in the weeks since, with creators experimenting with different Kool-Aid flavors and sharing taste tests with friends and family.

The concept is straightforward: Cut fresh pineapple into spears or bite-sized chunks, coat the fruit with flavored Kool-Aid powder, and let it sit before serving. Some users refrigerate the mixture for several hours to allow the flavors to absorb, while others enjoy it immediately.

The result is brightly colored pineapple slices that make for a photogenic treat — if you can stomach the sugar content.

Popular flavors include Cherry, Blue Raspberry, and Grape, though social media users continue to experiment with new combinations. Spice lovers have even added Tajín to the mix for a sweet-and-spicy flavor profile reminiscent of a fruity margarita.

Part of the trend’s appeal stems from its simplicity. Unlike many viral recipes that require multiple ingredients or special equipment, the pineapple Kool-Aid snack can be made in minutes using items commonly found in grocery stores.

The trend has also sparked debate online, with some users questioning whether the drink mix overpowers the fruit’s natural taste.

Critics have also pointed to the snack’s nutritional drawbacks. While pineapple naturally contains vitamins and antioxidants, adding sugar or sweetened drink mixes can significantly increase the overall sugar content.

According to entertainment and culture website Dexerto, one jar of pineapple spears prepared with the viral recipe could contain roughly the same amount of sugar as nine standard cans of Coca-Cola.

Kool-Aid Pineapples are taking over TikTok as creators soak pineapple spears in Kool-Aid and sugar to turn them neon red, pink, or blue

A full jar of spears can contain roughly the same amount of sugar as nine cans of Coke pic.twitter.com/nQBcCA22Pq

— Dexerto (@Dexerto) May 30, 2026

Whether it’s a passing fad or a snack with staying power, one thing is clear: Pineapple and Kool-Aid have become one of the internet’s most talked-about flavor combinations of the season. And, as with many viral food trends, moderation is key.

MORE PINEAPPLE KOOL-AID JAR VIDEOS TRENDING ONLINE:

Her campaign mirrored her whipsaw career. Mace courted the support of President Donald Trump after harshly criticizing him over the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. She emphasized her fights with other Republicans to release files from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.

In the final days before Tuesday's primary, she called for a law to prevent anyone not born in the U.S. from holding political office or serving as a judge. She suggested that Rom Reddy, another candidate for governor, wasn't qualified because he was a naturalized citizen whose mother was from India and father from Italy.

“I didn’t come out of a slum in India,” Mace said during an appearance in Greenville County this month. “I am born and made here in America.”

By the end of her campaign, she was only making sporadic public appearances. She struggled to raise money and had no presence on television. Mace mostly communicated through social media — a place she has used to her advantage since first being elected to the South Carolina House in 2017.

Mace didn't give an indication of her next plans in her concession speech Tuesday night, although she posted Wednesday on social media that she was “headed back to the private sector” at the end of her current House term. She is backing Alan Wilson in the runoff for governor, even though just last year she accused Wilson of protecting child sex abuse defendants.

“When children needed him to act, Wilson looked the other way," she said.

Wilson will face Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette in the runoff on June 23. Evette received Trump's endorsement, spurring Mace to lash out on social media.

“Pamela Evette is NOT ENDORSED by DONALD TRUMP,” Mace wrote, incorrectly. “Do not believe her LIES.” Mace posted an AI-generated image of herself posing with Trump.

Where does Mace stand with Trump?

Mace’s history with Trump goes back a decade, and, like many Republicans, it’s had its ups and downs.

She worked as a field director on Trump's 2016 campaign, and he endorsed her first congressional run in 2020, albeit after she won the Republican nomination.

But their rapport fractured as soon as Mace got to Washington. After the freshman House member sought to hold Trump accountable for Jan. 6 and said his “entire legacy” had been “wiped out,” he labeled Mace as “crazy” and solicited primary challengers to take her on. Trump endorsed and campaigned for one of them, but Mace — with future Trump co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita as her media consultant — won anyway, and Trump went on to support her general election bid.

As Trump sought to return to the White House in 2024, Mace didn’t endorse him over former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley until a day before the New Hampshire primary.

Mace lauded Trump during a primetime Republican National Convention speech and, after winning her own reelection, branded herself as “Trump in high heels” during the early days of her gubernatorial campaign.

But another fracture was on the horizon. This spring, while angling for Trump’s endorsement, Mace was among several Republicans who joined congressional Democrats to force the Justice Department to release files related to Jeffrey Epstein.

Trump went on to back Evette, saying she had “never wavered” in her support of him. Evette had endorsed Trump early in the 2024 campaign.

Four congressional Republicans were part of the initial group pushing for a discharge petition forcing the files’ release. Mace and Rep. Thomas Massie lost their races, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene resigned in January.

In a lengthy statement posted after her Tuesday loss, Mace said she had “taken on the rich and powerful in both parties” and “voted to release the Epstein files and lost some support for that.”

From Waffle House to The Citadel to Congress

Mace dropped out of high school and worked as a server at the Waffle House before getting her diploma. She later attended The Citadel and became the first woman to graduate from the state’s military academy. And in recent years, she talked about the importance of defending victims of sexual assault and shared stories of being raped as a teen.

After her political career began in the South Carolina House, Mace got wide praise from Republicans in 2020 for winning back a U.S. House seat around Charleston that had flipped to Democrats for one term.

“For those folks that are out there today that maybe weren’t with us yesterday, I’m asking for a chance — a chance to prove to you that I will be a compassionate leader, a good listener, an independent thinker,” Mace said then.

___

Kinnard reported from Washington. Bill Barrow contributed from Atlanta.

For one month this summer, Houston will be among the cities hosting the FIFA World Cup 2026 with seven matches at Houston Stadium (also known as NRG Stadium) and welcoming hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the globe.

Whether you’re planning to attend a match, visit the FIFA Fan Festival, host out-of-town guests or simply navigate the city during the tournament, here’s what Houstonians need to know.

RELATED: Will Houston’s power grid hold up during the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

When is the World Cup?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins June 11 and concludes July 19.

It will be the largest World Cup in history, featuring 48 international teams competing across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Houston is one of 16 host cities selected for the tournament.

How many matches will Houston host?

Houston will host seven World Cup matches at Houston Stadium.

The schedule includes:

Group Stage Matches

• Sunday, June 14: Germany vs. Curaçao (Group E)
• Wednesday, June 17: Portugal vs. Congo DR (Group K)
• Saturday, June 20: Netherlands vs. Sweden (Group F)
• Tuesday, June 23: Portugal vs. Uzbekistan (Group K)
• Friday, June 26: Cabo Verde vs. Saudi Arabia (Group H)

Knockout Round Matches

• Monday, June 29: Round of 32 (Group C winners vs. Group F runners-up)
• Saturday, July 4: Round of 16 (Winner match 73 vs. Winner match 75)

The July 4 match will be among the highest-profile events held in Houston during the tournament.

• SEE THE FULL WORLD CUP MATCH SCHEDULE HERE

Where will the matches be played?

All Houston matches will be played at Houston Stadium (AKA, NRG Stadium — home of the Houston Texans and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo).

The stadium, which seats more than 70,000 spectators, has hosted Super Bowls, Final Fours, international soccer matches and major concerts.

LAST-MINUTE TICKETS: The Ticket Queen’s guide to avoiding scams buying FIFA World Cup 2026 tickets in Houston

During the World Cup, FIFA will temporarily refer to the venue as “Houston Stadium” due to tournament sponsorship rules.

Fans should expect enhanced security procedures, digital ticketing requirements and restrictions on bags and outside items.

What’s the best way to get to the stadium?

For many fans, METRORail will likely be the easiest option.

Houston’s Red Line provides direct service to NRG Park and connects the stadium to downtown, Midtown, the Museum District and the Texas Medical Center.

Stations serving NRG include:

• Stadium Park/Astrodome Station
• NRG Park Station

Using rail service can help fans avoid parking fees and some of the area’s notorious post-event traffic.

Rideshare: Convenient, But Expect Higher Prices

For fans who don’t want to deal with parking or public transportation, rideshare services like Uber and Lyft will be among the most popular ways to get to and from Houston Stadium.

The convenience comes with a catch: surge pricing.

Transportation analysts expect fares around Houston Stadium to spike dramatically in the hour following matches as tens of thousands of fans leave the venue at the same time. During peak demand periods, fares could increase several times above normal rates.

A ride that might normally cost $40 to $80 could climb well into triple digits following a sellout match.

Ways to Save on Uber and Lyft

Experts recommend walking a half mile to a mile away from the stadium before requesting a ride. Moving outside the immediate pickup zone can significantly reduce fares and shorten wait times.

Traveling with a group can also help offset costs. Splitting an UberXL or Lyft XL among four to six people can make rideshare pricing much more manageable, especially after high-demand matches.

Fans should also consider requesting rides before crowds begin exiting the stadium. Waiting even 30 to 60 minutes after the final whistle can sometimes lead to lower fares as demand subsides.

For budget-conscious fans, METRORail remains the most affordable alternative. The Red Line stops directly at NRG Park and can help riders avoid the post-match surge pricing that typically affects rideshare services around major events.

What should fans know about parking?

If you’re planning to drive, expect parking to be in high demand.

World Cup parking will likely require advance reservations, and many lots are expected to sell out before match day.

Fans should plan for:

• Prepaid parking permits
• Security screenings before entering lots
• Increased traffic enforcement
• Temporary road closures near the stadium

Officials are expected to release detailed parking maps and traffic plans closer to the tournament.

How will traffic be affected?

Officials are warning residents to prepare for significant traffic around NRG Park on match days.

The areas expected to experience the heaviest congestion, include:

• Loop 610 South
• Kirby Drive
• Fannin Street
• Main Street
• Old Spanish Trail
• The Texas Medical Center area

Drivers should anticipate delays before and after matches, particularly during evening kickoffs.

READ MORE: 2026 FIFA World Cup: Houston Traffic Guide

Transportation experts recommend arriving at least three hours before kickoff.

What should Houstonians expect?

For local residents, the World Cup will likely bring changes that extend well beyond match days.

Expect:

• Increased traffic in key corridors
• Crowded hotels
• Higher demand at restaurants and bars
• International media presence
• Large crowds downtown and around NRG Park
• Expanded public transportation use

At the same time, city leaders expect the tournament to provide a significant economic boost and a rare opportunity to showcase Houston to a global audience.

WORLD CUP SAFETY: FBI officials taking steps to prevent ‘lone offender’ threats ahead of FIFA World Cup matches in Houston

What is the FIFA Fan Festival?

Even if you don’t have match tickets, Houston’s FIFA Fan Festival will give fans a chance to experience the World Cup atmosphere.

Fan Festival is located at 2301 Dallas Street.

The festival will be open on 34 days total between June 11 and July 19.

Fan Fest will not be open on the following Rest Days:

• July 8
• July 12
• July 13
• July 16
• July 17

The free event will operate throughout the tournament and feature:

• Live match broadcasts on giant screens
• Music performances
• Food vendors
• Interactive soccer activities
• Cultural programming
• Family-friendly entertainment
• Official merchandise

The Fan Festival is expected to become one of Houston’s largest public gatherings of 2026.

Here’s a statement from the official FIFA website:

“Fans can expect the largest and coolest celebration in North America at the FIFA Fan Festival in Houston – an all-day experience of soccer, culture, and community with live matches on massive screens, surrounded by fans from around the globe. Each day is uniquely themed to celebrate the beautiful game’s diverse cultures, reflecting Houston’s rich diversity, with live performances, interactive games, and global food and drinks throughout."

How hot will it be?

Very.

For visitors unfamiliar with Houston summers, the weather may be one of the biggest adjustments.

Fans attending outdoor events should bring:

• Sunscreen
• Water bottles
• Hats
• Sunglasses
• Portable phone chargers
• Cooling towels

Average June and July temperatures routinely reach the mid-to-upper 90s, while humidity can push heat index values above 100 degrees.

RELATED: As World Cup fans head to Texas, here’s how to spot heat stroke and heat exhaustion

Residents may already be accustomed to Houston’s climate, but visitors from Europe, South America and other regions may find conditions challenging.

FIFA also confirmed that fans will be allowed to bring one water bottle per person to World Cup matches. The bottle must be soft, plastic, 20 ounces, factory sealed and disposable.

The decision followed previous reports that FIFA would not be allowing outside water bottles.

All fans will be permitted to bring in one, soft, plastic, 20 ounces (590ml), factory sealed disposable water bottle into any FIFA World Cup 2026 match in the USA and Canada. ✅

As FIFA World Cup 2026 Chief Operating Officer, Heimo Schirgi, explains, fans will not be permitted… pic.twitter.com/ePEHq9oalJ

— FIFA (@FIFAcom) June 5, 2026

Hydration stations and cooling areas are expected throughout official World Cup venues.

Where should you go?

Several areas are expected to serve as World Cup hubs.

Downtown Houston: Ideal for fans who want access to restaurants, nightlife, hotels and public transportation.

Midtown: Offers walkability, bars, restaurants and convenient access to both downtown and NRG Stadium.

Museum District: A good option for families and visitors interested in Houston’s cultural attractions.

Texas Medical Center Area: The closest concentration of hotels to NRG Stadium.

What should visitors do between matches?

The World Cup is expected to bring many first-time visitors to Houston.

Some of the city’s most popular attractions include:

Space Center Houston: One of Texas’ most visited attractions and the official visitor center of NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

Buffalo Bayou Park: Offers skyline views, trails and outdoor recreation near downtown.

The Museum District: Home to museums, galleries and cultural institutions.

Discovery Green: A popular downtown gathering space that will likely host World Cup-related activities.

The Galleria: The enormous mall and event center serves as Houston’s premier shopping destination. There’s a reason it comes up in multiple Drake songs!

Where should visitors eat?

Houston’s food scene may be one of its greatest strengths during the World Cup.

The city is widely recognized for its cultural diversity and international cuisine.

Visitors should consider trying:

Texas Barbecue

• Truth BBQ
• Pinkerton’s Barbecue

Tex-Mex

• Ninfa’s on Navigation
• El Tiempo Cantina

Vietnamese Cuisine

Houston is home to one of the nation’s largest Vietnamese communities, with standout restaurants throughout Midtown and southwest Houston.

International Cuisine

The city offers acclaimed Nigerian, Indian, Pakistani, Chinese, Korean, Middle Eastern, Mexican and Salvadoran restaurants, among many others.

What apps should fans download?

Before the tournament begins, fans should have:

• FIFA World Cup App
• METRO Q Ticketing App
• Uber or Lyft
• Google Maps
• A weather app
• Airline apps if traveling

ALSO DOWNLOAD: Millions expected in Houston for FIFA World Cup, DPS urges fans to download this app for emergencies

History for Houston

Houston has hosted major events before, from Super Bowls to World Series games, but the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be unlike anything the city has experienced.

For nearly six weeks, Houston will become an international destination for soccer fans from every corner of the world. Whether you’re attending a match, visiting the Fan Festival or simply navigating the city during the tournament, planning ahead will be key.

The world is coming to Houston. The countdown is officially underway.

• Houston leaders preparing for ‘multiple Super Bowls at once’ during FIFA World Cup

Key Dates to Remember

June 11: World Cup begins

June 14: Houston’s first match

June 29: Houston knockout-round match

July 4: Houston Round of 16 match

July 19: World Cup final

Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco state, will host four World Cup matches including South Korea against Czech Republic on the opening day Thursday. Mexico is co-hosting the tournament with the United States and Canada.

Local officials say visitors have nothing to worry about despite the outbreak in violence in February following the Mexican military’s killing of the country’s most powerful cartel boss. The operation and waves of violence killed 70 people as cartel gunmen set fire to cars to block streets and fought with Mexican forces.

“It’s important to remember that normalcy returned to the state in less than 48 hours after what happened in February,” Alfonso Briseño, the security coordinator in Jalisco told The Associated Press in the run-up to the World Cup. “I invite all tourists, all citizens of other countries, especially those who will be playing here in Guadalajara... They will be welcome. The Mexican government and the state of Jalisco guarantee their safety.”

Briseño stressed that Jalisco has not faced any security issues recently and that a resurgence of trouble was not expected. He said local authorities were prepared to react quickly if anything happened again.

Nearly 15,000 security personnel have been deployed in the region, including National Guard officers with assault rifles and vehicle-mounted machine guns near the stadium where the games will be played.

“We are feeling very safe. We are not concerned about the same issues that we had a few months ago,” said Rodolfo Valencia, a 22-year-old resident of Guadalajara. “You can see a lot more police on the streets and there is a sense that there won’t be any problems around here. Having the World Cup here has helped because the authorities had to take action and make sure that everything goes well.”

Jalisco state is the central hub of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, whose leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, or “El Mencho,” was killed in a capture attempt by the military in February.

Security in Guadalajara will be a special concern for the June 26 match between Spain and Uruguay, when Spain's King Felipe VI is expected to attend.

Mexico has stepped up security countrywide

More than 100,000 soldiers, marines, National Guard and police officers were expected to be deployed across the three Mexican host cities — Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey — as well as in major tourist destinations during the World Cup.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Tuesday the “the opening ceremony is guaranteed” and “the World Cup will be enjoyed.”

Anti-drone teams, surveillance-camera networks, special crowd management units and military and police patrols will operate during the duration of the tournament at Mexican stadiums, fan fests, airports, national-team camps and other strategic facilities in coordination with FIFA.

Cartel violence may be less of an issue than street protests by groups trying to capitalize on the World Cup spotlight to cause unrest, traffic disruptions and bringing central parts of the city to a standstill.

Demonstrators recently knocked down figures of World Cup soccer players, broke into a government building and even played a soccer match on a blockaded street.

Teachers, families of Mexico’s 130,000 missing people, animal rights groups and a range of other social movements in Mexico were trying to put pressure on authorities and make demands.

The U.S. Embassy on Tuesday reiterated its travel advisory for Americans to reconsider going to Jalisco. It also advised visitors to exercise extreme caution in Mexico City and Nuevo León, where Monterrey is located.

Briseño dismissed concerns about security in the region.

“We are prepared for any contingency,” he said in Guadalajara. “We are going to be the best venue, the most Mexican, the most hospitable, and the safest.”

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Associated Press writer María Verza in Mexico City contributed to this report.

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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup