“Dillinger. I think it was Daniel,” Fuqua replied Tuesday afternoon outside Henry Ford High School on the city's northwest side. But Fuqua was much clearer about who didn't get his vote. “Not Shri, definitely not him.”

The candidate that Fuqua chose was state Rep. Donavan McKinney, and he defeated Shri Thanedar, an incumbent who was seeking his third consecutive term representing the 13th Congressional District.

McKinney's win almost assures that Detroit, a majority Black city, will have its first Black representative in Congress since 2022. He will face Republican Taras Nykoriak in the November general election in a district that votes overwhelming Democrat.

“This is a very diverse district, but it encompasses the Blackest major city in all of America,” McKinney told reporters Wednesday. “We cannot forget what Detroit means, not only to our city and our state, but to the world.”

McKinney is positioning himself as a candidate who can bridge divides between different communities.

“It’s not just about restoring Black leadership, this is about restoring the right leadership,” he said.

Fuqua said he voted for McKinney because Thanedar “has no idea what Black people have been dealing with.”

“He’s probably a good guy, but he has not had the Black experience,” Fuqua said.

Bernie Henderix, 58, has never voted for Thanedar and also cast his ballot Tuesday for McKinney who he's been “hearing some good things” about.

Henderix said having Black representation in Congress is important “but I want the best person I think is going to represent us the right way.”

Thanedar said on X that he congratulated McKinney and offered him “full cooperation and a smooth transition.”

Seen by some on Capitol Hill as a bit unconventional, Thanedar introduced articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump in April 2025 — years after Trump was twice impeached in the House during his first term only to acquitted by the U.S. Senate.

Thanedar started and sold a chemical-testing lab for $20 million. He spent millions on an unsuccessful 2018 gubernatorial primary before being elected in 2020 to the state Legislature. The following year he announced plans to run for Congress, eyeing the 13th District that covers a good chunk of the Motor City.

Thanedar took the 2022 Democratic primary in a crowded field which split the vote. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian American who previously represented the 13th district, shifted to the 12th after the state redrew its congressional map.

Before Thanedar and Tlaib won their races that year, Detroit had not been without a Black representative in Congress since before Charles Diggs Jr. took office in 1955. Diggs was joined in Congress in 1965 by Democrat John Conyers, who retained his congressional seat for more than 50 years.

Thanedar also would win the 2024 Democratic primary after an elections official ruled that a top challenger's name could not appear on the ballot because too few valid signatures had been submitted.

McKinney, who was endorsed by influential progressive U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and several Detroit-area state lawmakers, has argued that the city should once again have a Black representative in Congress.

In a campaign ad for the just concluded primary, McKinney said Thanedar “spent millions to buy a seat in Congress” and “has more in common with Donald Trump and Elon Musk than people like us,” while pointing to himself.

“Shri came down to Earth,” said Adolph Mongo, a Detroit-based political commentator and former political consultant. Mongo said Thanedar did little for Black people in Detroit during his four years in Congress.

“He didn't even have an agenda,” Mongo said.

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Associated Press writer Jacqueline GaNun contributed to this report.

The lawsuit in federal court in Washington, D.C., said the department and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stonewalled New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez’s criminal investigation into Epstein and others, taking steps that “actively harms victims and undermines the public interest.”

The lawsuit sought judicial intervention to force the federal government to turn over materials to New Mexico's investigators. It was filed the same day that the New Mexico House of Representatives released a report saying “those directly responsible for protecting New Mexicans relied on others to do their job,” including federal prosecutors in New York.

According to the Washington lawsuit, Torrez and his senior prosecutors “have faced sustained resistance” to the kind of information-sharing common between state and federal investigators.

Justice Department says it's following court orders to protect victims

In a statement, the Justice Department said it was not releasing some information the state requested because federal court orders ban disclosing “victim-identifying information carte blanche, and New Mexico has provided no lawful basis to justify such sweeping disclosures.”

It said protecting victim privacy remains a top priority, though the Justice Department "remains available to assist New Mexico’s investigation consistent with the law and binding court orders.”

The lawsuit said the Justice Department and Blanche were hiding information about Epstein and his co-conspirators when New Mexico is one of the few jurisdictions that may still be able to hold Epstein's associates accountable or “provide some sense of justice to survivors.”

In a video conference call with reporters, Torrez said his office has made 10 separate requests for key information and has been ignored or denied.

“We have heard repeatedly they will cooperate and what our team has experienced is anything but cooperation,” Torrez said.

State calls on Todd Blanche to fix things with ‘a stroke of the pen’

“Todd Blanche today with a stroke of a pen could grant us the access that he claimed,” Torrez said. “Instead they have decided to stonewall, to obstruct and to frankly conceal for whatever reason.”

Epstein took his own life in a federal jail in New York City in August 2019 after he was denied bail on sex trafficking charges lodged against him when he was arrested a month earlier.

His former girlfriend and close associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, is serving a 20-year prison sentence after she was convicted in 2021 of sex trafficking charges at a trial in Manhattan, where some witness testimony alleged that Epstein and Maxwell had sexually abused women at the New Mexico ranch.

Meanwhile, the interim report by the New Mexico Survivors' Truth Commission, established in February by the New Mexico House of Representatives, in part blamed federal prosecutors in Manhattan for a dearth of information about Epstein's activities in New Mexico, saying they "never prioritized New Mexicans, focusing instead on Epstein’s misdeeds in New York, Palm Beach, Florida, and the Virgin Islands, while leaving Epstein’s offenses in New Mexico unexamined.”

Commission blames New York prosecutors but then cites their work

Later in the report, though, the commission cited evidence gathered by New York's federal prosecutors to describe women who described suffering sexual abuse from Epstein at his Zorro Ranch.

At Maxwell's trial, Annie Farmer, now a psychologist, testified she was 16 when she agreed to go to Epstein's New Mexico ranch, where Maxwell touched her breast during a massage and Epstein unexpectedly crawled into bed and pressed himself against her.

A spokesperson for New York federal prosecutors sent along the Justice Department statement on Epstein in response to a request for comment.

Coinciding with the release of the report, about 50 members of the media and the public gathered in a legislative hearing room at the New Mexico state capitol on Wednesday to hear about the commission’s preliminary findings.

Epstein accuser recounts abuse at commission meeting

Rachel Benavidez, the lone speaker in the “survivor testimony” portion of the meeting, alleged that Epstein sexually abused her at Zorro Ranch beginning in the late 1990s. Benavidez said Epstein’s connections with powerful people in the state allowed him to “roam free here in New Mexico unchecked” after he had been convicted of sex crimes elsewhere.

“We don’t need more paper files sitting as artifacts,” Benevidez said, urging the commission to question “co-conspirators” who helped Epstein evade accountability in the state.

She has said in other interviews that she was brought to the ranch to work as a massage therapist but she did not get into that in her testimony Wednesday except to say Epstein had exploited “The one thing that meant everything to me at that time, my hard earned career.”

Epstein purchased his sprawling estate in Stanley, New Mexico, a sparsely populated ranching community about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Santa Fe, in 1993 from former Democratic Gov. Bruce King and built a hilltop mansion with a private airstrip and helipad.

Epstein's ranch has been renamed ‘San Rafael Ranch’

The property was sold by Epstein’s estate in 2023 to the family of Don Huffines, a Republican who was recently appointed state comptroller in Texas. In a February social media post on X, Huffines said the property has been renamed San Rafael Ranch after a saint associated with healing and that his family plans to operate a Christian retreat there.

In December, the Justice Department started releasing investigative records pertaining to Epstein and Maxwell in accordance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

Complaints quickly arose about shoddy redactions and too many sealed materials from accusers and members of Congress who fought to pass the transparency act. Records that were released, including photographs, interview transcripts, call logs, court records and other documents, were either already public or heavily blacked out, and many lacked necessary context.

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AP writer Larry Neumeister in New York and Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.

On the day that Infantino reportedly held a meeting with senior staff in Rabat, Morocco, European Leagues, which includes top competitions like the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A, described the proposal as “dangerous” and said it pointed to deeper concerns about how world soccer's governing body operates.

It said it raised “serious questions about FIFA’s governance, internal culture and decision-making.”

“Now more than ever, FIFA requires governance reform that ensures that all relevant stakeholders have a formal role in decisions that shape the future of our game.”

In the statement, European Leagues hit out at the possibility of further expanding the World Cup to 64 teams and said “FIFA must not be allowed to continue taking unilaterally disruptive decisions.”

It said that until there was reform it would reject the “expansion or creation” of FIFA competitions.

Portugal and Real Madrid great Luis Figo also called for Infantino to step down, saying he had “debased the office.”

Later on Wednesday, FIFA denied a British media report suggesting Infantino, in seeking support for his presidency, had offered Morocco the hosting of the final at the 2030 World Cup. Spain, Portugal and Morocco are the main co-hosts for the 2030 edition. Morocco hopes to host the final at the planned 115,000-seat King Hassan II Stadium near Casablanca; Spain has at least two contenders — the home stadiums of Real Madrid and Barcelona.

A FIFA spokesperson said it's “false and misleading to claim the FIFA president has made any promise in relation to hosting the FIFA World Cup 2030 final. A decision will be made by FIFA in due course.”

Canada's Carney raises concerns

Also Wednesday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he no longer has confidence Infantino. He said the FIFA president committed a “fatal” governance failure by not consulting senior advisers.

“Certainly I don’t have confidence in Mr. Infantino," said Carney, who had appeared alongside Infantino at several events during the 2026 World Cup co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.

The latest condemnations of Infantino's leadership come after a tumultuous week, which has raised questions about his presidency of FIFA ahead of elections in March.

European soccer's governing body UEFA has applied the most intense pressure by voting to boycott the World Cup if Infantino pressed ahead with the controversial plans to sell profits in its top competition through a commercial subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) that would run tournaments.

Even after Infantino's climbdown UEFA said it had lost confidence in FIFA’s leadership — possibly paving the way for a challenge to his presidency. The governing body for North and Central American and Caribbean soccer (CONCACAF) also said FIFA leadership had “stopped putting football first.”

On Tuesday top FIFA officials Arsène Wenger and secretary-general Mattias Grafström distanced themselves from the FFE plans, which emphasized divisions within the organization that were evident when Infantino's senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned last week and chief operating officer Kevin Lamour said staff were “deceived” by the president's lack of openness.

Wednesday's summit in Rabat was dubbed a “crisis meeting” in media reports amid growing expectation that Infantino will be challenged in next year's election when he was aiming for to win a fourth and final term in office.

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James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

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

Cyclospora cases have been reported in at least 47 states this year, and investigators have continued to probe how many could be linked to a common contaminated source.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the number of states tied to the deadly outbreak had grown from nine to 15. Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire and North Carolina were added to a list that previously included Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Investigators initially narrowed in on lettuce served at Taco Bell. Federal officials subsequently said they are focused on Taylor Farms as the source of the lettuce in the outbreak, and the company has recalled iceberg lettuce grown in central Mexico.

There are several reasons cyclospora outbreaks can be hard to investigate and contain, said Dr. Juan Luis Marquez, medical director of the Washtenaw County and Livingston County health departments in Michigan.

It can take weeks between when someone is exposed to the parasite and when they come down with symptoms; it's harder to analyze the parasite in laboratories; and it's a lot of work to interview everyone who is sick and clearly identify common exposures, said Marquez, an adjunct public health professor at the University of Michigan.

Also, “there have been staffing cuts at all levels of public health — federal, local, state — so there are less resources and capacity generally available,” Marquez said in a statement.

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

The heat-loving parasite infects the bowels and spreads through feces. The illness, called cyclosporiasis, is less common than foodborne illnesses caused by other germs, including salmonella and E. coli. Many cyclospora cases are never linked to a specific food or other source.

The worst year in the U.S. for infections was 2019, when about 4,700 illnesses were reported nationally. This year has far surpassed that. Michigan alone has reported more than 12,000 — including two deaths. Adding in the other states that have reported cases, the national total stands at over 25,000.

The FDA says it is tracking five separate ongoing cyclospora outbreaks. The 15-state outbreak is by far the largest. No products have been linked to the other outbreaks, including one that has sickened 115 people.

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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.

President Donald Trump swings through Las Vegas on Wednesday for a speech on the economy after his Republican National Committee fundraiser at his Southern California golf course, where authorities arrested a man they said was claiming to be part of the security detail.

Here is the latest:

Nevada governor urges Republicans to vote in November’s election

Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo faces Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford in what is considered one of the most competitive governor’s races in the country.

“You have a choice to get up off the couch,” he told a crowd of hundreds waiting to hear Trump speak. “You have a choice to walk to the ballot and cast your vote.”

Nevada residents also have an opportunity to vote for a state ballot initiative on voter ID in November, he said. It passed by a significant margin in 2024 but needs a second vote to take effect.

Lombardo highlighted his partnership with Trump, the first Republican presidential candidate to win the Silver State in 20 years. He said a federal decision had threatened Nevada’s solar industry, so he spoke to Trump about it and Trump fixed it.

“He’s always taken my phone call,” the governor said.

Trump will be talking about the economy at a Las Vegas casino

Hundreds of people waited in a long line wrapped around slot machines at the Red Rock Casino Resort and Spa to get in to see the president.

Tom Port, a professional driver, said he is saving money with Trump’s move to cut tax from tips.

“That’s about the best thing he could have possibly done for me, considering a large portion of my income comes directly from tips,” said Port, 36.

Terilyn Taylor, 60, a teacher in Las Vegas, said she likes Trump, but also thinks home prices, interest rates and gas prices are too high.

“I don’t think it’s all Trump’s fault,” she said. But she would like to see the Iran war end.

“I thought the gas prices would be temporary, so I’m really ready for the Iran thing to be resolved,” she said.

Temporary status officially ends for 350,000 Haitians

U.S. District judge Ana Reyes on Wednesday was forced to lift her stay that had blocked the Trump administration from terminate Temporary Protected Status for about 350,000 Haitians who had been living and working legally in the United States since 2010.

She issued the order after a Supreme Court ruling on June 25 that sided with the administration’s decision to end the program.

As part of its crackdown on immigration, the Trump administration terminated TPS for about 1 million people from more than a dozen countries, including Haitians.

“As a result of today’s order implementing the Supreme Court’s decision, Haitian TPS holders — all of them noncriminals — can no longer legally work, and many are subject to removal to Haiti,” Geoff Pipoly, the lead counsel for the Haitians, said.

Brazil’s president calls the Trump administration’s decision to revoke ambassador’s visa ‘irresponsible’

The United States’ decision followed Brazil’s denial of visas last month for two American diplomats who sought to visit ahead of upcoming elections as well as what the U.S. said was Brazil’s stalling on approving Trump’s nominee to be ambassador in Brasilia.

While Brazil’s ambassador Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti is not being expelled from the United States, if she leaves she would have to reapply for a visa, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said in an interview Wednesday.

“I think it’s an irresponsible, ill-considered course of action for a country with 203 years of diplomacy and diplomatic relations,” Lula said.

Plane took off as Trump’s helicopter approached Reagan airport

The FAA is investigating because it appears to be a violation of safety procedures put in place after last year’s midair collision between an airliner and an Army helicopter near Reagan National Airport.

A commercial jet took off Tuesday from the busy Washington, D.C., airport at the same time that Marine One left the White House for Andrews Air Force Base with the president aboard. The jet was climbing above Marine One as the helicopter approached, so the two aircraft were not on a collision course.

After a January 2025 collision that killed 67 people, the FAA decided all takeoffs and landings at Reagan would be halted anytime a helicopter passes by the airport.

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Bernie Sanders praises El-Sayed’s primary win as historic sign of ‘unstoppable’ change for Democrats

“Abdul’s victory was, in my opinion, the most extraordinary victory that I can think of in modern American politics,” said Vermont independent Sen. Sanders during a call with reporters.

Sanders also congratulated two progressive candidates who won U.S. House primaries in the state and commended Rep. Haley Stevens for conceding a “tough” race.

Sanders said El-Sayed “took on” the Democratic establishment and outside spending from groups such as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. He said the result was a sign of further change.

“The new Democratic Party is going to be broad-based. It’s going to be open and encouraging the participation of working-class people, of young people, of lower-income people. Democracy is messy, and I’m not going to sit here and tell you that everything is going to go 100% smoothly and there’s not going to be differences of opinion. That’s called democracy. I happen to believe in that. But that is the direction in which we are heading, and I think that is unstoppable.”

Sanders dismisses concerns about El-Sayed’s electability

Asked about progressive Abdul El-Sayed’s ability to turn out core Democratic constituencies including Black and Jewish voters, Sanders said that El-Sayed’s economic message had broad appeal.

“I think his economic message will resonate across Democratic constituencies, and I think there’ll be working-class Republicans who will support that,” Sanders told reporters.

He argued that El-Sayed “has the capability of expanding the voter turnout universe, and much many of those new voters will be voting for him.”

Sanders dismissed concerns that El-Sayed’s criticism of Israel’s handling of the war in Gaza will alienate Jewish voters.

“To be critical of the right-wing extremist government of Netanyahu and his horrific policies in Gaza does not make you antisemitic,” said Sanders, who is Jewish.

Democratic turnout in Michigan primary one of the highest in state history

The Democratic U.S. Senate contest in Michigan has surpassed turnout for previous Senate and gubernatorial primaries and almost every presidential primary going back to at least 1978, according to Michigan Secretary of State records.

As of noon ET Wednesday, a total of 1,528,280 votes had been counted. The total could end up being higher as ballots continue to be processed.

But it already surpasses the roughly 1,181,000 votes counted in the 2020 U.S. Senate Democratic primary, and the approximately 1,131,000 votes counted in the 2018 Democratic gubernatorial primary.

The 2026 turnout total so far trails the nearly 1,588,000 votes counted in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary. About 1,117,000 votes were counted in the 2024 Republican presidential primary.

North Carolina Rep. Chuck Edwards quits reelection bid after committee finds inappropriate conduct

The House Ethics Committee recommended the Republican be censured for unprofessional and inappropriate conduct toward two young female aides in his office. Edwards denied intending any of his conduct to be a sexual or romantic advance, but the committee said his behavior would “lead a reasonable observer to interpret it as such.”

State law requires Edwards to submit his Wednesday withdrawal in writing to the state Board of Elections before ballots are mailed to overseas voters and the military. Since the primaries were months ago, the Republican executive committee in his district will name a replacement.

House Speaker Mike Johnson is already juggling other disruptions as he tries to retain the GOP House majority, including in Ohio where Rep. Max Miller is under pressure to resign over his own ethics investigation.

The seat Edwards will be vacating includes progressive Asheville, and farmer Jamie Ager, the Democratic nominee, is hoping to flip it.

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US removes Fly Baghdad from sanctions list

The U.S. removed sanctions on three Iran-linked companies, including Fly Baghdad Airlines, which was sanctioned in January 2024 for allegedly providing assistance to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iranian proxy groups in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. Also removed from the sanctions is Fly Baghdad’s CEO and two aircraft.

In addition to lifting sanctions on Fly Baghdad, the U.S. on Wednesday lifted sanctions on Iraq Express and another Fly Baghdad-linked company. A Treasury official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview the sanctions said the decision to remove Fly Baghdad from the designations list was not indicative of any shift in U.S. policy toward Iran’s government.

— By Fatima Hussein

El-Sayed said he condemns antisemitism, wants to address ‘everybody’s pain’

El-Sayed said he wants to unify people rather than divide them, and that people should focus on ending wars and corporate influence in politics. He has previously faced criticism for calling Israel’s military campaign in Gaza a “genocide.”

El-Sayed said “we can be talking about everybody’s pain.”

“My commitment to Jewish safety is the same as I’ve got a commitment to my own kids,” he added. “That’s the highest commitment I can offer.”

Peters says El-Sayed needs to reach out to people to unify Democrats

Michigan Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, whose retirement led to the primary that Abdul El-Sayed won, said Wednesday that the new nominee needs to start reaching out to “folks” to unify the party.

“I’m sure he will, and that it has to start immediately, which, he assured me will happen,” Peters said.

Peters had little to say about El-Sayed’s views on Israel and whether his win marks a shift for the Democratic Party. El-Sayed has criticized Israel’s conduct in Gaza as well as pro-Israel campaign spending to defeat him in the primary.

“He campaigned on that issue, and the results speak for themselves,” Peters said.

Rogers calls El-Sayed an ‘extremist’ who represents ‘complete insanity’

The Republican Senate nominee posted a lengthy statement on social media Wednesday, saying his general election opponent “is leading a movement grounded in ideological fanaticism.”

Rogers also swiped at El-Sayed for stumping with popular but controversial streamer Hasan Piker, who has said “America deserved 9/11.”

Rogers said he never imagined he’d face an opponent with that view, ascribing the comment to the candidate, not the online personality.

His own campaign, Rogers said, is based on the notion that “Michigan has a future built on common sense.”

AIPAC says it’s committed to defeating El-Sayed in November

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which spent roughly $30 million in a failed effort to defeat El-Sayed in the Democratic primary, says it’s committed to opposing him in the general election.

“Our members remain determined to ensure that voters reject Dr. El-Sayed and his radical anti-Israel agenda in November,” the group’s statement said.

El-Sayed responded on Wednesday: “You want more pain?”

The son of Egyptian immigrants made AIPAC and the tens of millions of dollars it spent to support Rep. Haley Stevens a centerpiece of his primary campaign. He has called Israel’s military campaign in Gaza a “genocide,” described the Israeli government as “evil,” and argued that AIPAC’s influence distorts Democratic politics.

Thune calls race between Rogers and El-Sayed ‘a great contrast’

On Capitol Hill on Wednesday, the Senate Republican leader called the GOP nominee “a great candidate, very experienced” who is “running a terrific campaign.”

Thune spoke as El-Sayed addressed supporters at a victory news conference in Michigan and issued a five-debate challenge to Rogers.

Thune called the Democratic nominee “the extreme radical choice,” and said Democrats are “going to have to accept those positions that he has been advocating for in a general election setting, which I think puts us in a pretty good spot.”

GOP Senate super PAC ad labels El-Sayed ‘dangerously radical’

That’s the theme of a new commercial out Wednesday from the Senate Leadership Fund, the principal super PAC aligned with Senate Majority Leader John Thune.

The ad features video clips of El-Sayed “in his own words,” calling himself “dangerous” and vowing that, “under my leadership, our state will not expend a dime enforcing federal immigration policy.”

The group says it’s spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to air the ad.

El-Sayed talks affordability, hammers Mike Rogers as beholden to Trump

El-Sayed focused on affordability and healthcare in his speech, inviting people who voted for Trump in 2024 to “join this movement now.”

He positioned himself as the candidate who will stand up to Trump, in contrast to Rogers, who El-Sayed said went to Florida “so he could lick every single boot Donald Trump owns.”

El-Sayed challenges Rogers to 5 general election debates

“I know you’re gonna say no because you’re a coward,” El-Sayed, addressing his Republican opponent directly.

“Five debates, all right? If you’re willing to stand with me and have a conversation, you and I both know that you will wither in front of your own crimes.”

El-Sayed quotes boxing legend while speaking to supporters

“In the words of Muhammad Ali, we shook up the world,” El-Sayed told supporters.

El-Sayed was heavily outspent in his primary campaign, and his candidacy was opposed by the Democratic establishment.

JD Vance quips about future ‘President El-Sayed’

The vice president was addressing a roundtable focused on combating fraud, and making the point that the work of a task force he’s leading needs congressional approval to prevent its results from evaporating once the Trump administration is over.

“God forbid you’re going to have President El-Sayed in a few years,” Vance said, referencing Abdul El-Sayed, who clinched Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary just moments prior to his remarks.

“We don’t want him to undo all the incredible work that we’ve been doing,” Vance said.

Michigan Democrats rally around El-Sayed

Curtis Hertel, the chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, urged unity within the Democratic Party.

“We have got to work together to take this country back,” Hertel said. “I can tell you what we need is a fighter ... Abdul El-Sayed has been a fighter for the people over and over again.”

McMorrow said that “for all of the differences that we may have had in the primary, that those differences pale in comparison to the contrast that we face in November.”

Republicans are counting on rifts inside the Democratic Party, but “this is the start of a celebration of all of us coming together,” McMorrow said.

Democrats stress unity after difficult primary

Before speaking to supporters on Wednesday morning, El-Sayed spoke to state party chair Curtis Hertel Jr.

El-Sayed was flanked by Mallory McMorrow, the state senator who dropped her own primary campaign earlier this year after failing to gain traction. She announced her support for El-Sayed, and Stevens has as well.

Hertel stressed Democratic enthusiasm as the party looks toward November.

“Yesterday was the highest turnout for Democrats in the history of a primary,” Hertel said.

Van Hollen says El-Sayed’s win is a ‘wake-up call’ to establishment Democrats

Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, who backed Abdul El-Sayed, said in an interview that his victory is a “very significant win” and shows that his politics has gained traction with voters.

“This should be a wake-up call to, you know, the Washington Democratic establishment and the Washington insiders in the pundit class,” he said.

Van Hollen stressed how important winning in the fall is for the party. “We need to win Michigan, he can win Michigan,” the senator said, adding that El-Sayed’s “brand of populism can connect with voters across the political spectrum.”

Stevens backs El-Sayed, pledges to support him vs. Mike Rogers

Haley Stevens said in a statement Wednesday that she is “proud to offer my support” to Abdul El-Sayed, who won Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary.

Stevens said it’s important for Democrats to back him so the party can keep the Senate seat and win the chamber in the midterms.

“Donald Trump and Mike Rogers want us to come out of this primary tired and divided, so their billionaire backers can come in and let multimillionaire Mike Rogers walk away with this Senate seat,” she said.

Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan Senate primary in major victory for Democrats’ progressive wing

El-Sayed’s defeat of Rep. Haley Stevens is a massive victory for the party’s progressive wing in a battleground state.

The real test of the progressives’ strength will now come in a November matchup against Republican Mike Rogers, a former congressman who ran unopposed for the GOP nomination. The seat is pivotal to Democrats’ chances of flipping the Senate and El-Sayed must now unite a divided Democratic base after a bruising primary.

The race remained tight throughout Tuesday night, with a winner not declared until early Wednesday. In his final remarks before the race was called, El-Sayed said “tomorrow we begin to mend fences.”

House Democrats add 12 solidly Trump districts to their midterm election target list

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has expanded its list of targets to 58 House seats it believes are competitive, including districts Trump won easily less than two years ago.

The ambitious list reflects Trump’s diminished standing with the electorate and Democrats’ belief they can capitalize on voters’ frustrations over the economy, the war in Iran and the chaotic nature of Republican control during Trump’s second term.

“MAGA Republicans who historically have considered themselves ‘safe’ have let down the people they were elected to represent, passing disastrous policies that are crushing working families and our communities,” DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene said in a statement.

Democrats need just a handful of seats to erase Republicans’ narrow majority and control the chamber.

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Officials reported Wednesday that firefighters had established containment lines around the perimeters of all three fires affecting Spokane and that they were focused on reinforcing those lines. Temperatures were expected to climb from the 80s the past two days into the upper 90s (36-37 degrees Celsius), with less humidity, late this week.

The fires — one of which authorities say was deliberately set by a man who was arrested and charged with arson — have destroyed about 850 buildings and forced the evacuation of around 67,000 people since they erupted last weekend. Damage assessment crews have yet to tally exactly how many houses have been lost or damaged. No deaths have been reported.

Unclear how long evacuations will last

The other two fires were also started by people, though not necessarily deliberately, investigators have said. They remain under investigation. Those fires, the Autumn Lane and Fairview fires, started independently of the arson-caused Old Trails Fire, they said.

Some evacuees were allowed to return home, but officials did not immediately say how many. Others remained in a shelter set up in a Spokane convention center, at hotels or rentals, or at the homes of friends or relatives, with no idea of how soon they might go back — if they have a house to return to.

“We figured it would be a day or two, not four or five. It’s not the best situation,” said Debra Curran, who has been staying at the convention center since Saturday with her husband, who has ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Their house survived, but her husband would need to be transported by ambulance, which officials won't do until the fire risk in their neighborhood drops.

Among those under evacuation orders are patients and staff from the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center in Spokane. When the fire approached on Saturday, the staff moved 27 patients to local hospitals and temporary shelters, said Bret Bowers, a spokesperson for the center. The medical center was not burned in the fire but several staff lost their homes.

Adam Wilson, a communications officer at the Washington State Auditor's Office, fled Saturday with his wife and three children, ages 9, 14 and 16. They had moved into their Spokane home a little over a month earlier and were still unpacking, he said.

Since then, they've stayed at a hotel 90 minutes to the south and with his father in Idaho. This weekend, they'll move again, to a rental home in Spokane that their insurance is covering.

Their house is fine, Wilson said, despite flames that leveled an entire cul-de-sac just two blocks away, leaving only chimneys standing in some cases. The neighborhood remains under an evacuation order. Even if they could return, there's no power and no internet service, and no information about how soon either will be restored.

“What you really want to hear, nobody can tell you,” Wilson said. “It is oddly emotional and disorienting. We did not lose any property. From the outside it looks like a family trip — ‘Hey, kids, we’re going to go visit Papa for a week, pack your bags.' ... And yet you feel like something isn't right.”

Bad fire season strains resources

The fires were among dozens across the Western U.S. that have stretched the ability of federal, state and local agencies to fight them. In Washington, there are 16 uncontained wildfires burning more than 672 square miles (1,740 square km) and being fought by more than 7,000 fire personnel, said Thomas Kyle-Milward, a spokesman for the Washington Department of Natural Resources.

“We’re looking down the barrel at one of the worst fire seasons in state history,” he said.

U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington said Wednesday that senators had received a briefing from Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Wildland Fire Service Director Brian Fennessy, who assured them that keeping firefighting assets, including ground crews and aircraft, in the Northwest is a priority.

“We are still at the highest risk in the nation and appreciate being the highest resourced,” Cantwell said in a written statement.

The man charged with starting the Old Trails Fire, Aaron F. Farinacci, 37, of Spokane, was expected to be arraigned Thursday. According to court documents, he was arrested after a resident reported him being in the area where the fire began. He denied having started it when questioned by deputies.

Authorities said they previously contacted him during two fire investigations last year, including one in a state park that prompted evacuation notices, though he wasn’t charged in either.

___

This story has been corrected to show that the last name of the VA medical center spokesperson is Bowers, not Bower.

___

Johnson and Bellisle reported from Seattle. Associated Press writer Ed White contributed from Detroit.

The order comes as crews across the southern border race to complete one of President Donald Trump's highest domestic priorities — barriers that span four states and received over $46 billion in federal funding. Controversies have sprouted up in Texas and California, with border-town residents and environmentalists reporting a wide variety of issues with construction.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which oversees border wall construction, has said water is needed to make concrete for roads, wall construction and dust suppression. Cattle ranchers in the area say the drought has already forced them to reduce their herd size.

“It would put us in an immediate catastrophe and having to do something with our livestock. I mean, it could potentially put some people out of business, us included,” said Russell Johnson, a cattle rancher whose property runs along the border.

Johnson raised the issue at a public meeting in July after noticing an industrial well, which drilling crews told him would pump 300 gallons a minute, on land he leases for grazing. Johnson has roughly 12 wells across his ranch, which pump between three and seven gallons a minute.

A spokesperson for CBP said on Monday that border wall contractors in New Mexico have been instructed to stop drilling new wells, but did not comment on whether the wells already drilled could be pumped. The agency said they would collaborate with New Mexico and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop a groundwater strategy.

“CBP is committed to working collaboratively with local landowners to ensure that construction activities do not adversely impact their water needs,” read the statement.

The federal contractors building the wall in New Mexico — Caddell Construction Co. and Fisher Industries — did not respond to emails or phone calls seeking comment. Messages left with receptionists for Barnard Construction and Spencer Construction Co., the contractors building near Johnson's ranch, were not immediately returned.

State agency that monitors wells said contractors drilled illegally

The New Mexico Office of the State Engineer, which monitors and approves wells across the state, said staff have counted eight wells drilled without the office’s permission along the southern border, but cautioned there could be more. Staff visited two wells in July and reported they were pumping 200 gallons per minute.

“All non-tribal wells in New Mexico, whether they are drilled on state or federal land, must have permits from the state engineer before they can be drilled or water can be pumped from them,” the Office of the State Engineer said in a statement.

The wells for border construction were all drilled on a federally owned strip of land 18 miles (29 kilometers) wide that extends just north of the border called the Roosevelt Reservation. CBP did not respond to follow up questions about whether the federal government has a right to pump groundwater on federal land without state oversight.

Cattle ranchers report culling herds due to water scarcity

Tom Patterson, president of the New Mexico Cattle Growers' Association, says water is the No. 1 concern for ranchers and that if wells start to go dry, it’s already too late. During wall construction in Trump's first term, Patterson said, contractors bought water from farms, ranches, or municipalities in the area, which meant the amount of water being pumped from nearby basins didn’t increase during construction.

“Why do they need all this water?” said Patterson. “And why can’t they buy it as they have in the past from farmers, ranchers, or even from Luna County?”

Johnson said the moratorium on future well drilling is a step in the right direction, but he’s still worried after a contractor told him the well near his ranch could eventually be pumped if crews ended up needing the water. Though beef prices are up, Johnson has been forced to reduce his herd to one third its original capacity. He cites the drought, which has left less grass for cattle to graze on, as the main reason for the drop.

Before the first border wall went up, Johnson remembers seeing at least one truck of people crossing his ranch every week. Now, he says illegal crossing hardly ever happens on his ranch. As a former Border Patrol agent, he supports the border wall but doesn’t believe it should cost him his livelihood.

So far, half a mile of secondary wall has gone up near Johnson’s property.

“They need to stop pumping all of these wells because they were all drilled illegally,” Johnson said.

New Mexico politicians scramble to claim credit for deal

Both candidates in the race for a congressional seat that represents this area in New Mexico claimed credit for the moratorium.

Congressional candidate Greg Cunningham, a Republican, said he advocated for the agreement between CBP and border wall contractors and was the first to announce the news over social media on Friday.

“Ranchers, families and local officials brought us their concerns. I raised it with the Trump Administration. They listened. They acted fast,” Cunningham said in a post on X.

Congressman Gabe Vasquez, who faces Cunningham in November's midterm elections, spoke about the issue on the House floor earlier this month.

“This illegal drilling by this administration should never have happened, but when it did, I heard our ranchers’ concerns loud and clear and immediately raised hell in Washington to get the job done and protect New Mexicans’ water rights.”

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

—-

This story was first published on Aug. 3, 2026. It was updated on Aug. 5, 2026 to correct the distance of the wells from the border. The wells were drilled on a federally-owned strip of land 18 miles wide that extends just north of the border, not 60 miles north of the border.

The uncertain trading on Wall Street followed two days of big gains that gave the week and August a strong start. Several big technology companies slumped, though, ultimately weighing down the market.

The S&P 500 fell 12.97 points, or 0.2%, to close at 7,723.55. The index spent most of the day higher after surging to a record on Tuesday.

“The coiled spring investors have been waiting for has finally released, with the S&P 500 Index surging to record highs for the first time in two months,” said Mark Hackett, chief market strategist at Nationwide, in a report.

The Dow Jones industrial Average rose 263.24 points, or 0.5%, to 54,349.12, reaching another record.

The Nasdaq fell 221.55 points, or 0.8%, to 26,363.44. The index was weighed down by big technology companies losing ground, including a 4% drop for Google’s parent company, Alphabet, and a 1.1% drop for Microsoft.

The market has been generally rising as companies head into the closing stretch of their latest round of earnings reports with sharp overall gains. Three-quarters of the companies within the S&P 500 have reported results so far, and Wall Street expects profit growth of 50% when they are all finished.

The Walt Disney Co. rose 3.6% after easily beating Wall Street’s profit forecasts, helped by a $1 billion box office haul from “Toy Story 5” and theme park revenue.

Booking Holdings jumped 6.6% after reporting that strong travel demand drove profit and revenue growth during its most recent quarter.

Elon Musk's SpaceX fell 13.6% following the release late Tuesday of its first quarterly report as a public company, which showed that it sharply boosted spending on artificial intelligence. The company did help give semiconductor giant Nvidia a 3.4% boost after announcing it would exclusively use that company’s chips for its artificial intelligence technology.

That announcement weighed on Advanced Micro Devices, which fell 7%. Musk had previously said that SpaceX and his electric vehicle company, Tesla, would use chips from both Advanced Micro Devices and Nvidia.

Treasury yields slipped in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury slipped to 4.61% from 4.63% from late Tuesday.

European markets were mixed.

Strong corporate profits and expectations for more growth ahead have been steering stocks higher. Wall Street has also been worried about stock prices becoming unjustifiably high, especially within the technology sector and for companies focused on artificial intelligence. Profit growth, especially for some of the big chipmakers, like Nvidia, could help justify some of the big investments those companies are making in AI.

AI-focused companies, with their big market values, have been behind many of the big market swings and most of Wall Street’s gains.

“The market appears to be moving from rewarding companies for AI spending to assessing the revenue and earnings that these investments can generate,” said Brian Therien, analyst, investment strategy, at Edward Jones, in a report.

Uncertainty about the direction of the U.S. war with Iran continues hanging over the market. President Donald Trump said a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could come as early as Wednesday. But there have been many stops and starts during the five-month old conflict that has stifled the global supply of oil and rattled energy markets.

The price of Brent crude, the international standard, fell 0.1% to $79.45 a barrel. Oil prices have been swinging for months and were as high as $102 per barrel at one point during the conflict, jolting already stubbornly high inflation. Higher oil prices pushed gasoline prices higher and increased shipping costs for a wide range of products.

Inflation concerns have been hanging over markets and the Federal Reserve. The central bank has been holding its key benchmark rate steady as it monitors the costs and the impact on the economy. Wall Street expects the central bank to raise rates at least once before the end of 2026. Household spending remains resilient, despite the stress from higher costs on everything from gas to groceries.

The jobs market has been one of the stronger areas of the economy, though growth has been slowing. Wall Street will get another update on Friday with the monthly employment report for July.

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Associated Press writers Elaine Kurtenbach and Mayuko Ono contributed to this report.

El-Sayed will face Republican Mike Rogers, a former congressman, in November in a race that will help determine control of the Senate. His first challenge will be unifying Democratic factions after a bitter primary that offered divergent visions for a party desperate for a path back to power.

The margin was extraordinarily close. El-Sayed walked off the stage at his Tuesday night election party without declaring victory, and the race was not called until early Wednesday, after nearly all ballots statewide had been counted. At the time The Associated Press declared him the winner, El-Sayed led Stevens by 14,893 votes — just under 1 percentage point — out of more than 1.5 million ballots counted, the most in recent state history.

The political significance of the result, however, extends well beyond the slim margin.

“Abdul’s victory was, in my opinion, the most extraordinary victory that I can think of in modern American politics,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders Wednesday, a leader of the progressive movement who was an early supporter of El-Sayed’s candidacy.

El-Sayed, 41, has never held elected office and entered the race seven years after losing Michigan’s Democratic gubernatorial primary by more than 20 percentage points. This time, running on an unapologetically progressive agenda, he overcame more than $60 million in outside spending and an opponent backed by many of Michigan’s top Democrats, including outgoing Sen. Gary Peters, and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer.

“In the words of Muhammad Ali, we shook up the world,” El-Sayed said early Wednesday, standing before The Spirit of Detroit, a landmark bronze statue in the city’s downtown.

El-Sayed went from political wilderness to progressive breakthrough

El-Sayed was joined on Wednesday by state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, a former opponent in the Senate primary, and Curtis Hertel, chair of the Michigan Democratic Party. It was an initial step toward a unified front after a bitter primary, and it reflected El-Sayed’s extraordinary political trajectory in less than a decade.

After losing the 2018 Democratic primary for governor to Gretchen Whitmer, El-Sayed retreated into the political wilderness. He started a podcast, wrote a book and became a regular presence on YouTube and television, slowly building a following while waiting for a political opening he did not know would come.

It arrived when Peters made the surprise announcement that he would not seek reelection, creating an open Senate seat in one of the country’s most competitive states.

El-Sayed launched his campaign in April 2025 with a staff of four. In his victory speech Wednesday, he recalled the small rooms that defined its early months.

“Back in April, I remember talking to a room of five people,” he said. “It was an opportunity for us to share a honest conversation about pain and about purpose. And I’ve been able to have 500 more of those discussions over the past 15 months.”

El-Sayed said he visited 110 cities and hosted more than 500 events. His volunteer network grew alongside the campaign, eventually reaching 12,000 people, according to his campaign.

Julie Brink, a 29-year-old volunteer from the Detroit area, said the campaign still felt like an “underdog” when she joined in February. From there, she said, it was “gaining momentum really consistently.”

“It was a lot of little things along the way,” Brink said. “The field narrowed and Abdul had consistent showing in debates and public appearances where he just cuts through the bullshit all the time.”

The campaign also embraced a media strategy that reflected El-Sayed’s years outside elected office, aggressively pursuing attention across traditional outlets, podcasts and online platforms. Some appearances, including multiple interviews with controversial streamer Hasan Piker, drew swift backlash.

A turning point came when an opponent dropped out

On July 5, McMorrow ended her campaign, leaving a two-person race between El-Sayed and Stevens. Soon after, El-Sayed stood before door-knocking volunteers in a Grand Rapids park and declared that “we have a chance of winning this election.”

“More importantly, we have a chance at winning our politics,” El-Sayed said. “What we’re doing is building a movement of the many against the money.”

In the final days, El-Sayed leaned even further into the strategy that had helped build his campaign. He marched through downtown Detroit alongside social media influencers, then attended a private pool party with content creators, including Piker.

On Election Day, El-Sayed did three interviews with content creators at Detroit’s Eastern Market before doing three more with traditional news organizations, including The Associated Press and MS NOW.

Hours later, the campaign that had once struggled to fill small rooms packed Detroit’s Majestic Theatre for an election night party.

Progressives see a test of their movement

El-Sayed’s victory gave progressives something they have been seeking — evidence that their politics could prevail not just in deep-blue cities and congressional districts, but in a Democratic primary in one of the nation’s premier swing states.

“Abdul El-Sayed is now the tip of the spear for the theory that shake-up-the-system economic fighters can win in swing states,” said Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, who campaigned alongside El-Sayed in the final days.

The November race against Rogers, Green added, is “put up or shut up time” for the movement.

El-Sayed campaigned on “Medicare for All,” ending military aid to Israel and campaign finance reform. He had support from progressive leaders including Sanders and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who framed the race as both a grassroots movement and a broader fight against the establishment and big-money spending.

Outside groups backing Stevens ultimately spent more than $60 million, including more than $30 million from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and its affiliates.

“We took on a machine,” El-Sayed said Wednesday.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, another progressive leader who endorsed El-Sayed, said the victory “should be a wake-up call to the Washington Democratic establishment.”

The harder test comes in November

El-Sayed now has three months to prove the movement that carried him through the primary can win a general election. Failure could be a dramatic setback for progressives, who have insisted for years that their approach could be more successful in a political era defined by President Donald Trump.

The Senate Republican campaign arm has already reserved $45 million in Michigan advertising to support Rogers, a number likely to grow as Republicans make clear they prefer their chances against El-Sayed.

AIPAC, which spent more money on Michigan's primary than any other race, also signaled Wednesday that its involvement would not end, saying it would oppose El-Sayed and “his radical anti-Israel agenda” in November.

The narrowness of El-Sayed’s victory also complicates any sweeping conclusions about what the result says about the Democratic Party. Nearly half of Tuesday’s primary voters backed Stevens, who argued throughout the campaign that her more moderate approach and history of winning competitive races made her better positioned to defeat Rogers.

Stevens called El-Sayed early Wednesday to concede the race, with El-Sayed describing it as a “great conversation.” She pledged her support for him, and Michigan Democrats are expected to gather for a unity breakfast Thursday before a public rally Friday.

Hertel, the state Democratic chair, said the primary’s ideological fight was not itself a problem, arguing that voters — rather than party leaders — should determine their direction.

“I don’t think that having a robust discussion is a bad thing,” Hertel said Wednesday. “What I think is important is that we are united afterwards.”

“We will unite together, and we will win this race,” Hertel added, “because we have to.”

—

Associated Press reporter Jacqueline GaNun contributed to this report in Detroit.

Jeanine John Taele, 38, was due in court Wednesday on a federal weapons charge but the hearing was cancelled. He is being held at a downtown LA jail on state charges, according to booking records and not yet in federal custody, said a spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office.

Taele was arrested Sunday at Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes, two days before Trump visited for a fundraising dinner.

Taele was first seen on the property Friday, walking throughout the course wearing an earpiece and taking photos and videos of federal agents' activities as they conducted a security assessment, according to a federal criminal complaint.

Taele drove away but then returned to the course Sunday. He approached federal agents and said he was employed by the State Department and was there for a security detail. Taele said he had a loaded weapon in his vehicle and was arrested after it was searched, according to federal officials. Authorities also found a 16-round magazine with ammunition in his pocket.

He already appeared in court on state weapons charges and a second-degree robbery charge for an unrelated incident.

Taele is charged federally with possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle that was found at this home, authorities said. The complaint alleges the firearm is an illegally modified AR-style rifle with a barrel that was cut down to 10 inches (25 centimeters) from 14 inches (35 centimeters).

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said a search of his pickup truck in the club parking lot turned up a loaded 9mm pistol, binoculars and a badge that read “security protection agent," according to federal prosecutors.

Law enforcement searched his home in the nearby city of Downey on Monday and found a rifle and other firearms, magazines and ammunition, body armor and notebooks with “concerning statements," federal authorities said. No details about the statements were released.

“Mr. Taele’s troubling behavior at the President’s public golf course merely days before the President was expected to arrive raised serious red flags for law enforcement,” Patrick Grandy, the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles office, said in a statement. “There is no room for error, particularly in light of previous attempts on President Trump’s life.”

In brief remarks about Taele's arrest to Fox News on Tuesday, Trump said “only consequential presidents” are targeted, “and I am definitely consequential," which he said brought him “a little solace.”

Taele was a corporal in the U.S. Marines who was deployed to Iraq in 2008 and Afghanistan in 2010 and worked as a warehouse clerk, according to the U.S. Marine Corps. He earned numerous commendations, including an award for good conduct, during his service from 2008 to 2016.

State records show Taele is a licensed security guard, with his most recent license issued in February of this year and expiring in 2028. Records also show several cancelled or suspended permits to carry a firearm as a security guard. State officials did not immediately respond to a request for more details about those permits.

The Los Angeles County public defender's office, which is representing Taele in the state criminal case, did not immediately return an email seeking comment Wednesday. Family members could not immediately be reached for comment.

Last year a jury found a man guilty of trying to assassinate Trump at the president’s Florida country club. And while a candidate in 2024, Trump narrowly escaped an assassination attempt by a shooter on a roof at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Now, he's back.

Four days after a U.S. District Court judge in Colorado ruled high school players from the 2022 graduating class could play their fifth college season, Daley returned to the practice field for the defending national champions. He'll be limited in early workouts, but coach Curt Cignetti remains hopeful it won't take one of the nation's most disruptive defensive linemen in 2025 long to get back to full speed.

“He looks pretty good. He’s on a modified program where he’ll dress out for practice, participate in some individual right now, no 11-on-11, and then get with the strength and conditioning staff, who will bring him along until they feel confident he’s ready to go,” Cignetti said Wednesday after the team's first summer practice. “I don’t think it’s going to be real, real long because he was training to be ready for next year in the (National Football) League, so it looks like he’s in pretty good shape.”

Daley's return solidifies what was already expected to be a deep, experienced, talented group of defensive linemen.

After transferring to Indiana, Daley became a key cog in the Hoosiers' historic title run. He recorded 5 1/2 sacks, forced two fumbles, knocked down a pass and led the Big Ten with 19 tackles for loss while earning honorable mention all-conference honors. He played three seasons at Kent State, starting all 24 games in his final two seasons with the Golden Flashes.

But the injury following the 13-10 victory over then No. 1 Ohio State forced Daley to sit out all three playoff games as Indiana became the first team since the 1890s to finish with a 16-0 record.

Daley's return marks the second straight year the Hoosiers may get a starter back thanks to a legal ruling.

Last August, a Texas judge initially granted an injunction that allowed safety Louis Moore to play in Indiana's first two games. In September, a second ruling in the waiver eligibility fight with the NCAA resulted in a ruling allowing Moore to play the rest of the season after he transferred back to Indiana, where he played two previous seasons, before going to Mississippi for one year.

Moore wound up on The Associated Press' All-American second team and signed as an undrafted rookie with the NFL's Miami Dolphins in May.

Daley also had pro aspirations but when he was not drafted in April, it opened the door for a possible return. That became a reality Friday, though the NCAA has filed its intention to appeal the decision.

For now, the Hoosiers plan to proceed the same way they did with Moore.

“If it works out for him long term, I think it’s a great thing because here’s a guy, you talk about helping people and opportunities, here’s a guy that played at Kent State and then came to us last fall,” Cignetti said. “It really took him three to four games before he started to get the hang of it, wasn’t playing a key role, then became the most dominant defensive lineman in the Big Ten, led the Big Ten with TFLs, suffers the injury, ends up not getting drafted and so on and so forth.”

The addition of an experienced contributor such as Daley, a Virginia native, could make the Hoosiers front seven even better.

Cignetti opened camp with a defensive line depth chart that included Tobi Osunsanmi and Chiddi Obiazor, who transferred from Kansas State; Josh Burnham, a transfer from Notre Dame and incumbent starters Tyrique Tucker and Mario Landino. Now they can add Daley, too.

The question is will Daley be ready for Indiana's season opener Sept. 5 against North Texas?

“I haven’t even thought of that,” Cignetti said. “I’m really focused on developing this team and getting up there and watching today’s tape and putting tomorrow’s practice schedule together and taking this team as far as we can in fall camp.”

Solid start

Cignetti also gave a brief update on what he saw from new quarterback Josh Hoover, the transfer from TCU who replaces Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 draft pick Fernando Mendoza.

Hoover has thrown for 9,629 yards in his career, the most of any returning FBS quarterback, but drew criticism because of his propensity for turnovers. But Cignetti gave Hoover good marks in the spring and again Wednesday.

“It appeared that he finished practice well,” Cignetti said. “I saw him make a few nice throws at the end. I saw (receiver Nick) Marsh make a couple plays too.”

Marsh transferred to Indiana from Michigan State this year.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Schwartz was confirmed in a 51-44 vote. The 54-year-old becomes the 22nd leader of the Atlanta-based CDC, which is charged with protecting Americans from preventable health threats, and the agency's first confirmed director in nearly a year. Her resume includes medical and law degrees, a stint as deputy surgeon general, and a leadership position at the U.S. Coast Guard.

Schwartz's nomination appeared to be on shaky ground after a hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee last month. The chairman, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and others questioned whether she would be willing to stand up to Republican President Donald Trump’s health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., if he ordered CDC to do something unsupported by science and good public health practice.

But weeks later, Cassidy said he had spoken with Schwartz after that hearing and with others who knew her, and said he had gained confidence in her.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services officials did not immediately respond to questions about when Schwartz will start the job or her salary.

The CDC has been in turmoil since Trump returned to office last year.

Largely due to layoffs and resignations, the agency has lost 3,000-plus employees, more than one-quarter of its workforce. Morale has plummeted as a succession of mostly temporary leaders has come and gone. The front office has been staffed by political appointees with little or no training in medicine or public health.

“Now, Dr. Schwartz needs to prove that her leadership will serve science and not the whims of politicians. CDC needs a Director who will protect public health workers, defend evidence-based guidance, and refuse any directive that would undermine public safety,” said the National Public Health Coalition, an organization of former and current CDC workers, in a statement Wednesday.

When Schwartz was nominated in April, public health experts were cautiously optimistic, citing her background. They also noted that Schwartz was the choice of Trump and not Kennedy, who is a leading voice in the anti-vaccine movement before he was tapped to oversee the CDC and other federal health agencies.

Schwartz was the third Trump nominee for CDC director in the past 18 months.

The first was a former Florida congressman, Dr. David Weldon. His Senate hearing in March 2025 was canceled an hour before it was to begin. Weldon said at the time that he had been told not enough senators were willing to vote for him.

The White House then moved on to Susan Monarez, who had been serving as the CDC’s acting director. Monarez was confirmed by the Senate, but ousted from the job in less than a month. Trump administration officials said she was not aligned with the president’s agenda, so they terminated her.

Since then, there have been a series of HHS officials as acting CDC directors.

“With all the turmoil of the past two years, the CDC desperately needs stability, experienced leadership and a steadfast commitment to science,” said Dr. Georges Benjamin of the American Public Health Association, in a statement Wednesday.

The CDC position was one of several leadership vacancies among federal health agencies, including the U.S. surgeon general and the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.

Both the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday they were investigating what happened when a commercial jet took off just as Marine One left the White House for Andrews Air Force Base with the president aboard for the first leg of a West Coast trip.

The FAA decided after 67 people died on Jan. 29, 2025, when an airliner collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter that all takeoffs and landings at the Washington, D.C., airport would be halted anytime a helicopter passes by on a conflicting route. The airspace near the White House and Reagan is heavily congested with military and commercial aircraft.

The airplane that took off Tuesday was climbing above Marine One as the helicopter approached, so the two aircraft were not on a collision course.

The FAA said in a statement that a preliminary investigation showed “there was a momentary loss of separation after which the aircraft continued to move away from one another.”

“The air traffic controller was in contact with both the commercial pilot and Marine One pilot during the loss of separation,” the FAA said.

The White House emphasized that Trump was never in danger.

“Marine One flights are piloted by some of the best aviators in the world, and at no point was the President in harm’s way,” White House spokesperson Kush Desai said in a statement.

The Marine Corps defended the actions of their helicopter pilots.

“There were no ‘close calls’ with the routine Marine One movement,” Marine Corps spokesperson Capt. Jacob Sugg said in an email. “Washington National Tower did not delay the helicopter crew, ask them to hold, or otherwise alter their flight profile.”

The Wall Street Journal first reported the incident.

Poor communication between the military and the civilian air traffic controllers at Reagan has been an issue in the past. It came out last spring after one of the hearings on the midair collision that a hotline connecting the Pentagon to the tower at Reagan hadn't been working for more than three years, and the FAA hadn't even realized it.

The FAA took steps to ensure that helicopters and airplanes would no longer share the same airspace around the airport shortly after the investigation into last year's collision began. The rules also require air traffic controllers to use radar — and not rely on pilots' eyes — to maintain separation and require all military aircraft to broadcast their locations.

The main group of family members of the victims of last year's crash questioned why the government hasn't done more to prevent collisions in the crowded airspace around Reagan in a post Wednesday on the social platform X. The family members have been urging Congress to reach a compromise and pass the package of aviation safety reforms that the NTSB recommended after the midair collision.

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Funk reported from Omaha, Nebraska.

Rainfall totals for today have reached 2 - 3 inches, west of Highway 301, as the sea breeze has moved east.

The summer pattern continues as a shift in the wind settles in.

Isolated sea breeze showers and storms are moving inland along the Gulf Coast breeze as the Atlantic breeze begins to stir. Showers with storms will continue, mainly between Highway 301 and the River through 9 - 10 p.m.

Scattered showers and thunderstorms will continue through Friday as the Atlantic breeze pushes showers and storms toward the River and I-75 through the rest of the week.

All models have picked up the coverage for rain this weekend. The consensus is Saturday will be wetter with less coverage and activity on Sunday. Locally heavy rain with flooding and damaging wind from stronger storms remain the main hazards this weekend.

Temperatures continue with near seasonal averages of 70s in the morning and upper 80s to low 90s for the beaches and inland areas.

Tonight: Cloudy with showers and storms through around 10 p.m.

Thursday: Partly cloudy skies early then becoming mostly cloudy. The Atlantic sea breeze will carry showers and thunderstorms inland during the afternoon, 30-40 percent for NE FL, 20 - 30 percent for SE GA. Lows in the 70s. Afternoon highs in the low 90s inland, upper 80s to low 90s along the beaches. Wind: S/SE 5-15 mph.

Friday - Sunday: The pattern continues with building afternoon clouds and rounds of showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the 70s. Afternoon highs in the low 90s inland, upper 80s to low 90s along the beaches. The wind will switch from the southwest to the southeast through the weekend. This will bring rounds of showers and thunderstorms across the area, mainly between I-95 and Highway 301.

Tropics: It’s early August and the tropics are quiet.

Sunrise: 6:47 p.m.

Sunset: 8:17 p.m.

Crow-Armstrong slugged two more homers for the Chicago Cubs in their series finale against the Los Angeles Dodgers, including a laser off the videoboard in right field. He also hit an RBI double to right in the second inning.

Of course, Ohtani started the game with his 25th homer. The Japanese slugger also hit a leadoff single in the fifth.

Ohtani won his second straight NL MVP award in 2025, smacking 55 homers and recording a 2.87 ERA in 14 starts on the mound for the Dodgers. He is 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA in 14 starts this year, but he hasn't been able to pitch since July 3 because of left knee soreness and a right biceps injury.

While Ohtani has been limited to designated hitter of late, Crow-Armstrong has become an offensive force while playing his usual stellar defense in center field. At the very least, the two-time All-Star has turned the NL MVP race into an intriguing competition.

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

JSO said Chace Brown, who was non-verbal, was last seen leaving his Northside Jacksonville home off Broward Road near I-95 around 7 a.m.

Police, Jacksonville Fire and Rescue, and volunteers searched through the neighborhood, nearby woods and around the water. JSO also used its helicopter in the search.

The agency later shared an update saying, “We are heartbroken to announce Chace has passed away.”

JSO did not indicate when or where Chace was found or how he died.

The agency thanked those who helped spread the word about the missing boy and expressed sorrow for his family.

“Thank you to all who shared this post during our search. Our hearts are with Chace’s family,” JSO wrote.

People said that they did not know Chace or his family, but they wanted to help in some way.

“I have grandchildren at six and eight [years old] and it just touched my heart, I said I wouldn’t want that to be my child so let me at least try to go out and walk...,” Trena Gaines, a volunteer, said.

Others are asking what more needs to be done to make the area safer for children. One neighbor said she noticed the search while she was heading out to run errands.

“I just had a really bad feeling in the pit of my stomach, and I said, when she said he was autistic and nonverbal, I said, ‘It’s that water. They need to go check that water immediately, that marsh and that water.’ When I came back home, it was devastating to find out that he, he passed away,” Kia Hudson said.

She said that she tells her kids to stay away from it, we would like for it to be completely gated off as well as the retention pond in the back of our homes, but they haven’t done it," Hudson said. “My heart just goes out to the family, and I just feel terrible for Chase. I mean, I’m sad it happened.”

News4JAX is working to learn more and will share updates as they become available.

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

Israel tells residents to leave village in southern Lebanon

For the first time in weeks, Israel's military told residents of an area of Lebanon to evacuate. The military said the warning for the village of Mansouri was in response to what it described as “a blatant violation of the ceasefire” by the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.

The military later said it was conducting “precise strikes” in southern Lebanon. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said one person was killed and 12 wounded in an Israeli strike in the town of Tebnine.

The escalation came as Lebanese and Israeli negotiators met in Rome for a second day to discuss implementation of a deal under which Israeli forces are supposed to withdraw from areas they occupy in southern Lebanon in exchange for Hezbollah's disarmament.

A State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive diplomacy, said the second day of talks ended early “due to events on the ground” but could continue on Thursday.

A shaky ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah has largely held since June 20. The fighting erupted two days after the Iran war began when Hezbollah fired at Israel.

— Matthew Lee in Washington

Iran and the US say a deal on the Strait of Hormuz is close

Iran said Wednesday it's in the “final stage” of drafting an agreement with Oman over the Strait of Hormuz, and Trump said on Tuesday night that a deal could be announced this week. That could potentially reopen the critical waterway, ease pressure on the world economy and help bring an end to the war.

But the agreement is likely to be contingent on the United States lifting its blockade on Iran’s ports. The Trump administration has previously ruled out any deal that would cement Iran’s grip over the strait, which would amount to a major loss for the U.S. and a break with global norms.

Iran has insisted on some measure of control over the strait, saying it will not go back to being an open international waterway, as it was before the war.

Yemen's Houthis claim 2 attacks on Saudi oil tankers

The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen said they fired ballistic missiles at two Saudi oil tankers, one in the Red Sea and the other further east, in the Gulf of Aden. They did not provide evidence and there was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia.

A vessel sailing off Yemen in the Gulf of Aden reported a loud explosion nearby, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said, adding that the crew was safe.

In July, the Houthis announced a blockade of Saudi shipping, putting at risk another key world trade route running through the Bab el-Mandeb strait, which links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.

Saudi Arabia has diverted millions of barrels of oil exports to the Red Sea since the Iran war choked off the Strait of Hormuz, on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula.

The US lifts sanctions on 3 Iran-linked companies

The U.S. has lifted sanctions on three Iran-linked companies. A Treasury official said it came after an appeal and was not indicative of any shift in U.S. policy toward the Islamic Republic. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to preview the sanctions.

One company is Fly Baghdad Airlines, sanctioned in January 2024 for allegedly providing assistance to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. Sanctions also were lifted on Iraq Express and another Fly Baghdad-linked firm.

— Fatima Hussein in Washington

The Commanders agreed with Diggs on a contract for this season, according to a person familiar with the agreement. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the deal had not been announced.

Diggs, a native of nearby Gaithersburg, Maryland, joins Washington for a 12th year in the league and reportedly can make up to $12 million. He spent last season with New England, making 99 catches for 1,123 yards and five touchdowns in 21 games, including the Patriots’ playoff run to the Super Bowl.

New England released him in March, and the 32-year-old went unsigned in free agency while facing strangulation and other criminal charges in connection with a dispute with his former private chef. Diggs was found not guilty in May, and the NFL said in June that he wouldn't face any discipline after a review determined there was not enough evidence to punish him under its personal conduct policy.

The Commanders had a hole at the position, and they are banking on Diggs filling it. The in-house options of Treylon Burks and Luke McCaffrey would have put Daniels in a tough spot and likely made No. 1 receiver McLaurin deal with plenty of double teams this coming season.

Signing Diggs could rule out going after Brandon Aiyuk, a friend of Daniels' who is still under contract with San Francisco. Aiyuk said on social media in June that he would join Washington immediately if the 49ers released him.

Aiyuk remains on the reserve/left squad list out West, while Diggs is now in an NFC East that features receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens with Dallas, DeVonta Smith with Philadelphia and Malik Nabers with the New York Giants.

Diggs previously played for Minnesota, Buffalo and Houston during a career that included him being an All-Pro selection in 2020, when he led all players with 127 catches and 1,535 yards. Since making his debut in 2015 after the Vikings took him in the fifth round of the draft that year, Diggs has 1,025 catches for 12,523 yards and 79 TDs in the regular season and playoffs combined.

That included the “Minneapolis Miracle” catch for Minnesota in the divisional round in January 2018. With 10 seconds left, Diggs leapt and evaded a tackle to score a 61-yard touchdown and beat New Orleans 29-24.

Off the field, it has been a more tumultuous ride, including getting fined more than $200,000 by the Vikings during his final season with them in 2019 for unexcused practice absences. Diggs was traded to Buffalo in March 2020.

Diggs led the Bills in receiving four seasons in a row, but sideline outbursts and cryptic social media messages were also part of his tenure before being traded to Houston in April 2024. A torn ACL ended his time with the Texans, and skipping a voluntary offseason workout got him off to a bumpy start with the Patriots before he turned out to be a reliable option for QB Drake Maye.

Cut in part because he was owed $20.6 million, Diggs now is teaming up with Daniels, who was taken one spot ahead of Maye when they went Nos. 2 and 3 in the 2024 draft.

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

RELATED: Florida voters split on phasing out property taxes until budget effects are explained, UNF poll finds

While supporters say the measure would save homeowners thousands of dollars, critics, including law enforcement groups and local leaders, say the real cost could be far greater.

The amendment, titled “Save Our Homes From Excessive Property Taxes,” would expand the homestead exemption, the tax break given to owners of primary homes from $50,000 to $150,000 starting in 2027, and to $250,000 beginning in 2028.

To pass, it needs approval from 60 percent of Florida voters in November.

The Florida Sheriffs Association said this week that approval of the amendment would potentially create longer law enforcement response times and limit communities’ abilities to repair roads.

The Florida Professional Firefighters union and the Florida Fire Chiefs Association have also formally opposed the measure.

Randy Reaves, president of the local Fraternal Order of Police, echoed those concerns, saying the impact here in Jacksonville could be severe.

“Our concerns are that big of a budget cut for us here. We do believe that that could directly affect public safety and the work that our men and women do on a daily basis,” Reaves said.

According to city auditors, Jacksonville alone could lose more than $300 million a year from the statewide property tax proposal.

For context, the budget proposed for JSO next year is over $673 million.

“A reduction in budget would drastically hurt, whether it be response times, staffing, the equipment issues that the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has,” Reaves continued.

The amendment also limits how local governments can use tax revenue, restricting spending to what it calls “core services,” including public safety, infrastructure and road maintenance.

Critics say that restriction, combined with the revenue loss, would force local governments to either cut services or raise fees elsewhere, while giving Tallahassee considerably more control over local budget decisions.

On Monday, a Tallahassee judge ruled that the title and summary of the proposed amendment were, in his words, “clearly and conclusively defective” and ordered the state to rewrite them.

The state has about 9 days to submit new language.

But local unions say the rewrite changes nothing about their opposition.

Mayor Donna Deegan has been among the most vocal critics of the amendment, saying if it passes, a third of the city’s budget would be gone and everything would be affected.

The New England-based plaintiffs sued the Monterey Bay Aquarium for defamation after the aquarium's Seafood Watch conservation program placed American and Canadian lobster on its do-not-eat “red list” in 2022. The Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is deciding whether the lawsuit can go forward.

One of the appellate judges, Judge Seth Aframe, said during oral arguments on July 27 that it doesn't strike him as a defamation claim and that he finds the case troubling “from a First Amendment perspective.”

“The more you broaden the class of people that fall within this, the more it feels like everybody can sue,” Aframe said.

Seafood Watch placed lobster on its list of seafood to avoid because of the threat posed to rare whales, such as the North Atlantic right whale, by potential entanglement in fishing gear.

The lobster fishing industry, based mostly in Maine, has pushed back, saying the claim inaccurately portrays it as a threat to whales and constitutes defamation that has caused economic harm. It claims that the whales face greater threats from other fishing industries, including the Canadian snow crab fishery.

Conservation groups have long made the case that lobster and crab fisheries are both dangerous to the whales, and government agencies have acknowledged that entanglement in fishing gear is a critical threat to the giant animals.

The industry is sticking to that claim despite the judges' comments during oral arguments, Kevin Lipson, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said Wednesday.

“Monterey Bay Aquarium in their Seafood Watch report didn't disclose any of the countervailing evidence. In fact, they hid that evidence,” Lipson said.

Seafood Watch is one of the most cited sustainability reports about seafood, and many restaurants and stores use it to inform which products to carry. Some major retailers, including Whole Foods, announced they were pulling Gulf of Maine lobster after the red listing.

A representative for Monterey Bay Aquarium declined to comment Wednesday. During oral arguments, Amy Saharia, an attorney for the aquarium, said that Seafood Watch didn't single out any of the plaintiffs with a direct reference.

The case has lingered because of ongoing legal maneuvers. A lower level federal court ruled last year that the lawsuit could proceed after the aquarium had requested it be tossed.

Maine fishermen caught more than 78 million pounds (35 million kilograms) of lobster last year — a down year by the industry's recent standards. The crustaceans were worth more than $460 million at the docks and are a key piece of the economy and culture in the state.

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This story was corrected to reflect that oral arguments took place July 27, not July 26.

The progressive candidate narrowly defeated Rep. Haley Stevens to set up a November matchup with former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers. El-Sayed has little time to celebrate before pivoting to patching up divisions in the party after a bruising primary.

During much of the Trump era, Democratic primary voters have often followed the urging of party leaders and favored moderate candidates like Stevens. But this year, they've veered toward outsiders like El-Sayed, who tapped into widespread discontent with the Democratic establishment and the status quo in Washington.

Democrats need to rack up as many wins as possible to take back the U.S. Senate, so the party has little room for error against Rogers.

More primaries unfolded in Kansas, Missouri, Virginia and Washington. The contests will solidify November matchups, particularly in Virginia, where Democrats failed to redraw the state's congressional map earlier this year.

Here are some takeaways from Tuesday's elections:

Democrats aim to bury their differences now

El-Sayed and Democrats moved quickly Wednesday to stress their unity after the contentious primary. El-Sayed called for mending fences, and Stevens offered her support, saying it was more important to keep Rogers from winning.

“There is so much more that unites us now,” El-Sayed said during a victory speech on Wednesday morning.

Mallory McMorrow, who dropped out of the Senate primary earlier this year, stood alongside El-Sayed.

“What is most important now is that we recognize that for all of the differences that we may have had in this primary, that those differences pale in comparison to the contrast that we face in November,” she said.

The seat is open because Democratic Sen. Gary Peters is retiring, and Democrats are under pressure to defend it to preserve their chance of winning control of the chamber.

The campaigns took sharp aim at one another. Sanders, one of El-Sayed’s most prominent supporters, called Stevens “nothing more than an employee” of billionaires. El-Sayed has been a pointed critic of Israel and called the military campaign in Gaza a “genocide,” an accusation rejected by the Israeli and U.S. governments.

Stevens has criticized El-Sayed’s style, comparing him unfavorably to a celebrity who is always “running at the first mic or camera.” She has also suggested he’s not electable in the fall, saying Republicans have been propping him up because they think El-Sayed will be easier to beat.

Trump’s endorsement overpowers self-funded candidate for governor

Republican voters picked their nominee for Michigan governor on Tuesday as well, going with Trump's endorsed candidate, Rep. John James.

The president’s backing typically carries significant weight in Republican politics, but businessman Perry Johnson had lent his campaign more than $30 million, according to Michigan campaign finance records.

Trump's endorsement hasn't always overcome big spending. In Georgia’s race for governor, Rick Jackson spent $100 million, largely of his own money, to defeat Trump-backed Burt Jones in a runoff.

On the Democratic side in Michigan, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson defeated Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson.

AIPAC continues to be a lightning rod

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee has long been an influential force in U.S. politics, but it's been under pressure as Democratic support for Israel erodes over the war in Gaza.

The organization has suffered a series of losses in Democratic primaries that saw a surge of progressive candidates. Victors range from Rep. Analilia Mejia, who won a special election to Congress in suburban New Jersey, to Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, who captured the Democratic nomination for a U.S. House seat in Illinois.

AIPAC's biggest investment has been in Michigan, where it and its affiliates have spent more than $30 million supporting Stevens, a stalwart backer of Israel. El-Sayed and his backers have seized on the group's intervention as an example of the problems of big money in politics.

After El-Sayed won, AIPAC said it would work to defeat him and “his radical anti-Israel agenda.” El-Sayed was defiant, issuing his own challenge to AIPAC — “You want more pain?”

AIPAC had some success Tuesday. In Missouri, former Rep. Cori Bush fell short in her rematch against Rep. Wesley Bell, who defeated her two years ago.

Bush had blamed her previous loss on AIPAC, even vowing revenge on the organization in her concession speech. "AIPAC, I'm coming to tear your kingdom down!” she pledged.

However, she was quickly defeated as voters in the St. Louis-area district decided to stick with Bell.

Virginia is on Democrats' minds

One of Democrats' most bitter defeats this cycle took place in Virginia, where that state's supreme court in May overturned a voter-approved initiative to redraw the state's House map to make four more seats easier for the party to win.

The failed effort was part of Democrats' attempt to match Republicans' own redistricting campaign, which was spurred by Trump last year in hopes of making it easier for his party to hold control of the House.

Democrats are optimistic they can recover at least a couple of those Virginia seats the old-fashioned way. On Tuesday, they got what they wanted in the state's two swing seats, with former Rep. Elaine Luria winning the nomination to compete for the 1st District in Virginia Beach and prosecutor Shannon Taylor getting the nod to run in the Richmond-area 2nd District.

The longer shot comes in the heavily rural 5th District in central Virginia, where Tom Perriello, who briefly represented the region in President Barack Obama's first term, won the Democratic nomination to try to win a now even more conservative-leaning seat.

According to a GoFundMe campaign, Derek Coghlan is in the ICU, progressing well, but he still needs to rest. His doctors are recommending that he not have visitors.

“Many of you know Derek and his wife, Julie and their two sons, Jack and Finn,” the GoFundMe reads. “This has been an incredibly difficult and uncertain time for their entire family, and we want to surround them with as much love and support as possible.”

Those who are unable to contribute are asked to share the fundraiser and keep the Coghlan family in your thoughts and prayers.

Click here to support the GoFundMe.

In just over one day, the campaign has already raised more than $37,000.

News4JAX has not learned what happened that led to the injury, but has requested more information from St. Johns County officials.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and the Maryland Jockey Club announced the decision Wednesday. No Triple Crown race has ever taken place on a Sunday in the century-plus-old history of the series.

The shift marks a major change on the horse racing calendar, following significant debate and speculation. Except for 2020 during the pandemic, the Preakness has been on the third Saturday in May, two weeks after the Kentucky Derby, since 1950.

Maryland Jockey Club CEO Bill Knauf acknowledged the tradition while also calling this the time to move the Preakness back.

"It’s been discussed for a very long time (and) we recognized the different trends and training methods recently," Knauf told The Associated Press. “We entered the discussion maybe even saying, 'Hey, is two weeks the right amount? I think the week was the right placement. It still gives an incredible test for a horse and a champion to go through that, even at three weeks.”

The aim is to get more Derby horses to participate in the second leg of the Triple Crown. For decades, it was normalcy but has become increasingly rare in recent years.

Two consecutive and three of the past five Derby winners have bypassed the Preakness to aim for the final jewel, the Belmont Stakes in June. Of the 95 horses who ran in the Derby dating to 2022, just 13 have gone to the Preakness (13.7%) with just one winner in that group.

“We are going to move it back to be able to ensure that the winner of the Kentucky Derby will then be prepared to compete in the second leg of the Triple Crown,” Moore said at a news conference in Annapolis. “By moving the day, you’re then providing additional time and space for our horses and the people who compete in the Derby to be able to then now compete to be able to be part of that Triple Crown.”

For at least next year, it has the chance to produce the opposite effect, with the Belmont scheduled for June 5, as announced Monday. Going from a three-week to a 13-day gap between the Preakness and Belmont could force owners and trainers to choose between them, given that modern 3-year-old thoroughbreds typically get significantly more time off.

Knauf said it was a decision made for the long-term future of the Preakness.

Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, who with American Pharoah in 2015 and Justify in 2018 is the only trainer to win the Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978, said in a social media post Monday that if he has the right horse from the Kentucky Derby, he will continue to go to the Preakness annually. That was in response to the unveiling of a new championship series of races at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Belmont Park on Long Island and Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York and does not — for now — include the Preakness.

Future changes to the schedule are always possible beyond 2027. The shift does put the Preakness on the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend beginning in 2028 and running through '31.

“We believe this creates tremendous excitement for our local economy and businesses,” Knauf said. "Baltimore will become the place to be on Memorial Day weekends, as the spotlight of the racing world descends on Pimlico.”

The change comes with an extension of the media rights agreement with NBC Sports through 2032. The Preakness — as well as the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes for fillies on the third Saturday in May — will air on NBC and Peacock for the next six years.

NBC Sports President of Acquisitions of Partnerships Jon Miller said at the news conference that the network as far back as 10 years ago broached the idea of pushing the Preakness back at least a week, but previous ownership was not interested.

“It’s a success factor for everybody by moving it to the eight days later,” Miller said. “The idea of doing it Saturday-Sunday, quite honestly, was to create a weekend celebration and not just have it be a one-day event in the middle of a Triple Crown series.”

Moving the Preakness coincides with its return to Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore as part of a $500 million reconstruction project, after a one-time stop at Laurel Park. Next year, there is expected to be limited capacity, with the full, new Pimlico scheduled to be completed by the spring of 2028.

“It’s something business has been a huge champion of,” Greater Baltimore Committee President and CEO Mark Anthony Thomas told the AP. “And so people are very enthusiastic around the state’s investments.”

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

But the agreement is likely to be contingent on the U.S. lifting its blockade on Iran’s ports. The Trump administration has previously ruled out any deal that would cement Iran's grip over the strait, which would amount to a major loss for the U.S. and a break with global norms.

Iran has insisted on some measure of control over the strait, saying it will not go back to being an open international waterway, as it was before the war.

The U.S., along with Israel, launched the war on Feb. 28, citing various goals including toppling Tehran’s government and ending its nuclear program. Those have not been achieved, and the conflict has devolved into a fight over the strait as Iran's assertion of control and attacks on shipping have ground traffic to a near-halt.

Closure of the strait, through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil and natural gas once passed, has driven up the price of fuel and basic goods, roiling the global economy. Trump is also under mounting pressure to end an unpopular war ahead of U.S. congressional elections.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, said that the agreement with Oman is in the “final stage” of drafting, and that a joint statement will be issued “if certain parties do not obstruct this process,” apparently referring to the U.S.

Regional officials tell AP negotiators have finalized a draft

Iranian and Omani negotiators have finalized the draft deal to reopen the strait and await final approval from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, two regional officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday. Khamenei is believed to have been wounded in the war's opening strikes and has not been seen in public since then.

The officials, who were briefed on the negotiations, portrayed the potential deal as a temporary solution to the dispute over the strait. They said it is tied to an agreement reached between the U.S. and Iran in June that aimed at ending the fighting and reopening the waterway but ultimately collapsed.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private talks, said the potential deal will pave the way for the U.S. and Iran to resume negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear program.

Earlier, they had said the potential agreement would have ships enter the Persian Gulf through an Iranian-controlled route and exit through a route controlled by Oman. Service fees would be charged for providing security and preserving the maritime environment, the officials said.

The U.S. has said it is strongly opposed to any arrangement that would see Iran charge fees.

Trump said a deal to reopen the strait is close

Trump was asked on Tuesday evening by reporters about a report on the Axios news site that an announcement on the strait could be made on Wednesday.

“It could happen. Tomorrow or the next day,” Trump said. “A lot of progress has been made.”

Oil prices initially eased but later inched up. Brent crude, the international standard, was around $80 per barrel on Wednesday — still well below the levels it hit at the height of the conflict.

In recent days, Trump has alternately threatened massive strikes and voiced support for diplomatic efforts.

Attacks on regional shipping continue

The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed Wednesday they had fired ballistic missiles toward a Saudi oil tanker on the Red Sea off the Saudi port of Yanbu, without providing evidence. There was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia.

A vessel sailing in the Gulf of Aden off Yemen reported a loud explosion that happened in close proximity, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said Wednesday, adding that the crew was safe. The Houthis claimed to have fired a ballistic missile at another Saudi oil tanker.

A recent escalation between the rebels and Saudi Arabia threatens to reignite Yemen's civil war, which pitted the Houthis against a Saudi-led coalition supporting the country’s government.

In July, the Houthis announced they were closing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that leads to the Red Sea for Saudi-linked shipping. That puts additional pressure on international shipping since the Red Sea became a key alternative route for Saudi oil exports during the war.

Israel and Hezbollah’s ceasefire increasingly shaky

The shaky ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah grew more volatile Wednesday, as the Israeli military issued an evacuation warning to residents of the southern Lebanese village of Mansouri — the first such warning in weeks.

Later, the Israeli military said it had begun conducting “precise strikes” in southern Lebanon in response to what it described as “a blatant violation of the ceasefire” that had largely held since June 20.

The escalation came as Lebanese and Israeli negotiators met in Rome for a second day to discuss implementation of a deal under which Israeli forces are supposed to withdraw from areas they are occupying in southern Lebanon in exchange for Hezbollah's disarmament.

A State Department official said the talks in Rome ended early “due to events on the ground” but could continue on Thursday. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the diplomacy, said the discussions "were extremely productive.”

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Becatoros reported from Athens, Greece, and Superville from Rancho Palos Verdes, California. Aamer Madhani, Fatima Hussein and Matthew Lee in Washington and Claire Galofaro in Louisville, Kentucky, contributed.

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This story has been corrected to show that the State Department official was referring to Israel-Lebanon talks ending early and not the talks over the Strait of Hormuz, and that the vessel reporting a loud explosion was in the Gulf of Aden, not the Red Sea.

“Trashed it. Broke the window,” Jose Losada said.

Losada first learned something was wrong Aug. 1, when a neighbor called to say multiple people were inside his property on Westmar Road. The owner was out of the city at the time and couldn’t respond when officers made an initial visit to the home.

Later that night, Losada spotted people still inside the residence and contacted police again around 11:50 p.m. He told officers no one should have been in the home — the last tenant had been formally evicted June 23, and he provided documentation to confirm it.

Losada believed the suspects entered through a broken window near the front door that led to the kitchen. He told officers he had previously seen broken glass in that area — and it was gone when he arrived.

“Gave him the keys. Parked over there and they had 4 squad cars here. And with those 4 it became 8 and with those 8 it became 12. And with supervisors with dogs it became 14,” Losada said of what happened when police came in.

As far as now, he’s working to restore the home so it can be a rental again.

He found four bicycles left behind and says he plans to sell them to a pawn shop to recoup the $185 he had to pay JEA for what the squatters did.

Losada also said he’s cutting down all the bushes around the house so future squatters have no place to hid.

Here are the conditions that have to be met before an officer can intervene:

• The requesting person is the property owner or authorized agent of the property owner.
• The real property that is being occupied includes a residential dwelling.
• An unauthorized person or persons have unlawfully entered and remain or continue to reside on the property owner’s property.
• The real property was not open to members of the public at the time the unauthorized person or persons entered.
• The property owner has directed the unauthorized person to leave the property.
• The unauthorized person or persons are not current or former tenants pursuant to a written or oral rental agreement authorized by the property owner.
• The unauthorized person or persons are not immediate family members of the property owner.
• There is no pending litigation related to the real property between the property owner and any known unauthorized person.

The club made the move following a nightmarish stretch in which the three-time All-Star could never seem to get on track.

The Pirates, who entered Wednesday 3 1/2 games behind Arizona for the National League's third wild-card spot, promoted outfielder Ronny Simon from Triple-A Indianapolis to take Ozuna's roster spot.

Pittsburgh signed Ozuna to a one-year deal worth $12 million in February, a rare free agency splurge for the budget-conscious Pirates. The team hoped the right-handed Ozuna would help balance out a left-handed-heavy lineup.

Instead, Ozuna started slow and never found the form that helped him hit 296 homers during previous stops in Miami, Atlanta and St. Louis.

Ozuna hit just .203 with eight home runs and 29 RBIs in 70 games with Pittsburgh and had seen his playing opportunities cut significantly in recent weeks thanks to the emergence of rookie Esmerlyn Valdez. Ozuna was scheduled to make $10.5 million this year, and a mutual option of $16 million in 2027 with a $1.5 million buyout.

The decision comes on the heels of a trade deadline in which Pittsburgh, seeking to end a decade-long playoff drought, fortified its leaky bullpen with a series of moves, including acquiring prominent reliever Luke Weaver from the New York Mets.

Manager Don Kelly and general manager Ben Cherington defended Ozuna repeatedly, with Cherington expressing confidence the underlying metrics showed Ozuna was close to turning it around and Kelly praising Ozuna's influence on the club's Latin players. But with a chance to play meaningful baseball into September on the line, the team opted to move on.

Pittsburgh also activated left-handed reliever Evan Sisk off the injured list and optioned reliever Wilber Dotel to Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday.

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

She still couldn't completely avoid the latest off-court firestorm — her belief that trans women should not be competing in women's sports.

While Cunningham declined to directly address the issue that's created another circus-like environment for the WNBA's most visible team, the former Missouri star did talk about her pregame conversation with the league's winningest coach, Cheryl Reeve, and challenged media members to find better stories than just the latest controversy.

“There's just so much distraction," she said before practice, noting the ESPN interview that started the debate was filmed in February. “I think the WNBA media, all we ever do is cover everything except basketball. It's like, what are we doing? There's so much, like you can talk about other things. I think those are great stories. I think it shows fans, you know, who people are outside of the court. But I also think we've got to keep the main thing, the main thing.”

Avoiding the traps

Despite the continually swirling storms, nobody has played better basketball than the Fever.

Indiana is 9-3 since July 1, including a 5-2 record on two recent road trips. It beat defending league champ Las Vegas by 16 and 34 points during the first Western swing and can sweep the season series Thursday when the Aces make this season's only trip to Indianapolis. Las Vegas eliminated injury-depleted Indiana in last year's conference semifinals.

The Fever's five-game winning streak, which ended with Sunday's 108-100 loss at Minnesota, matched the fourth-longest in franchise history. Indiana will try to extend its league record for consecutive 100-point games to seven on Thursday.

Not enough?

Indiana's per game scoring average of 96.5 points is on pace to shatter the Phoenix Mercury's previous single-season league record of 93.9 points in 2010.

And as All-Star guards Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell and All-Star center Aliyah Boston produce career-best seasons. Cunningham thinks all three should be MVP candidates, even as she shoots 48.2% from the field and 45.2% on 3-pointers, both career bests amid all this new attention.

The key to their success is no secret — experience.

“My first six years (in the WNBA), I was with Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner and so that causes a lot of buzz on your team as well and so you just have to protect the locker room,” Cunningham said. “And then you come here and it was like 100 times more. So last year, you know, I think we had a lot of preparation for what distractions and outside forces could do to a locker room. So this year, we're used to it. We're tight in the locker room. We try to protect those walls like no other. We try to protect each other like no other.”

Challenging course

A year ago, the leaguewide focus was on a new collective bargaining agreement and whether Clark would play a key role in pushing for changes. But in Indiana, the central theme was the daily updates on Clark's soft-tissue injuries and others including Cunningham's season-ending right knee injury.

This year, a May sideline spat between Clark and coach Stephanie White raised questions about their relationship and led to speculation about White's potential firing. That was followed by Cunningham's 22-second pointing video that went viral and the still image of Alyssa Thomas hitting Clark in the throat with a fist. The latter led to questions about whether Clark was being targeted with overly aggressive contact. The U.S. Congress even sent a letter to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert about the incident.

Now it's the rallies — in support and opposition — to Cunnigham's position at recent games, which also led to the discussion between Reeve and Cunningham.

“She just came up and, you know I respect her for coming up in person because I think a lot of people behind the screens love that type of thing,” Cunningham said, gesturing as if she were typing a message. “She (Reeve) had stories about her point of view, and I had stories about my point of view, and we left with love and respect, and I think that's what it's all about."

Staying together

One potential benefit of Cunningham's sudden celebrity is that Clark can spend more time working behind the scenes on her craft.

But White believes the constant wave of storms also has steeled Indiana's locker room from the outside noise and forced players to focus more on winning games and playing better defense.

“Any time we have an opportunity to navigate challenges together, you know, it reveals I think the character of who you are, and I think our group continues to stay together, continues to pull together,” White said, one day before she was named the league's Coach of the Month for July. “When you have opportunities to be on the road for as long as we were last week, that also helps. I think we just have a really good group when it comes to really understanding one another and understanding the situation we're in.”

Even when the glare of the white-hot spotlight goes far deeper than basketball.

“I just think when you have this platform and everything you do is magnified by 10,000, you kind of get used to it,” Cunningham said. “So this team, everywhere we go, everywhere we play it's their Super Bowl. It's nothing new for us and when you join this team, it's something you have to expect and something you have to know going forward — like all eyes are on you 24-7.

”I want to get back to basketball,” she added. “It’s always been about basketball.”

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

The report ranked the cities based on romance-related searches per 100,000 residents.

The top five cities for romance in the United States, according to Agilis data are:

1. New York City - 212 romance-related searches per 100,000 residents
2. Nashville - 201.5 romance-related searches per 100,000 residents
3. Austin, TX - 200.1 romance-related searches per 100,000 residents
4. Chicago - 188 romance-related searches per 100,000 residents
5. Jacksonville, FL - 187.9 romance-related searches per 100,000 residents

This new designation comes more than two years after Jacksonville was named the most boring city in the country.

William Albert Lippold was arrested and charged with premeditated first-degree murder. No bond was set.

Deputies responded to a St. Augustine Shores home after his son, David Lippold, called 911 and said his father had killed his mother, the sheriff’s office said. When deputies arrived, William Lippold and his son came out of the home.

Deputies say William Lippold spontaneously said, “It’s not complicated, I shot my wife.”

Investigators found his wife, identified as Mary Lippold, dead on a bed in the master bedroom with a firearm, a shell casing and a note nearby, the report said. A neighbor at a nearby address told detectives they heard what sounded like a gunshot late July 31.

Detectives said William Lippold admitted he had planned the killing for about a month, telling investigators his wife was blind and had severe Alzheimer’s disease and that he was her sole caregiver.

He told detectives he had promised not to place her in a nursing home and described exchanging messages with his adult children about the stress of caring for his wife.

William Lippold said he bought the gun recently, practiced at a shooting range and had planned to suffocate himself after the shooting but was unable to do so, the report said.

Neighbors who spoke with News4JAX described the couple.

“But they were a really nice couple, and everybody’s heart broke,” neighbor Bill Meyers said. “Everybody in the neighborhood’s heart broke because we all loved the guy and we’d do anything for him.”

If you or someone you know is in crisis, you can call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline anytime.

You can also find a list of local suicide prevention resources at this link.

The reward was bumped up from $5 million. The Trump administration offered a total of $100 million in rewards for various leaders of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, or CJNG, and restricted the visas of family members and business associates of cartel members.

U.S. officials said the rewards, along with newly unsealed charges against five other high-ranking leaders, were aimed at crippling the organization’s leadership while President Donald Trump has ramped up pressure on Mexico and other Latin American nations to carry out his security agenda.

“These sophisticated organizations use violence and fear to maintain control over the importation of deadly narcotics in the United States, including fentanyl, cocaine, meth, and other illegal drugs. Their actions spread violence and death to our communities,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told reporters in Washington.

CJNG is among eight Mexican cartels designated as a foreign terrorist organization. The group was dealt a blow in February when leader Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, or “El Mencho.” was killed by the Mexican military. The U.S. provided intelligence for the operation, which resulted in a burst in violence in the state of Jalisco.

González, Oseguera Cervantes’s stepson and a dual Mexican and U.S. citizen, is reported to have taken control of the cartel, which is involved in everything from avocado production to drug smuggling.

Wednesday's move comes a few weeks after the United States imposed sanctions against 50 people and companies linked with the cartel, including González. The sanctions froze assets and blocked U.S. financial transactions with those cited.

The cartel is considered the largest in Mexico, with a presence in 21 of its 32 states. Its operations have extended to several countries, including the United States.

Trump's administration has ramped up pressure on the government of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to crack down more heavily on cartels, even threatening military action against the groups.

Among those charged in the newly unsealed indictments are Oseguera Cervantes’ former son-in-law, Julio ​Alberto Castillo Rodriguez, and Hugo ​Gonzalo Mendoza Gaytan, whom authorities described as the former leader’s godson. All of the defendants are charged with drug trafficking and firearms offenses, officials said.

"This is a fight against CJNG that we are just beginning, and we will not back down," Terrance Cole, head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, told reporters.

_____

Associated Press reporter Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington contributed to this report.

“So many of them came because this was a good opportunity for them to make some money, and this second bite at the apple is equity instead of cash,” O'Neil said at a news conference at Trump Bedminster, site of this week's LIV Golf New York event.

O'Neil was short on details, starting with the identity of the investor and how much money was involved. He said the lead investor “has signed a term sheet approved by our board, which will carry and fund LIV going forward.”

“It's very good news for all of us,” O'Neil said.

O'Neil said LIV is getting “strong interest” from more than a dozen other parties who would be minority investors as the league tries to survive.

“We don’t need them, but we have the opportunity to do it,” he said of other investors.

LIV Golf New York is the penultimate individual event in a season that has been marked by upheaval, particularly the stunning announcement in March that the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia — the financial muscle of LIV since it began — is withdrawing funding after 2026.

One tournament in New Orleans already has been scrapped, and there are serious doubts the season-ending team event in Michigan on Aug. 27-30 will be played, particularly after reports the tournament has not even started preparing for it.

“We have not made any final formal decisions and hope to in the coming weeks,” O'Neil said.

LIV Golf, which launched in 2022, has spent more than $5 billion on the league. That includes some of the nine-figure bonuses to lure top players like Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Phil Mickelson.

Prize funds were $20 million, with an additional $5 million for the team component.

But it all began to fall apart earlier this year. Koepka was let out of his contract and returned to the PGA Tour, and Patrick Reed chose not to renew his deal. He is leading the European tour points list and will be eligible to return to the PGA Tour next year.

Lucas Herbert, who has won twice on LIV Golf this year, said Tuesday his management has been in touch with PGA Tour officials.

“If LIV were to go away and you’ve got nowhere to play, I think ultimately you need somewhere to play as a professional golfer. So we’re just doing due diligence,” Herbert said.

O’Neil met with team captains on Tuesday, and DeChambeau led a player-only meeting later in the afternoon, though none of the players shared details.

O'Neil said he expected to finalize terms with the lead investor in the next few weeks with the goal of getting it done in September. The plan for what is being referred to as “LIV Golf 2.0” is for 10 team events each year, five of them in the United States and five others around the world.

It also wants to stage events leading into the majors and having a schedule that allows its player to compete on other circuits. Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton already play on the European tour. The PGA Tour still has a one-year ban on anyone competing on LIV.

The $20 million prize money — now matched by the PGA Tour at its signature events — will have to be substantially less going forward. Even with a lead investor, questions remain whether the biggest names will stick around.

“I think we have enough support from enough players, and we have such an interesting format and global format, I think we’ll do quite well in getting the right stars for this game," O'Neil said.

Among speculation is whether LIV would file for bankruptcy as it sought a new structure.

“When you’re in a situation that is a bit fluid, where there’s a bit of uncertainty, where there’s some challenges and maybe some surprises here or there around the corner, we want to make sure that we are giving ourselves the best opportunity to do what’s best for this organization to carry forward,” O'Neil said. “We’ll consider the best options at that time. That’s not a decision we have to make, and we’ll continue to do what’s best.”

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

The U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia — a fierce defender and decades-long friend — openly refuted Trump’s claims of vandalism regarding one of his treasured construction projects in the nation's capital, admitting in court filings that damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was due to shoddy workmanship.

The moment comes as the Republican president is struggling to convince Americans that they should believe what he is telling them about the economy, his agenda and his war on Iran before pivotal midterm elections in the fall — and reveals the inherent challenges for his team in delivering hard truths he does not want to hear. Trump has historically engaged in exaggeration, but this was a moment in which he wanted a U.S. citizen, Olympic canoeist David Hearn, to be indicted, tried and possibly imprisoned for the act of touching a chunk of sealant in the already damaged pool.

The White House said that Trump was not aware ahead of time that Pirro’s office would drop the charges.

Trump says he told Pirro he was “not happy” about her decision and that a video backed him up even though it is not clear from the footage shot at a distance that any property destruction occurred. “Well I just think she was totally wrong,” Trump told reporters Tuesday night. “And everybody saw the vandalism.”

By publicly rebuking Pirro, Trump sent a message to other administration officials that he is not to be contradicted, regardless of what the facts show.

“He just blows it up like a keg of dynamite — it’s a form of intimidating employees to be in group-think,” said Rice University professor Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian. “'If you work for me, you triple down.' Never disagree with the boss, even in a small fractional way.”

Some Republicans have blamed Trump's choices on ‘bad advice’ from staff

Trump has faced withering criticism for launching the war with Iran without fully laying out the rationale for the public or considering that country’s ability to withstand intense bombing. Trump snubbed a housing bill to address the affordability problems that voters say are their biggest concern, letting it become law without his signature.

Some Republican lawmakers have suggested that Trump is being sheltered from facts or chalk up his choices to poor staff work. During Trump’s second term, Republican senators including Ted Cruz of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina have said Trump was receiving “bad advice,” a subtle critique of the president that shifts blame onto the aides who are supposed to be providing him with credible information.

The latest blow-up "reflects a president who is struggling to shape the narrative as his national approval ratings remain extremely low,” said Julian Zelizer, a political history professor at Princeton University. “The more controversy that he faces — over Iran, the Epstein files, inflation and more — the less control he has and the stronger the chances that he will be forced to confront reality.”

The president continues to dwell on the 2020 election that he falsely claims to have won. He likes to boast that America is booming with an unverifiable $19.2 trillion in investments from foreign countries, even as economic growth has been meager over the prior three months. He posted a Jesus-like picture of himself on social media and said after a backlash that he thought it depicted him as a medical doctor.

The White House did not respond to questions about how aides brief the president and whether officials feel comfortable providing information that could contradict his public statements.

Pirro had been faithful to Trump's wishes, until now

Until now, Pirro, a former judge in Westchester County, New York, and TV show host, has largely been faithful to Trump's wishes. Her office sent a subpoena in January to the Federal Reserve regarding the congressional testimony by the central bank's then-chair, Jerome Powell, about a $2.5 billion renovation of its headquarters.

Pirro defended her decision to threaten Powell, who said the threat of a criminal indictment was really a pretext to pressure the Fed into slashing its benchmark interest rates in accordance with Trump's wishes.

“This office makes decisions based on the merits, nothing more and nothing less,” Pirro posted on X. “We agree with the chairman of the Federal Reserve that no one is above the law, and that is why we expect his full cooperation.”

Her actions temporarily slowed efforts in the Senate to confirm Kevin Warsh as the next Fed chair. The Department of Justice dropped the investigation in April, roughly a month after a federal prosecutor said in a closed-door court hearing that the government had not found any evidence of a crime.

On the reflecting pool, Pirro pursued the investigation despite what defense lawyers say was abundant evidence from the outset that the damage at the pool was the result of preexisting problems that had nothing to do with Hearn. A new court filing from Hearn’s team disputes the department’s contention that it only recently learned its case was flawed and urges a judge to not only dismiss it but to foreclose the possibility of ever resurrecting it.

“From day one, the case against Mr. Hearn was motivated by political considerations and devoid of adequate factual support,” defense lawyers wrote. “Those political pressures have not dissipated in the mere four weeks since the government saw fit to obtain the indictment.”

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche declined to discuss internal Justice Department conversations related to the case.

He deflected on the question of whether or not he supported the decision, acknowledging on one hand that Trump has “every right to be extraordinarily frustrated with damage done to our national monuments in this city and elsewhere” while simultaneously praising Pirro for what he asserted was “an unprecedented effort” to improve safety in the nation’s capital.

“When you look at the D.C. U.S. Attorney’s body of work over the past year and a half and where we are in this city compared to where we were, they are doing a phenomenal job,” Blanche said. “Now does that mean that every case goes exactly the way that President Trump wants or I want or U.S. Attorney Pirro wants? Of course not, it doesn’t.”

Pirro blamed others for giving Trump bad advice

What makes the reflecting pool incident different was that the administration contradicted claims of property damage made repeatedly by the president.

On Friday, the government moved to dismiss the criminal case and said any damage to the pool was caused by the bungled work of the contractor and “the rush to complete the project prior to events associated with the America 250 celebration in the weeks surrounding Independence Day 2026."

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has supported Trump’s claims that vandals damaged the pool. That suggests that the conflict around this issue could continue to simmer.

While Trump and many of his supporters are able to exist within their own information bubble, the administration had basically declared in court that the president was wrong. That was different from a judicial ruling or news report fact-checking him, said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, a professor of communication at the University of Pennsylvania.

“It’s difficult to discredit that by saying these are anti-Trump forces,” she said.

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Associated Press writers Eric Tucker in Washington and Darlene Superville in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., contributed to this report.

After all, Poles not only had just signed Wright to his four-year, $116 million extension, but it was the Bears GM who picked Wright 10th in the 2023 NFL Draft after swapping the No. 9 pick with the Philadelphia Eagles, who took All-Pro defensive tackle Jalen Carter. Wright said his gratitude had more to do with the GM's time investment rather than the hefty contract.

“Poles really invests in us besides the financial investment,” Wright said. “He really invested in me, helping me get more one-on-one time with the coaches, one-on-one time more with the strength staff, one-on-one time more with (strength assistant) Mark (Philippi) in there doing core strength. He’s helping me set it up.”

Poles took a special interest in Wright, his initial Bears first-round draft pick, and talked to coaches about making extra time to develop someone he saw with huge potential. It worked out, with Wright becoming the NFL’s highest-paid right tackle ever just days before his 25th birthday.

“They have all that stuff they are handling, but he’s really invested in me, even from a long time ago, so I really appreciate that,” Wright said.

The second-team All-Pro tackle received the richest Bears contract ever based on average annual salary and signing bonus. ESPN cited the bonus money at $93 million, the most the Bears have ever awarded on a four-year deal.

“It’s just money,” Wright said. “It doesn’t get me into heaven.”

Wright credited others within the organization for making his success possible, in particular offensive coach Dan Roushar and coach Ben Johnson.

“After practice (Wednesday), Ben said something,” Wright said. “He said I owed Dan a loan or something, which I probably do. That guy has helped me a tremendous amount. So, big shout out to him as well.

“I think first, he’s consistent every day in what he does and what he says. He’s consistent in what he’s telling you. He’s honest and, you know, some coaches I’ve had in the past or some coaches in the league, they’re not very good teachers.”

As for Johnson, the scheme the Bears coach brought from Detroit when he took over in Chicago last year helped to free up Wright to put his blocking skills on display. The Bears went from 25th in the league in rushing to third last season and gave up just 24 sacks after allowing a league-worst 68 the season before.

“Ben has the scheme and I think Ben, he premieres you in plays,” Wright said. “The biggest thing, and I’ve said it before — when he first got here, like, he instilled the confidence into me that I was going to be a part of the offense. I’ve never had a coach really come up to me and be like, ‘We’re depending on you.’

“Obviously you do your job. But ‘We’re depending on you to complete this play, and this is pretty much your play.’ Obviously you’re not getting the ball. To see a coach come in, a coach like Ben Johnson, and he has that confidence in you already, it gives you a little bit of confidence in yourself."

The Bears have a few other contract extensions to address before next year, including defensive tackle Gervon Dexter and running back D'Andre Swift. However, the really big upcoming extension would be quarterback Caleb Williams, who becomes eligible after the 2026 season.

NOTES

The Bears have become more whole on both sides of the ball after a few early injury concerns. Starting linebacker T.J. Edwards was taken off the non-football injury list and practiced Wednesday for the first time, while backup running back Kyle Monangai has returned from a soft tissue injury and was involved in a full practice.

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

But the nanny never worried the Massachusetts mother might be a danger to her children or to herself.

“I observed a wonderful mom who loved her kids,” Elaine Rossi told the jury on the seventh day of the trial in Plymouth. “She was concerned about their safety, and Callan eating and sleeping. She was a wonderful mother.”

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

Prosecutors contend that she acted intentionally on Jan. 24, 2023, and should be held criminally responsible for the deaths of Callan, Dawson and Cora Clancy, who ranged in age from 8 months to 5 years.

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

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Rossi was hired in September 2022, a few months after Callan was born, and let go in December after Clancy, 35, decided not to return to work. Rossi said she wasn’t told why Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse, chose to remain at home.

She testified Wednesday about her time with the Clancy family, describing Cora as a “girly-girl” who loved arts and crafts. Three-year-old Dawson was “full of energy, rambunctious, funny, silly.” Callan was the “sweetest, happiest baby.”

The defense sought to portray Clancy as a doting mother who acknowledged her mental health difficulties. Prosecutors likely hope the jury will see a mom who wasn't impaired by her mental health.

Rossi testified that she saw prescription medicine bottles in the house, and that Clancy "shared with me she had postpartum and couldn’t sleep,” and had taken to sleeping in the basement.

In her journals during that time, Clancy indicated she was struggling with anxiety and feeling overwhelmed by motherhood.

Both the prosecution and defense read excerpts from her diary to the jury Monday, where she catalogued an ever-shifting lineup of psychiatric prescriptions, as well as thoughts of suicide. Clancy remains paralyzed from the waist down after jumping from her home's second-story window on the night of the killings.

Clancy wrote about her struggles to get newborn Callan to sleep, and constant worries of his being sick. She also expressed concerns about going back to work, not being able to breastfeed, and feeling disconnected from her children and her then-husband.

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

“I have crazy brain fog. I feel like I can’t make a plan,” she wrote in another, undated entry. “I live moment to moment waiting for the next nap time.”

Clancy’s lawyers don’t dispute that she killed the children. But in the criminal trial and a medical malpractice lawsuit, her attorneys say she had bipolar disorder that wasn’t fully diagnosed until after the killings. Her attorneys say her condition seemed to worsen on the psychiatric medications, some of them problematic for bipolar patients.

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

Nearly three months into the outbreak, new cases are doubling in some hot spots, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on X after meeting with officials in the capital, Kinshasa. It was the second visit by the WHO director-general to the Central African country since the outbreak was declared in mid-May.

“We all agree that we must urgently and massively scale up all our efforts across all pillars of the response and by all partners,” Tedros said.

The outbreak has accounted for 3,874 confirmed cases, including 1,751 deaths, as of Monday, according to the latest data from Congo’s Ministry of Health.

In Ituri province, the epicenter of the outbreak, families said many front line workers have gone on strike, worsening access to healthcare that was already challenged by rebel conflict in one of Congo's most remote and vulnerable areas, its east near the borders of South Sudan, Uganda and Rwanda.

While some workers say they have started receiving payment in the last week for work done since the outbreak began, they are demanding improved wages.

Anicet Baluku, a resident of Bunia, the capital of Itur, blamed the death of his two brothers from Ebola on the strike. “We urge the authorities to quickly find a solution to prevent other families from experiencing the same tragedy,” he told The Associated Press.

The U.S. Department of State said on Wednesday that it will provide an additional $242 million in funding for immediate Ebola response and preparedness efforts in the region and for humanitarian assistance related to the outbreak. Such funding, it said in a statement, has now exceeded $512 million in direct assistance.

The outbreak has eclipsed all previous Ebola outbreaks in its speed of transmission and is the second-largest outbreak on record, behind the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak that recorded more than 28,000 cases, including over 11,000 deaths.

The Bundibugyo virus that is causing this outbreak has no approved treatment or vaccine, and local officials believe it began in a remote area long before it was declared on May 15.

The outbreak is still “spreading at an alarming and unprecedented rate,” the medical charity Doctors Without Borders said on Wednesday, adding: “The response is expanding but is still not reaching communities quickly enough to break transmission chains.”

Dr. Jean Kaseya, head of the Africa Centers for Disease and Control, said on Tuesday during a visit to Bunia that contact tracing isn't working, with at least 60% to 70% of new cases coming outside of those being monitored after exposure to patients.

Late detection of cases has been a key contributor to the 45% fatality rate, officials say. Of the 77 most-recent cases reported during a 24-hour period, 44 were fatal, according to the health ministry. At least 717 patients are in isolation while 749 patients have recovered.

Kaseya, who met with Tedros on Wednesday, said Africa CDC is aligning its efforts with responders “around earlier detection, stronger contact tracing, rapid access to quality care and deeper engagement with communities.”

Tedros called for action to reach all affected localities, strengthen coordination under the government’s leadership and protect health workers.

“Above all, communities must be at the center of and have ownership of the response,” he said. “We cannot stop Ebola without their trust, leadership and partnership.”

A bridal shower and yard-sale barbecue were canceled. So were English-language classes. Roosevelt Toussaint, the senior pastor of the nondenominational congregation in Salisbury, said attendance at Sunday’s service dropped by more than half. Normally, more than 500 people would have heard his sermon, titled “What to do in a time of crisis.”

The reason for empty seats, Toussaint said, is that many community members are unwilling to venture from their homes, fearing arrests and deportation since the Trump administration moved to end Temporary Protected Status for more than 1 million people from numerous countries. Among those affected: roughly 350,000 Haitians who have been living and working legally in the U.S. for years.

In Salisbury, the Eastern Shore's biggest city, about 10% of the 33,000 residents are Haitian, many of them employed under TPS as farmworkers, caregivers and in the poultry plants that are the region’s economic backbone.

Like other Haitians losing TPS, they face an agonizing choice: try to stay in the U.S. and find underground work, constantly fearful of being caught by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Or return to a nation so overwhelmed by gang violence and poverty that some feel deportation is tantamount to a death sentence.

Pastor has a message for the president

Toussaint, the Word of Life Center's pastor since 1995, said he had a message for President Donald Trump.

“We’re expecting you to have compassion for our people. They haven't done anything wrong,” Toussaint said. “All they came to this country to do is to work, to make a difference in our economy. … There’s no security at home. If you really send us over there, you send us to die.”

At Sunday's service, the first since TPS protections expired, Toussaint exhorted his congregants to persevere.

“I’m praying this afternoon that God can make you invisible to the enemy,” Toussaint told them in Haitian Creole. “They put a lot of terror in your heart. But God has come to tell you: Do not be afraid!”

Some of the congregants who are U.S. citizens said they attended the service in solidarity with those losing TPS. Among them was Marjorie Estimé, who wore a Haitian flag draped around her neck.

“I want to tell the president of the United States to stop the ICE program, so that the people can work, so ICE can stop shooting them, persecuting them, and we can go back to normal,” Estimé said of the administration's crackdown on immigration.

ICE has pressed ahead, according to advocates and attorneys who say the agency is calling Haitians in for ankle bracelets and telling them not to travel more than 75 miles (121 kilometers) from their home address.

“Instead of them heavily descending on communities, they are using tactics to bring those people into their offices to either detain them or fit them with an ankle monitor, and telling them that if they don’t self-deport, they will be called back to report within a month,” said Guerline Jozef, president of the Haitian Bridge Alliance.

Court rulings fueled confusion

The TPS termination affecting Haitians was challenged in district courts. On June 25, the U.S. Supreme Court  sided with the government, allowing TPS to end and triggering weeks of confusion around enforcement timelines.

On Wednesday, the Haitians who had been shielded from deportation officially lost their protection. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes was forced to lift her stay that had blocked the administration from terminating TPS for those who had obtained it.

“It’s just like a hurricane at Category 5 — that’s how bad it is,” said Samson Orneus, a member of Toussaint's church. He helps the pastor lead the local Haitian Development Center of Delmarva and runs WOLC Immigration Services, an immigrant assistance business in Salisbury.

Throughout last week, news spread on social media about arrests by immigration authorities at gas stations and outside supermarkets.

“We had a population living legally, raising their kids, paying their bills, and with the decision (to end TPS), they were left in limbo,” said Marie D. Fouché, founder and executive director of Safe Harbor Circles. It provides support to immigrant communities across the Eastern Shore and recorded more than a dozen arrests of immigrants recently, including some with TPS.

“They have left their kids at home,” she said. “They went to the grocery, shopping at Walmart to cook for them and feed their family. But they got arrested in the parking lot, and they’ll never go back.”

Asked about ICE enforcement activities in Salisbury, the Department of Homeland Security said via email that it “does not discuss ongoing or future operations.”

“Temporary Protected Status is exactly that — temporary,” the email said. “For too long, TPS has been allowed to function as a de facto amnesty program despite Congress never intending it to be permanent.”

At a nearly empty barber shop in Salisbury, a Haitian with TPS ventured in for a haircut. Like others, he asked to remain anonymous for fear of deportation.

“They’re not going after the people committing crimes,” said the 39-year-old man, who has been a caregiver at a nursing home since moving to Salisbury in 2020. “When I go out to the street, I’m in fear.”

TPS protections for Haitians date back to 2010

The United States initially gave TPS to Haitians following a devastating 2010 earthquake and extended it several times since.

The Trump administration pushed to end that status, saying conditions in Haiti improved. Yet almost 1.5 million people have been  displaced because of gang violence, and most Haitians need humanitarian aid.

“What this administration is doing hurts me so much because it’s inhumane,” said Leila Borrero Krouse, an immigration specialist with CATA, a nonprofit supporting Eastern Shore farmworkers.

“In all of these years that I’ve been working with immigrants, I’ve never met a criminal, a rapist, an abuser,” she said. “Most come to take jobs that others don’t want. And it’s heartbreaking to see how they’re suffering.”

The immigration crackdown has upended the life of Patricia Grace Louis-Jacques, a nursing student at Salisbury University with family members and friends affected by the end of TPS. Last week, her best friend asked her to take care of her infant child if she got detained.

“From that moment, I knew things got bad,” Louis-Jacques said at a nearly empty Caribbean Creole Cafe under a painting of Toussaint L’Ouverture, a leader of the Haitian Revolution. “Their lives have tremendously changed.”

Not far from the church, near a Perdue Farms poultry plant, a Honduran woman spoke from the home she has rarely left since the Trump administration ended TPS for nearly 80,000 Hondurans and Nicaraguans.

She said she worked at Perdue for more than two decades, repetitively cutting chickens with scissors on a fast-paced line, before losing her job last year after her TPS expired.

Her 25-year-old son, who was born in the U.S., worries that she will be detained. He often calls, reminding her to keep her living room curtains closed and avoid answering the door. Sometimes, she said, she hides by locking herself in a bathroom, where she keeps a Bible.

She used to attend church and volunteer at events advocating for immigrants' rights. These days, she only takes her two dogs to the yard and then returns indoors.

“It’s terrible to live in this anxiety,” she said. “It isn’t fair to those of us who came to this country not to cause harm, but to try to have a better life.”

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Associated Press writer Gisela Salomon in Miami 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.

Photos captured by The Associated Press on Wednesday show construction workers using a jackhammer on the helipad, which no longer carries the dark gray trim of a presidential seal that was visible last week. It was unclear why the seal was being removed.

The White House said it's continuing to make improvements as part of efforts to best match the needs of the building and its grounds. Trump has said the helipad is needed because new helicopters in the fleet used for Marine One are so powerful they rip out the South Lawn grass.

“For years, the White House has desperately needed a proper helipad on White House grounds that will allow the president to land safely and also protect the beautiful South Lawn grass from the fierce exhaust fumes of the incredible Marine One," White House spokesman Davis Ingle said on Wednesday. "Thanks to President Trump, the White House has never looked better, and it will only continue to get better under his leadership.”

The helipad is part of a long list of renovations that Trump has undertaken in his second term. His projects include a 90,000-square-foot (8,360-square-meter) ballroom; a Rose Garden paved over with stone; a new marbled interior in the Palm Room, a lobby-like room that leads out to the West Colonnade and Rose Garden; and an Oval Office that continues to add gilded decorations.

Trump described the helipad at length during an Oval Office appearance last month, saying it would be made of carved granite and calling it a “beautiful thing.” The president also said Sikorsky Aircraft, a subsidiary of defense contracting giant Lockheed Martin, would be paying for the project, which he estimated would cost up to $6 million. Lockheed referred comment on the helipad construction to the White House.

The new helicopters used for Marine One are manufactured by Sikorsky and made their debut under then-President Joe Biden in 2024. But their use has been limited because their exhaust vents aim heat downward, posing a risk to the South Lawn grass.

Trump has said that using granite rather than concrete for the helipad was his suggestion. He has also noted that the landing pad could be used for other White House events, such as press conferences.

The removal of the seal was first reported by The Washington Post.

Sage is the epitome of a good dog. She came to the rescue just last week and has integrated into the chaos without issue. She was scared and unsure at first, but she quickly adapted to the schedule, the people, and is better every day with the dogs. She isn’t like the dogs we normally take in that are in rough shape, but has been well cared for and very loved.

Sage came to South Georgia Equine Rescue (SGER) house-trained, crate-trained, and leash-trained, plus does well in the car. She doesn’t seem to have the normal shepherd energy (5/10 energy), but does have the one-person loyalty. We think she would do best as the only pet in the house, or as she adjusts to the rescue, she may learn to love other animals, and not just tolerate them.

www.equineremedy.com/adopt-a-friend

The crash is between Roosevelt. Blvd. and McDuff Ave.

As of 12:20 p.m., two right lanes were blocked.

All lanes were back open by 2:15 p.m.

The barrage, which lasted about two hours, was the latest in a series of large-scale Russian missile strikes that have become almost routine this summer. Moscow is exploiting Ukraine’s critical shortage of interceptors for the U.S.-made Patriot systems, the sole air defense weapon in its arsenal able to shoot down ballistic missiles.

Zelenskyy has pleaded with other countries, especially the U.S., to send more of the ammunition made scarcer by the Iran war. Failing that, he wants to make Patriot ammunition in Ukraine or win permission from Elon Musk to use his Starlink satellite communications system to guide strikes inside Russia that can hit its missile launchers.

It's unclear how many interceptors Ukraine has left. Zelenskyy said after a Russian attack Friday night that air defenses shot down only one ballistic missile “solely because there are no missiles for the Patriots.” Supplies of defensive missiles for Ukraine in the first half of this year fell to one-third of the 2025 level, Zelenskyy said.

“Ballistic interceptors are what could have saved the lives of those killed today,” Zelenskyy said Wednesday on social media. “It is very important for our partners to understand that delays in supplying them, or a reluctance to hand over anti-ballistic systems, lead directly to such horrific casualties and destruction.”

The targets hit in the barrage included a brewery, a warehouse for construction material, and a mail sorting office that had nothing to do with the war, Zelenskyy said. But Russia's Defense Ministry said the businesses had military ties.

Thursday was set as an official day of mourning for the 17 people killed, said Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv's regional military administration. In addition to the dead, at least 44 people were injured.

Ukraine retaliates with long-range drones

With U.S.-led peace efforts apparently stalled, Ukraine has stepped up its deep strikes on key Russian targets such as oil refineries to try to compel Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate. Zelenskyy has accepted an unconditional ceasefire demanded by U.S. President Donald Trump but Putin has refused.

In its latest attack on facilities for Russia’s biggest online retailer Wildberries, Ukrainian drones hit a warehouse in the Tula region south of Moscow, the company and the region’s governor said.

Ukraine has struck over a dozen Wildberries facilities in under three weeks, saying the company provides goods that can be used by the military. Kyiv is also keen to unsettle the Russian public with high-profile attacks.

The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces downed 475 Ukrainian drones overnight over 16 Russian regions, as well as in illegally annexed Crimea and the waters of the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea.

Russia says it struck war-related targets

Russia fired 24 ballistic missiles, four other missiles identified as either hypersonic Zircon or supersonic Onik cruise missiles, and 115 drones, many of them jet-powered and harder to stop due to their speed, Ukrainian authorities said.

The Russian Defense Ministry said it struck transport, logistics and distribution centers involved in war-related activity, four of which were in Kyiv.

“The enemy is attacking everything indiscriminately — retail warehouses, food storage facilities, logistics hubs, enterprises, building materials warehouses,” Zelenskyy adviser Serhii Beskrestnov, said on Facebook.

It was not immediately possible to independently reconcile the different Russian and Ukrainian accounts of the military value of the targets.

Kyiv warehouse worker Mykhailo Hukov said an air raid warning that included a ballistic missile threat sounded just after midnight.

“So everyone started running,” he told The Associated Press. “I turned everyone around so they wouldn’t go back inside for their backpacks.”

In an underground shelter minutes later, they heard “very loud explosions.”

Ukraine’s largest private postal operator, Nova Poshta, said a Russian cluster munition destroyed one of its sorting centers in Kyiv.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the center was “storing and distributing dual-use goods, including those used in the production of long- and medium-range uncrewed aerial vehicles, as well as robotic systems and electronic warfare systems.” It claimed that two other logistics centers in the Kyiv region stored drones or components for drones.

Separately, Russia said its forces hit three bulk carriers on the Black Sea south of Odesa that it claimed were transporting Ukrainian weapons and military equipment. Ukrainian officials didn't comment on that claim.

Truck drivers make a narrow escape

Ivan Braga, a 46-year-old truck driver from Moldova who was in Kyiv during the attack, said he and a colleague ran from their vehicle when it was struck by shrapnel in a blast wave.

“We didn’t even have time to grab our documents or anything else,” Braga told AP. “I couldn’t believe it. I’d already been in Kyiv and had heard explosions before, but nothing like today.”

One of the companies that came under heavy fire was Epicentr, one of Ukraine’s largest retail and construction chains. It said in a statement on Facebook that “in minutes, Russian missiles destroyed what the company had built over decades.” One employee was killed and three others were wounded.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the Epicenter logistics center handled order processing, sorting, storing, and delivery of dual-use goods and components for drone production.

Russian drone factory chief badly hurt in a car blast

The director of a factory that makes drones for the Russian military was seriously injured when his car exploded in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg, news reports said Wednesday.

Vladimir Tkachuk was hospitalized after the explosion late Tuesday just outside the city 1,400 kilometers (about 870 miles) east of Moscow, the state Tass and RIA Novosti agencies said.

His factory, Uraldronzavod, manufactured the Upyr, a cheap and simple drone that was popular with troops for the protection it offers against jamming.

Russian officials made no comment, but authorities previously have blamed Ukraine for a string of bombings and other attacks targeting military officials.

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AP reporters Illia Novikov, Volodymyr Yurchuk and Dan Bashakov in Kyiv contributed.

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

On July 21, JSO reviewed the incident after the News4JAX I-TEAM began asking questions about the case, which gained widespread attention after Jacksonville resident Rhiannon Alvarez shared her experience in a TikTok video viewed tens of thousands of times.

Alvarez told News4JAX she was shopping for home decor when she noticed a man following her through the store. She said she later realized he was sexually gratifying himself while watching her.

After alerting store employees, Alvarez recorded the man’s license plate and called the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

She said officers arrived about three hours later and told her there was nothing they could do. Although she said the responding officer reviewed the store’s surveillance video, she was told no charges could be filed.

When the I-TEAM initially requested a copy of the incident report, JSO responded that no records existed but confirmed the agency had received a call about the incident.

After News4JAX began asking questions about the case, JSO said detectives were taking another look.

The sheriff’s office has now closed the investigation.

“Obviously it’s pretty disappointing that nothing can be done about it,” Alvarez said. “He will continue to keep doing it especially now that he knows there’s no repercussions.”

Why was the case difficult to prosecute?

The I-TEAM spoke with Jacksonville attorney Gene Nichols to better understand why the alleged conduct did not result in criminal charges.

“These type of cases can be very hard to pursue charges on,” Nichols said. “What happened here, while it is something that clearly has affected the victim in this case, it’s actually not a crime.”

Nichols said Florida’s indecent exposure statute creates a significant hurdle in a case where there is an allegation of sexual conduct but no exposure.

Florida law makes it a crime to expose or exhibit sexual organs in public or on private property in a vulgar or indecent manner.

“In this there was never a time when this individual removed his clothing, exposed any form of his body parts or anything to that extent,” Nichols said. “That took it away from that Florida statute.”

Nichols said the lack of physical contact between the man and Alvarez also makes it difficult to apply other criminal statutes.

“There not being any contact with the victim in this case, only something the victim saw this person doing, it doesn’t fall underneath this statute,” Nichols said. “So there’s really not a Florida statute on point that would allow for the sheriff’s office to have an arrest and then the state attorney’s office to subsequently prosecute.”

The explanation may be surprising to people who hear the allegations, Nichols said.

Could the law be changed?

Alvarez’s original TikTok video generated hundreds of comments, many from women who said they had experienced stalking, harassment or other unwanted behavior.

Alvarez previously told News4JAX she believes lawmakers should consider changing the law if conduct like what she described cannot currently be prosecuted.

“I think it’s ridiculous,” Alvarez said.

Nichols said the potential solution would have to come from the Florida Legislature.

“The only real solution at this point in time is to go to the legislature and see if there’s a way to criminalize it,” Nichols said.

But Nichols said writing a law broad enough to address the conduct while still clearly defining a crime could be difficult.

“You run into real sort of intent issues as to what this person was doing if there’s no exposure of sexual organ,” Nichols said. “If there’s not touching of the other person, was the person actually doing what they were doing?”

He said creating a law based on conduct that could be difficult to prove could lead to conflicting accounts between an accused person and an alleged victim.

“He’s going to say, ‘I wasn’t doing that,’ she’s going to say he was,” Nichols said. “That law is hard to create.”

What JSO says

The sheriff’s office has not said whether investigators found evidence that could support a criminal charge or specifically what led to the decision to close the case.

HomeGoods previously told News4JAX it cooperated with law enforcement.

“At HomeGoods, we take the security of our customers and Associates very seriously. We are aware of this matter and have cooperated with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. We will continue to assist law enforcement as appropriate and respectfully defer further comment to the authorities,” the company said.

The News4JAX I-TEAM has reached out to lawmakers for their reaction to whether Florida law should be changed to address conduct like the allegations in this case.

In the original interview with News4JAX, Alvarez questioned why the alleged conduct did not violate Florida law.

“I just hope that other woman use this story as a reminder to be safe and vigilant while out and about,” Alvarez said.

Only internal candidates will be considered for the interim role. The board is expected to review and potentially interview candidates in the coming weeks, with the possibility of selecting an interim CEO at the Aug. 26 meeting.

JTA CEO Nat Ford announced in July that he would resign and has accepted the chief executive post with Dallas Area Rapid Transit. Ford is scheduled to leave the JTA in October.

The board also approved the qualifications it seeks in a permanent chief executive and directed JTA purchasing staff to solicit proposals from search firms to lead the permanent CEO selection.

The procurement process will be expedited, and the board plans to vote on a search-firm selection at the Aug. 26 meeting.

The authority aims to choose a permanent CEO by the end of the year.

Welcome to the NFL preseason. If you want to see starters play, wait until next month when the games count in the standings. Or watch joint practices.

The exhibition schedule kicks off Thursday night with Beck and the Arizona Cardinals facing Pickett and the Carolina Panthers in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio.

The preseason is an opportunity for rookies, backups and players fighting for roster spots to get snaps and showcase what they can do. Most first-round picks won’t play much. Cardinals running back Jerimiyah Love (No. 3 pick) and Panthers tackle Monroe Freeling (No. 19) are sitting out the opener.

Beck, a third-round pick from Miami, will be under center for new Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur. Veteran Jacoby Brissett is Arizona’s starter and Gardner Minshew is the backup.

“I had no clue I was going to start,” Beck said. “Obviously, I thought I was going to play but I really didn’t have any expectations going into any of this. Obviously, our schedule is absolutely crazy right now, practice, meetings. But I’m looking forward to it.”

Beck, who led the Hurricanes to a national championship matchup against Indiana, said he won’t have any butterflies before the game.

“I think the last time I was nervous was maybe when I was 8 years old for our city championship in Pop Warner,” Beck said. “It’s a game at the end of the day. It’s an opportunity to go out there, have fun with your teammates and play the game that I love. It’s what I love doing.”

Pickett, a first-round pick by the Steelers in 2022 who led Pittsburgh to a 14-10 record in two seasons, has bounced around the league.

He spent the 2024 season with the Eagles before Philadelphia traded him to Cleveland last year. The Browns sent him to the Raiders during training camp and he started two games for Las Vegas. The Panthers signed Pickett to back up Bryce Young.

“Just want to go out there and operate a high level,” Pickett said. “All the hard work that we’re putting in practice you want to see come to life on game day and that’s everyone just doing their job and executing.”

Carolina won the NFC South last season with an 8-9 record. But the Panthers led the 12-win Rams in the final minute of their wild-card playoff game before NFL MVP Matthew Stafford threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Colby Parkinson with 38 seconds left for a 34-31 victory.

The Panthers have been getting after each other in practice, so coach Dave Canales is looking forward to seeing his team hit an opponent.

“Tempers are flaring a little bit and I just have to remind them none of that helps us. It throws us out of the rhythm of practice,” Canales said.

Practice is everything for coaches in training camp.

Fewer teams play their starters in preseason games so they have to get them ready for the regular season in practice. Joint practices — teams facing opponents ahead of their exhibition game — are a growing trend in the NFL.

A total of 28 teams have scheduled joint practices which begin next week.

The Rams have joint practices with the Cowboys and Saints coming up.

“That’ll be basically their preseason,” Los Angeles coach Sean McVay said. “We’ll get an opportunity to see a lot of the younger guys play in the preseason and those are great opportunities to play real football. When we put the pads on, it’s close, but you’re still not playing tackle football. And there are a couple spots. There are always important things that you want to be able to see unfold and be able to establish some depth if, God forbid, we have the inevitable injuries that do occur. But we’ll take it a day at a time and there’s so many things.”

The Detroit Lions are one of the four teams that won’t have any joint practices so some of their starters could see action in the preseason games.

“We have got to get these guys ready for a season,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “There’s a chance we play some of these guys in the preseason without the joint practices, and so I’m going to do what I think is best to prepare these guys for 17 weeks, but also understand that we have got to be smart about it and we can’t break them in training camp, and so the approach will stay the same, it will, and you have got to get ready, and you can’t let fear of injury scare you away from what you believe in.”

Several key players already have been hurt in practices over the past week. The Panthers lost second-year edge rusher Nic Scourton to a torn ACL on the first day of camp. They also saw wide receiver Chris Brazzell II go down with a torn LCL.

New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Bryan Bresee tore his ACL last week. Atlanta Falcons edge rusher Jalon Walker was carted off the field with a knee injury on Tuesday.

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

Chaffee Trail Middle School reported 117 fights, the highest total in Florida at any grade level, according to the Florida Department of Education’s School Environmental Safety Incident Reporting System. The most recent data available were from the 2024-25 school year.

Two other Jacksonville schools also ranked high in reported fights: Westside Middle School with 92 (5th statewide) and Highlands Middle School with 89 (6th statewide).

The News4JAX I-TEAM took the data to Duval County Public Schools to get answers about how the district is handling the issue of fighting in its schools.

Chaffee Trail Principal Dr. Cicely Tyson-White said the numbers reflect a rough first year for a new school that opened in fall 2024 and quickly became overwhelmed by the number of students packing hallways during class changes.

“We were incredibly overcrowded,” Tyson-White said, adding that bringing together students from different communities also contributed to conflicts.

Tyson-White said district boundary changes reduced enrollment from more than 1,200 students to just over 1,000, giving administrators space to reorganize.

Sixth graders were moved to the first floor, additional security guards were hired, and more adults were placed in high-traffic areas.

Tyson-White said the changes have led to a major improvement.

“We have seen like a 50% reduction in incidents at our school,” she said.

Duval County Regional Superintendent for Middle Schools Dr. Jenifer Boatright said Westside and Highlands also experienced shifts tied to boundary and attendance zone changes.

“When you have students that come in from different neighborhoods, then sometimes problems arise because they’re getting used to each other,” Boatright said. “So there’s a cultural shift.”

Boatright said schools have studied student movement patterns and adjusted supervision and schedules. Strategies include adding staffing in high-traffic areas, adjusting class transition times based on building design, and imposing penalties for students who encourage fights or gather around altercations.

Administrators said the goal of the penalties for spectators is to change the culture around fights. They’re warning students not to run toward altercations, form crowds or record videos, because those actions could lead to discipline.

Boatright said reported fighting at Westside and Highlands has dropped between 20% and 40% with the new strategies in place.

District leaders said counselors, social workers and staff are also focusing on building relationships with students to identify conflicts early, including encouraging tips through Fortify Florida or direct reports to administrators.

The district hopes smaller enrollments, redesigned boundaries and more adult supervision will keep fight numbers down as the new school year begins next week.

The I-TEAM also analyzed fights per 1,000 students to compare schools by enrollment. Using that measure, Chaffee Trail ranked 18th statewide, Westside ranked 15th and Highlands ranked third.

Use the interactive map below to explore data on fights in schools across Northeast Florida.

Widespread showers and storms will develop in the afternoon and evening. Heavy rain, frequent lightning and gusty wind will be possible in any storm.

Isolated instances of flooding will be possible, especially for locations that see several rounds of showers and storms.

Make sure to keep an eye on the sky, as storms could develop rapidly. Activity will eventually dissipate later in the evening.

Tonight will be mostly cloudy and warm with temperatures in the 70s.

Thursday will feature a mix of sun and clouds with highs in the low 90s.

Rain and storm coverage will increase later this week and weekend as tropical moisture pushes back into our region. Temperatures will be seasonable with highs near 90 degrees.

Regarding the drought, the latest drought monitor reflects improvement across our area. Several areas have been downgraded to a moderate and severe drought, which reflects the rainfall we saw over the past week.

THIS AFTERNOON: Partly to Mostly Cloudy. Scattered Rain & Storms. High 91.

TONIGHT: Mostly Cloudy. An Isolated Storm Early. Low 74.

THURSDAY: Mostly Cloudy. Scattered Rain & Storms. High 92, Low 75.

FRIDAY: Partly to Mostly Cloudy. Scattered Rain & Storms. High 90, Low 74.

SATURDAY: Partly to Mostly Cloudy. Scattered Rain & Storms. High 90, Low 74.

SUNDAY: Partly to Mostly Cloudy. Scattered Rain & Storms. High 91, Low 74.

Walker was carted off the field at training camp on Tuesday after going down following a pass-rush play. The injury was quickly feared to be an ACL tear, as the second-year pass rusher was unable to put any weight on his left leg.

The Falcons selected Walker with the No. 15 pick in the 2025 draft after an outstanding career at neighboring University of Georgia. He immediately bolstered the Falcons' pass rush, recording 36 tackles, 5.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in a strong rookie campaign.

Walker's efforts helped bring the Falcons from the bottom of the sack leaderboard in 2024 to the second-most sacks (57) in the NFL this past season, behind only the Denver Broncos (68).

The future of the Falcons' pass rush this season is murky, as Walker's counterpart, James Pearce Jr., could be awaiting a suspension following an offseason arrest. Police referred to the Feb. 7 incident as a domestic dispute with WNBA player and ex-girlfriend Rickea Jackson.

Walker expressed his excitement about the upcoming season after the Falcons' first day of training camp. He said he stayed local during the offseason, splitting his training between the Falcons practice facility and the University of Georgia.

“I've been itching at the bit just to get back in the building and get on the grass,” Walker said. “Enjoyed the time off, but it's time to start to roll and get the ball moving.”

The Falcons will now turn to a group of edge rushers consisting of Samson Ebukam, Azeez Ojulari, Cameron Thomas, Bralen Trice and Keshawn Banks. DeAngelo Malone was placed on the reserve/PUP list on Tuesday.

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

Kevin Hoffman is accused of traveling 90 mph in a posted 45 mph zone when he struck the back of a scooter in the right lane. The scooter’s rider, Delinda Heinrich, of St. Augustine, died as a result of the crash.

After the collision, investigators say Hoffman fled the scene and later crashed at the intersection of U.S. 1 and State Road 16. Investigators say they determined his blood alcohol concentration was .212 at the time of the crash — nearly three times the legal limit of .08.

Hoffman was released from a rehabilitation center and taken into custody at his home.

He faces three charges: leaving the scene of a traffic crash involving death, driving under the influence causing death to a human, and vehicular homicide.

Heinrich’s family said they are still searching for answers and want someone held accountable.

Heinrich’s mother, Betty Moore, said the family is trying to process the loss while pushing for a full accounting of what happened.

“I lost my daughter, my friend. I lost a piece of me that I’ll never get back,” Moore said.

She described Heinrich as lively and always smiling, and she said Heinrich was wearing a helmet and following the law when the crash happened.

The sheriff’s office released dash-cam video showing a black Tesla passing a deputy at high speed on SR‑16 moments before the vehicle struck the scooter rider and then crashed.

The Tesla’s 59‑year‑old driver was taken to a hospital with serious injuries; officials said another person also was hospitalized with serious injuries. Intersections in the area were temporarily closed while emergency crews responded.

Moore said she wants the investigation to lead to accountability.

“I hope that someone’s held accountable for my daughter’s death because she did not cause any of this,” she said.

Although no one observed the actual 5,400-mph (8,700-kph) collision, a telescope in Chile spotted what astronomers have identified as the debris plume resulting from the crash. Space tracking experts said it was inevitable that the leftover rocket segment plowed into the moon.

It’s the latest instance of lunar litter, a problem that many fear could worsen as the U.S. and China race to put astronauts on the moon. In 2022, a Chinese rocket unintentionally hit the moon following a lunar mission, and many more stray rocket pieces likely struck the moon in decades past without scientists' knowledge.

SpaceX's Julianna Scheiman said this week that the company is working with NASA to avoid future wrecks, stressing that this projected crash was not deliberate. A combination of solar activity and gravity accidentally put it on a collision course with the moon, she said.

Boston University's Carl Schmidt said he is “100% certain” that his team's observations revealed signs of the lunar crash. The European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope detected a stream of sodium and lithium stretching for miles (tens of kilometers) into space for at least five to 10 minutes following the impact, he added.

“We don’t have images of the impact" but there's telescope evidence, Schmidt said in an email.

Even before signs of the debris plume were spotted by the telescope in Chile, retired astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell noted that observations of the dead 4-ton upper stage on Tuesday night showed it heading straight for the moon. The anticipated crash site was a dusty, barren patch near Einstein Crater on the moon’s sunlit western limb — near the edge of the near and far sides, which is especially difficult to observe from Earth.

“There's no doubt in my mind" that the rocket “is now in teeny, little pieces scattered over the moon near Einstein Crater,” McDowell told The Associated Press.

“As a physicist, I know that what goes up must come down,” he added.

Stargazers knew it would be difficult, if not impossible, from the ground to see the plume of dust and rock ejected from the resulting crater, let alone the flash of light from the impact. Orbiting spacecraft had the best chance of witnessing anything — or at least observing the crater after the fact.

Dutch scientist Marco Langbroek was among those aiming his telescope at the moon at the appointed time, but he came up empty.

"We knew this would be a long shot,” Langbroek said.

Like McDowell, Langbroek said he had “no doubt” the rocket met its doom.

Visual confirmation, McDowell noted, will have to wait for NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to fly over the crash scene and send back photos of the impact crater. The space agency doesn't expect that to happen until next week.

The Falcon rocket's upper stage — a fat cylinder more than 40 feet (12 meters) long — hoisted two private lunar landers from Cape Canaveral on Jan. 15, 2025. It ended up adrift after putting Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost and ispace's Resilience on course for the moon. Resilience wrecked, but Blue Ghost aced its touchdown, becoming the first private spacecraft to do so.

The moon is the new go-to destination in space, with NASA envisioning a stampede of robotic craft over the next several years to form the foundation for a sustainable lunar base. Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin will provide the lunar landers for NASA's Artemis astronauts.

Musk's Starship is making steady progress in test flights from Texas. Bezos' Blue Moon lander has yet to launch. One or both landers will take part in next year's Artemis III, a docking rehearsal in orbit around Earth. A lunar touchdown by astronauts — the first since NASA's Apollo moonshots — could follow as soon as 2028.

“Things are going to get a lot busier near the moon,” McDowell said. “At that point an impact like this on the lunar surface plowing up huge amounts of dust going for hundreds of miles around is not going to be acceptable.”

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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.

Back in February, The Becovic Companies positioned itself to acquire the landmark buildings by taking over the property’s mortgage. The company announced it planned to purchase and renovate the Trio with an adaptive reuse of all three buildings and new construction on the site.

“We are pleased to confirm our acquisition of Jacksonville’s historic Laura Street Trio through the auction process. These landmark buildings hold a special place in the city’s history and represent an important opportunity for the future of downtown Jacksonville,” Muhamed Becovic, president of the Becovic Companies, said in a statement sent to News4JAX. “This acquisition is also a historic milestone for the Becovic Companies and our family—one that we are proud to carry forward with a deep sense of responsibility and purpose.”

The Trio comprises the Florida Life Insurance, Bisbee and Marble Bank buildings at northeast Laura and Forsyth streets. The buildings were among the first built in Jacksonville after the 1901 fire that destroyed much of the city.

They have been vacant for decades amid several failed redevelopment plans, with ground-floor openings boarded up and upper-story windows missing.

Alan Cottrill, president and CEO of Avant Construction Group, said in August 2025 that Avant had begun work on behalf of the potential buyer, which was later revealed to be Becovic, to perform due diligence for a potential sale of the Trio.

“We appreciate the significance of this property and look forward to engaging with local leaders, stakeholders, and the broader community as we evaluate the path ahead. We will release further information about our plans in the near future,” Becovic said.

The pup was one of hundreds of pets and wild animals rescued by volunteers this week during the blaze, which prompted multiple evacuations.

The fire — at one point burning on five fronts — torched dozens of homes and more than 100 square kilometers (39 square miles) of land. It was the latest scene of destruction during Europe’s searing summer, where massive fires — including in countries accustomed to cooler summers — have worried animal welfare groups.

In the town of Megara, 40 kilometers (25 miles) west of Athens, rescue organizer Elena Dede said the local volunteer effort saved more than 280 animals, mostly dogs, during scorching heat and high winds.

Sasa and others were housed on an indoor sports court inside a collapsible wire cage with a rubber ball to play with and a metal water bowl.

“There was so much heat and the fire was so aggressive. It was changing directions all the time,” Dede said.

Richard Parr, director of the U.K.-based Center for Wild Animal Welfare, described these animal rescue efforts by firefighters and local charities as “heroic” but argued that hotter summers are increasing the risk facing millions of animals.

“At the moment, all too often, it is ad hoc, and it falls on the shoulders of private individuals, small charities,” he said. “The scale of the challenges they’re facing in terms of the number of animals affected and the areas of fire is gigantic and completely out of step.”

The organization is campaigning for a dedicated European Union animal rescue service and funding to address the problem.

“There’s just a massive mismatch between the huge scale of this problem and the resources and the capacity that are available to respond to it,” Parr said.

He also urged governments to consider setting up “fire refuges” for animals, such as ponds and rock piles that could offer shelter.

In Greece, the blaze has left rescuers with a logistical headache: where to return displaced animals like Sasa. Dede said local authorities were helping match missing-animal notices with rescued animals and find temporary homes until the process was completed.

However, she said she was mindful that the dogs at the stadium were among the fortunate.

“It was really hard for every volunteer and every person involved to survive the smoke and the stress,” she said.

“I will never forget the animals that we knew were left behind. I’m just hoping they were saved and ran free."

___

Petros Giannakouris in Megara, Greece contributed.

The 65-year-old Edwards, who is serving his second term, said that he made the decision to drop his reelection bid after “much prayer and reflection” and that he would complete the current term.

The Ethics Committee recommended the censure, an act registering its deep disapproval of a lawmaker’s conduct that does not meet the threshold for expulsion, on Monday. The panel highlighted numerous examples of actions it considered improper, including Edwards providing the young women with lavish and recurrent gifts, making comments regarding their appearance and dress, inviting them to intimate dinners and vacations, and sending notes regarding his affection.

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

“Serving Western North Carolina has been the honor of my life,” Edwards said in a post on X. “Thank you for your trust, prayers, and support. God bless WNC and America.”

GOP colleague says it's good Edwards quit the race

North Carolina Republican Sen. Ted Budd said Edwards "did the right thing by withdrawing from the race.”

In a statement, the senator said the congressman has been “a fighter for the people of Western North Carolina as they work to recover from the impacts of Hurricane Helene, and I know he’ll continue to advocate for disaster funding for the remainder of his time in D.C.”

Budd’s spokesman, Christian McMullen, said the senator found the House Ethics Committee's report on Edwards “deeply concerning" and believed the congressman already faced a significant uphill battle trailing in the polls even before the report's publication. He declined to say whether the senator asked his colleague to step aside, saying the senator does not discuss private conversations.

Edwards’ attorneys call censure ‘harsh’

The Ethic Committee described Edwards' actions as “beyond inappropriate” but said it found no evidence that he explicitly propositioned any people under his employ or engaged in any sexual activity with them.

In a response to the Ethics Committee's report, Edwards’ attorneys argued that the committee’s findings “exonerate” the congressman. His attorneys said the recommendation of censure was an “extraordinarily harsh and infrequent punishment” based on vague standards, “not based on a direct violation of House rules addressing sexual misconduct.”

State law requires Edwards to put his intent to withdraw in writing and submit it to the state Board of Elections before ballots are mailed to overseas voters and the military. The Republican executive committee in Edwards' 11th Congressional District will meet next week to select a nominee for the midterm election.

“The people of Western North Carolina deserve a strong conservative voice on the ballot this November, and our Party is prepared to move through this process quickly and efficiently,” state GOP Chairman Jason Simmons said in a statement.

House GOP majority is at stake in the midterms

The political upheaval in North Carolina adds to the difficulty Republicans face as they work to keep their slim majority control of the House this fall.

House Speaker Mike Johnson is already juggling other disruptions, including in Ohio, where Republican Rep. Max Miller faces his own ethics investigation in a district that typically has been favorable to the GOP.

Johnson, R-La., has remained upbeat about his party's chances of keeping House control, but he can only afford to lose a few seats that will make the difference between which party holds the powerful speaker's gavel.

The seat Edwards will be vacating encompasses much of the rural western part of the state but also progressive Asheville, and it has been one to watch as a bellwether in the race for the House, as Republicans and Democrats battle for party control.

Even before the decision by Edwards to step aside, election analysts had shifted their assessment of the race from one that was more favorable to Republicans to more competitive.

Democrats, who have nominated farmer Jamie Ager as their candidate, have poured attention on the district as one to flip to their column.

Republicans had wanted Edwards to step aside and believe the seat is still winnable for the GOP, hoping to mount a fresh campaign with a new candidate.

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

For Slovakia, it was also the third time this summer that temperatures reached a record high. The country's south recorded temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in the latest heat wave, with a new record of 41.4 C (106.5 F) in the town of Kamenica nad Hronom in southern Slovakia, the Slovak Meteorological Institute said.

The previous records were set on two days — June 29 and June 30 — with 41.0 C (105.8 F) in the town of Turna nad Bodvou, and 41.3 C (106.3 F) in Kamenica nad Hronom.

That smashed a 2007 high of 40.3 C (104.5 F) in the town of Hurbanovo.

The night of Tuesday into Wednesday was also the hottest on record, with 28.4 degrees Celsius (83 F) in the town of Skalica in southwestern Slovakia.

In Austria, the all-time high of 41.2 C (106.1 F) was measured in Bad Deutsch-Altenburg near the border with Slovakia, beating a 41.0 C (105.8 F) record from the previous day, the GeoSphere meteorological service said.

The Czech Republic and Hungary had also recorded their all-time highs earlier this summer.

This year, Europe has been sweltering under an exceptionally hot and arid summer, with tinderbox conditions setting off unprecedented fires that have forced hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate homes and vacation spots.

The continent is the world’s fastest-warming, with temperatures increasing twice as fast as the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.

The arrests were made Aug. 2 at a Gate Gas Station near Durbin Pavilion Drive after deputies say the suspects attempted to run away from deputies.

First incident: July 31

According to the arrest report, the scheme began July 31, when surveillance video captured three suspects working in a coordinated effort inside the Dubin Pavilion Walmart. Deputies say one suspect acted as a lookout while the others gathered high-value items — specifically Ninja Slushy machines — before fleeing the store.

The total loss from the July 31 incident was $866.00. Deputies say all three suspects drove away in a blue Nissan bearing a Florida license plate that had been bent upward to obscure the characters.

August 2 theft

Less than two days later, investigators say surveillance footage captured the same three suspects allegedly attempting the same scheme at the same Walmart location.

According to the report, one suspect pushed a shopping cart full of merchandise while monitoring the store exit. A second suspect reportedly did the same, while the third walked the store floor — all three appearing to be on the phone simultaneously, the report states.

Before the suspects could pass the final points of sale, Loss Prevention Officers (LPOs) approached them. All three abandoned shopping carts containing $899.73 in merchandise — again including Ninja cookware — and ran from the store.

Arrests made near gas station

LPOs say they kept an eye on the suspects as they exited the store. One suspect was detained on foot near the store. Meanwhile, Cpl. Riggins located the suspect vehicle at a nearby Gate Gas Station, where the other two suspects were observed attempting to flee on foot.

A foot pursuit followed and ended quickly, according to the report. Both suspects surrendered and were taken into custody.

Suspect admits to theft

Following Miranda warnings, investigators say one of the suspects made statements to deputies admitting her involvement.

“I was about to steal then I seen the man so I hauled [expletive] out the store,” the suspect reportedly said, according to the arrest report.

She also acknowledged her role in the July 31 incident, telling deputies she “probably stole a Ninja machine” that day because the items were easy to resell. She further stated that one of the other suspects had driven the group to the store.

Prior theft at another Walmart

LPOs later informed deputies that the three suspects had shoplifted at a nearby Walmart in Jacksonville immediately before arriving at the St. Johns location on Aug. 2, the report states.

An inventory search of the suspect vehicle revealed multiple brand-new, boxed appliances consistent with LPO’s account of the prior theft. The vehicle was sealed as evidence and towed for processing by other jurisdictions.

Part of a national trend

The St. Johns County case appears to be part of a growing national pattern. News outlets across the country have reported on separate Ninja Slushy machine theft cases in their regions — suggesting the popular appliances have become a target for organized retail theft rings. The machines are considered easy to resell, according to the arrest report.

That means the start of school for high schoolers in the county is now delayed “until further notice.”

Students at all other schools will return to class on Monday as planned.

The district said Charlton County High School should be able to start next week, but possibly not until Wednesday, Thursday or Friday.

The open house for the new school has also been postponed.

“Delaying the start will allow teachers ample time to set up their classrooms next week and to ensure everything is working as it should (computer networks, cafeteria equipment, etc.)” the district wrote on social media.

The district said it will alert students and families about the new start date, “as soon as we get teachers in the building and have a firm timeline on the completion of the remaining electrical work.”

The two elementary schools and the middle school in the county will hold their open houses on Thursday and will begin on Monday.

The post on the Charlton County School System page came just days after the district said, “The new school is coming along nicely and the construction company assures us we are on track for our Monday opening.”

In that earlier post on Monday, the district also said the furniture company is assembling and installing furniture in all classrooms, cafeteria, and offices; final touches are being made to the auditorium and the cafeteria eating area; and the ground is prepped for asphalt.

The district said the school building is only Phase 1 of construction.

“The new gym, weightroom, and hallway connecting them to the existing gym and new building are still under construction and will not be complete until sometime in 2027,” the district wrote.

The state Tass and RIA Novosti agencies said that Vladimir Tkachuk was hospitalized in grave condition following the explosion late Tuesday in Bolshoy Istok just outside Yekaterinburg, 1,400 kilometers (about 870 miles) east of Moscow.

There was no immediate comment from the authorities.

Tkachuk headed the Uraldronzavod factory that manufactures Upyr (Russian for Ghoul) drones. Tkachuk, a small-scale entrepreneur, set up a team of engineers that developed the Upyr and organized its production near Yekaterinburg, Russia’s fourth-largest city and a key industrial hub in the Ural Mountains.

The Upyr, a cheap and simple first-person view drone, was hailed by troops for the protection it offers against jamming. In September 2024, Tkachuk was pictured presenting his designs to Russian President Vladimir Putin at a display of military drones in St. Petersburg.

Tkachuk, an ardent supporter of the Kremlin's military action in Ukraine, also has run the Obsessed with War channel that has over 650,000 followers on the Telegram messaging app. A message posted on the channel Wednesday said that he was in emergency care in stable condition after an attempt on his life.

Kommersant said that a week ago, the head of another maker of drones for the Russian military, Andrei Cherezov, was shot and wounded in the city of Tula.

Russian authorities have blamed Kyiv for a series of bombings and other attacks against senior military officials and public figures after Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022.

The explosion followed Saturday's deadly bombing at an upscale Moscow restaurant, which the Russian Embassy in Rome blamed on Ukraine, describing it as an attempt to intimidate the Italian community in Russia. It said in a statement Monday that the attack on the Balzi Rossi restaurant killed five and injured 19.

The Russian Foreign Ministry reposted the embassy statement without comment, and Russia's security agencies haven't named the suspected culprits. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has described the bombing as a “brutal terrorist act,” but did not say who was responsible.

Several Russian media outlets claimed the bombing targeted a Russian general who was celebrating his birthday at the restaurant. Some claimed that the general was Col.-Gen. Alexander Chaiko, who led the troops that made a botched attempt to storm the Ukrainian capital in 2022 and recently was appointed the chief of Russia’s aerospace forces. The claims could not be independently verified.

Disney also announced a global short-form content sharing deal with TikTok on Wednesday. The agreement will bring Disney-focused fan-created content from TikTok to the Disney+ app.

Shares climbed nearly 3% in early morning trading on Wednesday.

The Walt Disney Co. cautioned earlier this year that its theme parks division would likely see modest growth due in part to declining tourism from abroad.

International tourism in the U.S. has waned for a number of reasons after President Donald Trump’s return to the White House, including tariffs, a crackdown on immigrants, and repeated jabs at alliednations.

The Experiences division, which includes Disney’s six global theme parks, its cruise line, merchandise and video game licensing, reported that operating income climbed 20% to $3.02 billion and revenue totaled $9.97 billion. Operating income rose 27% at domestic parks, while operating income declined 13% for international parks and Experiences.

Overall attendance at U.S. parks climbed 3% from a year ago on an increase in attendance from domestic tourists and annual passholders. The company said the performance was also helped by summer promotions and new experiences being offered at the parks.

CEO Josh D'Amaro, during a conference call after the first full quarter he has overseen since taking over for Bob Iger about five months ago, said that spending was also up at domestic parks despite the current economic uncertainty.

“The consistent investments that we’ve made over time, combined with the fact that the experience Disney provides to its fans, it’s truly differentiated and highly valued,” he said.

The growth in attendance at parks is being driven by U.S. residents, but Disney is also seeing more robust traffic at domestic parks from overseas visitors.

D’Amaro became the 9th CEO of the 100 plus-year-old company after overseeing Disney theme parks, cruises and resorts for about six years.

Disney got a substantial boost from “Toy Story 5” during the third quarter, which has already pulled in $1 billion at the box office globally. The film boosted interest in other Toy Story films on Disney+ as well, and Toy Story merchandise sales helped give the company its strongest quarter of year-over-year growth in consumer products revenue in 20 quarters. The company also noted the strong performance of “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” particularly overseas.

Revenue for the entertainment streaming business - which includes Disney+ and Hulu - climbed 11% to $5.53 billion. The results were helped by adding more subscribers, price increases and higher advertising revenue.

Disney continues its transformation from cable to streaming entertainment as viewers cut the cord in huge numbers.

The company on Wednesday announced that it is selling its 50% stake in A+E Global Media, the owner and operator of the History and Lifetime channels.

A+E Global has been a joint venture between Disney and Hearst, and an affiliate of Hearst is buying Disney's stake for $1.2 billion.

Disney earned $2.64 billion, or $1.51 per share, for the three months ended June 27. It earned $5.26 billion, or $2.92 per share, a year ago.

Removing one-time charges and benefits, earnings were $2.06 per share. That easily topped the $1.86 per share that analysts polled by FactSet predicted.

Revenue for the Burbank, California-based company rose 7% to $25.25 billion. Wall Street was looking for $25.39 billion.

Disney said it recorded an approximately $100 million tariff refund after the Supreme Court struck down some of President Donald Trump’s most sweeping levies on trade. The company said that it may receive additional refunds in future quarters, but that the monetary amounts are expected to be insignificant.

Publix said sales for the quarter ended June 27 were $15.7 billion, up 1% from $15.6 billion a year earlier. Sales for the six months ended June 27 were $31.9 billion, a 1.5% increase from $31.4 billion. Comparable-store sales fell 0.5% for the quarter and 0.3% for the six-month period.

The company said the comparisons were also affected by a Medicare maximum fair price change that took effect Jan. 1 and reduced drug prices for 10 medicines, which reduced sales. Publix added that broader economic conditions have hurt consumer spending — pressure that often shows up in grocery aisles as shoppers trade down, buy fewer items or shift to lower-priced brands when food prices climb.

Net earnings for the quarter were $1.7 billion, up 20.5% from $1.4 billion a year earlier, and earnings per share rose to $0.52 from $0.42. Excluding net unrealized gains on equity securities, adjusted quarterly net earnings were $1.06 billion, or $0.33 per share, compared with $1.04 billion, or $0.32, a year earlier.

For the six months, net earnings were $2.45 billion, a 2.7% increase from $2.39 billion, with earnings per share of $0.76 versus $0.73. On an adjusted basis excluding fair-value changes, six-month net earnings were $2.20 billion, or $0.69 a share, compared with $2.22 billion, or $0.68, in 2025.

Publix also said its internal stock price for associates fell to $19.60 a share effective Aug. 1 from $20.45. The company’s stock is not publicly traded and is sold only to current associates and board members.

“I’m grateful for our associates’ commitment to our customers, our communities and each other, especially during this difficult economic time,” Publix CEO Kevin Murphy said.

The results are based on unaudited financial statements that will be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and posted on the company’s website.

Performing on late-night has historically been a unique avenue for musicians hoping to access new audiences — think of a rising Chappell Roan on “The Late Show” or even The Beatles on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” But when James Corden left CBS' “The Late Late Show” in 2023, his program — and its coveted performance space — was never revived. NBC's “Late Night With Seth Meyers” has cut back on live music, while ABC's “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” reduced performances to twice a week. As it stands, only NBC's “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” consistently books live performances.

Emerging artists still see incredible value in these performances — and are hopeful that nascent online programming will offer a new alternative.

Breaking through on late-night

March 3, 2014, was the day that changed everything for rock band Future Islands. The synth-pop group was a stalwart of America's underground music scene due in no small part to charismatic frontman Samuel T. Herring and his idiosyncratic voice, somewhere between Tom Waits and Rammstein's Till Lindemann. That day, they performed on “Late Show with David Letterman,” and the host was transfixed. “I'll take all of that you got!” Letterman cheered, and the DIY band was cast into true virality.

“At the time that we played Letterman, we were in a transitory period for the band,” said bassist William Cashion. They'd signed to the larger indie label 4AD Records, hired management and were promised a late-night TV spot but never thought it would pan out. “Our team, they told us, ‘It’ll be good for your fans and your friends and family, but it’s not really going to move the needle. These things don’t really do what they used to,’” he recalls.

But that wasn't the case.

“All the festivals that initially turned us down all of a sudden wanted us to come play. Everything kind of shifted after that moment,” he said. “It was definitely a huge turning point and gave the band much greater exposure.”

New media offers an alternative place for discovery

A dearth of late-night spots particularly affects independent acts — the kind that could really benefit from the exposure, just like Future Islands. Representatives for CBS, NBC and ABC did not return The Associated Press’ requests for comment.

Chloë Walsh, co-founder of publicity firm The Oriel, points to the music bookers behind the scenes. “Of course, they have to book all the biggest things in the world, but they also have things that they want to champion,” she says. Fewer slots means developing artists are competing with big names for dwindling opportunities.

But there are other avenues to discovery.

“We’re kind of an anomaly in the way that our song and that performance took off,” says Cashion. “But we’ve seen other bands have TikTok viral hits and stuff like that.”

There are many examples of artists cracking the code online: Singer-songwriter Gigi Perez's career was launched with the TikTok smash “Sailor Song,” as was Malcolm Todd's with a few viral hits, landing him a major label deal with Columbia Records. Indie band Beach Bunny saw their punky-pop go viral with “Prom Queen” just ahead of the pandemic, leading to performances on Kimmel and Fallon.

Even legacy artists are experiencing second winds of music discovery: Weezer's 2010s power-pop track “Go Away,” featuring Best Coast's Bethany Cosentino, recently made the rounds on TikTok and became a top song for both on Spotify.

“It seems like a lot of different aspects of the album cycle have kind of been replaced with short-form content,” Beach Bunny singer Lili Trifilio explained. “And it is a bummer because late-night is a service to musicians in such a major way. You are helping people reach new fans.”

“And I think now a lot of the responsibility of advertising is falling on the artists to be their own late-night special on TikTok or whatever,” she continued. “I don’t think that these 30-second, one-minute self-made clips hold the same value.”

Internet creators reimagine traditional formats

“The media landscape is always changing. Sometimes that’s good for music and sometimes it’s bad for music,” says Walsh. “There’s a whole breed of young creators at the moment doing really interesting stuff. … Hopefully there will be more opportunities out there and we don’t have to rely on the networks.”

She points to “Track Star(asterisk),” the online music trivia series, which has begun hosting live performances, and to Julian Shapiro-Barnum of “Recess Therapy,” who has launched a late-night YouTube show, “Outside Tonight,” that features live performances.

Shapiro-Barnum says “Outside Tonight” was born out of necessity. “We know that the entertainment industry is hard to break into. And so, what’s been so cool about digital media is that it’s circumvented that,” he says.

“How can we do late night, but different?” was his approach. The show takes place outdoors, bypassing a traditional studio. The musical bookings also lean independent. Recent performers include rapper Erick the Architect, indie rock soloist Annie DiRusso and the multi-instrumentalist and experimentalist L'Rain.

“There was no version of the show that didn’t have music,” he says. “To me, it feels like a staple.”

Beach Bunny performed during the first “Outside Tonight” episode.

“It’s so cool to see people that are like movers and makers be like, ‘Hey, this is a gap I’m seeing. Late-night is being placed on the back burner. We need to revive this; I’m gonna figure it out,’” Trifilio said. “I hope that it inspires other people to step up.”

She sees it as part of a larger YouTube renaissance, shifting away from prioritizing short-form content.

“I think that people are yearning for some longer-format stuff,” she says.

The power for live performance is exposure — not sales

In traditional late-night TV spots, artists benefit from exposure — but that doesn't necessarily mean a jump in sales. Ideally, that will also translate to these new media spaces.

“It’s a showcase for touring. And that’s really where artists make their money,” says Walsh. “People say, ‘It doesn’t really give you a bump if you’re on a late-night TV show.’ They’re looking at the sales, they’re not looking at a promoter in Minneapolis going, ‘Oh my god, I want that,’ or a radio playlist director saying, ‘Oh that was fantastic, we should add that.’”

“Every musical guest who’s come on ‘Outside Tonight,’ everyone in the crew, everyone in the audience, has not stopped listening,” says Shapiro-Barnum. “In real time, it spreads and creates all these fans. So, I have to imagine that happens online as well.”

But for many, landing a late-night TV performance is still the north star of a press run.

“For a lot of people — especially international artists that are coming to slog it out across the U.S. in some club shows they may not even be headlining — if you could get on ‘Jimmy Kimmel,’ it’s like we’ve cracked it,” says Walsh. “The whole thing was worth it. And that’s huge.”

Visit Jacksonville and Mayor Donna Deegan will present Michelin recognition placards to the owners and chefs of Eggboy, Rue Saint Marc and The Bearded Pig at Jacksonville City Hall.

The recognition carries particular weight given Jacksonville’s recent reputation. A June 2025 study by financial advisory company FinanceBuzz ranked Jacksonville as the most boring city in America out of 75 major cities, citing its culinary scene as one of its weakest categories. The study found that 54% of all restaurants in Jacksonville are chains — tied for the fourth-highest rate in the country.

The Michelin Guide, originally published in France in 1900, is considered one of the most prestigious restaurant rating systems in the world. A listing in the guide — even without a coveted star — places a restaurant among a select group recognized for quality, consistency and culinary distinction.

Eggboy is co-founded by Nicholas Presti and Zachary Presti, with Raymond Johnston serving as head chef. Rue Saint Marc is led by Executive Chef and Proprietor Scott Alters and Beverage Director Gaby Alters. The Bearded Pig is co-founded by Chad Munsey and Michael Schmidt.

Update: 7:00 p.m. Locally heavy thunderstorms and flooding. Two Flood Advisories are in effect for Duval County. The first one, mainly west of downtown, will continue through 8 p.m.

The second area is east of downtown and will continue through 8:45 p.m.

Radar-estimated rainfall in the affected area ranges from 0.75 to nearly 2 inches, with totals increasing as the rain and storms slowly wind down.

The Gulf Coast breeze is pushing showers and isolated storms toward I-95 and the beaches.

Isolated sea breeze showers and storms are developing along the Gulf Coast breeze. These will continue through around 8 p.m. As the southwesterly flow continues, showers remain possible through around 10 p.m.

Isolated showers and thunderstorms, driven by the Gulf breeze, will continue through Thursday. The Atlantic breeze returns Friday through the weekend with increasing coverage of showers and storms.

Temperatures will hover around our seasonal averages with 70s in the morning and upper 80s to low 90s for the beaches and inland areas.

Tonight: Isolated showers and storms through around 8 p.m.

Wednesday: Partly cloudy skies will become mostly cloudy as the Gulf breeze moves by. The breeze may spark a few showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon, 30-40 percent for NE FL, 20 percent for SE GA. Lows in the 70s. Afternoon highs in the low 90s inland, upper 80s to low 90s along the beaches. Wind: SW/SE 5-15 mph.

Thursday - Sunday: The pattern continues with building afternoon clouds and rounds of showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the 70s. Afternoon highs in the low 90s inland, upper 80s to low 90s along the beaches. The wind will remain from the southwest through Thursday then switch to a southeasterly flow through the weekend.

Tropics: It’s early August and the tropics are quiet. www.news4jax.com/weather/2026/08/04/tracking-the-tropics-saharan-dust-and-wind-shear-limit-early-tropical-formation-in-2026-hurricane-season/

Sunrise: 6:47 p.m.

Sunset: 8:18 p.m.

The church said that all are invited to a special Reflective Service on Wednesday at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Aug. 8, at 1 p.m. for his Homegoing Celebration, with the viewing beginning at noon.

Flowers and acknowledgements can be sent to Hardage-Giddens Riverside Memorial Park & Funeral Home at 7242 Normandy Boulevard, Jacksonville, FL 32205.

Wednesday’s reflective service will be streamed live on the church’s YouTube channel.

“Together, we will remember, praise, worship, and celebrate a life well lived,” the church said on its Facebook page. “Please continue to keep the Coleman family in your love and prayers.”

A rare chord change on Wednesday — from seven notes to eight — represented the completion of about 4% of the 639-year endeavor of the John Cage Organ Project Halberstadt.

It was a historic moment inside the medieval Burchardi Church, in Halberstadt, Germany, that reflected the past, present and future of the project, as well as those who are following its — albeit very slow — progression.

“As fast as our world is developing, I think it’s a wonderful place to be and to come to yourself and just to be touched by this ‘being there,’"said Anneli Borgmann, chairwoman of the John Cage Organ Project Halberstadt’s board of trustees.

While the project commenced in 2000, the performance began Sept. 5, 2001 — Cage’s 89th birthday — with a silent pause that lasted until Feb. 5, 2003, when the first chords could actually be heard.

The composition — called “ORGAN²/ASLSP (As SLow aS Possible)” — is scheduled to finish on Sept. 4, 2640.

An electric-powered blower system sends wind into the organ to create a continuous sound. A chord change, done manually, means that the sound of the organ pipes changes either because new sounds are added or existing sounds end.

More than 150 people squeezed inside the church Wednesday to witness what was the piece’s 17th chord change, with dozens more watching a livestream outside.

For three minutes, the crowd listened to the “old” chord with its seven pipes. Then, an eighth pipe was slotted into the small organ, bringing with it a new sound that reverberated throughout the church. The spectators listened for another three minutes — some filming with cellphones, others taking it all in with their eyes closed and heads bowed — before breaking out into applause and cries of “bravo!”

“It’s a very subtle difference,” said Jeffrey Lependorf, executive director of the John Cage Trust in New York. “There’s a higher sound that’s a little more prominent.”

Cage’s music inspires after his death

Cage, an American avant-garde composer, was born in Los Angeles in 1912 and died in New York in 1992. He was also a renowned music theorist, artist and philosopher whose only direction for this piece was to play it as slowly and as softly as possible. He initially composed it for the piano in 1985 and updated it for the organ in 1987. It was reimagined into the 639-year project after his death.

The interpretation of the composition in Halberstadt has resulted in the smallest unit being one month long. Other units — as well as silences — can last years.

The project has transformed the Burchardi Church, which was left largely in ruins before money was raised for a new roof and other fixes to make the piece a reality. The sound there envelopes visitors throughout the church and gives them new experiences to hear as they move through the empty space.

“I think it really is the organ playing the church and not the other way around,” Lependorf said. “You move two inches in any direction and it sounds not subtly different — very different.”

Generations of stewards ensure organ’s future

The piece will last 639 years, from 2001 to 2640. The time frame was chosen to be a tribute to a historic organ in Halberstadt that dates back to 1361, or 639 years before the project was initiated in 2000, according to Borgmann.

The time frame allows the project’s stewards and visitors to contemplate not only Cage’s legacy but their own as guardians of an organ that will outlive them as each chord change depends upon a new generation of musicians, volunteers and craftspeople to keep the piece going.

Cage fan Michael Barnett, 55, from Glasgow, in Scotland, said attending the chord change was a bucket list item.

“This is just one of those things, one of those unique things in the world of music,” he said. “It comes up and you think ‘I just want to do this thing once.’”

Barnett and other enthusiasts also debate what the world will look like by the end of the piece.

“You just wonder what will be left here in 600-odd years time,” Barnett said. “Who will come to the last performance? Will the building still be here? Will the organ still work? What will the world be like?”

The organ, at least, is built to last.

Organ builder Johannes Hüfken said the pipes he’s crafted for this will last at least another 500 years.

“This John Cage project is a good example of thinking ahead for the next generation — thinking outside the box, beyond the completely normal and traditional,” he said.

The next chord change will take place on Oct. 5, 2027, when the overall sound will be reduced by releasing the E4 pipe.

Inheritable “final tickets” for the Sept. 4, 2640, finale are already being sold for 2,640 euros ($3,045).

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Markus Schreiber contributed to this report.

The Metropolitan Police said early indications suggest it was a mental health-related incident and that scissors were recovered at the scene. Police said four men aged 34, 39, 42 and 52 were found with stab wounds and a 47-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and assault.

The injured were taken to a trauma center following the incident Wednesday afternoon on Endell Street. Two were discharged and two remained with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening.

“While still at an early stage of the investigation, we would like to reassure the community that we currently believe this to be an isolated, mental health-related incident," Chief Superintendent Jason Stewart said.

A manager of a fish and chip shop near the scene said random people were stabbed.

“I didn’t see any scissors, but I heard it was with small scissors,” Arjan Gjorga said, adding that "the police responded immediately.”

It's dangerous to look directly at the sun without proper eye protection. But researchers were able to peek at its scorching surface with the help of the National Science Foundation's Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, located on the island of Maui in Hawaii.

Scientists originally took the images for a different reason: to fine-tune and test the limits of the telescope. But when they looked at the results, they realized they'd photographed the sun's bright outer shell at higher resolution than ever before.

What's more, they saw strange feathery patterns rippling across the surface.

“That reminds me of famous paintings, like the swirling skies in Van Gogh's Starry Night,” said solar physicist Ruizhu Chen with Stanford University, who was not involved with the new research.

Researchers saw ripples of instability on the sun's surface caused by bits of magnetized plasma moving past each other at different speeds — similar to waves that stir when a gust of wind blows over water. It's a well-known phenomenon that guides how fluids move.

This has been glimpsed on Earth and other planets like Jupiter and Saturn, but “it has not been observed ever at that level on the solar surface,” according to study co-author Friedrich Wöger with the National Solar Observatory.

The findings were published Wednesday in the journal Nature.

Scientists are curious about the sun's inner workings to better track massive bursts of energy called coronal mass ejections that can hurl toward Earth. When they hit, they can trigger solar storms, potentially scrambling GPS communications and producing colorful auroras.

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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.

It wasn’t Sanders juking half the defense on one of his dynamic touchdown runs. Instead, the Hall of Fame running back who inspired a generation of running backs with his sensational, elusive, shifty style was walking up and down the sideline handing out refreshments to his teammates.

“They were talking about how great of a player he was but they had a clip of him holding Gatorade cups and he’s walking down,” Barkley said on the AP’s “On Football” podcast. “He is going to his teammates and just the way that he carried himself. So I would say I have to give my flowers to him there.”

Barkley joined Sanders as one of nine players to rush for 2,000 yards in a season in 2024 when he was the AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year and helped the Philadelphia Eagles win the Super Bowl.

Barkley demonstrated he’s a team-first player by sitting out the final regular-season game when he needed 101 yards to break Eric Dickerson’s record. Earlier in the season, he told coach Nick Sirianni to let other backs get some carries after he had already rushed for 176 yards against his former Giants teammates and needed 14 more in the fourth quarter to set a new career-high.

Barkley finished with an NFL-record 2,504 combined rushing yards in the regular season and playoffs.

He credits his parents, Alibay Barkley and Tonya Johnson, for instilling in him an unselfish mindset.

“Just how my parents raised me,” he said. “Everything, who I am a person, it stems from my family, my brothers and sisters, and the coaches that I had growing up. But I don’t think you should get flowers for being a great teammate. I don’t think anything that I’ve done or that I said is rare. At least it shouldn’t be rare. It should be the norm, and it is the norm. I might have just got caught on camera, or I might've had an article written about me, but there’s other stuff that I have done that’s behind the scenes, and I have multiple teammates that have done great things for me, too. And it’s a winning culture. You want to create that culture. If you want to win football games, you want to be competing for championships, that matters. And I bought into that at a very young age and I think that’s what, I guess you could say, separated me.”

Barkley’s first season in Philadelphia after playing his first six with the New York Giants couldn’t have been scripted any better. He followed up his All-Pro campaign with 1,140 yards rushing in 2025 behind a banged-up offensive line.

The Eagles won 11 games, captured their second straight division title but lost a wild-card game to San Francisco. An inconsistent offense cost offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo his job.

Championship parades are the new standard in Philadelphia.

Some athletes don’t want to play in a pressure-packed environment. Barkley loves it.

“I embrace it. I don’t think pressure is a real thing from the outside force,” Barkley said. “You have to hold yourself to a high standard. I know Philly holds us to a higher standard already, but I feel like the way I carry myself and how I train and the standard I hold myself, I fit right into the city and into this fan base. ... You want to win every year. That’s the goal.”

Barkley’s acrobatic backward hurdle over a Jaguars player during the 2024 season ended up being the Madden 2026 cover. It also inspired DIRECTV’s recent campaign featuring Barkley jumping through hoops, flipping over a utility cart and hopping onto a crossbar.

“Watching football shouldn’t feel like jumping through hoops. That’s why I have DIRECTV,” Barkley says in the television commercial.

Of course, he lauded the brand’s team spirit.

“The kind of culture that they have and the day I was able to spend with them, I was knocked away and I’m just thankful for the opportunity,” he said.

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

Organizers for Film at Lincoln Center on Wednesday announced the 32 films selected for its prestigious main slate lineup, all of which will play at the festival running Sept. 25 to Oct. 12. Kicking off the festival will be Gray's “Paper Tiger,” a Queens-set crime drama starring Adam Driver and Miles Teller.

While few of the festival's selections will be making their world premiere in New York, one exception is Gilroy's “Behemoth!” starring Pedro Pascal as a cellist. The festival is making “Behemoth!” its centerpiece gala. Also making its world premiere is Ava DuVernay's “14th,” a documentary on the much-contested constitutional amendment and a kind of sequel to her “13th” documentary. DuVernay's latest will close the festival.

In between, the festival's principle lineup will feature many filmmakers who have previously brought films to the NYFF, including Pedro Almodovar (“Bitter Christmas”), Ryusuke Hamaguchi ( “All of a Sudden” ), Andrew Haigh (“A Long Winter”), Radu Jude (“The Diary of a Chambermaid”), Lee Chang-dong (“Possible Love”), Mike Leigh (“Tender Loving Care”), Pawel Pawlikowski ( “Fatherland” ) and Ira Sachs ( “The Man I Love” ).

Other selections include Chris Rock's “Misty Green,” which will first premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, William and David Greaves' acclaimed documentary “Once Upon a Time in Harlem” and Julia Loktev's “My Undesirable Friends: Part II — Exile,” the continuation of the Russian filmmaker's sprawling documentary of modern-day dissent in Russia.

“It’s hard to recall a prior main slate program in which the state of the world has been as urgently reflected in so many creative ways,” Dennis Lim, artistic director of the festival, said in a statement. “You could take any cross section of this lineup and come away with a vivid picture of what our present looks, sounds, and feels like. I’m deeply encouraged to be able to introduce New York audiences to works by so many fearless, imaginative directors whose artistry has been inspired by the shared realities of our world.”

On Tuesday, the festival announced that Takashi Yamazaki's “Godzilla Minus Zero,” his sequel to 2023's “Godzilla Minus One,” will make its world premiere at the NYFF on Sept. 26.

The move Tuesday closes the book on the Jan. 6 cases that were wiped out with Republican President Donald Trump's sweeping pardons and commutations last year, freeing from prison people convicted of violent of assaults on police and other crimes.

The Department of Justice in April acted to vacate the convictions of Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and others in the seditious conspiracy case who had their sentences commuted but did not receive pardons. It was a stunning reversal from the Democratic Biden administration, which hailed the guilty verdicts in one of the most serious cases stemming from the Capitol attack.

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, who oversaw the Oath Keepers' trials, criticized the department's move, writing in his ruling that the government "asks to absolve these Defendants of crimes against the United States itself." But Mehta wrote that he had no choice but to grant the administration's request.

“This is the last of the prosecutions seeking to hold accountable those responsible for the events of Jan. 6. That book is now closed,” wrote Mehta, who was nominated to the bench by Democratic President Barack Obama.

“Today’s epilogue diminishes the gravity of that day, denigrates the work of the prosecutors and law enforcement officers who secured these convictions, and excuses criminal acts that caused a centuries-long pillar of our democracy — the peaceful transfer of presidential power — to buckle. The court cannot write a different ending,” he wrote.

Juries in the nation's capital convicted Oath Keepers leaders and members of another group, the Proud Boys, of orchestrating violent plots to stop the peaceful transfer of power after Trump’s 2020 election loss to Biden. Rhodes was released from prison in January 2025 after Trump commuted the 18-year sentence he received in the case.

Rhodes, who did not enter the Capitol on Jan. 6, has denied any wrongdoing and described himself at his 2023 sentencing as a “political prisoner.” James Lee Bright, an attorney who represented Rhodes at trial, wrote in a text message that he was “disappointed in the tenor" of Mehta's opinion, adding that it was “not necessary to inject his personal opinions in such a fashion.”

Trump has argued that the Jan. 6 defendants were treated unfairly by the justice system, saying the pardons were intended to end “a grave national injustice that has been perpetrated upon the American people” and begin “a process of national reconciliation.”

More than 1,200 people across the United States were convicted of Jan. 6 crimes, including roughly 200 people who pleaded guilty to assaulting law enforcement.

Most of the Jan. 6 defendants were granted “full, complete and unconditional” pardons, while Rhodes and other defendants in the seditious conspiracy cases only had their sentences commuted. Trump also ordered the attorney general to seek the dismissal of roughly 450 cases that were pending before judges stemming from the largest investigation in Justice Department history.

And many of the bikes children are riding aren’t legally classified as e-bikes at all.

A bike without pedals is treated like a motorcycle under Florida law. That means it must meet vehicle requirements, carry proper registration, have lights and plates — and the rider would need a motorcycle endorsement.

That applies even if a parent purchased the bike for their child.

St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office Cpl. Michael Ettel says he sees young children on e-motos “all the time.”

He’s personally stopped riders as young as 10 years old, including one he said was riding a mini motorcycle going 37-40 mph on State Road 16.

Ettel said he talked to the child’s family.

“I called their parents, had their parents come pick it up, and I dropped them off at the house. Gave them some educational material,” he said, adding that the conversation was a warning.

Sgt. Justin Cash made clear that while criminal charges aren’t the goal, they remain a real possibility.

“The sheriff’s office doesn’t want to put criminal charges on kids who are 10, 11, 12 years old. You know, our main concern is safety across the board. But we also have to reiterate to the parents, to the kids, and everybody that’s out there: if they are illegal, you can receive criminal citations,” Cash said.

Even legal e-bikes come with rules.

Florida classifies e-bikes from Class 1 through Class 3, with Class 3 capable of reaching speeds of 28 mph. Segways and similar devices fall under related classifications.

Across all classes, Florida law requires helmets for riders 16 and under. The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office has a pamphlet outlining all e-bike classifications and the safe, legal speeds allowed for each.

The numbers tell a troubling story.

Last year, the Sheriff’s Office ramped up enforcement and recorded 451 encounters — between citations and warnings. This year, that number is already at 355, about halfway through the year.

Calls for service related to e-bikes are also up, with more than 1,900 logged so far this year compared to 2,200 for all of last year.

Hospital data from Wolfson Children’s Hospital is even more alarming. The hospital treated just three e-bike-related injuries in 2022, a number that climbed to 115 in 2025 and has already reached 97 so far this year.

The dangers aren’t theoretical. Already this year, a child died outside Patriot Oaks Academy while riding a dirt bike. Other children have been airlifted following e-bike crashes.

Ettel’s message to parents is simple.

“Our biggest thing is just making sure that you are being safe, you’re wearing a helmet, you’re properly equipped, and you’re following the rules of the road,” Ettel said.

As thousands of students prepare to return to school in less than a week, the Sheriff’s Office is urging families to have that conversation now — before a child gets hurt.

A local scholarship fund is helping dozens of students take that next step, awarding a record amount this year to help ease the financial burden of higher education.

The ILA Scholarship Fund awarded $82,000 in scholarships to 24 students this year as part of its 31st anniversary celebration.

For Selena Robinson, the support has helped make a college dream feel possible.

“I’m first-generation, so I didn’t know about the cost or how much it really costs to attend college,” Robinson said.

Robinson, a biology and pre-med student at Florida A&M University, said navigating college costs can be overwhelming, especially for students who are the first in their families to pursue higher education.

“Just because someone in your family didn’t seek out what you are seeking out in life doesn’t mean you are not capable of doing it,” Robinson said.

Robinson is now a four-time recipient of the ILA Scholarship and plans to attend medical school to become a pediatrician.

The scholarship fund says more than 60% of its recipients are first-generation college students, opening doors for families who have not previously had someone pursue a college degree.

Receiving an ILA Scholarship is not automatic. Students are evaluated through a scoring system the fund created to make the process fair and consistent.

Executive Director Jadene Newborn Whaley said the selection process considers a student’s GPA, community service and an essay, which makes up the largest portion of the application.

“We wanted to make sure our grading criteria was fair across the board and very inclusive, so we created a matrix,” Whaley said.

The scoring system is based on 100 points. Applicants must have at least a 3.0 GPA, but Whaley said many students applying have much higher grades.

This year’s applicant pool was especially competitive. Whaley said some students scored above 90 points, and the minimum qualifying score for a scholarship was 88.

The fund awarded larger scholarships to its top-scoring applicants this year, including one $10,000 award and three $8,000 awards.

“People are hurting, and college students are feeling the brunt of a lot of executive orders that have come down,” Whaley said. “We’ve felt it was really important that we reduce the number of students that we award and make sure the students we do award get a little more.”

For Ayden Glover, the scholarship meant starting college with less financial stress.

Glover graduated as valedictorian from Riverside High School in 2025 and is entering her sophomore year at Florida A&M University, where she studies political science. She is also a fourth-generation FAMU student continuing her family’s legacy.

“My first year of college was fully funded, so that really took the financial strain off of my family,” Glover said.

Glover said students should not let the cost of college stop them from pursuing their goals.

“I will always encourage everyone to go to school. Of course, it is scary thinking, how are you going to get there? There are resources out there,” she said.

The fund says its goal is to continue investing in students and helping them pursue opportunities through higher education.

They made camp in tents and the backs of cars. One truck parked sideways across the road. They awoke at 3 a.m., their headlamps tracing the ground, as they took their positions.

An hour later, headlights appeared in the distance. A logging truck slowed, idled, then turned around. Nobody got out. Nobody spoke.

It was a small, inconclusive victory in a fight that has spanned generations. But for those gathered in the forest, it mattered.

“There is no dispute about what happened to our land,” said Bill Jones, a First Nations Pacheedaht elder who sat in the road as daylight crept in. At 86, he’s watched the forests on his nation’s territory disappear for most of his adult life. He started logging himself at age 18, he said, before he understood what he was helping to dismantle.

“There’s nothing left — it’s practically naked, bare,” he said. “There’s few remnants here and there, and so we have to save what we can.”

Vancouver Island’s old-growth rainforests are among the rarest ecosystems on Earth

Coastal temperate rainforests cover barely half a percent of Earth’s land surface. Vancouver Island’s remaining stands — some are home to thousand-year-old trees — store more carbon per hectare than nearly any other forest system, according to the Sierra Club of British Columbia.

Yet trees that took a millennium to grow can be felled in under an hour. Since industrial logging began more than a century ago, most of Vancouver Island’s productive old-growth forests — those capable of growing the large trees characteristic of the island’s rainforests — have been cut. About 20% of those forests remain, according to the Sierra Club, and most of what remains is still open to logging.

Old-growth western red cedar, defined by the province as trees 250 years or older, produces wood so durable and rot-resistant that it fetches significantly higher prices than other local species. It’s widely used in construction and, despite recent tariffs, the United States remains a major export market. Second-growth forests, by contrast, are younger stands that regenerated after previous logging and produce less-durable wood products.

Although the province says more than 11 million hectares of old growth remain, scientists say there is only about 415,000 hectares of productive old growth capable of growing the largest trees.

The fight is not unique to British Columbia. During what became known as the Timber Wars of the late 1980s and 1990s, activists occupied giant redwoods, chained themselves to logging equipment and blockaded roads across California, Oregon and Washington. The battles ultimately helped secure protections for many of the remaining ancient forests.

The conflict has flared for decades

More than 850 people were arrested during the 1993 “War in the Woods” protests at Clayoquot Sound. Nearly 30 years later, more than 1,100 were arrested at Fairy Creek, where blockades won temporary protections now set to expire in September.

As old-growth logging has continued elsewhere on the island, activists are again returning to the forests.

In the Walbran Valley, also on Pacheedaht territory, logging by Tsawak-qin Forestry, a company co-owned by the Huu-ay-aht First Nation and forestry giant Western Forest Products, has exposed tensions over whether forests on traditional territories should be managed for economic development, conservation, or both, and who within Indigenous communities can decide.

British Columbia’s forests minister, Ravi Parmar, said that if a long-term agreement with the Pacheedaht Nation is not reached before the Fairy Creek deferral expires he would seek another extension.

The province says it has deferred or protected 2.4 millions of hectares of old growth since 2021, but critics say most of those measures are temporary and some deferred areas continue to be logged. At the same time, British Columbia Premier David Eby's government has pledged to increase timber harvests in an effort to revitalize the forestry sector. Opponents argue those goals are incompatible.

The ecological consequences of losing what remains would be extensive

Some coastal old-growth stands on Vancouver Island have not experienced a major disturbance since the end of the last ice age some 12,000 years ago. Their layered canopies, nurse logs and ancient root systems create habitat for hundreds of species, including threatened marbled murrelet seabirds and salmon.

“Once an old-growth forest is logged, it will require millennia before it has the structure, composition and function of the forest that was logged — if in fact it can ever recover in times of changing climate,” said Andy MacKinnon, a forest ecologist in British Columbia.

The forests also drive tourism, which some researchers argue outweighs their value as lumber. Visitors from around the world flock to the island's ancient groves to experience towering, moss-draped cedars and Douglas firs.

Still, the transition away from old-growth logging cannot happen overnight, said Parmar, the forests minister.

He pointed to the province's old-growth deferrals and protections, alongside investments in second-growth hemlock milling, as evidence that British Columbia is moving away from dependence on old-growth timber. He said the industry is also under pressure from U.S. tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber, which now top 45%.

“Forestry is the foundation of our economy. It provides good paying, family supporting jobs — about 100,000 direct and indirect,” he said. “If we were to shut down harvesting of all old forests here in British Columbia, it would shut down our sector completely on day one.”

For some, the fight to protect old growth is personal

“This is our ivory trade,” said Steven “Shambu” Daniluk, a longtime blockader who spent nearly two years on the front lines at Fairy Creek. But unlike the illegal poaching of elephants, much of the world remains unaware of what is happening in British Columbia’s forests, he said.

“People feel unheard,” he said. “Being engaged in this way, risking that arrest, is the only way.”

Veronika Sitar, an outdoor enthusiast from Campbell River, has found her own way of reckoning with the losses. Most weekends she drives and hikes hours into the backcountry to document old-growth stands before the loggers reach them — spending time, she said, with trees she fears won’t be there when she returns.

On a recent trip into the north island’s Prince of Wales range, she pushed through dense undergrowth and snaked around thorny plants to reach General Buxton, one of the largest yellow cedars in British Columbia. She was still catching her breath when she spotted flagging tape just 200 feet (60 meters) away, marking the route of a proposed logging road.

“I don’t want to get too attached knowing what will be logged,” she said.

Back at the blockade, word spread of a new area where logging was being planned, this time on Ditidaht First Nation territory to the north. They began making calls, hoping to connect with local land defenders.

Jones, the Pacheedaht elder, said he was troubled not just by the loss of the forests, but by people's connection to them and, in turn, to themselves. That, he said, is why they continue to protect the remaining old growth.

“We’re just fighting over the leftovers.”

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Follow Annika Hammerschlag on Instagram: @ahammergram.

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The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment

The school’s Guidance Department confirmed to News4JAX that extra counselors will be available on campus for students who might need them.

The names of the two teenagers have not been released, but a memorial has been placed near the crash site. A tire was filled with flowers, a cross and handwritten messages left by people who stopped to pay their respects.

A cheerleading ribbon in the memorial reads: “Once a Wildcate, always a Wildcat.”

According to Georgia officials, troopers responded to the area of Union Carbide Road and Mary’s Drive in Camden County to investigate a two-vehicle crash with injuries around 8:30 p.m. Saturday.

According to GDPS, a Chevrolet Silverado, driven by an 18-year-old man from St. Marys, was traveling west in the eastbound lane on Union Carbide Road, attempting to pass a Honda Accord, driven by a 16-year-old, who was attempting to turn left from Union Carbide Road west onto Mary’s Drive.

Troopers said the Silverado hit the driver’s side of the Accord, and both vehicles traveled off the south side of the road.

The Silverado flipped and two passengers in the back seat, both 16-year-olds, were thrown from the truck.

One of the 16-year-old passengers was seriously injured, and the other died at Southeast Georgia Health System’s Camden Campus.

On Tuesday, News4JAX visited the crash site and could still see tire tracks cut into the ground off the road.

While News4JAX was at the scene, a neighbor — a 12-year-old — came to clean up around the memorial so the victim’s family would have a clean place to visit.

The soon-to-be 7th grader used a weed whacker to cut the grass around the flowers, moved the clippings aside and left a small Jesus figurine at the memorial before leaving.

No other information about the crash, including if charges are expected, was immediately available.

Of note, judicial candidates in Florida are bound by Canon 7 of the Code of Judicial Conduct, which does place some limits on what they can say during a campaign, as compared to candidates for other offices.

News4JAX sent a questionnaire to each candidate asking about their background and their views on several issues. Scroll down to read the responses of those seeking your vote in their own words.

Note: Responses are sorted alphabetically and are presented exactly as submitted, with no editing by News4JAX staff.

NON-PARTISAN CANDIDATES

Sara J. Carter

Occupation: Columbia County Judge 2021-present

Age: 47

Family: Judge Carter is married to Dr. Travis Lanaux and they have two sons, George and Jack.

Education: 2000 B.S. Florida State University

2005 J.D. Florida Coastal School of Law

Political experience: (No answer)

What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?

(No answer)

How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?

(No answer)

What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?

I hope to be remembered as a judge who served Columbia County with the same pride and dedication that my family has shown for generations. As a fifth-generation Columbia County native, this community isn’t just where I work - it’s home, and it’s an honor to serve the people who have given so much to my family over the years.

I want people to remember that every person who came into my courtroom was treated with fairness, dignity, and respect, and that I applied the law faithfully and impartially. If, after my time on the bench, the people of Columbia County have even greater confidence in their local courts because they know they will receive a fair hearing and be treated with integrity, then I’ll consider that my greatest accomplishment.

Campaign website: judgesaracarter.com

Campaign social media: Facebook

Mark Pionessa

Occupation: Attorney

Age: (No response)

Family: Wife- Stacey; Stepchildren- Taylor, Wyatt, and Waylon

Education: (No response)

Political experience: (No response)

What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?

(No response)

How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?

(No response)

What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?

If elected, I hope to be known for being consistent, treating everyone equally, fairly and at all times with decency, respect and humility.

Campaign website: pionessa4judge.com

Campaign social media: Facebook | Instagram

Sumar, a small left-wing party that shares Spain’s government with the leading Socialists, presented a motion in the country’s Parliament on Wednesday asking Spain’s sports authorities to revisit its plan to co-host the 2030 soccer tournament with Morocco and Portugal.

Sumar only has 26 seats in the 350-member Parliament, but its voice is important because it holds ministerial positions in the government of Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who has faced criticism from other European Union members for the Ceuta crisis.

The motion would be non-binding. Sumar said it is hoping it can gain more support in the parliament, but beyond the potential backing of other small, left-wing parties, that seems unlikely at this point.

Sánchez has publicly defended the role of Moroccan authorities, saying they were quick to help in the return of almost all the 72,000 people who crossed into Ceuta last week. Some 2,000 people remain in Ceuta, according to Spain’s Interior Ministry, including one thousand minors.

But opposition voices and even Spain’s defense minister have asked for Morocco to give a more detailed explanation on its response to the crisis, which was fueled by social media posts encouraging people to cross the frontier. More than 80 people died when they tried to swim in a mass crossing around a breakwater and border fence from Morocco into Ceuta, a Spanish city perched on the North African coast, on Thursday and Friday.

Sumar's Nahuel González, one of the parliament members who authored the motion, accused Morocco of using migration flows for political ends.

“The Moroccan state, the Moroccan monarchy, does not respect human rights, it uses migrants to exercise political pressure,” González told Spanish broadcaster TVE.

When asked, González did not clarify if Sumar wants Morocco to not host the World Cup or for Spain to abandon hosting the event.

“We ask that Spain’s sports institutions reconsider this World Cup that is to be shared with Morocco because we believe that we must defend human rights,” González said.

A small party in Portugal’s parliament, Livre, shared the concern. It sent a letter to Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and to the President of the Portuguese Football Federation calling for a reassessment of the World Cup, calling it “unsustainable” after the Ceuta crisis.

The majority of the 2030 World Cup is to be co-hosted by Spain, Morocco and Portugal, with Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay also due to stage a game each. The South American connection will mark the centenary of Uruguay hosting the first World Cup in 1930.

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Videojournalist Helena Alves contributed from Lisbon, Portugal.

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

Now, he can feed Bailey spoons of peanut butter while she lies on his lap and play fetch with her in Central Park. His allergies didn't go away: Bailey's saliva and hair no longer contain a key allergy-causing protein.

“The feeling right now is sort of a mix of relief and awe and gratitude that it worked,” said Walker, a geneticist. His company, Kindred Companion Sciences, created Bailey and her twin Alfie using a Nobel Prize-winning technique called CRISPR.

It'll take years before the millions who suffer from dog-related allergies can walk into a pet store and buy a pooch like Alfie or Bailey.

Scientists have to monitor the long-term health effects of the genetic tweak, and find ways to commercialize the approach to make it affordable. And experts not involved with the effort say it could hurt shelter and rescue animals waiting to be adopted.

“It opens the door to a lot more people being able to own pets. On the negative side, it may discourage people from trying to use strays and unwanted animals that are not engineered to be allergy-free,” said bioethicist Arthur Caplan with New York University's Grossman School of Medicine.

Researchers have tried to create hypoallergenic pets before, mostly using cloning. But this led to sicker pups that were too genetically similar. Two years ago, researchers used CRISPR to reduce levels of an allergy-causing protein in a cat named Alsik. But it's not yet clear whether this technique is safe to be tested on other cats.

Dogs that shed less, like poodles, are often thought of as hypoallergenic. But these pups still produce allergy-causing proteins that end up in their saliva, hair and dander, so they can still make people sniffly.

To create Alfie and Bailey, scientists started in the lab. They edited the genetic code inside dog skin cells, switching off the main gene responsible for producing allergy-causing proteins. Then they transferred the edited genetic code into eggs that went into a beagle surrogate that gave birth to two healthy female pups in September 2024. Scientists tested their saliva and fur and didn’t find signs of the allergy-causing protein.

They also performed an allergy test, pricking Walker's skin with extracts from Alfie and Bailey's saliva and dander. His skin reacted to samples from a poodle and goldendoodle, but not from the beagles.

The research, published Wednesday in the CRISPR Journal, is the first time such an approach has been tried successfully in dogs.

Walker says all dogs have the same allergy-causing gene that was edited in Alfie and Bailey. Kindred Companion Sciences hopes to test the technique on other dogs and service animals to see if they can breed an allergy-free line of pups beyond beagles.

Future research should test the gene-edited hypoallergenic dogs on more people with pet allergies to be sure they can soothe symptoms across a broader swath of the human population, said Dr. Jeff SoRelle, a pathologist at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Since the switched-off gene is the main — but not the only — allergy-causing culprit in dogs that was tested, “we don't exactly know just how effective or broadly useful this could be for stopping dog allergy in humans,” said SoRelle, who had no role in the study.

Bailey lives with Walker in New York, and Alfie lives in Florida with another Kindred scientist. The edit made to their genes is rare but does occur naturally in some dogs, so Walker said it's unlikely to have any negative effects on the pups. But it will still be important to monitor them at routine vet visits and make sure they stay healthy.

Walker has had Bailey for a little over a year and says she's become a member of the family.

Despite being a lifelong dog lover, his allergies kept him away from pups growing up. Even breeds that were supposed to be more hypoallergenic, like his family's goldendoodle, gave him itchy eyes and painful rashes.

But he and Bailey can play tug-of-war together in his living room, and she snuggles at his feet to comfort him when he’s sick.

“It feels just amazing to get to have a dog,” Walker said.

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

For years, the focus has been on teens. But doctors say a disturbing shift is emerging. Some children are experiencing suicidal thoughts far earlier than many parents ever imagined.

New research is now identifying warning signs in kids as young as 5, 7, and 10 years old.

Experts say the findings are alarming, but they are also an opportunity for families to step in sooner and save lives.

“Historically, we have thought that kids younger than the age of 12 don’t actually experience suicidal thoughts, but increasingly we started seeing some numbers creep up,” said Adam Bryant Miller, an associate professor and psychologist at UNC School of Medicine.

Miller is studying how to identify early warning signs in younger children.

“Between the ages of 5 to 7 is when kids naturally start to understand what death means,” Miller said. “We definitely had 5-year-olds. We definitely had 6-year-olds that would endorse these thoughts.”

His research found that 34% of children reported having passive thoughts of dying like wanting to go to sleep and not wake up and 33% had active suicidal ideas like thinking, “I should kill myself.”

Parents should watch for big changes like withdrawing or seeming sad, unusual irritability, talking about wanting to disappear, intense fear or trauma or repeatedly acting out, and death in play or drawings.

“If you notice a very significant shift in your child’s behavior, those are times where you may start to just observe and figure out what is different for them,” Miller said.

And one major misconception still stops many parents from speaking up.

“I want to state clearly that there is no data to suggest across young kids, adolescents, or adults that asking about suicide gives anyone the idea of suicide,” Miller said.

In fact, he says, asking directly can help children feel safe.

“Kids feel relieved when someone asks them,” Miller said.

His message to parents: Don’t panic and don’t stay silent.

Miller stresses these thoughts are rare in younger children, but it’s real, and we need more studies with more data in this age range.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, you can call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline anytime.

You can also find a list of local resources available at this link.

The move brings the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's list of targets to 58, an ambitious list that reflects Trump's diminished standing with the electorate and Democrats' belief that they can capitalize on voters' frustrations over the economy, the war in Iran and the chaotic nature of the Republican president's second administration.

“MAGA Republicans who historically have considered themselves ‘safe’ have let down the people they were elected to represent, passing disastrous policies that are crushing working families and our communities,” DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene said in a statement.

The expansion spans from GOP-held districts in swing states like Nevada to those in Republican strongholds Indiana, Arkansas and Tennessee and Democratic-dominated New York. The list includes DelBene's counterpart at the National Republican Congressional Committee, Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina. The targets include other incumbents and some open seats.

Democrats need just a handful of seats to erase Republicans' narrow majority and control the chamber for the final two years of Trump's tenure. Republicans lost a net of 40 House seats in the 2018 midterms during Trump’s first presidency.

Here's a look at some notable new Democratic targets:

— NORTH CAROLINA 9TH: It's notable for Democrats to target House Republicans' campaign chairman. Trump won the district by 15 percentage points in 2024 against the Democrats' presidential candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris. But Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein carried it in the same election cycle in his successful campaign for governor. Democrats note that since 2020, the district has gained 15,000 Black voters, who tend to vote for Democrats. The Democratic nominee is Richard Ojeda, who ran for Congress in West Virginia in 2018. He lost but got 44% of the vote in a district where Democrat Hillary Clinton got only 24% in the 2016 presidential election against Trump.

— ARKANSAS 2ND: Democrat Chris Jones, the party's 2022 governor's race nominee, is trying to unseat six-term Rep. French Hill in a district that once elected moderate Democrats. Trump won the district by 16 percentage points. The electorate is about 20% Black and has a growing Asian and Latino population. Democrats point to the March primary turnout, when Democratic ballots outnumbered Republican ballots for the first time since the 2018 primaries.

— FLORIDA 12TH: Held by Republican Rep. Gus Bilirakis, this is one of the districts affected by Republicans' gerrymandering efforts after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision gutting a Voting Rights Act provision that protected minority voting strength. But as part of the GOP redraw, Bilirakis' Tampa Bay area district became more Democratic and about 14% less white, according to the DCCC's analysis. Democrats will choose a nominee this month, but Washington party leaders are looking to Darren McAuley, a former Air Force surgeon, as the potential challenger.

— NEW YORK 21ST: Trump won this district by about 21 percentage points in 2024, but not long after that he pulled Rep. Elise Stefanik's nomination for U.N. ambassador because Republicans did not want to risk the seat with their narrow House majority. Stefanik, who launched a 2026 campaign for New York governor but dropped out of that race, is not seeking reelection to Congress. Now it's an open-seat battle between Republican Anthony Constantino, a Trump-aligned businessman who is self-funding his campaign, and Democrat Blake Gendebien, a dairy farmer. The district has been represented by a Republican since 2015, but Democrat Barack Obama won it twice in presidential contests.

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

Each returning migrant is met with the question: Have you seen my son? My daughter? My brother?

Authorities say all but a few thousand of the 72,000 migrants who crossed into Ceuta in recent days have since returned to Morocco. Some families were relieved to welcome them home. Others were disappointed that the migration attempt failed.

Other families still wait desperately for news.

Families hold up photos of the missing

The surge to Ceuta was largely driven by poverty and fueled by online rumors that the border was open, triggering a crisis resonating across Europe. More than 80 people died on both sides of the border, according to authorities, as people swam or climbed fences in the attempt.

Nearly all of the migrants who survived were expelled by Spanish authorities or returned voluntarily after seeing they were unwelcome. Many of those who made it back borrowed phones from strangers to reassure anxious relatives because they had lost or abandoned their phones in the journey.

As the first migrants trickled back to Morocco, an Associated Press reporter watched families hold up printed photographs of missing relatives, stopping returnees one by one in hopes that someone might recognize a face.

The migrants studied each picture, offering what reassurance they could, often saying only that they hoped the missing person was safe.

“I have been looking for my son for five days now,” said Ibtissam Chari, whose son Rayan crossed with friends after hearing that the border had opened. “He called me when he arrived, and since then I haven’t heard anything from him."

Another woman stood silently facing the border. She said she has heard nothing from her 12-year-old son, who crossed into Ceuta with his older brother. Only the older one has returned.

“I have nothing else to do but come here and wait,” said the woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity to protect her children. “I spend all my days here. I will come back tomorrow again.”

Facebook groups that helped the crossing seek the missing

An estimated 1,000 of the few thousand migrants estimated to remain in Ceuta are minors. Spanish security forces are not authorized by law to expel them, and their fate is uncertain.

It remains unclear whether all of the dead have been found or returned to Morocco. Local newspapers and a source at the morgue in Tetouan, the largest Moroccan city near Ceuta, said the facility had received more than a dozen bodies. Journalists were not allowed to enter. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to journalists.

Meanwhile, Moroccan authorities have welded shut the small opening in the border fence that had been opened to allow many returning migrants to re-enter the country.

Facebook groups that had circulated videos showing where to swim and tracking Spanish and Moroccan patrols have now taken on a different purpose. Families post photos there of missing relatives, hoping someone has seen them.

“If anyone has seen this girl in Ceuta or Castillejos, please let us know. Her family is going crazy,” one user, Hiba Nakaax, wrote in the Facebook group Fnideq Bab Sebta.

Some parents hope their children try again for Europe

Migration has long been woven into the aspirations of many young Moroccans. Poverty and youth unemployment remain high, particularly in inland regions that have not shared in the economic gains seen along parts of the coast.

For many, Europe represents the possibility of work, stability and a different future. Last year’s youth-led Gen Z protests in Morocco reflected growing frustration over inequality and the quality of public services.

Some parents knew their children intended to make the journey.

After returning from Ceuta, 26-year-old Othmane El Merzoug was barefoot and hungry and desperate to communicate with his family. He asked to borrowed an AP reporter’s phone to call his father in the Moroccan city of Salé.

“Dad, I’ve returned from Ceuta. They didn’t allow me to stay,” he said over speakerphone. His father promised to send money to get him home.

A traumatized 17-year-old from Taounate, Mohamed Chakor, also asked to borrow a phone to call his father, who asked for help in finding other ways to reach Europe.

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Majd Semlali in Fnideq, Morocco, contributed to this report.

The scenes caused by a record heat wave in Northeast Asia illustrate how extreme temperatures have gripped South Korea, North Korea and Japan.

In most of South Korea, a major heat wave advisory was in place Wednesday as temperatures in densely populated greater Seoul, home to 20 million people, and adjacent areas soared as high as 39 degrees Celsius (102.2 degrees Fahrenheit).

North Korean authorities have issued a heat wave advisory in many areas and called for people to take safety steps to avoid heat-related health problems.

Japan's anti-disaster agency reported more than 18,000 people with heat stroke symptoms were transported to hospitals during the week of July 20 to 26.

South Korea heat is a ‘national disaster’

Since mid-May in South Korea, about 2,220 people have been diagnosed with heat-related illnesses and 19 have died, according to a report from Interior and Safety Ministry. About 17,140 livestock, such as chickens, ducks and pigs, and about 160,000 farmed fishes also have died.

On Sunday, the southeastern city of Yangsan saw temperatures reaching 42.5 Celsius (108.5 Fahrenheit), the highest figure recorded since weather observation began in Korea in 1904.

In a Cabinet meeting Tuesday, President Lee Jae Myung instructed officials to view the ongoing heat wave as “a national disaster” and make all-out efforts to protect lives.

On Tuesday night, a spectator in his 20s collapsed while watching a baseball game between SSG Landers and LG Twins at a stadium in Incheon city, west of Seoul. Emergency personnel administered CPR and transported him to a hospital, halting the game for about 10 minutes.

Another fan in his 20s fell unconscious and received treatment at the stadium after the game, according to the Korea Baseball Organization, which announced Wednesday that all 10 games scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday were canceled and would be rescheduled.

North Korean hospital official recommends cooling food

Min Son Yong, deputy director of the internal medicine department at Pyongyang General Hospital, told North Korea’s main Rodong Sinmun newspaper on Sunday that people should eat dog meat and fish porridge to supplement protein to beat the heat.

Euphemistically known as “dangogi,” or sweet meat, dog meat has long been considered a stamina food in North Korea and is traditionally eaten during the hottest time of the year.

Min also recommended watermelons, cucumbers, tomatoes, mung beans and ginger to cool down, the newspaper reported.

Dog meat also has been eaten in China, Vietnam and African countries, as well as in South Korea, which plans to formally ban slaughtering, breeding or selling dog meat for human consumption beginning next year.

Humans and animals suffer in Japan heat

Japan’s Environment Ministry issued a heat stroke alert for most of the western and southern Japan on Wednesday. While temperatures in the Tokyo region temporarily fell this week, intense heat continued to hit southern Japan.

In the southwestern city of Kumamoto, relief and cleanup work continued following a magnitude 7.1 earthquake on July 28 that killed 38 people, including a woman in her 70s who developed heat stroke while taking shelter in a car. More than 43,000 households were still without water on Wednesday.

Three lions have died at a Tokyo zoo, with a number of their animal peers developing apparent heatstroke symptoms.

Tama Zoological Park said, Mugi, a 3-year-old female lion, developed a loss of appetite on July 19 and was unable to stand the following day. Suspecting heat problem, zoo keepers provided ventilation and a water sprinkler to cool her down. The lion eventually died on July 28 despite treatment with subcutaneous fluid, liver tonics and vitamins, the zoo said.

Two other female lions, Ichigo, 11, and Luena, 15, also died within a few days, the zoo said.

Autopsies showed dehydration and multiple organ failure in all three animals and officials say they believe heat was the cause of the health problems.

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Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo.

JDR reports that the chair of the Jacksonville City Council Finance Committee expressed resistance to a completion grant that makes up most of the proposed funding.

Council Ordinance 2026-0541, which contains the incentives for the $138.6 million project at 119 W. Beaver St., was deferred in the Aug. 4 Finance Committee meeting.

Finance Committee Chair Will Lahnen told JDR that the deferral, which was requested by the Downtown Investment Authority, will allow for a restructuring of the incentives, which comprise a $19.6 million Recapture Enhanced Value Grant and a $28.5 million completion grant.

Lahnen said he hoped the DIA and Gateway Jax would “find a way to where we can avoid a big cash completion grant.”

Noting that the city has approved nearly $40 million in completion grants for four other Gateway Jax projects, Lahnen said he also was open to possibly restructuring the timing of payouts for those projects to free up funding now for Block N7.

Read the full story at JaxDailyRecord.com.

With this in mind, Edmunds’ auto experts researched which SUVs across different size and price categories are the best picks for towing, whether it’s a fishing boat to the lake, a camper to the mountains, or a car or horse trailer. All prices below include destination charges and are for the least expensive version of the vehicle that qualifies for its maximum towing capacity.

Small SUV 2026 Toyota RAV4

Fully redesigned for 2026, the entire RAV4 lineup now features a hybrid powertrain that delivers peppy acceleration and excellent fuel economy. Toyota’s revamped compact crossover also scores upgraded tech and a more upscale cabin. Although the base LE trim is limited to a 1,750-pound tow rating, SE and higher trims can tow up to 3,500 pounds when equipped with all-wheel drive. That’s enough to pull a small boat, travel trailer or an open trailer for a couple of motorcycles or watercraft. All-wheel drive is optional on the SE and XLE Premium trims, while the Woodland, XSE and Limited trims come standard with it.

RAV4 SE, properly equipped: $37,695

Midsize three-row SUV 2026 Nissan Pathfinder

The Pathfinder is Nissan’s versatile SUV that’s bigger than the Rogue but smaller than the full-size Armada. Updated styling and new technology for 2026 enhance its appeal. And when properly equipped, it also boasts a class-leading tow rating of 6,000 pounds. That’s enough to pull a midsize travel trailer, a midsize boat, or a car hauler for a relatively lightweight vehicle. SV and SL trims optioned with the Premium package and all-wheel drive achieve this rating, while the Rock Creek and all-wheel-drive-equipped Platinum trims include the necessary equipment as standard.

Pathfinder SV, properly equipped:$45,785

Full-size SUV 2026 Jeep Grand Wagoneer

Outfitted with a gusty turbocharged six-cylinder engine and a class-leading tow rating of up to 10,000 pounds, the roomy Grand Wagoneer does a great job of balancing everyday needs with robust towing capacity. This is enough to pull larger travel trailers with dual axles, large boats, or enclosed trailers for vehicles or horses. You’ll need to get a four-wheel-drive model fitted with the optional Heavy-Duty Trailer-Tow package to get the vehicle’s max tow rating. The Grand Wagoneer also offers features to make towing easier and safer, such as an integrated trailer brake controller that allows you to adjust the trailer’s brakes for smooth and appropriate stopping power.

Grand Wagoneer, properly equipped:$71,785

Luxury SUV 2026 Lincoln Navigator

If you’re looking to get a superb mix of luxury and towing capability, the Lincoln Navigator should easily satisfy. Impressive next-generation infotainment tech and an array of creature comforts make it a standout in the luxury class, while its powerful turbocharged V6 is ideal for families that want to haul in style. Navigators with four-wheel drive and the Heavy-Duty Trailer Tow package can tow up to 8,700 pounds. The Navigator also offers advanced towing features like Pro Trailer Backup Assist, which features a control knob that you can use to help steer the trailer while reversing.

Navigator Premiere, properly equipped:$96,640

Electric SUV 2026 Cadillac Escalade IQ

Cadillac’s flagship all-electric SUV is massively powerful, massively luxurious, and just plain massive. But set aside the 750-horsepower output, the 55-inch digital display that stretches across the dashboard, and the acres of interior space, and you may be surprised to learn that the Escalade IQ can also tow up to 8,000 pounds. Towing a heavy trailer can significantly reduce an EV’s range, but fortunately, the Escalade IQ has a lot to begin with. The EPA estimates that Caddy’s big electric SUV can go up to 460 miles on a single charge.

Escalade IQ starting price, properly equipped: $130,300

Edmunds says

The best towing SUVs don’t force you to choose between capability and comfort. From weekend recreation to serious towing needs, today’s top tow vehicles deliver the versatility and refinement to handle the job without feeling like a compromise on the drive home.

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This story was provided to The Associated Press by the automotive website Edmunds. Bradley Iger is a contributor at Edmunds.

Ugandan sporting news website NBS Sport said four members of the nation's boxing squad had reportedly gone missing in Scotland and did not rejoin the rest of the delegation before the team’s scheduled return to Uganda on Tuesday.

The Pakistan Today newspaper also reported a missing boxer from the Pakistan team.

“Police Scotland has received reports of several athletes who are unaccounted for. Enquiries are ongoing to assess the circumstances, and early engagement is taking place with the Home Office,” a Police Scotland spokesperson said.

There have been numerous cases of athletes seeking asylum following previous Commonwealth Games, including 2018 on the Gold Coast in Australia and in 2014 when hosted by Glasgow again.

“We’ve welcomed nearly 3,000 athletes to the city from 74 nations. We want to deliver a safe and secure games, so we work really closely with Police Scotland, the Border Force, and UK visas and immigration to make sure everyone arrives and departs in line with regulation,” Games chief executive Phil Batty said.

A news release from Teamsters Local 512 said a group of 275 Durham School Services school bus workers represented by the union in Jacksonville have voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike if the company doesn’t “negotiate a fair collective bargaining agreement.”

The release did not indicate the deadline for contract negotiations, but students in Duval County return to class on Monday, Aug. 10.

“Our members have spoken with one voice,” said Rebecca Cardona, President of Local 512. “This vote sends a clear message that our members will not stand by while the company attempts to strip away the wages, benefits, and workplace protections that generations of workers fought to achieve. Our members deserve respect, and they deserve a contract that recognizes the vital work they perform each and every day.”

The union said it has been negotiating with Durham for weeks, but claims that the company “has proposed sweeping concessions that would undermine the rights, protections, and standards established through decades of collective bargaining.”

The statement from the Teamsters is surprising and a bit perplexing, given that good-faith negotiations have been ongoing since late June, including today, with progress being made.

The company remains committed to reaching a fair resolution and is working diligently to avoid any disruption to service. Meetings with the Teamsters will continue in order to resolve outstanding issues ahead of the start of school.

Durham spokesperson

“This company has had every chance to do the right thing and recognize our hard work,” said Katina Stewart, a 19-year bus driver and member of Local 512. “We love our jobs and take pride in safely getting Jacksonville’s students where they need to go every day. We do work this community depends on, and our contract should reflect that.”

Local 512 said it is preparing to take Durham to court over “unfair labor practices” under the National Labor Relations Act.

Duval County Public Schools released a statement Tuesday afternoon, saying:

“We understand that Durham School Services has reached a signed extension agreement with the union, and staff are currently conducting test routes as scheduled in preparation for the start of the school year on Monday, Aug. 10.

The district remains in direct communication with Durham and will continue to monitor the situation closely to help ensure a smooth start to the school year."

A union representative told News4JAX the only extension reached is the one extended through Friday, and that no official agreement has been made.

Republican Gov. Bill Lee is term-limited, and the GOP primary to replace him has attracted U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, four-term U.S. Rep. John Rose and state Rep. Monty Fritts. The outcome of the Republican primary has additional significance in Tennessee, which hasn’t elected a Democratic governor in 20 years.

Blackburn won reelection to a second U.S. Senate term in 2024 and launched her campaign for governor in August 2025. Rose launched his gubernatorial bid in March 2025 and has loaned his campaign about $13 million since mid-June. Aside from candidate loans, Blackburn has outraised Rose in terms of campaign contributions. She also has the support of an outside group that has spent roughly $5.1 million backing her and opposing Rose.

President Donald Trump backed Blackburn and Rose in their previous campaigns, but he has not endorsed a candidate in the gubernatorial primary.

Five candidates are running in the Democratic primary for governor, including Memphis City Councilwoman Jerri Green.

Memphis was a prime target among state Republican lawmakers who in May enacted new congressional boundaries that split the heavily Democratic city into three Republican-dominated congressional districts. Democratic U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen has represented the current Memphis-based 9th District for 20 years, but he ended his reelection bid shortly after the new map was adopted.

One of the Democrats running to replace him in the new 9th District is state Rep. Justin Pearson, who originally planned to challenge Cohen for the nomination. Pearson was one of two Democratic state lawmakers expelled from office in 2023 over his role in a gun control protest in the chamber. Both won back their seats four months later. Also running are state Sen. London Lamar and former healthcare and nonprofit executive Jim Torino.

Running for the Republican nomination in the new 9th District are state Sen. Brent Taylor, state Rep. Todd Warner, retired Army sergeant and volunteer firefighter Jeremy Thompson and conservative activist Charlotte Bergmann. Taylor has outraised the rest of the combined field and has Trump’s endorsement.

Voters in the new 9th District supported Trump for president in 2024 with about 60% of the vote, compared with the current 9th District, which Democratic then-Vice President Kamala Harris won with about 71% of the vote.

Tennessee’s junior U.S. senator, Bill Hagerty, seeks a second term and is the only candidate named on the Republican primary ballot. Five Democrats are running to challenge him in November. The last Democrat to win one of Tennessee’s U.S. Senate seats was Al Gore in 1990.

The key counties in statewide elections are Shelby, Davidson and Knox, which are home to the population centers of Memphis, Nashville and Knoxville, respectively. In recent statewide elections, candidates from both major political parties won their primaries by posting a large margin in one of the three counties and losing the other two narrowly while also winning the bulk of the state’s rural areas. Lee won his Republican gubernatorial primary in 2018 by posting a big win in Davidson, while his opponents split Shelby and Knox. Hagerty won his 2020 primary carrying Shelby by a large margin and losing Knox, Davidson and Hamilton, home to Chattanooga. Blackburn carried every county in both her 2018 and 2024 U.S. Senate primaries.

About half of Tennessee’s 33 state Senate seats and all 99 state House seats are up in 2026. Republicans hold overwhelming majorities in both chambers.

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

When do polls close?

Although Tennessee is in two time zones, all polls in both the Eastern and Central time zones are coordinated to close at 8 p.m. ET.

What’s on the ballot?

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

Who gets to vote?

Tennessee does not register voters by party, which in other states usually means that any registered voter may choose to vote in any party’s primary. However, a 2023 law requires local elections officials to post signs at polling places with language from a 1972 law stating that primary voters must be “bona fide” members of a political party or “declare allegiance to” the party to participate in that party’s primary. The language was also added recently to absentee ballot applications. Neither law specifies what it means to be a “bona fide” member of a party.

How many voters are there?

As of June 1, there were about 4.7 million registered voters in Tennessee.

How many people actually vote?

There were about 411,000 Republican primary voters and about 205,000 Democratic primary voters in the last U.S. Senate primaries in 2024. In the last primaries for governor in 2022, the Republican contest had about 494,000 voters, while the Democratic contest had about 258,000 voters.

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

About 55% of the 2024 state primary vote and about 54% of the 2022 state primary vote was early in person or by mail.

As of Saturday, about 397,000 Republican primary ballots and about 225,000 Democratic primary ballots had already been cast in Thursday’s election.

When are early and absentee votes released?

In previous elections, nearly all counties tended to release the bulk of their results from mail and early in-person voting in the first report of the night, usually before releasing in-person Election Day results.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the 2024 state primary, the AP first reported results at 8:02 p.m. ET, or two minutes after polls closed. The last vote update of the night was at 11:19 p.m. ET, with more than 99.9% of total votes counted.

When will the AP declare a winner?

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

How do recounts work?

In Tennessee, recounts are held only as part of a legal challenge in the courts. There are no automatic recounts, and losing candidates may not request recounts. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

Are we there yet?

As of Thursday, there will be 89 days until the 2026 midterm elections.

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

The Liverpool icon wore the team’s blue and burgundy striped shirt after flying in on a private jet to complete the deal.

Earlier he was filmed aboard the jet pulling on his new jersey.

“Trabzon are you ready? I can hear you. See you very soon,” Salah said in a video message posted on the club's official X channel.

Turkish TV showed still images of Salah wearing a shirt with No. 61 on it as he arrived in Istanbul, where hundreds of chanting fans waited to greet him. NTV also broadcast the Egyptian signing a Trabzon shirt and said his official signing ceremony would be held Thursday in the Black Sea city.

Salah is a free agent after leaving Liverpool at the end of last season.

There was speculation the 34-year-old Egypt international would end his career in Saudi Arabia, but it emerged this week that Trabzonspor was leading the race to sign him.

“We’ve started transfer talks with Mohamed Salah, he’s coming to Istanbul!” the club said.

The official announcement of negotiations to the Istanbul stock market saw Trabzonspor shares rise 6.5%.

Salah established himself as a Premier League great with Liverpool where he won two league titles and the Champions League among eight major honors.

He scored 257 goals in 442 appearances for the Merseyside club and is regarded as one of its greatest players of all time.

But he endured a disappointing end to his time at Anfield with a dramatic drop off in form last season and a public falling out with then-coach Arne Slot.

He only scored 12 goals in all competitions, having scored 34 in the previous campaign.

He announced in March that he would leave the club at the end of the season, despite having a year to run on the contract he signed in 2025.

Trabzonspor is a seven-time Turkish champion and finished third last season.

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Andrew Wilks in Istanbul, contributed to this report

___

James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

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

Yet extreme heat also disrupts flights and travel plans. On the hottest days, thinner air can make it harder for aircraft to get off the ground safely. Airlines may have to lighten the load by removing passengers or cargo, or carrying less fuel.

The snag is well known at airports in desert climates around the world, from the U.S. Southwest to the Middle East. But even less extreme heat can create similar challenges at airports with higher elevations or shorter runways. Researchers say human-caused climate change could make such disruptions more common.

With heat waves searing parts of the United States and Europe this summer, Las Vegas illustrated how extreme heat can interfere with air travel. American Airlines offered compensation to customers who voluntarily gave up their seats on a July 24 flight from Harry Reid International Airport after temperatures reached 114 degrees Fahrenheit (47 degrees Celsius).

The airline described reducing a plane's weight as a standard industry practice in hot-weather destinations when conditions require it to ensure a safe takeoff. The explanation comes down to physics.

Hot air is thinner than cool air, making it harder for a plane's wings to generate lift and for jet engines to generate the thrust needed for takeoff, explained Ross Aimer, a retired United Airlines captain and CEO of Aero Consulting Experts.

“There is a science behind all this,” Aimer said. “You can’t deny the science of flight and what it takes for an airplane to operate.”

Airplanes struggle in hot, thin air

Aimer likens the effect of high temperatures on airplane performance to athletes competing at high altitude. During this year’s World Cup, foreign teams competing in Mexico City — located more than 7,300 feet (2,225 meters) above sea level — had to contend with thinner air that can leave players fatigued more quickly.

“Just like human beings, jet engines require lots of cool, dense air to perform well,” Aimer said.

Before every departure, pilots and airlines determine whether an aircraft can safely take off by calculating several key factors, including the airplane’s weight, the airport’s elevation and the outside temperature, said Alan Price, a retired Delta Air Lines captain.

Aircraft at higher elevations are already operating in thinner air, so temperatures don’t have to climb as high to affect takeoff performance. Denver, for example, sits more than 5,000 feet (1,524 meters) above sea level.

Runway length also matters. Airliners need room to build enough speed for takeoff when temperatures soar, and shorter runways leave less distance to do that, Price said. That’s one reason airports such as New York’s LaGuardia and Washington’s Reagan National can be more likely to face takeoff restrictions or weight limits during very hot weather.

If the pilot's preflight math shows an aircraft cannot safely depart as planned, airlines may choose to reduce cargo, carry less fuel and make a refueling stop later, wait for cooler temperatures or ask passengers to volunteer for a later flight.

But there comes a point when removing weight isn’t enough to make a safe takeoff possible.

“At some point, the numbers just don’t make sense,” Aimer said. “You could roll down a runway as long as you want, and you still can’t take off.”

Delays due to hot weather could become more common

The Federal Aviation Administration does not set a single maximum temperature for takeoff. Instead, the FAA says, operating limits vary based on an aircraft's make and model, its weight and the airport’s altitude.

A 2017 study by researchers from Columbia University, NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies and the Logistics Management Institute projected that some airports could see weight restrictions on 10% to 30% of flights departing during the hottest part of the day by midcentury if greenhouse gas emissions continued to rise. The study examined 19 airports around the world and found that airports with short runways, high elevations and hotter climates would be affected most.

A more recent study concluded that current climate prediction models indicated planes taking off from four European airports would have to shed the weight equivalent of 10 passengers per flight by 2065.

While triple-digit temperatures come with desert living, the kind of hot days that might affect flights are becoming more frequent in both Phoenix and Las Vegas.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport has averaged 43 days each year since 2020 when the temperature reached at least 110 F (43 C), according to an analysis of weather station data by The Associated Press. The number of such days increased gradually over several decades before surging in the 2020s to more than triple the average during the middle of the last century.

At Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, temperatures reached that threshold an average of about 18 days a year between 2020 and 2025 — more than double the annual average during the 1940s through 1960s, the AP analysis found.

The 2020s have also been exceedingly hot at Palm Springs International Airport. The airport in Southern California has recorded an annual average this decade of 55 days with temperatures reaching 110 F — an 83% increase compared to the 2000s, when the weather station there began recording data.

Safety determines when airlines reduce weight

Airlines have dealt with these issues for years. During a stretch of scorching heat in June 2016, American canceled several round-trip regional flights between Palm Springs, California, and Phoenix. The following year, the airline canceled dozens of regional flights in Arizona as temperatures in Phoenix climbed toward 120 F (49 C).

In July 2018, some airlines bumped passengers at Denver International Airport to later flights as temperatures reached 98 F (37 C), KDVR-TV in Denver reported.

Delta Air Lines also asked for volunteers to step off a plane in Las Vegas during an excessive heat warning in July 2023 because of weight restrictions tied to the extreme temperatures. That flight was ultimately canceled after passengers spent hours aboard the aircraft in the heat.

Airports can be especially vulnerable to the urban heat island effect, which is the phenomenon of built-up areas becoming hotter than their surroundings, said Jennifer Brady, a data scientist with Climate Central.

With little shade or green space, vast expanses of heat-absorbing pavement and constant activity from airplanes, ground vehicles and air conditioning systems that generate waste heat, “all of the elements are there for it being one of the hottest spaces in a city,” Brady said.

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Wildeman reported from Hartford, Connecticut.

The Alpine Club of Pakistan said the operation was one of the most technically demanding recovery missions ever carried out on the mountain. It said the bodies of Purja, Chinese climber Zhong Wang and Nepali climbers Nima Sherpa and Kilu Sherpa were brought to Broad Peak base Camp.

Search teams brought down three other bodies on Aug. 1.

The bodies will be transported to a military hospital in Skardu when weather conditions permit, local officials said.

In Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, family members, friends and supporters of the climbers gathered Tuesday evening for a candlelight vigil. Buddhist monks chanted prayers as mourners observed a moment of silence before lighting candles in memory of those killed in the avalanche.

The climbers, who came from Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, China, Britain and the United States, were swept away by an avalanche last Thursday in Pakistan’s northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, in what the Alpine Club has described as one of the country’s deadliest mountaineering disasters.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar expressed condolences to the families of those killed, saying he was deeply saddened by the tragedy and Pakistan remained committed to the ongoing operation in coordination with the embassies of Nepal, Oman, Britain and the United States.

Mountaineering accidents are common in northern Pakistan because of avalanches, falling ice and rock, extreme altitude and rapidly changing weather. A Chinese climber died last year after being struck by falling rocks while descending K2, the world’s second-highest mountain.

Bodies of foreign climbers who die attempting to summit mountains in Pakistan are typically recovered only at the request of their families and governments. If families decline recovery efforts, the remains are usually left where the climbers died.

In a statement, the Alpine Club thanked the Pakistani and Nepali recovery teams, including Pakistani mountaineers Sirbaz Khan, Abid Beg and Sherzad, and Nepali climbers Dipen Gurung and Pemba Chhewang Sherpa.

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Khan reported from Peshawar, Pakistan. AP writer Niranjan Shrestha in Kathmandu contributed to this report.

A contempt finding could open the door to an investigation into whether Fauci had a valid constitutional right against self-incrimination when he refused to answer dozens of questions from lawmakers at a committee hearing last week focused on his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Republican senators including Rand Paul of Kentucky, who subpoenaed Fauci and has called a contempt vote for Thursday, insist that a pardon the doctor received early last year from Democratic President Joe Biden left him ineligible for Fifth Amendment protections. A Senate resolution released Tuesday asserts that Paul found Fauci's privilege claims “unsupported.”

But some legal experts say Fauci had reasons to invoke the Fifth Amendment, given the threat of potential state prosecutions and questions from President Donald Trump's administration about the validity of Biden's pardons. Any testimony from Fauci could have also prompted false-statement investigations like the ones the current Justice Department has repeatedly initiated against the Republican president's perceived adversaries.

No matter what happens, the episode raises fresh and complicated questions about Congress' ability to compel testimony from previously pardoned witnesses — and the outcome could resonate beyond Fauci.

“This is an important case because I think a lot of people anticipate that President Trump is going to issue similar pardons to many people in his administration who will end up being called before Congress, and the precedent here is important,” said Mark Osler, a St. Thomas University law professor and pardon power expert.

Paul's committee is moving to transmit the contempt referral from his Republican-led committee directly to the Justice Department. Whether the Justice Department would act on the referral is unclear.

Fauci's pardon protects him for past, not future, acts

Fauci, a longtime National Institutes of Health scientist and the nation’s top infectious-disease expert, left the federal government in 2022 after more than five decades. He was among a group of perceived adversaries of Trump to be pardoned by Biden in one of the Democrat’s final acts in office. The clemency covered acts from 2014 to the date in January 2025 when the pardon was issued.

Republicans on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee say the pardon lifted the specter of criminal prosecution and left Fauci without a valid basis to invoke the Fifth Amendment — a bedrock constitutional protection found in the Bill of Rights but one typically available only to those who have a reasonable basis to believe they risk being charged over their testimony.

While a blanket pardon theoretically removes a threat of prosecution, Fauci made clear he thought he had a good-faith basis to fear criminal charges. He invoked his Fifth Amendment rights more than 100 times.

Before the hearing. Fauci said that Paul, the committee chairman, had an “obvious obsession with calling for my prosecution." The purpose of his forced appearance “is to get me to say something, anything, that could vindicate his repeated public pledges that I end up, in his words, quote, behind bars, unquote,” Fauci said.

In the run-up to the hearing, Paul made dozens of Fauci-related posts on X, including ones teasing that he was going to confront the doctor for having earlier given false testimony — something Fauci has denied.

“I think his invoking the Fifth makes sense because he was invited into a situation where everyone in the country understood that Rand Paul was trying to set him up for a criminal prosecution,” said Michael Gerhardt, a University of North Carolina law professor. “In that circumstance, one of the smartest things to do would be to make yourself a very small target and say as little as possible, and that's obviously what he did.”

In announcing the contempt vote, Paul noted on X that “Fauci refused to answer a single question, even though he knew he couldn't be charged for crimes” during the decade covered by his pardon. Fauci's deflections encompassed even seemingly harmless questions, such as the color of the tie he was wearing — a reflection of an apparent belief that it was safer to refuse any testimony.

There are factors that could tilt in favor of Fauci's strategy, including the fact that his pardon would not protect him from potential state prosecutions or from a federal prosecution related to any testimony that investigators deemed false. That may not be an idle concern given the number of false-statement investigations prosecutors have opened against Trump's political opponents.

Trump's administration also has repeatedly called into question the validity of the Biden pardons, given Biden's frequent use of an autopen for official business. Legal experts say the pardons are valid.

“The question is do you have a reasonable fear of prosecution, and Fauci's argument would be — yes, I received a pardon, yes, I believe that pardon covers and prevents prosecution but there have been statements from lots of people including Trump and other administration officials ... raising questions about the validity of that pardon,” said Ross Garber, a lawyer and expert in political investigations who has represented multiple clients who have invoked the Fifth Amendment.

“That,” he added, “is potentially a very viable argument.”

Paul has discussed trying to fast-track a contempt referral

Paul said in an interview with Fox News Channel last week that he did not think “there's any rule" requiring that a contempt referral from a committee go through the entire Senate. His committee is instead working to send the referral straight to the Justice Department.

The contempt resolution states that the president of the Senate, Vice President JD Vance, “shall certify” the committee’s referral and the accompanying report to the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia.

That fast-tracking of the process avoids the need for a vote in the full 100-member Senate, where Republicans likely lack the 60 votes required to move a contempt referral to passage.

Tensions are simmering between the world's two biggest economies ahead of an expected visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to the U.S. in September, despite signs of warming ties during his meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump in Beijing in May.

The Commerce Ministry said the sanctions are in response to recent moves from the U.S., including a ban by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission on imports of Chinese drones, and the Department of Homeland Security's decision to add 43 Chinese companies to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act entity list to prevent imports of goods made with forced labor.

The “measures seriously violate the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and severely damage China’s legitimate rights and interests. China has no choice but to take necessary countermeasures in response,” the ministry said in a statement.

It emphasized that China was acting with restraint and urged the U.S. to scrap its measures against Beijing and cease its “erroneous practices.” It also warned of further sanctions if the U.S. rolls out new restrictive measures against China.

Beijing is requiring reviews on a case-by-case basis of exports of unmanned aerial vehicles, their key components and related technologies that are on a list of export-controlled dual-use items that can serve both civilian and military purposes.

Six U.S. entities, including Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. and the non-governmental group Human Rights in China, were banned from engaging in trade or other activities with entities in China.

China also banned a company called Compliance Testing LLC from engaging in business in China because it had worked with the FCC in “harming China's sovereignty and security,” according to a separate statement from the Commerce Ministry.

The ministry also said it was investigating the possible impact on national security of imported printing software and office equipment, but it did not name affected companies.

The State Administration for Market Regulation announced that companies in the U.S. that conduct follow-up factory inspections on behalf of Chinese entities for CCC certification can no longer provide these certifications.

CCC certifications are meant to ensure electronic products meet a basic safety standard. The new rule will oblige U.S. makers of certified electronics to hire auditors based outside of the U.S. or to rely on other non-U. S. designated bodies for such certifications.

In December, the U.S. FCC banned the import of new Chinese drones, though it later revised that ban to allow for some models.

Last week, it also announced bans on imports of new foreign-made humanoid robots and power inverters, citing national security risks, in a move that in effect targets China.

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Leung reported from Hong Kong

The act suggests that you can not grow food on your own property in Duval County, but that’s false.

You can grow food on your land right now in Duval County, but the distinction comes between residential and commercial zoning.

The city confirmed it is working on legislation to address the concerns of residents, sparked by the Freedom to Grow Act proposal.

Several people spoke out about being able to “grow food in their yards and share, exchange, and distribute it without local government or zoning restrictions.”

In an email, the City of Jacksonville said:

“There is no City policy that violates Sec. 604.71, F.S. Food can be grown by right by anyone.”

• A homeowner/landowner can grow/garden food on their land by right.
• A person can grow/garden at their home by right.
• If you own land without a residential unit on it – you can grow food by right.
• If you own a vacant lot, you can grow food by right. 
• You can grow food by right regardless of the land use and zoning on site.

The city responded that there may be confusion about what can and can not be done.

“Some of the public may be confused thinking that they are not allowed to grow food by right. Here’s where some of that confusion comes into play: Residential zoning districts do not allow, by right, the selling of food grown on site. Commercial zoning districts do allow both the growing and selling of food on site by right.”

Though there is no proposed bill, this has been a popular topic for months, and the city is working to find a solution for residents’ multi-layered needs.

The city also said:

“The main concern of some members of the public is having the ability to sell the food they grow on site in a residential district. Most right to grow/garden advocates are looking to grow/garden AND sell on site in a residential district. The City is working on draft legislation to address these concerns.”

Pittsburgh will in effect pay Weaver just $229,412 this year, a prorated share of the $780,000 minimum salary. Weaver had $2,352,941 remaining of his $8 million salary for 2026 at the time of Monday's trade and the Mets will pay the Pirates four installments of $530,882 on Aug. 24 and 28, and Sept. 11 and 25, according to trade details obtained by The Associated Press.

New York will pay the Pirates $6 million next year, offsetting most of his $11 million salary for 2027. The Mets owe $500,000 each on April 2, 6 and 30; May 14 and 28; June 11 and 25; July 9 and 23; Aug. 6 and 20; and Sept. 3.

In all, the Mets will give the Pirates $8,123,529. Weaver's $22 million, two-year contract had $13,352,941 left at the time of the trade.

Jameson Taillon from Cubs to Blue Jays

Chicago agreed to pay $4,956,791 to Toronto as part of Sunday's trade that sent the right-hander to the Blue Jays for a player to be named.

Taillon had $5,390,374 left from his $18 million salary in the final season of a $68 million, four-year contract, leaving Toronto in effect responsible for $433,583. He had been designated for assignment.

Chicago will pay Toronto $1,239,197 each on Aug. 14 and 28, and Sept. 11, and $1,239,200 on Sept. 25.

Robbie Ray from Giants to Padres

San Francisco will pay San Diego $4,176,471, leaving the Padres in effect responsible for $3,176,470 of the remaining $7,352,941 of the left-hander's $25 million salary. The 2021 AL Cy Young Award winner is in the final season of a $115 million, five-year contract.

Right-hander Miguel Mendez and shortstop Joniel Hernandez went to the Giants as part of Monday's trade. San Francisco owes $1,044,118 installments on Aug. 14 and 31, and Sept. 14, and $1,044,117 on Sept. 30.

Jeff Hoffman from Blue Jays to Twins

Toronto will pay Minnesota $3.75 million to offset part of the reliever’s $11 million salary in 2027, the final season of a $33 million, three-year contract.

Minnesota will receive $625,000 on the first of each month from April through August. The Twins took on $3,235,294 remaining of his $11 million salary this year as part of Monday’s trade that sent right-hander John Klein, left-hander Dasan Hill and infielder Dameury Pena to Toronto. The Blue Jays also receive $250,000 in international signing bonus allotment.

Daulton Varsho from Blue Jays to Astros

Toronto is paying Houston $1,609,626 as part of Monday's deal in which the Astros dealt right-hander Spencer Arrighetti to the Blue Jays.

Varsho was owed $3,161,765 from his $10.75 million salary. The Blue Jays will make payments of $804,813 each on Aug. 21 and Sept. 27.

Camilo Doval from Yankees to Pirates

New York is paying Pittsburgh $1,109,358 as part of Saturday's trade that sent catcher Omar Alfonzo and minor league outfielder Luis Cruz to the Yankees for the former All-Star reliever.

Doval had $1,859,358 remaining from his $6.1 million salary, leaving the Pirates in effect responsible for $750,000. The Yankees will make payments of $221,872 each on Aug. 14 and 29, Sept. 11 and 25, and Oct. 9.

Seranthony Domínguez from White Sox to Mariners

As part of Saturday's trade that sent three-time All-Star right-hander Luis Castillo from Chicago to Seattle, the White Sox took on a contingent obligation in the contract of Domínguez.

Chicago would pay Seattle $610,000 on Jan. 14, 2028, if the $13 million mutual option for 2028 in Domínguez’s contract is declined, which would trigger a $2 million buyout.

Domínguez had $2,133,690 remaining from a $7 million salary this season, the first in a $20 million, two-year contract.

Seattle also received catcher Boston Smith and outfielder Nolan Jones.

Jake Rogers from Orioles to Red Sox

As part of Monday's trade that sent catcher Adley Rutschman from Baltimore to Boston, the Orioles included catcher Jake Rogers and will pay the Red Sox $667,647 on Oct. 1.

Rogers was owed $897,059 of his $3.05 million salary, leaving him to cost the Red Sox in effect a prorated share of the minimum.

Baltimore received catcher Carlos Narváez, right-handers Anthony Eyanson and Kyson Witherspoon, outfielder Enddy Azocar, and a player to be named or cash.

In other trades involving international signing bonus pool allocation:

— The Los Angeles Dodgers sent $250,000 in allocation and outfielder Jack Suwinski to Tampa Bay for catcher Hunter Feduccia and right-hander Jacob Kmatz.

— Pittsburgh acquired right-hander Ron Marinaccio from San Diego for $500,000 in allocation, then designated the pitcher for assignment.

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

Both addressed supporters, saying the vote count could continue well into the day.

“We knew that this was going to be a close race, and that’s exactly what we’ve got,” Stevens said. “I am feeling fired up, and you should be too.”

The bitter and expensive campaign attracted national attention not just because the general election for the seat will help decide which party controls the Senate. It also became the most notable proxy battle between the Democratic Party's establishment and progressive wings.

Candidates from the left-flank — including democratic socialists — have found surprising success in the party’s U.S. House primaries, including in New York and Denver. Those races, however, were in deep-blue cities.

Michigan has a purple hue. A progressive victory here would be a more significant notch.

El-Sayed maintained a lead as initial results rolled in Tuesday night, though Stevens made up ground as Wayne County, the state’s most populous and home to Detroit, reported more votes into the night.

Wayne has historically released results later than other counties, and its voters have tended toward establishment candidates over progressives. That meant Stevens could see a boost as the counting dragged on, though that did not guarantee victory.

The crowds' energy at each watch party was a measure of the race's competitiveness: Early in the evening, El-Sayed's supporters in Detroit’s Majestic Theatre cheered at the first batches of votes, before mellowing. Hours later, Stevens' previously subdued partygoers roared as she narrowed the margin.

“Whatever happens tonight,” El-Sayed told a thinned but still energetic crowd, “we have a responsibility to ensure that we unite, unite to make sure that Mike Rogers never sees the inside of the U.S. Senate.”

Former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers is the Republican nominee.

El-Sayed, a former Wayne County health director, campaigned on “Medicare for All,” campaign finance reform and ending military aid to Israel. Stevens, a four-term congresswoman, focused on manufacturing and the economy. She stressed her past victories in tough races, saying she would be best positioned to beat Rogers.

Stevens benefited from tens of millions of dollars in outside spending, including the largest investment in a race ever from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which supports pro-Israel candidates.

Voters also chose nominees in competitive House races and for governor. In the GOP gubernatorial primary, U.S. Rep. John James, who was backed by President Donald Trump, beat businessperson Perry Johnson. In the Democratic gubernatorial primary, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson defeated Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson.

Michigan is a must-win Senate race for Democrats

The race will help decide which party controls the chamber in the last two years of President Donald Trump's term. Those stakes have added heat to the rivalry, with moderates arguing that El-Sayed would have a harder time than Stevens against a Republican in the general election.

That divide was laid bare by the two candidates' heavy-hitting backers: Sen. Bernie Sanders supported El-Sayed, while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer was behind Stevens.

Stevens won election to Congress in 2018 after serving as chief of staff to President Barack Obama’s auto task force, which helped oversee the federal rescue of General Motors and Chrysler. Her campaign and allied groups have repeatedly highlighted that experience.

El-Sayed, who lost the 2018 gubernatorial primary to now-Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, cast himself as the anti-establishment candidate and argued that Democrats need to reject corporate influence and embrace a more progressive agenda.

While the candidate has said he is not a democratic socialist, he found support from some of the group's members. That included Melat Kiros, who recently beat a longtime incumbent in a Democratic primary for a Denver-based House seat and was at El-Sayed's watch party. Also there was Hasan Piker, a progressive and controversial influencer online.

The candidates' differences were clear to some voters.

Kenneth Woodside, 87, of West Bloomfield, said he voted for El-Sayed over Stevens because “the nation is ready for someone who wants to take some more action rather than on the road we are now, which is on the road to an oligarchy and authoritarianism.”

Nessa Fuller, 51, of Birmingham, said she voted for Stevens because she will “fight to get the right things done, and she’ll work with other people, which is really important to me.”

Outside influences spent millions on the Senate race

National groups poured unprecedented sums into the race, making it one of the country’s biggest tests of outside spending.

Groups backing Stevens spent more than $50 million, led by more than $30 million from AIPAC and its affiliates.

The spending thrust Israel policy into the center of the race even though the ads never mentioned it. While El-Sayed called for ending military aid to Israel, Stevens maintained strong support for the relationship.

Israel became a contentious issue within the Democratic Party amid a war in Gaza that killed more than 73,000 Palestinians in its retaliatory offensive after about 1,200 people were killed and 251 hostages were taken in attacks by the militant group Hamas.

Voters also decided on governor and US House matchups

Trump traveled to Michigan on July 27 and gave a speech at a General Motors plant, at one point calling the gubernatorial hopeful James and several other Republican politicians, including Rogers, onstage.

Before his primary win, James, a second-term congressman, ran twice unsuccessfully for Senate. The primary turned uglier than Republicans hoped, with Johnson spending big sums of money on ads targeting James.

There are several competitive House races this year that will help decide whether Republicans hold their slim majority or Democrats reclaim the chamber.

In the 4th District, which stretches along Lake Michigan, Democratic state Sen. Sean McCann beat election newcomer Diop Harris II to become the nominee. He will face GOP Rep. Bill Huizenga, who again won his party's nomination.

In the 7th District, community organizer William Lawrence defeated former U.S. Ambassador Bridget Brink and former Navy Seal Matt Maasdam to win the Democratic nomination. Lawrence will challenge Republican Rep. Tom Barrett in the seat representing the Lansing area.

The 10th District, which opened up due to James' run for governor, includes a portion of Oakland County and stretches across conservative communities in Macomb County.

In the GOP primary there, Trump-endorsed Michael Bouchard beat Steffan Demetropoulos and Justin Kirk. For the Democrats, former prosecutor Christina Hines defeated state House Rep. Tim Greimel and former Commerce Department attorney Eric Chung.

And in a heavily Democratic district representing Detroit, the 13th, Rep. Shri Thanedar looked to fend off a primary challenge from state Rep. Donavan McKinney, who argued that the city should once again have a Black representative in Congress. After Thanedar won election in 2022, Detroit had no Black representation in Congress for the first time since the early 1950s.

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Associated Press writers Corey Williams in West Bloomfield, Michigan, and Robert Yoon in Washington contributed.

The move came after passengers and airline staff named “having bags weighed at the gate and struggling to find room in overhead lockers as the more stressful parts of the airport experience,” the carrier said in a statement on Wednesday. It makes Jetstar the latest low-cost carrier to introduce a payment system for carry-on bags, with budget airlines in the United States and Europe commonly charging passengers to use the compartments.

Passengers could stow a purse, laptop bag or small backpack that fitted within specified measurements under the seat in front of them for no charge, Jetstar said. The cost of using the overhead compartments in the cabin would start from 25 Australian dollars ($18) one way, with the price depending on the route.

Bags stowed in the lockers can weigh up to 10 kilograms (22 pounds) and will no longer be weighed by airline staff as passengers line up to board, Jetstar said. The existing weight limit of 7 kilograms (15 pounds) will be scrapped for the small item placed under travelers’ seats.

Like many carriers worldwide, Australian and New Zealand airlines have already introduced charges for checked luggage, seat selection, and some dining and in-flight entertainment options. An industry analyst said, however, that Jetstar was the first to charge for use of the overhead lockers.

“It will ruffle feathers because Australian travelers have got such high expectations,” said Sharon Petersen, CEO of AirlineRatings.com. “For such a long time they lived in a bubble of full-service options only.”

Jetstar said the change would reduce frustrations at boarding gates.

“By giving customers an underseat bag with the option to add Priority Carry-on, we can make better use of overhead locker space, streamline boarding and help more flights depart on time,” Jetstar CEO Stephanie Tully said in a statement.

She added that the move would ensure customers only paid for what they needed. Petersen, however, said Jetstar’s base fares remained higher than those of low-budget carriers in Europe that had brought in similar policies.

“Jetstar’s starting price is generally well above what Ryanair or Wizz Air can offer, largely because Australia lacks that level of competition and because wages, taxes and operating costs sit much higher here,” she said.

According to officials, troopers responded to the area of Union Carbide Road and Mary’s Drive in Camden County to investigate a two-vehicle crash with injuries around 8:30 p.m.

According to GDPS, a Chevrolet Silverado, driven by an 18-year-old man from St. Marys, was traveling west in the eastbound lane on Union Carbide Road, attempting to pass a Honda Accord, driven by a 16-year-old, who was attempting to turn left from Union Carbide Road west onto Mary’s Drive.

Troopers said the Silverado collided with the driver’s side of the Accord, and both vehicles traveled off the south side of the road.

The Silverado flipped and two passengers in the back seat, both 16-year-olds, were thrown from the truck.

One of the 16-year-old passengers was seriously injured, and the other died at Southeast Georgia Health System’s Camden Campus.

On Tuesday, News4JAX visited the crash site and could still see tire tracks cut into the ground off the road.

A memorial had been placed nearby. A tire was filled with flowers, a cross and handwritten messages left by people who stopped to pay their respects.

While News4JAX was at the scene, a neighbor — a 12-year-old — came to clean up around the memorial so the victim’s family would have a clean place to visit.

The soon-to-be 7th grader used a weed whacker to cut the grass around the flowers, moved the clippings aside and left a small Jesus figurine at the memorial before leaving.

No other information about the crash, including identities of those who died or if charges are expected, was immediately available.

Gabe Lustman, a musician and social media influencer who travels around the country producing food-review videos, spoke with News4JAX about the allegations and the backlash he has received online.

“I did not steal from anybody,” Lustman said.

Lustman said he began visiting Jacksonville as part of his music career and eventually started combining his music promotion with food reviews. He said he uses his song “What’s the Move” in his social media videos and has worked with hundreds of restaurants in recent months.

Lustman said his approach involves contacting large numbers of businesses in a city and offering to create promotional content.

“I would go and message two or three hundred businesses in any given city that I would go to with my script,” he said.

Several Jacksonville-area businesses say they paid Lustman hundreds of dollars for food reviews they expected would bring new customers and followers, but say they saw little to no return on their investment.

One Jacksonville restaurant owner, Sean Daily of Cornbread Bae, has accused Lustman of taking $350 from him without delivering a food review. Lustman denies the allegation and said he never went to the restaurant, never spoke with the owner and never took his money.

Daily said Lustman first contacted him through Instagram in July, then followed up by phone to schedule a time to come to his restaurant.

“He came by, I gave him the $350,” Daily said. “He said, ‘Oh, no problem,’ and right back and he went to his car to get camera equipment and hauled.”

Daily said the $350 was significant for his small business.

“It may have overdrafted my account so that I could get my stock for the next week,” he said. “So, you know what I mean, $350 was rather impactful at that time.”

Daily said he did not pursue Lustman for the money after the alleged incident.

“I pretty much just let it go,” he said. “I’m not trying to turn my feelings into felonies.”

Daily said he later learned other businesses were raising similar concerns about Lustman after Jacksonville restaurant reviewers started contacting him.

Daily said Lustman later contacted him and accused him of lying about the $350 allegation.

Other businesses say they paid for promotion but saw little return

Other businesses say their experience was different but still disappointing. They said Lustman did create and post a food review after they paid him, but they did not see the business or follower growth they expected.

At Acai-licious, owners David Nouman and Janelle Al-Fakouri said Lustman contacted the business through Instagram offering promotional packages ranging from $350 to $500.

“He said, ‘We have packages for 350 to 500 and it’s gonna give you about 100 to 200K views and followers and stuff like that,’” Al-Fakouri said.

The owners agreed to work with him and said Lustman came to their store, ate part of an acai bowl and recorded a video.

But they said the visit was brief.

“He actually had one bite, made a quick video, left the bowl here, and he ran off, basically,” Nouman said.

When the video was posted, the owners said they initially believed the number of views could translate into new customers.

They said the post received about 126,000 views quickly. But they said the views did not translate into business.

“We thought it would be a big hit,” Nouman said. “Seeing 126,000 views right off the bat, you think, could bring you business, but it didn’t even bring us, not even a single customer.”

The owners said they did not believe they received the return they expected after paying hundreds of dollars.

“If you’re paying about $350 to $500, you expect to make and bring in maybe at least 20 to 30 customers,” Nouman said.

The owners also questioned the makeup of Lustman’s online audience, saying they did not see Jacksonville customers engaging with the post.

They suggested some of the views or followers could have come through paid advertising or accounts outside the Jacksonville market.

Lustman denies the allegations

Lustman acknowledged that he uses paid advertising to promote his social media accounts. He said he runs ads in different markets, including internationally, because he is also a musician.

“I run international ads because I’m an international artist,” Lustman said.

He denied buying fake followers or engagement.

Lustman also acknowledged that he has previously told businesses that their videos could receive as many as one million views. He said he runs advertising campaigns in different markets to help generate views.

He said he considers what he sells a marketing service and pointed to his overall social media view count as evidence of his reach.

“I do tell people that I’ve got 17 million views in the last 30 days, which is true,” Lustman said.

The Acai-licious owners said they eventually lost access to the original post after Lustman blocked them. They provided screenshots showing the post was no longer available on his profile and said Lustman sent them the video directly after it was posted.

Lustman disputes that account.

He told News4JAX the Acai-licious video was still online and said he blocked one of the owners after receiving what he described as an offensive direct message.

“I blocked about 2,000 people in Jacksonville for the hate comments and stuff too,” Lustman said.

Lustman said the allegations have cost him business and damaged his reputation. He said restaurants have canceled bookings and other businesses have distanced themselves from him after the allegations spread online.

“I’ve literally lost thousands of dollars in business from other restaurants canceling,” he said.

The dispute with Cornbread Bae is more serious.

“I never talked to him. I never went to his restaurant. I never took money from him,” Lustman said.

He said he does not use professional camera equipment and instead records his food reviews on his phone. He also said he does not typically collect payment before completing a review.

“I never collect money up front,” Lustman said.

Lustman challenged the restaurant owner to provide phone records or other evidence showing he called or visited the business.

He provided screenshots and other records that he believes support his version of events.

“I just want to clear my name,” Lustman said.

For the owners of Acai-licious, the experience has left them warning other small businesses to be cautious before paying an influencer for promotion.

They said businesses should examine an influencer’s actual engagement and ask for documentation showing where their followers and views are coming from.

“I would ask for screenshots of the actual numbers,” Nouman said.

The owners said they have worked with other influencers, often exchanging free food for a review, and said they have also paid influencers in some cases.

They said the difference is whether the promotion ultimately delivers value for the business.

“If the video goes viral, it’s worth the investment,” Nouman said.

The allegations against Lustman have not been established as fact. Lustman denies stealing money from Cornbread Bae and denies scamming Acai-licious or other businesses.

The owner of Cornbread Bae has not filed a police report which News4JAX confirmed with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

He said he wants the opportunity to continue working with Jacksonville businesses.

“I got nothing but love for you guys,” Lustman said. “I would like to come back and work again with the city and help out the community and do business with the business owners.”

“Poachers who unlawfully discharge firearms near Florida homes are not just stealing our wildlife but endangering families and neighborhoods,” Uthmeier said. “This legislation would give prosecutors a powerful new tool to hold these reckless criminals accountable with second-degree felony charges, permanent loss of hunting privileges, and forfeiture of their weapons. Floridians deserve to feel safe in their communities, and our natural resources must be protected for future generations.”

What the proposal would do

Under the proposal, a person commits aggravated illegal taking of wildlife if they take, kill, possess, or attempt to take any wildlife in violation of state law or any rule or order of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission — and knowingly discharge a firearm in furtherance of that act near any person, occupied structure, or critical infrastructure.

In addition to criminal penalties, courts would be required to order the permanent revocation of all hunting and wildlife-related licenses and permits, as well as permanent ineligibility for future licenses. Courts would also be required to order forfeiture of the firearm used in the offense and any other equipment, vehicle, or vessel involved in the violation.

The proposal would also establish a standalone third-degree felony for poaching while committing trespass, and would place criminal violations of Chapter 379 under the jurisdiction of the Statewide Prosecutor to strengthen consistent, aggressive statewide prosecution.

Broad support from law enforcement, wildlife officials

The announcement drew support from wildlife and law enforcement officials across the state.

“Today’s announcement of increased penalties for poaching ensures our officers have the resources they need to hold criminals accountable,” said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Executive Director Roger Young. “These tougher penalties reinforces Florida’s commitment to conserving our wildlife and natural resources for generations to come.”

Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford also voiced his support for the proposal.

“We are committed to working with our state partners to protect our natural resources and ensure that those who recklessly engage in poaching don’t endanger citizens,” Ford said.

Florida Land Council Chairman Joshua Kellam emphasized the role of collaboration in wildlife conservation.

“Florida’s fish and wildlife are a shared natural heritage and protecting them requires all of us working together,” Kellam said. “Fair and consistent enforcement supports ethical sportsmen and women while helping conserve these resources for future generations. Through strong partnerships, education, and appropriate enforcement, Florida remains committed to combating poaching while protecting our state’s natural resources and Floridians’ right to hunt and fish.”

Poaching remains persistent threat in Florida

Poaching in Florida — the illegal hunting, capturing, killing, or trafficking of fish and wildlife — remains a persistent threat despite strong legal protections and the recovery of some historically over-hunted species. What was once large-scale commercial overharvest that drove species near extinction has evolved into a mix of opportunistic game violations, targeted taking of protected species, and organized trafficking for black markets.

Florida’s extensive coastline, vast wetlands, Everglades, and remote waterways make comprehensive enforcement challenging. In 2021, Florida added all wildlife crimes to the state’s RICO statute to better address organized poaching operations.

How to report poaching

Law enforcement relies heavily on public tips to catch poachers. Citizens can report suspected violations to the Wildlife Alert Reward Program by calling 888-404-FWCC, or by dialing #FWC from a cell phone. Tips can also be submitted online at MyFWC.com/WildlifeAlert. Tips can be anonymous, and if the information results in an arrest or citation, the tipster may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

“We must act now to stem the rise in child deaths, which this crisis is provoking,” John Aylieff, WFP’s country director in Afghanistan, said in a statement, adding that “it is already too late for too many.”

Afghanistan continues to recover from decades of conflict and upheaval, including the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. forces in 2021 as the Taliban took power.

Olga Cherevko, spokesperson for the U.N. humanitarian office in Afghanistan, said nutrition specialists report that “wasting among children has worsened this year in over three-quarters of the country.” Children suffering from a condition known as wasting are acutely malnourished, become very thin for their height, and need immediate therapeutic feeding.

But “too many children arrive at health facilities severely malnourished” while others never make it, Cherevko told reporters at U.N. headquarters by video from Afghanistan, where she has traveled across the country in recent months and weeks.

WFP said 142 health centers closed in 2025 because of aid reductions and more than 13,000 children lost access to nutrition treatment. It did not mention any specific donor, such as the United States, where the Trump administration has made sweeping cuts in foreign aid.

Nearly 3.7 million Afghan children are projected to suffer from acute malnutrition this year, along with 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women, according to WFP.

The agency said 12 Afghan provinces have reached critical levels of acute child malnutrition, a record number. It cited a combination of conflict, unemployment, rising food prices, disease outbreaks, poor water and sanitation and reduced humanitarian funding.

Deliveries delayed by the Iran war and other fighting

WFP said supply shortages linked to conflict in the Middle East and the nine-month closure of Pakistan’s border because of fighting between the neighbors have disrupted deliveries of nutrition products, leaving nearly one million malnourished women and children without essential nutrition services for five months.

From August through October, WFP said food distributions aimed at preventing famine in the worst-hit areas are being suspended due to lack of funding, even though the annual peak season for malnutrition is between July and October.

It said it urgently needs $540 million over the next six months.

WFP previously described cuts as ‘devastating’

Humanitarian groups in Afghanistan are grappling with steep funding cuts. In February, Aylieff told The Associated Press that cuts had been “devastating” and were forcing the agency to turn away three out of four acutely malnourished children.

Funding for food assistance has dropped sharply — by about 59% since 2022 — even as needs have surged, according to a recent WFP report.

In June, the U.S. pledged $800 million to WFP, which said it will help more than 38 million people in at least 37 countries.

Cherevko of the U.N. humanitarian office said the larger $1.71 billion humanitarian appeal for Afghanistan is just over 26% funded, which is “alarming,” especially since malnutrition and other indicators are worsening.

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Edith M. Lederer contributed to this report from the United Nations.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said Jeanine John Taele, 38, took photos and video and had a 16-round magazine with ammunition in his pocket. A search of his pickup truck in the golf course parking lot turned up a loaded 9mm pistol, binoculars and a badge that read “security protection agent.” according to the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles.

Law enforcement searched his home in the nearby city of Downey on Monday and found a rifle and other firearms, magazines and ammunition, body armor and notebooks with “concerning statements," federal authorities said. No details about the statements were released.

The sheriff’s department announced the arrest as Trump was preparing to arrive for the Republican National Committee dinner Tuesday at the Trump National Golf Course in Rancho Palos Verdes just south of Los Angeles.

“Mr. Taele’s troubling behavior at the President’s public golf course merely days before the President was expected to arrive raised serious red flags for law enforcement,” Patrick Grandy, the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles office, said in a statement. “There is no room for error, particularly in light of previous attempts on President Trump’s life.”

Last year a jury found a man guilty of trying to assassinate Trump at the president’s Florida country club. And while a candidate in 2024, Trump narrowly escaped an assassination attempt by a shooter on a roof at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Ahead of Tuesday’s event, federal agents conducted a security assessment last Friday at the Trump course near Los Angeles. A person later identified as Taele was seen walking throughout the course, wore an earpiece and took photographs and videos of federal agents’ activities, authorities said.

Taele drove away but then returned to the course Sunday. He approached federal agents and said he was employed by the State Department and was there for a security detail. Taele said he had a loaded weapon in his vehicle and was arrested after it was searched, according to federal officials.

Taele was charged with several felonies including second-degree robbery, receiving a large-capacity magazine and possession of a short-barreled rifle or shotgun. He was also charged with carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle, a misdemeanor.

He pleaded not guilty to all the charges Monday and was ordered to stay away from the golf course and not possess weapons. His bail was set at $250,000.

It wasn’t clear if Taele had an attorney, and family members could not immediately be reached for comment.