Graham’s flag-draped casket arrived for a tribute at the U.S. Capitol, where the Republican served for more than 30 years as an indefatigable dealmaker who talked and laughed and badgered his colleagues into action. Later, President Donald Trump joined foreign leaders at Washington National Cathedral, a testament to Graham’s stature on the global stage.

Trump called Graham “a giant of the United States Senate, a true American original who left us much too soon.”

In mostly prepared remarks, the president described his onetime presidential rival turned ally as “the first person to make you laugh and one of the last people that you’ve really ever wanted to fight.”

Trump told the story of how he had publicly disclosed Graham’s cell phone number on the campaign trail, reciting the number in the cathedral, but said the senator had the last laugh because “Lindsey did not stop calling me for the next 10 years.”

Among those gathered were Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, leaders of two countries fighting separate wars, a nod to Graham’s role as a foremost believer in the power of the U.S. and its military to intervene in the world’s problems. Fox News’ Sean Hannity, in his remarks, said Graham would have been moved that they both made the long journeys to attend.

Trump Cabinet officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and current and former senators and lawmakers joined in the pews, as did Graham’s sister, now- Sen. Darline Graham, who was appointed by the state’s governor to fill the remainder of her brother’s term.

It’s the start of two days of services, with burial Wednesday in Graham’s home state of South Carolina. Joint Base Charleston will be renamed in his honor, the White House said. Graham died suddenly on July 11 at his home in Washington of a likely aortic tear, according to preliminary findings. He had just returned from a whirlwind trip to a NATO summit in Turkey, where he celebrated his birthday, and a visit to Ukraine. He was 71.

A place of honor for a ‘swashbuckling’ senator

During the morning service in the Capitol Rotunda, Vice President JD Vance described Graham as a man of “swashbuckling” stature — “who swashbuckled into the Senate” with his suit jacket open — and was impossible not to like.

“Lindsey was a towering figure,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said, choking back tears during his remarks.

First elected to Congress in the 1994 Republican revolt that swept the GOP to power, Graham was part of a new era of conservatives to take their seats in the House — and among the first Republicans from his Southern state since Reconstruction.

He quickly rose to prominence as a manager in Democrat Bill Clinton’s presidential impeachment, and he was elected to the Senate in the 2002 election. There, he formed an alliance with Sen. John McCain, a Republican from Arizona, and Sen. Joe Lieberman, an independent from Connecticut, in what would become the “three amigos,” globe-trotting the world focused on national security issues.

Vance recalled how he argued with Graham over the senator’s staunch support for aid to Ukraine, which has divided the GOP, but praised his legacy saying Kavanaugh “would not be on the Supreme Court” were it not for Graham’s “fierce advocacy” during the confirmation hearing.

For decades, Graham had been at the center of the action — a member of virtually every bipartisan gang in Congress — with a relentless ability to adapt to political realities, particularly when it came to Trump.

One by one, many of Graham’s colleagues said their goodbyes in the Rotunda. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala, placed both hands on his casket and then placed her hand on her heart. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., saluted from her wheelchair. Former Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., bowed and delivered a brief kiss and Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., gave a fist bump.

The ‘Trump whisperer’ had one last mission: Russia sanctions

Perhaps nowhere was Graham’s political dexterity on display more as when he navigated his on-again, off-again relationship with Trump.

Graham had denounced Trump as a “unfit for office” during the 2016 presidential campaign, but over time he had become what senators called the “Trump whisperer,” someone even world leaders relied on to understand the president.

Days before his death, Graham had won Trump’s support for a long-fought bipartisan proposal to impose sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine.

Senators were scheduled later Tuesday to take a first procedural vote on the sanctions package, in Graham’s honor. Zelenskyy is expected to be on hand and meeting with senators in the evening.

Graham’s champions and potential successors

At the Washington cathedral, a roster of socially conservative and anti-abortion leaders gave readings, including Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, Marjorie Jones Dannenfelser of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and the Reverend William Franklin Graham III.

When Hannity said how important Darline Graham and her family had been to the senator, she put her hand over her heart in response.

Lindsey Graham never married, but he helped support his younger sister after both of his parents died while he was at college and then starting law school. He became the guardian for Darline, who was then 13, and he later in life often extolled the benefits of Social Security that helped keep them financially afloat.

Darline Graham is now running in a potentially crowded primary field for the fall election. The filing period for the special primary election closes Tuesday, with voting set for Aug. 11.

Graham went on to serve as a judge advocate general in the Air Force, and remained a reserve or National Guard member for decades. In the Senate, he briefly switched back to active status to help advise the Air Force during the Iraq War and was awarded the Bronze Star medal for service in 2014 before formally retiring as a colonel in 2015.

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Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Collin Binkley and Michelle L. Price contributed to this story.

Joyce and District 4 board member Darryl Willie both hit their term limits, opening seats in Districts 4 and 6. District 2 will also have a new face. Early voting for the Florida primary begins Aug. 8.

Meet the District 6 Candidates

The candidates running for District 6 are Clarence James, Lindsey Denmark, Michelle Petty, Robert Stafford, and Tammyette Thomas.

News4Jax spoke with four of the five candidates about their priorities if elected.

Lindsey Denmark

Lindsey Denmark is a realtor and children’s ministry director at Restoration Baptist Church in the Dinsmore area of Jacksonville. An eighth-generation Floridian, she has lived on the city’s west side for nearly 20 years. Her church runs a reading volunteer program at Rutledge Pearson Elementary School. She also previously worked as a grant consultant across the state.

Denmark said restoring classroom order is her top priority if elected.

“My primary goal is to bring order back into our classrooms,” Denmark said. “We’re seeing so many disciplinary issues in the classroom between students and then also with our teachers and students, students just struggling with different things. I think we need to stand on our code of conduct that’s already in place and make sure that we are holding fast to that and we’re holding students and parents accountable for discipline issues.”

On literacy, Denmark said the district needs to move faster on early intervention — before children fall behind in third grade.

“Read USA is a fantastic program that already has tutor programs in our schools after school,” she said. “We really need to just expand those programs, make sure that we’re putting a focus on early intervention. Not just waiting until they’re in third grade and realizing that they cannot read.”

Denmark said she supports a fiscal audit of the district’s spending and believes teacher pay should be built into the base budget rather than dependent on recurring voter referendums.

“I will definitely be a proponent of a fiscal audit,” she said. “I believe that it should be paid out of the budget and they should be a very competitive wage.”

Denmark said her 15-year-old son has attended private, home, and public school, and that she is running partly because her own family’s trust in Duval’s public schools has eroded.

Clarence James

Clarence James is a fifth-generation west Jacksonville resident, a retired Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office lieutenant, and a current Duval County School Police sergeant. He said he sees the inside of Duval’s schools every day and that violence is his top concern.

“We can’t have over 1,000 fights a year in our schools,” James said. “We can’t [have] almost 400 teachers assaulted a year. We cannot continue on that path.”

James also said the district needs to address summer learning loss and ensure every school has a counselor.

“When the kids leave to go home for the summer, they’re not still getting that education,” he said. “We need to create programs and make sure that we inspire kids and parents, when they leave for the summer, to make sure they’re still actively involved in the academics.”

On the budget, James said student enrollment directly affects district funding and that keeping kids in public schools is critical.

“If you keep them in public school, you keep those dollars,” he said. “A lot of the kids have transferred out of the district [to] private schools and the money goes with them.”

James said he supports renewing the one-mill tax, which he said provides the average teacher $8,500 to $9,000 a year in additional pay.

“Our teachers pay about $1,100 a month for family health care,” James said. “On top of that, they’re one of the lowest paid in the state. So they need that extra $8,500 [to] $9,000 a year to help offset that health care cost.”

He pledged budget audits if the renewal passes. “We’re going to dissect that budget. We’re gonna do audits where needed. We’re going to make sure that we’re getting a good ROI on our money.”

James Addresses AI Controversy

James has also faced criticism on social media over the use of artificial intelligence in his campaign. The backlash centered on a photo that appeared to show AI-generated images of African-American supporters standing beside him. The photo has since been deleted. James addressed the controversy directly.

“AI is a new tool. We’re all learning,” James said. “I had one AI photo that I had no knowledge about. My campaign made a mistake, is what it is. I had no knowledge about it for three weeks.”

Michelle Petty

Michelle Petty is a Florida registered paralegal and an 11-year School Advisory Council member. She currently serves as SAC chair at Baldwin Middle Senior High School and has participated in the district’s Master Facility Plan focus groups and the Academic and Community Excellence Committee. She qualified for the ballot via petition.

Petty said her main goals are transparency, budget reform, and curriculum improvements.

“My goal is to, of course, work on the transparency issues,” Petty said. “I also want to work on a budget. I know that we are adding additional taxes to the taxpayers of Jacksonville. And I know we have a huge budget. It’s bigger than the city council budget. And I’m sure that those taxes can be absorbed into the Duval County budget. And we just need to look at what we’re spending it on.”

Petty also raised safety concerns tied to school consolidations, specifically the closure of Charger Academy and the transfer of its students to a newly built Chaffey Trail Middle School, which she said was constructed in one year instead of the typical two.

“They stopped bussing for kids that live less than two miles from this school,” Petty said. “So they were forcing these children to walk to school from nearby neighborhoods with no sidewalks, no crossing guards, no flashing yellow lights.”

On reading, Petty said the district is pushing students forward without ensuring they can read at grade level.

“We’re passing students that can’t read at grade level and it needs to be addressed,” she said. “We’re basically just making kids recognize words versus teaching them how to actually sound out things and be able to read.”

Despite concerns about additional taxes, Petty said she supports renewing the one-mill and plans to tell voters to approve it. She committed to working to absorb the cost into the district’s base budget within four years.

Robert Stafford

Robert Stafford is a Navy veteran and retired logistician with more than 38 years of professional experience in acquisitions and technical training. He serves as the NAACP’s representative on the Sales Surtax Oversight Committee and said he has worked with Duval County Public Schools informally for at least six years. His wife spent 43 years in the Duval County Public School System and is a three-time Teacher of the Year.

Stafford said he is running because he wants to see literacy rates rise and give students more opportunities to express themselves creatively.

“You can’t decouple reading from writing,” Stafford said. “If they can write, if they can express themselves, they’ll learn to read.”

Stafford said he also has concerns about school safety and the uneven way security upgrades are applied across schools.

“Take for instance, Rufus C. Payne. They’ve done nothing. They have no metal detectors. There’s no security fence,” he said. “But [another school] spent $662,000 on security upgrades. And then they demolished the building four months later. So it has to be uniform.”

He also called for better career development opportunities for teachers, saying programs that once operated at the Shope Center have disappeared.

Stafford said he supports the one-mill renewal, with accountability.

“Anytime you say safety or teacher’s salary, you have me,” he said. “But we can’t have a mistake where you misplace $61 million inadvertently. You have to have accountability and show the folks where the money was spent and how it was spent.”

On school closures, Stafford said many of the district’s current challenges stem from decisions made decades ago — including miscalculations about population mobility and declining birth rates — and that consolidating underenrolled schools is a financial reality.

“If we have a school with 200 students, basically it’s not viable,” he said. “You can’t support that if you want your tax dollars to go as far as they should go.”

Tammyette Thomas

News4Jax spoke with Tammyette Thomas Monday afternoon.

Thomas brings more than 20 years of experience in education, workforce development, healthcare training, college-level teaching, and running her own vocational school. She is also a mother of three Duval County public school graduates.

If elected, Thomas said her top priority would be ensuring teachers have the resources they need to succeed, while also improving student achievement and supporting parents. She said she would collaborate with principals and teachers to build on the district’s “A” rating, while addressing gaps in reading and math.

Thomas also voiced support for the one-mill tax renewal on the November ballot, saying it is critical funding for teachers, students, and parents. She pledged to make sure the dollars are properly allocated if voters choose to renew it.

You can see full interviews with the candidates below:

Learn more about the Florida Elections Reporting Partnership at floridaelections.org.

John Thomas Michael II, 48, was taken into custody Friday, July 24, on a local arrest warrant. He is being held at the Duval County jail on a combined bond of more than $800,000.

The death

On March 27, 2024, JSO deputies say they responded to Commonwealth Ave. following a report of an undetermined death. A man was found in his bedroom, where investigators say they also located multiple small baggies containing unknown purple-colored powders and small pieces of folded aluminum foil inside a pill bottle on his bedside table, along with his cell phone.

The District IV Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an inspection the following day. The Medical Examiner ruled the death an accident, citing acute combined drug intoxication from fentanyl, acetyl fentanyl, temazepam, doxylamine, dextrorphan/levorphanol, and dextro/levo methorphan.

In June 2025, according to the arrest report, the ME told investigators that, in his professional opinion, the fentanyl in the victim’s system was “a substantial factor” in his death.

The investigation

JSO’s Homeland Security Division Narcotics Overdose Death Investigation Task Force led the investigation. Investigators conducted a forensic examination of the victim’s cell phone, which revealed text message conversations with a contact saved as “Tom Melissa”.

JSO says a search of law enforcement databases connected that number to Michael II. Records also showed that between March 13, 2024, and March 24, 2024 — days before the victim’s death — there were 14 answered phone calls between the victim’s phone and Michael II’s number, according to his arrest report.

Investigators also noted that Michael II’s address sits directly in front of the victim’s residence.

A local arrest warrant was issued July 23, 2026, and Michael II was arrested the following evening.

Charges

Michael II faces four felony charges:

• Manslaughter — bond set at $700,003
• Sale or delivery of fentanyl — bond set at $50,003
• Solicitation to commit — bond set at $25,003
• Unlawful use of a two-way communications device — bond set at $25,003

Orange Park Woman arrested

A Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office narcotics investigation has led to the arrest of an Orange Park woman on manslaughter and drug-related charges in connection with the overdose death of a Jacksonville man earlier this year, according to police.

Whitney Lynn Wilhite, 38, of Orange Park, was arrested July 24 on charges of manslaughter, sale or delivery of a controlled substance, and unlawful use of a two-way communications device. She was transported from the Clay County Jail on a local arrest warrant. No bond has been set.

Victim found unresponsive in March

The case stems from the death of a man whose body was found unresponsive March 22, 2026, at a home on Margolyn Court in Jacksonville. Jacksonville Fire and Rescue responded to the scene, where the man was pronounced dead.

A JSO homicide detective responded to investigate. The man’s sister later located a bottle of methadone in his bedroom inside an open Amazon package on his nightstand. The District IV Medical Examiner determined Brown died of methadone toxicity.

Narcotics unit takes over investigation

Investigators reviewed a download of the victim’s cell phone, provided by a computer forensics investigator. The review confirmed his phone number and revealed a series of text message conversations with a contact saved in his phone as “Whitney White IOP”, according to the arrest report.

A law enforcement database query linked the phone number associated with that contact to Whitney Lynn Wilhite through multiple prior arrest records, including a Florida Highway Patrol report from December 2020 and a JSO report from August 2020.

Text messages tied to drug transaction

According to the arrest report, investigators reviewed text message exchanges between the victim and Wilhite in the days leading up to his death, including conversations on the morning of March 22, 2026 — the day he died. The arrest report states the content of those messages, along with cell site location data obtained through court-issued search warrants, supported the conclusion that Wilhite sold the victim the methadone that caused his death.

Charges, warrant details

Wilhite faces the following charges:

• Manslaughter 
• Sale, manufacture, or delivery of a controlled substance 
• Unlawful use of a two-way communications device

With the ceremony, Fujimori, a four-time presidential candidate and leader of Peru's largest political party, takes office as the country's ninth president in a decade. The 51-year-old is hoping to stabilize Peru's turbulent politics, reduce crime and boost economic growth.

Over the past decade, only three of Peru’s presidents have been elected by popular vote. The rest have come into office after their predecessors resigned or were removed by congress amid protests or corruption scandals.

Fujimori’s Popular Force party and its main ally, Popular Renovation, will hold half the senate seats once the new legislature is installed, making it harder for opposing legislators to attempt to remove her as president.

An incoming president with a political past and promises for the future

Fujimori centered her campaign around promises to improve security in a nation where extortion rackets have become a significant problem. She has also promised to develop infrastructure by making it easier for government agencies to form partnerships with private investors.

She is the daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, who led the country in the 1990s and stabilized its economy while defeating terror groups, but was later imprisoned for human rights abuses committed under his rule by the Peruvian military as his government took an authoritarian turn. He was pardoned in December 2023 and died in September the following year.

During her campaign, Keiko Fujimori pledged to fight crime with an “iron fist,” implementing some policies adopted by Salvadorean President Nayib Bukele, and also build a megaprison modeled after the notorious Cecot penitentiary in El Salvador.

To guarantee judges their safety, she has said she will implement reforms to enable them to hide their identities as they oversee criminal trials.

She also said on Tuesday she would reorganize social services to fight malnutrition in rural communities and announced a 15% increase in the nation's minimum wage.

Fujimori said that the nation's military will “temporarily” lead security operations in crime afflicted areas. And she also said she will focus on preparing the South American nation for the latest onset of El Niño, a weather pattern that warms ocean temperatures and often leads to flooding along Peru's coast.

“My goal is not only to administer the state,” Fujimori said. “My main objective is to narrow the enormous social deficit that affects millions of Peruvians.”

Opposition leaders remember those killed in protests

Opposition leaders have asked Fujimori’s incoming government to reverse a series of laws approved by Peru’s last legislature, which critics say weaken efforts to fight organized crime.

The laws eliminate preventive arrests and stop prosecutors from processing political parties involved in corruption under the same statutes as criminal groups. The laws also make it harder for police to confiscate the goods of criminal groups.

Opposition leaders are also asking the incoming government to create a commission to investigate the deaths of 50 civilians during anti-government protests in late 2022 and early 2023 following the removal of former President Pedro Castillo.

During Fujimori’s swearing-in ceremony, some opposition lawmakers protested outside the parliament in Lima, Peru's capital, holding photos of people killed during the protests. Relatives of the dead have said they do not recognize Fujimori as president and that they are protesting her inauguration.

Fujimori will lead a deeply polarized country

Fujimori was widely backed by voters in Peru’s capital and along the Pacific coast, but voters in the highlands, where there is a larger Indigenous population, overwhelmingly supported left-wing candidate Roberto Sanchez, an ally of Castillo.

Sanchez challenged the election results, arguing there were irregularities in how votes were counted at Peruvian consulates abroad, but electoral authorities dismissed his complaints.

Despite the political friction, Peru continues to be one of the most stable economies in Latin America. Its central bank has long kept the benchmark interest rate below 5%, and the government is known for a conservative approach toward public spending.

But critics point out a growing gap in living standards between coastal areas and communities in the Andean highlands.

Fujimori's June election victory, along with those of Abelardo de la Espriella in Colombia and José Antonio Kast in Chile, underscored South America's shift toward the conservative wing, a stark contrast from the panorama of a few decades ago when left-wing leaders such as Hugo Chávez in Venezuela or the current Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva emerged.

Conservatives have won seven major presidential elections in Latin America in the past few years, most of the them since the January 2025 inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump, in a winning streak propelled by concerns over crime, immigration and slow economic growth.

Democrats are hoping to retain control of the governor’s office and flip both chambers of the Legislature to earn full control of Wisconsin state government for the first time since 2010. But they have failed to coalesce around one candidate for the top job, spurring fears that they could miss an opportunity to win in November.

Tuesday was the first day voters could cast their absentee ballots in person ahead of the Aug. 11 primary.

Democratic socialist Hong divides early Wisconsin voters

Insurgent democratic socialist Francesca Hong has garnered strong support among the most liberal wing of the party. Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who narrowly lost a 2022 U.S. Senate race, is hoping that voters in his hometown of Milwaukee help him overcome Hong, whose base is in Madison. Those two cities hold the largest number of Democratic voters in Wisconsin.

Also in the race is Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who is running with the endorsement of Gov. Tony Evers. Crowley had dropped out of the race on July 8, but got back in on July 17, the day after Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez dropped out amid a campaign finance scandal.

Ian Anderson, who cast his ballot in Madison, said he voted for Hong because “she's exactly the burst of energy we need.”

Anderson, 46, said he was “very frustrated” by Evers' late endorsement in the race.

“It's the latest example of the Democratic Party meddling,” said Anderson, who works for the state Department of Natural Resources.

Nicole Santos, 45, said Hong was the only primary candidate with the “fortitude” to stand up to President Donald Trump.

“To get back on track we need to go a little further left,” she said.

But Crowley voters on Tuesday said they backed him because they believed he had a better shot at beating Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in November. Tiffany, who is running with the backing of Trump in a state Trump won in 2016 and 2024, faces only nominal opposition in the primary.

It would be “tough” for Hong to beat Tiffany, said retired attorney John Hawley, 68, of Madison.

“I’d like to think I’m wrong, but north of Madison and Milwaukee I don’t think she’ll come across that well,” he said in reference to more rural parts of the state.

Erica and Mario Johnson, a married couple who are both Black and from Milwaukee, both voted for Crowley, because they see him as best positioned to beat Tiffany. Crowley and Barnes are each seeking to become the state’s first Black governor. Hong is seeking to become Wisconsin's first female governor and first Asian American governor.

Crowley has the “most executive experience,” said Mario Johnson, 63, who retired from a career in the federal government.

He worries that Hong won’t be able to defeat Tiffany, but if Hong wins the primary, “I’ll bite the bullet and vote for her.”

If Hong wins the primary, 67-year-old retired physician Steve Wiesner said he will vote for a Republican in November for the first time in his life.

“I would never support her or any (democratic socialist) candidate at this point,” Wiesner said after casting his ballot in downtown Milwaukee for longshot candidate Joel Brennan.

The five Democratic candidates are scheduled to meet for their only debate Tuesday night.

Judge hears arguments over canceling already-filed absentee ballots

And hours after polls opened for early voting, a judge heard arguments in a Democratic lawsuit seeking to allow voters who already returned their ballots to cancel those and cast a new one. As of Tuesday, nearly 108,000 ballots had already been returned by mail.

The lawsuit was filed last week with support from the Wisconsin Democratic Party. They are seeking an order from a judge to immediately allow for already-cast ballots to be canceled, a rarely used practice known as ballot spoiling.

Democrats argue it's necessary given that Rodriguez and former state economic director Missy Hughes ended their campaigns, and Crowley got back in the race, after tens of thousands of ballots had already been returned.

Hughes and Rodriguez’s names remain on the ballot.

Dane County Circuit Judge David Conway, noting the urgency of resolving the issue with the election two weeks away, said he would issue a ruling by 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.

In-person absentee voting, which began Tuesday, runs through Aug. 9. All absentee ballots must be received by the time polls close on election day Aug. 11 in order to be counted.

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Mayes-Osterman 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. She reported for this story from Milwaukee.

The states — Tennessee, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Utah and Idaho — all have Republican governors who say they welcome the chance to help America reclaim its leadership in civilian nuclear energy.

If built, the storage sites would represent significant progress in a multi-decade effort to store more than 95,000 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste. Plans for a permanent underground storage facility at Nevada's Yucca Mountain have long been stalled because of staunch opposition from most residents and officials. Spent fuel is currently stored at nuclear plants and former nuclear sites nationwide and is piling up.

Under the non-binding agreements, the states could host Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses that would include waste sites as well as uranium enrichment, spent-fuel reprocessing and fuel fabrication. The campuses may also host advanced reactor deployment, power generation and data centers, the Energy Department said.

Nuclear campuses could boost state economies

The campuses have the potential to attract up to $50 billion in private investment and generate as much as $10 billion in state and local tax revenues, the Energy Department said in a statement. Eligible projects could access federal loans worth billions of dollars, the department said.

“These campuses will be massive generators of economic growth ... and be crucial to unleashing America’s nuclear renaissance,'' Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in a statement. He called the proposed campuses an “innovative concept” that will "get America’s nuclear industry growing again.''

Tennessee is home to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which enriched uranium during World War II as part of the Manhattan Project, while Idaho hosts the Idaho National Laboratory, a key research site for nuclear energy and national security. Utah was a source of raw uranium for the Manhattan Project and a training site for crews that dropped atomic bombs on Japan in 1945.

“As the global epicenter of nuclear energy, Tennessee is honored to be selected as a potential host for a Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus,” said Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee. "As our state answered the call during the Manhattan Project and helped shape the course of history, Tennessee stands ready once again to advance the safe, reliable energy solutions our nation depends on.”

Solution for storing waste needed to expand nuclear power

The announcement comes as President Donald Trump attempts to quadruple domestic nuclear energy production because of surging electricity demand due to a data center and artificial intelligence boom. Trump also has moved to reshape the independent Nuclear Regulatory Commission to speed up nuclear reactor development. Under Trump’s direction, the commission has proposed eliminating a foundational safety principle that for 50 years minimized the radiation people in the United States are exposed to.

The NRC proposal would abandon a philosophy to keep radiation exposure “as low as reasonably achievable,” instead setting a separate standard on maximum radiation exposure that includes several actions facilities must take depending on the potential dose of radiation to workers.

California Rep. Mike Levin said the nuclear fuel announcement was a long time coming and required bipartisan collaboration to fix difficult nuclear waste challenges. Levin, a Democrat, has pushed to allocate funding to safely remove and dispose of spent nuclear fuel from decommissioned nuclear plants, including the closed San Onofre nuclear power plant in Southern California.

“Today’s selection of states is a monumental step in the right direction,” Levin said in a statement. “For the first time in decades, states are raising their hands” to accept nuclear waste.

Scott Roecker, a former official at the National Nuclear Security Administration who now advises the Nuclear Scaling Initiative, a pro-nuclear group, said the campuses are a good idea, though he cautions that spent nuclear fuel should not be reprocessed there to be recycled for new fuel because of the cost and security issues.

“Getting a community to accept a long-term repository for nuclear waste has been a big challenge in the United States politically. It’s been a hard pill to swallow for certain communities,” he said in a recent interview. “The fact that they’re talking about sort of the whole fuel cycle at these centers is a positive thing. Basically, you’re getting the consent of that community for that long-term repository.”

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McDermott reported from Providence, R.I.

The Fox Cities region, which includes more than 100,000 people in the communities of Appleton, Menasha and Neenah, was left in shambles by Monday's twister, with homes leveled, cars flipped, and power lines and trees toppled.

“The depth of the tornado and its impact is incredible, devastating. We’re really still at the assessment stage,” Winnebago County Executive Gordon Hintz said at a news conference Tuesday.

Authorities said the timing — the storm blew in when most people were awake and after warnings had been issued — could be why there have been no reported deaths, though some people were injured and officers were still going door-to-door in search of possible victims.

“Everybody was at work. It was the middle of the day," Menasha Police Chief Matt Albrecht said. "Most people were not at home and at their place of employment.”

The tornado touched down around 1 p.m. and remained on the ground for more than 20 minutes, cutting a roughly 12-mile (19.3-kilometer) path of destruction, the National Weather Service reported. The area is about 100 miles (160 kilometers) northwest of Milwaukee.

It was classified as an EF3 tornado — the strongest tornado to strike both Outagamie and Winnebago counties since an EF4 touched down in April 1984, the weather service said.

A relatively powerful twister

Gov. Tony Evers declared a state of emergency for the affected areas. Shelters were opened for displaced residents.

As chain saws roared in the background, Appleton Mayor Jake Woodford said a number of neighborhoods were “truly devastated.” Like elsewhere in the region, electricity lines were tangled around broken trees, making power restoration a slow, risky process.

More than 14,000 customers in Winnebago and Outagamie counties were still without power Tuesday afternoon, about 1,000 fewer than earlier in the day, according to PowerOutage.us. It could be several days before power is restored.

The twister was spun off by a large storm system that moved through the Great Lakes and was fueled by a buildup of heat and humidity, the weather service said.

“What we are seeing this summer is significant heat leading to significant severe weather,” said Chad Merrill, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather. “We had an EF3 tornado in Wisconsin. People need to take these warnings seriously. It can happen just about anywhere.”

Residents describe terrifying moments

Authorities said Tuesday that they didn't know exactly how many people were hurt. But ThedaCare Regional Medical Centers in Appleton and Neenah said it treated 40 people, mostly for minor storm-related injuries.

Heather Schroeder said she heard cracking and popping all around her as the twister tore apart a laundromat, bakery and tavern along a street corner in Menasha. Rescue workers pulled someone out of a building.

“There’s nothing left,” she said.

At Manderfield’s Home Bakery, a decades-old landmark, the brick frame around the door still stood, but not much more.

“This can be replaced,” owner Jerry Manderfield told WISN-TV. “We had people in the building that could possibly have died in there.”

Volunteers stepped up to try to ease the shock. Luigi’s Pizza in Menasha set up a food trailer to distribute hygiene packs and free slices after donors kicked in enough money to make at least 125 pizzas.

“Sometimes a hot pizza, a taco, and a reminder that your community cares can mean more than words,” said Duncan’s Window & Door, which chipped in for 50 pizzas.

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Associated Press reporters Christopher Keller and Scott Bauer contributed to this story.

Judge Carli Kierny found that the interview is admissible in Duane “Keffe D” Davis' trial, which is scheduled to start Aug. 10.

Davis, 63, is charged with murder in Shakur's 1996 killing and faces life in prison without parole if convicted.

Shakur’s death is considered one of the most notorious unsolved murders in the United States. The case went cold until Davis began making public statements about it, including in a book he co-wrote in which he said he was in the Cadillac and provided the weapon used to shoot Shakur.

Defense attorney Michael Sanft argued that a 2008 interview Davis gave law enforcement was supposed to be confidential, and that detectives explicitly told him the interview was not supposed to be used against him.

Prosecutors argued there was no basis to exclude the interview from the trial, which is expected to take about four weeks.

The interview was used in former Los Angeles Police Department Detective Greg Kading’s book “Murder Rap: The Untold Story of the Biggie Smalls & Tupac Shakur Murder Investigations.” Portions of the recording were also played in documentaries, including the recent documentary “Sean Combs: The Reckoning.”

Shakur was killed Sept. 7, 1996, in Las Vegas. He and Death Row Records founder Marion “Suge” Knight were sitting at a red light when a white Cadillac pulled up beside them near the Las Vegas Strip, and gunfire erupted. Shakur was shot multiple times and died six days later. Knight survived with minor injuries.

Three others were with Davis in the Cadillac, including his nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, but Davis is the only person still alive. None of the others faced charges in Shakur's killing before they died.

In his memoir, Davis said he obtained a handgun from an associate and tossed it into the back seat of the Cadillac but did not say who fired the fatal shots.

In the 2008 interview, Davis describes how he and his crew saw Shakur that night and pulled up beside them, and said that Anderson “popped them.” Anderson denied involvement in Shakur’s killing at the time, and died two years later in an unrelated gang shooting in Compton, California.

News4JAX has made an editorial decision to not name the 17-year-old due to her age.

Just after 1 p.m. Monday, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call reporting that someone had been shot multiple times at a home on Gwen Avenue. When deputies arrived, they say they found the victim in the driver’s seat of a vehicle suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The victim was transported to a local hospital in stable condition.

According to investigators, the victim and another adult had been arguing when the 17-year-old suspect was present. Witness and suspect statements indicate the victim reached for a firearm during the dispute before placing it back in a holster on a couch. As the victim walked away, the suspect allegedly retrieved the firearm and fired four rounds.

Following the shooting, deputies say the victim made it to the front of the property in an attempt to get help. Deputies say the suspect returned inside the home and called 911.

The teen was arrested and charged with attempted murder and booked into the Nassau County Jail before being transferred to the custody of the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.

“Domestic violence incidents are among the most difficult our deputies and detectives encounter,” said Sheriff Bill Leeper. “This is a tragic case that has left a family forever changed. We encourage anyone experiencing domestic violence or fearing for their safety to seek help before a situation turns tragic.”

The Sheriff’s Office says the investigation remains active and ongoing.

In response to questions about the bills, the independent authority confirmed the amount was $15.06 million and said it had taken steps to pay them in two months.

JTA has suffered a $13.28 million budget deficit in fiscal year 2026 and had a projected deficit of $17.5 million in fiscal year 2027. The unpaid bills also make up around 11.3% of JTA’s $132.97 million operating budget.

The delinquencies date back to 2014, according to records. Of the $15.06 million, $4.62 million is more than 60 days past due, $4.86 million is 31 to 60 days past due and $5.58 million is one to 30 days past due.

Of the $4.62 million that is more than 60 days past due, records show that $373,259.42 was overdue since July 1, 2025, and $2.95 million was overdue after April 1, 2026.

In a statement that verified the amount of the overdue bills, JTA spokesperson Lynn Opperman said that with a midyear budget amendment and cost-containing measures adopted by JTA, “we expect these outstanding invoices to be resolved in the next two months.”

Read more at the Jacksonville Daily Record.

The Heat Advisory for today will expire at 8 p.m. A Heat Advisory and Extreme Heat Watch is in place for Wednesday. Scattered showers with thunderstorms will develop ahead of a slow-moving cold front, arriving during the afternoon and lingering late Wednesday night. The heat indices will reach 104 - 112 degrees.

Strong to isolated severe storms will be possible tomorrow afternoon and evening. The main hazards will be damaging wind, possible flooding due to heavy rainfall and frequent lightning. The current tornado risk for Wednesday is less than 2 percent areawide. The potential for strong or damaging wind is 5 to 15 percent.

The unsettled pattern continues Thursday through the weekend. The increasing cloud cover will help return our temperatures to near normal, maybe even a couple of degrees below normal. The rainfall deficit since January 1 is around 8 inches.

Tonight: Hot and mainly dry. Heat Advisory through 8 p.m.

Wednesday: Weather Alert Day starts at 12 p.m. Heat Advisory and an Extreme Heat Watch 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will develop ahead of an approaching cold front. Strong to severe storms will be possible. Lows in the upper 70s to low 80s. Afternoon highs in the mid to upper 90s. Feels Like temperatures 104 - 112 degrees.

Thursday: Not as hot with scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly across NE FL, 50-70 percent. Southeast Georgia will see partly cloudy skies with a 20 percent chance of showers. Lows in the 70s to low 80s. Highs in the 90s.

Looking ahead: Rain chances Friday and this weekend. The heat will return to near normal as the waves of showers and storms move through.

Tropics: It’s quiet across the Atlantic basin.

Sunrise: 6:43 p.m.

Sunset: 8:23 p.m.

Police Chief Shon Barnes told a news conference that the weapon was a 9 mm gun from Polymer80 — a now-defunct company that was once a leading manufacturer of ghost gun parts.

Investigators also recovered two other weapons and 14 shell casings that had been fired by weapons of two different calibers, he said.

The shooting in the waning hours of the three-day Bite of Seattle festival left three people dead, including a 19-year-old gunman, and at least four people injured, including a toddler. Authorities say they believe the violence was gang-related, and they are reviewing any available surveillance video and interviewing victims and witnesses in an effort to identify others who may have been involved.

A potential eighth person potentially injured by gunfire checked themself into a hospital after the shooting, but checked out before investigators could conduct an interview, Barnes said. Legal obstacles have prevented them from obtaining the patient’s identity, he added.

Ghost guns are privately made — often homemade — firearms that lack serial numbers used to trace them. They are often purchased without a background check. Law enforcement officials say ghost guns, including those made with 3D printers, have increasingly been used in violent crimes across the U.S.

The weapon the 15-year-old had been shooting when he surrendered to police was equipped with an extended 33-round magazine, Barnes said. The magazine still had 19 rounds in it.

At the scene Sunday night, police also recovered a 9 mm handgun that they do not believe was used in the shooting.

And on Monday, as food vendors were allowed to return to the area to clean up and collect their equipment, a third weapon was discovered: a Glock 45 model 9 mm with a switch allowing it to fire fully automatically, Barnes said. Police believe that gun was fired during the shooting. It had an extended 40-round magazine, with 21 rounds remaining in it.

In a document filed in juvenile court in Seattle on Monday, police said they believed there were at least three shooters: the 15-year-old, an acquaintance who died at the scene and “at least one other unknown suspect.” Authorities had earlier said they believed there were two.

The King County Medical Examiner’s Office on Monday identified the dead as Carlos Israel Sanchez Villalba, 44; Ashley Whitehead, 56; and Junior Cee Niko Semo, 19.

Villalba was a husband and father of three known for his kindness and willingness to help others, according to a GoFundMe campaign launched Monday to help his family with funeral expenses. He died from a gunshot wound to his torso, while Whitehead died from a gunshot to her pelvis and Semo died from multiple gunshot wounds, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Whitehead had just moved to Washington from Alabama a year ago and was enjoying the festival with one of her adult daughters when she was shot, her cousin Michelle Whitehead told The Associated Press. She was taken to the hospital and died in surgery, she said.

Ashley Whitehead adored her two adult daughters, and also loved nature and arts and crafts, her cousin said.

“I would consider her just a free spirit. She had the best sense of humor, the best gorgeous smile,” she said.

During a vigil Monday night at the center, Michelle Whitehead stood among dozens of others with a sign that said “Whitehead Strong” as the group held a moment of silence and raised up flashlights on their phones to honor those that had been killed. Candles and flowers were arranged around them.

The four wounded included a 2-year-old boy, two men, ages 23 and 27, and a woman, 39, all of whom were discharged, a hospital spokesperson said.

One of the victims was walking a bicycle when struck, the court document said. The toddler was with his mother.

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Rush reported from Portland, Oregon.

The closed-door meeting lasted nearly an hour and a half and was “positive and productive," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. The White House did not immediately offer more details.

It comes as both leaders face growing pressures at home. Netanyahu is up for reelection and is embattled in part because of his deteriorating relationship with Trump. Trump is under pressure to end an unpopular war that has wreaked economic havoc and driven prices higher ahead of midterm elections this November.

Despite signs of tension between the two ahead of the meeting, Netanyahu was effusive afterward in a post on Instagram, noting that the meeting included Trump's “entire senior team.”

Vice President JD Vance, who has had critical words for Israel and in June warned Israeli officials that Trump was their only friend among world leaders, was among those in the meeting.

“When I say excellent, I don’t mean it in a superficial way,” Netanyahu said in Hebrew. “A conversation with full partnership, with mutual support, with an understanding of the common goal of ensuring that Iran does not have nuclear weapons, and other goals as well. One of the best conversations I’ve had with the President of the United States, our friend Donald Trump.”

Netanyahu later joined Vance and Trump at a funeral for Sen. Lindsey Graham, where the Israeli leader was seen speaking to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who met with Trump earlier in the day.

Trump expresses some frustration with Netanyahu before sitdown

Trump revealed some tension with Netanyahu ahead of their meeting, complaining about reports that the Israeli leader plans to discuss intelligence on Iranian activities at Pickaxe Mountain, a potential nuclear site that the U.S. president has threatened repeatedly to bomb.

“I know exactly what’s going on at Pickaxe,” Trump told “Fox & Friends.” He insisted that whatever Iran is doing is “not a big problem” and that “Bibi’s telling me that because he wants me to stay involved.”

“Why do you have to announce to the world?” Trump added, flashing his frustrations with his ally.

Trump has had a hot-and-cold history with Netanyahu over the years, but upon his return to the White House last year, their alliance seemed stronger than ever. When they started the war together in February, it was with a united front, touting their respective militaries as acting in lockstep to take out Iran’s leadership and pave the way for a government more friendly to the West.

But as Iran fought back — sending drones and missiles slamming into U.S. bases and high-rises in cities in the Gulf, and choking off the Strait of Hormuz — Trump came under immense pressure both at home and by allies in the region to end the conflict.

Since then, Netanyahu, who wanted to continue the fighting in Iran and against its ally, Hezbollah, in Lebanon, has been sidelined as Trump sought a deal with Tehran. Disagreements with Trump and Vance have burst into the open over the war in Iran and more.

“The Americans are making it clear to the Israelis they are the ones who are running the war,” Israeli journalist and political analyst Amit Segal wrote Monday in the daily newspaper, Israel Hayom. “It is clear to everyone that Israel has been put in the back seat.”

Netanyahu keeping focus on Iran's nuclear program

Netanyahu planned to share with Trump Israeli intelligence on Tehran’s nuclear program, according to a person familiar with Netanyahu’s visit, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Netanyahu said Sunday that he hoped to sit down with Trump “to hear what he has in mind” for Iran.

“Because I think, in many ways, it’s his decision” on how to move forward, Netanyahu told Maria Bartiromo on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures.” “If he can do so without returning to intense military fighting, that’s fine. Why not?

"But one way or the other, they have to end their nuclear program,” he said of Iran.

The two leaders also had planned to discuss the framework agreement the U.S. and Israel signed with Lebanon over the Israel-Hezbollah war and the expansion of the Abraham Accords, according to a White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to preview the meeting.

Steps to allow other forces in Gaza and in Lebanon

Netanyahu also needs to persuade Trump that he won’t play spoiler to U.S. diplomatic and reconstruction efforts in Gaza and in Lebanon, where the president has previously complained that “too many people are being killed” by Israeli strikes.

Israel has taken recent steps in both places.

In Lebanon, where the Israeli military occupies much of the south, Israel agreed to allow the Lebanese army to deploy to some villages as part of a “pilot program” testing their ability to secure areas where Hezbollah once operated. The U.S. State Department said Monday that the next round of talks between Israel and Lebanon will take place next week in Rome with a focus on expanding the program.

On Gaza, Israel’s security cabinet green-lit on Sunday a measure that would, in theory, grant entry to the first members of an international stabilization force outlined last year in a U.S.-backed ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.

Few countries have pledged troops for the force, however, and Israel would approve their entry into Gaza on a case-by-case basis.

The troops — including from Morocco and Uganda — would only be allowed to operate in a small, desolate area in Rafah in the south, where the plan is to vet and house some displaced Palestinians.

The Israeli military continues to carry out strikes it says target militants but that have also killed civilians.

Support for Israel has eroded

Israel has lost a significant amount of bipartisan support in the United States, particularly over its conduct in Gaza. Near the White House where the public was able to gather near fencing, a small group of protesters chanted, “Netanyahu, you’re a tyrant” and “Bibi, you’re not welcome here,” referencing the prime minister’s nickname.

An AP-NORC poll published earlier this month found a dramatic erosion of support among American adults for Israel.

“We’ve lost America. Thank you, Bibi,” wrote Ben Caspit, a political commentator for Israel's Maariv newspaper.

___

Associated Press writers Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, Darlene Superville and Seung Min Kim in Washington, Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report. Cunningham reported from Jerusalem.

Colt Gray, 16, had pleaded guilty Friday to 55 counts, including murder, in the Sept. 4, 2024, shooting at the school about 45 miles (73 kilometers) northeast of Atlanta. Gray, who was 14 at the time, was charged as an adult.

Barrow County Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm handed down the sentence after hearing from family members of those killed and victims, as well as investigators, a forensic psychologist who had evaluated Gray, a youth detention center counselor and Gray’s grandmother.

The minimum penalty for murder in Georgia is life with the possibility of parole. That left Barrow County Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm with the decision of whether Gray should ever be eligible for parole. He decided the teen should never be allowed out.

Primm acknowledged that Gray was failed by his parents, his extended family and, to a certain extent, society.

“But that failure does not absolve you from who you chose to idolize, worship and become,” the judge said, alluding to Gray's fascination with mass shooters.

District Attorney Brad Smith had argued that Gray “cannot be in society.”

“We’ve seen no evidence he has any ability to develop a conscience or any ability ever to fully value human life,” Smith said.

Defense attorney W. Charlton Allen told the judge his client is “not irretrievably broken.” Giving him the possibility of parole would give him “an opportunity of hope," Allen said, adding that without hope, “that takes away the ability for him to change.”

Teachers Richard “Ricky” Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, and students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, died in the shooting. Another teacher and eight more students were wounded, seven of them hit by gunfire.

Victims of the shooting and family members of those killed conveyed their anger and grief to Primm on Friday, almost all of them asking him to impose a sentence of life without the possibility of parole.

Shayna Aspinwall, the wife of math teacher and football coach Richard Aspinwall, described “a life sentence of grief and trauma for those left behind.”

Investigators say Colt Gray aspired to be a mass shooter

Investigators testified during the sentencing hearing that Gray idolized other mass shooters, talking about them online with other members of the “true crime community,” a group of young people online who are fascinated with such attacks. Gray had chatted online about gaining notoriety through a school shooting and his admiration for previous mass shooters.

Prosecutors played recordings of phone conversations Gray had with his mother, Marcee Gray, from a youth detention center in the months after the shooting. During those calls, he directed his mother to look up what people were saying about him online. When she described “fan art” drawings depicting him or comments people made about him, he asked her how much engagement those posts were getting and seemed excited when they were getting a lot.

Gray had the “mental wherewithal” to mimic details of other mass killings on the day of the shooting, Smith said. He took steps to place those “Easter eggs,” anticipating that they would be mentioned in court one day and would perpetuate his fame, the prosecutor said.

“The shooting was not the culmination of the plan. The shooting was just one of the steps of the plan. The plan was ultimate and lifelong fame inside of the TCC,” Smith said, referencing the “true crime community.”

Colt Gray's grandmother says he needed help

“Colt got less stability than he needed, which made him even more vulnerable,” Allen argued, arguing that his client got wrapped up in an online community where he found the acceptance he craved but wasn’t getting at home.

Gray’s maternal grandmother, Debbie Polhamus, testified that the teen had a troubled childhood and that his parents failed him. Her grandson had grown “highly agitated and aggressive” in the weeks before the shooting, she said, adding that she had urged his parents to get him some help but they didn’t follow through.

“I tried to help Colt because nobody else was helping him,” she said.

Polhamus said she visits her grandson once a week at a youth detention center and that he has improved enormously with treatment and medication. She said her grandson has been doing a lot of reading and wants to study to get a GED diploma.

“I’d like to see him have a chance at some point to prove himself,” Polhamus said.

Gray was put in foster care while in detention because his father was in prison and there were concerns about his mother's contact with him. Candice Broce, director of the state Division of Family & Children Services and commissioner of the Georgia Department of Human Services, managed his case.

Broce testified that Gray appeared to show improvement. After Marcee Gray was barred from speaking with her son by a July 2025 no-contact order and he started taking medication, staff at the youth detention center told Broce it “changed him essentially into a different child,” she said.

The S&P 500 added 0.2%, but the modest move masked big swings underneath the surface. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 537 points, or 1%, while the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.2% after briefly dropping 9.3% below its record set last month.

The majority of the U.S. market rose after more companies delivered stronger profits for the spring than analysts expected. Coca-Cola climbed 5% after its revenue rose 7% despite what CEO Henrique Braun called “a dynamic consumer landscape.”

Sherwin-Williams rallied 8.3%, and Illinois Tool Works rose 3.6% after both likewise reported stronger earnings for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Stock prices generally follow the trend of corporate profits over the long term, and expectations are high for this most recent round of reports with the U.S. stock market still near its all-time high.

Such expectations are weighing particularly heavily on stocks of chipmakers and other companies that have been huge winners from the boom in artificial-intelligence technology.

Micron Technology’s stock came into the day having more than tripled for the year following gangbuster growth, for example. During the three months through May 28, its revenue more than quadrupled from a year earlier.

But worries are rising about whether such growth is sustainable. Big spenders on computer memory could pull back on investments if AI does not produce as much profit or productivity as promised. Lower-cost AI models from China could also mean less demand for memory and computing power than earlier expected.

Micron dropped 8.9% and was the heaviest weight on the S&P 500. Others also helping to keep the market in check were Advanced Micro Devices, down 8.1%, and Applied Materials, down 7.8%.

All told, the S&P 500 rose 15.60 points to 7,428.78. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 537.24 to 52,747.32, and the Nasdaq composite fell 55.17 to 24,876.91.

The losses for chip stocks were even worse earlier in the day in other markets worldwide.

Sharp drops for SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics dragged South Korea’s Kospi index down 10.8%. The market’s losses were so big that trading was temporarily halted at times in Seoul.

“We believe the market was likely spooked by the progress of China’s chipmaking equipment capabilities, and was worried that this progress would threaten the competitive position of global chipmaking and chip equipment leaders,” said equity analyst Jing Jie Yu of Morningstar.

“That said, we believe the sell-off today is largely a knee-jerk reaction and overdone,” he said. The dominant position of global chipmaking leaders is unlikely to be threatened meaningfully, he said.

Several huge spenders on AI chips and data centers are scheduled to report their latest quarterly results this week, which could offer updates on how much they’re planning to invest. Meta Platforms and Microsoft are reporting on Wednesday, while Amazon is due on Thursday.

Because AI superstar stocks have grown so big, their movements carry more weight on the S&P 500 and other indexes than many other companies. But the broad U.S. market could hold up despite their swings if other, less-loved areas are able to keep rising. It’s a rotation that some strategists have suggested could be healthy for the overall stock market.

In the oil market, the price for a barrel of Brent crude to be delivered in October fell 4.4% to settle at $82.08.

It’s been falling since late last week, when the price for a barrel to be delivered in September briefly shot as high as $102.

Pushing up on prices have been worries that worsening fighting in the Middle East could slow the global flow of oil. On the other side, though, are hopes that the United States and Iran could still negotiate something to allow oil tankers to use the Strait of Hormuz to move crude.

Lower oil prices helped to ease Treasury yields in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.60% from 4.65% late Monday.

A weaker-than-expected reading on confidence among U.S. consumers also weighed on yields. Fewer consumers are saying they feel good about current business conditions, according to the latest survey released by the Conference Board Tuesday.

The drop in oil prices helped push traders to trim their bets that the Federal Reserve could announce a hike to interest rates following its latest meeting on Wednesday. They’re forecasting a 31.5% probability, down from more than 36% a day before, according to data from CME Group.

Higher rates could keep a lid on inflation, but they would also slow the economy by making it more expensive for U.S. households and businesses to borrow. Long-term mortgage rates have already hit their highest level in nearly a year, chilling the housing industry.

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AP Business Writers Chan Ho-him, Elaine Kurtenbach and Matt Ott contributed.

Jacksonville Council Auditor Brian Parks presented the $75 million estimate to the Council Financial Audit and Oversight Committee, a figure based on a review of JEA’s capacity fee records dating back more than two decades.

The fees are a one-time charge required before a water meter is installed and utility service begins. Fee amounts are based on water meter size or projected daily consumption.

Parks told committee members nearly $20 million of the estimated missed payments came from multifamily units, noting those developments may not have seen enough growth over the years to require additional capacity fees, so it could be possible that $55 million was the maximum overall amount uncollected by JEA.

Read more at the Jacksonville Daily Record.

Year 2 for head coach Liam Coen comes equipped with high expectations and some momentum. The Jaguars are coming off a 13-4 season that not even the most teal-hearted optimist could have seen coming.

The Jaguars were content with their roster construction and didn’t make significant changes to their core since last year.

Among starters from last season, 10 return on offense (only Travis Etienne left). The bulk of the defensive guys return, too, but there will be new starters at linebacker (Devin Lloyd left in free agency) and cornerback (Travis Hunter in over Greg Newsome). After head coaching overtures, both coordinators are back for Coen. Defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile and offensive coordinator Grant Udinski interviewed for open jobs in the offseason but ultimately returned to Jacksonville.

That continuity is great for Coen, who brought much sought after stability to Jacksonville. He and Udinski also helped unlock quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s potential. Lawrence had constantly rotated between franchise player and frustratingly inconsistent during his time in Jacksonville. He produced 38 total touchdowns (29 passing) and reached 4,000 passing yards for the third time in his career.

Lawrence was an MVP finalist and should feel more comfortable in Coen’s system in his second season.

Travis Hunter is back

The first year of the Hunter experience was a bit muted. The two-way star whom the Jaguars traded up for in the 2025 draft, has been cleared to return to the practice field after missing all but seven games of his rookie season due to a knee injury.

Hunter had 298 yards receiving on 28 catches (one TD). On defense, Hunter had 15 total tackles. He’s expected to play a larger role at cornerback this year and enters camp as a projected starter opposite Montaric Brown. The team has said it still expects to play him on both sides of the ball.

Who are the backs?

The team’s biggest question mark entering training camp is in the backfield. Jacksonville lost Etienne in free agency and signed Chris Rodriguez in free agency. It drafted Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Alen Jr. in 2025.

Tuten had a solid rookie season and enters as perhaps the guy to earn the starting job. Rodrigeuz has been out of action after foot surgery but is expected to be a full go now. Deejay Dallas and Ameer Abdullah could also play a role if they make the 53. But there is certainly a dearth of experience among the top three backs. Rodriguez has just 198 career carries over three seasons. Tuten had 83 carries and five TDs last year. Allen had 23 carries as a rookie.

Respect? Come get it

Respect for the Jaguars has been fleeting in the national media. Coen made a point to drive that home last year, including the reference of being a “small market team” after going on the road and beating the Broncos late in the season.

Lawrence came in rated as the No. 62 player on the NFL’s Top 100 list. Edge Josh Hines-Allen, coming off an eight-sack season, disappointing from a statistical standpoint. But Hines-Allen had a whopping 80 quarterback pressures, a number that tied for the fourth-most in the league. With better play from the secondary, Hines-Allen should be able to turn more of those pressures into sacks.

Be prepared for a mess …

If you’re going to the stadium. Construction in and around EverBank Stadium has made the area a work in progress. Capacity for the stadium has been reduced to 42,507 in 2026, a total down from 68,300. The current capacity also includes 1,260 standing-room tickets. The majority of the reduced seating comes from the upper deck. No seating is available in the upper deck in 2026, with 22,000 seats removed.

When are practices open?

Jacksonville has opened 10 training camp sessions to fans this year: July 29-30, 31 (only season ticket holders), Aug. 2-3, 7, 9, 19 (joint practice with Panthers), 23 and 25 (joint practice with Buccaneers). Parking lots open at 7 a.m. and gates open at 7:45. Practice is expected to start at 8:30. The only changes are gate open at 8:45 on the joint practice days. There is free parking available in Lot Z. Free tickets for Aug. 2 and 9 dates have already been claimed. Tickets can be claimed here.

The schedule

Preseason 1, Aug. 15, at New Orleans Saints, 4 p.m.

Preseason 2, Aug. 21, vs. Carolina Panthers, 7:30 p.m.

Preseason 3, Aug. 28, vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 7:30 p.m.

Week 1, Sept. 13, vs. Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m.

Week 2, Sept. 20, at Denver Broncos, 4:05 p.m.

Week 3, Sept. 27, vs. New England Patriots, 1 p.m.

Week 4, Oct. 4, at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m.

Week 5, Oct. 11, vs. Philadelphia Eagles (at Tottenham Hotspur, London), 9:30 a.m.

Week 6, Oct. 18, vs. Houston Texans (at Wembley Stadium, London), 9:30 a.m.

Week 7, Oct. 25, OFF

Week 8, Nov. 1, vs. Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m.

Week 9, Nov. 5, at Baltimore Ravens, Thursday Night Football, 8:15 p.m.

Week 10, Nov. 15, at Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m.

Week 11, Nov. 22, at New York Giants, 1 p.m.

Week 12, Nov. 29, vs. Tennessee Titans, 4:05 p.m.

Week 13, Dec. 6, at Chicago Bears, 1 p.m.

Week 14, Dec. 14, vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, Monday Night Football, 8:15 p.m.

Week 15, Dec. 20, at Houston Texans, 1 p.m.

Week 16, Dec. 27, at Dallas Cowboys, Sunday Night Football, 8:20 p.m.

Week 17, TBD, vs. Washington Commanders, TBD

Week 18, TBD, at Indianapolis Colts, TBD

The four-time arena football champions will open their Indoor Football League postseason quest at home on Saturday at 7 p.m. against the Tulsa Oilers at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. Jacksonville (11-5) split its season series against Tulsa, winning 41-34 at home and losing on the road (58-49).

Six players with area ties are on Jacksonville’s roster this year.

WR/DB Marquel Wade (Jackson), RB Jimmie Robinson Jr. (Flagler Palm Coast), QB Sammy Edwards (St. Augustine), WR Jaedon Stoshak (University Christian), QB Matt Considine (St. Joseph) and WR Anthony Evelyn (Fletcher) are on the roster. Considine and Evelyn are on injured reserve. Stoshak and Wade have combined for 28 TD catches. Edwards has thrown 24 TD passes Robinson has paced the running game with 24 TD

The Sharks began play in 2010 as a member of the Arena Football League. They won their first AFL championship in 2011. Jacksonville jumped from the AFL to the National Arena League in 2017 and won the championship in its first season. They added titles in 2019 and 2023 before joining the IFL in 2024.

Lippman died at his home in Tucson on July 25, according to his brother, Glenn. He died from multiple system atrophy, a rare brain disease.

A gifted writer and editor, Lippman likely made his greatest contribution to journalism through the scores of young editors and reporters he recruited, mentored in his soft-spoken but enthusiastic manner and shepherded to accomplishments they would acknowledge later they hadn’t thought possible. He had the ability to become friends with practically everybody he met, including those he supervised.

He did so as chief of AP bureaus in Louisville, Indianapolis and Los Angeles.

During his time there, Lippman oversaw the so-called Trial of the Century, when football legend O.J. Simpson was charged with — and acquitted of — killing his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. He also supervised coverage of the 1994 Northridge earthquake that killed more than 70 people and caused $20 billion in damage. And in 1992, he led coverage of the deadly 1992 Los Angeles riots that destroyed a huge swath of the city after four white police officers were acquitted of charges in the videotaped beating of Black motorist Rodney King.

"If you were in a lab and charged with creating a model bureau chief, your model could well be Andy Lippman,” said retired AP President and CEO Louis D. Boccardi, who appointed Lippman to lead the Los Angeles bureau.

“He had it all," Boccardi said. "A sharp news sense, energy without limits, loyalty to, and appreciation for, his staff wherever we sent him, a passion to serve AP members that made the bond seem more like family than business, limitless enthusiasm, thoughtfulness in matters large and small. That was a hallmark of knowing Andy Lippman.”

Colleagues remembered him as a thoughtful boss

Particularly in Los Angeles, Lippman was remembered for his thoughtfulness. Even after his retirement he would surprise staffers stuck working on Thanksgiving by showing up with a full meal — turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, the works. And dessert.

“Andy was indeed like a brother to me, from the time we met in 1982 as fellow AP bureau chiefs in adjoining states — Andy in Louisville and I in Indianapolis,” said retired AP bureau chief and regional vice president Paul Stevens, who now edits AP’s Connecting newsletter for retired and former AP journalists.

“We became forever best friends," Stevens said. "One year, he invited our then-teenage daughters to join him as his guests for the Academy Awards program in Los Angeles. He came to family weddings. And we were there for each other in the tough times, including the deaths of our parents.”

Dozens of others shared similar sentiments in recent years at various gatherings, including AP’s annual dinner for retirees. At a recent farewell party in Los Angeles that Lippman was unable to attend because of illness, every one of the dozens of people in the room recorded video tributes.

He was a journalist since the early 1960s

Andy Lippman, born April 29, 1948, in Washington, D.C., to Miriam and Morton Lippman. He grew up in Bethesda, Maryland, and seemed destined to become a journalist. He worked for his middle school newspaper and was editor of Bethesda’s Walter Johnson High School newspaper, The Pitch, his senior year.

“Working on The Pitch really kept me focused, and particularly being an editor really gave me a sense of responsibility,” he told the newspaper in 2016.

Lippman started writing “for pay” at age 15 covering high school sports for the Washington Daily News on weekends. Later, when he arrived in Los Angeles in the late 1980s, he made sure every reporter or editor knew how to cover a sports event, just in case they got pressed into service during an emergency.

After graduating from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in 1970, Lippman landed a vacation relief job at the AP’s Phoenix bureau in 1971. A year later he became a permanent member of the Tucson, Arizona, staff before moving to AP’s sports desk in New York, then on to Cincinnati, where he was an AP correspondent. Then it was on to Louisville.

Sports-related coverage seemed to keep creeping back into his work life. In 1991, Lippman pressed his sports writers to confirm word, which they did, that Los Angeles Lakers superstar Magic Johnson was about to announce his retirement after contracting the AIDS virus. Lippman had reported on Johnson’s on-court rival and close friend Larry Bird during his time in Indianapolis.

He dealt with health issues but stayed in the game

In 2005, the AP honored him with the Oliver S. Gramling Spirit Award, given to staff members who display dedication, courage, and exceptional support for the news agency’s mission.

Plagued with various health issues in his later years, Lippman retired from the AP in 2009, but never lost touch with the company.

He continued to help others, teaching English to immigrants and helping about 75 holding Green Cards prepare for their tests to become U.S. citizens. In 2022, the Puente Learning Center in East Los Angeles named Lippman its Volunteer of the Year, an honor accompanied by a proclamation from the California Legislative Assembly.

Lippman never really quit journalism. For eight years, until last December, he wrote a weekly column for the South Pasadena Review, the local newspaper for the close-knit suburb just north of Los Angeles that in his final years Lippman had grown to love.

Lippman served in the U.S. Army Reserves for six years beginning in 1970. His family says he will be cremated and some of his ashes placed in Ravello, Italy; Colonial Williamsburg; Indiana; and South Pasadena, California. Survivors include his sister-in-law, Nancy Newberry, his brother Glenn and an extended family that, Glenn wrote, “was composed of his many friends, colleagues, students and community connections.” Lippman also is survived by his beloved rescue dog, Scout.

The future Hall of Fame quarterback's status beyond 2026 is seemingly one of the few certainties for the Pittsburgh Steelers, where the only thing familiar about their annual pilgrimage to Saint Vincent College for training camp might be the venue.

Having a new head coach for the first time in a generation will do that.

While native son Mike McCarthy's Pittsburgh roots run deep, he also brings a career full of experiences built coaching elsewhere to a franchise that has done certain things a certain way for a long, long time.

Times are changing. Right from the jump.

The quaint spectacle of players being swarmed by cameras and microphones as they lugged their bags and personal items into Rooney Hall is no more. Most of the roster arrived quietly late Monday. Nearly all of them were on the field for a post-breakfast conditioning test on Tuesday, a glorified jog that was typically done in the late afternoon during former coach Mike Tomlin's 19-year run.

No wonder linebacker T.J. Watt likened the beginning of his 10th year in the NFL to the first day of school.

“There’s just a lot of unknown,” he said.

The next three weeks in the western Pennsylvania hills are a feeling-out process of sorts for players and coaches alike. Watt insists he is embracing the new.

Good thing, because there's plenty to go around.

The afternoon practices in the midsummer heat that Tomlin leaned into, often clad in black sweatpants and a sweatshirt, will now be held earlier in the day. Team meetings will start at 7:30 a.m., with all practices scheduled to wrap up by 1:30 p.m. at the latest, around the same time Tomlin's practices usually began.

McCarthy said he'd be fine with practicing right after breakfast if he could. And tackling? Well, that's mostly out, too.

“You try to reduce risk," said McCarthy, who said the emphasis will be on trying to make sure players correctly do all the fundamental things required for good tackling form — like footwork — so they'll be ready when the games count.

Still, McCarthy is well aware that trying to prevent all injuries is a fool's errand. If he needed a reminder, he got one when veteran defensive back Jalen Ramsey tweaked a knee during minicamp, a setback that landed him on the physically unable to perform list, though McCarthy stressed the move was precautionary and that Ramsey is expected back in a couple of weeks.

A little more uncertain is the status of cornerback Joey Porter Jr. The club placed him on the PUP list on Tuesday but offered no details. The timing comes with Porter angling for a new contract as he enters the final year of the rookie deal he signed in 2023 after Pittsburgh selected him with the first pick of the second round.

Porter held himself out of certain team drills during minicamp in June in an effort to protect his health, saying at the time that he feels like he's one of the elite players at his position in the league.

While the Steelers have signed Porter's draft classmates tight end Darnell Washington and outside linebacker Nick Herbig to new contracts in recent months, general manager Omar Khan said there is nothing else “imminent.” Asked if he's concerned that the longer it takes to reach an agreement Porter, the more expensive it will get, Khan shrugged.

“It’s just the nature of the beast,” he said. “We understand where we are, and we have communication. We know how the process works. But at the end of the day, we can only go so far with certain negotiations and see where it goes.”

The one person Khan won't have to worry about negotiating with anymore is Rodgers. The four-time MVP said when he signed a one-year deal in May to return to Pittsburgh after leading the Steelers to an AFC North title last season that “this is it.”

Though wide receiver DK Metcalf tried to prop the door open for 2027 when he said he could see Rodgers running it back one more time if he had a great season, his QB quickly shut it.

“I thought last year might be it,” he said. “And then Mike got hired and I talked to the wife, and she said, ‘You can do one more year.’ So we'll see if it works out."

Rodgers likes the symmetry of ending his career with the coach he won a Super Bowl with during his long run in Green Bay. He's also one of the few people in the organization who have a sense of what — and more specifically how — McCarthy plans to build a team, though he pointed out that changes to the collective bargaining agreement that banned two-a-day practices add a bit of an unknown, even for someone who has seen just about everything.

“I’m not sure what the Mike McCarthy training camp practice will be like, but I know that the OTAs were crisp,” he said. “You guys saw them out there. It was crisp. Things were moving fast, in and out of team periods, and I expect more of the same.”

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

The probes will determine whether the Bethel School District, about an hour south of Seattle, and Denver Public Schools violated a federal law that gives parents the right to opt out of school evaluations on topics including sex behavior or attitudes, the department said.

“Parents must be the decision-makers in matters impacting the most intimate parts of their children’s lives," Frank Miller, director of the Student Privacy Policy Office at the Education Department, said in a statement.

Denver schools spokesman Scott Pribble said in a statement the district put the teacher on administrative leave and completed an investigation after students raised concerns in March 2025. The statement did not specify what prompted students' concerns.

The Board of Education fired the teacher in May, he said.

“The safety, emotional well-being, and dignity of our students are the absolute highest priorities of DPS,” the statement said. “Our actions to date have been wholly consistent with those priorities.”

Bethel School District said in a statement that the vials in a display at Graham-Kapowsin High School in June were not authorized by school administrators and were immediately removed and turned over to the Pierce County Sheriff's Office.

Testosterone is prescribed for gender-affirming care. The district added that it will cooperate fully with the Education Department's investigation.

The two districts are in states headed by Democrats. President Donald Trump is a Republican.

The Trump administration has opened dozens of investigations into schools that make accommodations for transgender and LGBTQ+ students, often taking aim at districts that allow students to use bathrooms or locker rooms that align with their gender identities. It accused Denver schools last year of violating Title IX protections against sex-based discrimination over such a bathroom policy.

Trump officials have also pushed against schools accused of keeping information about students’ gender identities confidential from their parents, which the department says is a violation of federal privacy laws.

The Education Department tied the new investigations to National Parents’ Day on Sunday. The agency said it will be announcing “significant actions” involving the enforcement of parental rights laws through the week.

The display at the high school in the Bethel district contained some vials with a “small amount of unknown liquid,” the district said in its statement.

Pierce County Sheriff's Deputy Carly Cappetto said school administrators identified the student who brought the vials to campus. The sheriff's office would test the liquid to determine whether it was testosterone — a controlled substance — if prosecutors made that request, she said.

An email to the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney's Office was not immediately returned.

The district said in its statement it is reviewing its protocols for overseeing displays to “ensure all school materials strictly align with our educational standards and community expectations."

“Our primary focus remains on maintaining a safe, respectful, and focused learning environment for all of our students,” it added.

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Associated Press writer Collin Binkley in Washington D.C. contributed to this report.

The child was found Monday night on Bacall Road and rushed to a hospital, where he died, JSO said. Detectives said the wound appeared to be self-inflicted after the child gained access to a firearm inside the home. Investigators are continuing to probe the case and said it was unclear whether charges would be filed.

“It’s kind of shocking with it being real close and it being a neighbor and then it being a kid. You know, that’s also very shocking and unfortunate,” Gary Mays, a neighbor, said. He added, “We have to be more vigilant when we’re teaching gun safety, especially when it comes to having firearms within a vicinity of kids.”

Another neighbor said she heard a loud pop about 10:30 to 11 p.m. and initially thought it was fireworks. She said she noticed a police presence about 15 minutes later.

The sheriff’s office noted this is at least the fourth shooting involving a child in the past two months that investigators say appears accidental.

Investigators are also trying to obtain any nearby video surveillance and are asking anyone who may have witnessed what happened — or who has relevant video — to contact JSO at 904-630-0500, email jsocrimetips@jaxsheriff.org, or call CrimeStoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.

Florida law

Under Florida law, it is illegal to knowingly leave a loaded firearm accessible to a child under 16 when the child could gain access without permission.

If a child accesses an unsecured firearm and causes injury or death, the gun owner may face criminal charges — in addition to what the sheriff’s office described as “devastating consequences for the child, family, and community.”

Safe storage

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is urging gun owners to take immediate steps to secure their firearms. Officials say responsible gun ownership starts with safe storage:

• If a firearm isn’t on you, it should be secured.
• Keep firearms locked and out of reach of children.
• Use a gun safe, lockbox or trigger lock to prevent unauthorized access.
• Never leave a firearm unsecured in your home or vehicle.

Talking to your kids

JSO is also encouraging parents and guardians to have direct conversations with their children about firearm safety:

• Teach children that real guns are not toys and can seriously hurt or kill someone.
• If a child ever finds a gun, they should Stop. Don’t Touch. Leave the Area. Tell an Adult.
• Ask family members, babysitters and the parents of your children’s friends how firearms are stored in their homes.

Free gun locks available

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has free gun locks available at its District 1 substation, located at 5258 Norwood Ave., and its District 2 substation, located at 9119 Merrill Road. The agency says it is actively working to restock locks at its other four substations.

The Kenya Wildlife Service said 10 of the pachyderms showed signs of partial paralysis before dying within two days, while the remaining five were found dead, with their carcasses partially consumed by scavengers.

Most of those affected were female elephants and their calves, with only one male among the dead. The deaths happened in the Kimana Sanctuary and Kuku Ranch areas surrounding the park, the authority said.

Kenya has previously recorded incidents of elephants being poisoned as a result of poaching and human-wildlife conflict.

Preliminary tests on samples collected from the elephants by a laboratory at the University of Nairobi detected a “potential toxic substance,” while separate analyses by the Government Chemist were negative for the toxins tested. The authority said further tests are underway.

“Environmental investigations are also being undertaken, including the analysis of water sources and other potential environmental contaminants within the affected areas, to establish whether the elephants were exposed to a common source,” the authority said in a statement.

The authorities sought to reassure the public, saying there was no evidence the condition could be transmitted to humans.

Green will sign the contract that essentially matches the deal he opted out of last month before the Warriors made an unsuccessful bid to sign LeBron James, the person said.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal hadn’t been announced.

ESPN first reported the deal.

Green is now set to play his 15th season with the Warriors and if he plays in 51 games he will join Stephen Curry as the only players in franchise history to appear in at least 1,000 contests.

Green, Curry and coach Steve Kerr are the main remaining pieces of the team from the dynasty that delivered four championships. Golden State last won the title in 2022 and haven’t made it past the second round of the playoffs since then. The Warriors missed the playoffs this past season when they lost to Phoenix in the play-in tournament.

Golden State tried to add James earlier this offseason and Green waited to sign his deal until after James made his decision to sign with Philadelphia to give the Warriors more flexibility. Green, Curry and Jimmy Butler are all entering the final seasons of their current contracts, although Curry could sign an extension starting late next month.

Green has been one of the best defensive players in the NBA since being drafted in the second round in 2012. He has made nine all-defensive teams and was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2016-17.

He has averaged 8.7 points per game in his career, along with 6.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists. He averaged 8.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 68 games last season for Golden State.

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

It has been nearly a decade since any state carried out two executions in one day, when Arkansas had back-to-back executions in 2017.

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has made the state's death chamber the nation’s busiest at the end of his final term, saying too many families have waited too long to see justice.

Nationwide, the use of the death penalty had been declining for two decades, but that number has ticked up behind the increased pace in Florida. Since 2025 began, Florida has carried out nearly half the state executions across the country.

James Aren Duckett, 68, was pronounced dead early Tuesday afternoon following a three-drug injection at Florida State Prison near Starke. The 11th inmate executed by the state this year, Duckett was convicted of raping and drowning 11-year-old Teresa McAbee while he was working as a police officer in central Florida in 1987.

Duckett declined to make a final statement, responding “no sir” when asked. About 4 minutes after the execution began, the prison's warden shook Duckett and shouted his name, but there was no response.

Afterward, the girl's family members said they had suffered for decades.

“I waited nearly 40 years to have him dead,” Dorthy Tula, the victim's mother, said before breaking down.

“This man took advantage of his badge,” said Tracy Mcfall-Buskirk, the girl's cousin.

Early Tuesday evening, 80-year-old Dominick Anthony Occhicone was scheduled to become the oldest prisoner executed in Florida’s modern history. He was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend’s parents in 1986.

Florida execution came after last-minute appeals

Until Tuesday, a total of 17 executions had been carried out in the U.S. so far this year, with Florida carrying out more than all other states combined.

Both men saw last-ditch appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court denied Tuesday after the Florida Supreme Court declined to intervene last week.

Duckett’s attorneys had unsuccessfully claimed his innocence and argued against the state’s handling of DNA evidence.

Occhicone’s attorneys said several age-related ailments, including kidney and prostate problems, could make his execution especially painful, constituting cruel and unusual punishment.

DeSantis hasn’t said why he scheduled two executions six hours apart. A Florida prison official said the department was confident in its readiness to carry out both. All Florida executions are by injection of a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the Department of Corrections.

Record execution numbers for governor’s final two years

DeSantis, who leaves office in January, oversaw a record 19 executions last year, more in a single year than any other Florida governor since the reinstatement of the death penalty in the U.S. in 1976.

Florida now has executed 30 people since the beginning of 2025 while the rest of the U.S. states combined have carried out 35 executions over the same time frame. Another execution in Florida is set for August.

Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty urged DeSantis ahead of Tuesday to halt both executions.

“July 28 represents an unprecedented escalation of Florida’s use of the death penalty,” said the group’s executive director, Grace Hanna. “These are two profoundly different cases, but they point to the same troubling reality: Florida continues to expand the use of capital punishment, despite mounting evidence that it is not what Floridians want.”

Decades on death row

DeSantis has rarely commented on the pace of executions, previously saying some on death row had committed crimes as far back as the 1980s.

“Justice delayed is justice denied. I felt I owed it to them to make sure this ran very smoothly," the governor said last year.

If Occhicone's execution proceeds as planned, he would be the second-oldest prisoner known to be put to death in modern U.S. history after 83-year-old Walter Moody Jr. was executed in Alabama in 2018 for a wave of mail bombs in 1989 that killed a federal judge and wounded a Black civil rights attorney.

Florida executions were scheduled for the same day only weeks ago

Just before Duckett was scheduled to be executed in March, the Florida Supreme Court issued a stay to allow for DNA testing of old evidence. The results were inconclusive, meaning they did not exonerate Duckett or definitively connect him to the crime. Judges have allowed the jury verdict to stand.

When Occhicone’s death warrant was signed late last month, his was the only execution scheduled for Tuesday. But after the Florida Supreme Court removed Duckett’s stay on July 8, DeSantis signed a new death warrant and added Duckett to Occhicone’s execution date. Florida Department of Corrections records show multiple executions on a single day were more common in the past, with the last being in 1964.

The San Jose Neighborhood Association brought five specific conditions to a recent planning commission meeting tied to a proposed rezoning of the shuttered school’s site. The commission moved forward with the rezoning without adding any of the conditions neighbors requested.

“Those five items were met with resistance that was not favorable to the respect of our neighborhood and our community,” said Chrissy Kinne, government affairs officer for the San Jose Neighborhood Association.

Our news partners at The Jacksonville Daily Record reported that the Planning Commission moved forward with a proposed 110-unit development on the site. Duval County Schools is in the process of selling the property to Dream Finders Homes. Kings Trail Elementary closed last year.

What neighbors are asking for

The association’s five conditions include:

• Routing the development’s entrance and exit to Powers Avenue rather than Old Kings Road
• Height restrictions on smaller lots within the development
• An adequate buffer between the existing neighborhood and the new construction
• Written language in the planned unit development (PUD) description confirming the community will be a 55-and-up senior development
• Preservation of 1.44 acres of wetlands on the property

A neighborhood already feeling the pressure

Grady Pope moved to the Old San Jose area from Mandarin about five years ago — specifically because Mandarin had gotten too crowded. He says the same pattern is now playing out in his new neighborhood.

“You’re seeing a massive amount of building, you know, residential homes, town homes, condominiums, single-family homes everywhere. And we’ve experienced that on each end of Old Kings Road,” Pope said.

Pope says residents deserve to be part of the conversation.

“There’s 1,100 neighbors here that are involved in this decision that they’re going to be making,” he said.

Neighbors say they are pushing for a seat at the table as the rezoning process moves forward, and are hopeful the developer will take their concerns seriously.

“We’re just really hopeful that in the end, the things that we’re putting forward for the builder that eventually buys this property will come through with considerations for us that are meaningful,” Pope said.

No response from officials

News4Jax reached out to Duval County Schools, Councilman Joe Carlucci, and attorneys involved in the rezoning.

Councilman Carlucci, who represents the area, responded Tuesday.

Due to this being a quasi-judicial zoning, I am very limited in what comments I can make. However, I have encouraged the applicant to reach out to the community members and find middle ground wherever possible!

Councilman Joe Carlucci

This story will be updated when the remaining responses become available.

The Vikings announced the punishment Tuesday as they began training camp. Alexander's suspension began Friday and will be in effect until Aug. 13, two days before their first preseason game at the New York Giants.

“I take full responsibility for the situation I put myself in and apologize for not meeting the mark,” Alexander said in a statement released by the Vikings. “I know it’s unacceptable. I understand the suspension and am committed to learning from the matter and ensuring I come back a better version of myself.”

Alexander, who was also given the title of defensive passing game coordinator, was hired in February to replace Daronte Jones, who became defensive coordinator of the Washington Commanders.

According to Hennepin County court records, Alexander pled guilty July 16 to a gross misdemeanor charge of third degree driving while impaired for refusal to submit to a chemical test. A fourth degree driving while impaired charge was dismissed. He was sentenced to 48 hours of community service, placed on two years of unsupervised probation and fined $603.

Police in Edina, a Minneapolis suburb, were called at 4:01 a.m. on April 26 for a vehicle stopped in the middle of an intersection with the driver unresponsive. An officer observed damage to the car and awoke Alexander by opening the door. His speech was slurred and his balance so poor that the one-leg stand as part of the field sobriety test was stopped to prevent injury, and a preliminary breath test showed an alcohol concentration of .169 on a weak breath, the officer reported, more than twice the legal limit. After being transported to the police station, Alexander refused an official breath test.

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said the club had been in contact with the league in the three months since the arrest and initiated the punishment once Alexander's court case was closed.

“Disappointment is the word,” O'Connell said at his regularly scheduled news conference at the start of training camp. “The expectations and the standards we have are clear, and it's important that we do those things for our players and be the examples on and off the field.”

Alexander, who has begun his 10th year of coaching in the NFL, was defensive backs coach last season for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He also coached defensive backs for the Miami Dolphins for two years while current Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores was the head coach there. Alexander played five seasons in the league as a safety after being drafted in the second round in 2007 by the Detroit Lions.

Commanders tight ends coach Ben Steele was fired Monday in the aftermath of his arrest on suspicion of driving while intoxicated last month. Steele had just been hired by Washington after spending the previous three seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. He was the assistant offensive line coach for the Vikings in 2021.

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

The sit-down in the Oval Office, which was closed to the media, followed a consequential meeting at the NATO summit earlier this month in Ankara, Turkey, where Trump announced that the U.S. will give Ukraine a license to make Patriot defense systems — a long-running request from Kyiv to counter Russian missile attacks.

Taken together, those meetings underscore how much the U.S. president, once a major skeptic of continued assistance to Kyiv, has warmed to Zelenskyy as Ukraine continues to withstand the Russian barrage more than four years after Moscow's invasion in 2022. The Ukrainian leader, whose relationship with Trump in his second term was marked by a raucous White House visit in which he was denigrated for being ungracious, has worked to court the Republican administration while relying on both likely and unlikely allies in Trump's orbit to exert their influence with the president.

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has consumed much of the Trump administration's focus this year, has also become gradually entwined with Ukraine, with Ukraine firing on at least one Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea over the weekend while Zelenskyy asserts that Russia has been offering satellite imagery of U.S. bases in the Persian Gulf to Iran.

In a post on social media after the meeting, Zelenskyy thanked Trump for the “good meeting” and the Republican administration's efforts to aid Kyiv in the long-running war.

“The President and I discussed licenses for Patriot interceptor production and several other ideas that could help,” said Zelenskyy, who also noted that he offered condolences to Trump for the death of Graham, a close ally. “We also spoke about diplomacy — it’s important that the diplomatic process be reinvigorated.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said both the Zelenskyy meeting and a separate, later sit-down with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were “positive and productive.”

Zelenskyy wants to bolster Ukraine's defense production

Later during his whirlwind, one-day visit to Washington, Zelenskyy posted that he met with officials from Lockheed Martin for further cooperation in both defense production and exchanging of technologies, saying, “Ukraine has a lot to share with those who help us protect lives.”

Luke Coffey, a senior fellow at the conservative-leaning Hudson Institute, said expanding production capacity for Patriot interceptors is not only vital for Ukraine, but also for the U.S. and its Gulf allies, particularly as supply runs low during the war in Iran.

“Ukraine has shown that its defense industry is capable, innovative and creative,” Coffey said. “I have no doubt that when they’re granted the license, they will be able to produce these missiles which will hopefully mean there will be more available for the U.S.”

Trump welcomed Zelenskyy to the White House as the Ukrainian leader traveled to Washington to honor Graham, whose final act as a public official was visiting Kyiv and securing an agreement on a package of sanctions that seek to punish countries that purchase Russian oil, gas and other exports.

In a Fox News Channel interview Tuesday, Trump recalled Graham's hawkishness and said the Republican South Carolina senator's support for Ukraine never wavered. Trump said Graham had suggested it was time to make a deal with Iran but had no similar suggestion for the Russia-Ukraine war.

“Ukraine, he's very militant about,” Trump said on “Fox & Friends." "I mean, Lindsey liked war, to be honest with you."

The Trump administration's embrace of Zelenskyy comes as a far-right activist with the U.S. president’s ear had a recent, widely publicized change of heart on Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Laura Loomer, known primarily for her incendiary social media posts and her influence with Trump, has been traveling through Ukraine, witnessing Moscow’s barrage firsthand and interviewing Zelenskyy while admitting she was “bamboozled by Russian propaganda.” Loomer said she spoke to Trump after she met with Zelenskyy in Ukraine last week and she expects to meet with the U.S. president once she returns from her trip.

Ukraine highlights ties between Iran and Russia

Ahead of the meeting, Zelenskyy also warned that Russia has been aiding Iran as the war persists by capturing satellite imagery of U.S. bases in the Gulf region that later appear in Iran. The Ukrainian president also asserted that there was a “clear correlation” between Russia’s images and subsequent Iranian strikes.

Iran is a key ally of Russia in its war against Ukraine and has helped Moscow build up its drone expertise.

But on Monday, Trump downplayed any impact of potential Russian assistance for Iran, even as he said he would raise the matter with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“I don’t think they’ve been doing it, certainly not at a high level,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he traveled to Michigan. “And if they have, it has been very un-impactful.”

On the Caspian Sea attack, the foreign ministers of Iran and Ukraine spoke about the matter, according to statements posted on social media Tuesday. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called the conversation “frank” and said Ukraine’s focus is “solely at defending our country from Russian aggression and never intended to target civilian vessels or people.”

Iran has said at least one sailor was killed in the attack. For his part, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran is also not seeking escalation but “made clear any attack on our citizens or interests is unacceptable” and “there must be restitution for losses.”

Pro-Ukraine backers pushing to advance sanctions bill

Zelenskyy has a busy itinerary during his latest visit to Washington. Besides his White House meeting, Zelenskyy will head to the Capitol to meet with senators on Tuesday evening after Graham’s funeral at Washington National Cathedral, according to a person with knowledge of the meeting who was not authorized to discuss it publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Republican leadership is hoping to advance Graham’s sanctions legislation this week, although the Senate is juggling several other priorities before lawmakers leave Washington for their August recess.

The bill has dozens of backers from both major political parties and is seen as the main policy tribute to Graham, who died unexpectedly this month from a tear in his aorta. It imposes tariffs on goods from the world’s top five purchasers of Russia oil or natural gas, including China and India.

The legislation also includes sanctions against Putin; senior Russian political and military leaders; and Russian financial institutions and energy projects.

It's been a jumbled and frenetic period during what would have otherwise been Graham's expected glide path toward a fifth term. He won his June primary outright, and no Democrat has won a statewide-elected office in South Carolina for two decades.

Graham's sudden death earlier this month at age 71 has sparked a rushed and compressed process leading to a special primary election in just two weeks.

The close of a one-week filing period for the South Carolina contest was Tuesday, the same day as the first of two funerals across Washington and Graham’s home state. The rare open Senate seat has drawn some of the state's top Republicans, longshots, familiar faces — and Graham's sister. If no candidate receives a majority vote, a runoff election will be held Aug. 25.

Darline Graham, the interim appointee, is a political unknown

For years, Darline Graham had been her older brother's political confidant, appearing in his ads, by his side at rallies and an indelible part of his biography, from their shared roughshod beginnings to his adoption of her following their parents' deaths.

In the hours after her brother died, Darline Graham stepped into Lindsey Graham's shoes in the Senate as the appointee to fulfill the remaining months of his current term, selected by Republican Gov. Henry McMaster to serve until January. Now she's running for the nomination to replace him more permanently.

Darline Graham is a political unknown to the South Carolina voters who for decades returned her brother to Washington. Although she had been part of his campaigns, she's never been a political commodity in her own right, and there have been questions in South Carolina's GOP circles over whether goodwill toward her brother's memory is enough to send her to the Senate.

For now, Darline Graham is surrounded by her late brother's official and political staff. She had the support of President Donald Trump — to whom her brother was a top congressional ally — to seek the seat, as well as his endorsement before she had said publicly that she would do so.

McMaster made no reference to Darline Graham as a placeholder or symbolic appointment, although a person familiar with McMaster’s thinking but unauthorized to speak publicly said the governor, in selecting her, had never contemplated that she would run for the seat herself.

Two congressmen are vying for the nomination

Fresh off an unsuccessful primary run for governor, U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman entered the Senate race and has snapped up endorsements from other House members, including Rep. Nancy Mace, as well as law enforcement officials across the state. One of the most conservative members in the House, Norman is well-known across South Carolina.

Before the emergence of Darline Graham — and their Oval Office meeting after she was sworn in — Trump had previously suggested he could back a potential candidacy from Rep. Russell Fry, who officially entered the special primary shortly after.

Fry, well-known in his strongly pro-Trump, Myrtle Beach-area district, is working to elevate his name ID across other parts of the state since getting into the race and is promoting himself as a stalwart backer of Trump's policies.

Mark Sanford returns for another campaign

The former South Carolina congressman and governor whose political ascendency was stalled by a 2009 affair is making yet another attempt to return to public office.

Sanford's Senate bid comes just three months after he shuttered a bid to retake his former U.S. House seat, saying then he was quitting the race to set up a nonprofit to address the national debt, his signature issue.

Sanford had entered that contest on the last day of filing, when the race already was full of other Republican candidates, many of whom had spent months laying the groundwork for their campaigns.

Other GOP hopefuls include a former Graham challenger

Mark Lynch, a Greenville businessman who tried to oust Graham in the regular Republican primary last month, swiftly relaunched his campaign following Graham's death. He's expected to put much of his own money into his Senate run.

Other candidates include:

— Duke Buckner, a Walterboro attorney who is a perennial candidate. He has challenged U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, South Carolina's lone congressional Democrat. Buckner also is a former public school English teacher.

— Danny Ford II, a farmer from the town of Central and son of former Clemson University football coach Danny Ford. He ran unsuccessfully earlier this year for the Republican nomination for South Carolina agriculture secretary, making it to the runoff before losing to the Trump-endorsed candidate.

— Mark McBride, the former mayor of Myrtle Beach. He unsuccessfully sought federal office before, including a 2004 Senate primary loss to former Republican Sen. Jim DeMint. McBride also lost to Fry in the 2022 GOP primary for the 7th Congressional District.

— Darius Mitchell, a resident of Columbia, who calls himself a “Hip Hop Republican.” In social media posts, he has voiced support for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

— Clark Neilson, a businessman in Charlotte, North Carolina, who has said he plans to build a home on land he owns in Charleston County. He said he's in the process of becoming a South Carolina resident.

— Glenda Gail Parker, retired Air Force officer who recently moved to Myrtle Beach. She calls herself a conservative independent who leans Republican. She supports high-speed rail and a strong military.

— Sam Shepherd, a biomedical engineer and entrepreneur. He lives in Lexington County and has said he is focusing his campaign on cutting taxes and federal spending.

Who is the Democratic nominee in the Senate race?

Dr. Annie Andrews, a Charleston physician, won her party’s primary in June. Having set up her entire campaign based around challenging Graham, Andrews will soon find out her new general election opponent.

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Associated Press writer Jeffrey Collins contributed to this report.

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Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP

The shooting was reported just after 10 p.m. on Bacall Road near Bonnelly Drive, north of Dunn Avenue. The boy was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Investigators say the gunshot wound was self-inflicted.

“This was a 100% preventable tragedy,” the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said.

JSO says detectives with the Homicide Unit continue to investigate how the child was able to access the weapon.

Investigators are also trying to obtain any nearby video surveillance and are asking anyone who may have witnessed what happened — or who has relevant video — to contact JSO at 904-630-0500, email jsocrimetips@jaxsheriff.org, or call CrimeStoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.

Florida law

Under Florida law, it is illegal to knowingly leave a loaded firearm accessible to a child under 16 when the child could gain access without permission.

If a child accesses an unsecured firearm and causes injury or death, the gun owner may face criminal charges — in addition to what the sheriff’s office described as “devastating consequences for the child, family, and community.”

Safe storage

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is urging gun owners to take immediate steps to secure their firearms. Officials say responsible gun ownership starts with safe storage:

• If a firearm isn’t on you, it should be secured.
• Keep firearms locked and out of reach of children.
• Use a gun safe, lockbox or trigger lock to prevent unauthorized access.
• Never leave a firearm unsecured in your home or vehicle.

Talking to your kids

JSO is also encouraging parents and guardians to have direct conversations with their children about firearm safety:

• Teach children that real guns are not toys and can seriously hurt or kill someone.
• If a child ever finds a gun, they should Stop. Don’t Touch. Leave the Area. Tell an Adult.
• Ask family members, babysitters and the parents of your children’s friends how firearms are stored in their homes.

Free gun locks available

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has free gun locks available at its District 1 substation, located at 5258 Norwood Ave., and its District 2 substation, located at 9119 Merrill Road. The agency says it is actively working to restock locks at its other four substations.

The two leaders also plan to discuss the framework agreement the U.S. and Israel signed with Lebanon over the Israel-Hezbollah war and the expansion of the Abraham Accords, according to a White House official.

Trump also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday ahead of Sen. Lindsey Graham’s funeral, which was their second sit-down this month. Sen. Lindsey Graham will be eulogized Tuesday during memorial services across Washington. Trump is expected to deliver remarks at the cathedral, alongside Fox News’ Sean Hannity and other conservative leaders.

Later, Trump joined guests and foreign leaders at Washington National Cathedral to eulogize Sen. Lindsey Graham, who rose to become one of his generation’s more influential U.S. politicians at home and abroad.

Here's the latest:

Air Force begins process to rename base after Sen. Lindsey Graham

The U.S. Air Force has begun taking steps to rename Joint Base Charleston in honor of the late South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, an Air Force official says.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal military matters, said Air Force Secretary Troy Meink signed a memo Monday to begin the process of renaming the base to Joint Base Lindsey Graham.

The official said there was no immediate timeline on how long the process would take to rename the base, which is adjacent to Charleston International Airport. The renaming was reported earlier by the Post and Courier.

Graham served in the Air Force, the Air Force Reserves and the Air National Guard for more than 30 years as a lawyer before retiring at the rank of colonel, according to his Senate website.

He was honored at a memorial service Tuesday after he died suddenly on July 11.

—- Konstantin Toropin

Trump reflects on Graham’s loss in rare display of emotion

Speaking at the lectern during his tribute to Graham, Trump paused to note the difficulty of the moment.

“I will say, this memorial service — it’s so hard to say: memorial service for Lindsey,” Trump said before continuing.

Toward the end of his roughly 12-minute tribute, Trump looked upward and suggested Graham was “watching us” now.

“Our nation needs more men and women like that great person sitting, laying — wherever he may be,” Trump said. “I think I know where he is, and I think he’s up there. I think he’s watching us. I’m pretty sure of it.”

Trump highlights defense of Kavanaugh as perhaps Graham’s ‘finest hour’

Trump recalled the passionate defense Graham issued during the confirmation hearing in 2018 for now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, during Trump's first term as president.

Christine Blasey Ford had come forward and accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her at a party when they were in high school, an allegation he denied.

Graham, who was a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee considering the nomination, passionately defended Kavanaugh, who later was confirmed to the high court.

“His impassioned defense of a wonderful person, a great gentleman, Justice Kavanaugh, ended a disgraceful attack on this very good man and gave us one of the greatest moments the Senate has ever seen,” Trump said. “It was a truly monumental moment in Senate history. I believe it was Lindsey’s perhaps finest hour.”

Kavanaugh was among the mourners at Washington National Cathedral.

Trump eulogizes Graham, says ‘he left us much too soon’

Trump remembered Graham as someone who became a “constant fixture of American politics at the highest level, and a force to be reckoned with all over the world.”

“For more than 30 years, nothing of consequence happened in this capital without Lindsey Graham knowing about it. Nothing of significance happened anywhere in the world without Lindsey Graham having a view on it,” Trump said. “And no bill became law in the most exceptional Republican human history without Lindsey Graham having a say in it.”

“He was a man who gave America the full measure of his good and mighty heart until that heart itself just gave out,” Trump said.

Trump said Graham “went out at the peak of his career and the top of his game.”

Netanyahu says his talk with Trump was ‘one of the best’

In a video posted on his Instagram account, Netanyahu described his meeting with Trump on Tuesday as “excellent.”

He added that it was “a conversation with full partnership, with mutual support, with an understanding of the common goal of ensuring that Iran does not have nuclear weapons, and other goals as well. One of the best conversations I’ve had with the President of the United States, our friend Donald Trump.”

The Israeli Prime Minister met with Trump in the White House for about 90 minutes of talks, in a meeting that was closed to press coverage. He said that Trump’s “entire senior team” was present at the meeting, as well as “our senior team,” and that it was “an opportunity to exchange ideas and to coordinate arrangements that are important for the security and future of the State of Israel.”

Netanyahu departs White House after meeting Trump

The Israeli prime minister departed after about 90 minutes of talks.

As he was leaving, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt released a statement on X noting that Trump had concluded his meetings with Netanyahu and Zelenskyy.

She said: “Both meetings were positive and productive!”

They were closed to press coverage.

Netanyahu attended a memorial dinner for Graham, calling him a ‘dear friend’

The event was held in Washington on Monday evening and was also attended by Graham’s sister and replacement in the Senate, Darlene Graham, as well as other relatives, friends of the late senator, “senior administration officials and members of Congress,” according to a statement by Netanyahu’s office.

Speaking at the event, the Israeli leader praised Graham as “deeply committed to the security of the United States, to the security of Israel, and to the ongoing fight against anti-Semitism,“ the statement said.

Netanyahu, who is meeting with Trump at the White House, is among several foreign leaders who are expected to attend Graham’s Washington funeral held later on Tuesday.

“America has lost a great patriot. Israel has lost one of its greatest friends and supporters. And I have lost a dear friend,” Netanyahu said at the memorial dinner.

Zelenskyy reports having a ‘good meeting’ with Trump

In a social media post afterward, the Ukrainian leader said his first act was to offer his condolences to Trump on the death of Graham, who was close to Trump and a strong supporter of Ukraine.

Zelenskyy says he and Trump discussed licenses for Ukraine to produce Patriot interceptors and “several other ideas that could help.” They also discussed diplomacy.

Zelenskyy said he expressed gratitude to the United States for “its firm support” and said their teams will arrange future communication.

The White House closed the meeting to independent journalists. Zelenskyy released photos showing him posing with Trump and that U.S. secretaries Rubio, Bessent and Hegseth attended the Oval Office meeting.

Iran’s government details damage from recent escalation

Iran says recent U.S. strikes destroyed an airport and a marine control tower, and caused damage to 12 bridges and two tunnels, among other infrastructure.

Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani provided the details Tuesday in an announcement carried by the state-run IRNA news agency.

The U.S. military said it struck numerous military targets this month in response to Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on Arab countries hosting U.S. forces.

Both sides paused their attacks over the weekend, though tensions remain high.

Mohajerani said Bushehr International Airport, on the Persian Gulf, has been “rendered inoperable.” Both tunnels have been reopened and alternate routes have been established around the damaged bridges, she said.

She said other civilian infrastructure had also been destroyed, including a meteorological center and fishing boats. The U.S. says it targeted small boats used by Iranian forces to harass ships in the strait.

Former colleagues of Graham offer personal goodbyes as they walk up to his flag-draped casket

Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., placed both hands on his casket and then placed her hand on her heart. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., saluted from her wheelchair. And Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., gave a fist bump.

Scores of former senators also traveled to the Capitol to pay their respects, including former Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., who bowed and then briefly kissed the casket.

Others stood briefly before his casket and offered a short prayer and a sign of the cross.

Netanyahu now at White House for Trump meeting

The black SUV carrying the Israeli prime minister arrived on West Executive Avenue minutes after Zelenskyy departed after his own meeting with Trump.

Netanyahu stepped out of the passenger side of the vehicle and buttoned his suit jacket before entering through a side entrance to the West Wing. The meeting is also closed to press coverage.

Israel’s UN envoy says `number one’ on Trump-Netanyahu agenda will be scaling down Iran war

Ambassador Danny Danon told U.N. reporters Tuesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu definitely wants to hear from President Trump what he wants to see in the coming days or weeks.

“I cannot tell you which direction it will go. There are different options,” he said. “We are prepared for all scenarios, and we will discuss it with the president.”

Danon was responding to a question on whether Israel expects the two leaders to talk about specifics of scaling down or ending the war in Iran.

“Well, I’m sure that will be number one on the agenda in the meeting today between the prime minister and the president,” he replied.

Amid somewhat strained U.S.-Israeli relations, Danon stressed, “We fought shoulder-to-shoulder against Iran, and we are prepared to continue supporting the U.S. in pursuing peace and stability in the region.” He added that Gaza will also be on the Trump-Netanyahu agenda.

Thune hails Graham as a towering figure in the Senate and the international stage

“I traveled with Lindsey all over the world as part of the congressional delegations and I saw firsthand just how much he was respected by our allies and just how well he was able to connect with foreign leaders around the world,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said.

Thune and others are honoring Graham at a tribute Tuesday in the Capitol Rotunda.

Thune and others also cited Graham’s sense of humor. He said that when lawmakers would gather for dinners in Washington, Graham was always the first call. He said no one was more capable of cracking up a room.

Choking up, he closed by telling Graham to “rest in peace my friend.”

“I look forward to the days when you make us all laugh again,” Thune said.

Americans’ confidence in US economy fell this month as Iran conflict sent gas prices back up

The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index fell to 90.8 in July from 92.2 in June.

Consumers’ view of current business and labor market conditions fell by 3.6 points to 114.9, the third straight monthly decline.

Views about their near-term futures held steady from last month with a reading of 74.7.

Consumer attitudes had improved modestly in June as gas prices came down to around $3.70 a gallon from more than $4.50 a gallon in late April and early May. But as fighting in the Middle East escalated, the average price for a gallon of gas in the U.S. started to rise again. On Tuesday it was $4.10, according to the auto club AAA.

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Trump and Zelenskyy are meeting

The White House says the meeting started at 9:47 a.m. It is “closed press,” meaning journalists at aren’t likely to see the leaders together in the Oval Office.

Graham’s casket arrives at the Capitol

The remains of the Republican senator have arrived at the U.S. Capitol, his flag-draped casket carried inside by an armed forces team, in recognition of his military service.

He’s being honored at a tribute in the Rotunda, the start of two days of services for the South Carolina senator.

Vice President JD Vance is expected to speak and several Cabinet officials, including former Sen. Markwayne Mullin, the Homeland Security secretary, were in attendance, as was acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who faces a rocky Senate confirmation for the job.

Iran says anyone tapping its frozen assets will be barred from the Strait of Hormuz

The threat came in response to President Trump’s post on social media last week, in which he threatened to use Iranian assets frozen abroad to pay for damage to ships from Iranian attacks in the strait.

Ebrahim Zolfaghari, the spokesperson for Iran’s joint military command, said Tuesday that any countries or companies that join in Trump’s “unlawful action” will be barred from using the strait. The critical waterway carried a fifth of the world’s traded oil and gas before the war. His video message was carried by Iranian state TV.

Trump had said damage to ships would be “paid for by Iranian Money that the United States has in its possession, and controls.” It was unclear what legal mechanisms Trump would use to seize and spend the funds.

Zelenskyy arrives at White House to meet Trump

The Ukrainian leader’s car pulled up on West Executive Avenue, a private road within the White House complex. He stepped out of the passenger side of a black SUV and walked around the rear to enter the White House for the meeting.

Acting national intelligence chief announces more job cuts

Bill Pulte, the acting director of national intelligence, has sought to leave his mark during his interim status in the job.

With the Senate poised to confirm Jay Clayton for the role, Pulte released Tuesday on X a series of intelligence community documents from 2020 that described China’s capacity to interfere in the American political process as well as vulnerabilities in the election system.

The substance of the material was largely recycled and already known, but its disclosure is part of a broader Trump administration effort to raise concerns about the integrity of U.S. elections — most especially the 2020 presidential race he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.

Pulte has also presided over a downsizing of the national intelligence office, which functions as a coordinating hub for the U.S. government’s intelligence agencies.

He boasted on X that with a latest round of job cuts, the office is carrying out about a 30% staff reduction from weeks ago.

Trump urges Iran to make a deal so he won’t have to hurt the people

Trump has repeatedly retreated from threats to knock out bridges, power plants and other infrastructure but he told Fox News Channel in an interview that Iran knows he’ll “finish the job” if its leaders don’t make a deal to end the war.

He says millions of people would then struggle to get by.

Trump claimed he would need less than an hour to “take out” most of Iran’s bridges and said he could blow up their power plants “within one day” and then target desalinization plants.

“You know, if I can avoid doing that, I’d like to do that,” he said.

Trump says he doesn’t need Netanyahu’s advice on Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain

The president says he’s not worried about construction activities at Iran’s potential nuclear site at Pickaxe Mountain, a complex Trump has threatened to bomb.

And Trump criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for publicly expressing concerns about the site ahead of the two leaders’ meeting Tuesday at the White House.

“I know exactly what’s going on at Pickaxe,” Trump told “Fox & Friends,” adding that whatever Iran is doing is “not a big problem.”

On Netanyahu’s statements ahead of his visit to Washington, Trump said, “Why don’t you just tell it to me? Why do you have to announce to the world.”

The bilateral huddle, on the same day that both men are attending the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s funeral, is the first since Netanyahu and Trump launched their war in Iran five months ago.

Trump remembers Sen. Lindsey Graham both for his kindness and his hawkishness

Speaking fondly about his friend and ally, Trump said he admired Graham as a nice person who was quick to call for military action.

“He was a guy that liked war,” Trump said Tuesday in a Fox News interview. “I jokingly say, and there’s nothing funny about it, but he’s never seen a war that he didn’t like.”

Trump added that Graham was “very much a hawk on Iran” but had also told Trump it was time to make a deal to end the war. That sentiment did not extend to the Russia-Ukraine war, Trump said.

“Ukraine he’s very militant about,” Trump said. “Lindsey liked war, to be honest with you.”

Senate expected to confirm Jay Clayton as next intelligence director on Tuesday

It will ensure that a permanent director is in place as the midterm elections approach.

Clayton is expected to be confirmed along party lines after a contentious hearing two weeks ago in which he repeatedly refused to say that former President Joe Biden won the 2020 election. Still, Democrats have said they have more confidence in Clayton than they do in Trump’s temporary pick for the job, Bill Pulte, who has no known intelligence experience and investigated the president’s perceived enemies in his previous post as a federal housing regulator.

Senators from both parties have expressed concerns about Pulte, who took over on an interim basis last month after Tulsi Gabbard resigned. Pulte was in charge when Trump delivered a speech from the White House earlier this month doubling down on his false claims about the 2020 election, which he lost, and released classified documents he said were relevant to his arguments.

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Security around the White House is tight due to Zelenskyy and Netanyahu visits

Only foot traffic is allowed on streets surrounding the complex. Vehicular traffic is blocked by city police cars and dump trucks at key intersections, like Pennsylvania Avenue and 17th St and near Lafayette Park.

Netanyahu is staying at Blair House, the U.S. government’s guest house across from the White House.

Zelenskyy has the first meeting with Trump, scheduled for 9:30 a.m., followed by Netanyahu at 11 a.m.

Zelenskyy will visit Trump at the White House before Sen. Graham’s funeral

Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet Tuesday ahead of Sen. Lindsey Graham’s funeral, their second sit-down this month and after a far-right activist with the U.S. president’s ear had a widely publicized change of heart on Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Trump is set to welcome Zelenskyy to the White House as the Ukrainian leader travels to Washington to honor Graham, whose final act as a public official was visiting Kyiv and securing an agreement on a package of sanctions that seek to punish countries that purchase Russian oil, gas and other exports.

Zelenskyy posted on X early Tuesday that he had arrived in the U.S. and listed the goals for his visit.

“Our schedule includes meetings with President Trump, his team, and those who can support our defense,” the Ukrainian leader said. “Our number one priority is anti-ballistic defense and strategic cooperation with America. Peace needs to be brought closer.”

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Netanyahu’s first meeting with Trump since the Iran war began is a chance to smooth over strains

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with President Donald Trump on Tuesday is the first since the two leaders launched a joint war against Iran and a chance for Netanyahu to smooth out strains in their relationship.

The meeting comes as both face growing pressures at home. Netanyahu is up for reelection and is embattled in part because of his deteriorating relationship with Trump. Trump is under pressure to end an unpopular war that has wreaked economic havoc and driven prices higher ahead of midterm elections this November.

The two leaders also plan to discuss the framework agreement the U.S. and Israel signed with Lebanon over the Israel-Hezbollah war and the expansion of the Abraham Accords, according to a White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to preview the meeting.

“We have a little difference,” Trump said Monday when asked by reporters if he and the Israeli prime minister were on the same page with Iran. “But pretty close, yeah.”

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The parties reached a tentative settlement in February as the case was headed to trial, but they were unable to finalize the agreement. The Steiners asked a federal judge in June to reopen the case, and a new settlement announced Tuesday resolves the litigation.

The agreement with David and Ina Steiner, founders of EcommerceBytes, a newsletter covering the e-commerce industry, includes an additional $7 million in charitable donations, including to organizations supporting First Amendment rights. Attorney Christopher Murphy said the resolution sends “a warning that attempts by big business to suppress speech and the press will not be tolerated.”

“This was not only an attack and campaign of harassment against two people; it was also an attack on free speech and freedom of the press," said Murphy, of Massachusetts-based Scalli Murphy Law.

The settlement contains no confidentiality provision, allowing the Steiners to discuss the case publicly. Murphy said his clients insisted on being able to speak openly about what happened to them.

The settlement resolves more than six years of criminal and civil proceedings stemming from the harassment campaign. In their 2021 lawsuit filed in Boston federal court, the Steiners said that the company engaged in a conspiracy to “intimidate, threaten to kill, torture, terrorize, stalk and silence them” in order to “stifle their reporting on eBay.” The Natick residents, who report on the e-commerce industry in their newsletter, said they were subjected to cyberstalking, death threats and in-person surveillance by former eBay workers.

The settlement also requires eBay to issue a public statement addressing the conduct of former executives involved in the case.

When the lawsuit was filed, the company said “the misconduct of these former employees was wrong,” and that it would “do what is fair and appropriate to try to address what the Steiners went through.”

eBay reiterated its apology Tuesday, saying, “What the Steiners were subjected to by former eBay employees in 2019 was wrong, reprehensible and should never have happened.” The company also acknowledged “the unprofessional tone in internal communications” by former CEO Devin Wenig, former Chief Communications Officer Steve Wymer and former Senior Vice President Wendy Jones.

The company said the conduct “is not representative of eBay’s culture” and said it has since changed leadership and strengthened its policies, procedures and ethics training.

In 2020, federal prosecutors charged seven former eBay employees, alleging they carried out a coordinated harassment campaign against the couple after becoming angered by coverage in the couple’s online newsletter. Most of the defendants pleaded guilty to charges including conspiracy and cyberstalking and were later sentenced to prison terms or home confinement.

In 2024, eBay Inc. agreed to pay a $3 million criminal penalty under a deferred prosecution agreement with federal authorities.

Federal prosecutors have said the harassment included anonymous deliveries of items like live cockroaches and spiders, a funeral wreath, and a bloody pig face mask to the couple’s home. The employees also sent pornographic magazines with the husband’s name on them to a neighbor’s home and planned to break into the couple’s garage to install a GPS device on their car.

Under the settlement, the Steiners will receive $48.7 million in compensation, including $46.15 million from eBay, $2 million from former CEO Wenig, $500,000 from former executive Jones and $50,000 from former executive Wymer.

The company will fund $6 million in charitable contributions to various nonprofit organizations, with Wenig contributing an additional $1 million to a charity dedicated to protecting First Amendment rights in Ina Steiner's name.

In a statement, Murphy cited the recovery amount, personal payments by former executives, a commitment for $7 million to go to nonprofits and the absence of a confidentiality provision in a system where “wrongdoers too often hide their misdeeds by dangling compensation in front of those they victimized and trading that compensation for confidentiality or an NDA.”

Protecting journalists and publishers and deterring corporate misconduct were goals from the beginning, he said. "We believe this resolution sends a clear message that corporations and their executives cannot engage in this type of misconduct without facing significant consequences," Murphy said.

During a back-to-school media briefing Tuesday, Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier highlighted the district’s second consecutive A grade from the state, improvements in teacher retention and several new safety initiatives, while acknowledging there is still work to do.

“This A confirms that excellence is becoming a standard in Duval County,” Bernier said. “An A rating is not a finish line. It’s a standard we must continue to explore for every student in every classroom every day.”

Teacher retention improves

Bernier credited 2022 voter-approved funding through the district’s one-mill property tax referendum with helping increase teacher pay and reduce vacancies.

According to the district:

• Teacher retention increased from 87% to 91%.
• Teacher vacancies dropped from 6% to 4.4%.
• Teachers received an average of $8,600 in additional compensation.

The district is asking voters to renew the one-mill referendum this November. Bernier said state law prohibits him from telling residents how to vote but said his role is to educate the public on how the funding supports schools and educators.

Despite the improvements, Chief Human Resources Officer Jacqueline Watkins said the district still has about 203 vacancies heading into the school year and continues recruiting teachers and staff.

New safety initiatives

School safety was another major focus of the briefing.

Bernier said the district will expand weapons detection systems into elementary schools after previously deploying the technology at middle and high schools. Officials also announced school buses will now be equipped with stop-arm cameras to identify motorists who illegally pass stopped buses.

The superintendent also emphasized continued training for employees on mandatory child abuse reporting, known within the district as “Know the Line.”

“If you see something, know something ... your next action is to pick up and call,” Bernier said, referring to Florida’s child abuse hotline.

When asked about several educator arrests in recent months, Bernier said employees accused of violating district policies are immediately removed from contact with students while investigations are conducted.

“If the investigation concludes that they have violated those policies, they will no longer be employed with DCPS,” he said.

Another initiative the district is doubling down on is “See Something, Say Something” protocol, encouraging the community to be proactive and report potential threats or issues.

School threats made online and incidents like the shooting near Raines High School last year is where the district hopes “See Something, Say Something” can help.

All students will receive training during the first week of school on the Fortify FL app, a statewide tool that lets students and parents anonymously report suspicious activity, threats, or safety concerns directly to school officials and law enforcement.

Transportation upgrades

District leaders acknowledged transportation remains one of the school system’s biggest challenges.

Bernier said DCPS has added its own GPS tracking devices to every school bus rather than relying solely on data from transportation contractors. This will allow the district to track problem routes and respond faster in the event of a school bus crash.

DCPS now has an improved parent hotline, which is where parents can call and report transportation issues with a dedicated group of people whose responsibility is to answer the phone, get answers about transportation issues, and get back to a parent.

That number is: (904) 858-6200

The district expects the first few weeks of school to provide the best indication of how the new system performs under heavy call volume.

DCPS is also continuing their efforts to increase pedestrian and bicycle safety through their “Be Safe. Be Seen.” campaign.

Chief of Police Jackson Short also said incidents dropped from 43 to 26 over the past two years, a roughly 40% decrease.

Enrollment and school choice

Bernier said the district won’t know final enrollment numbers until after classes begin but acknowledged families have more education options than ever.

He said the district plans to focus on customer service, expanding academic and career education opportunities and marketing successful schools to encourage families to choose public education.

“Our focus has to be on outworking the alternative options every day,” Bernier said.

The district is also preparing for future school closures, including Long Branch and Anchor Academy Elementary at the end of the school year. Bernier said the School Board is adopting a revised community engagement process that includes additional public meetings and outreach before boundary changes are finalized.

Looking ahead, Bernier said district leaders are setting an ambitious long-term goal of reaching a 90% literacy rate while working to maintain the district’s A grade as state accountability standards become more demanding.

The man was then shot by deputies trying to apprehend him and he later died at a hospital.

The teen’s disappearance prompted a statewide Amber Alert. At the time, detectives said she may have been in the company of 45-year-old Jason Castillo.

Deputies confirmed with our news partners WKMG in Orlando that Castillo is the ex-boyfriend of the girl’s mother.

The sheriff’s office later said at 5:20 p.m. Monday evening, deputies located Castillo’s vehicle and attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but Castillo refused to stop and fled from deputies.

Deputies then conducted a PIT maneuver, disabling Castillo’s vehicle on U.S. Highway 441 near the intersection of County Road 25A. The sheriff’s office says as deputies tried to apprehend Castillo, shots were fired. Castillo was transported to a hospital, where he later died.

The sheriff’s office says the 13-year-old was located safely. No further details about her condition were provided.

Varsity 4 top 25 player countdown

14. Zion Green

Position/school: ATH/Raines.

Class: Jr.

Height/weight: 6-4, 170.

Recruiting: Uncommitted.

Why here’s here: A major recruit in the Class of 2028 who has excellent size for a player in the secondary. Likely a cornerback or safety at the next level. He’s an On3 and 247 Sports four-star recruit and a three-star by ESPN and Rivals. Green is a top 160 national recruit by 247 Sports. He was a spot receiver last year and produced. Had just 12 catches for 269 yards and turned four of those grabs into TDs. Had four tackles last year. Really picked up recruiting steam after the Vikings’ 14-0 season that ended with a Class 3A state championship. Will be counted on to deliver far greater on both sides of the ball as a junior.

15. Knox Annis

Position/school: QB/Mandarin.

Class: Jr.

Height/weight: 6-3/210.

Recruiting: Committed to Miami.

Why he’s here: Annis was thrown to the fire as he unexpectedly began his varsity career just six quarters into his freshman season due to an injury to starter Tramell Jones Jr. The results were difficult. But Annis took a greater step forward last season, boosting his completion percentage by nearly 20 points. He’s coming off a 22-TD passing season. This is a huge growing season for Annis. He committed to Miami, and a school like that creates its own set of expectations. But he is poised to take another step in his journey.

16. Marcus Small

Position/school: OL/First Coast.

Class: Sr.

Height/weight: 6-7, 290.

Recruiting: Committed to Syracuse.

Why here’s here: A consensus three-star recruit, Small is ranked between the 51st (ESPN) and 120th (Rivals/On3) player in Florida this year. He’s not only big but he’s very versatile for the Buccaneers and head coach Jarvis Parker. Small can flip to left or right tackle and earned All-Gateway and first-team All-News4JAX honors last year. As Small goes, so will the First Coast offense.

17. Omari Lawson

Position/school: Zarephath Academy.

Class: Jr.

Height/weight: 6-6, 260.

Recruiting: Committed to Syracuse.

Why he’s here: Zarephath is a younger program, so seeing a player listed may be a bit of a shock. But Lawson is a talent who can’t be looked over just because of school size. Power Four programs across the country have zeroed in on Lawson. He’s a four-star prospect at tackle and may wind up being the area’s fifth-best recruit in a blockbuster 2028 class. Come next year, this ranking could seem laughably low.

18. Camden Tietze

Position/school: WR/Bolles.

Class: Sr.

Height/weight: 6-1, 180.

Recruiting: Committed to Marshall.

Why he’s here: A Rivals/On3 three-star prospect who came on strong during his first season with the Bulldogs. Had 35 catches for 689 yards and 11 TDs playing alongside electric playmaker Naeem Burroughs. Will open this season as the No. 1 target for QB Luke Toland. As a sophomore at Ponte Vedra, had 599 yards receiving and seven TDs.

19. Aiden Phifer

Position/school: QB/Nease.

Class: Jr.

Height/weight: 6-0, 190.

Recruiting: Committed to Northwestern.

Why here’s here: Phifer burst on the scene last year by passing for 2,003 yards and 20 TDs. He was a threat to break off a run, too. Phifer scored nine rushing TDs. He did it by going 9-3 against a tough schedule that included powerhouse Buchholz (twice), St. Augustine and Oakleaf. A Rivals/On3 three-star recruit, Phifer should continue to ascend as a dual-threat QB.

19. Julius LaRosa III

Position/school: DL/ University Christian.

Class: Sr.

Height/weight: 6-2, 260.

Recruiting: Committed to NC State.

Why here’s here: A multiyear force on the defensive line for the Christians, he’s got 24 career sacks and 43.5 tackles for loss. Recovered two fumbles and blocked a punt last year. Had 59 tackles last season and is up to 171 for his career. A consensus three-star recruit by the four major recruiting services and a top 140 player in Florida by those outlets.

21. Kindrid Outland

Position/school: DL/Mandarin.

Class: Sr.

Height/weight: 6-2, 270.

Recruiting: Committed to USF.

Why here’s here: He was all over the field last year for the Mustangs, earning a second-team All-News4JAX selection after racking up 62 tackles, 21 for loss, and 5.5 sacks. A three-star recruit by 247 Sports and Rivals/On3, Outland has serious muscle and pocket-busting interior presence.

22. Kyree Wilson

Position/school: ATH/University Christian.

Class: Senior.

Height/weight: 6-0, 190.

Recruiting: Committed to Toledo.

Why he’s here: Wilson has thrived as the No. 1 player at a small school (Christ’s Church) where he racked up 3,019 rushing yards and 32 TDs and added 74 combined tackles during his freshman and sophomore seasons. Wilson, a Rivals three-star prospect, spent his junior year at Mandarin in a two-back system and absolutely scorched teams when given the opportunity (9.1 yards per carry). He’s got 3,807 career rushing yards and 38 rushing TDs, and could join the exclusive 5,000-yard rushing club with a strong season. Factor in his work on defense in the secondary and he’s going to put up numbers all over the field for the Christians.

23. Kash Kolbow

Position/school: S/WR/Nease.

Class: Senior.

Height/weight: 6-1, 180.

Recruiting: Committed to UCF.

Why he’s here: He was a little bit of a do-it-all player on Nease’s defense in 2025. Kolbow had 68 total tackles and a couple of interceptions. He was sticky in coverage (23 passes defensed) and forced two fumbles. With as big graduation losses as the Panthers had on defense, Kolbow’s production is no doubt bound to keep ticking up.

24. King Boylston

Position/school: QB/Ed White.

Class: Sr.

Height/weight: 6-1, 195.

Recruiting: Uncommitted.

Why he’s here: Boylston isn’t rated by any of the major recruiting services, but he’s a player who should see his stock rise over the course of the year. He accounted for 38 TDs last season, passing for 25 and scampering for 13 more. Boylston passed for 2,091 yards and rushed for 712 more to help lead the Commanders to the mantle as the highest-scoring regular season team in state history.

25. Noah Ash

Position/school: Kicker, Ponte Vedra.

Class: Senior.

Height/weight: 5-11, 190.

Recruiting: Committed to Auburn.

Why he’s here: A placekicker among the area’s top players? You got that right. Ash is the area’s best player at his position, and one of the top recruits in the nation. He booted 11 field goals for the state semifinalist Sharks last year and had 74 touchbacks in 85 chances. Depending on the recruiting outlet, Ash ranks between fourth (247 Sports Composite) to sixth (Rivals/On3).

The Los Angeles Chargers quarterback and Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Madison Beer jointly announced their engagement in an Instagram post Tuesday. It was accompanied by a photo of Herbert on bended knee holding a ring box in front of a smiling Beer, who was crouched with her right hand on his left knee. The caption read, “Meet my fiancé."

The congratulatory responses included ones from the NFL and the Chargers, as well as singer Gracie Abrams.

The couple was first spotted together last August. Beer attended some Chargers games last season, and she and Herbert kissed on the sidelines at one game. They've also turned up at Los Angeles Dodgers and Lakers games.

Herbert appeared in Beer's “lovergirl” video this spring.

Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh has been supportive of his quarterback's relationship. When Herbert missed part of voluntary offseason workouts to travel with Beer on her tour, Harbaugh said, “Do you need a ride to the airport?”

The 28-year-old quarterback opens training camp on Wednesday in the start of his seventh season with the Chargers. The team has yet to win a playoff game during his tenure.

Beer, 27, first gained widespread notice when Justin Bieber shared a video link of her singing “At Last” to his social media followers in 2012. The following year she released her debut single and video, which featured an appearance by Bieber. She was nominated for Grammys in 2024 and 2025, when she left the show after walking the red carpet, later explaining that she has “really bad social anxiety.”

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

The three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia upheld a May ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols that said an injunction against the order was premature. Nichols ruled that the Democrats and voting rights groups who challenged the order couldn't seek the injunction until the Trump administration issued formal regulations governing it. The administration started releasing those directives days later.

The circuit court panel, with two judges appointed by former Democratic President Barack Obama and one by Trump, found that was proper and there were no noted dissents. But the unsigned decision noted that if the administration truly tried to force such changes in the few months remaining before November's midterm election, it may well get halted by courts.

"The action the Order contemplates would involve the President, whom the Constitution vests with no express authority over the conduct of elections, undertaking a substantial and unfunded overhaul of election procedures — including the implementation of a nationwide reform to Postal Service mail-handling processes —on the threshold of the November election. Put differently, the Order 'may not prove feasible to implement in any manner whatsoever,'" said the ruling, quoting a prior legal opinion.

In a separate case filed by Democratic state officials, a federal judge in Massachusetts last month blocked the executive order from taking effect for this year’s elections because it was already forcing states, which are granted the power under the U.S. Constitution to control their own elections, to revise their procedures on the fly. That ruling was upheld on Saturday by a Boston-based appeals court and then was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday by the Trump administration.

The Postal Service did not immediately respond to questions about what action it's taking related to Trump's executive order. But the union representing postal workers, which opposes having its members implement the order, said Tuesday that its members are being directed to prepare an online portal through which voters will have to submit information to be eligible for mail ballots.

“The IT people in the background are moving forward with creating the portals to make sure that we can accomplish the task if given to us,” American Postal Workers Union President Jonathan Smith said in a telephone interview.

Trump has repeatedly tried to unilaterally change voting procedures since he took office for the second time, only to be blocked by the courts. The push follows years of lies about vote fraud to try to explain away the president's loss to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020.

In his March executive order, Trump directed the federal government to create a list of eligible voters and the U.S. Postal Service to deliver ballots only to those on that list. Lawsuits noted that the Constitution grants states control of their elections, not the president, and that Congress can pass laws changing procedures for federal elections but has not done so.

Trump signed another executive order on elections last year, just months after taking office, that would impose a nationwide voter ID requirement and force anyone registering to vote to provide documents proving they are U.S. citizens. Trump also is pushing Congress to pass a sweeping voting bill that would impose the documentary proof of citizenship requirement, but it has stalled in the Senate as it faces opposition from Democrats and some lawmakers from his own party.

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Associated Press writer John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas, contributed to this report.

The race between Cognetti, the mayor of Scranton, and Bresnahan is considered one of the Democratic Party's best opportunities to pick up a seat in the November election in its bid to take control of the U.S. House and block President Donald Trump's agenda.

Cognetti is airing the ad in a district that's been buffeted by AI data center projects and as the opposition to data centers that has upended races for local offices across the country is spreading to top-of-the-ticket contests.

Speaking to the camera, Cognetti invokes the region's industrial heritage as a coal and shale gas powerhouse, saying, “Big companies have come before, taken what they wanted and left us with their mess to clean up. Now it’s data centers.”

She then criticizes the secrecy that developers often use to veil details of projects from the public, the tax breaks developers often get from states and the rising electric bills that have hit the mid-Atlantic region to satisfy the growing energy demand of data centers, which house rows of computers for storing, processing and transmitting data.

“Big Tech needs to pay their own way. Not hide behind NDAs. No tax breaks. Don’t raise our electric bills, don’t poison our water. And hire local, union labor," Cognetti says.

If not, “then get out,” she says. “This is our home. We are not for sale.”

Trump has made data centers a top priority to help the U.S. compete against China for AI superiority.

However, communities across the U.S. have fought many of the projects, including in northeastern Pennsylvania, where complexes of data centers and new high-voltage transmission lines are planned. Fights between communities and developers have landed in court.

The 30-second ad will run on broadcast TV channels, cable and digital platforms, Cognetti's campaign said. It is costing about $200,000 for the initial run of two weeks.

Bresnahan has introduced legislation called the Local Control Protection Act, which he says would put limits on a corporation's right to sue over local zoning decisions denying an application to build a data center.

“We should never let billion-dollar corporations supersede the voices of those who live in the community,” Bresnahan said in a statement accompanying the bill's introduction in June.

The bill has yet to move out of committee or gain a cosponsor.

Republicans have made protecting Bresnahan a high priority. Both Trump and Vice President JD Vance visited the district last year.

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This story has been corrected to show Cognetti said “we are,” not “we're.”

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Follow Marc Levy at http://twitter.com/timelywriter.

Fresh flames erupted later Tuesday near Grand Crohot, a popular Atlantic beach on the Lège-Cap-Ferret peninsula, local authorities said. A fleet of 23 planes and helicopters — up from 18 — dropped water and fire retardant as crews fought to keep the renewed flames from spreading.

“The situation remains complicated. That’s clear. We’re not out of the woods,” Gironde prefect Sophie Brocas said.

She said that about 60,000 residents who were evacuated as a precaution from Le Haillan and parts of Mérignac and Eysines outside Bordeaux’s ring road could return on Tuesday. No fires had broken out in the three areas, but residents were told to keep their mobile phones on and emergency bags packed.

The opposing movements — thousands ordered out of coastal resorts while those returning told to be on the alert — underscored how precarious the fire’s hold remained.

Across France and Spain, roughly 330,000 people have been driven from homes and vacation sites by huge wildfires. Spain braced for its fourth heat wave of the summer, with several blazes still burning out of control, including the largest in its recorded history.

Even so, Spanish authorities began lifting evacuation and stay-at-home orders for thousands of people after firefighters made progress overnight.

The Gironde fire has burned an area four times the size of Paris and forced 220,000 people to evacuate. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez has said it is “very likely” the largest civilian evacuation operation carried out in the country outside war.

Evacuations don't deter some vacationers

The precautionary evacuation order covered campsites, holiday villages, tourist residences and leisure parks around the resort of Lacanau, Gironde regional authorities said.

“We are at a point of fragility,” Eric Brocardi, spokesperson for France’s national firefighters federation, told the BFMTV broadcast network Tuesday. “We will continue attacking this fire despite the forecast rise in temperatures.”

Even as nearby homes burned and authorities urged tourists to stay away, one family told Le Parisien newspaper it had gone ahead with its trip rather than forfeit a 4,000-euro ($4,558) holiday, while another group debated abandoning a vacation that had cost 650 euros ($741) each.

A fire making its own weather

At its most violent, the Gironde blaze created a gargantuan black thundercloud, electrified and lit from within. It generated lightning, violent winds and new fires beyond the original front. The phenomenon, known as a pyrocumulonimbus cloud, was the first recorded in France.

France’s national weather service placed Gironde under a yellow heat warning beginning at midday Tuesday, forecasting inland temperatures of 33 to 35 C (91 to 95 F).

More than 1,160 square kilometers (448 square miles) have burned across France this year, according to the Interior Ministry.

Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, heating at more than twice the global average, according to the European Union’s Copernicus climate service. Western Europe recorded its hottest June on record, with extreme heat and widespread dryness contributing to the spread and intensification of fires in France and Spain, Copernicus said.

Crews defend homes and cut firebreaks

In Le Porge alone, west of Bordeaux, the municipal government said about 150 homes were destroyed.

Officials warned that smoldering vegetation, rising temperatures and falling humidity could produce fresh outbreaks along the fire's vast perimeter.

Military engineers and forest-fire prevention crews resumed cutting firebreaks early Tuesday. Authorities said crews had completed 103 kilometers (64 miles) of firebreaks.

At least 110 firefighters have been injured, the prefecture said.

Thousands return as second fire stops advancing

In Landes, about 15,000 evacuees — roughly half of those displaced here — were allowed home after a separate wildfire stopped advancing.

“The fire is fixed, which is good news in the Landes,” French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday evening. Regional authorities said that meant its advance had stopped and no new outbreaks had been reported.

Those allowed back included residents of Sanguinet, Parentis-en-Born, Biscarrosse’s aviation village and a large campground. Several other neighborhoods remained inaccessible.

Authorities warned that the Landes fire was not extinguished. Residual hot spots, wind and drought could cause flare-ups, and surveillance and damping-down operations were expected to continue for days or weeks.

Thousands begin returning in Spain

Spanish firefighters made progress Tuesday, and authorities began lifting evacuation orders for at least 20,000 of the 79,000 people forced to flee over the weekend.

Francisco Martín, the central government’s representative in the Madrid region, said orders would be lifted in 10 towns, allowing about 20,000 evacuees to return home and ending stay-at-home orders for another 14,000 people.

Residents of some villages in Ávila were also being allowed home, though authorities did not specify how many. Another 6,000 people could return after a smaller fire near Toledo was brought under control, while several thousand more went home in Castellón.

Hundreds of firefighters backed by military emergency brigades and water-dropping aircraft continued battling several major wildfires.

Smoke from the fires reached Madrid in recent days. Emergency services said residents in central and eastern districts could smell smoke and ash.

Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said Tuesday that nonstop work through the night left him “reasonably positive,” though officials warned that crews had only a brief window before extreme heat returned.

Spain’s national weather service said the country was bracing for its fourth heat wave of the summer, with temperatures expected to exceed 40 C (104 F) in some areas.

The government declared a national emergency over the fires.

At least 13 people have died in wildfires in Spain this year, making 2026 one of the country’s deadliest fire seasons in decades.

“I’ve been living in San Martín de Valdeiglesias for 20 years and I never thought I would see this,” said Estella Costales, an evacuated resident staying at a temporary shelter in Brunete, near Madrid. “It’s unfortunate, but I never thought I would see such destruction.”

Surroundings of Madrid remain at risk

The greatest concern was two large fires that had at times come close to merging into a single blaze in wooded hills about an hour’s drive west of Madrid.

A fire in hilly, rural terrain in Ávila, west of Madrid, has become Spain’s largest on record, scorching more than 500 square kilometers (193 square miles), the government said.

Local weather services in Ávila also shared images Tuesday of what they described as a pyrocumulonimbus cloud over the blaze. Spain has seen these fire-generated thunderstorms form at least twice during wildfires in recent years.

“Look at how the valley is burned. Look at the houses, the people,” said David Gonzalez, a 48-year-old gardener who used his van to deliver supplies to firefighters in Ávila.

“We are feeling a lot of anger and helplessness. It’s something inhuman,” he said.

Fires have burned 1,530 square kilometers (590 square miles) this year in Spain, Ecology Minister Sara Aagesen said.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called for a national pact to fight wildfires, saying climate change is making them worse.

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Adamson reported from Paris. Associated Press journalists Joseph Wilson in Barcelona, Spain, and Iain Sullivan in Brunete, Spain, also contributed to this report.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Capt. Robert Lentz has spent years identifying derelict vessels on the St. Johns River and other state waters.

On a recent trip through the Arlington area of Jacksonville, he and a News4JAX crew spotted several in quick succession.

“This vessel has fallen into a derelict vessel category,” Lentz said, pointing to one of the boats.

What makes a boat ‘derelict’?

Under Florida law, a vessel is classified as derelict if it is sinking or run aground, stripped or junked, or if two of its three core systems — steering, propulsion, or hull integrity — are broken or non-functional.

Once FWC agents identify a derelict vessel, they attach a bright red sticker and begin the process of tracking down the legal owner. That process alone can stretch on for months — or longer.

“The longest I’ve heard of is years,” Lentz said. “It can take years.”

Boaters fed up with the wait

At the San Juan boat ramp on Jacksonville’s Westside, fisherman Joe Turner said an abandoned vessel had been sitting there for more than two years, blocking access.

“It makes me mad, because I can’t get over to my fishing spot,” Turner said.

A second boat at the same ramp, which Turner and fellow fisherman Scott Miller said had been there since January, was leaking oil into the water.

“It’s hideous, hideous looking just sitting there,” Miller said. “I mean, you’d think after a year or so they would do something.”

Miller added: “I mean it’s just kind of sad that it’s still there. They say they want to clean up Jacksonville, but they sure ain’t been down here from what I see.”

The tab for taxpayers

By law, FWC must locate the legal owner of a derelict vessel before removing it, and that owner is responsible for paying removal costs. When owners refuse, cannot be found, or cannot pay, the state covers the bill.

Florida removes about 400 derelict vessels from its waterways each year at a cost of approximately $6 million-$7 million. During major hurricane seasons, that figure spikes dramatically. After Hurricane Irma in 2017, the state recovered and disposed of 1,000 boats at a cost of $52 million.

Removal costs cover retrieving the vessel, towing it, breaking it apart, and disposing of it in a landfill. Additional funds flow to local jurisdictions to assist with removal — but officials say the money and the pace of cleanup are not keeping up with the problem.

Criminal charges

Lentz said FWC does have legal recourse against owners who abandon their vessels.

“It is a crime to leave your boat on the waters of the state in a derelict vessel condition,” he said. “They can be arrested and ordered to pay restitution.”

FWC does offer a voluntary turn-in program, where the state will dispose of a derelict boat for free.

Every year, they get a limited amount of money, so it’s first come, first served. You can learn more at https://myfwc.com/boating/waterway/vtip/

James Mulvey, 47, appeared in court for his arraignment. He did not address the court, but his attorney did. He is out on bond while he awaits trial.

Mulvey’s attorney entered pleas of not guilty to one count of offenses against students by authority figures and one count of unlawful use of a two-way communications device.

Mulvey will be back in court on Aug. 18, and a trial date was tentatively set for January 2027.

Attorneys for both the defense and state said they are waiting on information from the school, including statements from teachers and students and a flash drive that police currently have.

Arrest report details

Mulvey was taken into custody by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office on May 22.

Shortly after that, News4JAX obtained the arrest report for Mulvey, which shed light on what deputies say led to his arrest on two felony charges involving a student at Baldwin.

Detectives say emails were exchanged between Mulvey and a girl through their school email accounts. According to the arrest report, Mulvey wrote to the victim:

“I won’t forget about you. I don’t want to forget about you. I won’t replace you, I don’t want to replace you. My heart remains open to you and will stay that way for as long as you allow me to be a part of your life. And I will happily say that whenever you need to hear it sweetheart.”

According to the report, a second email from Mulvey read: “I love you too, baby. You’re my girl. I’m not going anyplace. Thank you for being my person.”

The arrest report states that as the school year drew to a close, Mulvey asked the girl to share her personal email address so they could continue communicating over the summer.

How the investigation unfolded

The investigation began after a concerned student brought a series of emails between Mulvey and the girl to the attention of school officials.

Police say multiple students provided written statements describing what they characterized as an unusual relationship between the teacher and the student, including gifts and special attention.

JSO Special Assault Unit detectives responded to the girl’s home May 21, where she disclosed the ongoing relationship with Mulvey in a recorded interview, according to the arrest report.

Mulvey was interviewed by detectives and waived his right to have an attorney present and agreed to speak with investigators.

According to the arrest report, Mulvey admitted to having an ongoing relationship with the girl, saying he loves her and views her as a daughter.

Police say he denied any sexual intent but acknowledged having “poor judgement” in his communications with her.

‘The Mulvey Files’

In the days following the arrest, students began circulating what one student called “The Mulvey Files” — a Google Drive compiling what appeared to be inappropriate emails exchanged between Mulvey and a student.

News4JAX reviewed portions of the website but is not publishing the contents of the messages because the investigation is ongoing and the student involved may be a minor.

The student who created the website said the goal was to organize information already circulating among students.

“I want people to see the things that he was saying and doing,” the student told News4JAX.

The student previously had Mulvey as a teacher and described him as someone students generally trusted.

“He was the chill teacher who everyone thought of as a ‘dad,’” the student said.

The student who reviewed the alleged messages said they initially tried to interpret the conversations as innocent before becoming alarmed.

“I was trying to play it off as a father-daughter relationship,” the student said. “But after I read through them, it was like, ‘OK, this is weird.’”

School responds, district reassigns Mulvey

In a message sent to families, Principal Mike Townsend described the allegations as “deeply concerning” while emphasizing that Mulvey is presumed innocent as investigations continue.

Townsend told parents Mulvey had been removed from campus and reassigned to a position without student contact, pending both a criminal investigation and an internal district investigation.

Townsend has since been arrested himself on a charge of failing to report child abuse. He was also reassigned during the internal personnel investigation.

A day after Townsend’s arrest, News4JAX confirmed that the case is connected to the ongoing investigation involving Mulvey.

According to his arrest report, investigators concluded Townsend failed to immediately report suspected abuse, neglect or sexual abuse, and he was booked on June 29.

Duval County Public Schools confirmed Mulvey remained employed by the district but was reassigned away from students while the investigations are active.

DCPS Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier was asked about the arrests at Baldwin during a news conference on Tuesday.

“We have now begun to send the really correct message where knowing the line was not followed,” he said.

“It’s a very difficult decision for a superintendent. But I promised when I got here that I would operate with integrity, and my integrity tells me that when somebody violates that responsibility for calling DCF and making sure DCF is informed, then I have a responsibility to our community to demonstrate that I’m gonna keep the school safe,” he added, appearing to reference Principal Townsend.

The DCPS “Know the Line” initiative is a safety campaign launched in 2024 to establish clear boundaries between staff and students, prevent employee misconduct, and provide reporting tools.

The Eagles and Carter announced that they agreed to terms on a four-year extension through the 2031 season. The person, speaking to the AP on condition of anonymity because financial terms hadn’t been announced, said the contract includes $106 million guaranteed.

The Eagles already had picked up the fifth-year option for the 2027 season for Carter, the ninth selection in the 2023 draft. His extension is one less distraction for the Eagles as they open training camp this week.

Carter was runner-up for the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 2023 to Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson. He has 13 1/2 sacks in 43 career games — he missed three games last season with injuries — and was a key contributor when the Eagles won the Super Bowl for the 2024 season.

The 25-year-old Carter won two national championships in college at Georgia, where he was involved in a crash that killed a teammate and a recruiting staffer. He was given probation and a fine.

He also was fined the equivalent of his game check for Week 1 for spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott in 2025. He was tossed for unsportsmanlike conduct six seconds into that game.

Carter earned Pro Bowl selections for the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

The Eagles have now re-signed two of their top young defensive tackles this offseason.

They agreed in March on a three-year extension with Jordan Davis for $65 million guaranteed.

Davis, a first-round pick in 2022, has been an integral part of Philadelphia’s defensive line and helped the Eagles dominate the Chiefs in Super Bowl 59 to cap the 2024 season. A run-stuffer in the interior of the defensive line, Davis had a career-high 4 1/2 sacks last season with nine tackles for loss and six quarterback hits.

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AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi in Tampa, Florida, contributed to this report.

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

Uganda has maintained since the outset that its cases were linked to the larger outbreak in eastern Congo’s remote province of Ituri, which borders Uganda. The first cases in Uganda were Congolese who crossed the border to seek treatment for an unknown illness before it was known they had Ebola, health authorities have said.

After what health officials believe was weeks of transmission, Congo announced its outbreak on May 15, the same day that Uganda confirmed two Ebola cases — including a man who had already died.

While a total of 20 cases were reported in Uganda, health authorities say there is currently no indication of further spread within the country.

The last patient was released June 16, and Ugandan authorities have waited the World Health Organization-recommended 42 days – or two incubation cycles for Ebola – to declare the country free of the disease.

"Uganda’s 2026 Ebola outbreak arose from a fully documented importation event,” unlike previous outbreaks in the country, the Ugandan Health Ministry said in a statement Tuesday.

It was now possible to declare Uganda free of Ebola after “all identified contacts were institutionally quarantined and completed the mandatory 21-day follow-up without evidence of further transmission," the statement said. “Enhanced surveillance has detected no unexplained community transmission."

The Bundibugyo type of Ebola virus responsible for the outbreak has no approved vaccine or treatment. The region’s outbreak has been declared a global health emergency.

Ugandan health authorities have experience in acting quickly to address Ebola outbreaks. After the confirmation of Ebola cases in Uganda in May, the president urged Ugandans to “ stop shaking hands,” and ordered the postponement of an annual religious event that attracts thousands of pilgrims — from Congo and elsewhere — who converge around a Catholic shrine just outside the Ugandan capital, Kampala, in June.

Other measures included the suspension of all public transportation and flights between Uganda and Congo, where the outbreak remains worrisome.

Confirmed cases in Congo have reached 3,262, its Health Ministry said in an overnight update. Data by Congolese health authorities showed that 1,437 patients have died, in what officials have said is the fastest Ebola outbreak on record.

The Ebola case number in Congo is likely to top the previous highest toll in the country in the next few days. That outbreak lasted two years, while this one is only 10 weeks in.

Only the 2014-2016 outbreak in West Africa, considered the worst in history, has a higher toll, with 28,000 cases and more than 11,000 deaths.

The speed of transmission in the current outbreak comes amid concerns from residents that many communities in the affected provinces are either unreachable or have been abandoned by responders in recent days over safety concerns amid attacks from angry residents and rebels.

Tracing and isolating Ebola contacts is seen as key to stopping the spread of the disease, which usually manifests as hemorrhagic fever.

A family of fruit bats is believed to be the natural hosts of the viruses that cause Ebola, according to the World Health Organization. Ebola is spread by contact with the bodily fluids of

Saar's death was confirmed Monday by relatives. She would have turned 100 this week.

A central figure of the 1960s Black Art Movement, Saar pioneered assemblage boxes, or sculptures made of found objects, and reclaimed Jim Crow-era memorabilia as powerful totems of Black liberation.

“Her symbolically rich body of work has evolved over time to demonstrate the environmental, cultural, political, racial, technological, economic, and historical context in which it exists,” according to Roberts Projects, the Los Angeles gallery that represents her.

Saar began her career in design and shifted to art at age 35. She continued to make art into her 90s. She grew up in Pasadena and was part of a community of Black artists in nearby Altadena; she often cited Simon Rodia's Watts Towers as an early source of inspiration.

Saar’s practice incorporated painting, printmaking, sculpture and found objects including dolls, washboards and other antiques. Boats, clocks, cages and altars recur in her practice, as well as symbols of the occult and cosmology. She often referenced her astrological sign of Leo in the form of lions, punctuating many works.

“Her appropriation of Black collectibles, heirlooms, and utilitarian objects are transformed through subversion,” the gallery said. “Among the older generation of Black American artists, Saar is without reproach.”

Made in 1969, “Black Girl’s Window,” was groundbreaking. Still, it wasn't widely celebrated until decades later, and it was acquired by the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 2019. “There weren’t that many galleries in Los Angeles at the time and there certainly weren’t any for Black artists,” she once said in an interview.

“The Liberation of Aunt Jemima,” created in 1972, is one of her most important works. It features memorabilia she collected that denigrated Black people, included a “mammy,” or 19th century minstrel character who smiled while serving white slave owners.

In Saar's hands though, the figure is reclaimed: She smiles, but holds a rifle and has a hand grenade.

It came in response to the 1968 assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee. Saar said King's death “triggered a rage within me, and the mystic transformed into the warrior.”

“I had a lot of hesitation about using powerful, negative images such as these — thinking about how white people saw Black people, and how that influenced the ways in which Black people saw each other,” Saar said. “What saved it was that I made Aunt Jemima into a revolutionary figure.”

After more than 130 years, Quaker Oats announced it would retire its Aunt Jemima brand in 2020, acknowledging the logo and its origins were “based on a racial stereotype.”

Saar taught and mentored generations of Black artists, including painter Kerry James Marshall.

Though Saar’s work was exhibited in a 1975 solo show at the Whitney Museum of American Art, in the decades that followed large institutions have exhibited her work only sporadically. In 2019 though, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and MoMA mounted concurrent solo shows.

In spring 2026, Saar was inducted to the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

“She had boundless energy for making art. I think she had a lot to say and was tired of the art world being dominated by white males,” said Angela Robinson Witherspoon, who produced and directed a documentary in 2023 on Saar's life. “Betye Saar: Ready to Be A Warrior” features interviews with John Legend, Tina Knowles and other prominent voices.

“She was raising her three young daughters and she wanted to be part of the Civil Rights Movement,” Robinson Witherspoon said.

“Let’s Get It On: The Wearable Art of Betye Saar,” which focuses on costume design, is currently on view at Robert Projects in Los Angeles, and there are 26 of an eventual 100 dolls on view at the New-York Historical Society in Manhattan.

___

This story was first published on July 27, 2026. It was updated on July 28, 2026, to correct the name of a company. It’s Quaker Oats, not Quaker Oat. Also, there are 26 of an eventual 100 dolls on view at the New-York Historical in Manhattan, not more than 100.

___

Associated Press writer Anna Furman contributed reporting from Los Angeles.

Solly Fulp, ​Learfield’s head of NIL, doesn’t think the rapid surge is a coincidence.

“What we’re discovering with female student-athletes and their engagement with our brands is they’re excellent content creators and storytellers, they’re generally social media savvy and they have a genuine brand enthusiasm,” Fulp said.

Since the NCAA approved NIL compensation in July 2021, high revenue-generating sports like football and basketball have topped the list of earners. Five years later, women’s sports are beginning to close the gap, with women’s basketball ranking third in all sports and softball creeping into the top five behind baseball.

“It’s not just an emerging market now — it’s accelerating," Fulp said. “It's awesome for us to see when it comes to not just the focus being on football, men’s basketball and the revenue sports, but seeing the Olympic sports really step front and center.”

Female athlete engagement in NIL activities more than doubled in 2026, growing from 2,136 to 4,772.

Brands most frequently partnered with athletes through production shoots, social media content, ambassador programs, public appearances and autograph sessions. Restaurants led all sponsor categories, followed by financial services, health care and business and professional services.

Twenty-two national brands struck deals with college athletes over the fiscal year, including Geico, SeatGeek, State Farm, EA Sports, Uber, AT&T and Marriott. More than 260 athletes across 69 schools were featured in national campaigns.

Fulp said the return on investment is high for all parties when athletes pursue deals catered to their specific passions and interests.

“The authenticity is coming out in the content and storytelling that they provide in these campaigns ... it humanizes the partnership and provides that deeper connection," Fulp said. "The brands are definitely seeing the benefits with the engagement rates related to those campaigns.”

___

AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports

RELATED: ‘I thought I was going 60’: Clay County ‘super-speeder’ said he didn’t know he was going 111 mph in a 45 mph zone

The deputy talked to the driver about the danger he put himself, the child and others in.

Deputy: Did you not think if you were to get into a car accident at 105 miles an hour, do you think your kid would have been ok? Do you want to be around for that kid?

Driver: I do.

Deputy: Try to think a little bit my guy, even if that kid’s not in that car, you’re risking yourself and everybody around us.

The deputy also informed the driver that 90 percent of his tickets are for speeding.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office said the driver was arrested for child neglect and charged under Florida’s Dangerous Excessive Speeding Law.

Officials are reminding drivers that under that law, drivers traveling 50mph or more over the posted speed limit, or 100mph or more in a way that endangers others or interferes with traffic can face criminal charges, arrested fines and jail time.

“The message is simple: slow down, drive responsibly and help keep our roads safe,” the sheriff’s office said.

He was stopped about 8:54 a.m. after a deputy conducting traffic enforcement recorded his speed with radar, the report says.

The deputy activated emergency lights, made a U-turn and conducted a traffic stop. He was then taken to Clay County Jail, the report said.

In body camera footage released by the sheriff’s office, the man said he didn’t know he was going 111 mph.

Deputy: Do you know what the speed limit is on this roadway?

Rider: No, sir.

Deputy: Speed limit is 45.

Rider: 45?

Deputy: Do you know how fast you were going?

Rider: No, sir I thought I was going 60.

Deputy: You were going 111.

He was issued a criminal citation for excessive speed.

Monday's decision is the latest setback for states trying to outlaw or regulate fast-growing prediction market platforms.

U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez in Minnesota found that the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Kalshi and Polymarket were likely to succeed in their challenge to the law and that letting it take effect would cause “irreparable harm” to the operators.

The law was scheduled to take effect Saturday. It would have made it a crime to create or operate prediction markets or help administer nearly any activity connected to one. The law will remain blocked while the lawsuit proceeds.

Kalshi, Polymarket and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission want the law permanently blocked and argue that federal law gives the CFTC exclusive jurisdiction to regulate the type of "event-contract transactions" offered by Kalshi and Polymarket.

States argue that the vast majority of the business on prediction market platforms is sports betting, which they are empowered to regulate, and that is completely different from the commodities and futures contracts that the commission has historically regulated.

In a statement Tuesday, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said prediction markets are “gambling, plain and simple.”

"And Minnesota has every right to keep predatory gambling out of our communities,” Ellison said.

Ellison said his office disagrees with the court’s decision that the “proper ‘status quo’ to maintain is one that allows predatory gambling apps to proliferate.” But Ellison said the legal issues are complex and that he planned to continue defending the state’s law.

Neal Kumar, Polymarket's chief legal officer, said in a statement that the decision makes clear that prediction markets on commission-registered exchanges “are governed by federal law, not a patchwork of state rules.”

A Kalshi spokesperson, Elisabeth Diana, said in a statement that “states cannot ban things that they don’t have jurisdiction over.”

Menendez's decision follows a declaration in February by Trump's appointee atop the Commodity Futures Trading Commission that the agency “will no longer sit idly by” while states aim to regulate or ban prediction markets and “undermine the agency’s exclusive jurisdiction.”

A tangle of lawsuits is growing, as states try to use their gambling laws to shut down Kalshi, Polymarket and other prediction market operators, declaring them to be unlicensed and illegal gambling operators.

In April alone, the federal government sued Connecticut, Arizona and Illinois, challenging their efforts to regulate prediction market operators, while New York sued Coinbase and Gemini, two of the newest players in the prediction market industry.

The American Gaming Association, which represents commercial casinos, estimates states have lost more than $1.2 billion in tax revenue from wagers since prediction markets began offering sports event contracts.

Native American tribal leaders and gambling regulators also contend that betting on things like sporting events, elections and other outcomes is unlawful gambling.

In the meantime, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has begun a rulemaking process to consider what sorts of event contracts it would consider to be “contrary to the public interest” and bar them from being listed through a prediction market that it regulates.

___

Follow Marc Levy at http://twitter.com/timelywriter.

Afternoon highs will climb into the upper 90s to near 100, but oppressive humidity will push heat index values into the 108 to 113 degree range through midweek.

Rain chances stay limited today (20%) and Wednesday (30%), so many locations will remain dry, allowing temperatures to maximize.

Beginning Wednesday night, deeper tropical moisture returns, with scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms becoming more widespread through the end of the week.

Thursday through Sunday will feature daily afternoon and evening storms with rain chances around 60-70%, locally heavy rainfall, frequent lightning, and gusty winds.

Increased cloud cover and rain will trim afternoon highs back into the lower to mid 90s late week and this weekend, offering some relief from the dangerous heat, though it will remain humid.

The protests were some of the largest ever held against the Islamic Republic, which responded with a brutal crackdown in which thousands of people were killed and tens of thousands arrested. The protests had been largely stamped out when the United States and Israel went to war with Iran on Feb. 28.

Rights groups said the execution of Abdolfazl Sepahi Badjani and Amir Hossein Safari Hosseinabadi was carried out at dawn in Alikhani Square in the central city of Isfahan, the place where the police were killed.

They were among 14 people accused of killing the police, all of them sentenced to death. Two were executed earlier this month.

Public executions are not uncommon in Iran, and are often reserved for political prisoners. They are largely carried out by hanging in a public square, where cranes mounted on trucks serve as gallows.

A wave of executions since January

At least five protesters, including the two on Tuesday, have been hanged in public since March, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, HRANA, which monitors human rights in Iran. The group says it has documented 29 public executions in the past five years.

Amnesty International called Tuesday's executions “a further escalation in the authorities' use of the death penalty to crush dissent.” It said at least 60 others, including three arrested as children, remain at risk of execution.

“The Iranian authorities are unleashing a horrifying wave of executions and death sentences to punish and suppress dissent and project an image of strength and absolute control,” said Heba Morayef, Amnesty International's regional director. “The muted response from the international community emboldens the Iranian authorities to continue their deadly rampage.”

Amnesty said at least 26 people were arbitrarily executed after being convicted of offenses related to the January protests, following what it said were “torture-tainted, grossly unfair trials” by revolutionary courts. Another 26 people have been executed this year on politically motivated charges, including espionage and membership in opposition groups, it said.

The deadliest crackdown since 1979

The protests were triggered by Iran's deepening economic crisis and quickly escalated into calls for the overthrow of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was later killed in the opening U.S.-Israeli strikes.

The crackdown was the deadliest carried out by the Islamic Republic in its 47-year history.

HRANA, which relies on a network of contacts inside Iran, says more than 7,000 people were killed and that it is investigating thousands more cases. It said over 50,000 were arrested in just over six weeks. The government has acknowledged more than 3,000 people were killed.

At the height of the protests, Iranian authorities signaled that fast trials and executions lay ahead.

Families of prisoners express concern

HRANA said the bodies of the two men executed Tuesday have not yet been returned to their families. The families of others accused in the case have gathered outside a prison in Isfahan, expressing concern for their loved ones, HRANA said.

A website affiliated with Iran’s judiciary said the two men had also set a police station on fire and damaged public buildings.

Rights groups say political prisoners in Iran are tried in secretive courts without due process, with verdicts often based on forced confessions extracted through torture.

The violence erupted when armed, masked protesters at a sit-in opened fire on police and security personnel deployed to secure polling, the regional government and police said. There were unconfirmed reports that several protesters were killed or wounded, but officials did not immediately confirm any civilian casualties.

Voting in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, which is divided between India and Pakistan and claimed in its entirety by both countries, began Monday and is being held in phases through Aug. 10.

The now weeks-old protest encampment has overshadowed the election, with residents reporting low voter turnout in Monday’s first phase, when polling was held for several assembly seats in the city of Mirpur.

At a news conference in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, government spokesman Mohammad Rashid Hanif alleged that the outlawed Joint Awami Action Committee, or JAAC, sought to derail the elections. He said a “significant number” of Fitna al-Khawarij, the term Islamabad uses for members of the Pakistani Taliban, were also among the protesters.

Later on Tuesday at a news conference in Islamabad, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Deputy Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry said the ongoing sit-in was no longer a peaceful protest, alleging that armed militants had joined the demonstrators and posed a threat to public order. They said authorities would soon take action to restore order and ensure conditions for a free, fair and peaceful vote.

The ministers urged residents to stay away from the protest, alleging that some demonstrators were armed with sophisticated weapons and were using them against security forces. They said security forces were responding in self-defense while exercising maximum restraint.

The regional government banned the JAAC recently, citing concerns over public order and security, and arrested dozens of its followers. The group, formed in 2023, demands greater political rights for the people of Kashmir and the abolition of refugee seats in the assembly on the grounds that the refugees have disproportionate influence. It is notorious for violent protests. The dispute escalated in early June after the region’s Supreme Court ruled the refugee seats are constitutionally protected and cannot be abolished without a constitutional amendment.

Hanif, the government spokesman, urged residents to distance themselves from the protesters, alleging that armed militants had infiltrated the demonstrations and were using civilians as shields. He said authorities would continue operations to disperse the protest camps and restore law and order.

Hanif showed what he said was video footage of masked gunmen firing from the roof of a building.

Sitting alongside Hanif, regional deputy Police Chief Irfan Masood Kashfi said armed men involved in the unrest were carrying weapons including Kalashnikov assault rifles and that authorities had received intelligence that snipers were also being used. He said one paramilitary officer was killed and five other security personnel, including a police officer, were wounded. He said security forces exercised restraint and responded only in self-defense.

Kashfi also said authorities arrested an armed suspect in Rawalakot and seized what he described as an assault rifle, alleging the suspect had recently arrived from abroad and received sniper training.

Officials also played video recordings of two detained men who appeared to confess to taking part in the violence. One said he had been paid and instructed to attack troops and police, while the other claimed to belong to an armed faction linked to the JAAC and described firing on security forces with an M-16 rifle.

The group did not immediately respond to the latest allegations.

Beshear made the demand in a letter after McConnell’s office said Monday that the 84-year-old senator had not yet been medically cleared to leave the rehabilitation facility where he has been undergoing physical therapy. The office said he would miss a major Kentucky political event and upcoming Senate votes. McConnell was hospitalized June 14 and disclosed weeks later that it was the result of a fall.

Beshear, who is widely viewed as a potential presidential candidate in 2028, first urged McConnell in early July to release more information about his condition after weeks of public silence. His letter Tuesday marked a significant escalation.

“I am calling on you to directly and verbally address the people of Kentucky and provide proof of your capacity to serve, or resign,” Beshear wrote to McConnell.

Beshear also sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, urging him to investigate McConnell’s condition if the senator does not demonstrate that he is capable of continuing to serve.

McConnell and Thune’s offices did not provide comment on the letter.

McConnell, who led Senate Republicans for nearly two decades, has long guarded his personal life. Since he was hospitalized last month, his office has issued major updates on July 12 and July 27, each accompanied by a single photograph.

But public scrutiny of aging elected officials has intensified after several recent health episodes and deaths in office, including the deaths of California Sen. Dianne Feinstein in 2023 and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham earlier this month, as well as President Joe Biden’s decision not to seek reelection after concerns about his age and health became a dominant political issue.

In the absence of regular public updates from McConnell himself, speculation about his condition has grown online.

“All of this speculation and even this letter could have been avoided with a minimal amount of transparency,” Beshear wrote to Thune.

___

Associated Press reporter Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report from Washington.

Preregistration is required to claim one of the available 1,500 spots.

SIGN UP: Click here to sign up, starting at 8 a.m.

This Positively JAX initiative has helped collect tens of thousands of pairs of shoes for local children in need since 2014.

We are still collecting new shoes for this year’s giveaway.

Our drop-off locations this year are WJXT-Channel 4, Closets By Design, 1st Place Sports locations, Annie Lee’s Bakery & Diner, Fragrant Body Oilz, Meow and Barks Boutique, Bold City Wings, Allusion’s Restaurant & Lounge, The Icy Spot, and Bank of America branches.

Addresses for our drop-off locations are below.

Drop-off locations for new shoes:

WJXT Channel 4

• 4 Broadcast Place, 32207

Closets By Design of the First Coast

• 3728 Philips Highway, Suite 360, 32207

1st Place Sports

• Search for your local location

Annie Lee’s Bakery & Diner

• 203 West 48th St., Suite 4, 32208

Fragrant Body Oilz

• 231 Edgewood Ave. South 32254

Meow and Barks Boutique

• 1537 San Marco Blvd., 32207

Bold City Wings

• 2016 Hendricks Ave.

Allusion’s Restaurant & Lounge

• 5045 Soutel Dr. 

The Icy Spot

10584 Old St. Augustine Rd

Sears Dental Works

• 10365 Hood Rd STE 103 32257

Bank of America branches

• Normandy: 7770 Normandy Blvd. Jacksonville, Florida 32221
• North Jacksonville: 1055 Dunn Avenue Jacksonville, Florida 32218
• Regency: 9550 Regency Square Blvd. Jacksonville, Florida 32225 
• Baymeadows: 9225 Baymeadows Road, Jacksonville, Florida 32256
• Beaches- Hodges: 13756 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville, Florida 32224

“It is not FIFA’s to sell,” UEFA said in a statement. “None of us are the owners of football.”

Infantino's plans to form a commercial subsidiary, which would be called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), running competitions like the World Cup and Club World Cup was first reported by The Times of London.

FIFA said in a statement FFE would raise up to $4.2 billion later this year to help fund development programs "based on an initial equity valuation of $20 billion by carefully selecting long-term investors who will purchase minority, non-controlling interests.”

FIFA is working with J.P. Morgan while intended investors include Thrive Eternal launched by Joshua Kushner, whose brother Jared Kushner is a son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump.

The men’s World Cup that finished this month only deepened the political and personal ties between Trump and Infantino, and fueled concerns about those ties including from UEFA.

“The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade — especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially,” UEFA said Tuesday, responding to the reports of selling stakes in FIFA competitions.

FIFA is currently a Swiss-based not-for-profit association of its 211 national member federations worldwide.

Those members must approve any plan and would get the chance “to access up to $20 million in one-off capital,” FIFA said.

“This is about the democratization of football worldwide,” Infantino said in a FIFA statement, which added that “a consultation process has begun.”

UEFA, however, said it took reports of the project “extremely seriously. So should every national Football Association.”

“This crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross,” said UEFA, which comprises 55 of the FIFA members.

FIFA's $20M offer to member federations

The outline of Tuesday’s surprise announcement was, FIFA said, detailed by Infantino to members who met in Manhattan on July 18 ahead of the World Cup final. There, Infantino promised to “unleash the commercial potential and opportunity that FIFA has.”

FIFA’s statement Tuesday about its proposed project led on how much money each of its 211 members could get through 2038 in the “FIFA Fast-Forward Program.”

Instead of the currently promised $8 million each in development funds through the 2027-30 World Cup commercial cycle, it would be $20 million, then $22 million and $24 million in the following cycles.

FIFA banked record World Cup income of about $12 billion from the 2026 tournament which had unprecedented high prices for tickets and hospitality across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. It already was unclear how that money could be matched from Spain, Portugal and Morocco co-hosting the 2030 men’s edition.

Member federations could choose if they wanted to take part in the new financial opportunities, FIFA said.

“FIFA would retain sole control of FFE and exclusive authority over football governance, competitions, match calendar, and all regulatory and sporting decisions,” the soccer body said.

FIFA’s integrity standards were called into question during the World Cup, including by team coaches, Norway's soccer federation and a top European public body, the Council of Europe.

FIFA's previous attempt to privatize assets

The project announced Tuesday is the second time in Infantino’s increasingly controversial 11-year presidency he has tried to push through a multi-billion dollar deal with private backers.

In 2018, Infantino proposed a secretive $25 billion offer over 12 years with SoftBank of Japan to create new global competitions, including an expanded men’s Club World Cup, seemingly backed by Saudi Arabian money.

That ultimately failed after meeting fierce resistance from UEFA, which saw threats to its prize assets: the Champions League and the European Championship.

Infantino still built closer ties to Saudi soccer and the kingdom’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup and largely funded the revamped men’s Club World Cup hosted in the U.S. last year.

Infantino’s future?

The financial success of the just-ended World Cup has looked likely to ensure Infantino is re-elected next year unopposed for a fourth and final term in office through 2031.

At his re-election by acclaim in 2023 in Rwanda, Infantino suggested any CEO delivering similar financial results would be kept in the job forever.

Speculation has swirled for years Infantino might want a different global role in soccer beyond his FIFA presidency, which is due to end when he is 61.

The Times reported Tuesday that a CEO-like commissioner role of the new FFE operation could be created for Infantino.

“This has never been discussed,” FIFA said in a statement Tuesday. “However, the FIFA president and the FIFA administration will and must have leading roles in this entity — if approved.”

There was no timetable suggested Tuesday for debate and decisions by FIFA, its ruling Council chaired by Infantino, and the 211 members.

FIFA is scheduled to hold an online congress on Nov. 23 to confirm hosts of the Women's World Cup editions in 2031 and 2035.

___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and AP World Cup coverage

RELATED: Could drone response teams protect students from active shooters? 3 Florida school districts test the idea

The funding, included in Florida’s new 2026-27 budget, adds to $557,000 approved last year for the Campus Guardian Angel program. The Department of Education has not said whether the new money will expand the program to additional districts or strengthen its presence in the counties already using it.

At a demonstration in downtown Jacksonville for the Florida Association of School Resource Officers, Campus Guardian Angel CEO Justin Marston showed how the system would work. Drones, he said, are intended to respond quickly to distract, confront and incapacitate an active shooter.

“So our goals are to respond in five seconds, to be on the shooter in 15 seconds, and to degrade or incapacitate in 60 seconds,” Marston said, adding that “most shootings are over in 120 seconds.”

Pilots were on site for the demonstration, but Marston said the drones are typically flown remotely, sometimes from hundreds of miles away. He described the team as composed of former Navy SEALs, SWAT operators, 911 response personnel and top drone racing pilots.

The aircraft do not carry firearms. They are equipped with flashing lights, live cameras, a speaker and a nonlethal pepper spray device. News4JAX video of the demonstration showed a drone striking a dummy during a simulated response.

The program has been deployed in schools in Brevard, Leon and Volusia counties. Each school is outfitted with 30 to 60 drones depending on building size; the drones are housed in ceilings and would be deployed during an emergency, the company said.

Marston said Campus Guardian Angel is working with the University of Florida on an independent study to measure how much faster drones can reach a shooter compared with traditional officers. He also said pilots are on staff during school hours now but the company is working toward providing 24-hour protection because many pilots also secure other buildings.

Supporters point to extensive testing in simulated scenarios. Critics have noted the technology has not yet been tested in a real active shooter incident, and the true effectiveness of such systems in live situations remains unproven.

The Florida Department of Education did not immediately respond to a request for comment on which districts, if any, will receive the second round of funding. News4JAX first reported on the program last November.

The 78-slip marina on the St. Johns River is in the Sports & Entertainment District within walking distance of EverBank Stadium and other major venues. The city said the marina is expected to welcome boaters in mid-August.

Operated by F3 Marina and Shanna Collective as part of the Jacksonville Shipyards, Met Park Marina will offer electrical power, water hookups, pump-out service, marine gas and diesel fuel, Wi‑Fi and a Ship Shop stocked with boating supplies, grab-and-go food, drinks and retail merchandise.

The marina borders the future Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Jacksonville and a development that includes five public restaurants — including Michelin-recognized Asado Life — the Northbank Riverwalk, an event lawn and a six-story office building called One Tower Court.

The city also said rafting docks along Metropolitan Park will be available for boaters attending special events and games; reservations and rules for those docks are posted on the JaxParks website.

For more information and to reserve dockage beginning July 31, visit metparkmarina.com or follow @metparkmarina on Facebook and Instagram. Additional details about the marina’s opening will be released soon.

Hadi Matar's lawyer told the court that the 28-year-old — who already has been convicted of state-level attempted murder charges — wouldn't take the stand at his trial on charges that include engaging in an act of transnational terrorism.

“At this time, the defense rests,” attorney Nathaniel Barone said. Matar has pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors also rested their case Tuesday, and closing arguments are expected Wednesday morning. Rushdie, the prize-winning author of novels including “Midnight’s Children” and the controversial “The Satanic Verses,” testified last week about the 2022 attack that nearly killed him and left him blind in one eye.

Rushdie was about to give a talk — about writers' safety, no less — when his attacker climbed on stage behind him and stabbed him 15 times in front of a stunned audience at the Chautauqua Institution, an arts and intellectual retreat.

Spectators and another speaker, Henry Reese, scrambled to aid Rushdie and restrain the assailant, who was arrested by law enforcement officers assigned to the event. He initially gave authorities a fake driver's license, but Matar soon disclosed his real name to a state trooper, according the trooper's testimony and body camera video.

Prosecutors contend that Matar was acting upon a former Iranian leader's 1989 call for Rushdie's death because of “The Satanic Verses,” which ignited protests across the Muslim world. Some believers considered it blasphemous because of a dream sequence featuring Islam's Prophet Muhammad.

Rushdie, who was born in India into a Muslim family and is now a U.S. citizen, went into hiding for years. He gradually emerged after Iran's government distanced itself in 1998 from the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini 's fatwa, or religious order, about the writer. Khomenei died in 1989.

Prosecutors say Matar, a U.S.-born American-Lebanese citizen, acted out of loyalty to Iran and to the Lebanon-based Hezbollah militant group. The late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said in 2006 that if someone had carried out the fatwa, European newspapers wouldn't have dared publish a caricature of Muhammad that was causing an uproar in Muslim communities.

Iran’s government denied involvement in the 2022 stabbing, though its Foreign Ministry’s then-spokesperson suggested Rushdie courted trouble by insulting Islam. Nasrallah did not comment on the attack.

The U.S. government designates Hezbollah as a foreign terrorist organization. Matar, too, described the group in a 2016 paper as a terrorist organization, Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Lynch said Tuesday during legal arguments when jurors were out of the room.

Matar started researching Rushdie's whereabouts in 2020, eventually writing in private notes that “we need to kill him ASAP” and “become a warrior and just get it over with,” prosecutors have said.

Matar didn't testify at his 2025 state court trial, either. His lawyer has said federal prosecutors are making implications but don't have proof about the man’s intentions.

“There’s no facts. There’s no hard evidence,” Barone said in an interview outside the courthouse last week. “There could be a number of reasonable, plausible explanations as to what he was thinking.”

Barone unsuccessfully argued Tuesday that prosecutors hadn't presented enough evidence for the trial to continue. A judge declined Barone's request to dismiss the case.

Matar is currently serving a 25-year state prison sentence. If convicted in the federal case, he faces a potential life sentence.

___

Peltz reported from New York.

The drugmaker, which has been fighting talc-related lawsuits for more than a decade, said that the settlement is conditioned on at least 95% of remaining claimants participating.

A U.S. bankruptcy court judge denied a $9 billion settlement proposed by company subsidiary Red River Talc last year that would have been one of the biggest mass tort settlements in history.

Johnson & Johnson decided not to appeal that ruling and instead fight on in court.

A federal judge last week ordered plaintiffs in the case against Johnson & Johnson to show why the remaining pending talc claims should not be dismissed after their witnesses could not provide a direct link between the company's product and cancer.

“The Court’s order placed plaintiffs in an untenable position of having to present specific causation evidence to maintain their claims that does not exist," Erik Haas, worldwide vice president of litigation, Johnson & Johnson, said in a prepared statement Monday.

As part of the settlement proposed this week, Johnson & Johnson will make an initial payment of no more than $3 billion next year. It has no additional payments due until 2028.

“While we are confident the company would have ultimately prevailed with further litigation, as it has in the vast majority of cases tried to date, this resolution allows the company to put this matter behind it and remain focused on its mission to develop medicines and devices that save lives,” Haas said.

Johnson & Johnson said that it previously settled about 95% of filed lawsuits for mesothelioma, a cancer in the tissue surrounding organs like the lungs and heart, all state consumer protection claims, and all talc-supplier disputes.

Shares of the New Brunswick, New Jersey-based company rose more than 2% before the market open on Tuesday.

Clayton is expected to be confirmed along party lines after a contentious hearing two weeks ago in which he repeatedly refused to say that former President Joe Biden won the 2020 election. Still, Democrats have said they have more confidence in Clayton than they do in Trump’s temporary pick for the job, Bill Pulte, who has no known intelligence experience and investigated the president’s perceived enemies in his previous post as a federal housing regulator.

Senators from both parties have expressed concerns about Pulte, who took over on an interim basis last month after Tulsi Gabbard resigned. Pulte was in charge when Trump delivered a speech from the White House earlier this month doubling down on his false claims about the 2020 election, which he lost, and released classified documents that he said were relevant to his arguments.

Hours before the scheduled Senate vote on Clayton, Pulte released on X intelligence community documents from 2020 that described China’s capacity to interfere in the American political process as well as vulnerabilities in the election system.

The substance of the material was largely recycled and already known, but its disclosure is part of a broader Trump administration effort to raise concerns about the integrity of U.S. elections and in particular the 2020 race.

Pulte has also presided over a downsizing of the national intelligence office, which functions as a coordinating hub for the U.S. government’s intelligence agencies. He boasted on X that with a latest round of job cuts, the office is carrying out about a 30% staff reduction from weeks ago.

Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee, said he had worked in the past with Clayton, who is the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and a former Securities and Exchange Commission chairman. After the hearing, Warner said he would oppose Clayton’s nomination but acknowledged that Democrats are “between a rock and a hard place” with Pulte in the job.

The Senate voted 51-43 along party lines on Monday to advance Clayton’s nomination.

Clayton won’t say Biden won the election

The Democratic pushback on Clayton comes as Trump has made revisiting 2020 a primary focus, repeatedly trying to cast doubt on that election and amplifying debunked theories about Biden’s win.

Clayton told senators that he had no involvement with Trump’s primetime speech, but he said repeatedly that the election was “certified” for Biden, declining to say outright that the Democrat won.

Warner said at the end of the hearing that he was “bitterly disappointed.” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said he thought Clayton’s performance was “abysmal,” and that “makes it much less likely that he will get Democratic votes.”

Republicans tried to quickly confirm Clayton

Republicans were hoping to confirm Clayton in June so he could replace Gabbard without Pulte serving as interim. But Trump delayed Clayton’s nomination before the Senate left for a two-week recess, allowing Pulte to take the job temporarily.

Clayton did not mention Pulte in the confirmation hearing. But he emphasized his own government and national security experience, attempting to assuage senators in both parties.

“I saw firsthand how a strong national security apparatus depends on decisive judgment, discipline, integrity, and effective communication and cooperation across different branches of the government,” Clayton said. “If confirmed as Director of National Intelligence, I will commit to upholding these principles every day.”

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton, R-Ark., who expressed frustration last month when the hearing was delayed, said that Clayton has a reputation for operating with “morality, decency and integrity” in his previous positions.

“Jay Clayton is a highly qualified nominee with a deep experience combating a wide range of national security threats,” Cotton said.

RELATED: ‘She hasn’t slept in 2 days’: Woman traumatized after witnessing crash that killed 2 teens on Edgewood Avenue

Officials identified the victims as Logan Zayeer Daniels and Dallas King. Their ages have not been released by JSO.

Shamair Jones still has a grateful attitude after losing her two young cousins.

“It’s all because of Jesus,” Jones said. “We can’t do this by ourselves. If it wasn’t for Jesus, we’d be going down, but because we know they’re still with us. They’re here in spirit.”

Jones said her cousins were very active at Pentecostal Church of God Christian Academy.

“They were goofy, full of life. Every time you were around, they’d make you laugh,” She said.

The Toyota Camry they were riding in was crushed under a large pick-up truck that was hauling two vehicles, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

The crash sent the 28-year-old driver of the Camry to the hospital with critical injuries after he was extricated by first responders, who found him trapped in the Camry when they arrived.

Sgt. Robert Hungerford of JSO’s Traffic Homicide Unit said that around 11:15 a.m. Saturday, a Dodge 3500 pick-up truck towing a large trailer loaded with two vehicles was headed eastbound on Edgewood Avenue West near the intersection of Lem Turner Road.

Investigators say the Dodge slammed into the back of the Camry, forcing it into the back of a Ford Ranger pick-up truck and pushing it through the intersection.

The Dodge ended up on top of the Camry.

Members of the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department were able to get the driver out of the Camry. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

JSO said the driver of the Ford was also taken to the hospital and was in stable condition.

First responders found the two teen boys dead inside the Camry.

The driver of the Dodge, a man in his 50s, was cooperating with investigators, Hungerford said.

He said detectives were still trying to determine how fast the vehicles were traveling, but the sergeant said speed or braking is likely to play a factor, given how the Dodge which was pulling a trailer and heading downhill, went over the Camry.

Investigators are also trying to determine whether distraction may have played a role.

The family said that they’re staying strong by relying on their faith.

“Flesh is going to hurt, but they’re in a better place. Happy they’re in a better place. [They] don’t have to worry about anything here on Earth,” she said.

These were the 106th and 107th traffic fatalities in Duval County this year.

News4JAX is working to learn more about the teens who were killed in the crash.

And quite frankly, he's not sure he ever will.

“Big losses in tough moments are things you never really get over because they stay with you for the rest of your career,” Freese told The Associated Press ahead of the Major League Soccer All-Star Game coming up Wednesday in Charlotte. “They continue to motivate you for the rest of your career."

Freese made a costly mistake in the loss when he rushed well out of his box to clear a long ball, then hesitated under pressure to kick it away.

Belgium quickly converted the miscue into a goal to take a 3-1 lead in the 57th minute, all but sealing the Americans' fate.

American soccer fans haven't let Freese forget about it.

In his first MLS match since the World Cup last week, the New York City FC goalkeeper was reportedly booed by fans every time he touched the ball during the game in Columbus, Ohio.

“It’s important to not let bad things define you, but I think it's also important not to let good things define you either,” Freese said. “It's important to be a consistent presence with consistent energy.”

Freese is one of four U.S. national team players selected to the MLS All-Star Game.

Another, veteran defender Tim Ream, openly acknowledges he doesn't have a secret formula for what it'll take for the Americans to one day reach the World Cup quarterfinals.

He can only point to the one thing he knows that lends itself to success: hard work.

“You put your head down and do as much as you possibly can," Ream said. "And, at some point you will break through that barrier. It just takes work, more work and more work. ... Before you know it, you're past that."

Ream said he believes better days are ahead despite the loss.

Wing-back Max Arfsten thinks the increased fan attention on the World Cup — with the majority of games played in the United States — will only serve to inspire more athletes in the country to take up the sport.

That, he said, is a good thing.

“The next step for us is to keep growing the sport,” Arfsten said. “The more people that are playing, the better players there will be. The more competitiveness, the more players playing in the top leagues in Europe is important as well. I feel like all of those combined is going to lead to success."

Ream added that when it comes to the World Cup, two things can be true: Players can be disappointed over the way they played and “crashed out” against Belgium, but also excited about what they accomplished in the earlier games.

“You can be proud of how much it galvanized the country, the people around it and the sport — and just how much fun it was,” Ream said.

Freese agrees.

“It’s important for us to be aware of the positive outcomes that happened in the tournament as well as use that to inspire new generations to continue to get better — to get past that round of 16, to get past the quarterfinals and make it to the semis and the finals,” Freese said.

Messi won't play in the All-Star Game

Charlotte is hosting the MLS All-Star Game for the first time at Charlotte FC owner Dave Tepper's Bank of America Stadium, but the league will again be without its biggest star for the showcase event.

Messi, who helped Argentina reach the finals of the World Cup before losing to Spain, is taking advantage of some allotted time off before returning to soccer and Inter Miami CF.

He has been replaced on the roster.

Messi has 12 goals and eight assists this season in MLS play.

Getting a boost from the World Cup

Several players, including Ream, said they have noticed a big boost in fan interest in MLS games and soccer in general since the World Cup.

“We could see it while we were playing in the World Cup, but now it's like I can't leave my house,” Ream said.

He's not complaining.

"Being able to inspire more people to play is obviously secondary to what our job is, which is compete and win games, but it's such a rewarding feeling knowing that so many more people are paying attention to our sport,” Ream said.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and AP World Cup coverage

About three hours of audio and 117 pages of transcripts — with many redactions — were released by the Oversight Project, an arm of the Heritage Foundation, after Biden lost a prolonged legal fight to keep his conversations with his memoir ghostwriter, Mark Lewis Zwonitzer, private.

“They didn't even know I had this,” Biden told Zwonitzer in October 2016, near the end of his second term as Barack Obama's vice president, as he talked about sensitive foreign policy matters handled by the administration.

In one 2017 session, after Biden had left the West Wing and before he'd launched his own presidential campaign, he appeared to admit retaining classified information from his time as vice president.

“I just found all the classified stuff downstairs,” Biden said. “I wrote the President a handwritten 40-page memorandum arguing against deploying additional troops to Iraq -- I mean, to Afghanistan on the grounds that it wouldn’t matter, that the day we left would be like the day before we arrived.”

The potentially classified information itself is redacted in both the audio and transcripts that the Oversight Project released.

The right-wing group first sued to obtain the tapes after Special Counsel Robert Hur decided in 2024 not to charge Biden for how he handled classified information. Biden cooperated with Hur’s inquiry and told the special prosecutor during his presidency that he did not intentionally mishandle any classified material.

Hur, who obtained the tapes as part of his inquiry, said in announcing his decision that he believed a jury would find Biden a sympathetic figure because of his age and what Hur described as a “poor memory” — a statement that became a flashpoint in public debate about Biden's age and fitness for the presidency.

Biden was 74 when the interviews began. He was 81 and seeking reelection when Hur released his report in early 2024, though Biden later ended his campaign for a second term after a halting debate performance against Republican Donald Trump.

The tapes contain instances of Biden being unable to recall some dates and details of topics he was discussing with Zwonitzer. Biden also showed a command of many details, recalling meetings and details of conversations referenced in the notes he shared.

At the Oversight Project, Vice President of Litigation Jeff Clark insisted the tapes prove Biden's decline.

“The tapes have always belonged to the American People, the Oversight Project just delivered them to their rightful owner,” Clark said in a statement. “The knowledge of his deterioration was well-established.”

A Biden spokesman blasted the release as politically motivated.

“President Biden’s conversations for a book a decade ago that discussed his late son are private, and were provided to the Department of Justice on the express condition they stay that way,” said TJ Ducklo. “Reversing course and making them public is just the latest example of this Administration weaponizing the DOJ for political retribution.”

Biden initially sued to stop the Department of Justice from releasing the material, claiming the conversations were private. But he dropped his suit after a divided panel of appeals court judges rejected his bid. Biden could have petitioned the Supreme Court to intervene or asked for a rehearing by the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

In a 2-1 ruling, a three-judge panel from the circuit court found a “substantial” public interest in disclosing the material.

“Always exciting,” Folk said Tuesday after reporting for his first training camp with the Atlanta Falcons. Folk, 41, and the Falcons will have their first practice on Wednesday.

“I tell everyone, there is nothing like playing on Sundays,” Folk said. “Being in front of people, being in front your fans and playing, there’s nothing like it. So training camp is just the start of that. And I’m just excited to kind of get going.”

Folk signed with the Falcons on March 9, three days before the team signed free-agent punter Jake Bailey.

The Falcons' interest in Folk was easy to explain after the team went through three kickers — Younghoe Koo, Parker Romo and Zane Gonzalez — in 2025.

Folk has enjoyed consistent success after being drafted by the Cowboys in 2007. He leads all active kickers with 431 career field goals, playing for Dallas, the New York Jets, Tampa Bay, New England and Tennessee.

Folk joins the Falcons after claiming the NFL's best field-goal accuracy in three consecutive seasons. He made 28 of 29 attempts for the Jets last year after also having only one miss in back-to-back seasons with Tennessee — 29 of 30 in 2023 and 21 of 22 in 2024.

Folk said he was drawn to the Falcons by the chance to work with their new special teams coach, Craig Aukerman, who was his coach at Tennessee. For Folk, it's also a reunion with Bailey, who was his teammate in New England.

“Craig Aukerman was a lot of it,” Folk said. “I enjoyed playing for Craig. Having Jake come as well, I played with him for four years in New England. It was just a whole bunch of things. ... To come out here, there’s a lot of positives to it. I like the way the team is going. Hopefully we can get over the top and get in the playoffs.”

The Falcons are led by a new leadership team of president of football Matt Ryan, general manager Ian Cunningham and coach Kevin Stefanski. The team has had eight consecutive losing seasons since its last playoff appearance in 2017.

Atlanta boasts a strong offense led by running back Bijan Robinson, who was named All-Pro after leading the league in yards from scrimmage last season. The offense also boasts established leaders in wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts, who each landed new contracts in the offseason.

The big question on offense will be quarterback, where Michael Penix Jr. is expected to compete with Tua Tagovailoa for the starting job. Tagovailoa led the first-team offense in 11-on-11 drills during offseason work while Penix was limited as he continued his recovery from surgery in November to repair the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

The Falcons have not said if Penix will have full clearance for the start of training camp. Stefanski did not speak with reporters on Tuesday. The quarterbacks were not seen in the portion of the veterans' check-in process made available to media.

___

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

A judge sentenced McKenzie Phillip Storm Scott, 30, of Jacksonville, to three years and six months for bank fraud conspiracy and one year and six months for failure to appear — to be served consecutively. The court also ordered Scott to forfeit $21,097.49, the amount he obtained through the scheme.

Check theft scheme targeted U.S. mail

According to court documents, Scott and others conspired to defraud financial institutions by stealing checks from the U.S. mail. The group altered payee names and payment amounts to manufacture counterfeit checks, then deposited them into bank accounts belonging to accomplices before withdrawing as much of the fraudulent funds as possible in cash.

The intended loss tied to Scott’s conduct totaled approximately $526,000, though he personally obtained $21,097.49 in cash.

Failure to appear led to Las Vegas arrest

Scott was originally due to be sentenced in the bank fraud case on Feb. 7, 2025, but did not show up for the hearing. He was subsequently indicted for failure to appear.

Law enforcement eventually located Scott traveling in Las Vegas, Nevada, and arrested him on Dec. 2, 2025.

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Panthers coach Dave Canales said after practice that Evans got rolled up on and that the initial diagnosis indicates the injury is not viewed as serious.

“They (the medical staff) are pretty optimistic," Canales said. "But we’re going to do a full evaluation just to make sure there’s nothing happening in there. ... I’ll give you more information as we do the full evaluation.”

Pressed into duty last season as a rookie because of an injury to Ja’Tavion Sanders, Evans was a pleasant surprise for the Panthers, having 19 receptions for 171 yards and two touchdowns. The 2025 fifth-round draft pick out of Notre Dame is expected to compete with Tommy Tremble and Sanders for more playing time this season in what is viewed as an open tight end competition.

Evans went down midway through practice amid a pile of players. Some gathered around him before he was carted off.

Last week the Panthers lost outside linebacker Nic Scouton, another second-year player, to a torn ACL. That season-ending injury came on the first day of training camp practice.

The Panthers also are without starting offensive tackles Taylor Moton and Ickey Ekwonu at training camp. Both will miss the opener but are expected back at some point this season.

Canales said guard Damien Lewis has a calf injury. He worked on the side with trainers. Guard Robert Hunt (back) is working his way back and is expected to practice soon.

___

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

Government funding body U.K. Research and Innovation announced Monday that it will no longer fund the Lovell telescope, whose 250-foot-wide (76-meter-wide) parabolic reflecting bowl is a local landmark. It’s part of a network of seven radio telescopes across the country known as e-Merlin connected to the Jodrell Bank astrophysics center south of Manchester.

UKRI said the telescope array will not receive public funding after March 2028, following “a rigorous prioritization process to focus investment on the areas that will deliver the greatest long-term scientific capability, impact and value for the U.K.”

University of Manchester particle physicist Brian Cox called the cuts “devastating and irreversible.”

Paul Howarth, president of the Institute of Physics, said recent cuts to physics funding, including at Jodrell Bank, were “a terrible blow to the scientific community,” and urged new Prime Minister Andy Burnham to reconsider.

“For the sake of U.K. physics and our national reputation as a place to do science, conduct research and innovate, we would urge the new government to review this ruinous set of decisions,” he said.

The University of Manchester, which runs e-Merlin, said it was seeking other sources of funds from business, government or charities.

“But, if we don’t find those alternative sources of funding, then there is a risk that as of the end of March 2028, the Lovell Telescope will not be an actively functioning scientific facility for radio astronomy,” said Sarah Sharples, the university’s dean of science and engineering.

Completed in 1957, the Lovell telescope has played a major role in the history of radio astronomy, which studies distant space objects through the radio waves they emit. It tracked the progress of Sputnik when the Soviet Union launched Earth’s first artificial satellite in 1957, received the first images from the moon’s surface in 1966 and has helped scientists discover distant galaxies and study black holes, quasars, pulsars and gravitational lenses.

It also served as an early-warning system for Soviet missiles during the Cold War.

Jodrell Bank’s engagement center, open to the public and visited by generations of British schoolchildren, is not affected by the cuts.

But for many families, especially those in rural communities, access to specialists and early care can be a major barrier. One that significantly decreases their chances of developing speech and language.

Cyrus Rhodes, 7, grew up hearing the world around him. But that wasn’t always a given. He was born with severe hearing loss.

“I would say they’re magic ears and they give access to sound,” said Cyrus.

The “magic ears” he’s talking about are cochlear implants. A small electronic device that bypasses damaged parts of the ear and sends sound signals directly to the hearing nerve in the brain.

“Timing matters a lot,” said audiologist Lisa Park, Division Chief at The Children’s Cochlear Implant Center at UNC.

The first few years of life are a critical window for brain development.

“Brains are wired for sound. Kids who receive implants early tend to catch up,” said Park.

But even when families know their child needs help, getting to specialists can be a challenge. Cyrus’s family lives more than three hours from the nearest specialist.

“We made it work,” his mother, Leslie Rhodes, said.

To close that gap, UNC created a mobile hearing clinic — a fully equipped RV that brings testing, programming and follow-up care directly to rural communities.

“The same care that you would get at our main center is provided on this bus,” said Melissa Anderson, an audiologist at The Children’s Cochlear Implant Center at UNC.

“We’ve caught a couple of kids who wouldn’t have been able to get care without the mobile unit,” Park said.

The program is helping children across North Carolin, including another remarkable patient: Tatum Lanier. She received her cochlear implant as a toddler. Ten years later, she’s thriving.

“It’s a lot easier to talk with my friends and hear … being able to hear the teachers,” exclaimed Tatum.

But her story is even more powerful at home. Her mother is deaf.

“It means a lot to me because with my friends growing up I struggled even with hearing aids. So, I wanted the best for my children,” said Tatum’s mom, Melinda Lanier."

For families like hers and Cyrus’s, cochlear implants aren’t just technology; they’re connection.

Cochlear implants can now be performed on babies as young as 7 months old, and early access to sound can play a critical role in how a child’s brain learns language.

But experts say the window to help these children is small. After about age 7, it becomes much harder for the brain to develop the neural pathways needed to process sound.

And right now, only about half of the children in the United States who could benefit from a cochlear implant actually receive one — far below some countries, including Australia, Sweden, and England, where the rate gets as high as 97%.

It leaves them vulnerable to being deported to the countries they fled — countries still coping with violence and instability.

The move raises humanitarian questions. It also creates a host of economic and healthcare issues in Florida, which is home to the largest Haitian community in the country.

Renata Castro, an immigration attorney and founding member of “USA 4 ALL,” joined us on The Morning Show to discuss the fallout and impact on members of the immigrant community in Florida.

A video, which claims to show a fielder clicking his fingers to imitate the sound of a bat connecting with the ball before a player is called out, has been viewed millions of times on X.

The poster of the video described it as “about the worst case of cheating I’ve ever seen in cricket.”

The video of a match involving North Yorkshire and South Durham Cricket League team Saltburn, has been greeted with outrage online and generated headlines around the world.

TV presenter Piers Morgan weighed in, describing the player involved as the “biggest cheat in cricket history” and wondered how many batsmen’s days “has he ruined?”

A cricket umpire could be fooled into calling a player out if they believed they heard the sound of the ball clipping the edge of a bat before being caught.

The league said in a statement on X that it had received a formal complaint regarding a game on Saturday, but did not reveal which teams were involved.

“A full investigation has been initiated and until such time as the formal processes are complete no further comment will be made,” it said.

There was no immediate response when The Associated Press contacted the league and Saltburn for comment.

Fernandez will be the first of three defendants to be tried for the death of Jared Bridegan in what prosecutors describe as a murder-for-hire case.

He is accused, along with his now-estranged wife, Shanna Gardner, of hiring Henry Tenon, a former tenant of Fernandez, to fatally shoot Bridegan, a 33-year-old father of four, in February 2022 in Jacksonville Beach.

Bridegan was Gardner’s ex-husband, and they were in ongoing custody disputes over their twin children.

Gardner, Fernandez and Tenon are all under indictment for first-degree murder and other charges and have each pleaded not guilty.

But Kite brought up during Monday’s hearing that Fernandez at one point might have considered changing that plea. She said prosecutors told her that “there was one offer made” to resolve the case.

She did not indicate when in the last three years since his arrest that offer had been discussed. The exchange with Fernandez and his attorneys turned tense when Kite brought up the potential plea deal.

Attorney Jesse Dreicer was noticeably frustrated in his response to Kite.

Kite: Did the defense make an offer or not?

Dreicer: I would not consider it — it was not formal; it wasn’t in writing. It was more of a discussion, and we certainly do not want to discuss it in open court.

Kite continued, asking Fernandez whether he understood that whatever might have been discussed was rejected by the state.

Kite: From the state’s perspective, they thought that there may be some avenue for resolving this case, short of trial. Let me put it like that. And they’ve rejected whatever the discussion was. That they are not interested in it. OK? Is that pretty much your understanding?

Fernandez: Yes, your honor.

Kite said no mention of a plea deal discussion will be allowed during the trial.

“If there was any negotiations, that will never come in during the course of the trial because you have preserved your presumption of innocence by exercising your right (to plead not guilty and go to trial),” Kite said.

2 charges dropped

During that same hearing on Monday, prosecutors announced that two of the four charges against Fernandez had been dropped.

He will now be tried only on first-degree murder and solicitation to commit a capital felony. Fernandez had been indicted on conspiracy to commit murder and child abuse charges, also, but prosecutors have abandoned those charges.

After initially planning to try Gardner and Fernandez at the same time, defense attorneys and state prosecutors have since agreed that they should face separate trials, with two separate jury selection periods.

Fernandez will go on trial first, with jury selection slated for Aug. 10-14, and his trial scheduled for Aug. 17-28.

Gardner will go on trial after Fernandez, with jury selection from Aug. 31-Sept. 4, and the trial from Sept. 8-25.

Tenon will go on trial in March.

In 2023, Tenon pleaded guilty and admitted to being the gunman who killed Bridegan, but he has since backtracked, and a judge granted his motion to withdraw his guilty plea and go to trial.

Timeline: How we got here

More than four years ago, Jared Bridegan dropped his then-9-year-old twin children off at the home of his ex-wife, Shanna Gardner, after a “date night” with their dad.

He left Gardner’s Jacksonville Beach home on Feb. 16, 2022, with his 2-year-old daughter, Bexley, strapped in her car seat in the back of his dark-colored SUV. They were headed back to St. Augustine.

But the 33-year-old Microsoft employee never made it home.

Following his normal route through the Sanctuary neighborhood, Bridegan suddenly had to stop in the area of Jacksonville Drive, America Avenue and Sanctuary Boulevard.

A tire was in the road.

When Bridegan stepped out of his SUV, he was ambushed by gunfire. At least one bullet missed Bexley by mere inches in her car seat.

RELATED | Murder-for-hire plot included practice run along Jared Bridegan’s normal route home: prosecutors

Bridegan was left lying in the street next to the SUV with the door wide open, and the shooter seemed to melt into the shadows just as quickly as he had launched his ambush attack.

None of the 911 callers that night mentioned seeing a shooter or a vehicle leaving the scene.

LISTEN: Press play below to hear 911 calls from night of Jared Bridegan’s murder (WARNING: May include graphic content)

But eventually, detectives tracked down the man they say pulled the trigger.

Investigators say that it was all part of a murder-for-hire plot set in motion by Gardner and her second husband, Mario Fernandez. It was a conspiracy that began in November of 2021, according to court documents.

Interactive Timeline

Alleged murder-for-hire scheme

According to detectives, Gardner was tired of sharing custody of her twin children with Bridegan.

Fernandez, she knew, could “take care of him” because of his military background, Gardner told a friend. At least that’s what the friend told investigators as she detailed the strained marriage between Gardner and Fernandez and the contentious ongoing custody battle between Gardner and Bridegan.

RELATED: A friend of Shanna Gardner said she could help in Jared Bridegan’s murder case. Here’s what she told investigators | How investigators say they untangled conspiracy to kill Jared Bridegan

Investigators say that’s exactly what Fernandez did, hiring Henry Tenon, a tenant at one of his properties, to kill Bridegan.

In his initial interview with police in July 2022, Tenon told investigators that he had been renting a home from Fernandez in Jacksonville’s Biltmore neighborhood for several years.

Tenon’s original court records said he became involved in the conspiracy on Jan. 4, 2022 -- just over a month before Bridegan was killed.

Investigators said when Tenon was arrested on an unrelated felony driving charge in August 2022, they questioned him about Bridegan’s murder and a Ford F-150 truck they had been searching for since the shooting.

RELATED | Follow the money: Checks written to Jared Bridegan’s admitted killer connect him to 2 accused in ‘murder-for-hire plot’ | Jared Bridegan’s wife files wrongful death lawsuit against 3 accused in his murder

Tenon was later arrested in Bridegan’s murder, and investigators said the single link between Tenon and Bridegan was Fernandez.

Again, Tenon initially pleaded guilty, but has since withdrawn his guilty plea.

He is now under indictment for some of the same charges as Gardner and Fernandez.

Gardner is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation to commit a capital felony and child abuse.

Tenon is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, child abuse, possession of a firearm by a felon and accessory after the fact.

State prosecutors initially said they would be seeking the death penalty against Gardner and Fernandez if they were convicted, but they have since taken the death penalty off the table, with the support of Bridegan’s widow, Kirsten, and his family.

Year 2 for head coach Liam Coen comes equipped with high expectations and some momentum. The Jaguars are coming off a 13-4 season that not even the most teal-hearted optimist could have seen coming.

The Jaguars were content with their roster construction and didn’t make significant changes to their core since last year.

Among starters from last season, 10 return on offense (only Travis Etienne left). The bulk of the defensive guys return, too, but there will be new starters at linebacker (Devin Lloyd left in free agency) and cornerback (Travis Hunter in over Greg Newsome). After head coaching overtures, both coordinators are back for Coen. Defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile and offensive coordinator Grant Udinski interviewed for open jobs in the offseason but ultimately returned to Jacksonville.

That continuity is great for Coen, who brought much sought after stability to Jacksonville. He and Udinski also helped unlock quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s potential. Lawrence had constantly rotated between franchise player and frustratingly inconsistent during his time in Jacksonville. He produced 38 total touchdowns (29 passing) and reached 4,000 passing yards for the third time in his career.

Lawrence was an MVP finalist and should feel more comfortable in Coen’s system in his second season.

Travis Hunter is back

The first year of the Hunter experience was a bit muted. The two-way star whom the Jaguars traded up for in the 2025 draft, has been cleared to return to the practice field after missing all but seven games of his rookie season due to a knee injury.

Hunter had 298 yards receiving on 28 catches (one TD). On defense, Hunter had 15 total tackles. He’s expected to play a larger role at cornerback this year and enters camp as a projected starter opposite Montaric Brown. The team has said it still expects to play him on both sides of the ball.

Who are the backs?

The team’s biggest question mark entering training camp is in the backfield. Jacksonville lost Etienne in free agency and signed Chris Rodriguez in free agency. It drafted Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Alen Jr. in 2025.

Tuten had a solid rookie season and enters as perhaps the guy to earn the starting job. Rodrigeuz has been out of action after foot surgery but is expected to be a full go now. Deejay Dallas and Ameer Abdullah could also play a role if they make the 53. But there is certainly a dearth of experience among the top three backs. Rodriguez has just 198 career carries over three seasons. Tuten had 83 carries and five TDs last year. Allen had 23 carries as a rookie.

Respect? Come get it

Respect for the Jaguars has been fleeting in the national media. Coen made a point to drive that home last year, including the reference of being a “small market team” after going on the road and beating the Broncos late in the season.

Lawrence came in rated as the No. 62 player on the NFL’s Top 100 list. Edge Josh Hines-Allen, coming off an eight-sack season, disappointing from a statistical standpoint. But Hines-Allen had a whopping 80 quarterback pressures, a number that tied for the fourth-most in the league. With better play from the secondary, Hines-Allen should be able to turn more of those pressures into sacks.

Be prepared for a mess …

If you’re going to the stadium. Construction in and around EverBank Stadium has made the area a work in progress. Capacity for the stadium has been reduced to 42,507 in 2026, a total down from 68,300. The current capacity also includes 1,260 standing-room tickets. The majority of the reduced seating comes from the upper deck. No seating is available in the upper deck in 2026, with 22,000 seats removed.

When are practices open?

Jacksonville has opened 10 training camp sessions to fans this year: July 29-30, 31 (only season ticket holders), Aug. 2-3, 7, 9, 19 (joint practice with Panthers), 23 and 25 (joint practice with Buccaneers). Parking lots open at 7 a.m. and gates open at 7:45. Practice is expected to start at 8:30. The only changes are gate open at 8:45 on the joint practice days. There is free parking available in Lot Z. Free tickets for Aug. 2 and 9 dates have already been claimed. Tickets can be claimed here.

The schedule

Preseason 1, Aug. 15, at New Orleans Saints, 4 p.m.

Preseason 2, Aug. 21, vs. Carolina Panthers, 7:30 p.m.

Preseason 3, Aug. 28, vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 7:30 p.m.

Week 1, Sept. 13, vs. Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m.

Week 2, Sept. 20, at Denver Broncos, 4:05 p.m.

Week 3, Sept. 27, vs. New England Patriots, 1 p.m.

Week 4, Oct. 4, at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m.

Week 5, Oct. 11, vs. Philadelphia Eagles (at Tottenham Hotspur, London), 9:30 a.m.

Week 6, Oct. 18, vs. Houston Texans (at Wembley Stadium, London), 9:30 a.m.

Week 7, Oct. 25, OFF

Week 8, Nov. 1, vs. Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m.

Week 9, Nov. 5, at Baltimore Ravens, Thursday Night Football, 8:15 p.m.

Week 10, Nov. 15, at Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m.

Week 11, Nov. 22, at New York Giants, 1 p.m.

Week 12, Nov. 29, vs. Tennessee Titans, 4:05 p.m.

Week 13, Dec. 6, at Chicago Bears, 1 p.m.

Week 14, Dec. 14, vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, Monday Night Football, 8:15 p.m.

Week 15, Dec. 20, at Houston Texans, 1 p.m.

Week 16, Dec. 27, at Dallas Cowboys, Sunday Night Football, 8:20 p.m.

Week 17, TBD, vs. Washington Commanders, TBD

Week 18, TBD, at Indianapolis Colts, TBD

Rather than putting together a traditional preseason all-conference team, the Big Ten has a media panel select 12 players for preseason honors without regard to position. Indiana’s representatives include wide receiver Charlie Becker, linebacker Rolijah Hardy and defensive lineman Tyrique Tucker.

Ohio State, Oregon and Rutgers each had two players selected. Quarterback Julian Sayin and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith made it for Ohio State. Oregon’s picks were quarterback Dante Moore and defensive back Koi Perich. The Rutgers honorees were wide receiver KJ Duff and running back Antwan Raymond.

Other players earning preseason honors included Iowa offensive lineman Kade Pieper, Minnesota defensive lineman Anthony Smith and Southern California quarterback Jayden Maiava.

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

Jose Valles Villamizar, 29, faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for theft of government funds and a mandatory consecutive two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft. He has also agreed to forfeit $73,655.27 — the proceeds of his criminal conduct. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

How the scheme worked

According to court documents, Villamizar fraudulently used $73,655.27 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits. He personally used the benefits and helped others fraudulently use them as well.

SNAP is a U.S. Department of Agriculture program that helps low-income individuals and families by providing monthly benefits to purchase food. Benefits are distributed through Electronic Benefit Transfer, or EBT, cards.

Between September 2023 and February 2025, 650 SNAP applications were submitted in the names of various individuals. All the applications listed residential and mailing addresses associated with Villamizar.

Once the applications were approved, SNAP benefits were issued under the names of the applicants. The USDA later obtained surveillance footage of Villamizar using the SNAP benefit EBT cards issued in those other names.

Federal fraud crackdown

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division, known as the Fraud Division. The division focuses on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against Americans.

The department’s anti-fraud work supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a government-wide effort chaired by Vice President JD Vance to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse within federal benefit programs.

The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index fell to 90.8 in July from 92.2 in June. That's essentially the same tepid range its been in since the beginning of the year. In late 2024 and early 2025 the readings were well above 100.

Consumer attitudes had improved modestly in June as gas prices came down to around $3.70 a gallon from more than $4.50 a gallon in late April and early May. But as fighting in the Middle East escalated, the average price for a gallon of gas in the U.S. started to rise again. On Tuesday it was $4.10, according to the auto club AAA.

After being attacked by the U.S. and Israel in late February, Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil travels, causing a spike in gas prices. That accelerated inflation, causing Americans’ inflation-adjusted incomes to decline.

Americans remain soured on the economy after five years of elevated inflation, potentially posing a risk to President Donald Trump and Republicans in the midterm elections, which are now less than 100 days away.

Trump continues to blame inflation on his predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden. Yet inflation has risen since Trump’s inauguration last year, to 3.5% from 3% in January 2025. It jumped even further after the Iran war began Feb. 28, when it was just 2.4%.

Write-in responses to the survey, which were collected from July 1 to July 22, remained pessimistic. The Board said references to gas prices were down slightly but remained elevated. Respondents' mention of food and grocery prices increased.

Government data shows that buying food to bring home has gotten 33% more expensive since the beginning of 2019. To navigate those higher prices, Americans have turned to couponing, comparison shopping and cutting back on favorite foods as they absorb the biggest jump in grocery prices in a half-century.

Beef epitomizes out-of-control grocery prices for many Americans. The price of a pound of ground beef reached $6.82 in June — 79% more than at the beginning of 2019, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

References to jobs and unemployment picked up slightly this month and views of the current job market fell. Expectations of how the labor market will be six months going forward improved slightly, but remained in negative territory.

U.S. employers slowed hiring last month and added only 57,000 jobs, less than half the previous month’s total. The unemployment rate declined to a low 4.2% from 4.3% in May, though the drop mostly occurred because many people out of work gave up looking and were no longer counted as unemployed.

The number of consumers who mentioned war and geopolitics decreased this month, but the Board suspects that recent escalation in fighting between Iran and the U.S. could cause those mentions to rise in the next survey.

A former White House attorney is warning that a series of executive actions — from changes to voting rules to the removal of election oversight officials — may be laying the groundwork for unprecedented federal intervention in the upcoming midterm elections.

Meanwhile, Republicans privately acknowledge they face a difficult political environment and are banking on voter antipathy toward Democrats rather than enthusiasm for their own agenda.

Polling shows Trump’s approval is deeply underwater, but his core supporters remain far more motivated to vote than Democrats or independents — a gap that could prove decisive in November.

A former White House insider raises alarms

A former White House attorney who helped manage one of the most turbulent legal periods in recent presidential history is speaking out — and his concerns go well beyond political disagreement.

Ty Cobb, who served as a lawyer inside the Trump White House during the first administration, says he sees a deliberate, step-by-step effort to tighten control over how elections are run in America.

He points to a pattern: challenges to voting machines, changes to mail-in voting rules, new voter registration requirements, and the recent removal of members of the Election Assistance Commission — the federal body that helps states run fair elections.

According to Cobb, a recent presidential speech fits into that larger picture. His view is that the speech was designed to build the legal and political foundation needed to justify declaring a national emergency around the time of the upcoming elections — a move that could dramatically expand the president’s ability to intervene in how voting is conducted.

ICE agents at polling places?

Among the most striking concerns raised is the possibility of federal immigration enforcement agents being stationed at polling locations on Election Day.

Cobb says that based on public statements from figures close to the administration — including former Trump adviser Steve Bannon and attorney Todd Blanche — the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at polls is likely. Whether that would extend to National Guard deployments remains unclear.

Critics argue this kind of presence could discourage eligible voters — particularly immigrants and minority communities — from casting ballots, regardless of whether any law is technically broken. Cobb draws a direct comparison to efforts during the 2020 election, when he says Trump sought to seize voting machines before being told by then-Attorney General Bill Barr that there was no legal basis to do so.

What guardrails are left?

In previous years, people inside the administration — including retired generals and senior Cabinet officials — reportedly pushed back when they believed presidential actions crossed important lines.

That internal check, according to Cobb, no longer exists in the current administration.

In its place, Cobb argues, is a circle of loyalists whose primary function is to support and carry out the president’s agenda rather than offer independent counsel.

He specifically points to significant turnover at the Department of Justice, suggesting that as many as 20% of its attorneys have left — many of them experienced lawyers who held leadership roles.

He also claims that FBI and DOJ resources have been redirected heavily toward immigration enforcement, pulling focus away from areas like counterterrorism, financial crimes, and civil rights enforcement.

The most powerful guardrail remaining, in Cobb’s assessment, is voter turnout itself.

What about real election security threats?

To be fair, concerns about foreign interference in U.S. elections are not invented. Intelligence agencies have documented efforts by foreign governments — including Russia, China, Iran, and others — to influence American public opinion. The U.S. has also, historically, engaged in similar influence efforts abroad.

However, Cobb’s view — and the view of many election security experts — is that claims about compromised voting machines have been thoroughly examined and rejected by courts and independent investigators.

He points to a high-profile legal settlement in which a major television network paid nearly $787 million after broadcasting claims about rigged voting machines that were found to be unsupported by evidence.

GOP midterm strategy: Run on fear

Inside Republican political circles, there is open acknowledgment that the party faces an uphill battle in the midterms — and an equally open debate about how to fight it.

The strategy taking shape, according to reporting from Axios, is less about selling voters on a positive vision and more about making sure they distrust Democrats enough to stay in the Republican column.

Party insiders have described the coming election bluntly as a contest driven by which side voters dislike more.

The frustration within the party runs deep. Many Republican strategists feel the White House has missed opportunities to highlight economic wins — particularly tax cuts — while attention has shifted toward a speech focused on election interference claims dating back to 2020.

Sen. John Cornyn of Texas has reportedly expressed confusion over how relitigating a six-year-old election helps Republicans win in November.

The poll numbers tell a complicated story

The data is not encouraging for either party — but it does reveal some important differences in motivation.

A Washington Post/Ipsos poll shows President Donald Trump’s approval rating sitting at 37%, with 61% of respondents disapproving.

Among registered voters specifically, his net approval rating — the gap between those who approve and those who don’t — sits at -19 percentage points.

Republican pollsters working on competitive races say internal research shows voters are more focused on whether the president is improving their daily lives than on election integrity arguments.

Some data now suggests Democrats could gain enough House seats to flip the chamber, potentially turning a current six-seat Republican majority into a seven-seat Democratic one.

Trump’s net approval is described as underwater — meaning more people disapprove than approve — by double digits.

The enthusiasm gap: MAGA still shows up

Despite the unfavorable polling, Republicans may have a significant advantage where it counts most: at the ballot box.

A HarrisX survey from July found that 75% of Trump supporters said they were certain they would vote in the midterms. That compares to 70% among Republicans who don’t identify as MAGA supporters, and 63% among Democrats.

When the question was broadened to include those who said they would “probably” vote, 85% of Trump’s core supporters said they planned to participate.

The poll also found that Democrats and independents were more likely than Republicans — of any stripe — to say they definitely would not vote.

For Democrats, the enthusiasm gap represents a serious warning. Even with favorable approval ratings on individual issues, elections are ultimately decided by who actually shows up.

What Democrats need to do differently

Democratic strategists face a two-front challenge heading into November: energize their own base while making the case to persuadable voters that the party can be trusted to govern responsibly.

Polling from The New York Times suggests that roughly 91% of voters who identify primarily with the Republican Party intend to vote for GOP candidates in November — a figure that reflects just how consolidated the party has become around its current direction.

Democrats have made progress sharpening their message on kitchen-table issues like housing costs, grocery prices, and wages.

But analysts say the party still lacks a consistent, unified message on hot-button cultural debates — the kinds of issues that reliably drive Republican turnout.

A Pew Research Center poll shows both parties carry similarly low approval ratings in the eyes of the general public.

And a CNBC survey found that voters are now more likely to be put off by a candidate closely aligned with the MAGA movement than by one aligned with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party — a data point that complicates the Republican “we’re bad but they’re worse” argument.

Why this matters

The 2026 midterms will determine which party controls Congress for the final two years of Trump’s second term.

Control of the House and Senate determines whether the administration’s legislative agenda advances, whether investigations are launched, and — in the most serious scenarios — whether impeachment proceedings are possible.

Beyond the partisan scorecard, the debates playing out right now — about who has authority over elections, whether federal agents should be near polling places, and how election security claims are used politically — will shape how Americans think about voting itself for years to come.

Our conversation

Sean Freeder, a political analyst from the University of North Florida, joins me on this week’s episode of Politics & Power to discuss the upcoming midterm elections:

• Does the presence of federal agents near polling places discourage legitimate voters — or does it make elections more secure?
• If both parties have low approval ratings, what actually drives voters to the polls?
• Is the enthusiasm gap between Republicans and Democrats a reflection of passion for one side — or frustration and disillusionment on the other?
• When does raising election security concerns become a genuine public service, and when does it become a tool for undermining confidence in democracy?
• What would it take for either party to rebuild broad public trust before November?
• What does a presidential address really aim to do — warn or justify action?

We discuss the legal limits, the risks for voters, and why turnout may be the deciding safeguard. Watch our encore at 9 p.m. on News4JAX+. You can also catch up any time on News4JAX+, NewsJAX.com or our YouTube channel.

Tropical Storm Fausto was expected to pass just north of the Hawaiian islands starting Tuesday night, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Fausto had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (97 kph) and was expected to retain tropical storm strength as it skirted above the island chain.

On Tuesday morning, Fausto was 400 miles (644 kilometers) east of Honolulu and moving west at 14 mph (23 kph). Forecaster said strong currents from the tropical storm could create dangerous conditions on some Hawaii beaches.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Genevieve was slowly weakening, the hurricane center said. It was previously a Category 5 system but by Tuesday morning it was down to a Category 3. Maximum sustained winds were 125 mph (201 kph) for the major hurricane, which was about 530 miles (853 kilometers) southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.

Swells from Genevieve were reaching Baja California and coastal southwestern Mexico. Forecasters warned of life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

On the forecast track, Genevieve was expected to continue weakening and remain far from land. Fausto was expected to continue over the open sea and downgrade to a tropical depression on Thursday.

Italian soccer federation president Giovanni Malagò announced Mancini as the new Italy coach on Tuesday, adding that Claudio Ranieri will become the new technical director after Paolo Maldini stepped down the previous day — just 16 days after being appointed.

“Time was running out … I believed the person who should become the new coach of Italy is Roberto Mancini, for a whole list of reasons,” Malagò said. “There will be a press conference tomorrow with both Claudio Ranieri and Roberto Mancini.”

The 61-year-old Mancini led the Azzurri to the European Championship title in 2021 but shockingly resigned as Italy coach in August 2023, taking over Saudi Arabia’s national team two weeks later.

“It is clear that all the necessary assessments have been made,” Malagò said when asked about Mancini's sudden departure three years ago. “I certainly took it into consideration; I am aware of his recent apologies, and obviously, everyone has made the appropriate evaluations.”

The Italian national team is in crisis after failing for a third straight time to qualify for the World Cup, prompting the resignations of FIGC president Gabriele Gravina and coach Gennaro Gattuso in April, shortly after the playoff defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Mancini's first spell

Mancini’s first spell as Italy coach came immediately after the team missed out on the 2018 World Cup, having lost to Sweden in a qualifying playoff.

He revived the Azzurri by adding flair and youth to a team that won admirers all over the continent during the year-delayed Euro 2020 — beating England at Wembley Stadium in a penalty shootout for the trophy.

Between 2018 and 2021, Mancini coached Italy to a world-record 37-match unbeaten run.

However, a 1-0 semifinal playoff loss to 67th-ranked North Macedonia at home in 2022 meant that the Azzurri again missed out on the World Cup.

Mancini nevertheless kept his position before surprisingly quitting in August 2023. He left Saudi Arabia in 2024 and was most recently coach at Al-Sadd in Qatar, before departing last month.

Mancini also previously steered Inter Milan and Manchester City to league titles.

Ranieri turned the job down last year

Luciano Spalletti replaced Mancini in 2023 but was fired two years later after Italy lost its opening World Cup qualifier to Norway last year. Ranieri, who famously led unfancied Leicester City to the Premier League title in 2016, turned down an offer to take charge of the Azzurri and Gattuso was hired instead.

Ranieri’s last job was as special adviser at Roma, having moved into the role after coaching the capital team out of a crisis. The 74-year-old left in April after a falling out with coach Gian Piero Gasperini.

Pirlo, Guardiola and Ancelotti

The appointment comes the day after Andrea Pirlo was dropped as the leading candidate for the Italy job amid political concerns over a sponsorship deal with a Russian betting firm.

That led to the departures of Maldini and special adviser Leonardo by what Malagò stressed was “mutual consent.”

“Practically before we had even started, we were dealing with a unique situation,” Malagò added. “There was no conflict. With utmost respect, like in the best families, there was a calm discussion and a clear and serene consensus that it was best to go our separate ways.”

Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti had already turned down offers to coach the Azzurri. Former Italy coach Antonio Conte was also in contention.

Don't expect immediate miracles from Mancini

Italy next plays in September and October, when it will face Belgium, Turkey and France in the Nations League.

“The new coach will have two training sessions to prepare for the first game,” Malagò said. “And since the game against Bosnia, I don’t think we have given passports to Lamine Yamal, (Kylian) Mbappé and (Harry) Kane.

“Now we have to do the best with what we have, knowing that we are playing in a group with three teams that went to the World Cup, two of which finished in the last eight.”

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

Toplum online TV founder and director Alasgar Mammadli was sentenced to 14 years in prison by the court in the capital of Baku. It gave 15-year prison terms to activists Akif Gurbanov and Ruslan Izzetli, who co-founded the outlet. Other journalists and activists associated with Toplum TV received sentences ranging from 12 to 14 years.

They were charged with illegally receiving and using Western donor funds as part of an “organized criminal group.” They denied the charges and Elchin Sadigov, a lawyer for some of the accused, told The Associated Press they would appeal the verdicts.

“This is an unlawful and political motivated court ruling that is linked to their journalist activities,” Sadigov told AP. “Not a single defense motion has been granted by the court.”

The government of President Ilham Aliyev has carried out a methodical crackdown on dissent and freedom of speech, targeting journalists, activists and independent politicians, relying on restrictive laws to muzzle critical voices. according to human rights organizations.

Toplum TV, a leading online news outlet, was one of the last remaining independent news outlets in the southern Caucasus country of 10 million. It was known for its reporting on official corruption and social problems. In March 2024, police raided its offices and arrested several members of its staff.

The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) denounced what it called “the extremely harsh prison sentences” to journalists and media actors associated with Toplum TV, noting that “the court’s verdict confirms the political nature of the trial and the authorities’ desire to intimidate and repress journalists who are simply doing their job."

Anthony Bellanger, the IFJ general secretary, described the verdict as “pure and simple government repression and intimidation.”

Reporters Without Borders, known by its French acronym RSF, also condemned what it described as bogus trial, saying it reflected the escalating crackdown on independent media in Azerbaijan and demanded their immediate release.

“This unjust decision highlights how the Azerbaijani justice system is being exploited,” RSF said in a statement. “It has been brought to heel by President Ilham Aliyev to silence the country’s last remaining independent media outlets.”

Aliyev has led Azerbaijan since 2003, when he succeeded his father, Heydar, who was its Communist Party boss and then president for a decade after the country became independent following the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.

The younger Aliyev won another term in 2024 with 92% of the vote in an early election.

He took advantage of a surge in his popularity after Azerbaijani forces swiftly reclaimed the Karabakh region from ethnic Armenian separatists who had controlled it for three decades. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said the vote took place in a restrictive environment with no real political competition.

Viewers can follow @growthtimeee or email growthcheercamp@gmail.com to learn more about registration, partnerships, and upcoming events.

The Iran war has reignited, pushing oil and gas prices higher — a trend that will worsen inflation in the coming months. Soaring investment in the artificial intelligence buildout is raising the cost of laptops, smart phones and electricity. And price hikes from tariffs could be in the pipeline after Trump imposed new duties on dozens of U.S. trading partners.

All those trends might lead to only temporary price increases, rather than a sustained burst of inflation similar to the spike in 2021-2022. Yet inflation, according to the Fed’s preferred measure, has topped its 2% target for more than five years, making it harder for the Fed to ignore price spikes, no matter how brief. Core inflation, which excludes the volatile energy and food categories, has risen since last December and has been stuck at around 3% or higher since 2023. Without noticeable progress soon, some Fed officials have said rate hikes will be needed.

“Unfortunately, inflation does not appear to be headed sustainably back all the way to 2%,” Lorie Logan, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, said recently. “Modestly higher interest rates would better balance the outlook.” Logan is a voting member of the Fed's rate-setting committee.

Warsh's tough talk

Warsh, since taking over as chair in May, has emphasized that the Fed will get inflation back to 2% without specifying how. In his first news conference as chair last month, he made clear he wouldn't provide the kind of signals about the Fed's next steps that his predecessors, particularly Jerome Powell, did.

But in congressional testimony earlier this month Warsh said the Fed has “no tolerance” for higher inflation. And in the first statement on rates issued under his watch, the central bank pledged that it “will deliver price stability.”

Such comments, along with the resumption of the Iran war and the renewed climb of oil and gas prices, have already lifted borrowing costs. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note — which strongly influences mortgage rates — briefly topped 4.7% last Thursday, the highest in about 18 months.

But Warsh's tough talk raises expectations that he will follow through with action, current and former Fed officials say.

James Bullard, a former president of the St. Louis Fed, said Warsh's rhetoric “has been very effective" in establishing Fed credibility, “but markets are going to ask, ‘Well, what have you done for me lately?’ And they're going to demand action."

At the same time, more Fed officials appear to be growing impatient with inflation's stubbornness.

“Sternly staring at inflation until it melts before our withering gaze is not an option," Christopher Waller, an influential member of the Fed’s governing board, said in a July 13 speech. If core inflation keeps climbing, the Fed's rate-setting committee “will need to consider” hiking rates “in the near term,” he said.

Beth Hammack, president of the Cleveland Fed, said in a post on LinkedIn earlier this month that for the first time she is hearing business leaders call for higher rates, which is unusual since they typically support cheaper borrowing. She is also hearing from consumers “who can’t make ends meet about a growing sense of despair,” Hammack wrote.

Signs of inflation potentially improving

There is still tremendous uncertainty about what the Fed should do in the coming months, economists said. The most recent inflation report showed that core inflation cooled noticeably in June, and headline inflation fell sharply as gas prices declined almost 10%, a sign of what could happen if the Iran conflict is permanently resolved.

The cost of apartment rents, which spiked in the pandemic, is growing much more slowly than a few years ago.

John Williams, president of the New York Fed and vice chair of the Fed's rate-setting committee, said this month that "there are encouraging reasons to expect that inflation has peaked and should edge down in the coming quarters.” He cited the decline in gas prices, before the Iran war restarted, and argued that the impact of tariffs on inflation has largely run its course. Even with new tariffs in place, they are likely to have the same limited effect of the ones they replaced.

Yet the resumption of fighting in the Middle East has pushed gas prices back above a nationwide average of $4 a gallon, from just below $3.80 around the July 4 holiday. The increase will likely push headline inflation higher, just before the Fed meets again in September. And adding to the Fed's challenge, higher interest rates can slow demand and bring down inflation, but they can't do much to restore oil and gas supplies disrupted by war.

“The Fed is looking at inflation well above goal, but mostly for reasons that it doesn’t have any influence on,” Vincent Reinhart, chief economist at Dreyfus-Mellon and a former top Fed economist, said.

Warsh says Fed to keep inflation from ‘broadening’

In congressional testimony this month, Warsh suggested the Fed's job is to prevent specific price increases for things like gas or computer gear from “broadening out” to other parts of the economy.

Traditionally, the Fed would do that by hiking rates if there were signs higher prices were spreading. But Warsh may hope that his tough talk, which has pushed up some borrowing costs, will suffice in the end.

“They are hoping and intending to talk the talk without having to walk the walk,” said Stephen Douglass, chief economist at NISA Investment Advisors and former analyst at the New York Fed. He doesn't expect the Fed will raise rates this year.

Other economists say inflation won't be defeated without action by the Fed.

“There has never been a time when inflation gradually moderated without impetus from the Fed,” Joseph Lavorgna, a former top economist at the Treasury Department and chief economist at SMBC Americas, said. “In other words, core inflation is not going to magically slow.”

But it can also get expensive fast, especially with one-click buying.

Now, a new trend out of South Korea is trying to give people that “shopping buzz” without the bill.

They’re called “dopamine websites,” and they let you do all the fun parts -- scroll, pick items, read reviews, even “place an order” -- except nothing actually shows up at your door.

One site, FoodNeverComes.com, lets you scroll through menus and “order,” but just like the name implies, no delivery is coming.

Another one, dopamine-shop.com, looks eerily similar to Amazon: you browse items, add them to your cart, and “buy,” but there’s no money spent, and nothing ever arrives.

The goal of these sites is to curb impulse spending.

But there’s a catch: Because they’re so new, there’s not much research proving they work long-term, and some experts warn the novelty may wear off, sending people right back to the real shopping apps when stress or boredom hits.

If you’re trying to spend less, experts recommend adding “speed bumps” that make impulse buying harder, like removing saved card info, deleting shopping apps from your home screen, or unsubscribing from promo emails.

And the bigger key is figuring out what you’re actually looking for in that moment: Comfort? Distraction? Control?

You can probably find a cheaper way to get it.

Embolo’s second yellow card, after a video review for simulating being fouled, changed the momentum of the game in the 72nd minute soon after Switzerland tied the score at 1-1.

Argentina won 3-1 in extra time with help from the red-card decision that fueled complaints, including from previous opponent Egypt, referees were favoring Lionel Messi’s team with decisions.

The FIFA-backed rules panel known as IFAB published a clarification Monday that VAR protocol for “mistaken identity” cases was not eligible for that type of incident at the World Cup, though it could be in future competitions.

“However, it may not be used as such until that review is concluded,” the Zurich-based IFAB said in a statement.

Embolo fell to the ground on being challenged by Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes, who was shown a yellow card.

The VAR officials alerted the referee to the fact Paredes did not commit a foul and instead Embolo was shown a yellow, his second, and was sent off.

That is not how “mistaken Identity” is currently meant to be applied, which is to correct the referee when a card is shown to the wrong player who did not commit the original foul penalized.

“The referee made the wrong decision,” Switzerland coach Murat Yakin said after the game in Kansas City. “I know they will protect their referee but this rule destroyed our game today, and it’s very painful, and to be eliminated in that way hurts a lot.”

IFAB clarified the card “can only be reviewed to identify the player who committed the offense that was penalized; the offense itself cannot be reviewed/changed.”

Updating the VAR protocol

A review of VAR protocol has been ongoing since March and IFAB acknowledged that incidents like Embolo’s are part of it.

“The use of the mistaken identity clause to deal with simulation during the FIFA World Cup 2026 was well received,” the Zurich-based group said.

IFAB is composed of FIFA-appointed officials and the four British soccer federations. Its annual meeting is each February or March to update The Laws of the Game that take effect for major tournaments or the next season.

European soccer wants lighter touch VAR

The IFAB clarity was praised as “welcome explanations” on Tuesday by UEFA, which has hosted referee bosses from each of its 55 member federations to reset their decision-making principles for the new season.

“VAR is not meant to re-referee the game,” UEFA stressed, stating the need for shorter video reviews and a lighter touch for intervening.

FIFA's overall VAR strategy for the World Cup was praised following a frustrating season of video reviews, particularly in the Premier League.

“Lengthy, microscoping reviews are often a symptom revealing that the decision on the field was not clearly and obviously incorrect, and should therefore be limited,” UEFA said, setting a standard for intervention at “when a referee decision is blatantly incorrect or when the referee has missed a clear incident.”

UEFA also encouraged the crackdown on time-wasting in games agreed by IFAB in March and enforced by FIFA at the World Cup.

“Referees will be instructed to strictly and consistently enforce the new rules,” said UEFA.

UEFA will this season organize men's and women's club competitions including the Champions League, plus national-team games in the men's Nations League and qualifying for the 2028 European Championship, and qualifying playoffs for the 2027 Women's World Cup.

___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and AP World Cup coverage

The Southern soul food spot opened in February 2025 and quickly built a loyal following. Now, the restaurant’s team is asking for help as they work to get back on their feet — and community support is already pouring in.

Storefront manager Riva Kimbrough said the restaurant had closed around 7 p.m., but the situation changed a couple of hours later. “Getting that call from the fire department around 9:30 p.m., saying that our building is in flames, which was very unfortunate,” Kimbrough said.

Kimbrough said much of the damage was concentrated in the back of the building. “It was mostly the back room where we store all of our to-go containers and cleaning supplies, and you know, everything that we need to like maintain our building,” she said.

She said customers have been calling and checking in, and holding out hope the restaurant will reopen. “Everybody’s like kind of heartbroken. I have people call me and say, I was just about to put an order in today. So it was like, sorry, not today, but keep that order because we will be back,” Kimbrough said.

Support has also shown up online from other local business owners, including Glenda Chong Rivera, who runs The Lumpia Lady food truck. After commenting publicly that she would offer her truck to help, Rivera told News4JAX, “I have the resources. Why not share the resources?” She said she has followed Streeter Acclaimed Kitchen on social media and admired how the owner connects with customers: “I really love how he communicates to the community,” Rivera said, adding, “for him to be in that situation. It’s tough.”

The restaurant says it now needs financial help to support its staff and cover relocation costs as it looks for its next steps. “As an employee, it is very unfortunate because, you know, this is where we make our bread and butter,” Kimbrough said. Still, she said the response has been encouraging: “Thank God for the blessings in disguise. Our community has been, you know, reaching out and helping us get back together as one.”

A GoFundMe set up by owner Johnathan Streeter says donations will go toward payroll and relocation expenses as the business works to reopen.

Brantley County

Aug. 14, Brantley County vs. Wheeler/Butler jamboree, 7:30 p.m.

Aug. 21, Brantley County at Bacon County, 7:30 p.m.

Aug. 28, Lanier County at Brantley County, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 4, Brantley County at Claxton, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 11, OFF

Sept. 18, Islands at Brantley County, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 25, Brantley County at Appling County, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 2, Toombs County at Brantley County, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 9, Brantley County at Johnson, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 16, OFF

Oct. 23, Pierce County at Brantley County, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 30, Tattnall County at Brantley County, 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 6, Brantley County at Beach, 7:30 p.m.

Brunswick

Aug. 21, Camden County at Brunswick, 7:30 p.m.

Aug. 28, Brunswick at Groves, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 5, OFF

Sept. 11, Grayson at Brunswick, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 18, Brunswick at Grovetown, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 25, Greenbrier at Brunswick, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 2, Brunswick at Bradwell, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 9, OFF

Oct. 16, Glynn Academy vs. Brunswick, 7:40 p.m.

Oct. 23, Brunswick at South Effingham, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 30, Effingham at Brunswick, 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 6, Brunswick at Lakeside, 7:30 p.m.

Camden County

Aug. 14, Camden County at Bolles

Aug. 21, Camden County at Brunswick, 7:30 p.m.

Aug. 28, Glynn Academy at Camden County, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 4, Camden County at Benedictine, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 11, Godby at Camden County, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 18, Ed White at Camden County, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 25, West Broward at Camden County, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 2, OFF

Oct. 9, Camden County at Lowndes, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 16, Richmond Hill at Camden County, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 23, Camden County at Valdosta, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 30, Colquitt County at Camden County, 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 6, OFF

Charlton County

Aug. 21, Charlton County at West Nassau

Aug. 28, Charlton County at McIntosh County Academy, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 4, Charlton County at Berrien, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 11, Frederica Academy at Charlton County, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 18, Early County at Charlton County, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 25, OFF

Oct. 2, Lanier County at Charlton County, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 9, Charlton County at Atkinson County, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 16, OFF

Oct. 23, Mitchell County at Charlton County, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 30, Charlton County at Clinch County, 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 6, Charlton County at Irwin County, 7:30 p.m.

Frederica Academy

Aug. 14, Bethesda Academy at Frederica Academy, 7:30 p.m.

Aug. 21, Frederica Academy at Pinewood Christian, 7:30 p.m.

Aug. 28, Deerfield-Windsor at Frederica Academy, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 3 (Thursday), Frederica Academy at Valwood, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 11, Frederica Academy at Charlton County, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 18, First Presbyterian Day at Frederica Academy, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 25, OFF

Oct. 2, Frederica Academy at Stratford Academy, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 9, St. Andrew’s at Frederica Academy, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 16, Frederica Academy at Savannah Country Day, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 23, Frederica Academy at Bulloch Academy, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 30, OFF

Glynn Academy

Aug. 20, Calvary Day at Glynn Academy, 7 p.m.

Aug. 28, Glynn Academy at Camden County, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 4, Savannah Christian at Glynn Academy, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 11, OFF

Sept. 18, Bradwell Institute at Glynn Academy, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 25, Glynn Academy at Lakeside, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 2, Effingham County at Glynn Academy, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 9, OFF

Oct. 16, Glynn Academy at Brunswick, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 23, Glynn Academy at Greenbrier, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 30, Glynn Academy at South Effingham, 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 6, Grovetown at Glynn Academy, 7:30 p.m.

Pierce County

Aug. 21, Pierce County at Coosa Christian, Alabama

Aug. 28, Pierce County at Brooks County, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 4, OFF

Sept. 11, Swainsboro at Pierce County, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 18, Johnson at Pierce County, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 25, Pierce County at Toombs County, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 2, Beach at Pierce County, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 9, Tattnall County at Pierce County, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 16, OFF

Oct. 23, Pierce County at Brantley County, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 30, Islands at Pierce County, 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 6, Pierce County at Appling County, 7:30 p.m.

Ware County

Aug. 21, Ware County at Bainbridge, 7:30 p.m.

Aug. 28, Ware County at Coffee, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 4, OFF

Sept. 11, Richmond Hill at Ware County, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 18, Groves at Ware County, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 25, Ware County at Statesboro, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 2, Richmond Academy at Ware County, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 9, Ware County at Evans, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 16, OFF

Oct. 23, Jenkins at Ware County, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 30, Ware County at Wayne County, 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 6, Benedictine at Ware County, 7:30 p.m.

Georgia weekly schedules

Week 0

Friday, Aug. 14

Bethesda Academy at Frederica Academy

Brantley County at Alamo vs. Wheeler/Butler

Camden County at Bolles

Week 1

Thursday, Aug. 20

Calvary Day at Glynn Academy, 7 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 21

Brantley County at Bacon County, 7:30 p.m.

Camden County at Brunswick, 7:30 p.m.

Charlton County at West Nassau

Frederica Academy at Pinewood Christian, 7:30 p.m.

Pierce County at Coosa Christian, Alabama

Ware County at Bainbridge, 7:30 p.m.

Week 2

Friday, Aug. 28

Brunswick at Groves, 7:30 p.m.

Charlton County at McIntosh County Academy, 7:30 p.m.

Deerfield-Windsor at Frederica Academy, 7:30 p.m.

Glynn Academy at Camden County, 7:30 p.m.

Lanier County at Brantley County, 7:30 p.m.

Pierce County at Brooks County, 7:30 p.m.

Ware County at Coffee, 7:30 p.m.

Week 3

Thursday, Sept. 3

Frederica Academy at Valwood, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 4

Brantley County at Claxton, 7:30 p.m.

Camden County at Benedictine, 7:30 p.m.

Charlton County at Berrien, 7:30 p.m.

Savannah Christian at Glynn Academy, 7:30 p.m.

OFF: Brunswick, Pierce County, Ware County

Week 4

Friday, Sept. 11

Frederica Academy at Charlton County, 7:30 p.m.

Godby at Camden County, 7:30 p.m.

Grayson at Brunswick, 7:30 p.m.

Richmond Hill at Ware County, 7:30 p.m.

Swainsboro at Pierce County, 7:30 p.m.

OFF: Brantley County, Glynn Academy.

Week 5

Friday, Sept. 18

Bradwell Institute at Glynn Academy, 7:30 p.m.

Brunswick at Grovetown, 7:30 p.m.

Ed White at Camden County, 7:30 p.m.

Early County at Charlton County, 7:30 p.m.

First Presbyterian Day at Frederica Academy, 7:30 p.m.

Groves at Ware County, 7:30 p.m.

Islands at Brantley County, 7:30 p.m.

Johnson at Pierce County, 7:30 p.m.

Week 6

Friday, Sept. 25

Brantley County at Appling County, 7:30 p.m.

Glynn Academy at Lakeside, 7:30 p.m.

Greenbrier at Brunswick, 7:30 p.m.

Pierce County at Toombs County, 7:30 p.m.

Ware County at Statesboro, 7:30 p.m.

West Broward at Camden County, 7:30 p.m.

OFF: Charlton County, Frederica Academy.

Week 7

Friday, Oct. 2

Beach at Pierce County, 7:30 p.m.

Brunswick at Bradwell, 7:30 p.m.

Effingham County at Glynn Academy, 7:30 p.m.

Frederica Academy at Stratford Academy, 7:30 p.m.

Lanier County at Charlton County, 7:30 p.m.

Richmond Academy at Ware County, 7:30 p.m.

Toombs County at Brantley County, 7:30 p.m.

OFF: Camden County.

Week 8

Friday, Oct. 9

Brantley County at Johnson, 7:30 p.m.

Camden County at Lowndes, 7:30 p.m.

Charlton County at Atkinson County, 7:30 p.m.

St. Andrew’s at Frederica Academy, 7:30 p.m.

Tattnall County at Pierce County, 7:30 p.m.

Ware County at Evans, 7:30 p.m.

OFF: Brunswick, Glynn Academy.

Week 9

Friday, Oct. 16

Frederica Academy at Savannah Country Day, 7:30 p.m.

Glynn Academy vs. Brunswick, 7:40 p.m.

Richmond Hill at Camden County, 7:30 p.m.

OFF: Brantley County, Charlton County, Pierce County, Ware County.

Week 10

Friday, Oct. 23

Brunswick at South Effingham, 7:30 p.m.

Camden County at Valdosta, 7:30 p.m.

Frederica Academy at Bulloch Academy, 7:30 p.m.

Glynn Academy at Greenbrier, 7:30 p.m.

Jenkins at Ware County, 7:30 p.m.

Mitchell County at Charlton County, 7:30 p.m.

Pierce County at Brantley County, 7:30 p.m.

Week 11

Friday, Oct. 30

Charlton County at Clinch County, 7:30 p.m.

Colquitt County at Camden County, 7:30 p.m.

Effingham at Brunswick, 7:30 p.m.

Glynn Academy at South Effingham, 7:30 p.m.

Islands at Pierce County, 7:30 p.m.

Tattnall County at Brantley County, 7:30 p.m.

Ware County at Wayne County, 7:30 p.m.

OFF: Frederica Academy.

Week 12

Friday, Nov. 6

Benedictine at Ware County, 7:30 p.m.

Brantley County at Beach, 7:30 p.m.

Brunswick at Lakeside, 7:30 p.m.

Charlton County at Irwin County, 7:30 p.m.

Grovetown at Glynn Academy, 7:30 p.m.

Pierce County at Appling County, 7:30 p.m.

OFF: Camden County, Glynn Academy.

Data from the Congolese health ministry showed that 1,437 patients have died out of the 3,262 cases, in what officials have said is the fastest Ebola outbreak on record, concentrated in the eastern Ituri province.

The 2018-2020 outbreak that was recorded in Congo and neighboring Uganda lasted roughly two years, with more than 3,400 reported cases, including over 2,200 deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

Only the 2014-2016 outbreak across West Africa, considered the worst in history, had a higher toll with 28,000 cases and more than 11,000 deaths.

The speed of transmission in the current outbreak comes amid concerns from residents that many communities in the affected provinces are either unreachable or have been abandoned by responders in recent days over safety concerns amid attacks from angry residents and rebels.

“The fact that, in just 10 weeks, we have reached nearly the same number of cases recorded over an almost two-year outbreak is alarming and should stop us in our tracks," Onesphore Bangenza, Mercy Corps response team lead in Bunia, Ituri's capital, said Tuesday.

“There is no doubt that the virus is moving faster than we can contain it,” Bangenza added.

The ongoing outbreak, which was declared on May 15, is unlike most previous Ebola outbreaks because the Bundibugyo virus responsible for it has no approved vaccines or treatments.

Efforts to slow the transmission have been challenged by rebel violence in eastern Congo as well as health workers striking to protest the nonpayment of their wages.

The outbreak continues to spread faster than health officials can track despite an expanding response. A key challenge is that patient zero has yet to be identified in the outbreak while displacement from armed conflict and illegal mining in the region have made it difficult to trace thousands who have come in contact with infected individuals.

Despite distrust between communities and health workers mostly seen at the early stages of the outbreak, signs of progress have emerged.

“We can never again wage war against the Ebola teams. We have lost members of our families. As a community, we have a vested interest in fighting Ebola to return to normal life,” said Fabrice Mumbesa, a resident of Mongbwalu, a mining town at the center of the outbreak where residents previously burned down several treatment centers.

Neighboring Uganda declared its Ebola outbreak over, authorities said on Tuesday. The East African country says it is “free” of Ebola after the last patient was discharged in mid-June. It has always insisted that its cases were imported from Congo.

——

McMakin reported from Dakar, Senegal

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What started as tech industry-fueled springtime hype over squeezing as much AI-generated work as possible out of products like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Anthropic's Claude has shifted to a summertime backlash.

“It's very easy to create something you don't need with AI,” said Vincent Gusdorf, head of AI analytics at Moody's Ratings and author of a new report that recommends a more disciplined approach.

"Tokenmaxxing” refers to maximizing usage of tokens — the building blocks of generative AI that correspond to small pieces of text that an AI system reads or writes. Each token is about three quarters of a word. And there's typically a limit to how many you can use, with pricier versions of AI products offering higher caps.

“As bills started to pile in, people realized that those new tools are quite expensive and you need to use them wisely,” Gusdorf said.

Tech executives cast high AI usage as a badge of honor

Just a few months ago, Silicon Valley executives were promoting high token consumption as a signal of high-performing employees. The stereotypical tokenmaxxer was staying up late — perhaps ignoring their significant other — while orchestrating an army of 24-hour AI agents performing work on their behalf.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in May he was “excited to see what will happen with tokenmaxxing startups, both for how they work internally and the products they can build.”

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said “if your $500K engineer isn’t burning $250K in tokens, something is wrong.” Facebook parent Meta had an internal competition rewarding token usage.

The trend boosted revenue for leading AI large language model developers like Anthropic and OpenAI, but it fizzled as it became apparent it wasn't necessarily the best strategy for everyone else.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has admitted that tokenmaxxing can be addictive but warned in a recent blog post that customers of those models are paying twice for AI, first in spending on tokens and second by feeding all their proprietary data to them. While promoting Microsoft's own approach, Nadella's comments were unusual in the way he raised doubts about the data protection assurances of leading AI providers.

Palantir CEO Alex Karp went further, telling CNBC earlier this month that something had gone “completely wrong.” He said he was channeling the voice of American businesses privately “livid” about paying so much for tokens that create no value.

“The basic view among enterprises in this country is, 'I’m going to chillax and waste my time with tokens. I'm going to get no value and they're going to get my IP,” Karp said.

Workplaces look more for better ‘routing’ of their AI work

Bain & Company management consultant Jue Wang said many of the big businesses her firm advises have been taking a closer look at returns on their AI investments.

“The token cost for them has been doubling, almost every other month,” she said. “Let’s say $200 per developer per month. Multiply that by 20,000 developers, which is often what we’re dealing with at these companies, and that quickly gets you to a number that is not a line item that any general manager has planned for.”

Sometimes that just means not using the AI equivalent of a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

“Not everything needs a Claude Opus 4.6,” she said of one of Anthropic's more capable models suited to software engineering or deep research. “And yet you see so many companies, so many users, default to using Opus for everything, including generating emails.”

That's led to a search for tools that do AI “model routing” — in which easier queries get automatically sent to cheaper and more efficient AI systems and more complex tasks go to more powerful models.

Open-source AI models built in China offer less costly alternatives

Software developer Hassan El Mghari said companies' sticker shock over the “ridiculous amount of money” spent on subscriptions to AI products from leading U.S. companies has led many away from rewarding high usage.

“It’s better to kind of just empower employees on how to use this stuff and let them use AI when and however much they need to,” said El Mghari, who leads developer experience at the startup Together AI, which supplies developers with a variety of “open-source” AI models.

At the same time, those who favor racking up as many tokens as possible are having a field day with new open-source models from Chinese startups like Moonshot's Kimi or Zhipu's GLM, which nearly match the capabilities of top U.S. models at a fraction of the price.

“There is some validity to the theory that this could push tokenmaxxing a little bit further,” said Raffi Krikorian, the chief technology officer at Mozilla. “But if we look at the industry overall, I think it's realizing that tokenmaxxing is a dumb thing.”

It's similar, Krikorian said, to how software companies once considered how many lines of code a programmer wrote to be a good metric of productivity. That later fell out of favor.

“I think tokenmaxxing is moving through the exact same pattern,” he said. “I think this is going to be an interesting blip that we’re all going to look back to laugh at in a year.”

Judges read 163 novels to come up with the 13 semifinalists announced Tuesday for the 50,000 pound ($66,000) Booker Prize, a list described by historian Mary Beard, head of the judging panel, as literary “dynamite.”

The list includes James’ “The Disappearers,” about a group of gay men in a hostile 1980s Jamaica; Stuart’s “ John of John,” a story of father-son secrets on a remote Scottish island; and Strout’s heartfelt small-town tale “The Things We Never Say.”

James won the Booker in 2015 for “A Brief History of Seven Killings” and Stuart won in 2020 for “Shuggie Bain.” Strout’s “Oh William!” was a finalist in 2022. She won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2009 for “Olive Kitteridge.”

They sit alongside lesser-known names on a Booker longlist that includes authors with roots in Britain, Ireland, Jamaica, Mexico, Turkey and the United States.

Three of those on the list are debut authors: Turkish-American writer Kenan Orhan for family history story “The Renovation,” British author Rebecca Perry for Medieval-to-modern tale “May We Feed the King” and Ireland’s Djamel White for “All Them Dogs,” a thriller set in the Dublin underworld.

White, at 28, is the youngest author in the running. The oldest is 81-year-old M. John Harrison, whose postapocalyptic tale “The End of Everything” is a rare science fiction novel to make the Booker list.

The other contenders are “The Shadow of the Object” by Chloe Aridjis, “Black Bag” by Luke Kennard, “The Vivisectors” by Missouri Williams, “Switzy” by Emma Cline, “Helen of Nowhere” by Makenna Goodman and Gwendoline Riley’s “The Palm House.”

Beard said the five jurors, who include Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker and American novelist Patricia Lockwood, tried to look beyond the idea of a typical Booker winner – “slightly serious, about to be classic.” Instead they chose novels that are “trying to expand the boundaries of how we can think about ourselves in completely different ways,”

“Sometimes they’re using humor, sometimes it’s pathos, sometimes there’s shock value,” Beard said. “They’re risk-takers. They are dynamite. They say ‘Come on, try seeing it a different way.’”

Founded in 1969, the Booker Prize has a reputation for transforming writers’ careers and is open to novels from any country published in the U.K. and Ireland. Last year’s winner was “Flesh” by Hungarian-British writer David Szalay.

The judges will announce six finalists on Sept. 22, and the winner will be revealed Nov. 9 at a ceremony in London.