Kylie Perez, who operated under the stage name “Natalie Monroe,” also faces one year of supervised release following her prison term, according to U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe, who announced the sentence. Perez pleaded guilty May 20, 2026.

Creator earned $5.4M, paid little in taxes

Court documents show Perez earned more than $5.4 million from her social media accounts between 2019 and 2023. OnlyFans is a subscription-based platform that allows creators to earn money through subscription fees, pay-per-view content, and tips from subscribers.

Despite her earnings, Perez filed a false tax return for calendar year 2019 and failed to pay at least $1.5 million in taxes owed for calendar years 2020 through 2023.

What prosecutors said

“Evading the payment of owed income tax is a violation of our federal tax laws,” Kehoe said. “We will continue to prosecute those who purposely commit these crimes.”

Ron Loecker, special agent in charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Florida Field Office, echoed that message.

“When someone chooses personal luxury over meeting their tax obligations, the consequences are inevitable,” Loecker said. “IRS CI Special Agents will continue to uncover the truth and safeguard the integrity of the tax system for all law-abiding taxpayers.”

The Treasury and State departments announced Thursday that they are leveling new penalties against nine state-owned mining, metal and construction companies along with the leadership of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples, or ICAP.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the institute is responsible for sponsoring “a vast subversive network in the United States aimed at identifying, cultivating, and radicalizing” Americans.

“Just days ago, the regime attempted to use Communist kingpin and despot Fidel Castro’s 100th birthday to reinvigorate this subversive network, ferrying a new brigade of international sympathizers to Havana to network with regime officials,” Rubio said in a statement.

“The Trump Administration will not stand by while a hostile foreign power seeks to exploit our freedoms — none of which are afforded to its people — by misleading and corrupting American citizens with lies, spy tradecraft, and other malfeasance as part of the regime’s raison d’être of exporting Marxism, racial resentment, and Communist violence across the world,” Rubio said.

Trump's Republican administration has steadily ratcheted up pressure on Havana, threatening it with potential military intervention even when mired in a conflict against Iran, while also boosting economic sanctions designed to cut off funding for the Cuban government. An oil blockade that the U.S. imposed on Cuba after the American military raid that ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, whose country provided Cuba with free oil, has plunged the already economically crippled island into full-blown crisis.

Cuba accuses the US of trying to hurt the country's economy

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez rejected the sanctions in a post on his official X account, asserting that the United States and Rubio are pursuing the “deliberate aim of harming” the economy “to prevent the provision of basic services to the population.”

“In his failed obsession with Cuba, he is now targeting executives and officials from ICAP — an institution that, for over six decades, has promoted friendship, international solidarity, justice, and peace — the exact opposite of what the Secretary of State has always championed in his corrupt policy,” Rodríguez wrote.

The latest sanctions follow an operation at the Miami airport last weekend in which several American citizens returning from Cuba after participating in events marking Castro’s birthday were briefly detained, according to U.S. officials. Some of them had their cellphones and other personal electronic devices seized for inspection, the officials said.

U.S. authorities had been prepared to detain dozens of returning activists for secondary screening, but far fewer were found to meet the criteria for the enhanced questioning by Customs and Border Protection agents, the officials said.

The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because details of the operation have not been made public, said those detained were eventually released and allowed to enter the U.S.

The officials said anyone detained and released could still face prosecution if it is found they violated U.S. sanctions, which prohibit all transactions with Cuban government-owned entities, including restaurants, hotels and shops. The status of seized cellphones, laptops and tablets, however, was unclear.

New sanctions are the latest pressure tactic as Cuba's economy falls into crisis

The new sanctions on the leadership of ICAP target the group’s president, Fernando González Llort, who had been among five Cuban intelligence officers arrested in the U.S. in 1998 but later released in 2014. They also target its first vice president, Noemí Ramona Rabaza Fernández, and its North America director, Leima Martínez Freire.

The metals, mining and construction sector sanctions target a nickel production company, two firms that specialize in the import of heavy industrial products, a mineral resources company, the Cuban Ministry of Construction, a company that provides Cuban workers to foreign entities on the island and two enterprises that import vehicles, automotive parts and construction materials.

The Trump administration also has stepped up a campaign that portrays Cuba as a grave national security threat to the U.S. In a report released last month, the State Department accused the Cuban government of sponsoring or otherwise supporting left-wing and anti-American activism in the United States for the past six decades.

While Cuba has been falling deeper into crisis for around five years, the oil blockade by the Trump administration has thrown the nation into freefall.

The lack of fuel to provide Cubans with electricity has plunged the island into all-out blackouts. Access to public transport has effectively disappeared, shortages of things like medicine have worsened, work hours have been slashed to adapt to the outages, and tourism, the island’s economic lifeline, has evaporated.

___

Associated Press writer Andrea Rodríguez in Havana contributed to this report.

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This story has been corrected to show the sanctions are on nine, not 10, companies.

Crump held a news conference at 11:30 a.m. Southside Church of God in Christ. Watch the full conference below.

Bennett was shot twice by a JSO officer at a home on Westdale Drive near Pine Bluff Drive. She later died at a hospital.

JSO said officers were called to the home around 10:45 p.m. for a report of a battery with injuries. According to JSO, a man told the first officer who arrived that he had argued with Bennett, his girlfriend, who was inside the home and armed with a knife.

JSO said Bennett came outside carrying several items. Investigators said the officer at the scene ordered her to drop them, but she continued to hold a large kitchen knife and moved toward the officer.

The officer, identified as 26-year-old Erin Gaitten, fired one shot, according to JSO. The agency said Bennett fell but did not drop the knife and then tried to get up and move toward Gaitten again, prompting a second shot.

Gaitten has been on the force for 3 years.

A backup officer arrived after the shooting and gave Bennett additional commands to drop the knife, JSO said. She eventually did.

The family said it rejects JSO’s narrative that Bennett attempted to get up again and move toward Gaitten.

“We need to get the video and then match it up against the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office,” Crump said. “They don’t believe it. The witnesses have told them that’s not how it happened. So like I said, you can silence us all by releasing the video. Show us it was a justified shooting.”

Five other people were inside the home at the time, according to JSO. The boyfriend was treated for minor injuries.

JSO has not released body-camera or dash-camera footage from the shooting. Crump and Bennett’s families are also calling for the release of 911 calls and dispatch records.

“As an agency, we release body-worn camera footage from all officer-involved-shootings within 21 days of the incident. We are actively working to release it, and we will share it as soon as we are able to,” JSO said in a statement in response to Crump.

But Crump pushed back against JSO’s 21-day policy.

“...this 21-day rule is bogus,” Crump said. “I think it’s a way of denying this family the respect that they deserve and they did not wait 21 days to come up with the version of a story to release to the public.”

He said that if an officer was harmed, the video would have been released faster.

“The same way they came within hours and tried to deflect and talk about an arrest that was dismissed,” he said.

RELATED: JSO releases body-cam footage after social justice group alleges excessive force in arrest of 14-year-old

Crystal Carroll, Bennett’s aunt, also said she wants a public apology for what she called an incorrect narrative that Sheriff T.K. Waters gave. She said JSO said that she was convicted, though she was arrested and the charges were dropped. Carroll also said the agency said that she is a white woman, though her driver’s license says “other.”

“To me, those two things just felt like they were creating a narrative,” Carroll said. “What was the point in saying it if it was inaccurate to begin with? I am grateful that she [a detective] apologized to me and I appreciated the apology. That’s just not the person I needed the apology from and not the platform, which is privately on my phone.”

Bennett’s uncle, Anthony Gerhart, said witnesses told him they heard two shots in quick succession and that investigators had questioned some witnesses for hours.

“Why are we nine days later and can’t get any answers?” he asked. “There needs to be some change.”

Bennett’s mother, Crissy Duncan, told News4JAX that her daughter was a domestic violence victim and was not violent or dangerous. Duncan said she believes JSO should have been helping her daughter.

“She is so tiny… she’s the sweetest. You would never hear nothing from Asia,” Duncan said.

The State Attorney’s Office is investigating the shooting. A JSO use-of-force review is expected to follow.

Deantre Deyoung, 29, was booked into the Duval County Jail after being transported from the Putnam County Jail on an arrest warrant. He is being held without bond.

The report did not identify Deyoung’s specific role beyond athletic director at River City Science Academy, but when we reached out to the school, a spokesperson said Deyoung was not employed by the academy.

According to Facebook posts from The Covenant School of Jacksonville, a Christian school on Bartram Road, Deyoung was the school’s athletic director. In a statement from the school, officials said, “We have been made aware that a former employee has been arrested. Due to the ongoing investigation, we are unable to comment.”

The lewd conduct felony charge Deyoung faces comes from alleged conduct that occurred on multiple occasions between November 2025 and May 2026, according to the redacted report.

School leadership aware before arrest

A school administrator told investigators that Deyoung was instructed to resign immediately and was barred from the school’s premises after learning of the inappropriate communication, the report states. The administrator said she learned about the relationship from another teacher.

Before spring break, Deyoung had been told to cease all communication with the student, according to the report. Despite that directive, he allegedly contacted the administrator on May 24 and acknowledged he had continued communicating with the student anyway.

The administrator also told investigators that Deyoung made an inappropriate remark to a second student at the school, causing that student to feel uncomfortable. No disciplinary records were documented for either incident, the report states.

Instagram messages, grooming behavior cited

Investigators say Deyoung contacted the student on Instagram before the conduct escalated. According to the report, early conversations were non-sexual in nature but became increasingly inappropriate over time.

The report states Deyoung used his position to provide the student with what investigators described as “special treatment” — including bringing her lunches from various restaurants and removing her from class for private one-on-one conversations during school hours. He also allegedly helped her avoid disciplinary issues at school.

Investigators obtained a search warrant for Deyoung’s Instagram account. A review of the account revealed multiple messages exchanged between Deyoung and the student. Some messages sent through Instagram’s “vanish mode” — a feature that causes messages to disappear after being read — were not recoverable. However, the victim had preserved screenshots and recordings of some of those messages, according to the report.

The report notes the suspect and victim used coded language in their messages. Investigators also noted Deyoung used vanish mode specifically when communicating inappropriately.

The exchange, according to investigators, included a discussion about the consequences of being caught and Deyoung’s marriage.

After reviewing the victim’s statements and Instagram messages, investigators concluded that Deyoung was grooming the student and engaging in romantic conversations with her, according to the report.

Deyoung’s next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 9.

The milestone figure was recorded just five months after the U.S. hit a record $39 trillion debt in March. It reached $38 trillion five months before that, in October.

Federal agents seized electronic devices from former Rep. Eric Swalwell and searched his Washington home as part of an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct by the ex-Democratic congressman from California, according to a person familiar with the matter. Swalwell announced his resignation from Congress in April following sexual assault and misconduct allegations, which he has denied.

The Latest:

Michael Cohen says he sent a pardon application to Trump after first submitting it to Biden

Trump’s former fixer told CNN on Thursday that he applied for a pardon to former President Joe Biden, but it was denied. Cohen served prison time for his role in what he said was covering up Trump’s “dirty deeds.”

“What I did is I took that same application, with the same documentation, and I just rewrote the cover letter removing the name of President Joe Biden and inserting the name President Donald Trump,” Cohen said.

Cohen said he has not received any acknowledgement from the Trump White House of the application but he said it’s on his to-do list for Friday.

Canadian premier says Trump is a ‘bad person’ as Canada weighs concessions for trade deal

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said Canada has leverage in the talks even as his province weighs restoring U.S. alcohol sales at Prime Minister Mark Carney’s urging to help secure a deal that would avert threatened 50% U.S. tariffs.

“Everybody knows the American president by now, he’s erratic, he’s irresponsible, and he’s not to be trusted. And this is the person that we were supposed to make a deal with, and we’re going to make additional concessions for it. That’s why I say you can’t make a good deal with a bad person, because who’s to say it’s not going to be undone?” Kinew said.

Dominic LeBlanc, the federal minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade, said Thursday the two countries were close to finalizing an agreement after he returned to Washington to meet again with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

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Army is shutting down unit in Europe focused on drones

The Army’s top general has directed a Europe-based unit specializing in drone warfare to revert to traditional infantry roles.

The 173rd Airborne Brigade has spent over a year experimenting with drones, influenced by tactics from the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Last November, 600 soldiers formed a battalion that specialized in drone warfare and was set up to deploy anywhere drones were required.

Gen. Christopher LaNeve, the Army’s acting chief of staff, has ordered the battalion to refocus on its core mission of being an airborne infantry unit, according to two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal Army deliberations. The Wall Street Journal earlier reported the change.

The move is part of broader Army changes under LaNeve, who took over after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ousted his predecessor, Gen. Randy George, in April.

Melania Trump accepts $2 million gift to provide college scholarships

The $2 million donation from IndyCar and Fox Corp. will pay for scholarships at Indiana University and Purdue University through the first lady’s Fostering the Future program for youngsters in foster care.

The Indiana schools are the latest to join a network of more than two dozen colleges and universities nationwide that participate in her program, she said during an event in the White House Rose Garden to announce the gift. The program, she said, give foster care youth the opportunity to get a college education, launch a career and achieve financial independence

“America’s greatest competitive advantage remains in its own people,” she said.

IndyCar is sponsoring Sunday’s Freedom 250 Grand Prix through the streets of downtown Washington in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.

Treasury extends Lukoil license

The U.S. Treasury has extended a general license that grants permission for certain transactions connected to the potential sale of the foreign assets of sanctioned Russian oil firm Lukoil.

The latest license, which has been renewed several times, expires Sept. 19.

Last October, the Trump administration announced “massive sanctions” against Russia’s oil industry that were aimed at moving Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table and bring an end to Moscow’s brutal war on Ukraine. Those sanctions included punishing measures on Lukoil.

Trump meets Vance’s baby

The vice president said in an interview on a radio show on Thursday that he took his youngest son, Alec Neel Vance, who was born July 19, to meet Trump.

Vance, speaking on the Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show, said the president loves children and gave his son a challenge coin.

“The baby doesn’t understand that, but he will someday,” Vance said.

Vance said the meeting happened after he and his wife, Usha, had lunch with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and country music star Luke Bryan, who is in town for a show.

Trump keeps embracing data centers even as they become toxic in midterm races

The president has voiced strong support for AI and data centers, emphasizing their economic benefits and importance in the global AI race.

“If I were the mayor of a town or the governor of a state, and I had a chance to get a big plant in, an AI plant or a data center,” Trump said, “I would absolutely want it because the jobs are enormous and the money paid, the taxes paid, are just enormous.”

Candidates in competitive midterm elections, however, are far less accepting.

Data centers have become a contentious issue, with concerns about energy costs and environmental impact. In Ohio, Republican Jon Husted faces attacks over his support for data centers. In Nevada, Democrat Aaron Ford accused Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo of aligning with Trump on the issue.

The debate reflects broader tensions over technology and local impact.

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Ex-Trump fixer Michael Cohen is hosting the president on his radio show

Trump is expected to appear on the radio show of his former fixer-turned-foe Michael Cohen.

The interview, which will be broadcast later Thursday, will be a dramatic public reunion with the man who once called Trump a “Cheeto-dusted cartoon villain” and testified against him both in court and before Congress.

Cohen served prison time for what he told a judge were his efforts to cover up Trump’s “dirty deeds.” He has since said he and the president have started to reconcile.

Cohen says Trump’s taped interview will air on his 77 WABC program Thursday evening and Sunday.

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US ramps up Cuba sanctions and detentions of Americans returning from the island

The Trump administration is imposing new sanctions on Cuba targeting its mining and metals sectors and broadening restrictions on Americans’ transactions with government-owned or affiliated businesses. It also accused Havana of using cultural and educational exchanges to radicalize U.S. citizens.

The Treasury and State departments announced sanctions on Thursday against 10 state-owned mining, metals, and construction companies and the leadership of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples, or ICAP.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said ICAP is responsible for sponsoring a “subversive network” to “cultivate” Americans, most recently with educational and cultural exchanges around the 100th anniversary of Fidel Castro’s birth earlier this month.

The sanctions follow an operation at the Miami airport last weekend in which several American citizens returning to the U.S. from events marking Castro’s birthday in Cuba were briefly detained, some of whom had their cellphones and other personal electronic devices seized for inspection.

Federal agents seize devices from ex-Rep. Eric Swalwell in sexual misconduct probe, AP source says

Federal agents have seized electronic devices from former Rep. Eric Swalwell and searched his Washington home as part of an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct by the ex-Democratic congressman from California, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Swalwell’s devices were seized at the San Francisco airport on Saturday, and federal agents searched his home a day later.

A message seeking comment was left Thursday with an attorney for Swalwell.

Swalwell announced his resignation from Congress in April following sexual assault and misconduct allegations, which he has denied. The AP source wasn’t authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

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Bessent says bond buyback operation could be more than $4 billion

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said during a CNBC interview on Thursday that an accelerated buyback of government debt “could be more than $4 billion per issue.”

His comments followed the Treasury’s Wednesday announcement that it would dramatically expand the amount of U.S. government bonds it will buy back. When asked about the motivation for the move, Bessent said: “We’re trying to signal that this is a thinly traded area of the market, we’re in August and there’s been a lot of corporate issuances.”

“We’re trying to keep the market in equilibrium.”

Melania Trump is set to announce new scholarships for foster children

The first lady is partnering with IndyCar, the sanctioning body for U.S. auto racing, and Indiana and Purdue universities to fund the scholarships, her office says.

Both Indiana-based schools are joining about two dozen other institutions of higher learning to offer scholarships through Melania Trump’s “Fostering the Future” initiative benefiting young people in foster care.

A formal announcement is set for Thursday afternoon in the White House Rose Garden. The first lady will be joined by her husband and representatives from IndyCar and the universities.

The announcement comes just before Sunday’s Freedom 250 Grand Prix race in downtown Washington, which was organized by the president to help celebrate America’s 250th birthday.

US approves $4.5 billion sale of military aerial refueling planes to Qatar as Iran conflict lingers

The State Department said Thursday that it had given the green light for Qatar, a key U.S. partner in the Gulf, to buy four KC-46A aircraft along with assorted equipment, including turbofan engines, radar warning devices and countermeasure systems. The sale will also include trucks, training and assorted logistics services.

The sale “will increase Qatar’s capability to meet current and future threats by enhancing its defense capabilities and interoperability with U.S. and allied forces and reinforcing Qatar’s strategic role in regional security,” the department said.

Qatar, which hosts a major U.S. military base, has been a critical part of the war with Iran, including by trying to mediate an end to the conflict.

North Korea fires missile barrage toward the sea after dismissing overture from Trump

The launches come a day after North Korea shrugged off a U.S. decision to scale back military drills with South Korea in an apparent bid to resume diplomacy.

South Korea’s military said the launches of about 10 short-range ballistic missiles happened from North Korea’s capital region Thursday evening. The military said the missiles flew about 300 kilometers each toward North Korea’s eastern waters.

Trump ordered the Pentagon to “substantially reduce” the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises just before they began Monday. The president cited what he said was a good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korea’s refusal to support him over the war in Iran.

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White House legislative affairs director James Braid is leaving his post

Braid was in charge of helping to shepherd Trump’s legislative agenda through a Congress where his Republican Party controlled both chambers.

Vice President JD Vance wrote on X that Braid “played a critical role in all of the administration’s achievements in Congress,” including the sweeping tax and spending legislation approved last summer.

Vance described Braid as “brilliant” and “one of the hardest workers you will ever meet.”

The vice president didn’t provide details of Braid’s next job, saying only that he was “very excited to see what he does next.”

Fresh US aircraft carrier arrives in Middle East

The Asia-based USS George Washington aircraft carrier is now operating in the Middle East, the U.S. military said Thursday.

The Washington is relieving the long-deployed USS Abraham Lincoln after reports that sailors were facing mental health challenges and supply shortages while supporting the Iran war.

The Lincoln’s deployment has included a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea. Democratic lawmakers are pressing for accountability from the Pentagon over conditions aboard the carrier, which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said were “completely misrepresented.”

The deployment of the Washington to the Middle East has left Asia without an American carrier strike group at a time when China shows more signs of aggression.

Rubio designates US citizen jailed in China as ‘wrongfully detained’

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has designated a U.S. citizen scholar jailed in China as “wrongfully detained” as Trump prepares to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House next month.

The State Department said Thursday that Rubio had decided that Min Zin, who was arrested by Chinese authorities in June, is being unjustly held.

“We call on Beijing to release all U.S. citizens arbitrarily detained or exit-banned in China,” the department said.

The designation raises the profile of his case within the U.S. government and in the past has led to additional attention and resources being devoted to securing the release of wrongful detainees.

Min Zin, who writes about Myanmar and Chinese foreign policy, was arrested on suspicion of spying. He was a student activist in Myanmar’s 1988 uprising, a student-led movement that the government at the time reacted to with military force. He eventually sought asylum in the U.S.

House Democrats add five new candidates to ‘red to blue’ program

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said the expansion showcases the depth of its candidate bench as they try to wrest majority control of the House.

Chair Suzan DelBene said the candidates are “proven fighters” at a time when voters are “eager for leaders who will always put the well-being of their communities first, not rubber stamp Trump’s failed agenda.”

The candidates include retired Army Brigadier General Leela Gray in Florida, former federal prosecutor Zach Dembo in Kentucky, Maine state auditor Matt Dunlap, former Navy helicopter pilot Nancy Lacore in South Carolina and former Rep. Tom Perriello in Virginia. The “red to blue” program invests in promising candidates with funding and other support.

Democrats narrow their list of 2028 presidential convention sites

Democrats on Thursday narrowed the list of potential host cities for their 2028 presidential convention to Boston, Denver and Philadelphia as their party looks ahead to a wide-open primary to succeed President Trump.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin said in a statement the cities put forward “incredibly strong bids,” and he promised the convention would be an “inspiring celebration of our party’s future nominee.”

A final decision is expected to be made later this year by party leaders. Republicans have already chosen Houston for the site of their 2028 convention.

The Democratic convention, scheduled for Aug. 7-10, 2028, traditionally gives the party a chance to formally introduce its nominee to the country, rally the base and kick-start the most intense period of campaigning ahead of the general election.

The party didn’t specify why Atlanta and Chicago, which was the site of the 2024 convention, were eliminated. Officials visited all five cities in April and May, considering logistical and fundraising capacity among other factors.

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Trump plays White House tour guide to show off work on his helipad and ballroom

Trump played White House tour guide on Wednesday, showing off the helipad he is building on the lawn before leaning over to autograph a piece of it and bragging about the ballroom he’s rushing to complete despite legal challenges.

Trump gushed for several uninterrupted minutes about granite being laid and said the chopper landing area would leave visiting foreign leaders “very impressed” — including Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is coming next month.

At times, he sounded almost like a construction manager, singing the praises of granite over asphalt in painstaking detail and noting for reporters he brought out for the show that the stone could withstand 35,000 pounds per square inch of pressure.

The president also revealed for the first time that he has replaced the walkway from the White House’s diplomatic entrance along with a portion of the asphalt driveway around the South Lawn with white granite.

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The US national debt now stands at $40 trillion

The national debt surpassed a record $40 trillion Wednesday, a staggering milestone as defense costs, social programs like Social Security and Medicare and interest on the burgeoning deficit make up an enormous share of federal spending.

The milestone figure was recorded just five months after the U.S. hit a record $39 trillion debt in March. It reached $38 trillion five months before that, in October.

The unprecedented $40 trillion figure highlights competing administration priorities, from boosting defense spending that the U.S. relies on to carry out President Donald Trump’s almost 6-month-old war in Iran to lowering the cost of gas and groceries.

Kush Desai, a White House spokesman, said the Trump administration “has been focused on slashing waste, fraud, and abuse in federal spending while accelerating economic growth to get America’s debt-to-GDP ratio trending in the right direction.”

However, experts say the exploding debt and the latest record milestone are already affecting Americans’ pocketbooks by raising borrowing costs for things like mortgages and cars, lowering wages from businesses that have less money available to invest, and creating more expensive goods and services.

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James Elliott Davis II, 37, pleaded guilty to bank fraud, wire fraud, money laundering and theft of mail. The court also ordered the forfeiture of $6,726,800 — the total proceeds of Davis’ crimes — and ordered Davis to pay restitution to his victims.

Fake medical supply company at center of scheme

According to court documents, Davis ran a purported medical supply company called Medisale Inc. from March 2018 through 2022. He used false representations to entice individuals and businesses to invest large sums of money in the company, falsely claiming Medisale was generating significant profits from the sale of COVID-19 personal protective equipment, or PPE.

Davis claimed to have relationships with hospital CEOs and said Medisale held contracts to supply hospitals with large volumes of N95 masks and other PPE. To bolster his pitch to investors, Davis showed fraudulent bank statements reflecting large account balances, which he claimed came from PPE sales.

In reality, Medisale had no such contracts and generated no legitimate revenue from PPE sales. Davis manipulated financial accounts — kiting checks and conducting fraudulent ACH and wire transfers between multiple financial institutions — to artificially inflate the apparent balances in his bank accounts. He used victim-investor money to pay off previous debts, make payments to earlier investors disguised as PPE profits and cover personal expenses.

Federal investigators, prosecutors respond

“Exploiting the fears of individuals and businesses for profit during a national crisis is untenable,” Kehoe said. “Today’s court judgment sends a clear message that this type of fraudulent behavior will not be tolerated.”

Ron Loecker, special agent in charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Florida Field Office, said the case reflects the severity of fraud targeting public emergencies.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when communities needed real protection, Davis chose deception,” Loecker said. “Schemes that prey on public emergencies are among the most serious frauds we investigate. IRS-CI and our partners will continue to pursue those who exploit emergencies for profit and hold them fully accountable.”

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said Canada has leverage in the talks even as his province weighs restoring U.S. alcohol sales at Prime Minister Mark Carney’s urging to help secure a deal that would avert threatened 50% U.S. tariffs.

“Everybody knows the American president by now, he’s erratic, he’s irresponsible, and he’s not to be trusted. And this is the person that we were supposed to make a deal with, and we’re going to make additional concessions for it. That’s why I say you can't make a good deal with a bad person, because who’s to say it’s not going to be undone?" Kinew said.

Dominic LeBlanc, the federal minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade, said Thursday the two countries were close to finalizing an agreement after he returned to Washington to meet again with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

“We’re very close. We continue to make progress,” he said, adding that Canadian officials would remain in Washington to keep working on the deal. Trump has called the emerging agreement “very fair” to both sides, while tariffs on about $20 billion worth of Canadian imports have been postponed until 12:01 a.m. Saturday. Neither side has released the full terms.

Despite his criticism of Trump, Kinew said Manitoba may go along with Carney’s request as part of a “Team Canada” approach. But he urged consumers to keep buying Canadian even if U.S. products return to provincial liquor stores. Other provincial leaders, including the premiers of Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia, have publicly backed the direction of Carney’s negotiation.

Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Tony Wakeham said all premiers agreed during Wednesday’s call with Carney to return U.S. alcohol to store shelves, although not every premier has publicly confirmed that position.

"I think we should fight. I think Donald Trump is very weak. I think America is weaker around the world today than it was a year ago. He’s about to get slaughtered in the midterms and the cost of living is the number one issue and he’s completely out of touch with the cost of living of Americans,” Kinew said.

“We’ve got the upper hand. They are back on their heels right now. They are coming to us for a deal right now."

Restoring alcohol sales a sticking point

Kinew said he understood Carney’s request to mean that restoring U.S. alcohol sales was effectively necessary to complete the deal. The provincial bans on U.S. alcohol have been a particular irritant for the Trump administration, which has pressed Canada to remove restrictions that sharply reduced American liquor sales.

Provincial governments do not have a veto over the overall Canada-U.S. agreement, but they control measures such as liquor sales and some procurement rules that have become part of the negotiations.

Eight of Canada’s 10 provinces restrict or ban U.S. alcohol — measures imposed in retaliation for Trump’s previous tariffs on Canadian goods and amid anger over his repeated talk of making Canada the 51st U.S. state.

Kinew said Carney strongly pressed premiers to restore U.S. alcohol sales while other details of the agreement were still being finalized. “I wouldn’t say that he was begging us, but what is the step before begging?” Kinew said.

Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, is especially important. Its government-run LCBO, one of the world’s largest alcohol purchasers, sold nearly 1 billion Canadian dollars ($723 million) worth of U.S. products annually before pulling them from shelves last year.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who has clashed with Trump before, has not yet commented on the emerging deal.

Kinew said Canadians should not buy American products even if they return.

“When we put the American booze back on the Liquor Mart shelves, Canadians, leave it there. Spend your money on Canadian products that are going to employ people in our country and that have an administration that respects Canada," Kinew said.

Kinew also said Manitoba could agree to remove formal restrictions on U.S. companies and products, including procurement preferences, while continuing to favor Canadian suppliers in its own purchasing.

Kinew said he preferred to keep fighting, noting the U.S. Republican president’s tendency to levy extremely high import taxes and then retreat. He mentioned what’s known as the “TACO” trade, an acronym coined by The Financial Times’ Robert Armstrong that stands for “Trump Always Chickens Out."

“Do we expect that this is going to be the end of Donald Trump?," Kinew said.

Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette, meanwhile, said Carney had answered many of her questions about the emerging agreement but stopped short of endorsing it while the province assesses the economic impact. She said Quebec could restore U.S. alcohol to shelves at the SAQ, the Quebec government corporation that controls most wine and spirits sales in the province, but stressed that the decision would be Quebec’s.

The decision affecting most Omaha middle and high schools came after The Associated Press first revealed Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s plan to give officers the gloves, which are known as G.L.O.V.E.s or Generated Low Output Voltage Emitters. The devices have also been used in recent years by some jails.

Omaha Superintendent Matthew Ray requested that police working in the schools, known as school resource officers, stop using the gloves. Omaha Police agreed.

However, the suburban Bellevue police department that patrols two Omaha schools and the large Bellevue district said its officers will continue carrying the gloves. Three other large school districts in the metro area that have Omaha school resource officers assigned to their buildings have not taken action to stop police from using the devices.

The AP left messages seeking comment Thursday from the Millard, Elkhorn, Westside and Bellevue school districts.

Ray said in a school board meeting Monday and in a letter to the public schools community that he’d only learned about the gloves the previous week. But local television station KETV found emails from 2023 when Omaha police notified the districts that the department planned to equip officers with the gloves, and an official with the Omaha district said they were already familiar with them because Bellevue police had them at two Omaha schools.

Students in all the Omaha area districts have gone back to class over the past two weeks.

The Omaha Police Department held a news conference last week in which an officer demonstrated the gloves to show how they can help an officer quickly get control of someone who is refusing commands.

Omaha police used the gloves twice during the 2025-2026 school year, and Bellevue police have also used them twice in previous years.

Residents and school board members speak out against the gloves

At last week's school board meeting, about 30 people spoke out against police using the gloves. Residents and board members alike said they were appalled at the practice. No one spoke in favor of it.

“I can't even imagine walking down the hallway and seeing a peer of mine being electrocuted in a place that is supposed to be a safe space for students,” said Nora Wessel, a senior at Omaha Central High School. “Yet, this is now a very real possibility. These are adults we are supposed to be able to trust, but these weapons create a barrier for our students to turn to resource officers when needed.”

Ken Trump, president of the consulting firm National School Safety and Security Services, said before schools allow police to bring in technology like shock gloves, there should be a careful discussion of questions like how school resource officers will respond to students with disabilities or special medical needs, how parents will be informed, and under what circumstances the gloves can be used.

“Less than lethal doesn’t mean low risk,” said Trump.

Ray said the district recognized long-standing relationships with law enforcement partners and the important role school resource officers have in promoting school safety. Continued use of the gloves “would be counterproductive to our work together,” Ray said.

Mayor John Ewing Jr., who helped oversee creating the school resource officer program when he was on the police force, said the department has honored the school district's decision to “opt out.” The Omaha Police Department said officers will continue to carry tasers, batons, OC spray and firearms.

Most school resource officers were trained to use the gloves

Most of the Omaha Police Department's 34 school resource officers had been trained and were allowed to use the gloves, the mayor and Police Chief Todd Schmaderer said in a statement.

“We believe it is the safest use-of-force option in the rare times when it is used,” the statement said.

In 2025, Omaha police agreed to pay Compliant Technologies LLC, which manufactures the gloves, about $66,000 for 40 gloves, according to the contract.

Officers were expected to give warning before using the gloves and then touch the person for up to 15 seconds while the electric shock was delivered, the statement said.

Bellevue Police Chief Ken Clary said his officers will continue carrying the gloves, which they have had for more than three years.

“I am not comfortable having our officers give up a tool that has repeatedly proven to be safe, effective, and less harmful than the alternatives,” Clary said in a statement.

The devices activate when an officer presses a button. The gloves must touch someone’s skin directly to produce voltage that causes pain, which is intended to make people stop resisting officers. Unlike Tasers, they do not leave burn or contact marks.

In the 2025-2026 school year, an Omaha officer used the glove in one case to stop a high school student from another school from trying to escape after fighting with a security guard, according to the statement. In a second case, the glove was used on a student at the Omaha district's Integrated Learning Center for special education students. Police said that student made verbal threats and threw a chair at a school security guard, striking the guard in the head. The student also punched the guard in the head, according to the statement.

Bellevue police didn't immediately have details about when its officers have used the gloves. Clary said the devices have been an extremely effective tool that sometimes make students cooperate on sight even without shocking a student.

Omaha Public Schools is the largest district in Nebraska and serves more than 50,000 students, according to its website. The other districts in the metro area are also among the biggest in the state. ___ Associated Press Writers Ryan J. Foley, in Iowa City, Iowa; Hallie Golden in Seattle; Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City; and Sharon Lurye in Philadelphia contributed to this report.

For more nearly a year, soldiers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade have been experimenting and building their own drones, as well as participating in drills on waging unmanned warfare after Ukraine pioneered such tactics in its yearslong conflict with Russia. Last November, 600 soldiers formed a battalion that specialized in drone warfare and was set up to be used as a dedicated unit that could deploy anywhere drones were required.

Gen. Christopher LaNeve, the Army's acting chief of staff, has ordered the battalion to refocus on its core mission of being an airborne infantry unit, according to two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal Army deliberations. The Wall Street Journal earlier reported the change.

The move comes amid a broader reshuffling of the Army under LaNeve, who has been its top uniformed leader since Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suddenly ousted Gen. Randy George in April.

The decision also comes despite the Iran war showing the need for the U.S. to learn lessons about drone warfare from Ukraine. Iran has deployed its low-cost Shahed drones against ships and bases, killing U.S. troops, downing an Army helicopter and forcing the military to expend precious supplies of advanced interceptors.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in March that Ukrainian officials were helping five countries in the Middle East and Gulf region counter Iranian drone attacks, while the United States and European countries were among others that had requested support.

Drone unit had expected to continue its work before Army leader's ousting

The overall 173rd Airborne Brigade, which is based in Italy and Germany, has been involved in drone warfare even before last November.

In May 2025, the Army highlighted that soldiers from the brigade were designing and building their own attack drones in a new “first-person view (FPV) drone lab” at Caserma Del Din, Italy.

Its commander at the time, Col. Joshua Gaspard, said in an Army media post that his soldiers “see videos of FPV drones in Ukraine all over Instagram and the news media” and they were “excited to be using these systems.”

The unit also dabbled in artificial intelligence, which Hegseth has been pushing, and designing drones resistant to jamming.

An Army statement said the specialized drone unit will wrap up its experimentation following two major exercises in Germany this month and next, then “deliver what it learned there, together with the past year’s findings, to the Army to inform force design and future experimentation.”

A third official, who, like the others, spoke on condition of anonymity to detail internal moves, noted the expectation was always that the exercises would be a “culminating event” for the drone battalion and that its future would then be reevaluated. During George’s tenure, most expected the unit to continue its work in drone warfare, the official said.

“The unit was tasked to study and absorb lessons from dedicated unmanned systems forces, including those developed by the Ukrainian armed forces, and to provide that feedback to the Army in support of the Department’s direction to accelerate U.S. military drone dominance,” the Army said in a statement.

The Army had previously prioritized efforts to use drones

Integrating drones into the Army's tactics was a major focus for LaNeve's predecessor. George, alongside Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, last year rolled out what they called the Army Transformation Initiative, which pushed to add “modernized (unmanned aircraft systems) into formations.”

George, who became Army chief of staff under President Joe Biden, regularly spoke about the need to accelerate development of new drone systems and get them in the hands of regular soldiers, not just specialized units.

After George was ousted without explanation in April, LaNeve took his place. He was George's deputy and an officer whose career has seen a meteoric rise under Hegseth.

LaNeve was commanding the U.S. Eighth Army in South Korea when he called in to the Commander in Chief Ball during President Donald Trump's inauguration in January 2025 and welcomed him back to office.

In March 2025, LaNeve was transferred to the Pentagon, where he became Hegseth's top military adviser. Trump then nominated LaNeve to be the Army’s vice chief of staff last October.

In a guiding memo for the Army published Wednesday, LaNeve argued that “the next war will not look like our last” and that soldiers need to “learn, innovate, and adapt faster by pairing our human ingenuity and judgment with advanced technologies like autonomy and artificial intelligence.”

However, the memo does not mention drones and closes by arguing that “there are timeless truths in war.”

“This is the Army we must be: disciplined, lethal, and relentless — an Army that closes with and destroys the enemy, leaving no doubt about the will and power of the United States,” the document says.

The problem came to a head Wednesday morning when smoke from a broken air-handler motor forced an early evacuation at Crown Point Elementary School. About 20 students who had already been dropped off were safely relocated to Mandarin Middle School, according to Tatyana Wimberly, DCPS Chief Communications Officer.

But parents say the problem is much bigger than one school.

One Crown Point parent told News4JAX her fourth-grade son has been without air conditioning since the first day of school — last Monday.

“He’s been very uncomfortable. He’s breathing more heavily. He has asthma,” she said. “And it’s been, apparently, in the 90s in their classroom.”

News4JAX has received multiple tips, calls, and emails from parents reporting AC failures across the district — including at Stanton College Prep, Westview K-8, and Riverside High School.

Jacaelah Magee, a junior at Riverside High School, described what it feels like inside her classroom.

“Considering it’s like 100 degrees on a daily basis, I would say like 110, 111,” she said. “It’s like sweating in class. If there’s a bunch of people with fans — electric and folding — it’s really hot to the point it’s unbearable.”

News4JAX asked DCPS about the AC situation at three of the schools parents flagged. The answers were different for each one.

• Westview K-8: A chiller malfunctioned Monday, knocking out air conditioning in several classrooms. District maintenance crews resolved the issue Monday afternoon. ESE and CSS classrooms were not affected.
• Riverside High School: An electrical issue caused the outage. The school says all AC units are now back online and functioning normally. As a proactive measure this past summer, the school replaced the chiller in the impacted building.
• Stanton College Prep: The situation is less resolved. In a letter to families this week, Principal Majova-Seane wrote: “We have been informed that the maintenance team will be making its way to our school to inspect and address our chillers.” As of this week, families were still waiting for that visit.

Even at schools where the district says repairs have been made, some parents say they are not convinced the problem is fully behind them.

“They should be safe. The environment should be comfortable,” said parent Shavon Good. “How are they supposed to concentrate when they’re worried about sweating and being hot?”

Good said she was prepared to keep her daughter home until the issue is fixed.

“She would be missing school until the problem would be fixed, which means she’s missing her education and her ability to learn,” she said.

News4JAX asked DCPS Deputy Superintendent Corey Wright what the district’s long-term plan is to address the ongoing AC failures, particularly during the current heat wave.

“I would say that our chief operations officer would be the right person to address the long-term plan. I know there is one. I don’t have the specifics of that at the moment,” Wright said. “But to our families — our priority is to have an educational learning environment that’s appropriate for students, which includes air conditioning.”

What’s next

Thursday afternoon, the district said following a thorough inspection of the Crown Point Elementary building, an independent external vendor confirmed that the school is safe to reopen beginning Friday.

Below is the follow-up communication that the principal shared with her families:

“Thank you for your patience, understanding, and support today. I know this morning’s events were unexpected, and I am grateful for the calm and cooperation you showed as we worked to ensure the safety of our students and staff.

I want to reassure you that Crown Point Elementary has been thoroughly inspected by our district maintenance teams and an independent external vendor, and the building has been determined to be safe.

The inspection confirmed that there was no fire. The smoke resulted from a malfunction involving an air fan, and the appropriate repairs have been completed.

I am also pleased to confirm that school is scheduled to operate as normal tomorrow, Friday, at Crown Point Elementary.

Thank you again for your patience and for entrusting us with your children. The safety and well-being of our students and staff will always be our highest priority."

Katie O’Connell Principal, Crown Point Elementary

DCPS is expected to hold a press conference Thursday afternoon, where officials say they plan to provide more details on their long-term solution to the district-wide AC problems.

News4JAX will be there and will update this story as more information becomes available.

A helicopter crashed Wednesday morning while flying from the Loisaba Conservancy to the Ewaso Nyiro area in Samburu County, according to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority. Roger Duarte, founder and owner of George Stone Crab, was identified by family members as a passenger. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, officials said. The U.S. State Department said five of those killed were U.S. citizens.

“The magnitude of this tragedy is impossible to comprehend, and there are no words to express the depth of our pain,” the statement from Duarte's family said. “We ask that you keep them all and everyone who loved them in your prayers.”

The statement also named the five other passengers and the pilot.

Among those killed were an executive with Telemundo, the U.S.-based Spanish-language network owned by NBCUniversal, and the director of Ecuador’s national intelligence service.

José Suárez was the president and general manager of the Telemundo-owned stations in Orlando, Tampa and Fort Myers, Florida. Telemundo and NBCUniversal executives called Suárez a deeply respected leader and beloved friend in a memo sent to staff and obtained by The Associated Press

“José was an exceptional colleague and mentor to many,” the message said. “He cared deeply about his teams, the communities they served and the essential role our stations play in people’s lives. He brought energy, humor, warmth and a strong sense of purpose to his work, and his impact was felt far beyond the stations he led.”

Michele Sensi-Contugi, director of the Ecuador's National Intelligence Center, died in the crash, along with his wife, fashion designer Stephany Hollihan.

“In this moment of deep sorrow, the government extends its heartfelt condolences to his family, loved ones and close associates,” Ecuador’s presidency said in a statement posted on X.

Sensi-Contugi, a friend and close associate of Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, and Hollihan were visiting Kenya as tourists. She was a U.S. and Ecuadorian citizen. They are survived by their two children.

The last two passengers were identified as Adam Hlavaty and Henry Parra, a South Florida married couple. Hlavaty was a real estate executive and co-founder of a development company called MRKT Group. Parra co-founded and helped manage an aviation maintenance company for nearly three decades after serving in the U.S. Navy as an aviation support tech.

Parra's former company said in a statement that he was a builder in every sense of the word.

“Henry was also deeply committed to the Miami community, generously supporting charitable organizations and initiatives that created opportunities for others and strengthened the city he called home,” the statement said.

The pilot was identified as Josh Outram, founder of Africa Heli Adventures. A conservation group called Save the Elephants posted their condolences on Facebook.

“Josh worked briefly with Save the Elephants as one of our dedicated and experienced fixed wing pilots, and we are deeply saddened by his passing,” a post said.

The helicopter crashed in a rugged area in the foothills of Mount Ololokwe, a popular tourist destination in the country, local media reported. The helicopter, owned by local company Lady Lori Helicopters, was carrying guests with travel company &Beyond. Lady Lori Helicopters said in a statement that the aircraft was operating a charter flight when it crashed.

Tropic Air Kenya, a local safari operator, said in a statement that it dispatched two of its helicopters to aid search and rescue operations.

The aviation authority said the aircraft was a Eurocopter EC130 B4.

Helicopter crashes have happened with increasing regularity in Kenya, which has a vibrant tourism industry that depends on domestic carriers to ferry visitors to distant places like Mount Ololokwe.

In February, a legislator was among six people who died after a helicopter crash in a hilly area of western Kenya.

The Reds held a 5-4 lead going into the ninth before things fell apart in the final inning. Masyn Winn and Jose Fermin scored on Myers' error, giving St. Louis a 6-5 lead. Alec Burleson's single drove in another run and a bases-loaded walk scored another to make it 8-5. Fermin came up for the second time in the inning and singled home two more runs to make it 10-5.

But it was far from over.

Cincinnati's Eugenio Suárez singled home Matt McLain and Sal Stewart drove in two more runs to make it 10-8. St. Louis reliever Riley O'Brien walked Tyler Stephenson with the bases loaded and two outs, scoring Elly De La Cruz to make it a one-run game before Matt McLain lined out to end the wild back-and-forth contest.

McLain hit his second career grand slam to cap a five-run sixth inning and put Cincinnati up 5-4.

Jordan Walker hit a three-run home run and drove in another run on a ground out to give the Cardinals an early 4-0 lead. Walker’s 26th home run was his second home run in two games. He temporarily tied Stewart for the major league lead with 94 RBI before Stewart's single in the bottom of the ninth plated two, giving him 96 on the season.

Cardinals' starter Michael McGreevy was solid through five innings, but struggled in the sixth, giving up an RBI single and leaving the game with the bases loaded. Ryan Stanek (2-3) relieved McGreevy, giving up an RBI single to JJ Bleday and the grand slam to McLain to take the loss.

Peter Strzelecki (1-1) pitched two scoreless innings to get the win for St. Louis.

Suárez drove in the 1,000th run of his career.

The Cardinals won the series 3-2, moving to 2 1/2 games behind the last wild card spot. The Reds fell to seven games out of the wild card.

Up Next

Cardinals: St. Louis kicks off a weekend series at Philadelphia on Friday. LHP Jesús Luzardo (11-5, 3.23 ERA) takes the mound for the Phillies. The Cardinals have not announced their starter.

Reds: LHP Nick Lodolo (3-2, 4.52) takes the mound Friday as Cincinnati opens a weekend series at Arizona and LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (12-4, 2.71).

Several of the 300 women, and a few men, said Clancy’s story resonated with them and that they wanted to raise awareness about how the mental health system treats women. Clancy's lawyer does not dispute that she killed the children, but says she should not be held criminally responsible because she was mentally ill.

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

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The livestreamed trial has sparked massive discussions online and has brought attention to postpartum psychosis, a rare mental illness Clancy's attorney Kevin Reddington says she had that is linked to the stress, sleep deprivation and hormonal changes that follow childbirth. Reddington said she also has bipolar disorder. After strangling her children, Clancy jumped from a second-story window and remains paralyzed from the waist down.

Reddington says Clancy repeatedly sought help: She turned to multiple outpatient providers, tried various drugs they prescribed, called a suicide hotline, went to an emergency room, and even checked herself into a psychiatric hospital.

Prosecutors say the former labor and delivery nurse planned the Jan. 24, 2023, killings and contrived to get her husband out of the house by sending him to pick up medicine for one of their children and dinner for the family. They have also questioned the seriousness of her suicide attempt, and witnesses have testified that Clancy wouldn’t always take prescribed medications.

Supporters stood silently for an hour

Thursday's rally was the first time during the nearly monthlong trial that supporters have come out in such large numbers.

“Women are being dismissed, neglected and ignored when we speak up,” said April Vincent, a 52-year-old paralegal from Providence, Rhode Island. “We’re scared because nobody takes us seriously.”

The women stood silently for more than an hour ahead of Thursday's proceedings, where a chaplain called by the defense testified about visiting Clancy in the hospital after the killings.

At the sight of Reddington outside the courthouse, the crowd broke into applause.

Rally organizer Renee Kimball implored the crowd to trust that Reddington “has Lindsay’s fight.”

Toward the end of their rally, supporters formed a circle, said the Lord's Prayer, held up their arms and formed hearts with their hands. Some held flags from different countries to show that the support for Clancy was global.

Clancy, 36, has pleaded not guilty to murder charges in the deaths of Callan, Dawson and Cora Clancy, who ranged from 8 months to 5 years old. Researchers estimate that postpartum psychosis — which is more serious and less common than postpartum depression — afflicts 1 to 2 per 1,000 women after delivery.

Jeanne Zaborski, a 72-year-old retired nurse from Rockland, Massachusetts, said she hopes the case raises awareness about postpartum health. She and many others at the rally said they had been following the trial almost daily.

“It's very sad,” Zaborski said. “I am a mother. I am a grandmother. I have a sister who had problems after birth and it's just very sad. I hope Lindsay gets the care she needs and deserves and other women will come together like we did today.”

Chaplain recalls one of the first things Clancy said to her

In court, Sheila Cavanaugh, a chaplain at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, testified that when she first visited Clancy after the killings, she was unconscious. By Jan. 31, 2023, Clancy was conscious and no longer connected to a ventilator, Cavanaugh said, but “her emotional state was very neutral — a flat affect.”

Cavanaugh said she “vividly remembers” one of the first things Clancy said to her.

“She said to me, as I held her hand to comfort her, ‘I’m so glad my children are safe,’” Cavanaugh said. “I replied theologically to Lindsay. I said, ‘Lindsay, your children are safe. They’re safe in heaven with God.’”

“We prayed for them,” said Cavanaugh, who saw Clancy more than 200 times and has visited her at the state mental hospital where she resides.

Cavanaugh said Clancy “alluded to hearing a voice, and the voice, according to Lindsay, told her that if she did not follow the command, neither she nor her children would be safe.”

Prosecutors questioned why Cavanaugh had not documented the disclosure about the voice in notes she made in Clancy’s hospital record.

“I’m not there to evaluate the patient; I’m there to bear witness to their suffering,” Cavanaugh said, noting that she is not medically trained and her notes aren't meant to be verbatim transcripts of conversations.

Their last visit was right before the trial started. She said Clancy “talks frequently about her children.”

“She loves them deeply,” Cavanaugh said. “She carries immense grief.”

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Associated Press journalist Leah Willingham contributed from Boston.

Fernandez is charged with first-degree murder and solicitation to commit a capital felony in the February 2022 shooting that left Bridegan dead on a dark Jacksonville Beach street.

WATCH LIVE: News4JAX is in the courtroom and will stream the trial live. Press play above to watch. WARNING: Testimony may include graphic and disturbing language or details.

Prosecutors allege Fernandez hired Henry Tenon, who was a tenant at a rental property Fernandez owned, to kill Bridegan, his wife Shanna Gardner’s ex-husband. Gardner and Bridegan divorced in 2015, which was followed by years of contentious disputes over the twins they shared.

The defense has argued that prosecutors cannot prove who solicited Tenon or that Fernandez was involved in the shooting.

Prosecutors have described the killing as a planned ambush.

“The killer was a stranger to Jared Bridegan. The murder was personal,” Assistant State Attorney Christina Stifler told jurors during opening statements.

RELATED | Who was Jared Bridegan? A father, a creative builder, a believer — and so much more | 4 years later: A timeline of the Jared Bridegan murder-for-hire case

Bridegan, a 33-year-old Microsoft design manager and father of four, was killed Feb. 16, 2022, after stopping his Volkswagen Atlas SUV on that dark street to remove a tire that prosecutors say was left in the road to lure Bridegan out of the vehicle.

Bridegan, who was driving home to St. Augustine after dropping off the twins he shared with Gardner at her Jacksonville Beach home, was shot twice as his 2-year-old daughter, Bexley, sat in the vehicle. Two other bullets struck the SUV, narrowly missing Bexley.

The first trial witness, Jonelle Cruz, testified about comforting Bexley after her boyfriend found the toddler in the SUV near her father’s body that night.

Prosecutors say Bexley had been alone for about 7 minutes before Cruz and her boyfriend arrived.

In a video shown to jurors, Bexley described to Cruz hearing a “Boom!”

RELATED: Jared Bridegan’s widow honored with Back the Blue award for ‘Bexley Boxes’ | 911 calls describe scene of confusion in Sanctuary neighborhood on night of Jared Bridegan’s ambush murder

“She was shaking. She was very worried about her dad,” Cruz testified.

Key evidence: Where is the gun?

Defense attorneys have questioned lead Jacksonville Beach Police Detective Chris Johns and other investigators about the missing 10mm Glock believed to have been used to kill Bridegan. (The type of weapon was identified because of shell casings left at the scene.)

Agent Mike Stengel, who has been an ATF agent since 2008 and a firearms instructor for about two years, testified that 10mm weapons are more rare and that this was the first 10mm firearm he had encountered in his investigations.

Under cross-examination, however, Stengel acknowledged that Glock has produced multiple 10mm models and that investigators found records of six 10mm purchases at one Jacksonville gun store.

But Stengel maintained that the weapon was “not very common” based on his personal experience.

Investigators say the 10mm is significant because John Biggerstaff, a longtime friend of Fernandez, owned a 10mm at one point but could not produce it for detectives after the murder.

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Biggerstaff has never been charged with a crime in connection with Bridegan’s murder.)

The state has said Fernandez visited Biggerstaff on Jan. 25, 2022, weeks before the murder, and that investigators found evidence that Biggerstaff searched for information about 10mm firearms on the day of the visit.

But defense attorney Jesse Dreicer suggested Fernandez could have visited Biggerstaff’s home for reasons unrelated to the murder, including their longstanding personal relationship. (Fernandez attended Sandalwood High School with Biggerstaff’s daughter.)

RELATED: He’s the first to face trial in Jared Bridegan murder-for-hire case. What do we know about Mario Fernandez?

Dreicer also questioned Johns about a video found on Biggerstaff’s phone that showed Fernandez having sex with Biggerstaff’s wife. Johns agreed the Biggerstaffs practiced a consensual “swinger” lifestyle.

The defense argued that Fernandez’s visit to Biggerstaff’s home in January 2022 did not prove he obtained a weapon there.

“What you certainly have no evidence of is that Mr. Biggerstaff gave Mr. Fernandez a 10mm firearm,” Dreicer said in one of many tense exchanges with Johns.

“There is no physical evidence of that,” Johns replied.

“OK. When you say no physical evidence, there is no evidence of that. Correct?” Dreicer asked again.

“There is no physical evidence of that,” Johns repeated.

Stengel testified Thursday that federal records showed Biggerstaff purchased a Glock 10mm on June 8, 2016, but that he had to give up that gun and other weapons after he was convicted of a felony.

Stengel testified that agents interviewed Biggerstaff, his son Juan and another man, but none provided information that led investigators to the location of the 10mm Glock. Investigators have admitted that the murder weapon was never recovered.

But on re-direct, Stifler got Johns to confirm that despite having no physical evidence that Biggerstaff had a 10mm gun at the time of the murder, detectives did have witness statements recorded on wires that led them to continue investigating Biggerstaff as the source of the murder weapon.

Key evidence: How did they find the blue truck?

Stengel also testified about the discovery of the blue, two-tone Ford F-150 that investigators say was captured on video being used in the killing.

Investigators had scoured the area for months after the shooting, and on Oct. 14, 2022, Stengel and a fellow agent used Google location data from Henry Tenon’s device to locate the truck at the home of Jimmy Jones, who turned out to be a longtime family friend of Tenon.

The truck was visible from the street, and Stengel said Jones was cooperative. Stengel said the truck’s discovery was a major break in the investigation.

Stengel and Johns both admitted on cross-examination that investigators did not search Jones’ home or the rest of the property for the missing firearm.

No DNA sample was taken from Jones, and no additional testing was conducted at the property. Stengel testified that he had no knowledge of any connection between Jones and Fernandez and that Jones was not treated as a suspect.

Johns said the truck was the only evidence recovered there and that investigators had no reason to search the house because records showed the truck arrived months after the homicide and Jones was not considered a suspect.

Dreicer challenged that explanation, noting investigators had not recovered the firearm and had evidence that Tenon had been at the home.

“Other than the fact that the biggest break in the case was found at Jimmy Jones’s house. Other than that, there was no reason to search the house,” Dreicer said.

Stifler made a point of asking Johns on re-direct about not searching Jones’s home. Johns confirmed to her that investigators received information in 2023 that the gun involved in the murder had been destroyed shortly after the shooting, so it would not have been at Jones’s home even if they’d searched for it.

Key evidence: Who was driving the blue truck?

Video evidence shown in court traced the blue, two-tone Ford F-150 through Jacksonville Beach on the night of the killing.

Prosecutors say the truck carried the shooter to the scene of the murder, but that surveillance showed a person running from the area after the shooting while someone else drove away in the truck.

That means two people were there that night, the prosecutors and defense agree.

But they don’t agree on who that might be.

The defense has emphasized that Fernandez was not shown driving the truck or accompanying Tenon.

Investigators acknowledged they could not identify the truck’s driver and that there is a 32-minute gap in the footage when they don’t know where the truck was in Jacksonville Beach that night.

What surveillance video did capture, though, was an unsettling moment outside the Jacksonville Beach Police Department the night of the murder.

A man prosecutors believe was Tenon walked past the station just seconds before Kirsten Bridegan arrived in the family’s SUV after learning her husband had been shot.

Kirsten testified on Monday that she did not recognize the man, and it was unclear whether she had seen the footage before or knew how close she had come to him that night.

Interactive timeline

Potomac property

In his cross-examination of Johns, Dreicer also focused on cellphone and surveillance evidence involving Fernandez’s rental property on Potomac Avenue, where Tenon lived at one point.

Fernandez’s phone was recorded at the property for several hours on Jan. 29, 2022, while Tenon’s phone traveled toward Jacksonville Beach and back in what prosecutors describe as a practice run for the night of the murder.

FBI Agent Bobby Blythe testified in detail on Thursday about the locations of Tenon’s device on Jan. 29, 2022, describing how it traveled south from the Potomac Avenue house to the area of Bridegan’s home and the gymnastics facility where Bridegan’s oldest daughter took lessons.

Blythe said from there, the phone traveled to Jacksonville Beach to the area where the murder would take place just over two weeks later.

Blythe explained to the jury that cellphone records can show an approximate location, not an exact one. Tower-and-sector data identifies the general coverage area; timing-advance data can narrow it further, while Google location history is usually the most precise, sometimes within a few meters.

Most of the tracking data for Tenon used Google history from the Gmail account attached to his device.

Blythe testified that on Jan. 29, 2022, when Tenon’s device was traveling to Jacksonville Beach and to the area of Bridegan’s home, Fernandez’s phone was at the Potomac home.

Earlier, Dreicer pointed to surveillance footage showing Fernandez repeatedly visiting the Potomac property, meeting contractors and carrying construction materials.

He argued the video supported Fernandez’s explanation that he was overseeing legitimate repair and renovation work.

Detective Johns agreed the footage showed Fernandez performing or arranging property work but said it did not establish what happened on the specific day in question.

Key evidence: Was there DNA?

Prosecutors presented evidence from a DNA analyst on Wednesday afternoon, who said that Tenon’s DNA was found on the tire used to stop Bridegan’s vehicle.

Investigators say Tenon’s boots, jacket and distinctive gait also matched evidence associated with the shooter.

Fernandez’s DNA was not found on any of the items tested by investigators, the analyst acknowledged.

Detective Johns also acknowledged there was no surveillance, fingerprint, hair or other physical evidence placing Fernandez in Tenon’s blue pickup truck or proving he accompanied Tenon to Jacksonville Beach.

Dreicer made a point of talking about how dirty the inside of the truck was when investigators found it months later, implying that the evidence was not missing because someone had “wiped” the truck.

Key evidence: What were the checks for?

The state has highlighted three checks totaling $10,000 that Fernandez wrote to Tenon after the killing.

Johns testified Tuesday that three business check stubs, which were later matched to three checks Fernandez wrote to Tenon, were found in the blue truck.

The checks were described as payment for landscaping, roof work and a Kickstarter project that the state says didn’t exist.

The checks from First Choice Home Rentals LLC — all signed by Fernandez — were for $2,000 and $3,000 dated March 28, 2022, and $5,000 dated April 4, 2022.

Prosecutors argue the payments were disguised compensation for the murder.

But the defense says Tenon performed work at Fernandez’s property and that the checks were legitimate.

“Henry Tenon is a worker. Mario Fernandez has hired him to do work, not murder, tree work, roof work, landscaping, tile work,” defense attorney James Hill said in his opening statement

Gene Nichols, an attorney not involved in the case, said the checks are the hinge point of the entire trial.

“I think when it’s all said and done, what does the jury believe about the checks? That’s going to rule a tremendous amount,” he said. “That, to me, is going to be where this hinges — will a jury believe that those checks were written in order to commit murder, or were those checks written for the work that Mr. Hill said they were written for?”

He added that the burden of proof remains high.

“If the jury believes that they were for work that was done, or they take the position that the state didn’t prove that the money was for murder, then that’s going to sway a jury,” Nichols said. “In order to convict him, it’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt by all of those jurors.”

What’s the motive?

Prosecutors have pointed to the hostility between the two families as a possible motive for Bridegan’s murder.

Kirsten Bridegan, Jared’s widow, testified Monday that the co-parenting relationship between Jared and Gardner had deteriorated into constant conflict.

“It was pretty terrible,” Kirsten Bridegan said on the stand. “There was absolutely no trust so everything was in writing. Texts, email. We did not speak in person, like at school events. Didn’t do phone calls.”

In his initial interview with detectives, which was played in court on Tuesday for about 50 minutes, Fernandez discussed the ongoing conflicts over the twins, describing Jared Bridegan as difficult and “passive-aggressive” and calling him a “keyboard warrior.”

Fernandez also mentioned the family communication in that interview, saying the family was in a group text and had an arrangement to text when they arrived to pick up the kids for date night.

The custody agreement established alternating Wednesday “date nights” for both parents on the week when the children were in the other parent’s home.

Dreicer argued that the schedule for date night was public information and therefore could have been known by people outside the family.

“So the idea that (Wednesday date night) is some personal detail that only the Bridegans would know and only the Gardner-Fernandez residence would know is simply not true. It’s public information. Correct?” Dreicer asked.

“The docket is publicly available,” Johns acknowledged.

Friends testify

On Wednesday and Thursday, friends of Fernandez also testified.

Taylor Kutis described conversations involving Fernandez’s marriage, co-parenting disputes and an obscure “contract” involving his wife’s family.

Under cross-examination, Kutis acknowledged that her recollections were not verbatim, that she kept no notes and that some details came from media reports.

Victor Quiroz, a longtime online gaming friend, testified that Fernandez visited him in North Carolina in March 2022.

Quiroz said Fernandez acted normally and did not discuss the killing. Fernandez mentioned only later that his wife’s former husband had been shot.

Carlos Phuong, a friend of Fernandez since high school, testified on Thursday about Fernandez’s relationship with Gardner and about two phone calls he placed to Fernandez in January 2023, when neither man was aware they were being recorded.

The expletive-laced calls between the two friends were played for the jury.

In the calls, Phuong told Fernandez that media reports were linking Gardner to Jared Bridegan’s death and that Henry Tenon had been arrested. They discussed Tenon’s work on Fernandez’s rental property and possible motives, along with unrelated topics.

Phuong testified that Fernandez made no admission, did not seem evasive and said he had nothing to do with the killing.

Phuong also testified that he never heard Fernandez or Gardner threaten Jared Bridegan or discuss planning his killing.

What’s next?

Fernandez’s murder trial is scheduled to continue through Aug. 28.

Gardner, 39, faces a separate trial in September, while Tenon is scheduled to stand trial in 2027 after withdrawing an earlier guilty plea.

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.

Neither Gardner nor Tenon will testify in Fernandez’s trial.

RELATED: Judge orders Jared Bridegan’s widow to turn over cellphone in Shanna Gardner murder case

The case has garnered national attention, and Judge London Kite has repeatedly explained to the 12 jurors and four alternates that they can not look up anything about the case or talk about it with anyone.

As part of the preparation for trial, Kite previously ordered that the seated jurors’ names be kept anonymous until 60 days after the trial, which is typical in high-profile cases. The jurors were referred to only by their numbers during jury selection to protect their identities.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Commanders of the 9th Brigade Engineer Battalion based at Fort Stewart, Georgia, believe free time to indulge in the latest entry in the “Grand Theft Auto” series — in which players commit carjackings, battle police in shootouts and attempt audacious heists — will sway some soldiers to extend their military commitments.

The Nov. 19 release of “Grand Theft Auto VI” is expected to be one of the year's biggest entertainment events. Game publisher Take-Two Interactive hasn't released sales figures for preorders, but CEO Strauss Zelnick recently called them “unprecedented and astonishing.”

A career counselor with the Army engineer battalion hatched the idea with commanders to tie a retention perk to the game's release, in part to remind soldiers of their approaching reenlistment dates, said Lt. Col. Angel Tomko, a Fort Stewart spokesperson.

“The idea was to have a unique incentives program that connects to what soldiers are interested in,” Tomko said Thursday in a statement to The Associated Press.

Battalion commanders wrote in a memo to soldiers that those who sign reenlistment contracts by Nov. 14 would receive “a special 4 day pass.”

“This special pass is specifically designed to coincide with the highly anticipated release of the video game Grand Theft Auto VI,” battalion commander Lt. Col. Ryan Hodgson wrote.

Tomko confirmed the authenticity of the July 28 memo, which was photographed and posted online.

She said at least 20 of 130 eligible soldiers have signed up for the bonus. To qualify, they must commit to serving at least two more years in uniform.

Buzz for “Grand Theft Auto VI” has been building since 2023, when its first cinematic trailer showed a return to the series’ fictional Vice City — a satirical analogue of Miami — and an expanded swath of Florida-based locales that include gator-infested swamps.

Underscoring the hype, developer Rockstar Games plans to debut gameplay video next week in an extended trailer on Netflix. The rollout was preempted when hackers leaked apparent footage online this week.

The requests for interviews, made in recent weeks, suggest that a conspiracy investigation that had mostly appeared focused on the decade-old question of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election is also examining a more contemporary event — the 2022 search of Mar-a-Lago that resulted in the FBI seizing top secret documents from the president's Palm Beach, Florida, estate.

The requests were for voluntary interviews and not made through subpoenas, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation with The Associated Press.

It is not clear when or if prosecutors might seek to bring charges, or for what, but investigating conduct that occurred in Florida might give the Justice Department the legal hook it needs to try to anchor a prosecution in the state.

Joe diGenova, the prosecutor brought back to the Justice Department in April to oversee the investigation, declined to comment when contacted by AP on Thursday. The Justice Department didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump was indicted in 2023 on charges of unlawfully retaining classified documents and of obstructing FBI efforts to get them back. But the case was dismissed the following year after a Trump-appointed judge, Aileen Cannon, ruled that the prosecutor who brought the indictment, Jack Smith, had been illegally appointed.

Trump has long maintained that law enforcement and intelligence officials conspired against him over the last decade, drawing a straight line between an investigation into ties between Russia and his 2016 presidential campaign and the more recent investigations related to his retention of classified documents and his efforts to undo the 2020 election.

The Justice Department has for months conducted an investigation in Florida in hopes of proving wrongdoing by the officials involved in scrutinizing Trump.

Much of the questioning known to have occurred so far has centered on the government response to Russian interference in the 2016 election and the creation of an intelligence community assessment that documented the extent of the meddling.

It was not immediately clear why investigators want to question FBI officials in connection with the Mar-a-Lago search, but the act has long infuriated Trump, who decried it as an invasion of privacy.

In addition, congressional Republicans have long seized on accounts of tension between FBI officials and senior Justice Department leaders before the search to raise questions about whether there was an adequate justification for it, though the law enforcement dispute centered not on whether investigators had gathered sufficient evidence for a search but rather on whether there was a less dramatic and intrusive way to recover the records.

Marcus Eichelberger admitted he helped submit false Small Business Administration forms to get Paycheck Protection Program loans and loan forgiveness for a fictitious catering business called “Talia McIntyre,” the agreement says.

Prosecutors say Eichelberger prepared the applications and fake Schedule C tax documents, emailed them to a congregant and “walk[ed] her through the prompts to completion,” the filing says. He also used information from another congregant to obtain a fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan, the plea says. The documents were transmitted electronically to a lender with servers outside Florida.

The filings say the forgiveness applications sought $20,833 for a loan and $29,166 for another. Eichelberger is accused of receiving about $19,000 from the scheme and agreed to forfeit that amount.

The plea sets mandatory restitution at $49,999 and additional restitution tied to related conduct at $259,800, for a total restitution obligation of $309,799, to be paid jointly and severally with others named in the case.

Each count carries a maximum of 20 years in prison; together the counts carry a potential combined sentence of up to 40 years and fines that could reach $500,000 or more.

The plea agreement says the remaining counts in the indictment will be dismissed at sentencing and that the U.S. attorney’s office may recommend a reduction for acceptance of responsibility if Eichelberger meets the conditions laid out in the deal.

Dennis Perry was taken into custody around 4 a.m. by the Jacksonville Beach Police Department.

The victim has been identified as Stephen James Beegle, 38.

“There is no ongoing threat to the public related to this incident,” Jacksonville Beach police said in a statement Thursday.

Victim found with multiple stab wounds

Officers responded to the area beneath the Jacksonville Beach Pier around 10 p.m. Wednesday night following a call about a stabbing.

A witness called police after seeing a fight between two men in the area and later returning to find a man had been stabbed. Officers arrived to find the body of a man beneath the pier with multiple stab wounds and cuts across his body.

Beegle, a Georgia resident, was identified through his Georgia driver’s license.

Surveillance video links suspect to stabbing

Detectives recovered surveillance footage from city cameras and the Jacksonville Beach Fishing Pier Overview Live Cam on YouTube, which they say captured Perry’s movements in the minutes surrounding the stabbing.

According to the arrest report, at 9:23 p.m., Perry was seen on video leaving the boardwalk at 2nd Avenue N and entering the dunes, where a backpack was later found. At 9:26 p.m., Perry was seen going under the pier with what officers described as a pronounced gait. As he approached the edge of the pier, he reached into his shorts and appeared to pull out a knife, according to his arrest report.

At 9:27 p.m., Perry was seen exiting from under the pier and heading back up the dunes toward the boardwalk. Minutes later, at 9:31 p.m., he was observed walking south on the boardwalk at 2nd Avenue N toward the bathrooms, where he was seen reaching into his waistband — the same area from which he had retrieved the knife on the beach. He briefly went off camera, then at 9:32 p.m. was seen going behind trash cans and into the dunes where the knife was later recovered.

Knife, backpack recovered from dunes

Detectives searched the dune area behind the trash cans on the boardwalk at 2nd Avenue N. There, they located a black backpack in the sand near several small palm trees.

The backpack contained pill bottles bearing the name Dennis Perry, clothing, toiletry items, glasses and a large black knife sheath. A large knife was found approximately 2 feet away, lying in the sand beneath shrubbery.

Officers also observed blood on Perry’s hands and shoes at the time he was detained.

Perry was detained near the boardwalk at 2nd Avenue N. Officers identified a witness to the incident at the scene.

Investigation ongoing

Jacksonville Beach police say the investigation remains active and ongoing, even with an arrest made.

“We understand the community’s desire for information; however, investigations of this serious nature take time,” police said. “Our goal is to conduct a thorough investigation while providing information to the public that will not compromise the integrity of the case.”

Detectives and investigators continue to conduct additional investigative work. Police say no further information is available for release at this time, and additional information will be released when it can be provided without compromising the investigation.

The league announced the fines Thursday after requesting video of the tumultuous workout at the Cowboys ' training camp base in Oxnard, California.

“The Competition Committee has made sportsmanship — including at joint practices — a point of emphasis over the past several years,” the league said in a statement. “All clubs were remined by memo prior to training camp of their responsibility in preventing unsportsmanlike behavior at joint practices that has the potential to result in injury.”

Players from the Cowboys and the Saints threw punches during several skirmishes throughout the joint practice, which was conducted in uncommonly hot, humid weather in the coastal town.

The brouhaha was lowlighted by Saints tight end Brock Rechsteiner’s body slam of Cowboys safety Jalen Thompson in a move worthy of Rechsteiner’s father, pro wrestler Scott Steiner. Saints center Erik McCoy threw a Cowboys helmet high in the air during one scrap, while McCoy and Cowboys linebacker Donovan Ezeiruaku threw punches at each other in an ugly sequence that ended with Ezeiruaku getting thrown out of practice for the second time in camp.

Saints coach Kellen Moore and Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer nearly called off the practice early after repeated post-whistle scuffles. Schottenheimer called the workout “a little chippy. Not the way we like to do business.”

“Obviously there was non-football stuff in that joint practice, unfortunately,” Moore said Thursday.

The Saints have left Louisiana for California this week, conducting a few practices on the coast before a preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday at SoFi Stadium.

New Orleans had no scuffles or disciplinary issues Thursday during another joint practice with the Rams at Los Angeles' training complex in Woodland Hills. The teams still wrapped up their workout earlier than scheduled because the Saints had already done extensive work this week before a handful of players left this practice early with injuries that currently appear minor.

Moore said he spoke to his players about professionalism before they visited the Rams. New Orleans also had no issues last week when it hosted the Jacksonville Jaguars for a joint practice.

“We acknowledged some of the things that happened on Tuesday,” Moore said. “Thought our guys were focused, Rams were focused, and it was a really good, clean practice.”

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

The S&P 500 fell 0.9% for its fourth loss in the five days since setting its all-time high last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 703 points, or 1.3%, and the Nasdaq composite sank 1%.

The bond market remains the center of the action after yields charged higher through the summer. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent made a surprise move Wednesday that brought some temporary relief. His department said it will at least double the size of its planned purchases of longer-term Treasurys from Sept. 9 through Nov. 4.

That helped push yields down after the 10-year Treasury’s yield hit its highest level in more than a year and the 30-year yield got back to where it was in 2007. It was a big deal because high yields slow the economy by raising interest payments for people, companies and the government, and they can undercut prices for stocks and other investments.

But analysts had cautioned the effect may be short lived, given how small the purchases are relative to the overall size of the Treasury market and how they don’t fix the fundamental concerns that had driven up yields. Plus, more signals arrived quickly to keep those concerns high.

The U.S. government’s debt topped $40 trillion on Wednesday, a staggering record that arrived just months after the national debt first blew past the $39 trillion mark in April, because Washington continues to spend far more money than it brings in.

And on Thursday, the price for a barrel of Brent crude climbed 2.4% to $93.78 as uncertainty continues about when the war with Iran will allow oil tankers to freely exit the Persian Gulf again. President Donald Trump threatened Iran with “the MOST CRUSHING ECONOMIC OPERATION EVER TAKEN AGAINST ANY COUNTRY” late Wednesday but provided few details.

That helped push the 10-year Treasury yield up to 4.70% from 4.65% late Wednesday. It’s almost back to its 4.71% level from late Tuesday, before the Treasury Department made its announcement.

A couple encouraging reports on the U.S. economy also helped raise longer-term Treasury yields, which move with investors’ expectations for the economy and inflation in coming years. One said fewer U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week than economists expected, while another said manufacturing in the mid-Atlantic region appears to be much stronger than expected.

On Wall Street, Walmart was the heaviest weight on the S&P 500 and fell 9.2% for its worst loss in four years even though it reported stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Investors focused instead on an important underlying measure of revenue growth, which slowed again. Its forecast for profit in the current quarter also fell short of analysts’ expectations.

Given its massive size, Walmart offers a look at how shoppers are doing across the United States. A surprisingly weak update on sales at U.S. retailers overall last month had raised worries that shoppers may be succumbing to pressure from high inflation and a job market that may be looking less solid.

Advance Auto Parts tumbled 24.5% for its worst loss in three years after the retailer reported weaker revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected, even though its profit topped expectations. CEO Shane O’Kelly said that “tighter household budgets constrained spending more than we anticipated, especially during the last four weeks of the quarter.”

Spending by U.S. consumers is the main engine of the economy, and a pullback by them could exacerbate what’s already a slowdown in growth for the economy.

A pullback could also mean a double-whammy for travel companies, which would see fewer bookings when they have to pay higher prices for fuel. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings fell 3.4%, while United Airlines sank 3.5% and American Airlines lost 2.5%.

Helping to keep Wall Street’s losses in check was Deere, which reported stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. It rose 6.9% as the company said order trends indicate the agriculture equipment business looks set to accelerate after this year.

All told, the S&P 500 fell 66.82 points to 7,641.16. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 703.84 to 52,759.21, and the Nasdaq composite sank 263.92 to 26,067.17.

In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in Europe following a stronger finish in Asia.

South Korea’s Kospi soared 5.9% for one of the world’s biggest moves after the two tech titans that dominate its market, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, jumped. Such swings have become more common for Seoul’s market, which has borne the brunt of rising and falling worries that winning stocks in the artificial-intelligence boom may have shot too high.

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AP Business Writers Chan Ho-him and Michelle Chapman contributed to this report.

Doctors Without Borders criticized the decision by Israel's military not to investigate two fatal attacks on the medical humanitarian organization's staff, and in Gaza City, a mass funeral was held for 50 people killed in Israeli airstrikes nearly three years ago but whose remains were just recovered.

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

Iran denounces Trump's economic threat

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has rejected the economic threats made against his country, saying that such “failed policies” will stir more hostility among Iranians and “bring more failures.”

Araghchi's comments came a few hours after Trump threatened “crushing economic measures” against Iran. The U.S. president promised “Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale,” but provided few details.

In a social media post, Araghchi maintained that the threats aim to divert the attention of the U.S. public from domestic financial problems, saying that U.S. “economic terrorism threatens the global economy and the national sovereignty of countries around the world.”

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday that Iran will face the “greatest coordinated economic isolation in the history of the world."

In a CNBC interview, Bessent threatened secondary sanctions on nations and companies that conduct business with Iran, saying it's time for U.S. allies to make a decision on where they stand.

China's government and India are major buyers of Iranian oil, though Bessent didn't call them out by name.

Doctors Without Borders condemns Israel's military

Doctors Without Borders said that the decision by Israel's military not to open a criminal investigation into two strikes that killed four people shows the country won't take responsibility for attacking civilians.

The international aid group now wants an impartial investigation into the deaths, but didn't specify who should lead the effort.

Doctors Without Borders asked Israel's military to investigate an attack on a Gaza City convoy in November 2023 and a strike on the organization's shelter in Khan Younis in February 2024. Israel’s announcement on Wednesday said that it wouldn't launch criminal investigations into the two cases, in which troops killed the organization's employees.

The decision by Israel's military shows “there is no prospect of accountability within the Israeli legal system for the killing of our staff, just as there has been no accountability for Israel’s ongoing genocide against Palestinians,” Doctors Without Borders said in a statement that cited 15 staff and 1,700 healthcare workers killed in Gaza since October 2023.

Israel denies accusations of genocide and war crimes and says it's targeting Hamas after the militant group's attack on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostage on Oct. 7, 2023. Israel blames civilian deaths on Hamas, because it operates in populated areas in the tiny, overcrowded Gaza Strip.

UK and others rebuke planned West Bank settlement project

Six European countries along with Canada condemned the latest development in a contentious Israeli settlement project near Jerusalem that would effectively cut the occupied West Bank in two.

Israel’s Ministry of Construction and Housing issued a tender for constructing several compounds with more than 1,200 homes in total in an open tract of land east of Jerusalem. It’s the latest step in a project under consideration for more than two decades, which critics say would prevent the establishment of a contiguous Palestinian state in the territory.

The joint statement from the leaders of the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and Canada said international law is clear the settlement is illegal and noted “unprecedented levels of violence by settlers against civilians.”

“We urge the government of Israel to retract these plans immediately and end its expansion of settlements in the West Bank. Not only will they take us further from peace, but they further undermine Israel's international standing,” the countries wrote.

Egypt and Jordan also condemned Israel’s move.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar responded on Thursday by defending “the historic right of the Jewish people to reestablish their national home in the Land of Israel — including in the area in question.” Saar criticized the U.K. government for “blaming only Israel while ignoring Palestinian extremism.”

Gaza funeral for 50 killed in opening strikes of war

A mass funeral Thursday in Gaza City remembered 50 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes in the opening months of the Israel-Hamas war, but whose remains were only recently recovered from under rubble.

Dozens of mourners carried the remains, draped in Palestinian flags, through debris-strewn streets before lowering them into graves. Some held portraits and posters with photos of the deceased.

“We were able to recover them after three years of war, after three years of anguish, pain and torture. We were able to recover them, and dignify them in their final resting place. We were able to pray over them and bury them,” said Lina Karam, who lost her father and other members of her family.

The 50 bodies were from three families who were killed in airstrikes in November and December 2023.

The nearly three-year war has killed more than 73,400 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry, which was part of the Hamas-run government, maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and international organizations. It doesn’t distinguish between civilians and militants, but says women and children make up around half of the toll.

US sanctions network supporting Hezbollah

The U.S. announced new sanctions Thursday against a network of people who allegedly funneled cash into Lebanon for the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

The network run by Turkish businessman Yunus Alper Yilmaz uses couriers traveling on commercial flights between Lebanon, Turkey, the UAE and Iran “to move up to hundreds of millions of dollars between jurisdictions, providing an avenue outside the formal financial system” to move funds to Hezbollah, the U.S. Department of Treasury said in a statement.

The Treasury also redesignated Hezbollah — which was already sanctioned by the U.S. — as an Iranian proxy acting on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force rather than a stand-alone operation.

The redesignation aims to underscore that Hezbollah “operates with little to no regard for Lebanese sovereignty, the Lebanese people or the Lebanese state,” the Treasury statement said.

Turkey denies delegation had visited air base in Syria

Turkey has denied that a Turkish military delegation had visited an air base in northern Syria that was hit by Israeli airstrikes, and vowed to continue supporting Syria in its efforts to rebuild its military.

The Israeli strikes targeted the Abu Duhur base early on Tuesday, causing damage but no casualties. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that Israel had attacked the base because Syria was “on the verge of breaching” an agreed-upon “status quo in security matters” by allowing Turkish troops to deploy there.

Syrian officials have said that a Turkish delegation visited the base before the Israeli strike to review rehabilitation work underway there.

Syria's top diplomat discusses Middle East in Pakistan

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani arrived in Islamabad for talks expected to focus on regional issues, Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The visit comes days after Israeli airstrikes targeted an air base in northern Syria, causing damage but no casualties.

Pakistan's officials say the country's political and military leadership remains in contact with both Iran and the United States over efforts to de-escalate tensions and push for the resumption of talks, after a 60-day deadline under a June memorandum of understanding expired. The agreement was brokered by Pakistan with help from regional countries.

Bodies of Pakistani sailors returned after Houthi attack

The bodies of two Pakistanis killed in last week’s Houthi attack on a Tanzanian-flagged commercial vessel in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait have been repatriated to Pakistan.

Six Pakistani sailors who were wounded in the attack have also safely returned to the country, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said in a post on X.

A GoFundMe fundraiser set up for Kadin Hanifen says he was “seriously injured in an electric scooter accident” after losing control of the scooter while spending time with friends. The fundraiser says the crash led to “serious injuries” and “unexpected medical expenses” as his recovery begins.

As of Thursday, the GoFundMe had raised more than $14,000.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office confirmed it responded to an e-scooter incident last week on South Deer Ave.

“Last Friday, 8/14, we did respond to that location to assist public safety with an e-scooter incident,” CCSO said in a statement. “This was not considered a traffic crash.”

News4JAX has requested the report.

Supporters are also planning an in-person event for Hanifen. Friends say they will host a “Gather and Pray” event at 7 p.m. Thursday in the front visitor’s parking lot at Orange Park Hospital.

Clay County District Schools provided a statement about Hanifen, who the district said graduated from Middleburg High School:

“Our thoughts and support are with Kadin, his family, and his loved ones as they navigate this difficult time. We understand the impact this news has on our school community, and counselors are available to support our students and staff.”

The GoFundMe organizer said, “Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to everyone who gives, shares, prays, or simply takes a moment to think of Kadin and family.”

Thousands of employers are keeping tabs on the whereabouts, productivity and communications of workers with technology that was adopted widely during the coronavirus pandemic. A vast array of digital tools still are being used to track locations, collect data on task completion rates, and access work-issued smartphone and laptop cameras, raising concerns about how much privacy employees have relinquished, even in their own homes.

Employers have always monitored workers, but recent advances in artificial intelligence and data science enable them to create extensive data sets or “dossiers” that can be used to punish workers or attempt to predict employee behavior, said Wilneida Negrón, director of research and policy at Coworker, a nonprofit that helps workers organize to improve working conditions.

“Oftentimes, the workers with the least amount of power in the labor markets tend to be testing grounds for some of the more intrusive forms of data collection,” Negrón said.

Some of the most common workplace monitoring programs have shared names, email addresses and other personal worker data with hundreds of outside data brokers and technology companies without clearly disclosing the practice, according to an investigation by Vanderbilt University, Northeastern University and the University of California at Berkeley.

Data privacy experts and workers who say they've been closely monitored spoke with The Associated Press about what they see as the risks of employer surveillance and the steps employees can take to protect their personal information.

Team up with like-minded colleagues to advocate for yourself

Pharmacist Lannie Duong's job at a medical clinic involved meeting with patients who had chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. She reviewed their medical histories, blood work and symptoms, and adjusted their medications. She frequently enlisted interpreters to help her communicate with patients who had limited English language skills.

Duong said her employer tracked the length of her phone calls and appointments, and in performance evaluations questioned why she took so long with each patient.

“Everything was counted. How many minutes you’re on the phone. The minutiae of it was ridiculous,” Duong said. “We’re just tasked to do what feels like the impossible.”

Under what she described as unrelenting pressure, Duong felt “not trusted, not appreciated, almost completely hopeless. It was so depressing.” She eventually went on medical leave and began volunteering with other pharmacists to organize a union.

“I spoke up, hoping others would voice their concerns as well, but that didn’t really pan out,” Duong said. She says her employment was terminated after the medical leave.

Many of the employers using surveillance tools do so transparently and engage employee boards in reviewing how the tools are used, Negrón said. But there are also employers tracking, ranking and scoring employees in ways that are not transparent to workers, she said.

“Workers are going to have to come together because the forces of centralizing this kind of tracking and monitoring are moving too fast,” Negrón said.

Find out what kind of data your employer is collecting about you

As awareness about surveillance tools grows, some workers are pushing back on tools that track how long it takes to fulfill tasks, saying such monitoring contributes to injuries, and questioning what personal information is being collected and how it’s being used, said Hayley Tsukayama, director of state affairs at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit that focuses on digital privacy.

“Unfortunately, if you are on a machine that’s been issued by your workplace, you should expect that there’s some type of monitoring,” Tsukayama said.

Researching data collection and surveillance trends in your industry is a good idea, according to Negrón. Without that knowledge, workers may find themselves unprepared when confronted with information unearthed during surveillance.

While teaching a college writing class, Arianna Anaya discovered that an administrator was reading the papers her students uploaded to the school’s learning management software and the comments Anaya made on the work. The students often wrote about intimate topics, including abuse, eating disorders and family trauma.

“The school essentially used the online learning system to allow administrators and staff to read student work that was often immensely private and personal, something we were specifically told students should not know about,” Anaya said.

A colleague who printed out the comments criticized the casual tone Anaya used with students and accused her of not sticking to the course syllabus. A few months later, Anaya's teaching contract wasn't renewed, although she doesn't know the exact reason.

“It made me quite paranoid,” Anaya said. “It made me feel less safe in the world.”

Check state laws to see what's required of employers

Some states, including New York, Connecticut, Delaware and Maine, require employers to notify workers if they're being monitored. Maine's law goes further, prohibiting visual monitoring in employees' homes or personal vehicles unless that kind of observation is required for the duties of the job, said Edward Halle, a privacy and AI compliance manager.

“The question becomes, what does the law mean by ‘the duties of the job'?” Halle said. "A telehealth nurse needs a camera; the camera is the job. A productivity webcam bolted onto ordinary desk work almost certainly isn’t. Where that line falls is the first thing the Department of Labor will be asked to sort out.”

If you work in a state without a notification requirement, it's difficult to find out if an employer is using technology to monitor your performance.

To raise the issue with managers, Tsukayama suggests coordinating with a union. If that’s not an option and you’re asking managers individually, approach the topic cautiously and take a curious tone, she advised. You could say you’ve noticed something on the computer and have questions, such as “How is this information being used within the company? How might it get out of the company?” Tsukayama said.

One place to start is asking what specific employee data your organization collects, said Aiha Nguyen, director of the Labor Futures Initiative at Data & Society, a nonprofit institute studying the impacts of technology. If your manager doesn’t know, the information technology department may have answers, since the people working there often are the ones turning on the features, Nguyen said.

Some common software programs such as Microsoft Office and Zoom have tools that can be used for tracking worker productivity, but the tracking features aren’t always activated. Knowing whether those tracking features are turned on can be difficult, because they’re built into the programs, Nguyen said.

“It’s automatic. It’s considered something that employers have been able to say, ‘This is necessary for work. You have to use these tools,’” she said.

To help safeguard personal information, don't use work devices to handle family matters or sensitive personal information such as medical conditions, experts advise.

“I think most people know that," Nguyen said. "But it can become tedious to switch between phones, or people don’t really think it’s that harmful. ... You don’t want to potentially put yourself at risk.”

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Share your stories and questions about workplace wellness at cbussewitz@ap.org. Follow AP’s Be Well coverage, focusing on wellness, fitness, diet and mental health at https://apnews.com/hub/be-well

Hurricane Lala tore roofs off houses, uprooted trees, covered roads in mud and rock and left many households without electricity. With thousands of homes and businesses still in the dark Thursday, forecasters warned another tropical cyclone is likely to form southeast of the islands soon.

A depression moving west and northwest could become a tropical storm later Thursday and pass near or south of Hawaii's Big Island over the weekend or early next week, according to the U.S. Central Pacific Hurricane Center. That system could dump up to 15 inches (38 centimeters) of rain across the Big Island and trigger life-threatening flooding, mudslides and rip currents, the hurricane center added.

Forecasters said the disturbance had top sustained winds of 35 mph (55 kph) and was located about 900 miles (1,445 kilometers) east-southeast of Hilo, Hawaii.

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green and other state officials planned a news conference Thursday afternoon to discuss preparations for the approaching system as well as ongoing recovery efforts from Lala, which has been blamed for two deaths.

Residents found the body of a man in his 60s in a pasture Tuesday, a day after authorities recovered the body of May Doi, 93, whom neighbors said was trying to escape from floodwaters in her home. Doi was a beloved former kindergarten teacher who taught generations of residents in a small town on Hawaii’s Big Island.

“She taught grandkids of her students,” said ʻĀina Akamu, a former student of Doi who is now a vice principal at a local school. “She was a fixture in this community.''

Lala's heaviest recorded rainfall, 43.54 inches (1.1 meters), occurred on the northeast coast of the Big Island, the National Weather Service said. Dozens of homes were washed from foundations, bridges were damaged and about 13,200 customers on the Big Island remained without power Thursday.

Efforts to restore power in the hard-hit areas of the Big Island could take at least two weeks, the Hawaiian Electric utility said.

Lala is the first major hurricane of 2026 in the Central Pacific Ocean. Now well west of Hawaii’s main islands, Lala had top sustained winds of 90 mph (150 kph) on Thursday and was spreading hurricane conditions across parts of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument — a remote area at the northwestern edge of the Hawaiian Archipelago. The impacts were being felt between Lisianski Island and Maro Reef, authorities said.

Forecasters said Lala would cross the waters of the marine national monument for a few days and remain at hurricane strength despite some gradual weakening.

Even in that vast and remote area, people were seeking safety. A charter boat carrying a 16-member crew dedicated to removing marine plastics and abandoned fishing nets from the shores of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands got out of Lala’s projected path this week.

Kevin O’Brien, president of the nonprofit Papahanaumokuakea Marine Debris Project, said the vessel left Lisianski Island on Monday and headed hundreds of miles (kilometers) out to sea.

“We were ready for it,” O’Brien said. “We keep on our toes out here during hurricane season.”

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Ramer reported from Concord, New Hampshire. Associated Press writer John Raby in Charleston, West Virginia, contributed to this report.

The video was uploaded to SnapJAX by user ‘huffstetlertommy’.

The tower of whirling dust appeared to be at least 20 feet high.

This isn’t the first time an impressive dust devil has been caught on camera in the area.

A dust devil quickly formed during a baseball game at the Fort Caroline Athletic Association baseball field in 2023.

In a video shared with News4JAX, Bauer Zoya, 7, a catcher for the Ponte Vedra Sharks, is seen being engulfed by the short-lived whirlwind.

What is a dust devil?

According to the National Weather Service, a dust devil is a small, rapidly rotating wind made visible by the dust, dirt or debris it picks up. Also called a whirlwind, it typically develops on clear, dry, hot afternoons due to intense surface heating.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note, a key benchmark for mortgage rates, rose back to 4.69% Thursday. That is nearly where it stood early Wednesday before Bessent surprised financial markets by announcing that Treasury would double the size of a bond buyback program starting next month to $4 billion per operation from $2 billion. The buybacks are intended to reduce the supply of 10-year to 30-year bonds and boost their prices. Yields on bonds fall when their prices rise.

Bessent said Thursday on CNBC that the bond repurchase program could be larger than $4 billion.

“We have a big toolkit so we'll see," Bessent said. “We believe that the yields don’t reflect the underlying fundamentals.”

Rising bond yields push up borrowing costs for consumers and businesses, and the Trump administration has set reducing interest rates as a top goal. Home purchases have slumped as mortgage rates have moved higher this year.

President Donald Trump has often demanded that the Federal Reserve lower rates, but the ongoing increases are driven primarily by financial markets. The 30-year bond yield rose to 5.23% Thursday, down only slightly from a 19-year high reached Tuesday.

Treasury's move doesn’t fix the fundamental problems spooking the bond market

Bessent also said the Trump administration would announce a new effort to reduce the government's budget deficit, possibly by Monday. He argued that the deficit will peak this year, in part because it has been driven higher by tariff refunds, a temporary factor.

While the deficit has been huge for years, overall debt topped $40 trillion on Wednesday, a staggering record that arrived just months after the national debt first blew past the $39 trillion mark in April. And the Congressional Budget Office estimated earlier this week that the annual gap between government revenue and spending would top $2 trillion this year, a remarkable number outside of recessions.

But Gennadiy Goldberg, head of U.S. rates strategy at TD Securities, said reducing the deficit is mostly up to Congress, rather than the Treasury Department.

“What we are seeing is the market is still a little bit skeptical that Treasury can and will be able to backstop some of these moves,” Goldberg said.

Another factor pushing yields higher is how much debt Big Tech companies are raising to build AI data centers. Their deluge of bond offerings is giving bond investors more to choose from, which lowers prices for bonds and pushes up their yields.

Investors are skeptical of the Fed's willingness to fight inflation

Inflation also remains a threat because oil prices keep climbing on uncertainty about when the war with Iran will let tankers freely exit the Persian Gulf again. They rose again Thursday after Trump threatened Iran with “the MOST CRUSHING ECONOMIC OPERATION EVER TAKEN AGAINST ANY COUNTRY.” The price of Brent crude oil is near $94 per barrel, compared with roughly $72 before the start of the war.

The Fed typically combats inflation by raising its benchmark interest rate to slow borrowing and spending and cool the economy. Yet new Fed chair Kevin Warsh hasn't signaled whether the Fed will take such a step. At his most recent press conference in late July, he sowed confusion about whether he sees higher rates as the right approach.

He also suggested the Fed could soon switch the gauge it uses to monitor inflation, which it seeks to keep at 2%. Inflation has topped that level for more than five years, and was 3.7% in June, according to the Fed's preferred measure.

Mark Cabana, head of U.S. rates strategy at Bank of America Securities, said that a key reason for higher borrowing costs “is just elevated uncertainty about how the Fed is going to contain inflation” and what it will do “in case things don’t go to plan.”

Yet Warsh has underscored he doesn't want to provide such signals because he wants financial markets to set interest rates based on economic conditions, not on what it expects the Fed to do. Bessent's intervention appears to be at cross-purposes with that goal, since markets are now considering what next steps Treasury might take to contain rates.

The rise in rates has put pressure on Warsh to clarify his approach when he delivers a high-profile speech next Friday at an annual Fed conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

“Now the ball is in the Fed’s court and the ball is really in Kevin Warsh's hands,” Cabana said. “And the market is questioning, will Warsh respond? Will he articulate a better plan?”

Warsh was appointed by Trump after his predecessor, Jerome Powell, finished his term in May. Trump relentlessly attacked Powell for not cutting rates, raising concerns that Warsh is inclined to reduce rates to placate Trump.

Shorter-term bond yields dipped after the Fed’s July 28-29 rates meeting, while longer-term yields rose. It was an unusual reaction to a Fed meeting, according to strategists at BNP Paribas, and could suggest investors believe the Fed wants to keep its benchmark rate lower rather than higher.

Treasury buyback is small compared to the size of the market

While Bessent is talking about billions of dollars in bond buybacks, the Treasury market is so large that even purchases at that scale may not have much impact. Analysts at Macquarie, an investment bank, estimate that the U.S. government will need to issue nearly $550 billion in bonds this quarter to finance its operations.

History also shows that government interventions in the bond market have limited effects. “While such measures can reduce volatility and provide temporary relief, they have not permanently lowered borrowing costs when fiscal, inflation, or supply dynamics remained unfavorable,” according to strategists at UBS Wealth Management, pointing to prior examples from Japan and the United Kingdom.

The investigation centers on how KIS Consulting advertises inspection services, refers Florida homeowners to attorneys and engineers for construction and design defect claims, and collects fees for those referrals.

According to the firm’s website, KIS Consulting offers free inspections to examine a home’s stucco exterior for signs of cracking or buckling in the foundation.

If any defects are found, then the firm would connect the homeowner with a “network of professionals that are experienced in resolving” the issues.

“Florida homeowners deserve transparent and fair treatment when addressing potential defects in their homes — not practices that drive up the cost of homeownership,” Uthmeier said. “My office is investigating these inspection and referral operations to ensure they truly serve the interests of the families they claim to help,” he added.

The subpoena requires KIS Consulting to produce documents dating back to Aug. 20, 2022, with a compliance deadline of Sept. 21, 2026. Requested records include consumer advertisements, attorney referral forms, engineering referral communications, repair estimates and invoices, internal training manuals, employee and contractor identification records, and any complaint or investigation files related to the company’s services.

The action is part of Uthmeier’s broader effort to enforce Florida’s consumer protection laws and shield homeowners from what the office describes as unfair or deceptive trade practices.

When we reached out to KIS Consulting, Chad Dutler, CEO and President of KIS Consulting, said it was “willing to comply with the subpoena.”

“We can only do the bare minimum,” WFP acting executive director Carl Skau said Wednesday during a visit to a nutrition center on the outskirts of the capital, Mogadishu. “We’re only providing these nutrition supplies to the children that are really the worst hit.”

The reduced funds, because of cuts in international aid by donors and the redirection of resources to other humanitarian crises, meant that the WFP is unable to expand its assistance in Somalia, Skau said.

Millions of people at risk but far less aid

The WFP projects that 1.9 million children under age 5 in the country will suffer acute malnutrition this year, including nearly 500,000 who will require urgent treatment for severe acute malnutrition. Overall, around 30% of the population faces critical levels of food insecurity, the U.N. has said.

“We had 10 times more resources than now,” Skau said of the 2022 hunger emergency that was caused by a prolonged drought. “We were able to step in, and we prevented a famine here in Somalia."

“We know what’s going on, we have the capacity, we have the experience of dealing with this. We just need the resources now to do it.”

The consequences of the current food shortage, which is also a result of drought, conflict and the displacement of people, are seen at the Feynuus Health Center in Mogadishu’s Kahda district. Dozens of women carrying babies waited beneath a large tree or crowded along the veranda of the corrugated-metal facility seeking help.

Inside, health workers placed children in a blue weighing sling, screened them for malnutrition, and distributed therapeutic food.

One desperate mother tells her story

Halima Mohamed Hassan, a mother of six, had walked nearly 3 kilometers (2 miles) carrying her malnourished 4-year-old child. She is pregnant, but said she hadn't eaten for two days. Her last meal was plain rice.

Health workers treated the child she brought with a special nutrient-dense food, while Hassan said that her other children were also malnourished, but she wasn't able to bring them to the center.

“I could not carry all of them,” she said.

Hassan fled the Lower Shabelle region four months ago after her husband died of malnutrition, she said. Food and water became scarce, and conflict made it increasingly dangerous for the family to stay.

She and her children walked for four nights before reaching a camp for internally displaced people on Mogadishu’s outskirts.

Hassan now shares a makeshift shelter with her widowed mother and her mother's four other children. The two women look for occasional work washing clothes in nearby neighborhoods to feed their household of 12.

A health center tries its best to help

The Feynuus center receives between 250 and 350 patients daily, mainly displaced women and children from regions outside Mogadishu, said Abdirahman Barkhad, program director of Youth Link Somalia, which operates the center.

Barkhad said that about 10 nearby health and nutrition centers had closed because of a reduction in humanitarian funding, increasing pressure on those that remain.

“We have witnessed children collapsing, because their families do not have enough food,” he said.

Mohamud Moallim Abdulle, commissioner of the Somali Disaster Management Agency, described the country’s food situation as “extremely alarming.”

He said that an estimated 1.85 million children are malnourished, while around 6 million people are affected by drought, and 2 million urgently need assistance.

They don’t know where their next meal is

Skau said that mothers he met this week in the town of Burhakaba described drought, insecurity, and also rising food prices as the main drivers of the crisis. Some had lost their crops and fled their homes. Others walked for three or four hours to reach health facilities, because aid workers couldn't reach them.

“I spoke to women with eight to 10 children,” Skau said. “They don’t know where the next meal is going to come from.”

Insecurity, with Somalia battling a 20-year-long insurgency by the al-Shabab militant group, also makes humanitarian operations more expensive. WFP must use aircraft in areas where staff and supplies can't travel safely by road, and some communities are inaccessible, Skau said.

He said that conflict in the Middle East was adding to the pressure by driving up fuel and food prices, limiting agricultural supplies, and drawing funding toward other emergencies.

After her child received some food at the center, Hassan began the walk back to the camp they live in. Her five other children were still waiting and hungry, she said, and she would have to return with them one at a time.

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

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The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Holmes was relieved by Didier Fuentes after the hit, which followed a leadoff walk to Miguel Vargas. The 30-year-old right-hander walked three and struck out three.

Atlanta led 2-0 after seven in a makeup game of a June 11 rainout at Rate Field.

The 30-year-old Holmes retired 18 of the first 20 White Sox hitters. Colson Montgomery walked with two outs in the second and Drew Romo walked with one out in the fifth for Chicago's first two baserunners.

There's been only one no-hitter in the majors this season, a combined effort by three Houston pitchers in a 9-0 win over Texas on May 25. The Braves' last no-hitter was by Kent Mercker in a 6-0 win over the Dodgers at Los Angeles on April 8, 1994.

Holmes has never pitched a complete game in the majors. His longest effort was 7 2/3 innings on April 14, 2025, in an 8-4 win over Toronto.

Holmes spent 10 years in the minors before making his major league debut on June 16, 2024, with the Braves.

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See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Watch the full media conference below.

The district said the incident began shortly after 7 a.m. when smoke from a malfunctioning air-handler entered four classrooms. School staff immediately evacuated students and established a reunification point at Mandarin Middle School.

“There were approximately 20 students that had already been dropped off at that time that were safely relocated here to Mandarin Middle School,” Tatyana Wimberly, DCPS chief communications officer, said.

Families were allowed to begin picking up students at 9:45 a.m., the district said.

Corey Wright, deputy superintendent, said Crown Point — a school of about 700 students — saw roughly 120 students rerouted by bus. He thanked the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department and school police for assisting with the evacuation and reunification.

An initial concern that the smoke was caused by an electrical fire was later ruled out, Wimberly said.

“It was a faulty motor of an air handler that created smoke that went into four of the classrooms,” she said.

District officials said they will conduct safety inspections and have hired an independent contractor to review the school before students return. The district also is working to address air-conditioning and maintenance problems affecting multiple schools, which officials blamed in part on extreme heat and deferred maintenance.

“We are working to not just fix, but to replace AC units in some of the schools,” Wimberly said, adding that the chief operating officer will meet with families to outline long-term plans. Families are encouraged to contact their schools or the district communications office with concerns, she said.

School officials said they were focused on keeping students safe and communicating promptly with families during the incident.

Click here for more Addressing A4dability coverage.

The proposal would allow public housing authorities to require work-eligible adults, generally those ages 18 to 61, to work up to 40 hours a week as a condition of receiving housing assistance.

There are exemptions for certain residents, including people with qualifying disabilities and adults age 62 and older.

The proposal is not yet final, and local housing authorities would have the choice of whether and how to implement the requirements.

In Jacksonville, Housing Authority CEO Cheron Corbett said the agency is already preparing for the possibility.

“Because the Jacksonville Housing Authority is federally funded by HUD, you know, we must follow those rules and regulations,” Corbett said. “So it could actually go into effect as early as the end of this year, or potentially the first quarter of 2027.”

The proposal also would allow housing authorities to establish time limits on housing assistance, with limits of no less than two years.

Corbett said Jacksonville would favor work requirements over time limits.

“Term limits is too harsh,” she said. “Two-year max and you would be out, which would create an extensive amount of homelessness.”

How many Jacksonville residents could be affected?

Corbett said about 45% of Jacksonville Housing Authority residents who are between the ages of 18 and 61 are currently working.

That means a majority of residents in that age group are not working, although the number who would actually be subject to a work requirement would depend on the final federal rules and individual exemptions.

Corbett said the housing authority wants to address barriers that can make it difficult for residents to work, including transportation and child care.

“We need to have more wraparound services to promote upward mobility and self-sufficiency,” Corbett said.

While HUD’s proposal would allow requirements of up to 40 hours a week, Corbett said Jacksonville is considering a 30-hour requirement if it adopts a policy.

“We recognize when we look at statistical data, it’s difficult for mothers with children and then others to achieve full-time work,” she said.

The goal, Corbett said, would be to help residents move toward financial independence rather than simply remove them from housing assistance.

Potential impact on housing waitlist

Corbett said if residents increase their income and eventually leave subsidized housing, their vouchers or units could become available to families waiting for assistance.

She said the agency is working to prepare residents well in advance of any potential policy change. Residents have received notices and JHA has held public hearing to answer questions about the possible change to work requirements.

“We’ve had a magnitude of meetings for months,” Corbett said. “We put this information out with these proposed HUD rules in all of our resident surveys. And so, we’re actively engaging in the community because this could actually happen.”

The Bipartisan Policy Center has said previous experiences with housing work requirements have produced mixed results. Some housing authorities have discontinued or changed their policies because of administrative burdens and employment barriers faced by residents.

HUD’s proposal would require housing authorities that adopt work requirements or time limits to provide supportive services, including job counseling, transportation and child care.

Corbett said Jacksonville’s approach would be designed to prevent residents from suddenly losing their housing.

“The misconception is that, you know, people are going to go instantly homeless,” she said. “The reality of it is, is that because we’re planning so far in advance, if this was to come as a public housing authority, we’re already preparing you.”

HUD has not said when it will issue a final rule, or whether it will finalize the proposal.

If the rule is approved, Jacksonville Housing Authority would have to decide whether to adopt a work requirement or time limit and how to structure the policy, including how many hours residents would need to work and which activities would count toward the requirement.

Until now, Mexicans deported from the United States were sent almost exclusively back to their country by air and land. Only a handful arrived in other countries.

Some civil organizations believe this change reported in recent days is a way to increase pressure on Mexico, whose government has protested the deaths of 17 Mexicans in immigration custody or during enforcement operations. This also comes as Trump has expanded agreements with allied Latin American countries to conduct joint operations in the region against criminal groups and has increased its security demands to Mexico.

Sent to Central America by plane and Mexico by bus

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo confirmed Wednesday night that, so far this year, 2,284 Mexicans deported from the U.S. have arrived in the country as part of a “transit stopover” before being taken to Mexico as part of an “arrangement” with the Mexican government, and without these individuals being under any refugee or asylum status.

“They are arriving on planes carrying Guatemalan returnees, and what we have done is bring them in transit so that, in coordination with Mexican immigration authorities, we can return them to Mexican territory within 24 hours of their arrival in the country,” he explained at a press conference.

The costs of these operations are covered by the Mexican government or, in some cases, by U.S. funding, he added.

Mexico’s National Migration Institute (INM) confirmed to The Associated Press in a brief message that Mexicans have been deported by the Trump administration to Guatemala and Honduras, primarily since April, and are then transported by bus to southern Mexico.

“The reason is that the United States wants to prevent them from crossing back into its territory,” the institution said. The INM did not provide figures or further details.

Asked about why the Mexicans were sent to Central America and not their own country, and for more details, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees immigration enforcement, said in an emailed statement that the administration “is utilizing all lawful options to carry out the largest deportation operation in history, just as President Trump promised.”

“The Mexican government has expressed its opposition to this practice to U.S. authorities and has reiterated that every Mexican citizen has the right to enter the country,” the Mexican Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday. It added that Mexico is coordinating with the countries involved to ensure the safe return of Mexican citizens.

Third-country deportations raise concerns for Mexican migrants

Historically, Mexico has always been willing to receive its deported citizens.

Since Trump’s first term, it has also accepted deportees from third countries, although the details of immigration agreements with Washington have usually been opaque. In 2025, Mexico received some 12,000 deported foreigners, mostly Cubans and Venezuelans, according to figures provided by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. The government has not updated these figures since December although the practice has continued.

Authorities in Honduras also did not respond to requests for comment, but according to official documents from the country accessed by The Associated Press, 82 Mexicans deported from the United States arrived in the Honduran city of San Pedro Sula on two flights on August 13 and 15. An additional 35 were scheduled to arrive on Thursday.

Another 165 Mexicans were deported to Honduras between May and mid-July, according to the website Third Country Deportation Watch, run by the NGOs Human Rights First and Refugees International, which track U.S. deportation flights to third countries.

The website does not clarify the source of its nationality figures, but both organizations have expressed concern because these transfers could endanger migrants who possibly sought asylum in the U.S. or have few resources in an unknown country.

The deportation tactic “seems to be to put pressure on the Mexican government,” said Savitri Arvey of Human Rights First. “They really don’t want any Mexicans crossing the border.” Some of those deported arrived in Honduras on U.S. military flights, she added.

A recent change in the deportation pattern

At the beginning of his second term, with immigration control as one of his priorities, Trump reached agreements with Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica and Panama to act as “bridge” or destination countries for migrants from third countries expelled from U.S. territory. These agreements gradually expanded to more countries, including some African ones, most recently Liberia.

Until recently, only a handful of Mexicans had been expelled from the U.S. to countries other than Mexico.

Arévalo said on Wednesday that Guatemala received 15 Mexicans in 2025. As of February 2026, Honduras had officially reported the arrival of six. Costa Rica has received 11 Mexicans since Trump’s return to the White House, and according to local immigration authorities, they remain in the country. Presumably, these individuals may have requested not to be returned to Mexico out of fear.

Immigration lawyers believe that the Trump administration is using deportations to third countries as a legal loophole to indirectly force asylum seekers to return to Mexico when the government cannot send them there because it would violate court orders from immigration judges that recognize the dangers. Organizations and politicians both inside and outside the U.S. have also questioned the use of force by U.S. immigration authorities.

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Verza reported from Mexico City and González from Tegucigalpa.

Follow AP’s Latin America coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

A coastal Heat Advisory will be in effect from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Friday.

Near record highs continue today with slightly cooler temperatures expected this weekend.

A record high temperature was set at Craig Municipal Airport yesterday, with the afternoon high reaching 97 degrees. This ties the previous record set in 2010.

Scattered showers and thunderstorms, fueled by the heat, will be possible across northeast Florida from late afternoon through late tonight. Locally heavy rain, gusty wind and lightning remain the main hazards.

In the tropics: We are watching a spot that could bring some wind and rain to Europe.

Tonight: Heat Advisory through 7 p.m. Scattered showers and thunderstorms through tonight.

Friday: Coastal Heat Advisory 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Scattered showers and thunderstorms for NE FL and SE GA, 40-60 percent. Morning lows in the 70s to low 80s. Afternoon highs in the 90s inland, upper 80s to low 90s along the beaches. Wind: SW/S 5-15 mph.

Weekend: Heat Advisories are not expected. It will still feel like the low 100s. Scattered afternoon showers and thunderstorms on Saturday, 50-70 percent. Partly cloudy with isolated afternoon showers and storms on Sunday. Morning lows in the 70s with highs in the low to mid 90s inland, upper 80s to 90s along the beaches. Wind: SSW 5 -10 mph.

Looking ahead: The summer pattern continues next week with near-seasonal temperatures.

Sunrise: 6:57 p.m.

Sunset: 8:02 p.m.

Nielsen announced plans this week to change how it measures audiences on television, beginning on Aug. 31, including alterations to how the company measures whether multiple people are watching an event at the same time.

The NFL is coming off one of its most successful seasons ever on television after Nielsen began using its Big Data + Panel methodology for all events last September. The league averaged 18.7 million viewers per game during the 2025 regular season, an increase of 10% from the 2024 season and the largest for a season since 1989.

The Super Bowl had an audience of 124.9 million viewers on NBC, Peacock, Telemundo, NBC Sports Digital, and NFL+, according to Nielsen’s Big Data + Panel rating system, falling just short of the record set the previous season.

Paul Ballew, the league's head of data and analytics, said on a conference call Thursday that the league was still trying to understand how the changes will impact ratings this season.

"We don’t have enough impact data to fully assess. We’re still trying to make a sense of it,” Ballew said. “We're still trying to makes sense of some of the logic behind some of the methodological changes. From our initial impact, it looks like a negative for sports. On the other side, co-viewing or partial co-viewing implementation is a positive. So we’re going to have to continue to spend some time pulling this apart and making sense of it.”

Ballew said the priority for the league is to find the most accurate number for the audience, as well as having a deeper understanding of the demographics of the viewership.

"Media measurement matters a lot to us," he said. “It’s adding into the amount of homework we have to take on going into the season to make sense. We do think it’s a misstep on Nielsen’s part to go do this the way they’re doing it. It continues to accelerate our pressure point to continue to pursue ongoing measurement improvement because it’s so critically important to us and everybody else in this space.”

Nielsen had been working with partners for a while on the changes and nearly implemented them last October but waited until this season instead.

“Nielsen is delivering the most accurate TV measurement ever, especially when it comes to live sports," Nielsen said in a statement. "We have worked closely with clients, sports leagues and industry regulators to constantly enhance our methodologies. That includes the introduction of Big Data + Panel, the expansion of our Out of Home measurement and a pilot test of co-viewing updates, which are all successful examples of collaboration that lead into the enhancements.”

'Nothing's changed' with media deal opt outs

Hans Schroeder, NFL executive vice president of media distribution, said “nothing's changed” with the league's television partners and the possibility of negotiating contracts early.

The NFL's deals with CBS, Fox, NBC and Amazon run through the 2033 season and the contract with ESPN goes for one season beyond that. The league has the option to opt out of those deals after the 2029 season with CBS, Fox, NBC and Amazon and after the 2030 season with ESPN. The NFL gets paid an average of nearly $11 billion annually from those deals.

The league can renegotiate immediately with CBS because of a change of ownership provision that was triggered when Skydance Media bought Paramount. Schroeder said talks are ongoing.

“We’re always going to do that. We’re going to continue to engage our partners,” he said. “So nothing’s changed. We’re continuing to look at the future and figure out how we can continue to improve it."

NFL players express interest in Olympic flag football

The league said there has been high interest from NFL players about participating in the Olympics in 2028 when flag football makes its debut, with the NFL's head of global flag football, Brian Flinn, saying more than 200 players representing more than 25 countries have expressed a desire to possibly play.

Flinn said there will be more details on the process for national federations choosing players at the end of this season.

There will be six men's and six women's teams competing in Los Angeles with three of each already assured spots. The U.S. will be in as the host country, while the Canadian men's and women's teams clinched spots, along with the Italian men and Mexican women at a tournament last week in Germany.

Flinn was encouraged by the competitiveness of that tournament, where the U.S. men lost for the first time in 14 years in a group stage match against American Samoa and also narrowly beat Japan in the quarterfinals. Flinn also said the women's teams from Canada and Great Britain have closed the gap with traditional powers Mexico and the U.S. as the level of play and intensity continues to rise.

“You saw the emotion of the players because they knew what they were playing for,” Flinn said. “Certainly the Olympic dream was alive.”

Could Japan be next for an international game?

The NFL will hold a record nine international games this season, including the first regular-season contests ever in France and Australia and the first game in Mexico since 2022. There will also be games in Spain, Germany and Brazil, along with three in London.

Commissioner Roger Goodell said earlier this summer that the league is interested in playing a regular-season game in Japan for the first time. Schroeder said the process of picking countries is getting harder because there's so much interest.

“There’s more and more interest from cities around the world about hosting NFL games,” Schroeder said. "In Japan, there’s a ton of interest and appreciation and excitement about the popularity there.”

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See AP’s full NFL coverage here

A judge sentenced Eric James Stone, 43, to six years and eight months in federal prison for wire fraud and money laundering. Stone was also ordered to pay $2,037,103 in restitution to his victim. He pleaded guilty March 24.

Stone, who worked as a financial advisor, used his position to befriend the elderly victim and solicit money from her over approximately three years. During that time, he convinced her to make more than 600 transactions totaling more than $2 million. To carry out the scheme, Stone sent fraudulent emails posing as attorneys, banks and other entities. He spent most of the stolen money on foreign gambling websites.

“Our seniors are among our nation’s most vulnerable population and must be protected,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe. “The defendant in this case used his position of trust to deliberately deceive and exploit the victim for his own personal gain. For that, he will be punished for his crimes.”

“Every dollar stolen is a story of hardship for the victim, and IRS-CI is dedicated to making sure those stories end with accountability,” said Ron Loecker, special agent in charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Florida Field Office. “Our agents’ expertise in tracing complex financial transactions is unmatched. IRS-CI special agents are the backbone of financial crime enforcement.”

“Stealing $2 million isn’t just a financial crime, it’s a betrayal of trust that has life-altering consequences for a victim long after the crime is committed,” said FBI Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Jason Carley. “This sentence sends a clear message: fraudsters who think they can lie and steal will face the consequences of their actions. The FBI will work with our partners to ensure those who exploit others for financial gain are brought to justice. You can’t hide from accountability.”

The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department said that it cleared the area and there were no transports. JFRD said it was in the surrounding area staging for law enforcement in the surrounding area and not at the school.

A school official thought they heard gunshots, but the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said it could not confirm that information while assisting the school board, according to the district.

A DCPS spokesperson says the school has gone from a lockdown to a lockout that has since been lifted.

“The lockout has been lifted, and all students and staff are safe. This precautionary safety measure was implemented due to reports of gunfire in the neighborhood. Below are the two communications that were shared with our families.

Lockout Lifted Family Communication:

Hello A. Philip Randolph families. Good news! The lockout has been lifted. Police have given us the all clear to resume our normal day. Students and staff remain safe. Thank you for your patience as we take these safety measures.

Initial Family Communication:

Hello A. Philip Randolph families. Students and staff are safe. The school is on lockdown as a precaution due to reports of gunfire in the area. No one is allowed to leave or enter campus. Please stand by for updates."

“If I were the mayor of a town or the governor of a state, and I had a chance to get a big plant in, an AI plant or a data center,” Trump said, “I would absolutely want it because the jobs are enormous and the money paid, the taxes paid, are just enormous.”

It's not the kind of message anyone is using in competitive midterm races.

The race to build data centers, which power artificial intelligence and cloud computing, has run aground amid frustration from voters who don't want to live near the massive warehouse campuses. Even the Senate Republicans' campaign arm warned that anger over data centers — some of which dwarf football stadiums and use more energy than small cities — could cost them a seat.

Opposition stretches across the political spectrum because of fears that the behemoths will jack up electricity bills, drain people's water wells, create unhealthy amounts of air and noise pollution and forever change a community's character — all while getting lucrative tax breaks from states competing for their business.

Trump has framed data centers as a necessary component of a top national and economic security priority: winning the AI race against China. However, he also has acknowledged concern over rising electricity bills, previously saying “it’s only fair” for the companies to shoulder their costs.

He also suggested this week that data centers need “a little public relations help.” In recent months, he has gotten tech giants to sign a voluntary pledge to shield U.S. consumers from higher utility bills from data centers, even as he pushes to streamline the process for companies and utilities to build their own power plants.

But building power plants doesn't happen overnight, and the immediate political reality for candidates across the country is far different.

“It is yet another dimension in which the White House appears tone deaf — tone deaf at best and indifferent to the interest of other Republican candidates at worst,” said James Henson, the director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas, Austin, a nonpartisan research organization.

Republican committee issues warning over data centers in Ohio

Statewide candidates from Nevada to Pennsylvania, both Republican and Democratic, are weaponizing data centers against their opponents, and candidates who absorb those attacks are subsequently trying to distance themselves from them.

In Ohio, a data center hot spot with closely contested races for governor and U.S. Senate, the National Republican Senatorial Committee warned in a memo Tuesday that Sen. Jon Husted is vulnerable to losing his seat because of the centers.

Democratic nominee Sherrod Brown is airing attack ads against Husted that call him the “face of data centers in Ohio” as people gather signatures for a statewide referendum to ban their construction.

The Republican memo said it's been a “sleeper issue for the entire election cycle.”

“Brown is using it because it works,” the NRSC said. “More than any other thing in this race, data centers are the anchor hanging around Husted’s neck. If he loses and data centers get the blame, politicians across the country will take notice — and they will not go near the next one.”

The memo suggested voters may balk at Democratic candidates who want to stop data center construction altogether in favor of a Republican candidate who only wants data centers built if a community approves it in a local vote and it pays for its own power, water and other utilities.

Most registered voters oppose building a data center in their area, according to a July Fox News poll.

Still, the issue falls behind other voter concerns, such as cost of living, as November looms. A Quinnipiac Poll conducted in June asked voters what issues were important in deciding who to vote for in U.S. House elections, and about 4 in 10 mentioned AI data centers.

Trump’s statement already put to use in Nevada race

In Nevada, Democrat Aaron Ford quickly tied Trump’s statement to Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, characterizing them as being in “lockstep on data centers.”

In a statement, Ford said Trump and Lombardo are “Nevada data centers’ biggest cheerleaders” who “only care about catering to their ‘billionaire friends’ while Nevadans pay the price.”

Ford this week unveiled a policy platform in which he said he would halt new state tax breaks for data centers — he estimated them at $200 million currently — while auditing existing projects to ensure they are delivering on promises. He also said he would ensure data centers pay for their electricity needs, do not deplete Nevada’s water supply and help local governments negotiate strong benefits agreements with developers.

Texas' governor changed course and got a jab from Trump

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who last November celebrated Google’s announcement of a $40 billion investment there by calling the state “the epicenter of AI development,” is under attack from his Democratic challenger, Gina Hinojosa, over his pursuit of data center development.

Abbott has since changed course by promising tougher action, such as removing the state’s sales tax exemption and holding up projects to review their energy usage.

Trump criticized the shift, saying “I think it's a mistake” in a recent interview with Punchbowl News.

Asked about Trump's support for data centers, Abbott's office said the governor's “top priority is to protect Texans’ safety and quality of life and ensure the integrity of our power grid and water supply.”

“Simply put, Texans must come first,” Abbott's office said.

Data centers complicated Wisconsin governor race

While Trump embraces data centers, even some of his allies are using them for political attacks. U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, running for Wisconsin governor, released a TV ad this week branding his Democratic opponent as “Data Center David Crowley.”

The ad includes a clip of Crowley saying Wisconsin could become the “AI and data hub not only for the entire country, but for the entire globe.”

Crowley has said local communities must have veto authority while also calling data centers a part of the modern economy that could bring significant economic benefits to the state.

Tiffany, who Trump has endorsed, has also said positive things about data centers. In January, Tiffany called data centers “exciting new technology,” in an interview with PBS Wisconsin. And last December, he voted for a bipartisan bill known as the SPEED Act, which is designed to accelerate construction of new AI infrastructure projects like data centers. It hasn't passed the Senate.

Neither Tiffany nor Crowley support a moratorium on new data center construction.

Tiffany has called for repealing the state tax incentive for data centers, while Crowley has not. They both have called for stricter regulation.

Crowley, at an event Wednesday where he received the endorsement of the environmental group Clean Wisconsin, downplayed the attacks Tiffany has made against his data center position.

“He’s getting very good at saying one thing and doing something different,” Crowley said, pointing to Tiffany’s votes in support of the SPEED Act.

“What Congressman Tom Tiffany’s doing is lying because he’s trying to run away from his record in Congress,” Crowley said.

___

Bauer reported from Madison, Wisconsin, and Levy from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Linley Sanders contributed from Washington.

This system could separate from the fronts and acquire some subtropical or tropical characteristics later this weekend while it moves generally eastward or east-northeastward toward Portugal and northwestern Spain.

The formation chance through 48 hours is near 0 percent and the formation chance through 7 days is 20 percent.

The crash happened around Tuesday at 10 p.m. FHP said an SUV traveling west struck the rear of the scooter, pushing it and the rider into the grass and a ditch along the right shoulder. The SUV continued westbound and did not remain at the scene.

The body of the victim was not found until 20 hours later, around 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The scooter rider was pronounced dead at the scene. FHP said he was not wearing a helmet.

FHP identified the SUV driver as a 47-year-old St. Augustine woman, but the agency’s release did not explain how investigators identified her. The release also said the driver was not injured. FHP said they had a vehicle in possession.

The westbound lanes of State Road 16 were closed for several hours but reopened shortly before midnight. The investigation remains ongoing.

“Here we go,” Alcaraz posted on his social media pages Thursday, with one picture showing him in front of the U.S. Open logo.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion has been sidelined since April because of a right wrist injury, forcing him to miss both the French Open and Wimbledon.

Alcaraz won his second U.S. Open title last year, beating Jannik Sinner in the final. He then won the Australian Open and his next tournament, part of his 22-3 start to this season.

But after winning his first match in the Barcelona Open, Alcaraz withdrew from the tournament because of the injury. He is still ranked No. 2 despite his absence.

Photos and videos on social media had shown Alcaraz on the practice court, so it appeared he was on the verge of returning during the hard-court swing preceding the U.S. Open before he withdrew from the Cincinnati Open. That tournament is ongoing, and during a match Wednesday night commentators speculated whether Alcaraz would attempt to come back to play a Grand Slam tournament without preparation.

The top-ranked Sinner has also been out of action, not playing since winning the Wimbledon title. He pulled out of the Cincinnati tournament with a right knee injury, saying he would focus on being ready to play in New York.

Their injuries should create more intrigue for the last Grand Slam tournament of the year than there was in 2025, when they had met in the final at both the French Open and Wimbledon, and were widely expected to do so again in New York.

Alcaraz won his first Grand Slam title in the 2022 U.S. Open, a victory that at 19 made him the youngest man to hold the No. 1 spot in the ATP rankings.

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See AP’s full tennis coverage here

Location: Michigan, Florida, or Texas, with a preference for candidates based in the Detroit metropolitan area.

Description

The HR Business Partner serves assigned client groups with trust and understanding of business needs, providing expertise across the full employee lifecycle. This role partners closely with leaders and employees to drive organizational effectiveness, support a high-performance culture, and deliver HR solutions that move the business forward. The HRBP operates as a proactive trusted advisor — analyzing people data to surface insights before problems arise, bringing forward solutions, and equally comfortable navigating complex employee relations matters, coaching managers, facilitating learning experiences, and leading process improvement work that raises the bar for how HR operates.

This role represents an opportunity to help shape and strengthen HR business partnership at GMG as the organization continues to build its HR infrastructure, processes, and vendor support. The HRBP will operate across both strategic and operational areas of HR, with responsibility for supporting the employee lifecycle and ensuring a high-quality experience for leaders and employees. As the HR function and its infrastructure continue to evolve, the scope and balance of responsibilities may also evolve, creating opportunities for this role to contribute to how HR work is structured, delivered, and continuously improved.

Responsibilities

• Build trusted, credible relationships with business leaders and managers within assigned client groups, serving as their primary HR partner
• Analyze people data and workforce trends to proactively identify risks, gaps, and opportunities — bringing forward solutions before issues escalate
• Support and execute employee lifecycle processes, including hiring, onboarding, employee changes, leaves of absence, and offboarding; coordinate with benefits, payroll and recruiting, and other partners to resolve employee and manager needs.
• Build and maintain SOPs for core HR processes, ensuring consistency across a distributed, multi-market workforce
• Partner with the HR Director on workforce planning and change management initiatives
• Use data, analytics, and AI-enabled tools to build a continuous picture of workforce health; translate findings into actionable recommendations without waiting to be asked
• Manage employee relations matters from intake through resolution, including investigations involving policy violations, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, conduct and workplace conflict; document findings and recommend appropriate resolutions in partnership with Director of HR.
• Advise and coach managers on performance management, corrective action, and documentation
• Coach managers on delivering effective feedback, managing performance, and building team capability
• Identify talent gaps and partner with the HR Director on succession planning and development strategies
• Partner with business leaders to understand current and forward-looking talent needs within assigned client groups — headcount planning, role definition, and team composition — translating business strategy into workforce and talent decisions
• Work directly with hiring managers to ensure talent needs within assigned client groups are well understood and supported
• Facilitate HR-related learning experiences, including manager development, policy training, and onboarding programs; partner with the HR Director to identify training needs and ensure learning solutions are aligned with company-wide priorities and standards
• Ensure consistent policy application across assigned client groups and support compliance with federal, state, and local employment regulations across multiple states

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business administration, or equivalent work experience
• Minimum of 5 years progressive HR experience; 2 years in an HR Business Partner or other comparable consultative role is strongly preferred
• Working proficiency in Workday (or a comparable HRIS), including comfort executing transactional processes (hiring actions, leave tracking, verifications) alongside strategic work
• Demonstrated experience managing complex employee relations matters end-to-end
• Experience designing and facilitating training or learning programs for adult audiences
• Proven track record of process improvement — building SOPs, redesigning workflows, or leading structured improvement initiatives
• Working knowledge of employment law across multiple states
• Demonstrated use of AI tools to improve HR work — whether for communications, documentation, data analysis, research, or workflow automation
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to influence without authority across a distributed organization
• Comfort operating across both strategic and transactional levels of HR work, with the flexibility to shift focus as the function’s infrastructure matures

Preferred

• Experience in media, broadcasting, or a similarly distributed, multi-site environment
• Exposure to union environments and labor relations
• SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR certification
• SHRM AI & Human Intelligence (AI&HI) credential or equivalent AI-focused professional development
• Six Sigma, Lean, or formal process improvement experience
• Experience with Workday HCM modules beyond core HR (e.g., Time Off/Leave, Recruiting, Benefits)

Applicants can send resumes to careers@grahammedia.com

Graham Media Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In addition to complying with the requirements of federal law, GMG will comply with applicable state and local laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Any offer of employment is conditional upon the successful completion of a pre-employment drug screening, investigative background check, employment/education verifications, and reference checks.

Swalwell’s devices were seized at the San Francisco airport on Saturday and agents executed a search warrant at his home a day later, said the person, who was not authorized to publicly discuss an ongoing investigation and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

A message seeking comment was left Thursday with an attorney for Swalwell, who has denied allegations of sexual assault and misconduct. The Daily Mail first reported the seizure of Swalwell's devices on Thursday.

Swalwell announced his resignation from Congress in April following allegations that Swalwell had sexually assaulted a woman twice, including when she worked for him. The San Francisco Chronicle, followed by CNN, first reported the allegations. CNN also reported that three other women alleged various kinds of sexual misconduct by Swalwell, including sending them unsolicited explicit messages or nude photos.

The seven-term lawmaker had been seen as one of the leading candidates in California’s gubernatorial race before dropping out after the allegations surfaced.

The office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg confirmed in April that it was investigating Swalwell after a former staffer told CNN and the Chronicle that Swalwell raped her at a hotel while he was in New York City for a charity gala in 2024. In a statement, Bragg’s office encouraged “survivors and anyone with knowledge of these allegations to contact our Special Victims Division.”

A lawyer representing Lonna Drewes, a California woman who in April said she had been raped in 2018 by Swalwell, said his team was cooperating with all law enforcement agencies investigating the former congressman.

“We are encouraged to learn about the escalation of the FBI’s investigation into the allegations against Eric Swalwell,” attorney Arick Fudali said in a statement.

Drewes spoke of the assault at a news conference days after Swalwell dropped out of the California governor’s race. She said it occurred at a hotel in Southern California. Swalwell denied that assault.

Swalwell, an Iowa native, was elected in 2012 and represented a House district east of San Francisco. He launched a presidential run in April 2019 but ended it a few months later after failing to catch on with voters.

He was one of Republican President Donald Trump’s top Democratic antagonists in Congress. He was a prominent member of the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees during Trump's first term and served as one of several Democratic prosecutors for Trump’s second impeachment after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

Swalwell was removed from the Intelligence Committee by then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., in 2023 based on Swalwell's contact with a suspected Chinese spy, Christine Fang.

Fang was reported to have come into contact with Swalwell’s campaign as he was first running for Congress in 2012 and to have participated in fundraising for his 2014 campaign.

Federal investigators alerted Swalwell to their concerns and briefed Congress about Fang in 2015, at which point Swalwell says he cut off contact with her. He was not accused of wrongdoing and a House Ethics Committee investigation that was opened in 2021 closed two years later without any action. ___

Associated Press reporter Michael R. Sisak in New York and Olga Rodriguez in San Francisco contributed to this report.

Rain can push any team off the field, forcing the Mustangs indoors—an early reminder that in Florida, even the weather can test a program before the season officially begins.

“We always start the season with the weather plan,” head coach Toby Bullock said. “So you go to a lift, you go to meetings… Sometimes you try to turn the negative into a positive.”

Bullock said the message is simple: keep progressing, regardless of the disruption.

“Always got to get something done,” he said. “You got to be moving forward.”

RELATED: ‘Plus 2′: Inside Mandarin football’s mindset after last season’s playoff heartbreak

A schedule full of tests

Mandarin’s 2026 season opens on the road in South Florida against McArthur, then moves into a stretch that includes district games, familiar opponents—and two major measuring sticks.

Raines and Lake Mary, both defending state champions in their respective classes, are on the Mustangs’ schedule this fall.

Linebacker Jerel Stephens said the work to prepare for that kind of slate started long before kickoff.

“Day by day stacking days,” Stephens said. “We hold a very high standard. So every day we come on hold a standard—practice how you play.”

When asked who helps keep that standard from slipping, players didn’t hesitate.

“Shaunqueze Foster,” linebacker Kaden Bryant said.

“Shaunqueze Foster,” Stephens echoed.

Foster—known around the program as “Quez”—is a Class of 2027 running back who players describe as a steady source of accountability and energy.

“Hard work keeping everybody accountable,” Foster said. “When we go on the field it’s us versus them and nobody else.”

Foster said the daily tone matters.

“You could just feel the energy,” he said. “The energy that everybody wants to be here.”

Bullock said that’s what leadership looks like in practice—especially when teammates have to challenge each other.

“That’s what we look for in leaders,” Bullock said. “I don’t care if you can tell the freshman what to do. Can you tell your best friend that he’s doing wrong? That’s a leader.”

Bullock said the parts fans see on Friday nights are only a small piece of what it takes to get through a season.

“536 hours of football in a season,” Bullock said. “You only get 45 hours of actual playing time… So 88% of the time you are in preparation. So our motto is find joy in the preparation.”

Confidence heading into Week 1

Even with the difficult schedule ahead, players said the mood is confident entering Week 1.

“This is actually one of our best teams we’ve had in this program,” Bryant said. “Coming in as a team—we real confident.”

Stephens added: “Really tense schedule… we ready for everything.”

Wide receiver Jace Kemp said the Mustangs plan to set the tone early.

“We’re going to make statements all year,” Kemp said.

About the series

This story is Episode 2 of Varsity 4’s “Plus 2”—a season-long series following the Mandarin Mustangs week-to-week from the start of practice through the end of the season.

Biya arrived at the international airport in the capital, Yaoundé, aboard a flight from Geneva, Switzerland, after more than 10 weeks away.

The world’s oldest president, who has led Cameroon since 1982, began his eighth term in office in November after winning a widely disputed election in October.

Biya had left the country on June 7 for what his office described as “a brief private stay in Europe,” but it became the longest recorded absence of his presidency.

The health of the president has long been a topic of speculation as he spends significant time in Europe, including France and Switzerland, where he often spends weeks while leaving governance to key party officials and family members.

Cameroon’s constitution does not specifically prohibit a president from leaving the country for months. But without a vice president, an appointment Biya has full control over, the opposition has described the country as being run on “autopilot.”

Biya’s close collaborators were at the airport on Thursday, but he was not shown descending from the plane and held no briefings. He was seen waving to supporters from his vehicle.

The results of Biya's nearly half-century in power have been mixed. Armed insurgencies by Boko Haram in the north and separatists in the west, along with a stagnant economy, have left many young people disillusioned with the leader.

The president’s reelection last year sparked widespread protests that left at least 16 people dead, according to government figures, signaling significant tensions between the mostly young population and its aging leader.

After a 2008 constitutional amendment abolished term limits, Biya has now led Cameroon longer than most of its citizens have been alive: More than 70% of the country’s population of nearly 30 million people is below the age of 35.

In April, Cameroon’s parliament reinstated the vice president’s post, a move criticized by the opposition as a power grab because Biya can appoint and dismiss the deputy at will and determine which powers the office can exercise.

They spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been announced. It includes a player option for the 2028-29 season as well as a trade kicker.

Harden declined his $42.3 million player option for the upcoming season, but he indicated after the Cavaliers were swept in four games by the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals that he would like to return. He also wanted to wait until the Cavaliers were done making a couple moves before his new agreement was in place.

The 36-year-old Harden will be going into his 18th NBA season. He averaged 10.7 points and 1.7 turnovers for the Cavaliers in 26 regular-season games after being acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers for Darius Garland on Feb. 4.

Harden averaged 19.7 points in the postseason, but his turnovers also went up to 4.7 per game, including five or more in 10 of Cleveland’s 18 games. He also struggled on defense.

Cleveland's starting lineup is likely to be Harden, All-Star Donovan Mitchell, 2025 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and Peyton Watson, who was acquired in a four-team trade Wednesday night.

Harden was arrested on June 13 in Houston on a misdemeanor charge of unlawful carrying of a weapon in a motor vehicle. The charge was dismissed earlier this month in Harris County criminal court after he completed an alternative resolution program.

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See AP’s full NBA coverage here

Maryjean “Mary” Victoria Small, 26, was arrested Aug. 17 and booked into the St. Johns County jail on a $340,000 bond.

What investigators say happened

According to a probable cause affidavit filed by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, Small was employed by Concierge Care and assigned as a caregiver for a 92-year-old woman from approximately January 2025 through July 2026. Investigators say Small used her position of trust to systematically steal money and property from the victim for her own benefit.

According to Small’s arrest report, the victim told investigators she only authorized Small to use her debit card to purchase groceries and necessities. She said she never gave Small permission to make ATM withdrawals, use her financial accounts for personal purchases, establish online banking in her name, transfer funds between accounts, or write checks payable to herself.

Because of her poor eyesight, the victim said Small routinely prepared checks and guided her hand while telling her they were for legitimate expenses — such as utility or telephone bills.

What the records show, according to detectives

Bank records, surveillance video, witness statements, and business records revealed what investigators described as a continuing pattern of unauthorized transactions, according to the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators say financial records identified 63 unauthorized checks payable to Small totaling $82,238.71, which were deposited into Small’s personal bank account at VyStar Credit Union.

ATM surveillance photographs captured Small depositing at least one of those checks. Investigators also say a search warrant served on Uber revealed that the victim’s Wells Fargo debit and credit cards had been added as payment methods to Small’s personal Uber account, with Uber Eats orders delivered to Small’s residence.

Surveillance video from Family Dollar and records from Marshalls showed Small using the victim’s cards to purchase children’s clothing and toys, according to investigators.

Online banking activity

Investigators say an online Wells Fargo banking profile was created in the victim’s name using an email address witnesses confirmed did not belong to her. The victim told investigators she has never owned a computer, does not use electronic devices, and never authorized anyone to open an online banking account in her name.

Banking records documented a $70,000 unauthorized transfer from the victim’s savings account, an additional transfer to a Wells Fargo Platinum account, and a failed attempt to transfer another $70,000. Records also showed a $35,000 transfer occurred after Small allegedly told the victim she was running out of money and needed to move funds to pay bills.

Alleged isolation tactics

According to Small’s arrest warrant, a witness told investigators Small frequently tried to isolate the victim from friends who questioned her finances. The witness said Small became upset when others tried to help the victim with banking and threatened to stop providing care if the victim went to the bank with anyone else.

The witness also told investigators Small warned the victim she could be fined $20,000 if anyone discovered she was paying Small “under the table” — despite the victim never agreeing to such an arrangement.

Charges, bond

In all, investigators say the scheme resulted in approximately $180,321.73 in unauthorized thefts, fraudulent transactions, and transfers from the victim’s financial accounts.

Small faces the following felony charges: theft of $50,000 or more from a person 65 or older, defrauding a person 65 or older of $50,000 or more, illegal use of credit cards, exploitation of an elderly person exceeding $50,000, use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony, uttering a false check or bank instrument, and fraudulent use of identification without consent with a victim 60 or older.

Small was ordered to have no contact with the victim.

Cohen, who served prison time for his role in what he said was covering up Trump’s “dirty deeds,” confirmed that the Republican president will appear in a taped interview airing on his 77 WABC program Thursday evening and Sunday.

The apparent truce with Cohen makes him the latest in a long line of Trump loyalists who have had public falling-outs with the president but found themselves back in his good graces. Other recent examples include Elon Musk and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

But the split from Cohen was perhaps the most personal. Cohen once boasted that he would “take a bullet” for Trump and was by Trump's side during his political rise. After their public breakup, Cohen's testimony in Trump's 2024 criminal hush-money trial instead paved the way for Trump's criminal conviction just as he was trying to make his political comeback.

Cohen has since criticized prosecutors in the case and has said he and Trump have started to reconcile.

The White House did not comment on Cohen’s statements or confirm the appearance, but Trump’s official schedule showed him taping a radio interview Thursday morning.

In a long post on his online newsletter Thursday promoting the interview, Cohen said that although his relationship with Trump became “political blood sport,” there were 15 years of close friendship between them.

“The good times don’t cease to have existed because the bad times came afterward,” Cohen wrote.

Simply, he said: “We forgave.”

Trump has made no warm public statements about Cohen but in a series of social media posts this year linked to some of his former lawyer’s comments saying he felt pressured by prosecutors to testify against Trump in the criminal hush money case and a civil fraud case.

Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison in 2018 after pleading guilty to campaign finance charges and lying to Congress, among other crimes.

The campaign finance charges stemmed from his efforts to arrange payouts during the 2016 presidential race to keep the porn actor Stormy Daniels and model Karen McDougal from making public claims of extramarital affairs with Trump.

In 2024, Cohen testified in the criminal case against Trump about the payment to Daniels, which prosecutors said was an illegal effort to influence the 2016 presidential election. Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

Cohen testified before Congress in 2019, alleging Trump had a history of misrepresenting the value of assets to gain favorable loan terms and tax benefits.

He gave similar testimony in a 2023 civil fraud trial in New York that found Trump and his companies engaged in fraud by exaggerating his wealth for decades. A New York appeals court later threw out a $550 million judgment against Trump in that case. Trump has asked a court to overturn the remaining parts of the case.

In his tell-all memoir in 2020, “Disloyal: The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J. Trump,” Cohen was unsparing, calling Trump an “organized crime don” and “master manipulator.”

But, foreshadowing their later rapprochement, Cohen also wrote that he still cared for Trump, writing, “I had and still have a lot of affection for him.”

The 20 deportees arrived at Roberts International Airport outside Monrovia.

Deportees will include African nationals as well as nationals from North America, South America and the Caribbean, according to Liberian Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah. Liberian Justice Minister Natu Oswald Tweh has said they could seek asylum in the West African country if they wished.

The U.S. State Department declined to answer questions about the Liberia agreement, but said that implementing the Trump administration’s immigration policies was a “top priority.” It said it was “unwavering in our commitment to end illegal and mass immigration and bolster America’s border security.”

The U.S. Homeland Security Department declined to confirm Thursday's deportations “for operational security reasons” and referred additional questions to the State Department.

Third-country agreements are often shrouded in secrecy. Migrants have been deported to countries they have never been to or where they face safety risks and are left with little choice other than to return to the home countries they were fleeing from.

The Trump administration struck agreements with at least 35 countries to deport people who are from other countries, including Liberia and 13 others in Africa, according to Third Country Deportation Watch, a partnership of Refugees International and Human Rights First that relies on public records requests, news reports and other sources. More than 23,000 people have deported to 26 countries under the agreements.

The U.S. State Department previously announced that Liberia agreed to accept deportees who are not from Liberia. But a six-page agreement reached in September 2025 and posted on its website does not say how many or from which countries.

In October 2025, Liberia offered to accept Kilmar Abrego Garcia of El Salvador, who was mistakenly deported to prison in El Salvador. Blocked from sending him to his native country, the Trump administration has vowed to send him to a third county, including Liberia.

Abrego Garcia has said he would agree to be deported to Costa Rica, which has said it will accept him. But the government has so far declined to send him there. Abrego Garcia is fighting deportation to Liberia in a federal lawsuit in Maryland.

Manuel Ernesto Hernandez-Umana, who has a pending federal criminal case in connection with the Aug. 8 crash, lied to a border officer and falsely claimed he was a U.S. citizen when he entered the country in Texas in 2007, the Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday.

Hernandez-Umana, 46, a citizen of El Salvador, is being held at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey, according to online records. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said he will eventually be deported.

Immigration authorities arrested him after he was released on bail in his criminal case, where he is charged with causing the deaths of 5-month old Antonella Garcia and 27-year-old Sara Sanchez through misconduct or neglect.

According to prosecutors, Hernandez-Umana wasn’t licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard, wasn’t aware of basic safety rules and told investigators he’d borrowed his friend’s personal vessel for the New York Harbor excursion. The boat was illegally chartered and overcrowded, prosecutors said.

“Once he faces justice for his crimes, we will make sure that he is swiftly removed from our country,” Mullin said in a statement.

Hernandez-Umana's lawyer, Amy Gallicchio, declined comment.

Hernandez, who had been living in Manville, New Jersey, was not required to enter a plea at his initial court appearance in the criminal case on Aug. 10. He wiped his eyes as he arrived to the courtroom, still wearing the T-shirt, swim trunks and water shoes he’d had on during the voyage. He is due back in court on Sept. 9.

According to Coast Guard investigators, Hernandez was piloting a 21-foot Yamaha AR210 with 14 people aboard — well over its 10 person capacity — when it swamped and sank as it made a U-turn in choppy waters. The tour began around 7 p.m. and the vessel capsized more than three hours into its journey.

The infant wasn’t wearing a life preserver because the boat didn’t have any for small children, prosecutors said. Instead, Hernandez told Sanchez she needed to wear a life vest and hold the infant throughout the hourslong tour, a violation of federal regulations, prosecutors said.

The tour was organized through Zeus Luxury Rental Inc., which advertises its services on social media platforms including Instagram and TikTok. A boat chartered by the company caught fire last year during a birthday cruise on Long Island Sound.

According to his criminal complaint, Hernandez told investigators he had worked for Zeus Luxury on a freelance or contract basis since last year, starting as a limousine driver. He said that twice recently he used his personal boat, a slightly larger Yamaha AR250, but used a friend’s boat on Aug. 8 because his needed repairs, the complaint said.

Messages seeking comment were sent to a phone number and email address listed on Zeus Luxury’s website. The phone number’s voicemail was full, according to an automated recording.

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This story has been updated to correct that Homeland Security announced the arrest Wednesday, not Monday.

Nguyen Thi Quynh Tam, 24, said she was raped on July 5 and pressured by the man’s family to accept money and not go to police. She said the police also initially urged her to settle the matter privately.

The AP does not usually identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted, except if they come forward publicly about the abuse. Tam's candor is unusual for Vietnam, where sexual violence is rarely discussed publicly, but she said she wanted to speak out to help protect other women.

“I’m doing this not just for me. But for everybody else that has been harmed,” said Tam.

Tam’s account was documented in interviews, her police complaint and communications with U.S. and Vietnamese officials. After she sought help from U.S. officials and a U.S. lawmaker, officials confirmed Thursday that they had charged the 23-year-old man.

Vietnam’s foreign ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang said authorities had initiated legal proceedings “in accordance with Vietnamese law.” She did not respond to questions about alleged police pressure to settle the case.

The man charged in the case did not respond to AP queries sent via social media.

Tam, whose family moved to the United States when she was 5 years old, returned to Vietnam in May for a banking internship, hoping to reconnect with her family’s homeland. She joined a group of acquaintances on a July 4 trip to a resort in Phu Tho, near Hanoi.

The group stayed up late and when she went to bed, Tam found herself locked out of the room where she expected to sleep. She found another bedroom and fell asleep with the door unlocked, then awoke to the 23-year-old man kissing her neck.

Her complaint says Tam told him not to touch her, but he persisted and climbed on top of her. She pushed and punched him and shouted, “No!” But he pinned both her arms above her head and raped her.

Later that night, she messaged her boyfriend in the U.S. that she had been raped. The AP has seen the messages.

Afterward, she said she blamed herself and struggled mentally. Others in the group they traveled with told her the man was from a wealthy, politically-connected family and she was unsure what to do.

Tam said the man apologized twice on July 9, in a note and during a phone call. The AP has heard a recording of the call and seen the note.

On July 11, Tam and friends of her family met with the man's father in an encounter suggested by members of the group she traveled with. She said he asked how much money she wanted for not involving the police. He called five days later, again offering compensation, she said.

In an email to the The Associated Press, the father said the two had been “intimate,” but he declined to comment further. He said his family had “no intention” of pressuring Tam to drop the case.

Tam said that after she reported the incident to police on July 21, they took her back to the room where she said she was raped and asked her to reenact the assault, leaving her distraught.

“A part of me is gone. And it’s in that room,” she said.

The next day, she said, police urged her to meet with the 23-year-old and to sign a statement saying she had refused a rape kit and a lawyer. She refused. The police again asked her to settle while she was getting mental health care at a Hanoi hospital, she said.

Tam, who is from Houston, Texas, said she got little help at the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, where she was told she could report the matter to Vietnamese police, or return home. She said she was discouraged when they cited a previous sexual assault case that dragged on for over a year before being dropped.

After Tam's father contacted their senator, Ted Cruz, the embassy called her to apologize. It told Cruz’s office it had supported Tam and helped her contact authorities. Her father called that “inaccurate,” according to a July 29 email exchange.

The State Department said it was aware of her case, but couldn't comment further because of legal and privacy reasons. It said American “safety and security” was its top priority.

Four games to watch

(8) Columbia at (2) Bolles

One of the Week 1 headliners against teams who have had a recent history of blowouts or shootouts. Bolles routed Columbia the last two seasons (31-0 last year and 42-17 in 2024). Bolles is 4-3 against the Tigers over the last decade. The Bulldogs have the area’s top RB in Xander Edwards. The big change this season is the line blocking for Edwards. There may be a bit of a learning curve as some of the younger players settle in, but Edwards is legit. Bolles has a defense that is going to make things difficult on Columbia. Edge Asher Ghioto (pictured below) is the big name to watch but LB Christian Hayes is going to terrorize teams this season. The Tigers have historically fielded good defensive teams. Jae’quan Wilson had s acoop-and-score in the kickoff classic against Oakleaf. Offensively is where Columbia will need to show improvement. WR Kyren Caldwell is one of the area’s top recruits, and the Tigers need to get him the ball in space as much as possible.

(1) Raines at (9) Oakleaf

Just the third meeting between these programs, with Raines romping to easy wins in 2017 (41-3) and ’18 (40-27). That was before either head coach was with the program. Raines alum Donovan Masline is 27-1 over the past two seasons leading the Vikings. They are coming off a 14-0 season that ended with the Class 3A state championship. Raines graduated a boatload of talent but does have a its share of impact players returning. LB Johdeem Jones and edge Troy Butler are the top defensive players back for the Vikings. Butler is a wrecking machine (25 TFL, 10 sacks). QB Samon Ellison-Morgan looked sharp in limited action last year, completing 63% of his passes for 7 TDs and no INTs. RB TJ Williamson is with the Vikings this year and has immense upside. As pass catchers, Kiran Jackson and Zion Green will see a much larger workload. Can Oakleaf’s offense find success? QB Jaidan Delaune has plenty of football experience from his time at Riverside, and he’s got a legitimate No. 1 target in four-year player Mike Conner. Defense is where Oakleaf should be able to match up well. DL Mason Thomas (96 tackles, 16 TFL) is one of the top players in Clay County.

(7) Trinity Christian at (6) Ed White, 6:30 p.m.

Rematch of a quality Week 1 game last year, won by the Commanders (45-28). That win was their best of a season where they racked up a state-record 537 points in the regular season. The reason why Ed White didn’t receive as much statewide love for the mark is that the competition was lean. They beat Westside (0-9), Englewood (0-10), Sandalwood (1-9), Parker (2-8) and Riverside (2-8) in that regular season. So, what did head coach Lawrence Johnson do? He ditched the lower tier Gateway competition and got teams like Bradford, Raines and Camden County on the schedule. The ultimate goal for the Commanders is to shine in the playoffs, and they got taken apart by battle-tested St. Augustine in the second round last year. QB King Boylston is one of the area’s top dual-threat players and he’s coming off a 38-TD season. RB Rontrez Loyd returns and he had 12 TDs last year. Top pass catcher King Mercer (835 yards, 7 TDs) is also back. The Commanders had the offense to keep pace last year but they must improve on the defensive side. In their three losses, they gave up 52, 45 and 44 points. The Conquerors are on the short list of state title contenders in Class 1A. Head coach Verlon Dorminey is already a coaching legend, racking up nine state championships and a 343-94 career record. Trinity has fielded an extremely young team the last two seasons and that youth is coming of age. QB Terel Dallas is a capable runner and passer. RB Micah Anderson showcased last season that he can be the No. 1 back. Chris Grissett and Arryon Brookins combined for six TD catches last season. The Conquerors should be better on defense, too. Adrian Williams is back to anchor the defensive line, while ATH Terrell Pinkney and DB Za’khari Greene are both future big-time college players.

(10) University Christian at Ponte Vedra

The schools are a size mismatch (Ponte Vedra is Class 5A and UC is 1A), but this should be one of the week’s best matchups. The Sharks reached the state semifinals last year but graduated a truckload of impact players. They have Noah Ash, one of the best place kickers in the country, as a serious special teams weapon. WR Trent Player is another Ponte Vedra player who could be a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses. RB Alex Winkles also returns for the Sharks. UC has state aspirations of its own in Class 1A. DL Julius LaRosa III (pictured below) is a pocket buster and will be a challenge for the Ponte Vedra offensive line. On offense, TE Connor Winn is a Florida State commit and RB Kyree Wilson has home run ability and closing in on 4,000 career rushing yards (he enters with 3,807).

Next four

Fletcher at Sandalwood, 6:30 p.m.: The Senators have won the last four games by eight points or more, and 11 of the last 18 over the last 22 seasons. Could the Saints turn things around under new head coach Malik Reaves, a former player and assistant at Fletcher?

(3) Mandarin at McArthur (Broward County Showcase): Really challenging matchup for the Mustangs. McArthur is coming off a 10-3 season where its only losses were to St. Thomas Aquinas (twice) and Chaminade-Madonna. Mandarin ATH Brysen Wright gets the expected and deserved headlines, but two other playmakers to watch are RB Shaunqueze Foster and DL Kindrid Outland. Those guys are legit.

Matanzas at Flagler Palm Coast: Potato Bowl has been dominated by the Bulldogs. Matanzas won back-to-back games in 2015-16 and hasn’t won on the field again since. The 15-3 FPC series lead includes one loss by forfeit.

St. Augustine at Palatka: Twelve consecutive wins in this series for the Yellow Jackets. It’s the longest winning streak in a series that began in 1922. Palatka’s longest winning streak is nine on two occasions (1988-96 and 1963-71)

Week 1

Friday, Aug. 21 (all games 7 p.m. unless noted)

Atlantic at Crescent City (0-1)

Baker County at Clay

Beachside at KIPP Bold City, 6:30 p.m.

Bishop Kenny at NFEI

Charlton County at West Nassau

Columbia at Bolles

Cornerstone Classical at Bishop McLaughlin, 6 p.m.

Duval Charter (0-1) at Old Plank Christian (1-0), 7:30 p.m.

Eagle’s View (0-1) at Branford, 7:30 p.m.

Eastside at Fort White, 7:30 p.m.

Englewood at Bishop Snyder (0-1)

Episcopal (1-0) at Providence

Fernandina Beach (1-0) at Tallahassee Leon

First Coast at Ribault, 6:30 p.m.

First Coast Christian (0-1) at Christ’s Church Academy (1-0)

Fleming Island at Atlantic Coast, 6:30 p.m.

Fletcher at Sandalwood, 6:30 p.m.

Harvest Community (1-0) at Stanton (1-0), 6:30 p.m.

Hilliard at All Saints Academy

Impact Christian at Chiles

Jackson at Orange Park

Keystone Heights (0-1) at Interlachen, 7:30 p.m.

Mandarin at McArthur (Broward County Showcase)

Matanzas at Flagler Palm Coast

Menendez at Middleburg

Nease at Creekside

Parker at Riverside, 6:30 p.m.

Paxon (0-1) at Wolfson, 6:30 p.m.

Raines at Oakleaf

St. Augustine at Palatka

Suwannee at Crystal River

Tocoi Creek at Bartram Trail

Trinity Christian at Ed White, 6:30 p.m.

Union County (1-0) at Rutherford, 7:30 p.m.

University Christian at Ponte Vedra

West Port at Bradford, 7:30 p.m.

Westside at Ridgeview

Young Kids in Motion at Joshua Christian

Yulee at Baldwin, 6:30 p.m.

Zarephath Academy at IMG Academy White

OFF: St. Joseph.

Gardner is one of three defendants charged in the February 2022 ambush killing of Kirsten Bridegan’s late husband, Jared. Gardner’s now-estranged husband, Mario Fernandez, is also accused in the murder-for-hire case and is currently on trial.

(Click here for ongoing coverage of Fernandez’s trial.)

Kite’s order followed a heated dispute over a motion from Gardner’s defense team seeking private messages and other material from Kirsten Bridegan’s phone and social media accounts. They say the material could have evidentiary value in Gardner’s defense.

Bridegan’s attorneys argued the request was an overly broad “fishing expedition” and an improper attempt to examine the phone of the widow of a murder victim.

They said a reliable forensic extraction would require imaging the entire phone, potentially exposing private information unrelated to the case.

But Kite has already said in court that she believes imaging the entire phone is a violation of Bridegan’s privacy rights, which is why she narrowed the scope of what could be retrieved from her accounts.

The parties also disagreed over the vendor who would conduct the forensic examination. Bridegan’s attorneys objected to the first defense-selected vendor, arguing that the vendor appeared to be part of Gardner’s legal team and had made misleading statements about its independence.

Gardner’s attorneys on Thursday offered a different third-party vendor option to the court, not connected to the defense team, that they said will be able to extract only the more narrow information the court has allowed. Previous vendors had said that would not be possible.

Before Kite’s order, Kirsten Bridegan’s attorneys also argued that she is entitled to heightened protection under Florida’s victims’ rights law, commonly known as Marsy’s Law. They said the law protects her from harassment, intimidation and disclosure of information that could reveal confidential details or be used to locate or harass her or her family.

The attorneys asked Kite to reconsider her earlier order requiring Bridegan to provide phone data.

Alternatively, they asked to learn the specific reasons the defense considers the requested information material so they could properly challenge the intrusion into Bridegan’s privacy. Kite overruled their objection, saying Bridegan has no right to know defense strategy.

Kite said she previously reviewed a sealed submission from Gardner’s attorneys and determined that some of the requested information had evidentiary value.

Her order limits the scope of the material that may be shared and requires the court to review the communications first. Only substantive information is to be provided to the defense.

Gardner is slated to begin jury selection for her September trial after the Fernandez trial has ended.

The man was arrested on a European warrant in the northern Croatian town of Pula on Wednesday. He was questioned on Thursday by prosecutors who requested the detention pending extradition proceedings, the state HRT television reported.

The man's lawyer, Matija Milos, said that they would appeal the detention order, the HINA news agency reported. It wasn't immediately clear how long the extradition proceedings in Croatia could last.

The German prosecutors have said that the suspect was a “trained scuba diver” who belonged to a group of people who “planted explosives” on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea near the Danish island of Bornholm.

The undersea explosions on Sept. 26, 2022, damaged the pipelines, which had been built to carry Russian natural gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea. The damage added to tensions over the Russia-Ukraine war as European countries moved to wean themselves off Russian energy sources after the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor on Feb. 24, 2022.

The German prosecutor’s office identified the suspect only as Vladimir Z. A spokesperson, however, confirmed to The Associated Press that it was the same man who was arrested in Poland last year, but was later released when a Polish court refused to extradite him to Germany. Polish authorities identified him as Volodymyr Zhuravlov.

Poland has long opposed the Nord Stream pipelines, viewing them as an attempt by Russia to use its vast energy resources to gain leverage across Europe.

Last month, German federal prosecutors filed charges against a former Ukrainian army officer in connection with the same explosions.

Serhii K. was detained in August 2025 in an Italian village, where officers raided a bungalow where he was staying with his family. He was extradited to Germany in November.

The suspects allegedly used a yacht that set off from the German port of Rostock. The yacht had been rented from a German company using forged IDs and intermediaries.

The explosions ruptured the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which was Russia’s main natural gas supply route to Germany until Moscow cut off supplies in August 2022. They also damaged Nord Stream 2, which never entered service because Germany suspended its certification process shortly before Russia’s all-out invasion.

Initially, some officials in the West suspected that Russia might have carried out the explosions. But German investigators later pointed to suspected Ukrainian involvement.

Russia has accused the U.S. of staging the explosions, a charge that Washington has denied. The pipelines were long a target of criticism by the U.S. and some of its allies, which warned that they increased dependence on Russian gas.

“We are plant city grown and Florida strong,” Moody told the crowd, crediting longtime friends, family and community members for shaping the person she has become. “Whatever your contribution was to getting me here today, I want you to know I honor it, I cherish it, and I will never forget it.”

Touting a record of service

Moody wasted no time highlighting what she described as an aggressive record of accomplishment during her time in Washington. She said her Senate office earned recognition from a bipartisan organization as having the best constituent service of any Senate office in the nation — an achievement she said came within just one year, a feat she called unprecedented.

“We got up there and we got to work,” she said. “We got busy trying to show the country what it means when government truly understands who their bosses are.”

Among the policy wins she cited were no tax on tips, no tax on Social Security, no tax on overtime, child investment accounts for every American baby born and expanded resources for education and parental choice.

“Meaningful opportunity that depends on a child’s needs, not the zip code they happen to be born into,” Moody said.

She also pointed to hurricane relief efforts for Florida residents, saying her office helped deliver billions of dollars in outstanding insurance claims that had gone unresolved for years.

“We’ve delivered billions in outstanding claims that were going back years and storms by rolling up our sleeves, getting to work, and remembering who our bosses were,” she said.

Florida as ‘a firewall for freedom’

Moody leaned heavily into Florida’s identity as a conservative stronghold, calling the state “a firewall for freedom” and invoking its response to what she described as government overreach during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We were the beacon of freedom during a time when the nation went crazy,” she said, referencing cities that she said “disrespected, demoralized, and defunded law enforcement” and governments that “shut people up in their own homes.”

She also highlighted her co-sponsorship of the Save America Act, which she said ensures only American citizens vote in American elections, calling it a priority she has been pushing her colleagues to advance.

A milestone on the campaign trail

Moody noted that her primary victory came on a historically significant date — the 106th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which guaranteed women the right to vote.

“It is strange to me that we celebrate that today when we are facing down people that want to eliminate or roll back the opportunities, whether educational or sports opportunities, that we have fought for and marched for, for women for decades,” she said.

She made a direct pledge to her supporters on the issue.

“When I am your new United States Senator, there is no way we will roll back opportunities for our girls and women on my watch,” Moody said. “It will never happen.”

Targeting Angie Nixon

Moody made no secret of her feelings about her Democratic general election opponent, Angie Nixon, whom she repeatedly described as a self-proclaimed socialist and proud member of the Democratic Socialists of America.

“My opponent will be a self-proclaimed socialist that proudly signed up and joined the Democratic Socialists of America,” Moody said. “That will be my opponent.”

She drew a direct contrast between herself and Nixon, framing the November race as a choice between two fundamentally different visions for Florida and the country.

“On one side, you will have a candidate that stood up for the state in the face of government crackdown, big government, called out Washington, held them to account,” Moody said. “And you’re gonna have one side that wants to defund the police, don’t fund our military, open up the border, non-citizen voting.”

Moody also took aim at Nixon’s bookstore, which she identified as Cafe Resistance, using it as a symbol of what she called an anti-American agenda.

“I am not making this up,” Moody said. “This is not some made-up fiction TV story. This is the election that will take place in this free state of Florida this November.”

She went further, accusing Nixon and her allies of actively working to undermine American institutions — including law enforcement.

“Angie Nixon, who will be my opponent in November, and her comrades want to destroy this country and everything that it is built on,” Moody said. “I am not exaggerating.”

Moody specifically called out what she described as Nixon’s platform positions, including abolishing prisons and releasing criminals into communities — a point she said would resonate with the law enforcement officers present at her victory celebration.

“I’m sure the law enforcement men and women that are here with us tonight love the position they have on abolishing prisons and releasing criminals into our communities,” she said. “We’re not making this stuff up.”

A call to action

With less than 80 days remaining until the general election, Moody urged supporters — Republican, Independent and Democrat alike — to engage their neighbors and make their voices heard.

“This election is so much more than voting for a person for the United States Senate,” she said. “This is about voting for the future of this country.”

She closed with a message of optimism rooted in her faith, her upbringing and her love of Florida.

“I am grounded in an abiding faith. I am grounded by those in this room who helped raise me. I am grounded by my love of this state and my love of the United States of America,” Moody said. “And we together will win big in November.”

Following her primary win, News4JAX reached out to Moody’s office to set up an interview. She was not available Thursday, but her team said they would try to make it work at a later date.

From traumatic accidents to degenerative conditions, a local neurosurgeon is sharing the simple steps people can take to help protect themselves.

Dr. Grzegorz Brzezicki, a neuroendovascular surgeon at HCA Florida Memorial Hospital, says his team regularly treats patients across a wide range of neurological cases.

“We do take care of a lot of trauma patients, both head injuries and spinal injuries,” Brzezicki said.

While the titles may sound similar, Brzezicki outlined a key distinction between a neurosurgeon and a neurologist: a neurosurgeon performs operations, while a neurologist uses non-surgical methods, but both specialists treat the same conditions, including injuries and disorders affecting the brain, neck, spinal cord and peripheral nerves.

E-bike injuries on the rise

From sports injuries to workplace accidents, Brzezicki sees a wide range of patients at HCA Florida Memorial Hospital. Lately, however, he’s noticing a troubling trend.

“Recently, we see a lot of e-bike injuries, which are very common unfortunately,” Brzezicki said. “People do not realize that those devices can go very fast and they cause a lot of injuries if they’re not operated in a responsible manner.”

That increase isn’t limited to the Jacksonville area. Brzezicki says the spike in e-bike-related injuries is being seen across the country, and that taking proper precautions could be life-saving.

“Wearing a helmet, obeying speed limits, driving safely,” he said.

Robotic surgery

Advances in technology are also bringing new optimism to the field of neurosurgery.

Brzezicki says he’s particularly excited about one emerging area of innovation.

“I think I’m mostly excited about the new developments in computer-brain interface,” he said. “I think that’s probably our best chance to try to help the patients with complete spinal cord injuries. We’ve been trying different approaches in research, trying to give stem cells to the injury of the spinal cord.”

Prevention over treatment

When it comes to everyday health, Brzezicki’s message is straightforward: preventing injuries is always better than treating them.

He encourages athletes to practice and play the right way, and to be thoughtful about physical risks.

“Unfortunately, over time some of these degenerative conditions can appear, but definitely staying fit, staying active is going to help,” Brzezicki said.

For more information on HCA Florida’s neurosurgery and spine treatments in Jacksonville, visit hcafloridaphysicians.com.

The Bruins are to play two games in Munich, while the Oilers will play two matches in Leon Draisaitl’s native city of Cologne during the 2027-28 NHL season. The opponents have yet to be determined.

“These events represent an important step in our commitment to grow the game in Germany. By bringing more NHL games to one of Europe’s most dynamic hockey markets, we hope to continue to deepen engagement amongst our fans, partners and local communities, while at the same time creating a significant opportunity to grow the game throughout the country,” NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said.

The Chicago Blackhawks and Ottawa Senators were already slated to play two games in Düsseldorf in December. Those Global Series games are the second and third regular-season games the league has staged in Germany after the Buffalo Sabres and Los Angeles Kings played in Berlin in 2011.

More are to follow with the NHL and NHLPA committed to bringing regular-season games to Germany for at least the next three seasons.

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See AP’s full NHL coverage here

The petition with the hashtag InfantinOut also calls for FIFA "to be rebuilt so that the current debacle can never happen again.”

“The shameful attempt by one individual — the FIFA President himself — to sell off the World Cup to private investors exposed a betrayal football will never forget,” the petition said about Infantino's plan for a commercial spinoff, which he dropped amid a furious backlash.

The fan groups include Football Supporters Europe, Football Supporters Africa and, in North America, the Independent Supporters Council, plus about 40 national fan groups worldwide.

Infantino has resisted calls to leave office despite European soccer body UEFA saying it has no confidence in him. He has also been criticized by the leadership of North America’s CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation.

Some of FIFA's 211 member federations are supporting Infantino, including 2030 World Cup co-host Morocco as well as Qatar, where he lived before the emirate hosted the 2022 World Cup, and Lebanon, which gave him citizenship this year. Saudi Arabia, the 2034 host, has not publicly backed Infantino despite his close political ties to the kingdom.

“Gianni Infantino has demonstrated a profound failure of leadership, incompatible with democratic governance,” the fan petition states. “The concentration of power around the FIFA Presidency, combined with opaque decision-making, personality cult clientelism, and zero accountability has destroyed any remaining trust in the world governing body."

“For the credibility of FIFA — and for the future of the game — he must resign,” the petition adds.

FIFA was approached for comment about the petition.

Fan anger at World Cup ticket prices

The petition also cites Infantino’s past support for projects that outraged fans, including the failed European Super League project, pushing to hold World Cups every two years that was resisted and the “extortionate ticketing policy at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”

FIFA and Infantino did not consult with fan groups before setting record ticket prices for the 104-game tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico, that provoked anger and led to some tickets being sold for $60 to the most loyal fans of each of the 48 teams.

Football Supporters Europe is the official liaison for fans with UEFA and advises on ticket prices for European Championships and club cup finals like the Champions League.

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See AP’s full soccer coverage here

Thursday will begin mostly sunny before a few showers and thunderstorms develop during the afternoon, mainly after 2 p.m. Rain coverage will remain fairly limited at around 30 percent, but any storm that develops could produce frequent lightning, heavy rainfall and gusty winds. Storm chances increase to approximately 40 percent Thursday evening before activity gradually fades overnight. Temperatures will only fall into the upper 70s.

Another hot and humid afternoon is expected Friday, with a high near 95 degrees and heat index values potentially reaching 107. Sunshine will give way to increasing clouds and scattered thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Rain coverage rises to around 50 percent, with most storms diminishing before midnight.

The weekend will bring a better opportunity for widespread rain. Showers and thunderstorms become likely after 11 a.m. Saturday, with rain chances reaching 70 percent. Saturday’s high will be near 93 degrees, followed by another round of evening storms.

Sunday will not be a washout, but scattered showers and thunderstorms remain possible, with rain chances near 40 percent and a high around 93. Typical late-summer conditions continue into early next week, featuring highs in the lower to middle 90s and daily chances for afternoon thunderstorms.

Anyone spending time outside Thursday should take frequent breaks, drink plenty of water and avoid strenuous activity during the hottest part of the afternoon. Never leave children or pets inside a parked vehicle.

Anthony’s attorney told a newly appointed judge that prosecutors also did not follow through with an off-the-record agreement. Defense attorney Russell Wilson said the case’s original judge allowed a “shadow docket” that kept information out of the trial.

“Everything was done off the record, at an astonishing clip,” said Wilson, who didn't represent Anthony at the criminal trial.

Anthony already won a legal victory on Wednesday when the judge who presided over his trial was removed from the case. Judge Michael Chitty was then assigned to consider the motion from Anthony's attorneys asking for a retrial in the killing of Austin Metcalf.

Anthony, now 19, was sentenced to 35 years in prison in the case.

Prosecutor Bill Wirskye argued Thursday that Anthony had received a fair trial and said that his attorneys had agreed to everything that was done during the trial.

Anthony's attorneys had asked for state District Judge John Roach to be removed in part because of a TV interview in which Roach said jurors “got it right” when they delivered a guilty verdict.

In seeking a new trial, Anthony’s attorneys have argued that the June proceedings were marred by strict courtroom rules and improper jury instructions. They have also said Anthony’s decision to not testify came after a dispute with prosecutors over an agreement to focus the trial on the events leading up to the stabbing.

Jurors in the trial had rejected Anthony’s claims he acted in self-defense during a confrontation with Metcalf in the stadium bleachers last year. Students who took the stand described a heated exchange over Anthony’s refusal on a rainy spring day to leave a tent that belonged to Metcalf’s team.

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

During the recusal hearing Wednesday, Anthony's legal team focused on comments Roach made to a Dallas TV station after the trial had ended. In the interview, which was played as the hearing began, Roach was asked if the jury got “it right.”

“Yeah, they did,” Roach said, adding: “Whatever they say, they got it right.”

During the interview, Roach also defended his courtroom rules and spoke about the onslaught of online postings about the case.

As national attention on the killing intensified last year, the families of both Metcalf and Anthony said they had been targets of harassment.

Several schools were competing at the track event when Anthony sat under the Memorial High School tent that was perched in the bleachers. Metcalf and others had repeatedly told Anthony to leave, witnesses testified, leading to an escalating confrontation.

Prosecutors said Anthony provoked Metcalf, and witnesses testified that Anthony was the aggressor.

Anthony at one point reached inside a bag and replied: “Touch me and see what happens,” according to a police report.

Metcalf pushed Anthony, according to witnesses, who said Anthony then pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the chest.

“This is the concertmaster,” Honeck said, “and also my brother.”

Among nine siblings, Manfred and Rainer are making a rare joint appearance in the Salzburg Festival's new production of Richard Strauss' “Ariadne auf Naxos,” which runs through Aug. 28. Director Ersan Mondtag's unconventional staging shifts the setting from Vienna to Mars and is available to stream on Medici.

Otto, the Honecks' father, was a postman in Nenzing, Austria, who played the flugelhorn and zither in his spare time.

“He wanted us to all play an instrument. I’m not sure whether the Trapp family was somehow in his head," Manfred said, referencing the musical clan in Rodgers and Hammerstein's “The Sound of Music.”

Manfred, who turns 68 next month, became the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra's music director in 2008-09 and in June agreed to a contract extension through 2032-33 that will move him past William Steinberg (1952-76) as the orchestra's longest-serving head.

Rainer, 65, joined the Vienna State Opera Orchestra in 1981 and was admitted to the Vienna Philharmonic three years later. He has been a concertmaster — the lead violin — since 1992.

A sister, Sibylle, plays cello for the Vienna Volksoper and an older brother, Otto, was a pianist and coach for the Frankfurt Opera. Manfred's son Matthias is a principal second violin in the Vienna Symphony Orchestra.

Family didn't have much money

Manfred, the seventh sibling, and Rainer, the eighth, both played violin as kids.

“Our father was very consistent. He wanted us to practice every day, and he practiced with us,” Rainer said. “So he played on the piano and that was very important for us to get this routine, to have every day only one hour, but every day a practice.”

A teacher, Grete Urbanek, gave them fruit yogurt at lessons.

“We could not afford to buy yogurt at home. And we had only meat on Sunday. The other seven days we were eating local food, which is called ribel,” Manfred said of a local cornmeal.

Their mother, Frieda, died in 1965 after giving birth to her ninth child. A few years later, their father moved the family to Vienna so the children could access better music teachers.

“If he would not have done this, I think we would not have this profession,” Manfred said during a joint interview with Rainer. “It always reminds me: One human makes a decision and it changes your whole life."

Seven Honeck siblings lived with their father in a 2 1/2-room apartment, while the two oldest sisters worked to help support the family.

Rainer studied with Alfred Staar, a Vienna Philharmonic violinist, and at age 15 he decided to become a professional musician.

“I was not good in Latin. I was behind and there was the decision: Do I repeat the class one more year or do I want to be a violin player?" he said. “That was a decision which many of my family members didn’t agree with but my father did.”

Rainer plays a Stradivarius from 1725 known as “Chaconne.” He joined Manfred and the Pittsburgh orchestra for concerts at their home hall in 2015 and the Aspen Music Festival the following year, for Beethoven’s “Fidelio” with the Vienna Symphony at the Theater an der Wien in 2020.

“He is great in terms of style, of articulation, phrasing," Vienna Philharmonic General Manager Michael Bladerer said. "When he says something to the section it will sound different after.”

Unplanned instrument shift

Manfred made a sudden switch from violin to viola in December 1982 when he learned the Vienna Philharmonic had an upcoming opening.

“The audition was in April and so I thought, OK, I want to do it,” he said, recalling he practiced every day, from morning to midnight.

Manfred won the audition but shifted his focus to conducting in 1987, becoming an assistant to Claudio Abbado at the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester. He conducted regularly at the Zurich Opera from 1991-96, was part of a trio of principal conductors at the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra from 1996-99.

He later served as music director of the Norwegian National Opera, the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Staatsoper Stuttgart.

Manfred’s Pittsburgh Symphony is the only American orchestra appearing at this summer’s Salzburg Festival, part of a 13-concert European tour through Sept. 10. He’s become the Pittsburgh orchestra’s face.

“We joke sometimes that he probably spends more weeks in Pittsburgh than he does in Altach, his home,” Pittsburgh Symphony CEO Melia Tourangeau said.

Nilsson, the soprano, had never worked with Manfred before “Ariadne.”

“I have learned from him to really trust the colors and to experiment how far can we go in the pianissimi and the softness,” she said.

Kindness from usher to child

Manfred credits an usher at Vienna's Musikverein for sparking his interest in conducting when he was a child in the late 1960s or early 1970s. Manfred wanted to see Willi Boskovsky lead the famous New Year's Day concert and lined up with his father for standing room tickets.

“We could not afford any seat places,” Manfred recalled. “There were 200 people around me and I had no chance to see. He saw me and he picked me out and put me in front of all the people who were standing in line for a whole day to get the best standing places. Hearing and seeing Willi Boskovsky, it seems to me that this was one of the occasions where I felt I really wanted to do this.”

The St. Johns River Water Management District took the time to talk to us today about why water conservation remains so important.

The northern portions of the District remain some of the driest areas as rainfall is not exceeding evapotranspiration, therefore not providing aquifer recharge.

Clay Coarsey, Director of the Division of Water Supply Planning and Assessment, “just wanting to remind everyone that we still have some extremely low levels in the aquifer and still need to be taking those conservation measures seriously even though we’ve had some of those afternoon thunderstorms rolling through.”

Coarsey continues, “we aren’t at record lows, but we are certainly approaching record lows. If we don’t start to get this rainfall that comes through.

And, I think one other thing that a lot of people tend to forget about with the rainfall that happens in the summertime is we normally get a lot of rainfall in the summertime, right? And that we’ve actually been getting a little bit less than we should have been getting up through July.

And that with the heat and the evaporation and the transpiration from the plants, you end up losing a lot of that rainfall and it doesn’t make it down into the aquifer where we can have it stored for use later.“

Watch the full interview here.

Phase 1, 2 and 3 restrictions continue for our region

At some institutions, charities did see some gains. In 2021, University of Maryland student athletes receiving NIL payments started serving yearlong mentorships with high school students through a program run by a local nonprofit, the Youth Leadership Foundation, one of the several charities that had relationships with Maryland athletes. About 250 students from colleges in low-income neighborhoods typically participate each year, according to Janaiha Bennett, the nonprofit’s executive director.

“Being able to expose students to role models that care about character and care about conducting themselves well as athletes, that’s been a huge plus,” Bennett said.

Initially, the visits with student athletes and tours of the university’s athletic facilities were organized by the Blueprint Sports Foundation, a nonprofit that managed payments to NIL collectives nationwide.

But the real financial benefits went to college athletes. Five years after the court gave the green light to pay athletes in NCAA v. Alston, payments to quarterbacks, gymnasts, pitchers, and other coveted athletes have reached nearly $2 billion annually. It is unclear how much nonprofits have gained, but any benefits charities receive are minuscule compared with the large sums of cash colleges raise to attract and retain star athletes, according to experts.

The idea that charities would benefit turned out to be short-lived rather than baked in to the system, said Jason Kohout, a lawyer who has represented several NIL collectives.

“It was kind of a blip,” he said.

The rise and fall of NIL collectives

In the Alston case, the Supreme Court officially turned amateur college sports into a big money game for athletes through these NIL payments. For the first time, companies and nonprofits were allowed to pay athletes to appear at events, wear their apparel, and make social media posts.

Shortly after the decision, alumni boosters and businesses rushed to form NIL collectives and registered them as nonprofits. Doing so allowed donations to be tax deductible. But in 2023, the Internal Revenue Service ruled that those collectives did not qualify for a tax-exemption. Their main purpose — compensating students — does not chiefly serve the public, which is typically required to qualify for nonprofit status, the agency found.

“This private benefit is not a byproduct but is rather a fundamental part of a nonprofit NIL collective’s activities,” the agency wrote.

The collectives received another blow following a 2025 settlement in a massive class action case, House v. NCAA, which pitted former student athletes against the college sports organization. The settlement provided for revenue sharing of television contracts and ticket sales among big conference universities, allowing them to direct $20.5 million per college — indexed for inflation — toward student compensation each year.

With colleges able to make payments to students directly, several NIL collectives have since closed, including Student Athlete NIL, whose colleges included Georgia Tech, the University of Oklahoma, and Wake Forest University; an NIL fund associated with Texas A&M’s 12th Man Foundation; and Notre Dame’s FUND Foundation.

“NIL collectives have basically been in shutdown mode because now you can just give the money to the school,” Kohout said.

An opportunity to educate about giving

When the IRS started taking a dim view of NIL collectives seeking tax exemption, the nonprofit Blueprint Sports Foundation, which paid athletes, including University of Maryland players, disbanded.

The university’s in-house NIL program, One Maryland, still works with Blueprint Sports, a related for-profit organization that processes student payments from non-tax-deductible donations. One Maryland did not return calls from the Chronicle.

In its last tax filing, in 2024, the Blueprint Sports Foundation indicated it devoted a total of $844,078 to 90 athletes for charitable activities in partnership with about a half dozen nonprofits near campus. Today, Maryland Terrapin athletes are no longer paid to visit with students through the Youth Leadership Foundation program. But Youth Leadership’s Bennett said student athlete involvement hasn’t subsided and the program is “still going strong.”

However, the connection between college athletes and nonprofits won’t just run on autopilot, some warn. Roy Kessel, founder of the Sports Philanthropy Network, worries that as universities race to raise funds to pay athletes and remain competitive, charity will become an afterthought. Some athletes did create their own foundations after being introduced to giving through collectives. But if students receiving NIL payments aren’t educated about philanthropy, fewer will give to charity in the future and an opportunity will be lost, he said.

In 2022, Kessel launched NIL4Good, a campaign to encourage student athletes to give some of their NIL payments to charity. But raising money for the campaign has been difficult, he said.

One reason it’s been hard, he said, is that paying college athletes was such an immense cultural change that institutional practices, including educating students about money management, haven’t caught up. So far, universities have not made significant investments to help students identify what kind of donations they’d like to make and how to use their place in the spotlight for good, Kessel said.

What student athletes need, he said, is sound advice on the practice of giving and the freedom to choose how to make an impact that comes from the heart. Many of those students, he said, have not yet developed clear boundaries when friends and acquaintances try to seek a cut.

“What we’ve seen evolve over the last few years is that the individual athletes get pulled in a lot of directions,” he said. “Anytime somebody’s got money, that brings more people in.”

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Alex Daniels is a senior reporter at the Chronicle of Philanthropy, where you can read the full article. This article was provided to The Associated Press by the Chronicle of Philanthropy as part of a partnership to cover philanthropy and nonprofits supported by the Lilly Endowment. The Chronicle is solely responsible for the content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

To compete in the increasingly commercialized world of college sports, programs of its size might spend more than $40 million a year on talent acquisition, revenue sharing and other costs, according to experts. But just five of Louisville's 23 sports generate any revenue, according to the athletic department. Only football and men’s basketball turn profits.

Louisville, like a growing number of major conferences ′ public universities, is trying to narrow that spending gap and its supporters are trying to help by creating a new organization to oversee everything from third-party multimedia deals to hospitality packages.

This spring, Louisville launched Cardinal Ventures, a nonprofit designed to help the athletic department leverage its brand to generate new revenue streams, all to keep pace with the multibillion-dollar market around compensating athletes for the use of their name, image and likeness.

“We live in a highly, highly competitive environment and industry,” Heird said. “And if there’s anything that anybody can do to try to create even the smallest sort of competitive advantage, then they’re gonna look to do that.”

The University of Kentucky also has a revenue-raising nonprofit. The University of North Carolina is actively discussing a limited liability company. So, too, is Louisiana State University.

There’s “feverish” interest from higher education in these offshoots, according to Clay Grayson, whose South Carolina law firm designed Clemson University’s in-house venture. There’s also scrutiny from Congress. Widespread privatization could further transform universities into profit-driven businesses resembling professional sports franchises, weaning them off fatigued donors and opening the door to private capital.

“Governmental universities don’t do commercial very well,” Grayson said. “Those nonprofits are the ones that kind of can get out into that space.”

Record high gifts underscore the spending spree. Virginia Tech touted an “unprecedented” $75 million commitment intended to “ensure a strong start” for its nonprofit Hokie Ventures. Michigan State bolstered its athletic department with a $401 million contribution that included an investment in its own Spartan Ventures.

Louisville’s Heird said he frequently finds himself discussing these new organizations with peers as they all look to boost their bottom lines.

At his school, he has found some “low-hanging fruit” with concerts. Louisville’s 60,000-seat football stadium largely sits dark outside of home games.

Country music star Zach Bryan recently lit up the field. The rapper Ludacris headlines an upcoming hip-hop billing. Planning is already underway for next year’s shows — each of which could bring seven-figure profits for the hosts.

Athletic directors seek flexibility, control and a ‘commercial engine’

These new efforts may not provide a “silver bullet,” but they do offer new revenue and something many athletic directors may value even more — more control.

The nonprofits and LLCs offer greater flexibility to crack the financing puzzle than the previous system. Bureaucracy can drag decision-making out for months. Key components of the fan experience — tickets, parking, merchandise, concessions— are often outsourced to vendors they don’t fully run.

“There is an unstoppable train that is college sports," said Jason Belzer, a Sequence Equity partner who advises schools on NIL deals. "The reality is that you need to create new platforms and paradigms to be able to successfully operate a business that no longer really sits with the original mission of college athletics -- at least at the higher levels.”

Everything is on the table for Syracuse University. Athletic director Bryan Blair sees an opportunity to corner New York's college sports market. It's the state's only Power Four conference school. And all five ticketed sports play under a 50,000-seat dome that brings what he called a “big state school feel."

The question is how to build a “commercial engine,” Blair said, whether it exists within his department or outside it.

“We’re trying to educate young people, give them a great experience. We’re trying win on whatever day of the week it is for whatever competition it is. We’re trying to be great stewards and ambassadors for our university,” Blair said. “But to do a lot of those things requires more revenue than ever before.”

Nonprofits join growing number of affiliates

Commercial affiliates aren't new to higher education. Some universities use them to monetize drug patents or manage copyright.

Take the University of Kentucky, believed to be the first school to convert its athletic department into a limited-liability holding company. Trustees already managed separate health systems through a not-for-profit that was primed to take ownership of its athletics offshoot.

Athletic director J Batt, who recently joined the Wildcats from Michigan State, expects these formations will become the norm rather than an exception. “And everybody will do the one that’s right for your campus,” he added.

Grayson, the legal architect behind many such models, said he mostly hears from members of the Power Four. Those 67 schools tend to be the only ones with large, competitive enough programs to spend beyond the revenue-sharing cap of $21.3 million this year. His firm has helped create affiliated entities at an estimated one in seven schools competing in the Southeastern Conference, the Big Ten, the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big 12.

His model strays from the traditional nonprofit. He proposes smaller, seven-person boards in order to expedite decision-making. Some of the athletic ancillaries even own for-profits that handle taxable activities such as stadium concerts.

Another big difference: they’re not registered to fundraise because their focus is programmatic revenue. He recommends aligning these new ventures with existing fundraising organizations — like “two pedals of a bicycle.”

“If you get them moving in sync, you’ve got a powerful, powerful motor," he said.

Questions about charitable purpose and donor fatigue

It remains to be seen whether these new entities will alleviate donor pressure to bankroll costly football programs. Moreover, they raise the same question that murky NIL collectives did: what is the charitable purpose of an institution whose main goal is to generate more revenue for athletics?

The Internal Revenue Service decided many nonprofit NIL collectives were erroneously given charitable status. They served players, not the public good, so their activities were likely not exempt from taxes.

These affiliates are similar, in the view of an NIL tax consultant who previously worked at the IRS. Thad Madden, who studied NIL compliance issues for the agency, said he doesn't see any “charitable connotation."

“It's to serve the financial interest of the athletes so that they make the most possible money with the goal of putting the best team on the field,” Madden said.

That financial interest has fatigued donors, according to consultants who advise schools on issues of NIL. They're fielding more athletics solicitations even as universities continue fundraising for student scholarships, research projects and other functions.

It used to be that development officers could leverage donor interest in athletics to direct some funds towards academics. That's not so nowadays, according to University of Pennsylvania professor Karen Weaver, a former athletic administrator who studies the evolving college sports landscape.

“Athletics doesn’t have a revenue problem. It has a spending problem," Weaver said. "So, whatever dollar they bring in is gonna be spent on trying to get an advantage in athletics.”

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Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

Syria’s interior ministry launched an investigation earlier this week into the death of Mohammad Ghamira, and on Thursday announced initial results of the inquiry.

Ghamira, a 29-year-old father of two, was a former volunteer with the White Helmets civil defense organization, which operated in opposition-held areas before the ouster of former President Bashar Assad in December 2024.

Ghamira died in a hospital in Latakia on Sunday after being released from jail. He had been detained days earlier following a theft allegation, according to Latakia’s internal security command.

Family members said they had told police that Ghamira had hemophilia, a condition affecting the blood’s ability to clot, and warned against hitting him.

Ghamira's death sparked widespread outrage in Syria, where it stirred up dark memories of torture and other abuse in detention centers under the Assad dynasty’s decadeslong rule.

Maj. Gen. Ahmed Latouf, head of the committee formed to investigate Ghamira's death, said Thursday that medical experts found that he had died of complications from a cerebral hemorrhage.

Investigators found that a police interrogator had slapped Ghamira in the neck during interrogation, despite Ghamira having told police personnel about his medical condition, Latouf said.

The interrogator was referred to the public prosecution division, and disciplinary investigations into other police personnel are ongoing, he said.

Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab said in a statement that the investigation results showed the ministry’s “commitment to reaching the truth and holding accountable those proven to have overstepped.”

“We rose up against the former tyrant’s regime in rejection of injustice and impunity, and therefore, building a state of law begins with our ability to hold the wrongdoer accountable, to give restitution to the victim, and not to do injustice to anyone who has not been proven responsible” for wrongdoing, he said.

Rights groups have said that abuses in detention centers have persisted under the country’s new authorities. However, one of the groups, Syrians for Truth and Justice, said that it didn't find evidence of a “single centralized system equivalent in structure and direction to the torture apparatus entrenched by the Assad regime.”

They want more information about how the Navy prepared for the vessel’s record-breaking deployment.

Reports have emerged in recent weeks about crew members attempting to jump overboard amid shortages of food and other supplies.

Retired Vice Admiral Robert Murrett, who, among other things, served on three aircraft carriers, joined us on The Morning Show to discuss the difficult reality of “life on board.”

U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, said on social media that the carrier arrived in the region Wednesday. It was not clear when the USS Abraham Lincoln would arrive back in the U.S. or whether it would make a port stop along the way, but the journey takes just over a month.

The Washington arrived as concerns have grown about the Lincoln's lengthy deployment, which has included a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea of more than 250 days, and about reports of crew stress and poor mental health, as well as supply shortages, including food and hygiene products.

Several Democratic lawmakers have pressed the Department of Defense for accountability over conditions aboard the Lincoln, which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said were “completely misrepresented.”

Hegseth spoke with the Lincoln’s crew last week, and Adm. Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, visited this past weekend. In an editorial published Sunday by The Wall Street Journal, Cooper said the crew “delivered a performance for the ages, and now you are going home.”

Extended deployments of carriers wear on service members who are away from home for long periods and increase strain on the ship and its equipment. While renewed hostilities between the U.S. and Iran calmed in recent weeks, the Navy is enforcing a reimposed blockade on Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, and the Trump administration has offered no clarity on how it intends to wind down the war.

Hegseth has said the U.S. can maintain the blockade “indefinitely.”

President Donald Trump this week downplayed reports about conditions on the Lincoln, which left its homeport in San Diego in November and arrived in the Middle East in January. Trump called the nearly nine months at sea that the sailors endured a “good period of time” but added that “over the years, we’ve had them out there much longer.”

Trump told reporters Monday that he spoke with a retired admiral over the weekend who recounted being on ships for “much longer.” Trump said the admiral assured him that the Lincoln is “beautifully maintained and beautifully taken care of.” Trump did not name the admiral.

In a statement Sunday after visiting the Lincoln, Cooper praised the carrier's leaders for prioritizing mental health and resilience.

“History will record this deployment as one of the most operationally intense and consequential of the modern era,” Cooper said.

The Washington joins the USS George H.W. Bush in the Middle East, leaving Asia without an American carrier strike group at a time when China has shown more signs of aggression.

The lack of a U.S. carrier in the Pacific may be short-lived if the Navy deploys another in the next couple of months. But it shows how the open-ended operations with Iran are running some American sailors ragged, analysts say, while the Trump administration further retreats from the Asia-Pacific region and focuses on the Western Hemisphere.

Modern life is built to make things faster, easier, and more convenient.

But some experts say all that comfort may come with a cost: less patience, less focus, and less tolerance for discomfort, boredom, or effort.

Life has never been more convenient. And that’s exactly why some experts say we may be losing practice doing the things that help build focus, patience, memory, and problem-solving.

“Everything’s made so safe, so comfortable, we don’t have to do certain things anymore,” said Kathleen McHugh, Licensed Psychologist.

Like remembering phone numbers. A survey found about one in 10 people can’t even remember their own number. And 17 percent don’t have their partners’ number memorized.

“People become anxious about doing things that they no longer have to do very much,” said McHugh.

One way to help is what experts call friction maxing. The idea is to perform tasks that involve a level of difficulty or patience instead of instant comfort. For example, if you’re watching a show and can’t place the actor, don’t immediately look at your phone. Instead let your mind do the work.

“Start to think about it and then maybe you check late,” explained McHugh.

Other small ways to add a little friction? Call a friend for advice instead of asking Chat GPT. Leave your phone in another room while you read or eat dinner. Try one errand without GPS. Or take a walk without headphones, just to get used to quiet again. The goal isn’t to make life harder for no reason. It’s to stop letting convenience do all the thinking, deciding, and coping for us.

“Maybe I actually have skills that I didn’t realize I had,” said McHugh.

If you need another reason to put the phone down, researchers at the University of Texas found just having a smartphone nearby can drain attention. People performed better on memory and thinking tasks when their phones were in another room, compared with having them on a desk or even tucked away in a bag.

Brazil is the first South American nation to host the tournament and will play in the opener on June 24 against a yet-to-be-determined opponent in the 73,000 seat Maracana, which also hosted the 2014 men's World Cup final.

The hosts will also play in Sao Paulo and Brasilia during the group phase of the 32-team competition spread across eight Brazilian cities.

The final is scheduled for July 25.

The Maracana is one of soccer's most iconic venues, having hosted the decisive match of the 1950 men's World Cup, with Uruguay crowned champions after beating the hosts 2-1. In the final of the 2014 edition, Germany lifted its fourth title after a 1-0 extra-time win against Lionel Messi's Argentina.

So far, only Sweden’s Rasunda Stadium and California’s Rose Bowl have hosted both the men’s and women’s World Cup finals.

Spain is the defending champion. Brazil has never won the title.

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See AP’s full soccer coverage here

The Hong Kong- and U.S.-listed company, which started out in e-commerce and online retail but is increasingly focused on AI technologies, said that its profit for April-June was at 10.5 billion yuan ($1.6 billion), down from 43.1 billion yuan ($6.4 billion) the same quarter last year.

Quarterly revenue grew 9% to almost 269 billion yuan (nearly $40 billion), with revenue from its AI cloud and compute services up 45% to 48.4 billion yuan ($7.2 billion).

But capital expenditures, including investments in AI infrastructure to meet customer demand, jumped 75% to 67.7 billion yuan (about $10 billion) during the quarter, weighing on profits.

Alibaba attributed the significant increase in spendings to factors including “fluctuations” in procurement cycles, increase in CPU, or central processing unit, compute capacity in anticipation of growing customer adoption of AI “agents” and higher pricing of chip components.

“As we continue to ramp up our supply, our AI and Cloud revenue growth will accelerate further in the coming quarters, alongside continued improvement in profitability,” said Alibaba CEO Eddie Wu in prepared remarks during an earnings conference.

Alibaba’s U.S.-traded shares fell more than 3% Thursday.

Alibaba, one of China’s biggest companies, said last year it planned to invest at least 380 billion yuan (about $56 billion) over three years in cloud computing and AI infrastructure.

It has been making advances with its flagship Qwen AI and has launched “agentic” AI services for commercial customers. In July, it previewed its Qwen3.8-Max AI model which the company said was “second only” to Anthropic’s Claude Fable 5.

It has also pledged an ambitious goal of surpassing $100 billion in terms of annual AI and cloud revenue within the next five years.

The announcement of his contract extension ahead of Verstappen’s home Dutch Grand Prix this weekend ends speculation that he could seek a blockbuster move to another team or quit the sport.

It comes despite Red Bull struggling to match the pace of leading team Mercedes this season, and Verstappen's own frustration with how much the 2026 cars rely on electrical power.

“After the first few races (this year), I said to Laurent (Mekies, Red Bull team principal): ‘Don’t come to me with any kind of questions about the future because I don’t even know if I want to stay.’ Honestly, we always kept it very open,” Verstappen said.

He added that talks with F1 and governing body the FIA had persuaded him that “we are slowly working towards something that becomes better and better” with the current cars, while the new contract until 2030 could cover a potential — but not confirmed — return to simpler V8 engines.

“Even if I’m not entirely happy with how the package is, I still love racing, this is still the pinnacle of motorsport, so I still want to be here,” he added.

Asked whether he’d spoken with other teams, he said: “I think I was closer to retiring than changing team.”

The Verstappen-Red Bull pairing could set an F1 record

Seeing out the contract in full would take Verstappen to 15 seasons with Red Bull. It would be the longest-running driver-team pairing in F1 history. It comes with strong support for team principal Mekies after he replaced the team's founding boss Christian Horner last year.

In return, Mekies laid out how the team is built around Verstappen.

“He’s a lot more than the fastest driver in the world for us,” Mekies said. “He’s the central point of the team. He’s one we always refer to for all the strategic decisions we are making, and to know that he’s going to be with us in order to build that next winning cycle is phenomenal.”

Verstappen, already considered one of F1’s all-time greats at the age of 28, has yet to win a race this season. The 71-time race winner hasn’t had a winless season since his rookie year in 2015.

Why there was speculation Verstappen might move

Verstappen’s previous contract ran through 2028 but reportedly included performance-related clauses which could have potentially allowed him to leave earlier and which fueled speculation he might seek to move.

Red Bull backed Verstappen’s career from childhood and brought him into F1 at the age of 17 in 2015 at its second team, then called Toro Rosso. That made him the youngest driver in series history, a record he still holds.

Still, there had been signs of tension in recent years amid the departures of a series of key staff including Horner last year and car design great Adrian Newey.

Verstappen also raised safety concerns this season after two separate faults with the Red Bull car’s rear wing hurled him into high-speed crashes.

Verstappen had been linked with a move to McLaren after reports of a meeting in June between his representatives and McLaren management. McLaren chief executive Zak Brown said at the time the team didn't have an opening for him and would stick with defending champion Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who said Thursday he hadn't been worried for his seat.

Mercedes had also signaled interest in the past.

“Drivers talk with different teams, teams talk with different drivers. Everyone has to just see what their cards are," Mercedes' George Russell said Thursday. "My seat never felt under threat, and I felt 100% security with Toto (Wolff, team principal) and the team. That obviously now continues.”

One driver who had been considered a potential replacement for Verstappen at Red Bull, Carlos Sainz Jr., signed a new contract on Wednesday with Williams.

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See AP’s full auto racing coverage here

Bodeen died Monday after a struggle with cancer and complications from a stroke, his daughter, Ingrid, said Thursday by telephone from Taiwan.

Bodeen, who spoke fluent Mandarin with a proud Taiwan accent, spent much of his career detailing China's rise to an economic, political and military superpower — and the accompanying friction from what critics have long called Beijing’s heavy-handed efforts to establish dominance in Asia and beyond.

“Chris was a reporter who would go anywhere and do anything for the story,” said Charles Hutzler, AP's former bureau chief in Beijing. After a huge quake flattened a swath of Sichuan province in 2008, Bodeen composed his account from one devastated town sentence by sentence over text messages because of damaged telecommunications networks. "It was one of the first eyewitness reports the AP and the world received about one of the worst earthquakes in decades,” Hutzler recalled.

He was an expert on politics and Chinese military issues

From AP bureaus in Shanghai, Beijing and Taipei, Bodeen was for years the news agency's go-to person on Chinese politics and military issues, able to quickly determine the newsworthiness of the government's often abstruse statements.

“A chat with Chris would inevitably turn into a remarkable history lesson," said Emily Wang Fujiyama, former Greater China news director. “He had astounding knowledge of the region and would be writing about China’s military presence in the South China Sea, pivot to Taiwan’s intricate politics, and just as deftly write about the political sensitivities of Tibet, Mongolia and China.”

Bodeen was born in Missouri on Sept. 9, 1970, but he spent parts of his childhood in the Middle East, Europe, Africa and Asia. His father was a foreign service officer and his mother a former diplomat, his daughter, Ingrid, said. Friends and colleagues remembered his love of the Boston Red Sox, esoteric punk rock -- and his contagious enthusiasm for the job of journalism.

"He was the blondest, palest person you’ll ever meet” yet also spoke pitch-perfect Chinese, said Ted Anthony, AP’s former China news editor and news director for Asia. “So when the earthquake in Sichuan happened in 2008, he went out there, put on one of his ever-present ballcaps to cover his hair, and slouched down. He passed as Chinese, started interviewing people and sailed under the scrutiny of the authorities.”

He was 'always ready for adventure’

Bodeen joined the AP in 1996, in Taiwan, the self-governing democratic island China claims as its own, before working as an editor on the agency’s international desk in New York and then joining the AP bureau in Beijing as a correspondent, in 2000. He majored in history and Asian studies at Tufts University, graduating in 1993.

“Chris Bodeen was always ready for adventure. Hiding in the hills of Hainan Island, China, to try to report on the return of an American Air Force plane forced down in 2001, he was the best colleague to be with,” said Raf Wober, a video journalist in the AP's Hong Kong bureau.

In a 2017 story on efforts to burnish the image of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Bodeen described state broadcaster China Central Television leading its evening national news bulletin “with more than four minutes of uninterrupted clapping for Xi as he met with adoring citizens,” and a Russian translator who “was so engrossed with reading a recent speech by Xi, Xinhua (the official news agency) said, that he skipped lunch and dinner just to finish studying it.”

While much of this might have seemed amusing to outsiders, Bodeen was careful to note that “the domination of (Xi’s) image in official propaganda evokes, for some, the painful memories of the upheaval of the 1960s and ’70s, when Mao (Zedong) was accorded the status of a near deity.”

Julie Pace, AP's executive editor, remembered Bodeen as not only an effective China correspondent but as a fellow journalist whose knowledge elevated those around him.

“Chris cared deeply about his work and the value of on-the-ground reporting in such an important region of the world," she said. "His expertise informed AP’s audiences for so many years, but also helped lift up so many colleagues.”

Passion for family and work was his hallmark

Bodeen was deeply proud of his two daughters and loved showing off their artwork and achievements — and creative Halloween costumes — to colleagues. “Every parent thinks their kids are the best, but, hand to God, these girls are both adorable and seriously tough cookies,” he wrote of his children.

“He truly, passionately loved what he did, as much as he loved being a dad," Ingrid Bodeen said. She recalled that when her father spent long stints reporting from Afghanistan during her childhood, “he would always have my mom fax over my spelling lists and homework so we could work on them together. He never missed a spelling test week.”

Bodeen was also beloved by colleagues for his sharp sense of humor, his knowledge of good local food and an encyclopedic knowledge of movie and TV comedies from the ’70s and ’80s.

Kanis Leung, an AP reporter in Hong Kong, said that Bodeen once told her about an old correspondent's description of news reporting as “the art of shoving 50 pounds of oatmeal into a 10-pound sack."

“Except,” Bodeen told Leung, "he didn’t say oatmeal.”

Bodeen is survived by his wife, Yen Ling, daughters Ingrid, 26, and Naomi, 22, his parents and a sister.

Walmart’s second quarter fanned anxiety about the financial well-being of low-income shoppers who are spending cautiously as prices rise at the gas pump and everywhere else.

Company shares tumbled more than 8% Thursday and helped drag the U.S. stock market lower as well.

Walmart’s comparable sales in the U.S., which measure sales at stores open at least a year along with online sales tied to those locations, rose 2.6% in the second quarter. That is down from 4.1% in the first quarter.

Excluding the wellness category that includes Walmart’s pharmacies, comparable sales increased 3.4% in the second quarter. Sales were hit by federal legislation that requires pharmacies to dispense some high-cost Medicare drugs at capped prices, the retailer said. That was still below Wall Street projections of a 3.8% increase, according to FactSet.

Still, Walmart’s quarterly profit, boosted by a $2.9 billion tariff refund, topped expectations, and so did revenue. Walmart says it continues to take market share.

Walmart is using the U.S. tariff refunds to temporarily lower prices on 11,000 items, it said Thursday, particularly on groceries and general merchandise.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled this year that President Donald Trump overstepped his authority when he imposed double-digit import taxes, meaning U.S. companies were owed refunds from the government.

Yet Walmart is trying to contain prices as it is squeezed by the same pressures hammering the American consumer, namely rising energy costs due to fighting in Iran. The company expects to book an additional $2 billion in incremental fuel costs this year.

Slowing comparable sales, particularly in Walmart stores, also reflect a strategic shift toward e-commerce, Walmart+ memberships and advertising. Walmart’s domestic e-commerce business, which has become a growth engine for the retailer, rose 24%.

U.S. e-commerce now represents 23% in the overall U.S business., Walmart said, double the share five years ago.

“As these businesses scale, they become a more meaningful part of our mix, and they’re changing the shape of our business,” CEO John Furner said Thursday.

Walmart is considered a barometer of consumer spending given its vast customer base. More than 150 million customers are on its website or in its stores every week, according to Walmart.

Walmart’s trajectory may draw even more attention after U.S. data released Friday showed retail sales were surprisingly weak in July. On the same day, a new read on consumers from the University of Michigan revealed growing pessimism about the economy.

Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey said Friday that when gasoline prices rise above $4, the company can feel it.

“There’s a psychological impact to that ... that there are choices that consumers are making,” Rainey said. “June was a little more obvious as we look at the quarter in terms of customers making trade-offs. And it’s why we have leaned so heavily into lower prices.”

The price of a gallon of gasoline ticked higher again overnight, according to AAA, reaching $4.10.

With prices higher, Walmart continues to capture a larger share of wealthier consumers. The biggest gains in market share for Walmart are coming from households with annual incomes over $100,000, the retailer has said.

Walmart’s quarterly net income was $6.37 billion, or 80 cents per share, in the three-month period ended July 31. Adjusted per-share results were 81 cents, easily topping the 74 cents Wall Street had expected, according to FactSet.

Sales rose 5.9% to $187.94 billion. Analysts were predicting $186.62 billion, according to FactSet.

For the third quarter, Walmart expects earnings per share of 62 cents to 64 cents. It projects sales to be up 3% to 3.75%, putting sales in a range of $184.9 billion to $186.23 billion.

For the full year, Walmart now expects earnings per share to be in the range of $2.80 to $2.87, while sales should be up anywhere from 4% to 5%. That would mean a forecast for sales in the range of $741.7 billion to $748.8 billion, according to FactSet.

Analysts expected $2.90 per share and sales of $752.06 billion for the year, according to FactSet.

Moscow's forces have in recent months intensified their ballistic missile attacks on Kyiv, exploiting Ukraine's chronic shortage of U.S.-made Patriot air defense interceptors, the sole weapon in its arsenal able to shoot down the missiles.

Large-scale Russian missile strikes have become a regular occurrence this summer. Just over two weeks ago, a Russian attack on Kyiv and its surrounding region killed 17 people, and nine were killed in the city two days before that. The United Nations said last week that Kyiv was one of the hardest hit cities in July, with at least 54 civilians killed and 202 injured.

At the same time, Ukraine has shifted the war onto Russian soil through long-range drone strikes on oil facilities that have caused fuel shortages across the country. It has also unsettled the Russian public by striking warehouses of Wildberries, the country’s biggest online retailer.

Zelenskyy repeats his appeals for more air defense

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pleaded for countries to send more Patriot interceptors for defense, but international stockpiles are low amid the Iran war and Kyiv's more than four-year fight against Russia's all-out invasion.

Russia's overnight barrage also included cruise missiles and jet-powered drones that further strain air defenses, Ukraine's air force said.

Explosions boomed across Kyiv in the dark, but the air force said hits were recorded at 28 locations across the country. Emergency services said 15 people were killed in the capital, with another death in the wider Kyiv region. About 40 people were wounded, Zelenskyy said, as air raid warnings lasted until after dawn.

More than 38,000 people, including over 2,000 children, sheltered in Kyiv’s subway stations overnight, the system's operator said.

“It was a massive attack,” Zelenskyy said on social media, adding that Russia “had been preparing (it) for a long time, combining different types of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones, aiming to cause as much damage as possible to civilian infrastructure."

The Russian Defense Ministry said it struck a Kyiv industrial site manufacturing components for Flamingo cruise missiles. Sites involved in the production and storage of drones, an ammunition depot and a logistics center were also hit, it said.

Russia is able to produce more than 200 cruise and ballistic missiles per month, Ukraine’s intelligence agency told news outlet Ukrainska Pravda in comments published Thursday. It has stockpiled more than 1,100 cruise missiles and about 130 Iskander-M ballistic missiles, as well as hundreds of missiles of other types, the agency was quoted as saying.

It was not possible to independently verify the report, and Russian officials do not routinely answer questions about the country's arsenal.

Ukraine says it struck more Russian oil facilities

Russia and Ukraine have battered each other with drones and missiles as their armies struggle to gain the upper hand on the 1,250-kilometer (780-mile) front line.

Ukraine’s General Staff said its forces struck an oil refinery in Nizhnekamsk, in Russia’s Tatarstan region, starting a fire, and the Tamanneftegaz oil terminal in Volna, in Russia’s Krasnodar region, where there was also a blaze. Ukraine has hit both facilities in recent months as part of its campaign to disrupt Russia’s vital oil industry.

Tatarstan leader Rustam Minnikhanov confirmed there had been a “massive attack” in the region, state news agency Tass reported, citing his press service. Many of the drones targeted Nizhnekamsk’s Zakamsk economic area, disrupting production at industrial sites and damaging residential buildings, Tass quoted him as saying.

The Russian Defense Ministry said air defenses shot down 726 drones overnight over a number of Russian regions, annexed Crimea and the Black and Azov seas, in one of Ukraine's biggest aerial attacks of the war.

Ukraine's neighbors are on alert

Russia’s relentless onslaught has spooked other European countries, especially those bordering Ukraine, which fear spreading attacks from Moscow.

Amid the attack on Kyiv, the Polish Armed Forces Operational Command activated its military aviation operations, ground-based air defense systems and radar reconnaissance. Polish and other NATO military aircraft were deployed to monitor its airspace, Polish news agency PAP reported.

Romania’s Defense Ministry said an unidentified drone crashed and burned in an uninhabited area near the Ukrainian border. Two Spanish F-18 jets, deployed on a policing mission in Romania, were scrambled overnight to monitor a group of “air targets” near the border, the ministry said.

In addition, two Romanian F-16 fighter jets were deployed to destroy a naval drone seen near a major Black Sea gas project, Romania’s acting Defense Minister Radu Miruta said.

Moldova’s Defense Ministry also said its airspace was breached by at least one drone.

Russia “is increasingly testing the resolve of NATO and its partners, violating the sovereignty of neighboring states and deliberately expanding the risks posed by its war far beyond Ukraine," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on social media.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen saw a broad threat to the European Union. “An escalating campaign of threats is underway, unsettling our citizens and seeking to divide our Union,” she said on X.

Explosions shatter windows and screams fill the air

Russia's overnight strikes hit 12 locations across Kyiv’s Darnytskyi, Sviatoshynskyi and Solomianskyi districts, damaging 30 apartment blocks, a school, a children’s hospital and a kindergarten, Zelenskyy said.

Larysa Bondaruk, 60, sat on the ground, holding her cat, Chanel, which had been rescued by firefighters. With tears in her eyes, she said her neighbor’s grandson had been trapped by the rubble and died. Her apartment was badly damaged.

“A rocket hit the roof. It was incredibly loud. Immediately, debris and doors were blown out. There were columns of smoke, columns of fire, screams, crying and despair,” she said. “Two people were killed in our building, but the rescuers responded quickly and professionally. I am grateful to them for that.”

In Solomianskyi district, the top two floors of a nine-story residential building were destroyed and fires broke out on other floors. People were also trapped in two residential buildings and a school shelter.

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AP reporters Vasilisa Stepanenko and Hanna Arhirova in Kyiv, Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin and Stephen McGrath in Leamington Spa, England, contributed.

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

An analysis by The Associated Press and Reporter Brasil of all National Mining Agency records through June shows that rare earth exploration applications have surged, with more than 86% filed in the past three years, including 268 in the first half of 2026.

The interest is already raising environmental concerns for the Amazon and other areas.

Here are takeaways from the story:

The US and others are seeking alternatives to China

Rare earth minerals are a group of chemicals essential in digital and defense technologies, used in electronics, magnets and batteries. They are also used in wind turbines and electric vehicle motors, critical to the transition away from fossil fuels like oil, gas and coal that cause global warming. The International Energy Agency estimated in 2022 that demand for rare earths could increase at least threefold by 2040.

China has nearly half of the world’s reserves and dominates global processing. Brazil has the second-largest reserves and is becoming increasingly attractive to investors seeking alternatives to China after Beijing restricted exports last year.

By reviewing all National Mining Agency records in Brazil through June, the AP-Reporter Brasil analysis found that foreign investors are driving the growing interest in rare earth exploration, accounting for more than four in 10 applications.

Australian and U.S. firms dominate the interest. Among recent deals was the acquisition of Serra Verde, Brazil’s only commercial rare earth producer, by a U.S.-backed company.

Chinese firms had not filed any rare earth exploration applications in Brazil as of June, but they are positioning themselves in the sector. Last year, state-owned China Nonferrous Metal Mining Group acquired tin producer Mineracao Taboca and announced plans to assess rare earth potential at its Amazon mine. Separately, Shenghe Resources signed an agreement with Brazilian partners WEG Mineracao and Fenrir do Brasil to pursue rare earth projects, including one in Minas Gerais.

New mining push could impact communities and ecosystems

At least a quarter of the applications overlap with or are within 10 kilometers (6 miles) of protected areas and Indigenous territories, including in the Amazon, according to the Energy Transition Observatory, a collaboration among researchers and Reporter Brasil. Experts say mining projects within this buffer zone can cause environmental damage.

Depending on what is mined, toxic chemicals can be released and radioactive waste generated. Other potential impacts include deforestation and polluted water seeping into rivers and lakes, which can poison fish populations, as well as air pollution and noise.

In Goias state, in central Brazil, a small Afro-Brazilian community overlaps with mining claims by the Canadian firm Aclara Resources, which last year secured $5 million in project development financing from the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation.

Aclara in a statement said its project initially overlapped with the community’s territory, but “no mining activities will take place there.” Still, residents fear operations that could start as early as 2028 could affect local springs and wildlife.

Brazil is considering safeguards around foreign influence

“The challenge today is that China dominates processing and refining,” said Brazilian lawmaker Zé Silva, author of pending legislation that would establish a federal policy on critical minerals and rare earths, set investment priorities and create a national council to monitor significant foreign influence in the sector. “Under our proposal, companies are welcome to invest, but they must transfer technology to Brazil, including processing capacity.”

On Monday, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said the Senate would move forward with the proposed law, to defend national interests.

“We will not allow anyone from outside to come here and exploit our mineral resources, because we want their processing and transformation to happen here,” Lula said.

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

Mary E. Maier’s lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Jacksonville by Max Story of Story Law Group, said unknown persons gained unauthorized access to her online banking on Nov. 13, 2025, changed her password and later contacted her by phone posing as VyStar representatives. The callers told her to surrender her debit card to a courier, the complaint says, and the card was collected.

Between Nov. 13 and Nov. 20, 2025, the complaint alleges, the fraudsters drained roughly $42,000 from Maier’s checking, money market and savings accounts through a series of internal transfers, ATM withdrawals and retail purchases across Jacksonville and South Florida.

The suit lists hundreds- and thousands-of-dollar purchases at Best Buy, Target, Apple Store, GameStop and several high-end retailers, plus multiple ATM cash withdrawals in Broward and Palm Beach counties. Maier said the pattern of transactions was inconsistent with her normal account usage and that she was in Jacksonville throughout.

The complaint said VyStar’s internal records show an unauthorized device accessed Maier’s accounts at about 1:06 p.m. on Nov. 13 — hours before the impersonation call — and that her online password was changed without her knowledge.

Maier’s lawyers alleged VyStar disabled security controls for marketing reasons and failed to apply fraud alerts that should have locked the accounts.

Maier reported the activity to VyStar on Nov. 20, 2025. The suit said VyStar denied her error claim, telling her the losses occurred because she gave her debit card and shared account information. The complaint alleges VyStar never provided the written explanation required under federal rules, refused to supply documents Maier requested, gave a provisional credit for less than the disputed amount and later blocked access to that credit.

The suit also said Maier sent a second notice of error and a formal document request by certified mail in June 2026, which VyStar received, but that the credit union failed to investigate or respond within the time required by the Electronic Fund Transfer Act and its implementing Regulation E.

Maier is seeking actual and statutory damages, attorneys’ fees and treble damages under the federal EFTA. The complaint said that the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Economic Crimes Division has an open criminal investigation into Maier’s case and other similar cases involving VyStar customers and that suspects have been identified.

“At last check, this is still an active, ongoing investigation so we don’t have any updates or comment at this time,” JSO said in a statement to News4JAX.

VyStar sent News4JAX a statement regarding the lawsuit:

While VyStar does not comment on the specifics of ongoing litigation, please be aware that VyStar continuously updates and strengthens its fraud detection and prevention systems. VyStar’s fraud prevention systems include real-time text and phone alerts asking members to confirm or deny suspicious activity. When members respond to confirm fraud, accounts are locked immediately. In cases where members do not respond to alerts, financial institutions have limited ability to intervene before the member reports the activity directly.  

Banks and Credit Unions are continuing to see a sharp rise in scams where fraudsters convince victims to voluntarily hand over debit card numbers, PINs, and one-time passcodes, i.e., those credentials specifically designed to verify that the person transacting is the real accountholder. When a victim provides those credentials directly to a scammer, it can allow fraudulent activity to proceed even where an institution’s technical safeguards are fully intact and functioning as designed. VyStar takes every case of fraud seriously and investigates thoroughly and fairly, consistent with applicable law, to determine appropriate outcomes for members.

VyStar Credit Union

www.katherinekincaid.com Socials: @katkincaidmusic

Publix on July 29 recalled all lots of GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries and Whole Mixed Berries in 10-ounce and 48-ounce bags after public health officials traced illnesses to frozen organic blueberries packed by Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A., of San Carlos, Chile. The FDA said a remote assessment of the Chilean packer raised concerns about additional lots, prompting Publix’s broader action.

The recalled products include:

• GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries, 10-ounce (UPC 41415-06453) and 48-ounce (UPC 41415-12053)
• GreenWise Organic Whole Mixed Berries, 10-ounce (UPC 41415-06753) and 48-ounce (UPC 41415-12153)

The FDA and CDC are investigating a multistate outbreak of E. coli O145:H28 linked to the berries. The CDC has reported 12 illnesses and four hospitalizations in two states; no deaths have been reported. Symptoms of E. coli infection can include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (which may be bloody), vomiting and fever; serious complications such as hemolytic uremic syndrome can occur, particularly in young children and older adults.

The FDA and Publix said the recalled products were shipped to stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Consumers should not eat, sell or serve the products; the FDA advised discarding them or returning them to Publix for a refund and thoroughly cleaning any surfaces that contacted the berries.

Customers with questions may contact Publix Customer Care at (800) 242-1227. Anyone who ate the recalled products and develops symptoms should contact a health care provider.

Reporters Without Borders said that filmmakers Gaël Mocaër and Sebastian Perez Pezzani and fixer Fred Vedomey were placed in pretrial detention Monday and charged with making “false declarations” in immigration procedures.

The Paris-based media freedom group, known by its French acronym RSF, called for their immediate release.

Mocaër and Perez Pezzani were filming an episode of a documentary series for a French public television network when police arrested the three on July 27 in Kara, northern Togo, RSF said.

Northern Togo has been plagued in recent years by attacks from armed groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group.

The detentions come as Togo has moved closer to Russia and to Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, three military-led countries that have expelled or sidelined French forces and strengthened relations with Moscow.

Russia and Togo signed a military cooperation agreement last year providing for joint exercises and military training.

Togo has also restricted French media. In June 2025, authorities suspended broadcasts by French international outlets Radio France Internationale and France 24 for three months, accusing them of inaccurate and biased reporting during their coverage of protests against leader Faure Gnassingbé.

RSF said that the filmmakers charged on Monday had applied for work visas and received authorization from Togo’s Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Arts.

Culture Minister Isaac Tchiakpé rejected RSF’s assertion that the filmmakers had received authorization from his ministry to carry out the documentary shoot.

“They would not have been detained if they had had the proper authorizations and followed the required procedures,” Tchiakpé told The Associated Press.

Togo’s media regulator, the HARC, said it had received no accreditation request from the filmmakers or France Télévisions, and hadn't been informed of their filming in northern Togo.

RSF said that police seized the crew’s equipment and detained the three, briefly releasing them July 30 before rearresting them and transferring them to the capital, Lomé.

RSF called the proceedings “unjustified” and “disproportionate,” and said that Perez Pezzani has serious health problems requiring immediate medical attention.

The Grand Slam Player Advisory Council was announced Thursday by the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. It will begin following the final major of the year, which begins next week in New York.

Players have been seeking a larger share of revenues from the Grand Slams, along with better representation, health options and pensions. Some limited their media appearances at the French Open and Wimbledon as a protest, with top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff among the stars who even threatened a potential boycott of the Slams before play began in Paris if they didn’t start receiving more compensation.

“The Grand Slams are the biggest events of the year and the events that the players prioritize and focus on throughout the season," American Jessica Pegula, the No. 3-ranked woman, said in a statement. "Their impact on a player’s career cannot be overstated, and that is why it is so important that we have a voice in matters at these tournaments."

The Grand Slams said the goal of the council will be to strengthen the partnership between the tournaments and the players, with a focus on player input into sporting matters at the events.

The tournaments and players are currently developing the composition and structure of the council. Interested players will be invited to apply for positions.

Along with matters that affect the Grand Slams collectively, the council will provide a forum for players to discuss things such as prize money and player welfare with each of the tournaments individually.

The Australian Open, French Open and U.S. Open are operated by non-profit governing bodies. Wimbledon is run by the private All England Club.

“We have listened to the players’ desire for a greater voice and this advisory council is an important step toward a stronger relationship between the Grand Slams and the players," said Deborah Jevans, chair of the All England Club. "We look forward to working together to elevate the player experience, further enhance the Grand Slam tournaments and ensure the sport continues to thrive.”

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See AP’s full tennis coverage here

In the latest such instance, the social media giant is fighting allegations in a California federal court that it contributes to the youth mental health crisis by deliberately and stealthily designing features to get children hooked on its platforms Instagram and Facebook. Four states are seeking billions of dollars in damages as well as fundamental changes to how Meta runs those apps.

Children’s mental health, and what they do and see on social media, are all issues “Meta takes seriously and tries to act on,” Paul Schmidt, a lawyer for the tech giant, said in opening statements this week.

Critics say the company's safety record falls short and that many of its protections simply don’t work.

They include Marc Berkman, executive director at the Organization for Social Media Safety, who said Meta introduced safeguards promising to protect children in response to public pressure rather than out of concern.

There’s been a “lack of real institutional willingness to act here,” Berkman said.

Here’s a look at some of the changes Meta has introduced, along with the work advocates say could still be done.

Access to users and content-focused protections

Most of the changes Meta has introduced focus on addressing harassment and offensive content.

Instagram users have always been able to block others — and, along with Meta’s oldest crown jewel, Facebook — the app has gradually added features for reporting problematic accounts and inappropriate content.

In 2016, Instagram users were given the option to delete or filter comments they found offensive, and later added warnings that prompted users to reconsider posting potentially harmful content, as well as options to limit comments and tags on their posts.

Meta also says it prevents adults from starting private chats with teens if they are not already connected, and has increased checks to make sure users under 13 — the minimum age for holding a Facebook or Instagram account — aren't online. Schmidt said in his opening remarks that Meta recognizes some users still sign up using incorrect birthdays but that the company takes enforcement of age limits seriously.

The company says it also posts warnings and resources at the top of Instagram search results related to suicide, self-harm and eating disorders, and touts its “Teen Accounts,” launched in 2024, as a safe space for teenagers online. It aligns photo and video restrictions for teen accounts with those for a PG-13 movie, unless there’s parental permission otherwise.

Critics complain these changes amount to little more than corporate posturing.

A September 2025 report from former employee and whistleblower Arturo Béjar and four online safety advocacy nonprofits accused Meta of not taking “real steps” to address youth safety, instead opting for “splashy headlines about new tools for parents and Instagram Teen Accounts for underage users.”

“We really found that overall what Meta was marketing under Teen Accounts was very lacking in actual protections,” said Haley Hinkle, policy counsel at Fairplay, which co-authored the report. They evaluated 47 of Meta’s 53 safety features for teens on Instagram and found 60% of them were either not available or didn't work as advertised, Hinkle said.

Meta called the report's findings “misleading” and “dangerously speculative.”

Scrolling and core design

Researchers say Meta's efforts to reduce the risk of children becoming addicted to the scrolling features of social media platforms have been largely unsuccessful.

Ashley Shea, a Ph.D. candidate specializing in social media and online spaces at Cornell University, points to what academics call “attention-capture deceptive designs” that are not exclusive to Meta's platforms. They include infinite scrolling, “casino style” pulls to refresh content, push notifications and algorithmic recommendations. Those features “prey on the cognitive vulnerabilities” of young people with developing brains, in particular the need to feel rewarded.

Meta has taken important steps to address problematic content, cyberbullies and sexual predators, Shea said, but she has not seen the same level of effort to offset the addictive impact of attention-capture deceptive designs.

Nudges and time management controls

“There’s no question that some teens struggle to manage their time with social media,” Schmidt said Tuesday, adding that Meta’s time management tools prove its evolution on the issue. Those tools include parental supervision controls and in-app “nudges” for teen users who repeatedly look at the same type of content or spend too long on Instagram or Facebook late at night.

Hinkle notes the “entirely voluntary” time management tools are not easy to set up, and amount to “far too little too late.”

Béjar, the former Meta employee and whistleblower, agrees. In testimony Wednesday, he said a tool called “Take a Break” is “designed to fail.” Users have to turn the feature on themselves and, he said, very few do.

Across the board, tech companies exist to maximize revenue, said Berkman, and for almost every social media platform today, that means “maximizing children using their features for as long as they can.”

Legal challenges focused on “the fact that these are defective products by design because of their features, not the content per se” is something new, Shea added. And beyond the courtroom, mounting pressure on lawmakers could bring more industrywide changes.

“The momentum only continues to grow,” she said. “Ultimately, these are for-profit companies that respond to economic pressures. And so I think that the more economic pressure they’re confronted with through these litigations, the quicker they will have to adapt.”

On the latest episode of “This Week in Jacksonville: Business Edition,” host Kent Justice spoke with Chef Michael Cooney and Brittany Cooney about their plans for a flagship-style location in historic downtown St. Augustine and a future restaurant in Jacksonville’s Seven Pines development.

Brittany Cooney said St. Augustine offered something rare: a chance to win locals and visitors at the same time.

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“I think St. Augustine is so unique in what it offers, right? So you could say that it’s hyper-local, but you can also say the tourism, so which one is it?” she said. “We went into St. Augustine knowing that we could feed the local community… but we could also feed people from out of town and really get our name out there.”

For Chef Michael Cooney, the location is personal — and it fits what many diners want when they visit the Ancient City.

“I grew up going to St. Augustine… walking those historic streets, going to St. George with my family, making memories there,” he said. “Getting away from those chain restaurants… we’re just really excited to get in there and be able to showcase our food.”

As they plan for growth, the couple said consistency comes from culture and training — not just recipes.

“It takes… choosing our team very wisely… and then the amount of effort that we put into training them and building the culture,” Chef Cooney said. “We wanted to create an experience where our restaurants were an extension of our home… You come in, we take care of you.”

Brittany Cooney added that kind of hospitality requires owners to be present.

“You have to be, as the business owners, you have be present and you have to be the best role model for that,” she said. “Are the owners present? Are they there? … We do. We listen.”

The discussion also touched on staffing — an issue they say never really goes away in the restaurant business.

“I think it’s one of those big challenges… the age old challenge,” Chef Cooney said, adding that he’s learned the hard way it’s better to be short-staffed than hire the wrong people.

And while running restaurants as a married couple can blur the lines between work and home, they say the partnership makes them stronger.

“The restaurant industry is so tough,” Brittany Cooney said. “But it makes us that much stronger together.”

In 2022, the federal agency had imposed a ban on imports of sugar and other products made by Central Romana Corporation, Ltd., accusing the company of isolating workers, withholding wages and fostering abusive working and living conditions.

The ban, however, was lifted last year under the Trump administration, sparking an outcry that was revived when the nonprofit Corporate Accountability Lab published a report Tuesday noting that forced labor persists. The report was published following more than three years’ worth of investigations.

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, sent a letter Thursday to Customs and Border Protection requesting information behind the reversal of the ban. He accused the agency of appearing “to have abruptly abandoned its own established administrative procedures.”

“Circumventing standard trade enforcement processes for politically connected, billionaire-owned corporations undermines the integrity of U.S. trade policy,” Wyden wrote.

He requested administrative records, final recommendations and other documents related to the case.

The Associated Press sought comment from the agency, which acknowledged the emailed request but had not yet commented.

“Ensuring that U.S. trade enforcement mechanisms are immune from political interference and adhere to statutory requirements is critical to ensuring that forced labor does not illegally enter the supply chain of goods unwittingly bought by American businesses and consumers,” Wyden wrote.

More specifically, the study looks at Google Trends throughout 2026 to discover which slang terms Florida residents are searching for most often.

“The most searched slang words of 2026 give insight into the cultural conversations happening in America. Using slang is a social signal,” spokesperson Randoh Sallihall said. “What people search for can tell us something about what they are trying to understand and participate in culturally.”

This year, “6-7″ took the top spot, up from when it placed No. 2 in last year’s ranking.

Below are the top 10 slang terms searched in Florida, according to the report.

1. 6-7 — There is no literal meaning to six seven. Its absurdity is the point, making it a prime example of “brainrot” internet humor where the randomness itself becomes funny. It originates from the song “Doot Doot (6 7)” by Skrilla. LaMelo Ball a basketball player created a trending video about being 6 feet, 7 inches tall using the song. Kids and teens scream and chant it often paired with exaggerated hand gestures.
2. Chud- A fool, troll or jerk. Often used to insult internet trolls and describe an obnoxious person who is unlikable or rude.
3. Larping - A synonym to poser, fraud and try-hard. Someone who pretends to be something they are not. Faking a lifestyle. Acting for attention.
4. Foid - Short for “femoid” (a blend of “female” and “humanoid”). A derogatory and misogynistic slang term for women. Used to express resentment, insult women and reduce individuals to objects.
5. Cap - A lie, a fake claim or an exaggeration. Whereas no cap is means the opposite: I’m telling the truth, seriously, no lie.
6. Chopped - This term has become a synonym for something that is ugly, undesirable or unattractive. Looking very rough.
7. Torta - A way to describe an overweight, chubby or curvy woman.
8. Unc - Short for uncle. Used humorously to indicate old age (unc status). Anyone perceived as old, out of touch or past their prime.
9. Bop - A person with many sexual partners(bops around from person to person). Someone who presents oneself online in a way that is thought of as immodest. A derogatory word often used in cyberbullying.
10. Bird - Someone acting foolishly in relationships (like taking back an unfaithful partner). Lacks common sense, has low standards and stays with a man who disrespects her.

“Slang may look like a collection of throwaway jokes from the internet, but psychology suggests it is doing something much more interesting. Using slang helps people navigate identity and belong to a community,” Sallihall continued. “Research highlighted by the American Psychological Association, including the work of psychologist Ryan Boyd, shows that our language choices can act as signals of who we are, who we identify with and how we relate to other people.”

Meanwhile, the most searched slang words nationwide are as follows:

1. 6-7
2. Chud
3. Rizz - Style, charm or attractiveness. The ability to attract a romantic partner and make others like you.
4. Gooning - Primarily used in certain online communities to describe a prolonged session of self-stimulation. The term has evolved to casually refer to becoming overly obsessed about something. Essentially losing oneself in enthusiasm for an activity or interest.
5. Cap, No Cap - A lie, a fake claim or an exaggeration. Whereas no cap is means the opposite: I’m telling the truth, seriously, no lie.
6. Mogging, Mogged, Mog, Framemog - Outclassing someone else by appearing more attractive, skillful or successful.
7. Bop
8. Larping, Larper - A synonym to poser, fraud and try-hard. Someone who pretends to be something they are not. Faking a lifestyle. Acting for attention.
9. Aura, Aura Points, Aura Farming - A person’s cool factor, swagger or presence. Aura points are essentially coolness points that you can gain or lose by doing cool or cringe worthy actions. Aura farming refers to a behavior (often referencing anime characters) where a person does something for the sake of looking cool.
10. Sigma - Refers to an independent, self-reliant person who operates outside traditional social hierarchies, often described as a “lone wolf.”

The Ervebo vaccine is licensed for use against Ebola virus, one of the viruses that cause Ebola disease, but not for Bundibugyo virus, which is responsible for the current outbreak which has so far killed 2,476 people out of the 5,208 confirmed cases

WHO said in a statement that while it’s not known whether Ervebo may protect against the Bundibugyo virus, “early laboratory and animal data suggest it may provide some protection.”

The allocation includes 20,000 doses for a Phase 3 clinical trial to understand the impact of the vaccine on the Bundibugyo virus, the agency said. The remaining 50,000 doses will be used for front-line and health workers as recommended by WHO experts.

The outbreak raging in six provinces in eastern Congo has infected and killed more people at a greater speed than any other Ebola outbreak in history, and is spreading about three times faster compared to the 2014-2016 outbreak across West Africa — the deadliest Ebola outbreak on record with more than 11,000 deaths.

The International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision, which includes WHO and other partners, said the doses will be released immediately following a request from Congo’s government.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called the approval “an important example of global solidarity in action.” He said the agency and its partners remain committed to supporting strengthened surveillance, rapid detection, quality care, community engagement and vaccination efforts to bring the outbreak under control.

The lack of approved vaccines or treatments for the rare Bundibugyo virus has been a major issue for responders. Most new cases have been reported outside of the people being monitored, showing the virus continues to spread faster than efforts to track it. That has been a key contributor to the recorded deaths.

The case fatality rate so far is 47.5% although it is far worse in some places where response efforts are more challenging, such as in North Kivu province where the fatality rate is up to 70%.

Experts believe the virus began spreading from the mining town of Mongbwalu as early as February, months before authorities declared the outbreak on May 15.

The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claims dropped to 206,000 last week from a revised 212,000 the week before. The four-week average of claims, which smooths out week-to-week ups and downs, ticked up to 204,000 last week from 199,750.

Claims for jobless benefits are a proxy for layoffs, and economists watch them because they can be a harbinger for where the job market is headed. For the past year, claims have been at a historically low range of around 200,000 to 230,000 a week.

“The labor market has yet to show any sign of wear and tear from the surge in oil prices since the start of the war with Iran and the global energy supply shock,” Carl Weinberg, chief economist at High Frequency Economics, wrote in a commentary.

The number of people collecting unemployment benefits the week that ended Aug. 8 rose to 1.8 million from 1.78 million the week before.

The U.S. unemployment rate is low at 4.1%, partly because the economy has proved resilient in the face of higher energy prices. But it’s also because President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown and the ongoing retirement of baby boomers mean that fewer people are competing for jobs: More than 1.3 million people have dropped out of the U.S. labor force over the past year.

The job market is tough for those looking for their first job and for those who lost their jobs and are looking for new work. At the same time, companies, remembering the worker shortages that followed the end of COVID-19 lockups, are still reluctant to let go of staff; but they aren’t eager to take on new workers. Economists regularly refer to a “no hire, no fire″ job market.

In July, companies, government agencies and nonprofits together cut 23,000 jobs. So far this year, employers are adding 61,000 jobs a month. That is an improvement on the 9,700 they averaged last year — the weakest hiring outside a recession since 2002. The lingering effects of high interest rates and Trump’s erratic trade policies discouraged companies from hiring in 2025.

Hiring this year remains well below the 166,00 monthly jobs created, on average, in 2023 and 2024, let alone the 491,000 a month recorded during the 2021-2022 hiring boom that followed pandemic lockdowns.

The couple's children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, have already enrolled at British schools and will start classes in September, according to a person close to the Sussexes who was not authorized to speak publicly. The family plans to live at a private, non-royal residence outside of London, but plans to maintain their home in Montecito, California, and their vacation property in Portugal.

The Daily Telegraph first reported the story. When asked to discuss the reports by the AP at a roundtable event with U.S. veterans in Washington Wednesday night, Harry replied, "Nothing to say.”

Harry and Meghan gave up their royal duties and moved to California more than six years ago to earn their living through lucrative contracts with Netflix and Spotify. Although relations with the rest of the royal family have soured since then, Harry has recently expressed an interest in reconciliation so he could spend more time with his father, King Charles III, who is being treated for an undisclosed form of cancer.

Charles was informed of the couple's plans on Sunday. Harry and Meghan visited the U.K. last month.

Buckingham Palace has a policy of not commenting on speculation about non-working members of the royal family. A representative for Harry and Meghan declined to comment.

According to a source close to the Sussexes, Meghan will continue heading her As Ever company from the U.K., while Harry can spend more time working with his U.K.-based charities.

Harry and Meghan have had a stormy relationship with the royal family ever since they decamped to a mansion in the exclusive Southern California enclave of Montecito.

In a series of interviews and Harry's memoir “Spare,” the couple said they left Britain to escape the restrictions of royal life and criticized palace officials for being insensitive to Meghan's mental health while alleging that at least one member of the royal family had expressed racist views when she was pregnant with their first child. Meghan describes herself as biracial.

Those tensions were exacerbated by Harry's long-running legal battle with Britain's tabloid newspapers, which he alleges illegally hacked his phones and invaded his privacy when he was younger.

The prince recently lost a lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mail, though he won a 2023 judgment that condemned the publisher of the Daily Mirror for phone hacking. He also reached a settlement with the publisher of the Sun, which apologized for intruding on his life and agreed to pay substantial damages.

The latest trial has left Harry facing a potential bill for millions of pounds after the court ruled he and other plaintiffs in the case were liable for the publisher's legal fees. Associated Newspapers has filed documents showing that its legal costs amounted to 34.5 million pounds ($47 million).

Harry has also been embroiled in a legal wrangle with the British government after a government committee refused to authorize police protection for the prince and his family when they are in the U.K. The prince says he and his family need armed police protection because they are at risk simply because they are members of the royal family, regardless of whether they are working royals.

After losing a court battle over the security issue last year, Harry said he hoped to rebuild relations with his family.

“I would love reconciliation with my family. There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore,” Harry told the BBC. “I don’t know how much longer my father has.”

Last month, Harry returned to the U.K. for a series of charity engagements. Meghan and the children joined Harry for part of the visit and they spent time with the king at his Highgrove estate in western England. It was the first time Archie and Lilibet had seen their grandfather since the late Queen Elizabeth II's platinum jubilee in 2022.

While Harry has recently met with his father, there are no signs of a warming of relations with his brother, Prince William, the heir to the throne.

Peter Hunt, a former BBC royal correspondent, said the surprise announcement would make William “apoplectic.”

“In the short term, Harry will be able to deepen his rapprochement with his father," Hunt told Britain's Press Association. “And his presence back home will make it harder for his brother to duck a reconciliation."

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Pollard reported from Washington.

Fletcher spoke to The Associated Press in an interview after a visit to the southern city of Kherson, where he witnessed how communities there are coping while living under the constant threat of Russian drones. Fletcher described the visit to Kherson, split by the Dnipro River, which acts as an active front line, as “quite chilling."

Russian forces occupy the eastern bank, while Ukrainian forces hold the western bank. From across the water, surveillance and exploding drones routinely hunt and attack civilians, vehicles and public transit.

“It really gives us an insight into the dangers ahead of us,” he said.

The threat is also making it harder for humanitarian organizations to reach people who need assistance.

Fletcher spoke after attending a commemoration for two humanitarian workers who had died while doing their jobs.

“Drones are a real threat to not just civilians but the humanitarians who are here to protect them,” Fletcher said.

He said that aid workers are protected under international humanitarian law and yet marked humanitarian vehicles have still been hit. “So that does restrict what we can do," he said.

Local organizations are particularly exposed. More than two-thirds of operations funded through Ukraine's humanitarian fund are carried out by local organizations, according to Fletcher.

“They’re the ones who are saying most loudly to us, we’re not protected,” he said.

Fletcher said the U.N. needs more than $2 billion for its prioritized humanitarian response in Ukraine this year, with winter among his biggest concerns. Damage to civilian infrastructure, including electricity, water and gas systems, could once again leave millions vulnerable during the harsh winter months, raising fears of a repeat of last winter’s severe conditions.

The U.N. has sharply narrowed its humanitarian priorities all over the world as donor funding has fallen. Fletcher said the organization initially identified 87 million people facing the most severe humanitarian needs, but that figure has since risen to about 92 million with the onslaught of Ebola in Africa, the earthquake in Venezuela and other conflicts.

The U.N. is seeking $23 billion to provide life-saving assistance to those people and had raised about $11 billion, said Fletcher.

Ukraine is relatively well funded compared with many other crises, he added, with roughly 70%–75% of its hyper-prioritized funding requirement covered. But even full funding of the humanitarian plan would address only part of Ukraine’s needs.

Fletcher also admitted that raising money for humanitarian operations has become more difficult as governments have increasingly redirected spending toward defense and domestic priorities.

“We’re in a more transactional world, I would say a more selfish world,” he said.

Fletcher said the U.N. now has to demonstrate that it is using limited taxpayer money efficiently and strategically.

“We have to show governments that we are spending their taxpayers’ money sensibly, wisely, in a prioritized way,” he said.

In a stark new assessment released on Wednesday, the U.N. warned that 907 aid workers were victims of violence last year and over 1,000 have been killed in three years. Fletcher said he could not reassure colleagues that those responsible would be held accountable based on how the international community has reacted.

He said accountability should extend beyond identifying the person who physically carried out an attack.

“I want to see investigations into the people who fired the weapon or flew the drone,” he said.

JSO says Ford approached a sergeant doing paperwork at a stop station on West Beaver Street around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. Chief of Investigators Michael Paul said a brief conversation preceded Ford pulling out a handgun and firing toward the officer. Ford missed, striking the building. The sergeant then fired back, hitting Ford. Fire rescue transported him to UF Health, where he died.

Navy veteran recalls Ford as a natural leader

Rashad Menefee, who served with Ford aboard the USS Philippine Sea, said he learned about the shooting after seeing a Facebook post from Ford hours before the incident.

“I thought it was kind of strange, but I was like, oh, I’m sure people, they’re going to check in on him, make sure he’s good,” Menefee said. “And then later on, I went back and looked, and I saw the comments, and I saw someone had said, it’s on the news. So I Googled it, and saw what happened. And I was just like, this is crazy, honestly. Like it’s sad, disheartening, because obviously... It seemed like the post was a cry for help.”

Menefee said he knew Ford primarily on a professional level but described him as someone easy to connect with.

“He was very personable,” Menefee said. “You could talk to him, work stuff, personal life stuff, it didn’t matter. Like he was just always easygoing.”

He added that Ford’s death has hit those who served under him especially hard. “He was a good leader, and all the people under him, they’re definitely taking it hard.”

Fellow sailor: ‘A wonderful husband and father’

Another sailor who served with Ford declined to be interviewed on camera but told News4Jax that Ford was “a wonderful Sailor, husband, and father” who “always had the interest of others in his heart.”

JSO: Ford had been Baker Acted in February

JSO confirmed Ford had been Baker Acted in February 2026. News4Jax asked the agency whether it plans to review or update its policy for de-escalating encounters involving individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. JSO referred back to the incident briefing and said body camera footage would be available within 21 days.

Resources

Here is a list of mental health resources available in Florida.

• UF Health St. Johns Behavioral Health Resource Center - open 24/7 with clinicians on staff and available to assist during a crisis. No appointment is needed.
• EPIC Behavioral Health Rapid Response Team – 24/7 service for individuals 26+, dial 988, and a response will occur within 60 minutes of the request.
• EPIC Access Support Center – Walk-in services for mental health at their North Campus, Northwest Campus, and Flagler Campus. If this service is needed, walk-in during hours or call (904) 495-7001.
• Mobile Response Team – 24/7 service for individuals 5-25 years old. Dial 988 or 911 and a response will occur within 60 minutes of the request.
• Vinson Foundation - A support group for St. Johns, Jacksonville, Fernandina Beach, and Orange Park, for families who lost someone to suicide.
• St. Augustine Youth Services: 904-829-1770
• Call 211 - Local experts are available 24/7 to help. Calls to 211 are confidential and can be anonymous.
• Hope for Healing Florida - Hope for Healing navigates the many ways Floridians can access help for mental health and substance abuse

These resources can be accessed nationwide.

• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline - Call or text 988 for help. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free, and confidential support for people in distress, prevention, and crisis resources for you or someone you know.
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provides resources for issues with mental health, drugs, or alcohol.
• Veterans Crisis Line - Text 838255 or call 1-800-273-8255 and press 1
• Crisis Text Line - Text “Home” to 741741
• Teen Line - Text “Teen” to 839863

If you or anyone you know needs help, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.

The decision marks a milestone in Evergrande's saga after it defaulted on more than $300 billion in liabilities when Chinese authorities cracked down on excessive borrowing in the real estate industry in 2020. That triggered a crunch among many developers and brought on a downturn in the property market that has weighed on the broader economy ever since.

The Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court said Thursday it convicted 67-year-old Hui, who founded Evergrande, of engaging in large-scale financial fraud in inflating the group’s assets and concealing its liabilities.

In a statement, the court said Hui, also known as Xu Jiayin, abused his position in orchestrating fraud and misappropriating company assets.

Evergrande group was fined 8.82 billion yuan ($1.31 billion) and Evergrande Real Estate Group was fined 7 billion yuan ($1.04 billion), the court said.

“The amount involved is exceptionally large, the circumstances are particularly egregious, and extraordinarily heavy economic losses have been caused,” the statement said. “The harm to society is extremely serious. Therefore, severe punishment should be given in accordance with the law.”

Hui’s sons, Xu Tenghe and Xu Zhijian, were also sentenced alongside senior Evergrande executives and others linked to the group on charges including illegally taking public deposits, fundraising fraud and the illegal use of funds, China's official Xinhua News Agency said. A total of more than 50 individuals got prison terms of between 22 months and 18 years, it said without providing a breakdown of sentencing details.

A photo of Hui's courtroom appearance released by the Shenzhen court on Thursday showed an aged Hui, who used to be a high-profile figure but had long been out of public view, wearing a navy blue shirt standing between two uniformed officers behind a sign that read “defendant” in Chinese.

Hui pleaded guilty in April to various charges including illegal absorption of public deposits, fraud and bribery after he was detained in China.

China Evergrande was founded in 1996 as China's housing boom was taking off. It defaulted on its debts in 2021 and was ordered to liquidate its assets. The broader downturn in China's massive property sector that ensued has pulled home prices down 20% or more since 2021.

Authorities in Hong Kong and mainland China earlier said their investigations found Evergrande had manipulated its financial data using tactics such as prematurely booking revenue from property sales before completion and delivery of the apartments to buyers. Revenues were overstated by roughly $80 billion over 2019 and 2020, they said.

Hui was fined 47 million yuan ($6.5 million) in 2024 and banned from China's securities markets for life by the China Securities Regulatory Commission over inflating company financial results, among other issues.

Once reported to be China’s richest man, Hui used to own the football club Guangzhou Evergrande. At one point, he and his companies were involved in investing in and building theme parks and electric vehicles.

His story was one of rags-to-riches. Born in 1958 into a rural family in central China's Henan province, he worked in the steel industry in the 1980s before establishing Evergrande, which then prospered during China's housing market boom. He was one of many businessmen who have also gained political influence by joining a major advisory organization, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

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Associated Press writer Huizhong Wu in Bangkok contributed to this report.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said the launches of about 10 short-range ballistic missiles happened from North Korea’s capital region around 5 p.m. (0800 GMT) on Thursday. The military said the missiles flew about 300 kilometers (185 miles) each toward North Korea’s eastern waters.

The military said South Korea has bolstered its surveillance posture and was closely coordinating information on the launches with the U.S. and Japan. South Korea’s presidential national security council issued a statement urging North Korea to halt ballistic missile launches.

The Japanese prime minister's office had earlier said that it detected a suspected missile launch.

U.S. President Donald Trump earlier ordered the Pentagon to “substantially reduce” the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, just before they began Monday. Trump cited what he said was a good relationship with Kim and South Korea’s refusal to support him over the war in Iran.

On Wednesday, the South Korean and U.S. militaries confirmed they shortened the 11-day drills by shortening their duration by about half and canceling some field training exercises. The reduction of the exercises raised worries about the allies’ joint defense posture.

Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, dismissed Trump’s overture later Wednesday, saying “the provocative, aggressive nature of the drills won’t change even though their duration and size were reduced.”

“If the U.S. calculates that it can propagate its recent measure as the one of so-called good faith, they will not get the desired answer,” she said in a statement.

She denied Trump’s claim that Kim Jong Un had responded to his request for a conversation.

Kim Yo Jong still refrained from the typical North Korean reaction of fiery rhetoric and said personal relations between her brother and Trump are “still excellent.” That signals North Korea would want to wait for Trump to make bigger concessions before returning to talks.

When asked by reporters Wednesday if he would be meeting with Kim Jong Un this year, Trump said that “Yeah, I will be.” He wouldn’t answer a question about whether he is exchanging letters with Kim but said he gets along with him.

The Ulchi Freedom Shield is one of the main military exercises conducted by the U.S. and South Korea annually to enhance their ability to cope with potential North Korean aggression. Washington and Seoul say their drills are defensive in nature, but North Korea calls them an invasion rehearsal and often reacts with weapons tests.

Before this month's drills started, North Korea accused the U.S. and South Korea of plotting more provocative exercises this summer and vowed to respond with "a new level of a deterrent.” Days before the drills' start, North Korea fired two ballistic missiles into the sea in its first such launches since late June.

Trump's earlier diplomacy with Kim Jong Un collapsed in 2019 due to disputes over how much sanctions relief North Korea should be given in return for dismantling its main nuclear complex, a limited denuclearization step. Kim has since shunned any talks with the U.S., pushed to modernize weapons arsenals and expanded cooperation with Russia.

Kim has said he won’t place his nuclear program back on the negotiating table. Experts say Kim has more leverage than when he first held talks with Trump in 2018 and 2019. They say Kim likely hopes to eventually win international recognition as a nuclear state and extensive sanctions relief in exchange for only limited steps toward denuclearization.

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Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.

In Waldorf, in the southwestern state of Rhineland-Palatinate, a woman was struck by a falling tree and fatally injured, the German news agency dpa reported Thursday. Another woman suffered serious injuries in the accident, police said.

The women, 58 and 47, were walking together when a storm rolled in and they sought shelter under a covered seating area. Both women were struck when a tree was uprooted and fell onto the seating area. The 58-year-old died at the scene, a police spokesperson said. The 47-year-old was taken to a hospital.

A tornado struck the town of Fürstenwalde, 78 kilometers (49 miles) southeast of Berlin. Roofs were torn off and several cars were damaged by falling trees, and one person was injured, according to dpa.

In Höhr-Grenzhausen in the Westerwald district in western Germany, a storm tore walls from buildings. At least two homes were affected, according to dpa. Falling pieces of building facades and flying debris caused additional damage, and several trees were uprooted. A widespread power outage also hit the area, while strong gusts of wind overturned a truck on the A61 highway.

There were also numerous weather-related emergency calls overnight in Hesse, Thuringia and Bavaria.

A village festival in Kronach, Bavaria, was partially evacuated due to severe storms. About 3,500 guests had to leave the outdoor area of the festival grounds late Wednesday evening, local police said. They were able to continue celebrating inside the beer halls.

In Wetzlar, in Hesse, the storm damaged about 60 houses, according to the fire department. In some cases, pieces of roofing were blown as far as 100 meters (110 yards) away, dpa reported.

The German Weather Service warned that further severe storms could occur later in the day, particularly in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria in southern Germany.

While the storms in Germany were accompanied by cooler temperatures, high temperatures continued to be recorded in southeastern Europe, and fires raged in some parts of the region.

Firefighters are battling wildfires in the Balkans

In Serbia, a Russian firefighting plane joined efforts in Serbia on Thursday to fight wildfires that devastated a nature reserve in the northeast as the Balkan country faces a fresh heat wave in the coming days.

The Il-76 plane landed in Serbia on Wednesday evening, also illustrating continued friendly relations between the two countries despite Belgrade’s proclaimed intention to join the European Union.

The fire in Deliblatska Pescara, or Deliblato Sands, first erupted a month ago, but was under control until early August when it started spreading swiftly, engulfing thousands of acres of pine forests and shrubbery.

Several other big fires also have been raging in other parts of the country, as well as throughout the region in the past weeks. An extremely hot and dry summer this year has fueled wildfires throughout Europe, from Belgium to Greece.

Croatian firefighters from the popular tourism hot spot of Dubrovnik on Thursday joined a struggle to contain a fire across the border in Bosnia to prevent it from spreading toward the medieval walled city that is a UNESCO protected heritage site.

“It was a hard night,” regional firefighting unit commander Stjepan Simović told the Hina news agency. "The fire is huge and in an inaccessible terrain, so we have to be vigilant.”

___

Gec reported from Belgrade, Serbia.

“Pulitzer on the Road: Prize — Winning Works That Inform, Empower & Inspire” will launch in October at the Chicago Public Library and the Dallas Public Library and continue through May 2028, with stops at public libraries everywhere from Reading, Pennsylvania, to San Jose, California.

The exhibit will highlight more than a century of Pulitzer winners, whether such groundbreaking news reporting as the Pentagon Papers and the Watergate scandal, iconic photographs such as the AP's “Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima,” poems by Sylvia Plath and Robert Frost, plays by Arthur Miller and Lin-Manuel Miranda or fiction by Toni Morrison and John Steinbeck.

Kingsolver, Everett and Kraus, all Pulitzer-winning novelists, will be making appearances, along with composer Gabriela Frank and photojournalist Jon Cherry among others.

“Pulitzer on the Road was created to bring Pulitzer Prize-winning journalism and storytelling to communities across the country, showcasing the exceptional work that has been honored since the prizes were first awarded in 1917,” Marjorie Miller, administrator of the Pulitzers, said in a statement Thursday.

Maria McCauley, president of the American Library Association, said in a statement that the exhibit would create "opportunities for visitors to connect with the excellent prize-winning works that drive curiosity, conversation and civic engagement.”

With universities competing to pay athletes millions of dollars, some states now are propping up their strained sports budgets in ways not previously seen. The state dollars aren’t going directly to star athletes. But by funding facilities and administrative costs normally borne by the schools, states are freeing universities to use their own dollars for other purposes.

The athletics program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, for the first time, is receiving $3 million earmarked from state sports betting taxes. Wisconsin lawmakers approved $15 million for athletic costs at the University of Wisconsin. And Connecticut and Louisiana also are using tax dollars to support college athletics. Even more states have considered it.

Sports business analysts see an emerging trend.

“Once one state provides that kind of assistance, schools in competing states can argue that they are being placed at a competitive disadvantage, which could create additional pressure on legislatures to respond,” said Daniel McIntosh, faculty director of the sports business program at Arizona State University.

Legal cases have accelerated spending on college athletes

NCAA rules long barred college athletes from getting paid by schools and boosters. But under pressure from lawsuits and states, the NCAA cleared the way in 2021 for athletes to receive money from private entities for the use of their name, image or likeness (NIL). Then a legal settlement last year allowed higher education institutions to directly pay athletes a total of about $20.5 million annually — on top of any scholarships and other NIL deals they receive.

That cap rose to $21.3 million for this school year, and is set to rise again the following year.

Many mid-level programs cannot afford that much. But almost all NCAA Division I athletic programs are trying to generate more money to pay athletes in a bid to remain competitive with their peers. At the same time, schools have been incurring greater costs for facilities, coaches’ salaries and travel amid conference realignments that discarded old geographic-based rivalries.

Over the past four years, athletic operating expenses at public Division I institutions shot up by nearly a third — notably outpacing revenue and running up deficits, according to an Associated Press analysis using the Knight-Newhouse College Athletics Database.

Federal legislation could drive athletic costs even higher

The Protect College Sports Act, pending in the U.S. Senate, has been promoted as a way to put guardrails on college sports spending. But it could potentially allow even greater spending by schools.

The latest version would allow institutions to pay up to an additional $27.5 million annually to retain players on their rosters, pushing the overall athlete payment cap close to $50 million. The higher ceiling could reduce the demand for third-party NIL deals.

But the legislation contains no provision restraining increases in state and institutional funding for athletics, said Amy Privette Perko, CEO of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics.

“Without some restraint on the underlying spending competition, additional public funding could simply finance the next stage of the arms race,” McIntosh said.

States are routing money to schools in creative ways

When North Carolina launched online sports wagering in 2024, it earmarked part of the tax revenue for athletic departments at 13 public universities. But the two largest institutions — the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University — were excluded.

That changed in July under a new state budget that raises the sports betting tax. Those two schools now are projected to receive $3 million each this year and $5.8 million next year.

In the meantime, Louisiana also hiked its sports wagering tax and earmarked about $2.2 million to each of its 11 public universities in conferences with Division I football programs.

Seeking to drum up athletic revenue, Connecticut lawmakers authorized the University of Connecticut to issue vouchers for state tax credits equal to half the amount of donations, sponsorships and licensing endorsements. The program generated $1.7 million in its first four months, according to a university report.

New Jersey’s new budget allots $5 million for “events attraction and marketing” at Rutgers’ flagship campus. A university spokesperson declined to say if the money would be used for athletic programs.

Though not providing new state money, the governing board for Florida’s universities last year authorized institutions to transfer up to $22.5 million to athletics. Florida State University did so almost immediately, and other schools have since followed.

Lawmaker says a bad football team is bad for the state

The Wisconsin budget provides $14.6 million for athletic facility debt payments at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and $200,000 each for the Milwaukee and Green Bay campuses.

“None of that state funds technically would go toward student athletes,” said Republican state Rep. Alex Dallman, who sponsored the legislation.

But with the state covering facility debt, the university could use its own funds “for other things, such as NIL, or just trying to compete,” said Dallman, who typically attends a couple Wisconsin football games each year.

“Having a bad football team, having uncompetitive college sports in general, would not be beneficial to our state, both culturally or economically,” Dallman said. “So we decided as a state we’d help out.”

Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin said in a statement the cities put forward “incredibly strong bids," and he promised the convention would be an “inspiring celebration of our party's future nominee.”

A final decision is expected to be made later this year by party leaders. Republicans have already chosen Houston for the site of their 2028 convention.

The Democratic convention, scheduled for Aug. 7-10, 2028, traditionally gives the party a chance to formally introduce its nominee to the country, rally the base and kick-start the most intense period of campaigning ahead of the general election.

The party didn't specify why Atlanta and Chicago, which was the site of the 2024 convention, were eliminated. Officials visited all five cities in April and May, considering logistical and fundraising capacity among other factors.

The three finalists are liberal strongholds surrounded by the type of suburban areas that have become increasingly important to the party in recent elections. They also provide access to fundraising and key demographic and interest groups, like labor unions.

While Colorado and Massachusetts have gone Democratic in recent presidential elections, Pennsylvania has been among the biggest battlegrounds. Trump, a Republican, won Pennsylvania in 2024.

Philadelphia last hosted the convention in 2016, Denver in 2008 and Boston in 2004.

Before the presidential primary gets into gear, Democrats are looking at this year's midterm elections as an opportunity to flip the narrowly divided Republican-led House and maybe take back control of the Senate.

Democrats face fundraising disadvantages compared with Republicans, along with financial debt, and Martin has confronted criticism over his stewardship of the party.

During a recent DNC meeting in Texas, Martin downplayed the critics and called for the party to unite as it tries to win the midterms and look ahead to 2028 and the end of Trump's second term.

Last week: 7-3. Season: 7-3.

Week 1 State series

Friday, Aug. 21

Baker County at Clay: Wildcats in a new era under a familiar name. N4J pick: Baker County 21, Clay 14.

Beachside at KIPP Bold City, 6:30 p.m.: Barracudas graduated a ton, but they roll here. N4J pick: Beachside 44, KIPP Bold City 6.

Bishop Kenny at NFEI: Crusaders are going to surprise some people this year. N4J pick: Bishop Kenny 34, NFEI 14.

(8) Columbia at (2) Bolles: Tigers don’t have enough offense to stay in this one. N4J pick: (2) Bolles 35, (8) Columbia 14.

Eastside at Fort White, 7:30 p.m.: Tough opener for the Indians. N4J pick: Eastside 28, Fort White 21.

First Coast at Ribault, 6:30 p.m.: Buccaneers start with a W. N4J pick: First Coast 27, Ribault 7.

Fleming Island at Atlantic Coast, 6:30 p.m.: Golden Eagles get to work. N4J pick: Fleming Island 28, Atlantic Coast 13.

Fletcher at Sandalwood, 6:30 p.m.: New era will be better than it has been for the Saints, but Senators are too much here. N4J pick: Fletcher 30, Sandalwood 14.

Hilliard at All Saints Academy: The DJ Alderman Show begins. N4J pick: Hilliard 35, All Saints 21.

Impact Christian at Chiles: Timberwolves won this by a couple of TDs last year. N4J pick: Chiles 38, Impact 14.

Jackson at Orange Park: Raiders ready to get over the hump this year. N4J pick: Orange Park 31, Jackson 20.

(3) Mandarin at McArthur (Broward County Showcase): Tough, tough opener for the Mustangs but they find a way to get it done. N4J pick: (3) Mandarin 27, McArthur 24.

Matanzas at Flagler Palm Coast: Potato Bowl goes to the Bulldogs for the 10^th consecutive season. N4J pick: FPC 28, Matanzas 20.

Menendez at Middleburg: Broncos are muscling their way in to the most consistent teams conversation. N4J pick: Middleburg 28, Menendez 14.

(4) Nease at Creekside: Panthers have a big one on deck in Week 2 and they don’t get caught looking ahead to it. N4J pick: (4) Nease 38, Creekside 14.

Parker at Riverside, 6:30 p.m.: Generals in a low-scoring game. N4J pick: Riverside 19, Parker 12.

(1) Raines at (9) Oakleaf: Can’t pick against the Vikings here. N4J pick: (1) Raines 38, (9) Oakleaf 14.

(5) St. Augustine at Palatka: Yellow Jackets get things done in one of the oldest rivalries in high school football. N4J pick: (5) St. Augustine 44, Palatka 14.

Suwannee at Crystal River: Bulldogs start the season off right. N4J pick: Suwannee 28, Crystal River 20.

Tocoi Creek at Bartram Trail: The Bears shake off a forgettable 2025 season with a win here. N4J pick: Bartram Trail 28, Tocoi Creek 21.

(7) Trinity Christian at (6) Ed White, 6:30 p.m.: Commanders had one quality win last year, and it came in this game. N4J pick: (6) Ed White 35, (7) Trinity Christian 30.

(10) University Christian at Ponte Vedra: A win by Class 1A UC may be a bit of an upset over 5A Ponte Vedra. N4J pick: (10) UC 28, Ponte Vedra 23.

West Port at Bradford, 7:30 p.m.: A new coach for the Tornadoes, but the same result. N4J pick: Bradford 28, West Port 7.

Westside at Ridgeview: Panthers keep the Wolverines reeling. N4J pick: Ridgeview 27, Westside 13.

Yulee at Baldwin, 6:30 p.m.: Indians jump out to a W in the first week. N4J pick: Baldwin 21, Yulee 20.

Week 2 independents

Atlantic (1-0) at Crescent City (0-1): Sharks top the Raiders here. N4J pick: Atlantic 21, Crescent City 14.

Charlton County at (1) West Nassau (1-0): Warriors ran for nearly 400 yards last week. N4J pick: (1) West Nassau 30, Charlton County 21.

Cornerstone Classical at Bishop McLaughlin, 6 p.m.: Spartans seeking their first win. N4J pick: McLaughlin 30, Cornerstone 14.

Duval Charter (0-1) at Old Plank Christian (1-0), 7:30 p.m.: Defenders make it to 2-0. N4J pick: Old Plank 34, Duval Charter 24.

Eagle’s View (0-1) at Branford (0-1), 7:30 p.m.: Buccaneers with the W over the Warriors. N4J pick: Branford 34, Eagle’s View 14.

Englewood at Bishop Snyder (0-1): Can the Rams get a win in Week 1? N4J pick: Englewood 21, Snyder 20.

(4) Episcopal (1-0) at Providence: Stallions have won three straight in this series. N4J pick: Providence 31, (4) Episcopal 26.

First Coast Christian (0-1) at (6) Christ’s Church Academy (1-0): Eagles looked really good last week. N4J pick: (6) Christ’s Church 45, First Coast Christian 0.

Harvest Community (1-0) at Stanton (1-0), 6:30 p.m.: Blue Devils stay unbeaten. N4J pick: Stanton 28, Harvest 20.

Young Kids in Motion at Joshua Christian: Ravens roll here. N4J pick: YKIM 20, Joshua Christian 7.

Keystone Heights (0-1) at Interlachen, 7:30 p.m.: Rams get a win after last week’s game was washed out. N4J pick: Interlachen 33, Keystone Heights 14.

Leon at (2) Fernandina Beach: Pirates have a very good team this season. N4J pick: (2) Fernandina Beach 38, Leon 20.

(5) Paxon (0-1) at Wolfson, 6:30 p.m.: Golden Eagles get back to .500 with a rivalry win here. N4J pick: (5) Paxon 31, Wolfson 21.

(3) Union County (1-0) at Rutherford, 7:30 p.m.: Tigers get a win in the Panhandle against a larger program. N4J pick: (3) Union County 20, Rutherford 19.

Zarephath Academy at IMG Academy White (Thursday): Tough opener for the Eagles. N4J pick: IMG 42, Zarephath 13.

OFF: St. Joseph.

Using a pair of hand tools, Shijin carefully inspected the sheet made from the papyrus plant, proceeding with the utmost care. After all, it most likely hadn’t been handled in a century — nor read for thousands of years.

The Papyrus Conservation Summer Seminar at the University of Michigan is the only one of its kind in the Americas, according to the university. And it's one of the few in the world designed to convey the best practices for conserving papyrus manuscripts, ancient texts written on rolls or sheets made from the papyrus plant.

“If you touch this papyrus, you can feel the history,” said Shijin, a native of China who was among nine scholars from across the globe, including Ireland, Italy and the U.S., who took the 10-day course.

Michigan’s Papyrology Collection covers texts and documents from 1000 B.C.E. to 1000 C.E. No institution on this side of the world has more of them, the Ann Arbor school said, giving the researchers access to a vast collection of ancient papyri. There are portions of the Homer epics, “The Odyssey” and “The Iliad,” writings by the philosopher Epicurus and the oldest-known copy of the Epistles of Paul.

“Carrying on this tradition is an incredible responsibility, but it also is incredibly fun and rewarding, because there’s nothing I love more than getting people together from all over the world, sharing ideas, learning from each other,” said Marieka Kaye, who manages library preservation services for physical collections at the University of Michigan Library.

Kaye said she tried to make “things comfortable and not scary, because a lot of people just feel terrified working on these ancient things.”

The seminar introduced the papyrologists and conservators to techniques in the treatment, storage and care of the ancient texts, as well as documentation practices. Papyrus and its ink can crumble, smear or break, so Kaye encouraged the students to carefully remove dirt, sand, salt and debris; use controlled moisture to soften folds and realign fibers; and dry the papyrus slowly under light weight to prevent curling.

The first seminar was held in 2012, and they have been held every two years since, except for the 2020 pandemic year. About 50 students total have taken part.

“If we don’t train the next generations of conservators, this is a craft that is going to be lost,” said Giuliano Sidro, curator of Michigan's Papyrology Collection.

Michigan has so many papyrus manuscripts on hand that its researchers haven’t gone through them all. Some of the items were acquired, while others were excavated, during university expeditions to the ancient site of Karanis, Egypt, from 1924-35. Francis Willey Kelsey, a Latin professor who died in 1927, was the driving force behind the establishment of the Papyrology Collection. He believed Michigan students studying the ancient world needed access not only to books, but to the tangible remains of antiquity. Today, the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology is a fixture on the Michigan campus. Its collection represents one of the finest compilations of daily-life objects from Greco-Roman Egypt located outside of Cairo.

“This is a place where you make discoveries, potentially every day, if you just go into the vault, pick out a box and open something up, and you start reading,” Sidro said.

Of course, to make sense of it, one needs to be able to decipher Arabic, ancient Greek or Latin, and even Egyptian, one of the earliest known written languages that is now extinct. A few of the seminar participants were able to read the papyri, including Arzak Mohamed, who reads Arabic, and Mauro Castiello, a papyrology doctoral student in Milan, who can translate ancient Greek and Latin.

Kaye said she always tries to include a student from Egypt among the seminar participants.

Mohamed, a postdoctoral fellow at Macquarie University in Sydney, had heard about the papyrus seminar for years and always wanted to attend. The 42-year-old mother of three is from Fayoum, Egypt, not far from Karanis.

“Now, I can transfer this information from Michigan to Egypt and even in Australia,” she said. “I will be like the chain, connecting between the three countries.”

“By saving this information, we can transfer the knowledge to the next generation,” she added.

The military said it would not probe three other attacks that killed aid workers from World Central Kitchen and Doctors Without Borders. It said it had completed reviews of 150 incidents of troop conduct in Gaza and made decisions on the five cases.

Chef José Andrés, founder of U.S.-based World Central Kitchen, condemned the decision on X as “wrong and painful.”

The investigations involve killings that drew a heavy international outcry. Hind was trapped in a vehicle with her slain relatives, pleading for help by phone before she too was killed in February 2024. After the shooting of the 15 medics in March 2025, troops bulldozed their bodies into a mass grave.

Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed more than 73,000 people, including tens of thousands of women and children, according to the territory’s Health Ministry. Rights groups and U.N. commissions have said the campaign amounts to genocide and that Israeli forces have committed a litany of war crimes, including indiscriminate use of force and deliberate killings of civilians.

Israel denies accusations of genocide and war crimes and says it is targeting Hamas after its October 2023 attack on southern Israel. It blames civilian deaths on Hamas because the militant group operates in populated areas in the tiny, overcrowded strip.

Israeli officials contend the country's justice system can address any violations by its troops, but rights groups say soldiers are almost never held accountable.

Wednesday's statement did not mention many other high-profile killings that Israel has pledged to investigate, such as its strikes on a hospital in southern Gaza that killed five journalists in August 2025, including Mariam Dagga, a visual journalist who freelanced for The Associated Press and other news organizations.

The 5-year-old was the last alive in a stranded car

Hind's grandmother, also named Hind Rajab, told the AP by phone that the Israeli investigation into her killing is not enough.

“An international investigation is required to uncover the truth and hold all those responsible accountable,” she said. “We call for justice, not only for Hind, but for all Gaza children.”

The military in Wednesday's statement admitted to firing at the car carrying the 5-year-old, four of her cousins and her aunt and uncle as they fled an Israeli invasion of Gaza City.

As gunfire sprayed around them, the girl's cousin, 15-year-old Layan Hamada, called the Palestinian Red Crescent paramedic center, telling staff there her family had been killed. Seconds later, more gunshots were heard, and Layan’s screaming stopped, according to the Red Crescent recording of the call.

Palestinian paramedics dispatched an ambulance to rescue Hind and stayed on the line with her until contact was lost. Hind, her five relatives and two medics from the ambulance were found dead 12 days later.

The military admitted Wednesday that troops had fired toward that ambulance, killing the two medics.

Dyab Abou Jahjah, director of the Belgium-based Hind Rajab foundation, told Al-Jazeera he considered the military investigations a “charade meant to whitewash the culprits instead of convicting them.”

The Palestinian Red Crescent also insists on an international investigation, according to Raed al-Nims, a spokesman for the organization in Gaza. “Israeli measures are not enough,” he told the AP.

A movie docudrama about Hind's death, “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” won international awards and was nominated for an Oscar.

The 15 medics had been trying to reach casualties

In the killing of the paramedics, Israeli troops fired on an ambulance driving to retrieve casualties from an Israeli offensive in the southern city of Rafah, then fired on other emergency vehicles that came looking for the first one, according to phone footage and the sole survivor of the shootings. Fifteen medics and emergency responders from the Red Crescent and Gaza's Civil Defense were killed.

Troops then bulldozed over the bodies and vehicles, burying them in a mass grave. U.N. and rescue workers were only able to reach the site a week later to dig out the bodies.

The Israeli military initially said it opened fire because the vehicles were “advancing suspiciously” on troops without headlights or emergency signals. But it backtracked after the footage emerged, showing the teams driving slowly with their emergency lights flashing and logos visible. A deputy commander was directed to step down over the killings.

“We are not obligated to prove the truth because it is already proven to the whole world,” Eid Azizi, a Palestinian Red Crescent spokesperson, told the AP in a phone call. “We shouldn’t have reached this point if they respected and followed international humanitarian law.”

Israel will not criminally probe World Central Kitchen strike

The military said it had decided against a criminal investigation into April 2024 airstrikes that hit a convoy of World Central Kitchen vehicles, killing seven staffers.

The aid group, which distributes food in Gaza, said at the time it had coordinated with the military over the convoy's movement. The vehicles, which had the group’s logo on their roofs visible from the air, were left incinerated and mangled.

Wednesday's military statement said individuals in the vehicles were mistakenly identified as armed Hamas operatives. But it concluded that the commanders' decisions "did not raise reasonable suspicion of criminal misconduct.” At the time, two officers were removed from their positions and three others reprimanded.

World Central Kitchen responded in a statement saying the military’s account of the strike was untrue, “conflates different timelines and events, muddies the story and shifts the blame.” It called for an independent investigation.

Australia's foreign minister Penny Wong expressed “outrage” at the outcome Thursday, saying the removals and reprimands of officers weren't sufficient accountability for the killing of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom. Wong said unanswered questions remained and her government would continue to pursue the matter.

The military also decided not to take criminal action over the killings of four staffers from Doctors Without Borders in two separate instances in November 2023 and February 2024.

What happens next?

Military investigators will now take up the probes and present their findings to military prosecutors. The military advocate general can then decide to keep investigating, indict any soldiers involved or decline to charge them.

Any action will take a long time, if it comes at all, said Tal Steiner, head of the Israeli rights group HaMoked.

Indictments are very uncommon and convictions even more so, she said, recalling only one soldier who had spent time behind bars since Oct. 7, 2023, for alleged abuse of Palestinian prisoners. That soldier was imprisoned for seven months under a June 2025 plea bargain.

“It’s very rare that soldiers accused of harming Palestinians even go to court ... and even rarer that they get a severe punishment,” Steiner said.

Just 0.17% of all military investigations launched during three Gaza operations from 2014 to 2022 led to prosecution, according to an analysis by Israeli rights group Yesh Din.

The war's toll keeps growing

The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in southern Israel and abducted 251 others.

Israeli strikes have continued in Gaza since a ceasefire deal came into effect in October, killing at least 1,270 people, according to the Health Ministry.

The ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. It does not give a breakdown of civilians and militants but says women and children constitute about half of the dead. ___

Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writer Erin Cunningham in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

Meanwhile, France announced it will expel two Iranian diplomats in response to the expulsion of French diplomats from the Islamic Republic this week. And the Iranian parliament speaker and chief negotiator landed in neighboring Iraq for a three-day visit.

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

Israel's military plans criminal investigation into Gaza attacks

The Israeli military said it would investigate the killings of 5-year-old Hind Rajab and her family members in February 2024, and the killing of 15 Palestinian medics in March 2025. Both drew international attention.

The announcement followed reviews of 150 incidents of troop conduct during the war in Gaza. The military said it would not launch criminal investigations into three other attacks that killed aid workers from World Central Kitchen and Doctors Without Borders.

Rajab was killed when Israeli troops opened fire on a vehicle that also was carrying her aunt, uncle and four cousins as they tried to flee Gaza City amid an Israeli offensive.

The 15 paramedics were killed when Israeli troops opened fire on their vehicles in the southern city of Rafah, then bulldozed over the bodies and buried them in a mass grave. Troops first shot at an ambulance that was driving to retrieve casualties from an Israeli offensive, then fired on several other emergency vehicles that went out to look for the first one, according to phone footage and the sole survivor.

Australian official angered by move not to probe aid worker’s death

Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong expressed “outrage” on Thursday at Israel’s decision not to pursue criminal charges over strikes that killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers, including Australian woman Zomi Frankcom.

Wong said her government was informed of the decision moments before it was announced, leaving officials no time to inform Frankcom’s family before it became public.

“There are still many unanswered questions,” Wong said.

They included why the convoy was struck three times in a humanitarian fire control zone and why a senior brigade officer involved in the strikes was a signatory to a letter urging the restriction of aid to Gaza, Wong added. Australia had yet to receive drone recordings from the attack, despite seeking them multiple times, she said.

“The Australian government does not believe that the removal of two officers from their positions and three officers being reprimanded is sufficient accountability for the deaths of seven people, including an Australian citizen,” Wong said.

The minister hours earlier summoned Israel’s envoy to Canberra Hillel Newman for a meeting. However, she wouldn’t expel the ambassador, she said, citing a need to continue engaging diplomatically with Israel.

Newman told reporters after the meeting that he was “very sorry” for Frankcom’s family, but did not apologize for her killing.

“One cannot attack findings of a court if the findings are not suitable to one’s political agenda,” Newman said. He added that the finding of no criminal liability came “after two years of independent research.”

Israeli airstrikes in Gaza kill 10 as ceasefire is in doubt

At least 10 people were killed Wednesday in two airstrikes in Gaza, according to local hospitals and the Palestinian Red Crescent.

The attacks cast further doubt on whether new U.S. efforts can advance a tenuous ceasefire in the Palestinian territory.

Just two days after U.S. negotiators reportedly asked Israel to draw down attacks in Gaza, Israeli troops also crossed the ceasefire line in southern Gaza and detained a Hamas police colonel at dawn, two witnesses and a Hamas official said. They spoke on condition of anonymity for their safety.

— Samy Magdy and Wafaa Shurafa

Iran's parliament speaker and top negotiator visits Iraq

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf arrived in Iraq for a three-day visit where he will meet with Iraqi officials and leaders of an Iran-backed political coalition.

Iran-backed Iraqi militias have launched drone attacks on U.S. military and diplomatic targets both within Iraq and abroad, piling pressure on Baghdad, which for years has delicately tried to maintain strong ties with both Washington and Tehran.

Qalibaf praised the country’s Tehran-backed militias, which he called the “resistance in Iraq," describing them as a “key component of the country’s national power.”

His comments came even as the Iraqi government has been trying to disarm the militias that have long operated on their own even though they were nominally under state command.

Iraq is asking Iran to grant special status to Iraqi oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz because the country has been affected greatly by Iran's war with the U.S. and needs to guard its economic interests, according to a statement from Iraqi Parliament Speaker Haibet al-Halbousi.

Iraq relies on oil revenues for roughly 90% of its budget, and most of its oil is exported through the strait. Since the war erupted and Iran asserted control over the strait, halting most shipping traffic, Iraq has turned to alternate routes, including sending oil over land to Syria, which is less efficient and more expensive.

France and Iran expel diplomats

France announced it will expel two staff members of the Iranian Embassy in France, in response to what the French Foreign Ministry described as an assault by Iranian security forces against two French diplomatic staff in the Islamic Republic last month.

Iran accused the French pair of taking part in a secret meeting with “suspects in a major case involving foreign infiltration and interference,” Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported. The French diplomats were expelled on Monday.

Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot slammed the Iranian authorities for not investigating what he called a “premeditated and deliberate attack.” He called the allegations fabricated and said the two Iranians will leave Paris in the coming days.

___

Associated Press writers Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut, Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Sylvie Corbet in Paris and Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad contributed to this report.