Officers responded about 11:15 p.m. June 14 to reports of a person who had been shot at 209 NW Hutton Drive. They found an adult man suffering from a gunshot wound to his leg; the victim had applied a makeshift tourniquet before officers arrived and was transported as a trauma alert, the department said.

Because of the severity of his injuries, the victim could not give a detailed statement on the night of the shooting. During a recorded interview the next day, he identified the alleged shooter as Johnathan Mahorian. An arrest warrant for attempted murder has been issued for Mahorian, who remains at large, police said.

Detectives searched areas where Mahorian was believed to be and used emergency cellular location information during the investigation, but they were unable to find him, the department said.

Chief Gerald Butler said the department is committed to bringing the suspect into custody and urged anyone who sees him not to approach him.

“Violent acts like this have no place in our community,” Butler said. “Our detectives have worked tirelessly to identify and locate the suspect, and we are committed to bringing him into custody. We ask anyone who knows where Mahorian is to contact law enforcement immediately. We also remind the public not to approach him, but to call 911 if he is seen.”

The department described Mahorian as bald with brown eyes, about 5-foot-9 and 160 pounds, and listed as homeless. He was born Aug. 18, 1975, according to the department.

The Knicks' victory — after a 53-year drought — has electrified New Yorkers. City police said all the viewing pens along the route were full less than three hours before the procession, packed by thousands of fans who flooded into lower Manhattan.

Still, they kept streaming into the area on crammed subways, looking to get as close as they could or find any elevated spot from which to catch a glimpse.

Terrell Emerson, a chef who grew up in Queens before leaving New York, said he’d driven from Maryland with his daughter Madison – named in honor of the Knicks home arena, Madison Square Garden.

Madison, beaming, held a handwritten sign announcing she’d skipped her fifth-grade graduation to be in attendance.

“It’s been 53 years — come on. That was a no-brainer,” Emerson said.

The parade is set to start at 10 a.m. Thursday near Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan and head up Broadway on the skyscraper-flanked route dubbed the “Canyon of Heroes.” The procession is to end at City Hall, where the players are to get another traditional tribute: keys to the city.

Knicks legends Walt “Clyde” Frazier — a member of the ’70s champion teams — and Patrick Ewing are expected to participate in the parade, according to a person familiar with the plans, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the details before they were publicly announced. The person said Mike Breen, the Knicks’ play-by-play announcer on MSG Network, was set to emcee the City Hall ceremony.

Alicia Keys, the singer who collaborated with Jay-Z on the New York-loving 2009 hit “Empire State of Mind,” has been tapped to perform.

“How could I not?” Keys said Wednesday in a social media video that featured her on the phone with Knicks forward OG Anunoby.

The mere fact that the parade is happening is historic in itself. Although the Knicks won the championship twice in the 1970s, the city didn’t host a parade for them either time. Then-Mayor John Lindsay had cut down on ticker-tape extravaganzas for financial and other reasons, and he instead honored the Knicks at a 1970 reception at the mayoral mansion and a jam-packed 1973 ceremony outside City Hall.

This time, the city is going all out.

“There will be performances, there will be New Yorkers, there will be the team and there will be history,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Monday.

Police plan to deploy 10,000 officers to secure the event, which follows ebullient but sometimes chaotic street celebrations and some violence during the Knicks' run to victory over the San Antonio Spurs.

“We want people to enjoy this moment,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a planning meeting Wednesday, “but public safety comes first.”

Some 650 sanitation workers have been assigned to clean up what could be tens of thousands of pounds (kilograms) of debris, if recent history is any guide.

Ticker-tape parades derive their name from the narrow strips of paper used by telegraph-era “stock ticker” machines. New York brokerage firm workers took to tossing the paper out their office windows during parades in the late 19th century, adding a swirling aerial spectacle to the festivities.

Over the years, especially up to the mid-1960s, the city rolled out ticker-tape parades to honor visiting foreign leaders, mark historic anniversaries and hail feats in aviation, war, sports, music, space travel and more.

The Knicks' parade will be the 210th, and it comes after a ticker-tape bash for the WNBA's New York Liberty in 2024.

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Associated Press writers Jennifer Peltz in New York and AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney in Southampton, New York, contributed.

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

U.S. markets rose in premarket trading Thursday, taking back much of their losses from a day earlier that were driven by speculation that the Federal Reserve may raise interest rates this year to try and reign in persistent inflation.

Futures for the S&P 500 rose 0.6%, while futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.2%. The Nasdaq was on track to claw back all of its losses from Wednesday, with futures gaining 1.3% before the opening bell.

Oil prices continued their charge downward after the U.S. and Iran signed their initial agreement ending the war.

The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil fell $1.19 to $78.36. It’s still above its roughly $70 price from before the war, but it’s well below its $100-plus price from a few weeks ago.

U.S. benchmark crude slipped $1.56 to $74.45 per barrel.

The U.S.-Iran agreement starts a 60-day negotiating clock to reach a final deal on the future of Iran’s nuclear program. In the meantime, it calls for Tehran to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

The deal waives U.S.-backed sanctions on the country, immediately allowing Iran to sell its oil freely in a major concession from Washington, according to details released by both countries.

In equities trading, Intel soared another 8.7% after U.S. President Donald Trump announced in a social media post that the semiconductor giant had agreed to make chips for Apple in the U.S. That announcement came after media reports that Apple was planning to raise prices due to a shortage of memory chips.

SpaceX was falling for the second straight day since its ballyhooed debut on the U.S. stock market last week. The Elon Musk-led rocket maker and AI company was down 3.2% before the bell Thursday following a 4.9% loss Wednesday.

Thanks to falling oil prices, travel-related companies continued to rise. Delta, United and American all rose between 1.5% and 2%. Cruise lines Royal Caribbean and Carnival were both up more than 2%.

In his first news conference as head of the U.S. central bank, Kevin Warsh, did not give a forecast for where the federal funds rate may end 2026. He said he’s considering a revamp of how the Fed communicates with financial markets and U.S. households and businesses.

One of his first moves was to end the inclusion of hints in Fed statements about where interest rates may be heading in the future.

However, nine of Warsh’s 18 colleagues on the Fed’s rate-setting committee signaled they supported higher rates this year, with six supporting two or more quarter-point increases.

Higher interest rates can tap the brakes on inflation, but they also slow the economy and hurt prices for investments. For much of the past year, the expectation has been that the Fed would be cutting rates.

Elsewhere, in Europe at midday, Germany's DAX edged 0.1% lower, while the CAC 40 in Paris ticked down 0.2%. Britain's FTSE 100 shed 1%.

During Asian trading, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 resumed its climb, gaining 1.7% to a new closing high of 71,053.49. It topped 70,000 for the first time this week and is still gaining thanks to hopes for an end to the war and strong buying of high-tech shares due to the artificial intelligence boom.

"This is very broad-based rally, I believe it’s actually showing some confidence that the Japanese economy is going to recover further from the ... the end of the war, and presumably the oil prices in the near future,” said Neil Newman, head of strategy at Astris Advisory Japan.

South Korea likewise has been setting records, gaining 2.3% to 9,063.84. The Kospi has roughly tripled in the past year, helped by gains for computer chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. Samsung's shares rose 4.6% and those of SK Hynix gained 6.5%.

Taiwan's Taiex jumped 1.3%.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng lost 2.1% to 23,792.35, while the Shanghai Composite index edged 0.4% lower to 4,090.48.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.6% to 8,911.10.

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Senior Producer Mayuko Ono contributed to this report.

Fourteen players managed to post scores — no birdies among them — before the horn sounded to stop because of low visibility. They were kept on the course for 15 minutes, and when it didn't get any better, they were brought back in.

The first round finally resumed after a two-hour delay. It was the first time the opening round of the U.S. Open was delayed by fog since 2021 at Torrey Pines in San Diego, which is notorious for its “June Gloom.” That one lasted 90 minutes and the first round was not complete until the next morning. That will be the case again at Shinnecock Hills.

The problem was evident at the start. James Nicholas was to hit the opening tee shot, and he walked over to the starter to ask if they were still on time.

“I just wanted to make sure,” Nicholas said. “I can't see the fairway.”

The fairways are wide enough — an average width of 48 yards this year — that no one had any trouble finding their golf balls. But when the par-3 11th green and some landing areas were hard to see, officials had no choice.

Scottie Scheffler, the world's No. 1 player who is trying to complete the career Grand Slam with a U.S. Open title, and Rory McIlroy were among those on the range ahead of their morning tee times.

The USGA prepared the course for the anticipation of strong wind, with gusts potentially approaching 40 mph. The wind Thursday morning wasn't strong enough to move the fog.

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

Now that the department is offloading civil rights enforcement and special education, some parents and advocates warn a process that has largely been stalled since President Donald Trump took office will see only more chaos and roadblocks.

“It’s to the point I don’t even check in anymore with the attorney,” said Nicole May, an Ohio mother. May filed a complaint in spring 2024 with the department’s Office for Civil Rights, alleging her teenage daughter was bullied over her hearing aids and was getting in trouble in class because she couldn’t hear her teachers. More than two years later, the case lacks a resolution.

Under the changes announced Tuesday, the Department of Justice will take over civil rights enforcement in schools, and the Department of Health and Human Services will oversee special education. The moves help fulfill Trump’s campaign promise to dismantle the Education Department. Linda McMahon, the education secretary, pitched the changes as a way to get more help to families of kids with disabilities.

Advocates said special education doesn’t belong in a health department, which usually treats disabilities as conditions to manage, instead of differences in how children learn. The top Republican on the Senate education committee agreed, saying he’d pursue legislation to keep special education out of Health and Human Services.

Some families already are taking discrimination cases elsewhere

For many, though, the response to the announcement was a sigh of resignation.

The Education Department’s civil rights office had long been the last resort for parents who believe their child is facing discrimination at school, with a mandate to review all complaints. Under Trump, the backlog of cases has ballooned, and resolutions have dwindled. Increasingly, attorneys say they are turning elsewhere to try to obtain justice for children.

The reaction is a marked change from a year ago, when parents and attorneys were in a panic as Education Department staff and attorneys were slashed.

The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services has shrunk by roughly a third since 2024, and the Office for Civil Rights is roughly 40% smaller. Meanwhile, in the Department of Justice, the Education Opportunities Section has shrunk by half, according to estimates provided by Justice Connection, a network of department alumni.

“I think a lot of people are mad, but they are like, ‘What are we going to do?’” said Emily Harvey, the co-legal director at Disability Justice, formerly Disability Law Colorado, who has watched her cases languish.

When Trump took office, she had a federal complaint pending, alleging some Colorado schools were illegally rejecting enrollment from kids outside their neighborhood boundaries because they had disabilities. Harvey also has a case pending at the Department of Justice, alleging a district south of Denver restrained and secluded disabled students hundreds of times, even though the practice is supposed to be reserved for emergencies.

“I feel like they’re probably collecting dust on a virtual shelf somewhere,” Harvey said.

In response to the federal backlog, she helped to push for a new state law that expands the types of civil rights cases Colorado education officials can pursue.

States across the U.S. already investigate various special education complaints, including when parents allege schools aren’t following a child’s individualized education program. But the Colorado legislation, signed into law in May, allows the state to pursue the types of cases typically handled at the federal level, such as those involving allegations of discrimination and harassment.

Harvey said she didn’t think the federal civil rights office was ever perfect. “But I think it’s become even less help for people who are trying to resolve issues,” said Harvey, who worked as an Education Department civil rights attorney in 2020 and 2021.

Boston-area special education advocate Craig Haller said he’s heard nothing on a complaint he filed early last year with the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights. Ever since the Trump administration started dismantling the department, he has leaned more on Massachusetts’s state system for resolving special education matters.

He recently used that system to help a student whose high school didn’t take into account his special education plan when it suspended him.

“I got it fixed for my client,” Haller said. But without the federal Office for Civil Rights, “I can’t get it fixed systematically.”

Department workers say the dismantling has made their jobs harder

While only Congress can close the Education Department, McMahon, a billionaire and former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, has signed 10 additional agreements to give department functions to other federal agencies.

So far, those agreements have not reduced the number of employees working on specific programs. But the union that represents department workers says staff have run into issues with equipment and access at their new postings.

“It’s hard to describe how inefficient the implementation of the (agreements) has been,” said Rachel Gittleman, the union’s president.

The Education Department said Wednesday the latest agreements will help the Office for Civil Rights run “more effectively and efficiently.”

“Compliance and enforcement of federal civil rights laws will remain a priority,” the department said in a written statement.

Taken together, the fracturing of programs, enforcement and oversight for disabled students across multiple agencies raised questions of what would fall through the cracks, special education advocates said.

Robyn Linscott, who directs education and family policy at The Arc of the United States, a major disability rights group, recalled attending a three-hour listening session the Education Department hosted in January. Families, educators and advocates described barriers to accessing proper support and services. Although they acknowledged breaks in the system, not a single parent advocated for moving oversight of special education to Health and Human Services.

Still, she isn’t surprised the Trump administration moved the program anyway.

“It has only been 24 hours, but I think we anticipated this move for over a year,” she said on Wednesday.

In Congress, senators from both sides of the aisle said they would try to stop the move to put special education in Health and Human Services.

Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana said he would “publicly commit” to working with his Democratic colleague, Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, on legislative action that would push the administration to change course. Cassidy, who lost a primary election this spring and has less than six months left in his Senate term, has personal knowledge of the education challenges faced by kids with disabilities: His wife co-founded a network of charter schools for students with dyslexia.

If special education is moved, he said Wednesday, it should go to the Labor Department. That agency, he said, is better positioned to support people with disabilities as they learn and work.

Ultimately, what matters to parents is whether they can get the services their children need, said Rob Harris, an IEP advocate in Colorado. Families spend an inordinate amount of time navigating systems that should be working together to serve children, but often aren’t. Harris has navigated those systems himself: His 19-year-old daughter is blind.

“Families don’t experience the government through organizational charts,” Harris said. “We experience it through the services our children receive.”

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Associated Press writers Bianca Vázquez Toness and Alanna Durkin Richer contributed to this report.

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The Associated Press’ education 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.

Every day, JFRD responds to emergencies around Jacksonville where seconds can mean the difference between life and death.

When a patient is being transported to the hospital, paramedics have a critical tool at their disposal — and it isn’t medication or equipment. It’s blood.

Blood stored, ready for the field

Lt. Brian Neilson, a JFRD paramedic, says temperature control is key to keeping blood viable in the field.

“We store the blood in this cooler right here. So we actually, it’s all temperature controlled. So one of the main reasons we keep it in a cooler like this is that we can keep it at temperature,” Neilson said. “When we store it, it’s at like 4 degrees. But we keep it in here, that way we can keep control of the temperature.”

Dr. Brad Elias, JFRD’s medical director, says administering blood before a patient reaches the hospital can be critical to survival.

“Getting these products before they arrive, and that could be another 10-15 minutes where the resuscitation is ongoing before they get there,” Elias said.

Elias says that by the time a patient arrives at the hospital, they are in better condition to be treated properly.

He said pre-hospital blood transfusions could “absolutely” mean the difference between life and death for patients.

Summer brings a drop in donations

Summer is traditionally one of the toughest seasons for blood donations, according to LifeSouth Community Blood Centers.

James Skahn, a representative with LifeSouth, says travel and the approaching hurricane season make the need even more urgent.

“You could even make this part of your like hurricane prep routine,” Skahn suggested. “You know, if you’re gonna go get a generator, you’re gonna go get water, go donate blood.”

Skahn says the need is ongoing — and certain blood types are especially critical.

“We’re often in emergency need. We’re currently in emergency needs. We are often looking for O donors. We have a center in Julington, Fleming, and nearby here, Baymeadows. You can just walk on, or you could set up an appointment,” Skahn said.

Residents looking to donate blood at a LifeSouth Community Blood Center in Jacksonville can visit Lifesouth Community Blood Centers to schedule an appointment or view walk-in hours.

According to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the incident happened Tuesday morning. The woman said the man grabbed her arm, but she fought back, and her dog helped scare him off.

A computer-generated composite was released on Wednesday. The suspect is described as white man, 6 feet tall, with scruffy hair, a salt/pepper beard, yellow teeth and a strong odor.

Anyone who recognizes the man in the sketch or has information about the case is asked to contact the Clay County Sheriff’s Office at 904-264-6512 or submit a tip online at www.claysheriff.com/.

Sheriff urges caution

Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook emphasized that Clay County remains a safe place but urged residents to stay alert.

“We live in a safe community, but even in a safe community, sometimes things happen,” Cook told News4JAX on Wednesday. “Anywhere you go, just be prepared, don’t let your guard down.”

Cook said some residents choose to carry a firearm, and she noted that in this case, the victim’s large dog played a role in stopping the suspect.

Cook said people visit the park frequently, but she encouraged anyone spending time outdoors to remain aware of their surroundings and to be prepared.

Protecting yourself

News4JAX also spoke with self-defense instructor James Singletary at the Solid Based Performance Center in Green Cove Springs.

Singletary said he spent 15 years training military members in Dubai, was inducted into the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame, and is a 10-time world champion in jiu-jitsu.

Singletary demonstrated how to respond if someone grabs your wrist, saying the goal is to move toward the thumb side to break free — then create distance and get away.

If someone grabs higher on the shoulder, Singletary advised grabbing the outside pinky side, using your other hand to assist, then turning and running.

The sheriff’s office said deputies are continuing their search, and investigators are working on the composite sketch.

You can see more of Singletary’s self-defense advice below:

Combined with the high humidity, it will feel even hotter at times, so heat safety remains important for anyone spending extended periods outdoors.

While much of the day will feature a mix of sunshine and clouds, our attention turns to the afternoon and evening hours when scattered thunderstorms are expected to develop.

Some storms could produce heavy rainfall, frequent lightning, and gusty winds, leading to brief travel disruptions and localized ponding on roadways.

The sea breeze will help trigger much of the storm activity as it moves inland from the Atlantic coast.

Once the storms diminish after sunset, warm and muggy conditions will continue overnight.

Looking ahead, the familiar Florida summer pattern remains in place, with daily chances for afternoon thunderstorms and above-average temperatures continuing through the rest of the week.

Stay weather aware, stay hydrated, and keep an eye on the forecast for any updates throughout the day.

This is concerning because ticks can carry diseases like Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and a new red meat allergy called “Alpha-gal syndrome.

If you are ever bitten by a tick, a new free resource could make a difference.

The University of Rhode Island has a website that explains ways to reduce your exposure to ticks, but also what you should do if you’re bitten by a tick: like how to remove a tick safely, how to take the best photo of your tick for your doctor and how to submit your tick photo to the TickSpotters program.

Dr. Steven Goodfriend, an emergency medicine physician at HCA Florida Orange Park Hospital, broke down some things to watch out for and what you should never do.

“Symptoms of tickborne illnesses can be muscle aches, fevers, headaches, something out of the ordinary. Rash. You definitely want to contact your clinician or possibly even come into their emergency room,” Goodfriend said. “The main thing that I’ve seen is, if you look online, you can try to burn them off. That is definitely what you do not want to do. I have seen burn related injuries from trying to burn off a tick. I am not sure how you would do that without burning yourself.”

Goodfriend said ticks can be easy to miss, so check everywhere.

“What is really important is to check the hair. Especially if it is thick hair and that it can be disguised in there. Really check in the hair, rub your hands through there,” Goodfriend said. “After this happens, you want to try to take a shower to minimize that risk. Hair, by the ears, armpits, groin. It is very common for them to be there.”

A few things to remember:

• Ticks like the shade of taller, grasses and cooler, damper areas around the yard.
• You can keep ticks out by creating an obstacle like a 3-foot barrier of wood chips or bark around your yard.
• Try not to use shredded mulch because that creates the cool, damp effect that ticks like.
• Keep your grass cut short at about 3 inches
• Blow and rake away any leaves. Ticks like to live and leaf piles.
• Consider using an insect repellent that has 25% to 30% deet.
• Also check pets for ticks

It’s a scenario that’s becoming all too familiar — and Consumer Reports says parents and grandparents can take steps to prevent it.

CONSUMER REPORTS: How to Use the Parental Controls on a Smartphone

Lynne Ramsbottom’s grandson loves playing on Roblox. Although the platform itself is free, he used his grandmother’s credit card to spend $2,000 on virtual clothing, accessories and in-game upgrades.

“Instant panic! How am I going to pay for this? How am I going to fix this?” Ramsbottom said.

Stories like hers are growing more common as games make it increasingly easy for children and teens to spend money without realizing they’re making a purchase.

FTC: What parents need to know about kids and video games

“What can be confusing for kids is that it doesn’t always look like they’re spending real money. They’re buying in-game upgrades, or Roblox, or Gems, or coins, or any of that type of thing,” said Consumer Reports expert Nicholas de Leon. “That extra step can make it difficult to make the connection that they’re making actual real charges to their parents’ or grandparents’ accounts.”

So what can parents and grandparents do?

Consumer Reports experts say parental controls give adults more oversight of a child’s online activity. But setting them up requires some initiative.

“Games like Roblox do offer parental controls that can limit how much children can spend in a game. But generally speaking, parents do have to set those up on their own,” de Leon said. “And because purchases can happen through the game, the app store, a phone, a tablet, there can be more than one layer of protection that parents need to enable.”

Setting up controls is easier than you think

The good news: It only takes a few minutes.

• Apple devices: Parents can use Family Sharing to set limits on apps, websites, downloads and purchases.
• Android devices and Chromebooks: Google’s Family Link offers similar controls.
• Windows computers and Xbox consoles: Microsoft Family Safety provides parental control tools across both platforms.

Parental controls work best when layered together — combining device settings, app settings and, perhaps most importantly, ongoing conversations with kids about online safety.

Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russian oil facilities, aiming to cut Moscow’s revenue for the war and make Russians feel the consequences of the invasion. Some areas have reported fuel shortages.

The attack by dozens of drones came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had held “an important coordination call” with the presidents of the United States and France and had won key pledges of further support from this week's G7 summit.

“If Ukraine is going to burn, your Moscow will burn too," Zelenskyy said, adding that the attack was part of Kyiv's effort to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table. "It is time to end the aggression, time to end this war.”

Zelenskyy was expected to hold talks in Brussels later Thursday with NATO and European Union leaders, including about the possibility of a continental system to defend against ballistic missiles. Russia has relentlessly struck Ukraine with those types of missiles, which air defenses struggle to counter.

The Moscow attack was the latest embarrassment for Putin, after a Ukrainian drone attack on his hometown of St. Petersburg earlier this month as he welcomed foreign VIPs to his showcase economic forum in the city.

Fires rage at Moscow refinery

Thick, black smoke and occasional flames spewed from the Moscow Oil Refinery amid its red-and-white smokestacks on the southeastern edge of the city, about 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the Kremlin. Sooty, black rain fell on cars, according to local video.

“One of the most popular questions asked by Muscovites this morning is ‘What is going on?’" Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in a post on X. "I can answer. Your country started a war of aggression against ours. For years, it has been killing our people. Now that you know what’s going on, ask Putin when he is planning to end it.”

The refinery is one of Russia’s biggest, according to its official website, and produces more than a third of the Moscow region's fuel. It was last attacked by Ukrainian drones on Tuesday, catching fire, but officials said the blaze was swiftly put out.

Flights from four Moscow airports were temporarily halted, transport and aviation authorities said.

In the greater Moscow region, a drone hit a residential building in the town of Zhukovsky, according to Gov. Andrei Vorobyov. Buildings elsewhere were damaged by drone debris, injuring 17 people, including two children, he added.

Ukrainian drone attack embarrasses Putin again

The Russian Defense Ministry said that its air defenses overnight shot down 555 Ukrainian drones over multiple regions, with almost 200 intercepted as they were approaching Moscow. That was roughly double the number of drones that Russia launched at Ukraine overnight, according to the Ukrainian air force.

Putin on Thursday was in Kazan, some 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Moscow, hosting leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as Russia seeks to bolster business and other ties with the nations of the regional bloc.

“If Putin does not want to end this war and wants to continue it, we will not sit quietly — we will respond,” Zelenskyy said in a voice message to a group chat with journalists. The Ukrainian president has accepted an unconditional ceasefire demanded by Trump, but Putin has refused, and U.S.-led peace efforts have petered out.

Ukraine disrupts Russian supply lines with drones

As well as pledges of more diplomatic and military help at the G7 summit, Ukraine recently has gained momentum on the battlefield against Russia’s bigger army thanks to its high-tech drones, Western officials and analysts say.

Longer-range drone strikes are choking Russian supply lines in occupied regions of Ukraine, in addition to disrupting Russian oil production.

Macron said the G7 summit was “very important for Ukraine” because its supporters — crucially including the United States — vowed to help it, although the French president provided no details. The U.S. under Trump has cut back assistance to Ukraine, leaving the Europeans as the biggest suppliers of military and financial aid. Trump and Zelenskyy have had an at times strained relationship.

“America is with us on Ukraine, that is very important,” Macron told reporters as he and Trump left the Palace of Versailles near Paris.

In other developments Thursday, Russia struck the city of Sumy in northeastern Ukraine with two powerful glide bombs that killed a 64-year-old man who was fishing in a river, said Oleh Hryhorov, head of the regional military administration.

Another Russian strike on the central city of Dnipro killed one man and wounded nine other people, said Oleksandr Hanzha, head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration.

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

While these activities can promote growth, cyberspace also carries many risks, and their internet safety is increasingly compromised.

Several states, including Florida, are proposing online safety laws.

Ian Marlow, the founder and CEO of tech leader FITECH, joined us on The Morning Show to discuss what’s likely to work and what’s not.

Instead, the rollout of Vance’s second book, “Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith,” has been largely crowded out by something else he’s put his name on: the tentative deal to end the Iran war.

The Republican vice president has embraced the role of chief defender of the agreement he and President Donald Trump signed with Tehran, giving a series of interviews touting the memorandum of understanding as a success and releasing a video championing it.

It’s a striking emergence for a politician who was known for his skepticism of foreign military interventions and who seemed reluctant to speak on the conflict when Trump launched it in late February.

The vice president is poised to yoke himself further to the conflict’s outcome on Friday, when he’s expected to travel to Switzerland to kick off a new phase of negotiations with Iran. He was originally expected to attend a formal signing ceremony for the deal, but Trump formally signed it on Wednesday instead.

Vance becoming a hype man for the agreement seems to be an all-in gamble that, should he decide to seek the White House in 2028, voters will reward him for being the face of ending an unpopular conflict.

It’s also setting Vance up as the presumptive fall guy should the deal with Iran falter.

Trump joked about such a possibility on Wednesday.

“If it works out, I’m going to take the credit. If it doesn’t work out, I’m blaming JD,” Trump said.

Officials release text of the deal after backlash

The White House in a statement called Vance the president's “right-hand man and an invaluable member of the President’s talented national security team.”

"That’s why the Vice President was trusted to lead these negotiations alongside Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner," White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales said. "What President Trump and his team achieved on the battlefield and at the negotiating table is nothing short of remarkable and will strengthen American security for years to come.”

But backlash, including from conservatives, began growing this week after the U.S. digitally signed the memorandum of understanding with Iran on Sunday.

Luke Schroeder, a spokesman for the vice president, said in a statement: “It’s unfortunate that some Republicans are attempting to undermine the President’s efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East and ensure Iran never has a nuclear weapon.”

Officials gave shifting answers about when they would release the text, but leaked copies of a draft were quickly met with anger and skepticism from Democratic and Republican U.S. lawmakers, as well as Israel and pro-Israel advocates. Their criticisms included concerns that the deal, meant to open a two-month negotiating period, seemed to offer Iran wins up front while guaranteeing little in return, and that Trump’s stated reason for launching the conflict, to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, remains unresolved.

Vance has reiterated that Iran must meet its obligations.

“If they don’t behave properly, they don’t get any of the benefits of this bargain,” he said Tuesday on Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends."

In response to the backlash and mounting questions, the U.S. on Wednesday provided the text of the agreement to journalists.

The agreement states that Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium, which is believed to be buried under rubble, must at minimum be diluted under international supervision. It also states that Iran shall not procure or develop nuclear weapons — a commitment it has made previously. But beyond stating that the U.S. and Iran will negotiate over Iran's nuclear program, other commitments still need to be worked out.

Criticism on the right persisted after the text was released.

Conservative radio host Erick Erickson, a hawk who has defended the war, said Wednesday: “This is an American surrender.”

Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, a potential 2028 presidential candidate, criticized the agreement and said to reporters, “I think the president, unfortunately, is receiving bad advice.”

Trump's ‘Operation Epic Fury’ has angered wings of his movement

The conflict, which has stretched into its fourth month, has cleaved Trump’s broad Make America Great Again coalition and angered both those who favored a harder line against Iran and those drawn to Trump’s “America First” foreign policy underscored by a message of “no new wars.”

Critics, including Republicans, have already started pointing fingers in Vance's direction, questioning whether the deal resembles the 2015 nuclear agreement struck by Democratic President Barack Obama and whether this new agreement achieves Trump’s stated objectives for launching the war.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a Trump ally and Iran hawk, had been skeptical of the agreement and referred to Vance on social media as “the architect of the deal."

After the agreement was released, Graham issued a tepid statement of support, saying, “Whether or not the United States can reach an acceptable, verifiable deal with Iran regarding its nuclear program and other issues is yet to be determined, but I see little downside to trying.”

Ben Domenech, The Daily Wire’s opinion editor, said on Fox News that everything he was hearing about the deal “seems bad” and appeared to cast blame on Vance by alluding to his first book, “Hillbilly Elegy."

“Are we going to backslide into being some kind of ‘hillbilly Obama’ kind of GOP?” Domenech said.

GOP allies say Vance can navigate the politics

The Trump administration has not offered formal briefings to Congress on the details of the memorandum, but Vance has quietly started doing outreach to some Republican senators on Capitol Hill.

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, a close ally of Vance's, said the vice president would be able to assuage even critics within his own party who are skeptical of the deal because “JD is just the president’s messenger, and the president’s going to prove them all wrong.”

Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said the deal “certainly adds to the national security and geopolitical chops” of Vance, who spent two years as a U.S. senator for Ohio before ascending to the vice presidency.

But Cramer acknowledged the risks if the agreement goes awry.

“I guess the nice thing is, if you’re not the No. 1 person, you can take credit and avoid risk, avoid the criticism, but probably not so easily,” Cramer said.

Vance argues Iran is not a quagmire like the Iraq war

In interviews this week, Vance has sought to speak directly to the skeptics in his party, a preview of the difficult explanations he may be pressed to make as a candidate on the war.

On Megyn Kelly's show, the vice president said the critics “believe Iranian propaganda” about the deal. But he acknowledged some of the frustrations on the hawkish right while trying to reassure the anti-interventionists that the Iran conflict isn't the war in Iraq, where he served as a Marine.

“We were never going to get the quagmire that a lot of people were worrying about because Donald Trump is just not George W. Bush,” he said.

Democrats have stressed that even as Vance becomes the face of the Iran deal, the fate of any administration official who harbors presidential aspirations — particularly hawkish Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has largely been quiet in the agreement's final phases — will be tied to its outcome.

“I think any member of this administration is going to rise or fall on the basis of the Iran war and the handling of the economy, and I don’t think there are exceptions,” said Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii.

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Associated Press writer Will Weissert contributed to this report.

The news emerged as Ukraine launched one of its biggest drone attacks since Russia’s all-out invasion of its neighbor more than four years ago, Russian officials said Thursday. A major Moscow oil refinery was hit for a second time in a week and commercial flights at Moscow airports were disrupted.

Against the backdrop of conflict, the EU has been quietly seeking to reopen communications with Moscow even as it doubles down on its support for Kyiv. Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, has tried to cut out Europe and Kyiv and negotiate Ukraine’s future with Washington.

“⁠In the past few weeks, brief contacts were made at diplomatic level to open communication channels but nothing was discussed on substance,” an EU official with knowledge of the approach said on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive move. A second official, also speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media on the matter, confirmed the Russia outreach is taking place but declined to comment further.

“In any future scenario, the EU has specific interests that will need to be defended, therefore it is important to have established diplomatic channels with Russia. The EU is not a mediator. It supports Ukraine in its efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace,” the first official added.

The Kremlin did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Putin has repeatedly said Europe cannot play any kind of mediation role in settling the conflict but has not ruled out speaking to the EU.

“We have never refused contacts with representatives of the European Union in any format,” he said earlier this month. “We are not rejecting contacts. If they want to talk, they know how to reach us. They can pick up the phone and call. If they want to come, they are welcome to do so. It is not Russia that is refusing engagement.”

According to the officials, European Council President Antonio Costa “has been coordinating closely with European leaders on possible engagement with Russia and the issues to be discussed when the right moment comes.”

News of the moves came as EU leaders were heading to Brussels for their summer summit, where Ukraine will be high on the agenda. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to address the 27 leaders, who are seeking closer ties with Kyiv.

On Monday, Ukraine officially opened negotiations to join the EU, launching a process that will require its government to commit to years of political reforms even as it fights the Russian invasion.

It also closely follows this week's meeting of the world's seven leading industrialized nations in the French spa town of Evian-Les-Bains, where Europeans managed to get Trump to join G7 leaders in offering “unwavering support for Ukraine.”

Zelenskyy said his country won key pledges of further support from world leaders attending the G7 summit in France, including the United States.

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Corder reported from The Hague, Netherlands.

The crash caused traffic backups on I-95 North for hours.

According to the crash report, the motorcycle was headed north on I-95 when it hit the back of a van, sending the motorcycle out of control and flipping it.

The rider, who was wearing a helmet, was thrown from the motorcycle and hit a guardrail on the inside shoulder. He died at the scene.

The report indicated the rider was from Pennsylvania, but his age was listed as unknown.

The driver of the van, an 81-year-old man from Jupiter, Florida, and his 78-year-old female passenger, also from Jupiter, were not hurt. Both were wearing seat belts, troopers said.

The crash remains under investigation.

The warnings were followed by sweeping airstrikes on the city, which Israel said targeted the Lebanese Hezbollah militant group.

What Kaour found back in Tyre, shattered his hopes — his dream family apartment overlooking the shimmering Mediterranean Sea was a heap of rubble and shattered glass.

His return coincided with the announcement of an agreement between the United States and Iran to end the war in the Middle East. The deal also calls for an end to the war in Lebanon, where Israel has been fighting Hezbollah, but it's unclear what that means in practice.

Israel and Hezbollah are not parties to the agreement. Iran insists Israel must withdraw from the large swath of southern Lebanon it is occupying, but the wording of the interim deal doesn’t explicitly require that and only ensures Lebanon’s “territorial integrity.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to comment following the signing of the deal though Israel has vowed to keep its troops in Lebanon while Hezbollah says it's committed to resisting Israel. Fighting between the two sides, which was still underway on Wednesday in villages and towns of southern Lebanon, could derail the deal.

Many hope the US-Iran deal signals better times

For residents in the south of crisis-battered Lebanon, hopes of better times are mixed with skepticism —there had been too many ceasefire announcements that had failed to halt the fighting.

Kaour lives in Germany, but spends most of the summer in Tyre. Last month, when an Israeli strike hit their street without warning, he was a abroad with his family.

When he returned, he saw his building, with a popular sweets shop and an electronics store on the ground floor, was still standing, unlike surrounding structures — buildings that were all leveled to the ground.

But the walls and the windows of his apartment had been blasted out. He was relieved his family had not been there, he said. They all survived.

“I’m hopeful for peace, and God willing this is the end of the war, and everyone can go back to their homes," he said. “We are living abroad, but our minds are here in our country.”

Outside, the street filled quickly with people trying to clear the rubble.

Kaour's neighbor one floor above, Samih Haidar had also just returned and found his door bolted by wooden boards.

He tried to kick them down, but failed, then anxiously waited as two men who had been clearing rubble on another floor came and unscrewed the bolts.

Through a gap, Haidar climbed in. He didn't know what to expect — he had rented the apartment out to a family displaced from another area in the south, people who were close to a trusted friend of his.

Then his anxiety turned into shock: broken furniture, shattered glass, rubble and a burned out kitchen. Neighbors told him the kitchen caught fire after the strike. He slowly walked through each room, quietly filming with his phone. He doesn't know what became of the family — displaced from Tyre like scores of others, he presumed.

He wants to hope, he said.

“We want things to work out and live in safety, so there can be stability for us and everyone else,” Haidar said.

Morning strikes pierce a tenuous ceasefire

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported several Israeli drone strikes on Thursday morning in the country's south, including one on a car in the town of Kfar Tebnit that killed one person and critically wounded another.

Israel did not comment on the strikes.

To the north, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) away, displaced families huddled along the waterfront in Beirut, Lebanon's capital. Most of them have sleeping in tents for months, living day-to-day in limbo. For others, it's a bench or a mattress on the ground.

Many said they're not convinced that the U.S.-Iran deal will hold or that they will be able to return to their homes — if they still have homes to return to. In the border area close to Israel, many Lebanese villages have been almost completely demolished.

“I haven’t felt relieved at all,” said Mohammed Ashmar, displaced from the border village of Deir Seryan, holding a cup of coffee and sitting near his tent on the waterfront. “Until I get back to my home ... I won’t be convinced of anything.”

The Israel-Hezbollah war has displaced more than 1 million people in Lebanon, and killed nearly 3,900, according to Lebanese officials. About 30 Israeli soldiers and a defense contractor have been killed in or near southern Lebanon, and two civilians have been killed in northern Israel, according to Netanyahu’s office.

Speaking during a visit by foreign dignitaries on Thursday, Lebanon’s Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayed said the country faces urgent humanitarian needs but also the daunting task of planning for the return of displaced families and reconstruction of the destroyed areas.

“The Lebanese people deserve peace," she said. "They deserve to return safely to their homes, rebuild their communities, and look to the future with confidence and hope."

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Associated Press journalist Fadi Tawil in Beirut contributed to this report.

A century of broken treaties already had spawned distrust of the federal government, and widespread forced assimilation was accelerating. With shifting cultural and social circumstances came declining populations. Survival was hanging in the balance.

Renowned for their masterful beadwork, Lakota women had a strategy.

Incorporating symbols of American patriotism into their work was more than a simple embrace of the stars and stripes. It was an act of quiet resistance that provided an avenue for conserving their values as U.S. policies unraveled their communities.

So with America's 250th birthday come mixed emotions rooted in pain, pride and even patriotism. Museum displays of elaborate beadwork are providing a window into that past, while paintings by contemporary Native artists offer critiques on more modern political struggles.

It's a milestone marking resilience — and a fresh opportunity to look at the nation's history through an unexpected, and perhaps less varnished, lens.

Native Americans and the US have a unique relationship

Curators and tribal scholars say the Native experience cannot be overlooked or minimized when talking about the complex tapestry that is America.

“The United States could not exist without Native history having been here first,” said Aaron Carapella, who is of Cherokee descent and creates maps of Indigenous territories. “There’s so many influences that Native people embedded into the fabric of what we call America.”

A student of history, Carapella finds it unlikely that most of the Founding Fathers would have expected tribes to persist as sovereign entities. Rather, they thought tribes would be absorbed into American society.

Implementation of laws like the 1830 Indian Removal Act signed by President Andrew Jackson and the 1887 Dawes Act enacted by President Grover Cleveland led to forced relocations through brutal journeys like the Trail of Tears. Land grabs resulted when millions of acres of tribal landholdings were broken up.

Bounties in Minnesota and the Southwest along with militias in California further eroded tribal territories. Then came the boarding schools, where Native children were sent in an effort to erase their connections to culture, language and religion.

It's not ancient history. Tribal leaders say their people are still living with the effects of those policies.

Today, there are 575 tribes with inherent sovereignty recognized by the U.S, with the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina joining the list in December. The government-to-government relationships are unlike arrangements many other countries have with Indigenous populations.

N. Bruce Duthu, chair of Native American and Indigenous Studies at Dartmouth College and a member of the United Houma Nation, has taught and lectured around the globe. He said it’s hard for Indigenous leaders in Bolivia and elsewhere to believe that tribes in the U.S. have been able to build power over the last half-century. It’s an ongoing fight, but Duthu points to successful efforts to influence environmental policies and pass major legislation to hold non-tribal citizens accountable for crimes committed in Indian Country.

“The U.S. is routinely at the top of the heap in terms of a country that, despite all the flaws, at least now in the last 50 years or so, seems to have gotten it right,” he said.

There's a deep history of influence

Native influences span from the notions of democracy shared with the Founding Fathers to the warrior ethos exhibited by the fierceness with which tribal nations fought to protect their land — from other tribes, foreign nations and the federal government.

It's not unlike the patriotism many Americans feel today. And for some Native Americans, it's a fundamental part of who they are; they have one of the highest per-capita rates of military service in the country.

At the center of the “Stars, Stripes and First Americans” exhibit at New Mexico’s Museum of Indian Arts and Culture is a painting by Kee Yazzie titled Diné Code Talker. The brushstrokes pay homage to the Navajo Code Talkers, who used their language to create an unbreakable code that played a critical role in U.S. victories during World War II.

Danyelle Means, the museum's executive director and a member of the Oglala Lakota Nation, said other tribes also had code talkers. That included the Choctaw Nation and Comanche, Kiowa, Hopi, Muscogee, Sioux and Seminole recruits.

“Veterans are a huge part of celebration and ceremony within Native communities and are often revered and have their own societies within these communities,” Means said. “So it is something — that aspect of the U.S. and being a warrior for this country — that is very deep-seated in so many Native communities.”

Influence has permeated art and culture

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., is commemorating the 250th with an installation of two dresses that highlight heritage and Native American servicewomen.

Made a century apart, one is a Lakota beaded dress likely made for a July Fourth celebration and the other is a modern jingle dress worn by members of the Native American Women Warriors that includes a patch honoring Lori Piestewa, who is believed to be the first Native woman killed in combat on foreign soil. The Hopi soldier died from injuries following an ambush in Iraq in 2003.

Those military operations came after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Navajo artist Pauline Thomas called it a scary time, knowing that more Native soldiers would be heading off to war. The 73-year-old created a weaving following 9/11 that is now part of the exhibition in New Mexico.

For Thomas, her weavings mark moments in time, but they're also a way for Navajo customs to live on. Her 12-year-old granddaughter already is winning blue ribbons for her weavings.

“I think it’s very, very important,” Thomas said from her hometown of Naschitti on the Navajo Nation. “I don’t want my people to lose their culture. I want them to learn more about their ancestors, where they came from.”

The way forward has many paths

Jami Powell, curator of Indigenous art at Dartmouth College's Hood Museum of Art, uses the phrase “colonial entanglements” to describe the complexity of U.S.-tribal relations. She tells her students that things aren't always black and white.

“And it is OK to have feelings of ambivalence around these issues and the difficult histories that led to this current moment,” said Powell, a citizen of the Osage Nation.

The Hood Museum is displaying the work of Native artists as part of its 250th commemoration. Both subversive and pointed, the pieces broaden the conversation and get visitors thinking about the next two centuries, Powell said.

Ensuring Native youth have a voice in that future is a driving force for Tracy Canard Goodluck, executive director of the Center for Native American Youth.

A member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin and of Mvskoke Creek heritage, Goodluck said the power of those voices rang loud and clear in essays submitted for a recent competition focused on the 250th. They touched on sovereignty, self-determination and maintaining a connection with land and culture.

“They know who they are, where they come from, their identity, their culture, their history,” Goodluck says, “and we need to create pathways for them to be able to share that with everyone.”

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This story is published through the Global Indigenous Reporting Network at The Associated Press.

The guestlist for Thursday’s dedication ceremony includes Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Christina Aguilera and Bono, along with former Presidents Joe Biden, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama are expected to give remarks. The invite-only celebration will be livestreamed and kicks off a weekend of events centered around the Obama Presidential Center, which opens to the general public on Juneteenth.

President Donald Trump is not among the announced guests. He called the $850 million center a “total disaster” in a social media post in February.

The Thursday celebration “will reflect a spirit of inspiration and joy, with a big boost from the performers who are sharing their talent with us,” said Valerie Jarrett, the Obama Foundation’s chief executive and former Obama top adviser. “We hope to inspire people everywhere to believe in their power to bring change home.”

Other celebrities slated to appear on Thursday include Common, Jennifer Hudson, Eddie Vedder, John Legend, Marc Anthony and The Roots.

General admission tickets for the center are sold out through the end of October. But tens of thousands of people have already been offered a sneak peek of the nearly 20-acre campus on Chicago's South Side in Jackson Park.

The center, located near where Obama lived and began his political career, is expected to attract more than 1 million visitors annually. It is adjacent to the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry in the lakefront park, and not far from the University of Chicago.

The campus includes a towering museum that covers the political and personal realms of the nation’s first Black president and first lady, while public spaces include a branch of the Chicago Public Library, a playground and athletic center, basketball courts and a picnic area with grills.

U.S. applications for unemployment benefits in the week ending June 13 dropped by 4,000 to 226,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s in line with the 225,000 new applications forecast by analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet.

Weekly filings for unemployment benefits are considered representative of U.S. layoffs and are close to a real-time indicator of the health of the job market.

Despite concerns that the conflict in the Middle East would further squeeze a flagging labor market, hiring has picked up in recent months following a miserable 2025 that saw fewer than 200,000 job gains. For comparison, about 1.5 million jobs were added in 2024.

U.S. employers delivered a surprising 172,000 new jobs in May and the economy is averaging 188,000 job gains in the three months since the Iran war began in late February. That’s the best three months of hiring since early 2024. The unemployment rate remains historically low at 4.3%.

Job openings also rose in April as employers posted 7.6 million vacancies, up from 6.9 million in March and the most since May 2024.

The government reported last week that rising gas prices — triggered by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz off Iran’s southern border — pushed U.S. consumer inflation in May to 4.2%, its highest level in three years. Despite recent declines, prices for oil and gas remain elevated, which can squeeze consumers’ budgets and make businesses think twice about hiring.

Earlier this week, Iran and the U.S. agreed to a deal to end the war and allow Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and sell its oil without restrictions.

With inflation still well above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target, officials at the U.S. central bank left the benchmark interest rate where it was on Wednesday. It was the first meeting with new Fed Chair Kevin Warsh, who replaced Jerome Powell after his eight-year run as the U.S. central bank’s leader.

Lower interest rates can boost the economy and hiring, but also tend to stoke inflation, leading a number of Fed policymakers to say they are actually willing to consider at least one interest rate hike this year. That could potentially help bring inflation down, but higher borrowing costs generally make businesses more reluctant to hire.

Optimism over artificial intelligence has also injected a degree of uncertainty about the job market due to the investment required to develop it and because the powerful technology could alter or even replace some jobs.

Among the companies that have cut jobs recently are Verizon, UPS, Amazon, Disney, Starbucks and Walmart.

Weekly jobless aid applications have stabilized in a range mostly between 200,000 and 250,000 since the U.S. economy emerged from the pandemic recession. However, hiring began slowing about two years ago and tapered further in 2025 due to President Donald Trump’s tariffs, his purge of the federal workforce and the lingering effects of high interest rates meant to control inflation.

The Labor Department’s report Thursday showed that the four-week moving average of jobless claims, which evens out some of the weekly volatility, rose by 4,000 to 223,250.

The total number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits for the previous week ending June 6 rose by 24,000 to 1.81 million, slightly more than analysts predicted.

JSO says Operation Checkmate led to the arrest of more than two dozen men.

Sheriff T.K. Waters will release more details during a press conference at noon on Thursday.

You can watch it live on Channel 4 and streaming on News4JAX+ when it happens.

It is the first time since March that the average cost for a regular gallon has been that low. Prices fell overnight after President Donald Trump signed an agreement with Iran that calls for Tehran to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and waives U.S.-backed sanctions on the country.

Gas prices are at $3.999 on average in the U.S., according to motor club AAA. The drop below $4 follows a 15% decline in the price of U.S. crude this month.

But fluctuations in gas prices remain across the country. In California, gas prices are averaging $5.64 per gallon, while in South Carolina it’s $3.58 per gallon.

The agreement between the U.S. and Iran calls for a permanent end to hostilities and starts a 60-day negotiating clock to reach a final deal on the future of Iran’s nuclear program, though Trump left the door open to resume attacks. It appears to offer Iran several benefits up front while extracting little in return.

Oil prices fell Monday to about $80 for a barrel of U.S. benchmark crude. That compares to $67 per barrel before the war and the price of over $120 a barrel reached earlier in the conflict.

Even as gas prices start to decline, it is anticipated to take weeks or months for oil to start flowing through the Strait of Hormuz again.

Before the war, the strait carried a fifth of the world’s crude oil. Now, it will take time for hundreds of ships trapped in the Persian Gulf to exit through the narrow strait. And Gulf oil producers that throttled back production will need time to get the oil moving again. Analysts also say ship captains may take their time to decide if passage is safe and that the threat of attack from Iran has truly receded.

In addition, refineries typically pay for crude oil a month or more in advance, so even after oil prices drop, they won’t immediately be processing cheaper products.

Fighting over the Strait of Hormuz disrupted not only supplies of crude and refined fuel but also the supply chains for fertilizer, food and even footwear. Businesses expect higher costs to linger, which means their customers might need to prepare for that too.

The killing is the latest act which Polish authorities believe could be part of a campaign of Russian sabotage in NATO nations aimed at sowing fear and demoralizing Ukraine's closest allies.

The suspect in Monday's killing in Poland is a 36-year-old man who carried a passport belonging to the ex-Soviet republic of Georgia, Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said at a news conference in Warsaw.

Kierwiński said the man is suspected of links to organized crime and is being linked by police to other crimes committed in Poland, including those dating to 2022.

Robert Kuzovkov, known by the pseudonym Semyon Skrepetsky, was killed near his home in the eastern Polish city of Biala Podlaska, a city near the border with Belarus. Polish police say the victim was 44 years old.

Prosecutors said the perpetrator fired two shots at him, then shot him three more times at close range before fleeing. Kuzovkov died at the scene of gunshot wounds to the head, chest and back.

“We consider it possible that foreign intelligence services may have been involved,” said Tomasz Siemoniak, Poland’s security services minister, who spoke at the press conference alongside the interior minister.

“Foreign services sometimes hire criminals to carry out operations. We have seen this in previous years. While those cases did not involve murder, criminals were hired to conduct assaults in other countries. We are therefore taking this possibility very seriously,” Siemoniak said.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Wednesday that the killing has the hallmarks of a political assassination.

“Everything points to this being a political murder,” Tusk said, adding: "if that was the case — if it was ordered by Russia — then it is an extremely serious matter internationally. It would constitute state terrorism.”

Polish investigators initially detained two Belarusian citizens but released them later, saying they had no evidence that they were directly involved in the killing.

Polish prosecutors said the Russian activist used his art to express criticism of Russian authorities.

He painted unflattering portraits of Putin, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov and other high-ranking Russian officials. One depicts Putin being cradled in the arms of the Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.

On Sunday, he posted a video on his YouTube channel showing him in Berlin putting a Russian flag in a trash can on June 12, the holiday marking Russia’s sovereignty.

Since it invaded Ukraine in 2022, Russia has been accused of trying to assassinate its opponents abroad, including targeting exiled activists in France and Lithuania.

Officials in Germany have also broken up plots targeting the head of a German weapons supplier to Ukraine and a Ukrainian military official.

Polish authorities arrested a man in 2024 in what they said was a plot to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. That same year, a Russian helicopter pilot who defected was killed in Spain, with Russian operatives as the prime suspects.

The bipartisan Protect College Sports Act aims to regulate payments to players, limit them to one free transfer over their careers and create a rule to restrict coaches from changing jobs during a season. The Senate Commerce Committee will debate the latest version of the bill on Thursday before potentially voting on whether to send it to the full Senate for consideration.

The legislation is the product of months of negotiations between Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington, the top lawmakers on the Senate Commerce Committee, and comes when lawmakers in both chambers of Congress are grappling with whether it's time for them to intervene in college sports.

The Senate bill has won backing from several athletic conferences as well as the NFL and its players' union and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. But the two most powerful conferences in college sports — the Southeastern Conference, based in Birmingham, Alabama, and the Big Ten Conference, based in Rosemont, Illinois — have not endorsed it.

The Olympic committee’s support comes as the revised bill is expected to add further protections for women’s and Olympic sports.

Sarah Hirshland, CEO of the Olympic and Paralympic committee, told Cruz and Cantwell in a letter this week that she looks forward to Thursday's action by the Senate panel and encouraged it to advance the bill without delay.

Support for the bill does not fall neatly along party lines, reflecting the national reach of SEC and Big Ten schools and broader divisions in Congress. While President Donald Trump has backed the bill, some fellow Republicans oppose it.

Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a Republican and former Auburn football coach, has opposed the measure, saying, “If we get involved in it, if you look at everything else we do, it doesn’t work.” He has introduced his own bill.

Senate Democrats have been especially quiet on the issue. On the eve of the committee action, some Democrats on the Senate Commerce Committee were still on the fence about the bill. Further changes are still possible, with lawmakers expected to consider amendments during the hearing.

“I have not made up my mind,” Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth said.

Democratic Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan said he is also “still up in the air” on the bill. Michigan is home to two prominent Big Ten schools — the University of Michigan and Michigan State University — and Peters said he has been in contact with the conference.

“We still are trying to get some changes that the Big Ten would like to see,” Peters told The Associated Press.

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Follow the AP's coverage of college sports at https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports.

Voters in the Makerfield district of northwest England are electing a new lawmaker, and the leading contender is Andy Burnham of the governing Labour Party, the current mayor of Greater Manchester and oddsmakers’ favorite to be the next prime minister.

If Burnham defeats a candidate from the anti-immigration party Reform UK and wins the seat for Labour, he’s almost certain to challenge the embattled Starmer for leadership of the party, and the country.

Burnham has pledged that “if people put their trust in me, I will change politics” — a big promise for a politician who, if he wins, will be just one of 650 lawmakers in the House of Commons.

But the scores of journalists from around the world who have flocked to Makerfield during the campaign are evidence that this is no normal by-election.

In an election-day video, Burnham said he would take the fight for change “as high as I can possibly take it.”

Polls close at 10 p.m. (2100GMT), with results due early Friday.

Starmer struggles since landslide win

About 75,000 people are eligible to vote in Makerfield, a constituency that encompasses several towns and villages on the edge of Greater Manchester, 200 miles (320 kilometers) northwest of London.

They hold in their hands the fate of Starmer, whose popularity has cratered since he led the center-left Labour Party to a landslide election victory in July 2024.

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

A dismal performance in May’s local elections spurred scores of Labour lawmakers to demand Starmer’s resignation. He has refused to budge, but senior colleagues are trying to force a change. Wes Streeting resigned as health secretary in May, saying that “where we need vision, we have a vacuum.”

Then Josh Simons, the Labour lawmaker for Makerfield, stepped down to trigger a special election and give Burnham the chance to return to Parliament.

Britain’s parliamentary system allows governing parties to change leader midterm, with the winner becoming prime minister without the need for a national election. Under Labour rules, a lawmaker can challenge the leader if they have backing from a fifth of the party’s House of Commons lawmakers — a number that stands at 81.

Streeting said Tuesday that he hopes Starmer will agree to step down, but that if he doesn’t, “there will need to be a contest, and I would be prepared to do that.”

A Burnham victory will pile pressure on Starmer to quit

Streeting is an assured communicator with a base of support among parliamentary colleagues, but Burnham is considered the more likely successor.

The 56-year-old politician nicknamed the “King of the North” has led Manchester since 2017, overseeing rapid regeneration for the city where the Industrial Revolution was forged. Burnham is pledging to repeat his signature brand of “Manchesterism” on a national scale.

“It’s not right, the way the country has been run,” Burnham said on the campaign trail last week, claiming “London-centric politics” has failed other regions of the U.K.

Starmer, meanwhile, has tried to keep calm and carry on, insisting during a G7 summit in France this week that he has no intention of leaving his post.

“I will fight if there’s a challenge,” he said. “We won a significant general election result in 2024, with a mandate to bring about change. I’m not going to walk away from that.”

Starmer suggested that he could offer Burnham a Cabinet post if he wins, telling Sky News on Wednesday that “I want him to have a big role in government.” Allies of Burnham indicated that he wasn’t interested.

Rob Ford, professor of political science at the University of Manchester, said that if Burnham wins convincingly, “the pressure on Starmer will be very hard to resist.

“Starmer can say all that he likes that he wants to carry on,” Ford said. “But if the entire Cabinet turns around and says, ‘We’re not going to serve under you and we think you should go,’ then either he’ll go with dignity or go without dignity, but he’ll end up having to go quite quickly.”

Reform UK poses a challenge to Labour

Burnham’s victory isn't a given. The Makerfield area has elected Labour lawmakers for more than a century, but Reform UK has rapidly gained ground in post-industrial northern England, winning big in local elections last month.

Reform candidate Rob Kenyon, a local plumber, is hoping to tap into concerns about immigration — frequently expressed by voters despite relatively low numbers of immigrants in Makerfield. But Reform faces a challenge from Restore, an even more hard-line, anti-immigration and ethnonationalist party to its right.

A Burnham victory would be bad news for Starmer. But Ford said that a Reform win in Makerfield would spell “Gotterdammerung, apocalypse, disaster, chaos” for the Labour Party.

“Andy Burnham is miles more popular than every other (leadership) candidate available. Miles better known, miles better liked,” he said.

“If Reform take him out, then simultaneously you have a situation where the Reform threat looks much graver, and the best person available to combat the Reform threat has failed.”

Robin McAlarney, a former Columbia County, Georgia, resident, was sentenced to 11 years in prison, followed by two years of probation.

McAlarney will also be required to attend DUI school, and his license has been revoked for life.

McAlarney was caught in Philadelphia in October 2025, months after the May 17, 2025, deadly crash near Third Street South and St. Augustine Boulevard.

According to the U.S. Marshals in Philadelphia, McAlarney was under the influence when he was riding on a motorcycle with a 22-year-old woman, identified as Tara Shaw.

Officials said McAlarney was driving 90 mph and crashed, killing Shaw.

The threat of a review was yet another surprise for European allies and Canada as they learn to deal with an increasingly unpredictable ally. U.S. officials and senior military officers had promised to coordinate closely with the Europeans as America draws down.

Just weeks ago, the Trump administration said that it would no longer provide as much military support should any NATO member come under attack, leaving them scrambling to find equipment to plug any gaps.

In recent months, U.S. President Donald Trump and the Pentagon have sent conflicting signals about whether America is reducing or increasing its military footprint in Europe, as well as threatening to annex Greenland, a semiautonomous island that is part of ally Denmark.

“This will be a real review. It will be designed to ensure that NATO is moving fast and irreversibly toward Europe leading, stepping up to take primary responsibility for the defense of Europe,” Hegseth told his NATO counterparts. “It’s a review that some countries will fail and others will pass with flying colors.”

A public dressing down over base use, gender and migration

In a fiery speech at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Hegseth also lambasted European allies for failing to provide U.S. forces access to bases in Europe to launch attacks on Iran, calling it “shameful.”

“These allies, they put America’s sons and daughters, our sons and daughters, at risk by denying them the predictable access, basing and overflight that never should have been in question at all,” he said. The review would also assess whether the U.S. has full access and overflight “when we need it.”

While defense ministers and military officers sat in silence, Hegseth railed against migration and gender equality policies in Europe, in remarks reminiscent to those of Vice President JD Vance in February last year that angered many Europeans.

“Instead of tanks and fighters and air defenses, the focus has been on gender equity and climate change and defense austerity. Europe’s borders flew wide open, welfare states expanded, defense budgets cratered, along with Europe’s belief in itself and its civilization,” Hegseth said.

Hegseth's comments largely mischaracterized European policies today. On defense, European allies and Canada have launched an unprecedented effort to boost defense spending and expand their armed forces. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte noted on Thursday that they spent $90 billion more on defense last year, a 20% increase over 2024. And while Europe accepted large numbers of migrants and asylum seekers more than a decade ago, most countries have tightened their borders since.

It does not augur well for a summit of NATO leaders in Turkey on July 7-8.

A rare and short visit to NATO

It was a rare visit to NATO by Hegseth, his first this year after skipping a meeting in February. The Pentagon chief did not stay long on Thursday either, leaving well before this gathering was over and hours before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was due to press allies for more weapons for his country.

Speaking to reporters at Brussels airport before flying home, Hegseth said, “It was great to hear country after country say, ‘We’re going to meet our target. We’re going to meet our target.’ There are still a few outliers, and we will be clear with them as we do this review.”

NATO’s supreme allied commander, an American, is working on backup plans to defend Europe after the U.S. signaled on June 3 that it would no longer supply an aircraft carrier and support ships, aerial refueling planes and dozens of fighter jets, among other military assets, in a crisis.

The Trump administration insists that it needs to be able to plan for two simultaneous conflicts and wants more military resources at hand should it clash with China in the Indo-Pacific region.

Under NATO’s collective security guarantee – Article 5 of its founding treaty – the 32 allies pledge that an attack on one of them will be considered an attack on all. It does not oblige them to provide military support, although many likely would.

In essence, the United States is scaling back how it might help should an ally trigger Article 5.

US nuclear weapons will stay

The U.S. has by far NATO’s biggest armed forces. It does not intend to withdraw its nuclear weapons in Europe, which are key to NATO’s deterrence. To underscore that point, NATO’s Nuclear Planning Group issued its first statement in 19 years after Thursday’s meeting.

In the statement, it “recalled that the strategic nuclear forces of the Alliance remain the supreme guarantee of Allied security and underpin NATO’s extended deterrence architecture.”

The ministers “agreed to continue enhancing NATO’s nuclear deterrence mission by modernizing NATO’s nuclear capabilities, strengthening its nuclear planning capacity, and adapting to achieve its security interests.”

Rutte played down the impact of the U.S. decision, saying that the NATO Force Model – the system for organizing what forces member countries will provide commanders in times of peace, crisis or conflict – is just “a planning tool,” and not a reflection of what would actually happen.

“If war breaks out, we will all max out what we need to do to make sure we can fight the war,” Rutte told reporters. “In the planning phase, it is important to know what we can count on. What is in theory there.”

He said that some European countries “are already backfilling a lot of those resources, in other cases, we are nearly there, and there is still areas where we need more work to do. So we are in a good place.”

The 1,200-year-old Major Oak in Sherwood Forest is believed to have died after it didn’t sprout leaves this spring, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said Thursday.

Visitors over the past two centuries who viewed the tree's gnarled limbs and sprawling canopy in Nottingham compressed the soil, making it difficult for rain to reach its roots, the conservation group said.

The forest has been under threat for years and the tree had been rumored to have died in the past — only to have the group confirm it was still alive.

That is no longer the case.

“The tree’s failure to produce leaves this year is heartbreaking for everyone,” Hollie Drake of the RSPB said in a statement announcing the death.

The tree is said to have sheltered Robin Hood, the legendary 13th-century bandit who stole from the rich and gave to the poor and took refuge in the forest when being pursued by the sheriff of Nottingham.

It got its name after being mentioned in a book on oaks by Major Hayman Rooke in 1790 that led to the first wave of fans who flocked to the forest.

It's impossible to say what killed the tree, but the footprints of millions contributed to its downfall, along with intervention to shore up its massive limbs using cables and poles. Climate change that has brought heat waves and drought was also blamed.

Tree experts found the root system strangled and starved.

“Ancient trees like the Major Oak are the ‘conservation white rhinos of the U.K.’ but their decline is far less visible,” said Ed Pyne, of the Woodland Trust. “Saving them is vital to the health of the world we live in and yet most disappear quietly, without the recognition or care given to the Major Oak.”

In addition to its place in folklore, the forest is known for Sherwood oaks that floated the ships of Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson’s Royal Navy in the late 18th and early 19th centuries and as timbers in the roof of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.

The Major Oak was spared from the saw and has been protected by a fence since the 1970s.

“The Major Oak will continue to stand at the heart of Sherwood as a natural monument for visitors to come and see, living on in the legend of Robin Hood and continuing to provide as much support to the forest’s ecosystem in death as in life,” Drake said.

Thursday’s decision was widely anticipated after figures showed inflation did not rise as had been expected in May, holding steady instead at 2.8%.

Though that remains above the bank’s target of 2%, it raised hopes that the upward pressure on prices emanating from the spike in oil and gas prices after the start of the Iran war on Feb. 28 may have been less than anticipated.

Economists think rate-setters will opt against hiking rates over coming months, but only if the recent fall in energy prices is sustained. The pressure on central banks since the outbreak of hostilities in the Persian Gulf has been to raise rates. The European Central Bank hiked last week while on Wednesday, half of the policymakers at the U.S. Federal Reserve said that they could support a rate hike later this year.

Andrew Bailey, the Bank of England governor, said the recent decline in oil prices has been “encouraging” while noting they are still higher than before the war, a steer to markets that higher U.K. borrowing costs are possible.

“Whatever happens in the future, the higher energy prices of the past four months mean there’s already some inflationary pressure in the pipeline,” he said. “The Bank’s job is to make sure that doesn’t turn into sustained inflation above our 2% target.”

Two of the nine members of the Monetary Policy Committee remain concerned enough about those pipeline pressures that they voted for a quarter-point increase.

Because of the recent pullback in oil and gas prices, the bank has trimmed its forecast for inflation in the final quarter of the year to 3.25%. The hope is that inflation then starts to drop next year, freeing up the bank to cut rates, allowing mortgage lenders to offer cheaper home loans.

“If energy prices continue to moderate then the debate could once again turn again to rate cuts, but that might have to wait until next year,” said Luke Bartholomew, deputy chief economist at asset management firm Aberdeen.

Moderna is seeking Food and Drug Administration approval of its new shot, dubbed mFlusiva, as an option for people 50 and older. The FDA advisory committee meeting is a step toward a final decision ahead of the winter flu season.

Tens of thousands of Americans die from influenza every year, and older adults are among the most vulnerable. There are various types of flu vaccines already available in the U.S., including three specifically recommended for people 65 and older. But vaccines made with the Nobel Prize-winning mRNA technology are faster to manufacture than other types — something experts say might help if the shape-shifting flu virus mutates in a way that requires suddenly brewing new doses to match.

In a study of 40,000 people age 50 and older, Moderna’s mRNA vaccine reduced flu cases by about 27% compared to those given another routinely used vaccine brand. Ahead of the meeting, FDA published a favorable review of that data and reported no safety concerns.

Moderna is seeking full approval for the vaccine’s use in the 50- to 64-year-old population — along with authorization for use in those 65 and older while it conducts additional testing.

Earlier this year, Moderna’s data was at the center of a highly unusual public dispute as a then-top FDA official blocked the company’s application for its first-of-its-kind shot.

The embattled vaccine chief at the time, Dr. Vinay Prasad, said the company should have compared its shot to a high-dose flu vaccine recommended for seniors rather than a standard-dose brand. It was a sign of FDA’s heightened vaccine scrutiny under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Moderna challenged that decision, noting that FDA staff had approved that main study’s design and citing a separate, smaller study comparing the mRNA shot with a high-dose vaccine for seniors. Days after the spat, the FDA accepted Moderna’s application.

The expert panel also will assess that smaller study, which found Moderna’s shot generated flu-fighting antibodies similarly to a high-dose senior shot. The FDA’s initial review noted the new vaccine lacks data on very frail older adults and those with weak immune systems.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

A $14-billion arms sale package to Taiwan is still in limbo after President Donald Trump returned from Beijing in May and said he had discussed the proposal “in great detail” with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, heightening anxieties in Taiwan and raising concerns among lawmakers on the Capitol Hill.

“We need those arms for defensive purposes,” Alexander Yui Tah-ray, who heads the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the U.S., told The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday in Washington. “We're trying to increase our defense expenditure. We try to increase our ability to defend ourselves better and survive times of crisis.”

The United States, like most countries, does not officially recognize Taiwan as a country. China prohibits any state it has diplomatic relations with from having formal ties with Taipei. But the U.S. is the island's strongest informal backer and arms provider.

Yui, while not formally an ambassador to the U.S., acts as Taiwan's top envoy in Washington.

The Trump administration has not moved forward with the $14 billion weapons sale proposal approved by senior lawmakers earlier this year. Trump has described the sale as a “very good negotiating chip” with China.

Washington is obligated by domestic law to provide Taiwan with sufficient hardware to deter aggression from China, which claims sovereignty over the island and vows to seize it, by force if necessary, to achieve what it considers to be unification. Beijing has always opposed U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, which has never been under China's communist rule.

Taiwanese diplomat says the island won't wait for ‘the U.S. cavalry’

Yui said Taiwan is aware that it must defend its territory.

“This is our responsibility, so we will not wait and depend for the U.S. cavalry to come and save us,” he said. “That’s why we’re willing to acquire, to buy U.S. equipment and arms to make ourselves stronger.”

Yui said the weapons sales need to be “commensurate” to the threat level, which is “actually pretty high” from China.

“First and foremost, we’re not the aggressors. It is the People's Republic of China who is sending all the planes and ships,” he said. “They're the ones huffing and puffing. They are the ones who’s trying to annihilate our freedom and democracy in Taiwan.”

China sends warships and military aircraft near Taiwan almost daily and has conducted major military exercises around the island in recent years.

Beijing sees the island as a core interest and has criticized those supporting Taiwanese independence for causing instability in the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan diplomat sees no change in the US position toward the island

Yui stressed that there had been no changes to the U.S. position on Taiwan and that the Taiwanese government will respect the Trump administration's “tempo” in making announcements.

The arms sale has broad support in Congress, with lawmakers raising concerns to Secretary of State Marco Rubio at a hearing this month. Rubio affirmed that U.S. policy on Taiwan has not changed and that Washington does not “consult with the Chinese on these arms deals.”

“We’re aware of their position. They talk about it all the time,” Rubio said of Beijing. “They are not negotiated, and they are not consulted.”

Rubio said the proposal was not held up but under review and that the administration had other factors to weigh.

“It includes the availability of the stocks in the short term,” Rubio said of U.S. weapons stockpiles, which have been drawn down during the Iran war. “We have to balance that with our own procurement process.”

The administration did approve a separate $11 billion arms sale package to Taiwan in December that included high-mobility artillery rocket systems, or HIMARS, and howitzers.

Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te on Thursday told reporters his administration maintains close contact with the U.S.

"We hope the arms purchase from the U.S. can be approved as soon as possible," he said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian called it “a dead end” for the Taiwanese government to seek independence by relying on the U.S. and through military means. "China’s opposition to American arms sales to Taiwan is consistent and clear," he said.

Yui is navigating the second Trump presidency

Yui arrived in Washington in late 2023 during Joe Biden's presidency. Biden had said several times that he would send troops to the island if Beijing attacked.

Now, Yui is navigating the caprices of the second Trump administration, which has struck a more conciliatory tone with Beijing following an intense trade war marked by tit-for-tat tariffs.

As much as Trump has raised eyebrows by ignoring a Reagan-era promise not to agree to prior consultation with Beijing on arms sales to Taiwan, he also said he could call Taiwan's President Lai, breaking a decades-long practice that no sitting U.S. president has directly spoken with the leader of the island.

In its national defense strategy published in January, the Pentagon said it seeks to deter China through strength, not confrontation. It says the U.S. “will build, posture, and sustain a strong denial defense” along a strategic line of islands, including Taiwan, to keep China out of the wider Pacific Ocean.

Yui ascribed what appears to be mixed messages to Trump's outside-of-the-box style but expressed confidence in Taiwan-U.S. relations.

“It's important to look at the actions, what is happening, not just the rhetoric,” Yui said. “The big stick is still there.”

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Associated Press writer Simina Mistreanu in Taipei, Taiwan contributed to this report.

Security forces were deployed to repel the attack after the gunmen breached the airport security, said the official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the situation. It was not immediately clear who the attackers were.

An Associated Press journalist said soldiers were searching people on the road to the airport in the aftermath of the gunfire.

It was the second attack at Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey this year, after the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a similar attack in January that targeted Niger's drone assets.

Niger, led by a military junta since a 2023 coup, has struggled to contain deadly jihadi violence that has battered parts of Africa’s Sahel region, including neighbors Burkina Faso and Mali that are also run by military juntas.

The airport is a strategic hub that hosts a Nigerien air force base as well as the headquarters of the Niger-Burkina Faso-Mali joint military force.

The military has beefed up the airport security following the January attack, but jihadis in Niger and the wider region continue to pose serious threats, analysts say.

"The symbolism of the airport as headquarters for AES will drive intent by militants to target it,” said Beverly Ochieng, a senior security analyst at Control Risks, referring to the regional Alliance of Sahel States.

The two-day meeting, being held in Kazan, is set to consider ways to expand Russia’s “strategic partnership” with ASEAN nations that include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, East Timor and Vietnam, according to Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov.

The regional bloc has maintained relations with Moscow as a “dialogue partner” and engaged Russian officials in annual top-level meetings, he said. The summit in Kazan, on the Volga River, marks the 35th anniversary of Russia-ASEAN relations.

In a message greeting participants in a business forum held on the sidelines of the summit, Putin said he was confident that it will “create new opportunities for expanding mutually beneficial trade, investment, and industrial cooperation, while also strengthening direct dialogue between our business communities.”

Ushakov said the agenda includes exchanging views on global and regional issues and reviewing efforts to develop Russia-ASEAN ties. He emphasized that the participants are set to underline their adherence to “forming a just and democratic multipolar world order based on the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter.”

Ushakov praised what he described as “fruitful, equal and constructive dialogue” between Russia and ASEAN.

He told reporters that Putin would have bilateral meetings with ASEAN leaders during the summit, which he will co-chair with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., whose country holds the association’s rotating presidency.

Opening a bilateral meeting with Marcos, Putin noted their countries' “mutually beneficial cooperation built on good traditions, mutual respect and consideration of each other’s legitimate interests.”

Marcos thanked Putin for organizing the Russia-ASEAN meeting in Kazan and invited him to the ASEAN summit in Manila in November.

Putin also met with Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Russia and ASEAN nations "jointly stand for forming a just world order, defend the principles of sovereign equality of states, (of) non-interference into internal affairs,” Putin said at a formal reception for heads of delegations Wednesday evening.

“All our states follow their own models of development and don't impose their views on anyone. And this is, indeed, our strength," he said. “Russia is ready for continuing active joint work with ASEAN member states with the goal of strengthening strategic partnership, in the interests of ensuring security, well-being and prosperity of our countries and peoples, as well as the Eurasian region as a whole.”

Another bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit was with Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who met in Moscow on Tuesday with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

Putin praised Russia's ties with Turkey as “developing steadily,” with contacts between the countries being “truly friendly and being filled with new meaning.” Fidan said the two had multiple issues to discuss.

Some of ASEAN’s diverse member countries, including the Philippines, are seen to be aligned with the United States, while others have heavy trade and security engagements with China and Russia.

Several ASEAN members, including the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, have either imported Russian crude oil or expressed interest in purchasing it after global fuel prices soared in the wake of the war in Iran.

Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally, the first woman to lead the church and the person seen as the spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion, issued the apology as the church released a report on conditions at the homes from 1949 to 1976.

Many women and girls were forced to do menial labor as a form of “correction’’ for having children out of wedlock, and their babies were sometimes described as commodities available to meet the demand for adoption, the report found.

“We are profoundly sorry for the pain, trauma and stigma experienced — and still carried — by many people because of historical adoption practices in homes affiliated to the Church of England,’’ Mullally said. “We have heard firsthand the accounts of mothers who were separated from their babies in circumstances where they had very few meaningful choices.”

During the period covered by the report, about 185,000 children born to unmarried mothers were put up for adoption in England and Wales. It was a time when a “culture of shame, stigma and secrecy” surrounded unmarried mothers and their children, even as attitudes about sex and marriage were beginning to change, the report said.

While church policies emphasized that unmarried women had the right to keep their children and the children had a right to remain with their mothers, staff often ignored this guidance and worked closely with adoption agencies, researchers found.

The guidance “sat alongside language which expressed dehumanizing and dismissive attitudes, falling short of what would be expected towards anyone in the church’s care, not least people who were rendered especially vulnerable by their circumstances,” the report said.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office shared dash cam video earlier this month of Darrell Simon narrowly missing athletes during a chaotic chase through Riverside before police used a PIT maneuver to end the pursuit near Five Points.

Simon was initially booked on eight felony charges and nearly a dozen misdemeanors and violations, but several charges have been dropped heading into his arraignment Thursday morning.

Simon is now facing a total of nine charges, including driving on a suspended or revoked license, driving on the wrong side of a divided highway and felony DUI. Court records show this was Simon’s third DUI arrest in the past decade.

No Ironman athletes were hurt during the May 16 chase, even though Simon narrowly missed hitting several, but police say he could have easily killed someone.

Dash cam video

JSO said the incident unfolded on May 16 as Officer Ernesto Valerio was blocking traffic to allow Ironman athletes to complete their 26.2-mile run. Valerio heard over the radio that a driver, later identified as Simon, was traveling through both the bike and run courses.

The video showed Valerio catching up to the vehicle and attempting to pull the driver over multiple times. Dash cam footage captured several moments where the driver came dangerously close to striking athletes on the course.

See the video below:

The footage also showed another officer, who JSO identified as Aaron Sanchez, risking his life, positioning his motorcycle in an attempt to stop the vehicle. But Simon drove around the officer and sped off.

Before he made the next move, Valerio could be heard saying, “We got to stop this guy. He’s going to kill someone.”

Valerio ultimately brought the chase to an end using a PIT maneuver at the intersection of Riverside Park Place and Park Street.

Other nearby officers helped take Simon into custody.

JSO said the incident unfolded on May 16 as Officer Ernesto Valerio was blocking traffic to allow Ironman athletes to complete their 26.2-mile run. Valerio heard over the radio that a driver, later identified as Darrell Simon, was traveling through both the bike and run courses.

The video showed Valerio catch up to the vehicle and attempt to pull the driver over multiple times. Dash cam footage captured several moments where the driver came dangerously close to striking athletes on the course.

See the video below:

The footage also showed another officer, who JSO identified as Aaron Sanchez, risking his life, positioning his motorcycle in an attempt to stop the vehicle. But Simon drove around the officer and sped off.

Before he made the next move, Valerio could be heard saying, “We got to stop this guy. He’s going to kill someone.”

Valerio ultimately brought the chase to an end using a PIT maneuver at the intersection of Riverside Park Place and Park Street.

Other nearby officers assisted in taking Simon into custody.

Simon was arrested on eight felony charges, along with nearly a dozen misdemeanors and violations.

JSO also said it was Simon’s third DUI arrest in the past 10 years.

No athletes or spectators were injured

The organization, founded by former President George H.W. Bush to encourage service, is set to unveil plans to improve that connection at its annual conference in Washington on June 22.

Jennifer Sirangelo, president and CEO of Points of Light, told The Associated Press that the group’s National Volunteer Strategy initiative is the first phase in its $100 million plan to double the number of U.S. volunteers to 150 million by 2035.

“We believe that volunteering changes everything,” Sirangelo said in an interview. “It changes the people who serve. It uplifts the community. And we know that collectively it can change our society.”

The National Volunteer Strategy is Points of Light’s contribution to “building bridges, deepening empathy, and putting us on a path for having a more civil society where we can get along in a pluralistic environment,” she added.

The strategy – which includes investments in infrastructure and building standards for both volunteers and nonprofits – comes at a complicated time for volunteerism and the broader nonprofit sector. President Donald Trump’s administration gutted AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, in 2025, eliminating thousands of jobs and leaving nonprofits scrambling to replace the lost workers and funding.

Those cuts aggravated a decline in volunteerism caused by the COVID-19 pandemic that created a shortage of workers at many charities that have seen an uptick in demand. Though volunteers began to return in 2023, the most recent year the U.S. Census Bureau has released data for, the 28% of the population who donated their time is still below pre-pandemic levels.

Interest in volunteering is rebounding

Sirangelo said that rebound is a sign that the timing is right to roll out a significant strategy to foster more volunteerism. “So many people in the industry have applauded the effort and said, ‘I’ve been waiting for this for years’,” she said. “There has been enthusiastic engagement.”

Cathy Scott, UPS vice president for social impact and The UPS Foundation, said that she is excited about Points of Light’s plans, in part because her foundation has seen its own strategy to increase volunteerism succeed.

In 2011, The UPS Foundation set an ambitious goal for company workers to volunteer 30 million hours by 2030. UPS accomplished that goal in April — four years ahead of schedule.

Through its work with Points of Light, UPS was able to quantify how volunteering helped increase employee retention and employee pride in themselves and the company, Scott said. “We know that volunteerism increases well-being,” she said. “And we know that doing good is good for business.”

The idea that Points of Light’s volunteer strategy would help spread that kind of success to other companies and communities is something UPS wanted to support.

“We’re finding that (volunteerism) is bringing employees out of loneliness,” Scott said. “It’s creating additional professional networks. It is increasing skill development and talent development. It’s giving them a purpose… And people want to be part of a purpose and also find their own purpose.”

‘Listening tour’ yields new volunteer strategy

Points of Light developed its National Volunteer Strategy after a yearlong “listening tour” that included two national surveys, 23 roundtables with leaders from corporate, cultural, faith and governmental groups, and input from a 40-member advisory council.

What they learned, Sirangelo said, was that interest in volunteerism was strong, but the nonprofit infrastructure to bring those interested into the groups that need them and engage them with the work and the mission was lacking. To strengthen that infrastructure, Points of Light plans to support the millions of volunteer managers at the nation’s nonprofits.

“We will invest in them and their continued growth with tools and resources that help them be effective at building those transformative volunteer experiences,” she said, adding that nonprofit managers are essential to ensuring “volunteers are available to achieve what we need in hunger, youth development, the environment and other big nonprofit issues.”

Another part of that support is creating a sort of canon for volunteerism so that both volunteers and nonprofits better understand what to expect from each other and can have clearer common goals.

Sirangelo is quick to point out that the National Volunteer Strategy is the launch of the process to double U.S. volunteerism, not the final goal. One area that remains to be developed is the strategy to better engage Gen Z and younger people who have not embraced traditional volunteering in the way previous generations have.

Engaging young people is essential to overall growth

That’s not to say young people are not as generous or as interested in volunteering.

Alex Edgar, youth engagement manager at the history education nonprofit Made by Us and a member of the Points of Light board of directors, said young people don’t often get the credit for their volunteer work and that no strategy for the future of volunteerism would be complete without engaging that group.

“There is a hunger for (nonprofits) to have more youth-focused things, but oftentimes these local volunteer action centers don’t have the staff or resources or best practices honestly to do that well,” said Edgar, 22, who is also the co-founder of Youth250 at Made By Us, which is connecting young people to the country’s upcoming 250th anniversary. “There is interest, there is energy around bringing young people in, in part, because people see how disconnected they are, how much they distrust our institutions."

Edgar is hopeful Points of Light can help create a framework that shows young people the career pathways available to them in the nonprofit sector. “It is going to be incredibly beneficial for young people who are interested in service, but may not really see much of a ecosystem out there right now, especially given the changes in funding,” he said.

There are plenty of economic and cultural barriers to overcome before young people can volunteer more, experts say. And Edgar says no strategy can address all of them.

“For so many young people, we’re not 100% there yet in terms of showing them, ‘This is for you. This is something that we can do with you’,” he said. “But we have to start somewhere.”

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At 1000 PM CDT (0300 UTC), the center of Post-Tropical Cyclone Arthur was located near latitude 29.7 North, longitude 94.5 West. The post-tropical cyclone is moving toward the northeast near 9 mph (15 km/h). A northeastward motion at a faster forward speed is expected tonight, followed by a turn toward the east-northeast Thursday through Friday. On the forecast track, the remnants of Arthur should move farther inland over southeastern Texas and western Louisiana tonight, then cross the southeastern United States Thursday through Friday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph (55 km/h) with higher gusts. While additional weakening is expected as the system moves inland, the remnants of Arthur will continue to produce widespread heavy rains across the southeastern United States during the next few days.

The estimated minimum central pressure based on surface observations is 1000 mb (29.53 inches).

Watches and Warnings

CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY:

All coastal watches and warnings are discontinued.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:

None.

Land Hazards

Key messages for remnants of Arthur can be found in the Tropical Cyclone Discussion under AWIPS header MIATCDAT1 and WMO header WTNT41 KNHC.

RAINFALL: Arthur is expected to produce rainfall totals of 5 to 10 inches, with isolated higher totals near 20 inches, through early Friday from the Mid and Upper Texas coast east-northeast into southern and central portions of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, along with western portions of Georgia and the Florida Panhandle. This could generate dangerous to life-threatening flash flooding.

For a complete depiction of forecast rainfall associated with the remnants of Arthur, please see the National Weather Service Storm Total Rainfall Graphic available at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at1.shtml?rainqpf and the Flash Flood Risk graphic at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at1.shtml?ero.

For a list of rainfall observations (and wind reports) associated with Arthur, see the companion storm summary at WBCSCCNS1 with the WMO header ACUS44 KWBC or at the following link: www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/discussions/nfdscc1.html.

WIND: Winds gusts to tropical-storm force are possible along the Louisiana coast tonight.

STORM SURGE: Water levels remain elevated along the Upper Texas coast but will continue to subside overnight.

SURF: Swells generated by Arthur are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions along the northwestern Gulf Coast for the next day or two. Please consult products from your local weather office.

A depiction of rip current risk for the United States can be found at: hurricanes.gov/graphics_at1.shtml?ripCurrents

TORNADO: A few tornadoes are possible tonight across southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi, and tomorrow into parts of Alabama, Georgia, and the Florida Panhandle.

“We live in a safe community, but even a safe community, sometimes things happen,” Cook told News4JAX on Wednesday.

According to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the incident happened yesterday morning as the woman was walking her dog in Jennings State Forest. Investigators say the suspect attempted to attack her, but the dog helped scare him off.

Deputies say the suspect has not been found.

A composite sketch was completed on Wednesday. The suspect is described as 6 feet tall white man with scruffy hair, a salt/pepper beard, yellow teeth, a strong odor.

Cook emphasized that Clay County remains a safe place — but people should still take precautions.

Cook said some residents choose to carry a firearm, and she noted that in this case, the victim’s large dog played a role in stopping the suspect.

Cook said people visit the park frequently, but she encouraged anyone spending time outdoors to remain aware of their surroundings and to be prepared.

News4JAX also spoke with self-defense instructor James Singletary at the Solid Based Performance Center in Green Cove Springs. Singletary said he spent 15 years training military members in Dubai, was inducted into the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame, and is a 10-time world champion in jiu-jitsu.

Singletary demonstrated how to respond if someone grabs your wrist, saying the goal is to move toward the thumb side to break free — then create distance and get away.

If someone grabs higher on the shoulder, Singletary advised grabbing the outside pinky side, using your other hand to assist, then turning and running.

The sheriff’s office said deputies are continuing their search, and investigators are working on the composite sketch.

You can see more of Singletary’s self-defense advice below:

The initial deal to end the war takes “immediate effect” after leaders from both countries signed it, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who helped mediate the agreement, said online.

The agreement calls for a permanent end to hostilities and starts a 60-day negotiating clock to reach a final deal on the future of Iran's nuclear program, though Trump left the door open to resume attacks. It appears to offer Iran several benefits up front while extracting little in return.

The deal has been shrouded in secrecy and confusion for days. U.S. officials refused to disclose the terms even after saying Trump and Vice President JD Vance digitally signed it over the weekend. Trump signed a physical copy Wednesday while dining with French President Emmanuel Macron at Versailles, the palace where many historic agreements have been signed over the centuries, ending wars or territorial disputes.

The White House had planned a signing ceremony on Friday in Switzerland, but its fate is now uncertain, with conflicting information from the U.S., Iran and Pakistan.

“It’s signed,” Trump said as he left the dinner at Versailles, which followed his trip to the Group of Seven summit in France.

In a video posted online by a White House aide, Trump was seen seated at a table next to Macron signing a paper copy of the agreement. Trump then handed the document and pen to Secretary of State Marco Rubio as people in the room applauded.

“This was not easy,” Trump said right before he signed it, according to a video posted to social media by Macron.

In Tehran, a stone-faced President Masoud Pezeshkian signed the deal on behalf of Iran, according to the state-run IRNA news agency, which posted an image of him holding up the deal with his signature and Trump’s.

Text of the agreement still has not been formally released by the Americans. U.S. officials dictated draft language to journalists after days of secrecy, speaking on condition of anonymity. Iranian state media has released text that largely tracked what the U.S. put out.

The deal will stop the fighting and start more negotiations

Much of the agreement would restore the status quo before the war, including ending hostilities, restarting talks between the U.S. and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear program, and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial passage for the world’s oil and natural gas whose closure created a historic energy crisis.

The agreement opens the strait without tolls for two months, but does not preclude fees in the future, according to the drafts from both countries.

In return, the U.S. will move to waive, but not eliminate, some wide-ranging sanctions against Iran.

The deal also affirms a commitment to Lebanon’s territorial integrity in the face of Israel’s invasion against the Hezbollah militant group. That is one of the most delicate parts of the agreement because Israel has maintained it will continue to defend itself and to occupy vast swaths of Lebanon. Iran has said Israel must withdraw under the deal, a condition Israel has already rejected.

The U.S. and Israel went to war Feb. 28 in part to prevent Iran from ever getting a nuclear weapon. Trump has cited various goals for the war, including at times vowing it would end Iran’s nuclear and missile programs and its support for Hezbollah and other proxy groups. He also suggested it could lead to toppling the Iranian government.

The interim deal falls short of all those goals, but Trump hailed it as “very strong.”

He also opened the door to abandoning it: “It’s a memorandum of understanding, and if I don’t like it, we’ll go back to shooting at them, dropping bombs.”

The U.S. agreement to immediately allow Iran to sell its oil freely and the offer to eventually lift all sanctions are major concessions that go beyond the terms of Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. Trump withdrew America from that Obama-era pact in his first term, declaring it the “worst deal ever.”

Iran maintains its nuclear program is peaceful, though it is the only country to enrich uranium to 60% purity without a weapons program, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. The interim deal calls for the IAEA to monitor the “downblending” of that uranium in Iran, without elaborating.

The accord likely will draw intense opposition in Washington, and it appears to be a major setback for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has come under criticism at home from the media, his opponents and even some allies as details emerge.

Under the Obama-era nuclear agreement with Iran that Trump pulled out of, Iran also agreed to restrictions on its nuclear program and promised never to build an atomic weapon in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.

Major concessions have been offered to Iran

Some concessions to Iran — including the full lifting of sanctions and the release of frozen assets — would happen gradually and be linked to progress in the nuclear talks, according to Pakistani officials. They outlined some of the deal’s major points on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

But in the meantime, the U.S. will issue waivers to sanctions that allow Iran to sell oil freely.

The Islamic Republic's oil export revenues in 2024 were more than $46 billion. Its main buyer of oil, China, is believed to have bought at below-market prices because of its willingness to ignore the sanctions.

Granting oil waivers at the start of the 60-day talks strips the U.S. of a major point of leverage. Only at the conclusion of the overall deal in 2015 were sanctions on Iran's oil lifted.

The interim deal also opens the door to ending all sanctions Iran faces from the U.S. and at the U.N. — including those over Tehran’s weapons programs and human rights abuses — though it says the schedule for that will be worked out later. Still, that far surpasses the 2015 deal, which only lifted some sanctions in exchange for Iran drastically reducing its enrichment and stockpile of uranium.

The accord would also provide Iran with at least $300 billion to rebuild — an extraordinary figure and another major benefit for Iran. The money also appears dependent on the progress of further negotiations.

Vance has said Gulf Arab nations would invest that amount. But Gulf countries would likely be reluctant to help Iran after Iranian attacks in the war destroyed oil facilities and other sites in their territory.

Trump reiterated Wednesday that the U.S. would not contribute and said it was up to other countries if they wanted to invest.

The pact would provide relief to the global economy

The initial deal provides a major win for the global economy — the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of all traded oil and natural gas once passed before the war began. Since then, Iranian attacks on shipping and the threat to vessels effectively shut the strait.

The strait's closure drove up energy prices around the world and made many basics, including food, more expensive. Iran let through some vessels that paid tolls, something never done before in the strait, which has long been considered an international waterway. The U.S. later provided military support to get other tankers out, but traffic was nowhere near levels before the war.

The deal also says the U.S. will lift a blockade imposed on Iranian ports and that the strait will return to its prewar traffic levels in 30 days, while acknowledging Iranian mines may need to be destroyed.

___

Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Magdy reported from Cairo and Catalini reported from Morrisville, Pennsylvania. Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani in Evian-les-Bains, France, Darlene Superville in Geneva, Angela Charlton in Paris and Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this story.

The Sydney-based airline on Thursday unveiled the first of its specially-modified Airbus A350-1000 jets that will regularly make the 17,015-kilometer (10,573-mile) journey from October next year. The flights between cities on opposite sides of the world are expected to take between 19 and 22 hours.

The current longest regularly scheduled direct flight is Singapore Airlines’ route between its city-state base and New York City. The distance of 15,349 kilometers (9,537 miles) is flown in under 19 hours.

A significant difference in passenger comfort between the airlines is that Singapore’s Flight SQ24 doesn’t fly economy passengers.

While a standard Airbus A350-1000 can carry up to 480 passengers, Qantas ’ customized version A350-1000ULR will carry only 238, with 140 of those in what is colloquially termed “cattle class” on flights between London and Sydney.

The farthest an economy passenger can currently fly on a direct flight in the world is with Qantas between London and Perth on Australia’s west coast. That’s a distance of 14,499 kilometers (9,009 miles) flown 16 and 18 hours. Sydney is on Australia’s east coast.

Sharon Petersen, chief executive officer of AirlineRatings, an Australia-based website that ranks airlines around the world on their products and safety, said Qantas economy seats between London and Sydney would have more leg room than most long haul airlines.

Economy passengers would also have access to a so-called Wellbeing Zone between economy and premium economy cabins where they could stretch their limbs and help themselves to drinks and snacks.

Qantas has said passengers will pay more for direct flights when tickets go on sale in February than they do for flights that make a stop in Singapore. Qantas says the direct flights will save up to four hours of travel time.

Petersen said flying business class direct was a great option for passengers who could potentially sleep for eight hours without the interruption of disembarking at Singapore.

But she would prefer to break up the journey than fly 22 hours in economy.

“The reason for that is 22 hours is really daunting. If you get sat next to someone who’s smelly, is perhaps really unwell and coughing, perhaps there’s a baby sitting next to you that’s having an uncomfortable flight or an oversized passenger who really needs two seats,” Petersen said.

She regards two shorter flights as a safer option in economy.

“If you’ve got it wrong on one flight, you might be okay on the next. You get a break,” she said.

Petersen said the smaller passenger configuration of Qantas’ A350-1000ULR was to enhance comfort and to compensate for an additional tank carrying 20,000 liters (5,283 gallons) of fuel.

Such long haul flights rely on premium passengers to make profits, she said.

“Because the flight is so long, they can’t rely on cargo because of the weight. So it really is a passenger-heavy aircraft and a premium passenger-heavy aircraft at that to get the profit margin,” Petersen said.

Once the Sydney-London direct route was established, Qantas said its next ultralong-haul direct service will be Sydney-New York, a shorter distance of 16,013 kilometers (9,950 miles).

For Emmanuel Macron, that was precisely the point.

On Wednesday night, the French president threw open Louis XIV’s palace to his U.S. counterpart for a private reception, show and dinner marking America’s 250th birthday. At a turbulent moment for the trans-Atlantic alliance, it could help Macron keep a personal channel open as the two navigate differences over Iran, Ukraine and tariffs.

It already kept Trump from leaving a Group of Seven summit early, as he did last year in Canada.

“I’m a fan of beautiful places,” he told reporters, saying he had planned to leave earlier until “a very nice man” invited him to dinner.

After posing in front of Versailles' golden doors, Trump enjoyed a private tour of the chateau's glittering interior. And in a surprise move over a dinner of lobster, caviar and vanilla ice cream, he signed a memorandum on ending the war in Iran at a venue steeped in historical symbolism.

Versailles is perhaps the biggest soft-power flex available to a French president: the Hall of Mirrors, the gardens of the Sun King and several centuries of carefully polished national grandeur.

“Versailles is a diplomatic tool and an instrument of influence,” Macron said Wednesday, likening diplomacy to soccer. “Whether I’m playing at home or away, my goal is to score goals. And when I host other teams, I try to give them a nice welcome.”

France holds little economic or military sway over Washington, so pageantry is one of its few levers — even as its use elsewhere has brought mixed results at best.

Soft power built from stone

Macron and Trump have often clashed over policy.

Their relationship has endured partly because Macron understands the power of personal attention, dramatic settings and a well-timed invitation.

Their first meeting in 2017 produced a white-knuckled handshake that instantly became a symbol of their competitive rapport.

Months later came dinner inside the Eiffel Tower and a place of honor at France’s Bastille Day parade.

Versailles raises the stakes, allowing a French president to wrap a modern political encounter in the scale and authority of national history.

“It is soft-power flex based on hard buildings,” said Denis Lacorne, professor of American studies at Sciences Po.

Macron has used the palace before, receiving Russian President Vladimir Putin there in 2017 and later hosting King Charles III and Queen Camilla for a state dinner.

Versailles has been a favored setting for French leaders to honor foreign guests for over three centuries, the palace told The Associated Press. It remains “a place in the service of French diplomacy.”

With Trump, the setting carries added resonance.

The former real estate developer has long treated architecture as a statement of status, success and power. In his second term, he has sought to erect a legacy in stone — with plans for a new White House ballroom and a 250-foot (76-meter) triumphal arch resembling Paris’ Arc de Triomphe.

The real deal — and 357 mirrors

The evening included a Hall of Mirrors visit and fountain display.

The Hall of Mirrors was once a feat of technology: 357 mirrors set in 17 arches along a 73-meter (240-foot) gallery, showing French manufacturers could rival Venice’s celebrated glassmakers.

They were also built to multiply a king. Every royal entrance ricocheted across the glass, and a modern guest gets the same treatment.

“You will be reflected many, many times, from one mirror to another,” Lacorne said.

For a president who has spent his second term turning the Oval Office gold, the appeal is clear, he added.

Trump arrives, in a sense, at a building he has quoted for years: He has said he modeled Mar-a-Lago’s ballroom after Versailles.

Others have sought to flatter a visiting Trump

Trump remembers spectacle, and often brings it home.

The 2017 Bastille Day parade saw tanks, horses and marching bands fill the Champs-Élysées as fighter jets trailing red, white and blue smoke soared overhead.

Trump called it “one of the greatest parades I’ve ever seen.”

“We’re going to have to try and top it,” he said back in Washington, where he began pressing for a military parade. In 2025, he finally presided over a large Army anniversary parade through the capital.

China employed dazzle diplomacy when it hosted Trump for a “state visit plus” in 2017, including a rare tour of its Forbidden City, an experience once reserved for emperors.

Britain offered its own version last September, greeting Trump’s second state visit with mounted troops, a carriage procession and a Windsor Castle banquet.

The gleam is the easy part

The diplomatic pomp has clearly flattered Trump, who called the Windsor banquet one of the highest honors of his life.

But it seems to have won few concessions.

The early Macron-Trump “bromance” has hardened into something rougher and more transactional.

Trump has threatened tariffs of up to 100% on French wine and Champagne amid a broader trade fight. France opposed the U.S. war against Iran, even as Macron pressed Washington to keep backing Ukraine.

At home, the dinner has drawn criticism.

“We must learn once and for all to live without Trump,” said Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the veteran far-left leader.

Versailles hands Macron some advantages, experts say: centuries of diplomatic history, a setting built for Trump’s taste for ceremony, and a palace already familiar to the hundreds of thousands of Americans who visit each year.

History counsels caution. Ronald Reagan dined beneath the same mirrors on the sidelines of the 1982 G7, and central disagreements outlasted the splendor.

___

Angela Charlton in Paris and Michel Euler in Versailles contributed.

For Blanca Nubia Monroy, it’s a black-and-white scale of justice tattooed on her forearm, identical to the one used to identify her 19-year-old son's body after he was kidnapped and killed by Colombian soldiers in 2008.

For Sigifredo López, it's flashbacks from the seven years he was held captive by guerrillas in the South American country's dense jungles and the trauma of surviving after his companions were massacred in 2007.

Both have radically different views of who should win Colombia’s presidency on Sunday, with Monroy throwing her support behind peace activist Iván Cepeda and López backing Trump-endorsed Abelardo de la Espriella, who has promised a scourge on crime.

But their fear is the same: Returning to a more violent past.

“It all takes a toll, both physically and emotionally,” said López. “Emotionally, there’s the fear that still simmers deep down, something you don’t openly express, the fear that everything we’ve already lived through could happen again.”

Polarization "brewing for decades”

In Colombia’s most polarized presidential election in years, voters will choose between de la Espriella and Cepeda – two candidates with sharply different visions for how to find peace in a country long marked by war.

The armed struggle between Marxist guerrillas, Colombian military forces and right-wing paramilitaries has resulted in more than 10 million people — one in five Colombians — becoming victims of conflict, according to a government registry documenting killings, kidnappings, forced displacement and more.

The trauma of war and the fight for peace are embedded in Colombian politics. Despite a 2016 peace pact with Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas, conflict rages in many parts of the Andean nation, becoming a defining theme in Sunday's vote.

Polarization within Colombian society over how to handle violence has “been brewing for decades,” said Elizabeth Dickinson, Bogotá-based deputy Latin America director of International Crisis Group.

“Increasingly on both sides, there's an us and a them. That's very dangerous in a country like Colombia with a long history of political violence. ... The spark could light at any moment."

On one side is Cepeda, who has pledged to continue Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s “total peace” agenda of negotiating peace pacts with a range of criminal groups, from drug mafias to insurgent fighters. That strategy sought to rewire how Colombia deals with conflict, but has largely failed, stoking a rebuke as armed groups have taken advantage of ceasefires to grow in strength.

On the other is de la Espriella, a lawyer who has promised an all-out offensive on crime, echoing El Salvador President Nayib Bukele’s war on gangs. While Bukele’s crackdown has drawn attention across the region for sharply cutting homicide rates, it also fueled allegations of human rights abuses.

Fears of state violence

The 67-year-old Monroy is reminded of the civilian toll from past military offensives every time she thinks of her son, Julián Oviedo Monroy, or looks at the tattoo on her arm.

Her son, who had dreamed of joining Colombia’s military to lift his family out of poverty, disappeared in 2008 along with other poor young men on the fringes of Bogotá. Months later, his body was unearthed in a clandestine grave in the conflict-torn northeast. His body was identified by his tattoo.

“It’s like still having him here,” she said, looking down at the tattoo she got as an homage to her son and his photo that she keeps in her wallet.

Monroy's son became one of 6,402 victims in one of the worst atrocities of Colombia’s conflict. Colombian military officers carried out extrajudicial executions against civilians in a scandal known as “false positives” carried out largely between 2002–2008 under ex-President Álvaro Uribe. Officials then falsely said the murdered civilians were enemy combatants killed in the war with FARC rebels.

Around a dozen high-ranking security officers later acknowledged they killed Monroy's son and asked for forgiveness in a peace tribunal established after the 2016 peace pact to unearth the ugly truths of the war — a court that de la Espriella has promised to dismantle.

Monroy criticized the mounting violence under incumbent president Petro, saying Cepeda would have to come down with a heavier hand on criminal groups.

But what outweighed her criticism was fear of the military campaign promised by de la Espriella, who has vowed to wipe out “anyone who I’ve declared a military target like cockroaches, like rats.”

“God willing, this man doesn’t come to power, because ‘false positives’ will become a reality again,” she said of de la Espriella.

“Colombia is being kidnapped”

For López, 62, the fear is returning to the “hell” he lived in for seven years from 2002-2009 when he was kidnapped by FARC guerrillas and held captive in the jungles they controlled.

López was working as a local assemblyman in western Colombia at a time when the rebels had declared politicians military targets. They kidnapped him and 11 other lawmakers.

López was being held in solitary confinement in 2007 when his companions were massacred by rebels. He heard the gunshots echo over the rebel camp, a memory that haunts him. The case turned López into a symbol — a survivor of the FARC's kidnapping of over 21,000 people over five decades of conflict.

Now in Cali, the city where he was kidnapped, he lives with a state-appointed security detail because of threats against his life. He's watched with fear over the past four years as violence has mounted. Because of that, López, a self-declared leftist, said de la Espriella has his support.

“Colombia is being kidnapped,” López said. “I’m with Abelardo because his priority is to restore safety to Colombians. He understands ‘total peace’ isn’t won by negotiating with criminals, but by exercising the legitimate force of the state.”

Under current president Petro, armed groups have used weapons like drones to wage war, bombings have racked up a civilian toll and one presidential candidate was assassinated in June 2025. In May, the International Red Cross said the impact of armed conflict on civilians in Colombia over the past year had reached the worst point in a decade.

This week, the country's largest guerrilla group, the National Liberation Army (ELN), announced a temporary ceasefire in order to not interfere in Colombia's elections. Other criminal groups made no such promises.

With the wave of violence, López said, “victims are being revictimized."

Just as Monroy fears what could come from a sharp swerve to the right, López worries about what could happen if Colombia continues on its current path.

“My fear is for the new generation, that the same thing that happened to me could happen to them if the country keeps being handed over to guerrillas and organized crime,” López said.

Los Angeles firefighters responded around 2:30 p.m. to the blaze, which was sending large plumes of dark smoke into the air in the Boyle Heights neighborhood. Local news stations showed smoke billowing from the burning roof of the warehouse, which was covered in solar panels.

Officials issued an alert to the area shortly after, warning of “hazardous materials nearby.” Residents were told to close all windows, doors and vents, turn off air conditioning and bring people and pets to an inside room.

Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson Jennifer Middleton said there was previous concern over the fire burning an ammonia line, but that danger had “dissipated.” The roof blaze had been extinguished by late afternoon and firefighters were entering the building to assess the interior, Middleton said.

The building at the address is listed online as a cold storage warehouse owned by Lineage Logistics for the transport of frozen or other temperature-controlled goods. It contains 491,000 square feet (45,600 square meters) of warehouse space, according to its website. The company did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

Luis Díaz had a goal and an assist in his debut on soccer's biggest stage, sparking Colombia to a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan on Wednesday night.

“That’s what we came here to do. It’s very important to win this first game. We controlled the first half, but they played better in the second,” said Díaz, who plays for Bayern Munich. “We must improve.”

Daniel Muñoz, also playing in his first World Cup, opened the scoring in the 40th minute after a pass from Díaz, who scored the tiebreaking goal in the 65th when his strike from close range deflected off the hands of diving goalkeeper Utkir Yusupov and trickled across the line.

“We knew that it was going to be a tough match,” Colombia coach Nestor Lorenzo said.

Fayzullaev Abbosbek scored in the 60th minute for Uzbekistan, which made its World Cup debut in front of a heavily pro-Colombia crowd of 80,824 at Estadio Azteca.

“It is a wonderful joy, but emotionally, I think it weighed on some of the players who suffered physically,” Lorenzo said. “It has to do with the emotional burden generated by the opening match and the setting in which we played — especially since we were expected to take the initiative and were under pressure to win.”

With the White Wolves' defeat, three of the four debuting teams at this year's World Cup lost their first match. Cape Verde played Spain to a draw, while Curaçao and Jordan lost.

“For a small team like ours, to lose 3-1 is too much,” said Uzbekistan coach Fabio Cannavaro, an Italian who took over the team in October 2025. “We have good quality for an Asian team, but we need to grow. It was a good experience.”

Jaminton Campaz added a goal in second-half stoppage time for the Colombians, who are ranked 13th in the world and were heavy favorites over 50th-ranked Uzbekistan. Colombia's best World Cup finish was a run to the quarterfinals in Brazil in 2014.

“We needed to hit the ground running. Now we can enjoy the rest of the night,” midfielder Gustavo Puerta said.

Colombia moved atop Group K, ahead of Portugal and Congo, who played to a surprising 1-1 draw earlier Wednesday.

The Colombians will face Congo next Thursday at Guadalajara, Mexico, while Uzbekistan will take on Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal at Houston.

“We are going to play against a tough team that played great against one of the best teams in the world. It is going to be hard,” Lorenzo said.

Colombia finished third in South American qualifying behind Argentina and Ecuador. Uzbekistan was second in its Asian qualifying group behind Iran.

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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

Always a darling of the far left, he has earned praise from both President Donald Trump and former Democratic critics like New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. He has emerged as the face of the region's sports renaissance. And days before New York's primary elections, Mamdani is testing the limits of his newfound political muscle in a bid to reshape the Democratic Party — in his state capital and in Washington — even if it means challenging his own party's leadership.

Mamdani will join Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. at a get-out-the-vote rally in Brooklyn on Thursday. The event is designed to elevate a slate of candidates aligned with Mamdani's values, including two running against Democratic incumbents in Tuesday's primary.

“He’s seeing that opportunity — that we can radically change the Democratic Party,” said Faiz Shakir, a senior adviser to Sanders and a friend of Mamdani's. “Like Bernie, he's not saying I'm doing this out of spite against you, dear leadership. He's saying, I am supporting these candidates who have a better vision, and I am prepared to lose if it has to be the case.”

The Mamdani slate

Establishment Democrats are not pleased with the mayor's decisions.

Mamdani endorsed political organizer Darializa Avila Chevalier over Rep. Adriano Espaillat, the chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, in New York's 13th District, which includes parts of upper Manhattan and the Bronx.

He is also backing former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who is running against incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman in New York's 10th District. And in New York's 7th, he's supporting democratic socialist state Assembly Member Claire Valdez against outgoing Rep. Nydia Velazquez’s handpicked successor.

The Mamdani slate, in addition to several state Assembly candidates, will be featured at Thursday's rally.

Valdez says the election is about advancing the political movement Mamdani ignited on his way to City Hall.

“Right now there’s really mass dissatisfaction with the way the party leadership has been operating and not standing up strongly enough to Trump,” she told The Associated Press, contrasting the malaise to the way the mayor energized voters last year.

She said she hopes to “bring a partner to Zohran to Washington.”

Valdez's primary opponent, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, said he feels like the underdog in the race, even though he was endorsed by the outgoing incumbent. He said Mamdani “has a celebrity status that we haven’t seen the likes of since I’ve been alive.”

“He’s going to be our champion for the foreseeable future and he’s doing a great job, and when he says that he’s endorsing someone, it matters,” Reynoso said in an interview. “I believe that this community has seen me work, they know I’m a progressive champion, and in any other circumstance I would be a favorite to win this race, but I’m not because he has tipped the scale.”

The candidates are largely aligned on the biggest issues, although there are modest differences.

Israel’s war with Gaza has featured heavily among the Mamdani slate, with Lander, Valdez and Avila Chevalier casting their Democratic opponents as too soft on Israel. They're echoing the mayor’s steadfast criticism of the country’s leaders and harnessing what they believe could be a driving force in this year’s elections.

The mayor’s candidates have also sought to replicate much of the platform that sent him to City Hall, focusing on the city’s high cost of living and framing themselves as fresh faces not beholden to powerful business interests.

The view from Washington

On Capitol Hill, Democrats are pleasantly surprised that Mamdani has become less of a political liability for the party in swing district seats than they once feared.

But Mamdani’s endorsements have aggravated intraparty fissures, especially among moderates who worry that Mamdani's far-left brand may eventually tarnish the entire party.

And House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a fellow New Yorker, has tried to push back against the Mamdani-backed democratic socialist challengers, endorsing and campaigning for the embattled incumbents in a proxy fight with the mayor.

But Jeffries and Mamdani have opted to wrestle only in primaries rather than bicker publicly and feed into GOP narratives of Democratic disarray.

“Democrats must understand, and both the leader and Mamdani appreciate this, how to yell in areas where we agree and whisper in areas where we diverge,” said Antjuan Seawright, a Democratic strategist who works with House Democrats.

For now, Jeffries' allies acknowledge that Mamdani has energized Democratic voters and may be able to reach some Americans who have checked out of the political process. They also prefer that Mamdani is hyper-focused on New York City’s governance rather than traveling across the country nationally.

Republicans, however, have plans to elevate Mamdani's profile whether Washington Democrats want them to or not.

The GOP hasn't made Mamdani a central feature of its broader national messaging as it once threatened, but Republican operatives have sought to link Mamdani to Democratic House candidates in swing districts across California, Colorado and Wisconsin. They also believe the specter of the New York City mayor will loom large in pivotal House races in New York and New Jersey.

The Republican bet is that vulnerable Democrats cannot afford to break with Mamdani too cleanly for fear of alienating progressive voters, even as they cast him as a radical.

“Zohran Mamdani’s socialist brand is as toxic as it comes,” said Mike Marinella, a spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee, House Republicans’ campaign arm. “And during a time when Democrats don’t have a leader or a message, he’s exactly the kind of bogeyman we can use against Democrats to truly show who is leading their party and the crazy policies they all support.”

Meanwhile, Sanders' adviser Shakir encouraged the Republicans to try. He noted that Sanders mentions Mamdani in almost every speech as he tours the nation rallying voters ahead of the midterms.

“The crowd just goes nuts,” Shakir said. “He certainly is not a political liability.”

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Brown reported in Washington.

On Wednesday, it was the youngsters’ turn to take the spotlight at the draft.

In being selected first overall by the Vancouver Goldeneyes, U.S. national team and Wisconsin defender Caroline Harvey kicked off a parade of 14 2026 Olympians — five of them Americans — taking downtown Detroit's Fox Theater stage during the six-round event.

The draft class was regarded as the league’s deepest and most talented and was one of the reasons behind the PWHL adding four new markets, growing to 12 teams entering its fourth season. It's also why Harvey experienced nerves before finally hearing her name called.

“There’s always this, you have no idea until you officially hear it,” said Harvey, who kicked off the day being named the International Ice Hockey Federation's female player of the year.

“This draft class is just so deep and so many phenomenal players. Anyone could get picked at any time,” she added. “It’s just a surreal feeling, and I had no idea. I mean it could have been anyone. But I’m grateful to have my name called.”

Draft features tears and cheers

The draft was held in one of the PWHL’s new markets and featured its share of tears and cheers.

Seated next to Harvey, Laila Edwards grew emotional while congratulating her longtime friend and teammate upon being selected.

“It caught me off guard. After I gave her a hug I started crying, and I couldn’t stop,” said Edwards, who was chosen fourth by San Jose. The 22-year-old Edwards is from Cleveland, and became the first Black player selected in the first round of the PWHL draft.

As for the cheers, they rang out any time Detroit or Knight — the expansion team’s star addition — were mentioned. And the biggest roar in the packed theater was heard when Detroit finally made its first selection in the second round by choosing Switzerland Olympic goalie Andrea Brandli.

The 29-year-old Brandli’s selection was key for Detroit, with GM Manon Rheaume — a former goalie — growing nervous because she had had yet to fill the position.

As for the welcome she received, Rheaume said: “I got like emotional walking there ... And I think everybody felt it, every player that was getting drafted.”

This was the atmosphere the PWHL has become accustomed to generating while growing its brand in the wake of the Americans’ thrilling 2-1 overtime win over Canada in the Olympic final. The win created a surge of attention for women's hockey in North America, with Knight and gold medal-clinching goal-scorer Megan Keller appearing on Saturday Night Live.

“Milan was just one of those amazing things that keeps happening to us,” PWHL executive board member Stan Kasten told The Associated Press. “You see what the city of Detroit is going to do for this team, right? We just think the more people that get exposed, the more fans we make.”

Americans fill top 5 selections

On Wednesday, Americans swept the top five picks and made up nine of 12 first-round selections, with the 23-year-old Harvey continuing to cement her reputation as her generation’s most accomplished player.

She’s a two-time Olympian and was the tournament MVP in Milan. At Wisconsin, she won three NCAA titles and capped her four-year career winning the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award as college hockey’s MVP.

From Pelham, New Hampshire, Harvey is the second American player to go No. 1 after Minnesota chose Taylor Heise in the league’s inaugural draft in 2023.

“She’s actually just at the start of her career, which is crazy, and she’s coming in with all these accolades,” Goldeneyes GM Cara Gardner Morey said, before emphasizing the priority PWHL teams place on defense. “To have one of the best ones in the country, in North America, probably in the world right now is pretty special.”

Fellow U.S. Olympians followed with Minnesota forward Abbey Murphy chosen second by Seattle, Penn State forward Tessa Janecke going third to Las Vegas. After Edwards went fourth, Wisconsin forward Kirsten Simms rounded them out, going eighth to Toronto.

“It’s a little bittersweet,” Simms said of watching many of her Badgers’ teammates go their separate ways. “I’m just happy for all of them. They’re unbelievable players and unbelievable people and so every team is super lucky. But, obviously, I’m gonna miss them.”

Finland national team defender Nelli Laitinen was the first European player selected, going No. 6 to Hamilton. The first Canadian selected was Ohio State defender Sara Swiderski, who went ninth overall to Minnesota.

Overall, 31 Americans and 30 Canadians were among the 72 players selected with Finland having four.

Las Vegas lands 3 of top 13 selections

Las Vegas finished having three picks among the top 13. Janecke was selected with the pick Las Vegas acquired in trading Knight to Detroit. Las Vegas then used its fifth pick to select Wisconsin's Lacey Eden, women's college hockey's leading scorer last season. The team then traded forward Abby Boreen back to Vancouver to acquire the Goldeneyes' first pick of the second round and select Princeton forward Issy Wunder.

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AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

From a distance, Ivan Franco thought it must be a car. But as he approached in his tow truck, he saw it was a plane — broken in half, its fuselage resting on its side, bright fire beginning to rise above. He stopped and rifled through the rescue kit his company keeps in the truck, grabbing a sledgehammer as well as three fire extinguishers, which he handed off to police officers.

“At that moment, you don’t think much about what to do, because I knew the plane could explode since it was on fire,” Franco told The Associated Press in Spanish. “My idea was to try to break the windows because the pilots hadn’t come out yet.”

Franco was one of several motorists who happened across the crash in Laredo, Texas, late Tuesday night and rushed to help — putting their own lives in danger to help those on board escape as smoke filled the cabin.

Passersby helped save lives

Police were also on the scene quickly, and their teamwork with the good Samaritans undoubtedly saved lives, officials said.

“The officers and the good Samaritans that went to the scene, our firefighters that responded — I do also want to commend each and every one of them,” Laredo Police Chief Mike Rodriguez said during a news conference Wednesday. He said he asked his staff to track down all the civilians who helped.

The Cessna Citation Latitude twin jet departed Tuesday evening from the Mexican resort city of San José del Cabo and was bound for Austin, Texas, the FAA said in a statement. The plane was operated by NetJets, a company owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway that lets people buy part ownership in private jets. NetJets said in a statement that it was cooperating with authorities.

The crash occurred after its pilots reported mechanical problems while requesting an emergency landing at a nearby airport. The fuselage came to rest across a concrete barrier, while its tail broke off and fell to a lower section of roadway.

One person was killed: Joshua Baer, a leader in Texas’ technology and startup sectors. Three teenage passengers and two pilots survived, as did a person in a truck struck by the plane as it crashed. Authorities have not released more detail about the passengers' connections to one another.

Investigators combed through wreckage Wednesday for clues to the cause.

It was the third significant aviation accident in as many days in the U.S. A B-52 crashed Monday during a test flight at Edwards Air Force Base in California and killed all eight people aboard, while on Sunday, 12 people were killed when a plane on a skydiving outing in Missouri crashed.

‘It looked like part of a movie’

Among the motorists who stopped in Laredo was Zayra Garza, an esthetician who was driving her co-workers home when she saw the wreckage. She recorded video as her husband ran to help.

“It looked like part of a movie. I was in shock,” Garza said. Most worrisome was the fire: “I was concerned that it could have just exploded at any time.”

Garza saw people leave their cars to try to smash the cockpit glass. Her video shows the aircraft's door popping open slightly from inside as a voice cries “Help! Help! Help!” The rescuers strain to lift the door farther open as the three teenagers dart out, followed quickly by one pilot and then by another.

Franco, a 23-year-old from Laredo, frantically swung the sledgehammer through heavy smoke. Others struck at the window with a shovel and tools from their own vehicles.

Cockpit windows are designed not to shatter

They accomplished little more than spiderwebbing the cockpit window with small cracks: Airplane windshields have multiple layers of glass and are designed to remain structurally sound even if the outer layer shatters. The windows must be able to withstand a bird strike at cruising speed and hold up to extreme pressure differences at high altitudes.

“They are basically bulletproof,” said retired airline pilot John Cox, who is CEO of Safety Operating Systems.

Police officers tried to remove the final person inside — Baer — as the smoke grew thicker. Officers doubled over coughing after turning away from the smoke.

Eventually firefighters with oxygen masks were able to get inside.

Firefighters also removed a dog from the plane that was suffering from smoke inhalation. The dog was turned over to animal control and was expected to survive, said Jose Baeza, an investigator with the Laredo Police Department.

Five officers were treated for smoke inhalation; the five people who survived the crash were also released from a hospital.

As the plane crashed on the northbound lanes of the highway, its wing hit a truck traveling southbound. The driver of that vehicle also survived, Baeza said.

There has been an outpouring of support on social media for those who stopped to help, heralding their bravery and selflessness.

Laredo Mayor Victor Treviño called it “nothing short of a miracle that this tragedy did not become a mass fatality event,” thanks in part to the late hour when the crash occurred and the quick action of first responders.

Franco said that as he tried to help, all he could think of was getting people out of the plane. But to do it, he had to conquer another feeling.

“You’re in constant fear," he said. "You don’t know what situation you’re in.”

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Johnson and Golden reported from Seattle. Taxin reported from Santa Ana, California. AP journalists Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska; Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut; Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina; and Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, contributed.

Some experts have warned that this summer's World Cup — co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada — could be the hottest in the tournament's history. In response to concerns about extreme heat, FIFA implemented three-minute hydration breaks midway through each half regardless of temperatures. But some critics say they're interrupting the game's flow and give coaches a chance to shift momentum in their team’s favor, while some scientists have said the breaks are too short to make a significant impact on cooling and rehydration when conditions are sizzling.

“When we look at the three minute hydration breaks, we're really looking at this as a way to mitigate anything that could potentially lead to an incident or an emergency,” said Joshua L. DeVincenzo, assistant director of applied research services at Columbia University’s National Center for Disaster Preparedness.

Here's a look at the heat risks players face and what the hydration breaks can do:

FIFA's mandatory breaks, regardless of temperatures

This World Cup is the first to implement mandatory three-minute cooling breaks midway through each half, regardless of temperatures or whether stadiums are enclosed and/or air conditioned.

The governing body said it was to “ensure equal conditions for all teams, in all matches,” and the rules draw upon the experiences of past tournaments, including the FIFA Club World Cup in the U.S. last summer where temperatures soared into the 90s F (mid-30s C) and above in many areas.

Some coaches said the breaks make sense when temperatures are extreme, but they questioned whether they were necessary at every match.

Even highly-trained, elite athletes can get heat stress

Athletes pushing themselves physically in hot and humid conditions risk getting what's called exertional heat illness. It happens when the body’s temperature gets too hot and is accompanied by significant strain on the heart, nerves, muscles and central nervous systems.

Common symptoms include muscle cramps, extreme fatigue, impaired performance, headache, irritability, nausea, dizziness, cramping and dehydration.

When internal body temperature exceeds 105 F (40.5 C), athletes might feel confused, aggressive or lose consciousness, said Yuri Hosokawa, associate professor at the Faculty of Sport Sciences in Japan’s Waseda University, in an email, “all of which are characteristic signs of exertional heat stroke and require immediate medical attention.” She co-signed a letter to FIFA in May urging stricter heat guidelines for player safety, including that cooling breaks be at least six minutes.

Exertional heat stroke while playing a sport is among the leading causes of death in athletes.

Dehydration also exacerbates the risk. Athletes in the heat can sweat 1 to 2 liters (50 to 67 ounces) an hour, and most drink less liquids than they expel. Losing as little as 2% of one's body weight to dehydration can impair physical performance.

Ryan Calsbeek, professor of biological sciences at Dartmouth College, said the human body performs better when it’s warmer, but there’s a critical threshold above which that improvement in performance not only stops, but precipitously drops off.

“Your body starts to really fall apart, you lose the ability to cool off fast enough,” he said. “And the physiological mechanisms just break down.” That happens when the wet bulb globe temperature, which includes temperature, humidity, cloud cover and wind, reads above about 95 F (35 C), though some people will be more heat tolerant than others.

The increased confusion from extreme heat could impact an athlete’s ability to make strategic decisions, he said.

“It’s these marginal differences in performance that I think can determine the outcome of a match,” Calsbeek said. “If you have individuals that do better in extreme conditions, whether it’s extreme heat or high altitude or whatever the case may be, those small differences could play a critical, pivotal role in determining the outcome.”

Hydration breaks should be longer, some experts say

The three-minute mandatory hydration breaks are meant to protect players, and referees, from extreme heat illness and help them maintain their physical performance.

In that time, players can cool off and replenish lost water and salt from sweating, but how effective it is depends on how aggressive the cooling methods are.

That could mean putting wet, cold towels on the exposed parts of a player's body, such as the neck, head, back and arms. If done well, that could reduce their body temperature by about 0.22 F (0.12 C) per minute, said Douglas Casa, CEO of the University of Connecticut’s Korey Stringer Institute who also co-signed the letter to FIFA.

“Some people can tolerate a little more fluids comfortably and then do intense exercise. Some people can’t because it sloshes around in their stomach and they don’t feel super comfortable, so they might not drink as much in such a short period of time,” he added.

The time, he said, dictates the volume of impact, whether from fluid or cooling, and “that’s why we’re suggesting doing something like five or six minutes, because it just makes such a big impact when you’re dealing with a change of that magnitude.”

But how much time a player needs to recover also varies. “Depending on your body, you might need more or less time. But those kinds of breaks are crucial so that your body isn’t just being forced to keep trying to play catch up... to keep trying to cool you down without any kind of rest or a break,” said Bharat Venkat, director of the Heat Lab at the University of California, Los Angeles.

As our planet gets hotter, mandating hydration breaks and changing where, when and how sports are played will be necessary.

“No matter what sport you play, there’s going to be adjustments that have to be made in the face of climate change,” he said.

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The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment

Supporters and opponents alike view the effort as a major litmus test for tapping the AI-powered software on a U.S. public transportation system, positioning Kansas City as the latest epicenter in a fierce debate over whether the safety benefits of artificial intelligence are worth the privacy costs.

“The idea of running face recognition on a camera that is pointed on live spaces in public is a line that until recently has never really been crossed in the last 25 years,” said Jay Stanley, senior policy analyst for the Project on Speech, Privacy and Technology at the American Civil Liberties Union.

The state of Missouri declined to help fund the project as expected due to concerns with the facial recognition component. Still, the city is pushing ahead with local and federal money, said Tyler Means, chief mobility and strategy officer at the Kansas City Transportation Authority.

“Privacy is always a tricky thing,” Means said. “We’ve always had cameras on our buses. It’s just new technology. I think in time it’ll smooth over and people will realize, ‘Well, it didn’t really feel any different.’”

Cameras that recognize a face

SafeSpace Global, the Knoxville, Tennessee-based company partnering with Kansas City to run the cameras, started using live facial recognition years ago to alert nursing homes when residents left the building, then brought the technology to correctional institutions and schools. Kansas City’s buses represent the company’s inaugural venture in transportation.

Images captured by cameras aboard the buses would immediately be checked against any active alerts, generated when a missing person, banned rider or someone on a law enforcement watch list designated by the transit authority is identified.

If no match or safety issue is detected, the facial data won't be retained. After the buses return to the depot, the transportation authority would archive the regular video footage on a local server for up to five years.

“It’s not sitting there filming all the time,” SafeSpace Global CEO Scott Boruff said. “It just captures the face and goes away.”

But Stanley with the ACLU warned that it's nearly impossible to limit the scope of a surveillance project when artificial intelligence is involved.

“It may be used for a very narrow watch list today, but there are very good reasons to think it’ll expand over time,” he said.

Backers of the effort point out that security cameras are already found nearly everywhere — even on Kansas City's buses — and some law enforcement agencies have used facial recognition software to identify suspects spotted on video.

Cameras with other types of AI-powered software have been installed in numerous cities on public buses and school buses to read the license plates of nearby vehicles and ticket the ones spotted committing infractions such as illegally parking in a bus lane. Privacy advocates are concerned about those devices as well, but they're particularly alarmed by cameras that could actively record faces even when no crime is committed.

“City residents should not be guinea pigs for transit systems to test Silicon Valley’s latest unproven, biased surveillance tech,” said Will Owen, communications director for the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project.

Lessons from elsewhere

Shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, police in Tampa, Florida, used facial recognition cameras in the Ybor City neighborhood to search for crime suspects, but there was immediate backlash and the program was soon abandoned, Stanley said.

More recently, New Orleans police secretly relied on facial recognition surveillance cameras run by a private company despite a city ordinance prohibiting the technology, The Washington Post reported last year. Although the program was believed to have been paused, Stanley wrote a report for the ACLU last month that found it was still operating in some capacity, citing emails an activist obtained through an open records request.

Detroit partnered with some gas stations and liquor stores in 2016 to install high-definition cameras that relayed live feeds of violent crimes directly to the police department. But after a New York Times investigation found footage was paired with facial recognition software to make arrests, some of the accused filed successful lawsuits claiming they were wrongly targeted due to faulty technology that misidentified Black suspects.

James Craig, the police chief at the time, said officials felt the backlash and ultimately changed the rules over how facial recognition could be used without scrapping the program entirely. But he still advocates for the technology, provided it’s done correctly, and says it would be a shame for cities to abandon one of their best tools for securing the streets.

“If the police department or the city doesn’t have the insights to build in strong policies, transparent policies and accountability, the knee jerk reaction is, ‘Well, let’s just ban it,’” Craig said.

KC delays rollout, eyes ‘bigger’ plan

The cameras were expected to be installed on Kansas City's buses this spring, but organizers halted the effort just before launch, derailing hopes that they would be up and running in time for the World Cup matches the city began hosting this week.

The delay was partly technical — a need to upgrade Wi-Fi routers to support both the cameras and a new fare collection system on the buses — and partly financial due to state government funding falling through, illustrating the headwinds U.S. cities often encounter when seeking to deploy facial recognition.

Despite the delays, Means said he's confident the program will launch this year and “a little bit bigger” than initially planned, with potentially as many as 30 buses instead of the nine that had been planned under the pilot.

Boruff, the SafeSpace Global CEO, said the company is ready to start installing the Kansas City cameras as soon as the money comes through, although it'll likely take three to four months to configure the software for the city's specific needs.

Ryana Parks-Shaw, a city council member serving as mayor pro tem, said she's not disappointed that the rollout has been delayed.

“I think they need to take their time and do it right,” Parks-Shaw said. “I believe that any use of this kind of technology must be approached carefully, transparently, and with clear guardrails.”

As for securing buses during the World Cup without the facial recognition cameras, Means said the reconfigured plan includes up to 40 more officers patrolling stops and transit centers.

“We're kind of going old school to address what we hoped the technology would do,” he said.

The Spokane County Sheriff's Office announced Wednesday that its forensic unit found what appeared to be human remains inside a home destroyed in the fire. A family member had requested a wellness check at the home because one of the residents had refused to evacuate and could not be reached, officials said in a news release. They were working to confirm whether authorities found human remains, and if so, identify who they were and how they died.

Authorities have not reported any injuries.

Many people living in the densely populated neighborhoods had to flee on a moment's notice — sometimes after an officer knocked on their door — leaving behind belongings and in some cases, critical medications, Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels said during a news conference.

People were being escorted Wednesday by an officer to their homes one-by-one to access those essential needs, but then they were taken back out, Nowels said.

The evacuation order for the 1,500 residents remained in effect Wednesday, said Chandra Fox, deputy director for Spokane County Emergency Management.

“Our concern is for increased winds Wednesday afternoon,” Fox said.

The blaze started just after noon on Tuesday and quickly moved up a hill, said fire district spokesman Robert Gray. Winds then shifted, sending flames into a neighborhood, Gray said. Spokane is about 280 miles (450 kilometers) east of Seattle near the border with Idaho.

John Leavell, battalion chief with the Spokane Valley Fire Department, was one of the first people to spot the fire. He said he was driving near Interstate 90 when he saw a column of smoke.

“As I approached it, I thought this is going to be a big event — this is going fast,” he said. “It looked like waves of fire going up the hill.”

He pulled into a driveway and found a house fully engulfed in flames, so he contacted surrounding agencies and the local fire district took over while his crew started building fire lines, he said. Leavell said he didn't know if they fire began at the house or quickly consumed it. The cause is still under investigation.

Fire crews from Washington state and Idaho attacked the fire from the ground and air, but it quickly grew to 225 acres (.35 square miles). It was 10% contained Wednesday morning, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Avista turned off power for the area as the fire progressed for the safety of firefighters. It remained off Wednesday in some areas.

The weather was working in the firefighters’ favor.

Winds were lighter on Wednesday and were expected to decrease after sunset, according to Rachael Fewkes, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Spokane. The temperature also dropped a few degrees from the mid-80s on Tuesday to a high of 80 on Wednesday, she said.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Wednesday that they authorized the use of Fire Management Assistance Grant funds to help with firefighting costs for the Spokane blaze. The regional FEMA director said the fire had the potential to constitute a major disaster. Besides threatening homes, it also threatened a school, power lines, parks, businesses and wildlife.

FEMA said this was the first fire grant awarded this season to fight a Washington wildfire.

More than 32,000 fires have burned more than 3,900 square miles (10,100 square kilometers) so far this year in the United States, according to the fire center, which coordinates the mobilization of large-scale firefighting efforts.

That’s significantly higher than the 10-year average of just under 24,000 fires burning about 2,200 square miles (5,700 square kilometers) by early June, according to the fire center, even though fire activity has been relatively light in recent weeks.

Weather and fuel models that predict conditions like wind, lightning and how likely plants and other materials are to burn also show an increased danger of fires in multiple areas across the U.S. in coming weeks, according to the fire center. Some regions with critical conditions for fire include portions of California, and the Southwest, Great Basin and Rocky Mountain areas.

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Bellisle reported from Seattle. Associated Press journalists Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho, and Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City contributed reporting.

Harry Kane scored twice to equal the English record for World Cup goals, and Jude Bellingham put England in front for good two minutes into the second half of a 4-2 victory over Croatia on Wednesday.

Martin Baturina and Petar Musa answered each of Kane's first-half goals in a rematch of a 2018 semifinal won by Croatia. Musa's goal came on the final play before the whistle ending the first half.

The even score didn't last long once play resumed.

Bellingham took a long pass from Elliot Anderson and stayed clear of the defender the rest of the way, sending a shot past Dominik Livakovic and in off the far post. Marcus Rashford padded the lead in the 85th minute.

“He just told us to let the shackles off,” Kane said of coach Thomas Tuchel's halftime message after Croatia pulled even so late before the break. “The way we conceded that second goal is not the team we want to be. He finally just said, ‘What’s the worst that can happen? We lose the match, first group game, we get on with it.’ We move on. Just go and kind of show the world who we can be.”

Kane, who won the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup in Russia by scoring six times, is up to 10 World Cup goals, tying Gary Lineker's mark from the 1986 and 1990 tournaments.

The 32-year-old's first goal came on his second chance on a penalty kick after Livakovic's save on the first try was nullified by a video review that showed both his feet off the goal line as Kane was striking the ball.

Kane went the same way toward the right post with the second attempt, while Livakovic lunged the other direction, to his right.

The penalty was called when Luka Modric, the 40-year-old midfielder who extended his Croatian record by appearing in his fifth World Cup, kicked Noni Madueke in the thigh.

Kane matched Lineker's mark when the Bayern Munich striker easily beat Livakovic with a powerful header off a corner kick from Declan Rice. Kane has 81 international goals.

“We scored two goals that were good actions and good situations, but they were too little,” Croatia coach Zlatco Dalic said through an interpreter. “England was very difficult, (we) also have to be strong on the defensive side.”

Bellingham almost immediately had another great scoring chance after the Real Madrid player's seventh international goal. Livakovic made that save and about a half-dozen more in a matter of minutes during a frenetic English attack.

“We could have scored probably three goals in that 20-minute spell coming out (after halftime),” Kane said. “In the end, we just had too much for a great team that will probably go far in the tournament themselves.”

Musa scored the first World Cup goal for an active player from Dallas of Major League Soccer, which plays its home games about 40 miles from AT&T Stadium.

The retractable-roof venue that is home to the NFL's Dallas Cowboys is giving World Cup fans an air-conditioned reprieve from the muggy Texas heat, this time for white-clad English fans and Croatian supporters who were mostly wearing their country's familiar red-and-white checkered uniforms, not the blue kits the players had on.

Musa tracked a header from Ivan Perisic and put a one-timer past Jordan Pickford, who was also beaten in the 36th minute by Baturina. That shot into the left corner ticked off Pickford's hand.

Bukayo Saka's pass left plenty of room for Rashford as the Barcelona player entered the penalty area, faked a shot with his left foot and scored his 19th international goal with his right.

“I loved the second half, all of it,” Tuchel said. “I encouraged them to go for it. To play with more courage, to be brave, to be ourselves. And like I said, I loved their reaction.”

England next plays Ghana in Foxborough, Massachusetts, in Group L on Tuesday, the same day Croatia plays Panama in Toronto.

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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

Then, in 2025, she slipped a disk in her back, requiring medication and physical therapy. Suddenly, the medical bills were so overwhelming that Weaver, an adult learner working toward a leadership degree on the side, had to delay graduation by a year.

“I had to start calculating, am I going to be able to afford to pay my tuition, as well as my books, as well as my living expenses, and continue to care for my family?” the 43-year-old in Sanford, Florida, said in an interview. “It makes you feel powerless as a consumer.”

Weaver’s experience is familiar to a growing number of Americans, according to new data from the West Health-Gallup Affordability Index, which shows only about half of U.S. adults could afford their healthcare and had access to quality care last year. Concerns about affording healthcare in the year ahead were at a record high since tracking began in 2021, signaling that many were feeling anxious about rising healthcare costs as 2025 ended.

The new findings published Thursday draw on a survey conducted from October to December 2025 — before major recent changes to health policy, like Congress’ Medicaid cuts or its decision not to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies, took effect. It demonstrates how the country's fraught healthcare system is increasingly straining Americans at a time when inflation is driving high costs and affordability concerns are top of mind as midterm elections approach.

Americans are worried they won’t be able to pay for care

The index used the responses from multiple questions to place Americans into three categories depending on their access to quality care and ability to pay for care and medicine. In the new data, 49% of U.S. adults were considered “cost secure,” meaning that they had access both to high-quality, affordable care and they had recently been able to afford the care and medicine they needed. In 2021, when the measurement began, 56% of U.S. adults were “cost secure.” That rose to 61% in 2022 but has been falling ever since.

In the survey, about three-quarters of U.S. adults said healthcare costs were a “major” or “minor” financial burden for them and their family. Only about 3 in 10 said they’re not a burden.

Meanwhile, about half of respondents were “extremely concerned” or “concerned” that their household would be unable to pay for needed healthcare services in 2026, up from 42% who said that in 2022.

Inger Perez, 59, from Encino, Texas, is one of those worried Americans. She has a family history of diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer. She said she did blood work recently, and while she wants to know the results, she’s bracing herself for what they could show.

“I literally was crying last night because I’m nervous about what I’m going to find out and how much care that is and how much money that is,” she said in an interview. “I’m terrified that I’ll start a plan of treatment but won’t be able to afford to keep up with it.”

More than half of survey respondents said the cost of healthcare contributes “a lot” or “some” to stress to their daily lives. That’s compared to about 3 in 10 who said these costs contribute “very little stress” and about 2 in 10 who said they contribute “no stress at all.”

Perez said she is also frustrated by the quality of the care she receives, in part because she lives in a rural area about an hour from a doctor’s office. To fit her budget, she had to choose a lower-cost Affordable Care Act marketplace plan with a limited network of covered providers, creating another obstacle to finding good care.

Healthcare affordability is declining across demographics

Younger adults, older adults and women were among several groups of Americans that saw drops in healthcare affordability and access in 2025, according to the findings.

Among Americans under 30, only about one-third were categorized as “cost secure,” down from 46% in 2021. Women were already less likely to be “cost secure” than men, but the gap widened last year. About 57% of men were “cost secure” in the 2025 survey — down from a high of 67% in 2022 — compared to 42% of women.

Older Americans, most of whom are covered by the government's Medicare health insurance program, are generally more likely to be “cost secure.” However, this group saw meaningful decreases as well, falling from 73% in 2021 to 61% in 2025.

Patients make sacrifices to pay the bills

Several survey respondents who talked to The Associated Press discussed things they have had to give up to pay their health bills.

About 2 in 10 U.S. adults in the 2025 poll said there had been a time in the prior three months when they or a member of their household was unable to pay for medicine or drugs that a doctor had prescribed because of costs. About 3 in 10 said they or someone in their household did not seek treatment for a health problem because of the expense.

One dad in Arizona, 55-year-old Xavier Chapa, said his 50-year-old wife has been fighting her insurance company over a preventive colonoscopy that her doctor had recommended.

He said the company verbally assured her it would be covered, but didn’t honor that after the procedure was completed.

The looming $3,000 bill means they've had to cut back their 8-year-old son’s summer camp schedule from full-day to half-day programs, along with trimming their budget elsewhere.

“It’s a lot to deal with,” said Chapa, who moved back to the U.S. from Europe three years ago. “What point does it serve if you're living in this country and having to pay such a high price and you can't get some of the basic things?"

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Swenson reported from New York.

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The West Health-Gallup Center poll of 5,660 adults was conducted Oct. 27-Dec. 22, 2025 using a sample drawn from Gallup's probability-based Gallup Panel. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 2.1 percentage points.

Arthur was the first tropical storm of the season in the Atlantic basin and it's expected to keep weakening as it moves inland over southeastern Texas and western Louisiana, then cross the southeast Thursday through Friday. Maximum sustained winds were around 35 mph (55 kph).

All coastal watches and warnings were discontinued Wednesday night, but flooding was likely through Friday over parts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and the Florida Panhandle, the hurricane center said.

In Louisiana and Mississippi, some communities had set up locations for residents to collect sandbags and cleared debris from drainage systems.

“The main threat from Arthur is going to be a prolonged, multiday, heavy rainfall event that could produce dangerous to life-threatening flash flooding,” National Hurricane Center director Michael Brennan said.

The storm spun off the Texas coast on the same day a World Cup match took place in Houston but did not disrupt the contest, which was played indoors. Heavy storms in the Houston area earlier in the week had canceled outdoor watch parties and fan events.

New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno said police were preparing boats and setting up barricades in known flood areas. Collection points for residents to fill sandbags also sprung up around the state.

“We both decided we got so much rain yesterday at our house that it was probably a good idea just to pick up a few bags," said Luke Barwick, who filled sandbags at a collection center in Covington, Louisiana.

After being inundated with heavy rain earlier this week, parts of central and south Mississippi braced for a second wave of potential flooding.

Officials in Picayune, Mississippi, located about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of New Orleans, declared a state of emergency Tuesday after downpours brought nearly 7 inches of rain in six hours. On Wednesday, city officials gave out thousands of sandbags and put emergency responders on standby.

Arthur is expected to produce rainfall totals of 5 to 10 inches (13 to 25 centimeters), with isolated higher totals near 20 inches (50 centimeters).

Swells generated by Arthur are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip-current conditions along the northwestern Gulf Coast for the next couple of days, forecasters said. Tornadoes were possible through Thursday.

Arthur formed as some areas along the Texas coast had already been drenched by bands of heavy storms that caused flooding and high waters. Near Houston, a 15-year-old drowned Tuesday after entering the water of a retention pond while playing near a construction zone, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. ___ Fischer reported from Miami. Associated Press writer Sophia Bates in Jackson, Mississippi, contributed to this report.

Before the Yankees played the Chicago White Sox, Brunson and Hart were met with a standing ovation and loud cheers from fans as they took the field to a montage of highlights from the title run.

Standing in front of the mound and wearing Yankees pinstripes, Brunson made his toss to backup catcher J.C. Escarra while Hart threw to utilityman Max Schuemann.

“That was cool," outfielder Cody Bellinger said after New York's 10-5 victory. "Obviously, we’re all super tuned-in to the series and to the postseason. I saw them pregame and what they were able to accomplish is pretty amazing.”

Brunson and Hart were honored after the Knicks made appearances on NBC’s “The Today Show” and “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” on Monday. Brunson and Hart along with starters Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby also appeared on ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Monday.

The ceremony occurred a day before the Knicks will be honored with a massive ticker-tape parade in lower Manhattan. Mayor Zohran Mamdani predicted Thursday’s celebration could be “the largest parade in New York City history."

“Oh, I think’s it been awesome,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “What a fun team to get behind and just the story of that team and how it’s kind of come together over the last couple of years and just a lot of grit, a lot of mental fortitude and to see the fanbase and then some galvanized around that club has been a lot of fun to witness.”

The parade will be the first for the Knicks, who won their first two NBA championships in 1970 and 1973. After those titles, then-Mayor John Lindsay celebrated the team at the mayoral mansion and City Hall.

Brunson threw out a first pitch for the second time since joining the Knicks. He also did it before a Mets-Yankees game in July 2024 shortly after signing a four-year, $156.5 million contract to stay with the Knicks.

Brunson averaged 32.6 points in New York’s five-game victory over the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals and won MVP honors. He led the Knicks to a 94-90 victory in the clinching Game 5 by scoring 45 points.

Hart is a great-nephew of former Yankees catcher Elston Howard, whose No. 32 jersey is retired by the team. Howard is also honored with a plaque in Monument Park.

The Knicks finished 16-3 in the postseason, an .842 winning percentage that matched the 2024 Boston Celtics for second-best since the format changed to best-of-seven series in all NBA playoff rounds beginning in 2003. The 2017 Golden State Warriors went 16-1.

New York won 13 consecutive postseason games, second to Golden State's 15 in a row in 2017, and set records by winning nine straight road games and outscoring their postseason opponents by 283 points.

Brunson and the Knicks also pulled off several big comebacks on the way to their title.

“It’s just been a captivating run that they’ve been on and with a group that’s now been together for a couple of years and then on top of the 53 years since a championship, it’s been a great story and a fan base that has come to know several of these guys as they’ve kind of climbed that ladder to ultimately winning a championship,” Boone said. “So I think it’ll be one of the historic teams that we talk about when it comes to the NBA.”

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

As of 11:00 p.m. Wednesday, the center of Tropical Storm Arthur was about 85 miles west-southwest of Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Arthur is moving toward the northeast near 9 mph and an increase in forward speed is expected today.

Surface observations and data from the Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters indicate that maximum sustained winds neared 35 mph with higher gusts.

Weakening is anticipated as the low moves inland.

The minimum central pressure based on surface observations is 1000 mb (29.53 inches).

Many view the onset of hemorrhagic fever as a spiritual affliction and seek out herbs and prayers instead of going to the hospital. This is the case now in Congo, which is suffering its seventeenth outbreak of Ebola since 1976, when the virus was first identified in the rich Congo Basin ecosystem.

Five decades later, the virus continues to mystify many of the sick in Africa while turning religious leaders into first responders in a deadly emergency. The current outbreak’s victims include health workers without protective gear as well as pastors and worshippers who gathered while Ebola was spreading, according to humanitarian workers and others who spoke to The Associated Press.

Ebola spreads through close contact with sick or deceased patients’ bodily fluids. The current outbreak is particularly worrisome in a region where many are distrustful of health workers and refuse to seek medical care.

In Bunia, a town in Ituri province that is the outbreak's epicenter, misinformation about Ebola has made it harder for health workers to respond to the outbreak that has so far killed at least 181 people. One rumor suggests that Ebola is spread by malicious people who drop magical charms tied to dollar bills down pit latrines.

“Some people still describe Ebola as something mysterious, spiritual, or brought by outsiders, rather than a disease that needs medical care,” said Onesphore Bangenza of the aid group Mercy Corps, speaking from Bunia. “When people do not trust the health system, they often go first to traditional healers, faith leaders, or people they already know. The danger is that many only reach the hospital when they are already very sick.”

Uncommon type of Ebola causing the outbreak

The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a rare type of Ebola that has no approved medicines or vaccines to combat it. It is occurring in a remote area of Congo that also faces armed violence by rebel groups as well as displacement. Ebola intensifies the suffering, with its terrifying symptoms that evoke a modern-day plague.

The outbreak was confirmed on May 15. Some experts believe infections may have been occurring in February, but health officials initially tested for a different kind of virus that causes Ebola disease.

The World Health Organization quickly declared the event a public health emergency of international concern. The U.S. government has imposed a temporary ban on the entry of people without U.S. passports who have recently visited Congo, Uganda or South Sudan.

With so many people in afflicted communities seeking spiritual answers to the outbreak, humanitarian workers are urging religious leaders to get involved in combating Ebola.

In a video widely shared among people in Ituri, a catechist leader recently cured of the disease in the Ebola hot spot of Mongbwalu spoke candidly of the mistake that could have cost him his life.

“I don’t usually rush to the hospital, so I decided to go to the fields,” Deogratias Kasereka said, before explaining how his children compelled him to seek medical treatment.

His symptoms had included muscle weakness and headaches, and he “felt very hot.” Ebola in later stages also can bring about internal and external bleeding.

The symptoms are so disturbing — and sometimes shameful — that some victims prefer the privacy of a traditional healer’s shrine, said Vincent Isimbwa, an elder among Seventh-day Adventists in a remote community of Ugandans that faced the first-ever outbreak of Bundibugyo in 2007.

“They faced it so rough,” said Isimbwa. “The challenge with Ebola is that it is so bad that some people can believe that there are supernatural powers behind it.”

That outbreak of Ebola killed at least 36 people and left the community terribly scarred. Many here also regret that the Bundibugyo virus is named for their district, the mountainous homeland of roughly 200,000 people mostly living as farmers.

Mistrust and medical limitations drive sick people to healers

In Bundibugyo two decades later, the Ugandan nurse whose sample of blood confirmed the 2007 outbreak said his symptoms confused those who examined him in the early days of the outbreak. Some thought Samuel Kuule had a case of food poisoning. While others afflicted may have gone to see healers, described pejoratively as witch doctors, he was nursed in a narrow hospital room by caregivers including his pregnant wife, who was never infected.

Kuule recalled that his symptoms — peeling skin, bloodshot eyes and severe headache — terrified him without shaking his Seventh-day Adventist faith, unlike some others who may have felt they were being bewitched.

“For those who are weak in faith, they may (think) that they are being bewitched,” he said. “Maybe they can believe it.”

Some locals recalled that an early victim of the 2007 outbreak was a woman stretchered down the mountains and into the shrine of a traditional healer, an older man who survived but lost three sons to Ebola. Speaking through his presumptive heir, Amon Balinda, the healer said he switched his service from benediction and prayer to the prescription of herbs after he was told Ebola was spreading.

“For us in African traditional societies, in most cases when you fall sick and you go to the hospitals and they give you some injections and there is no improvement, there and then you switch to your neighbor, or anybody, and say maybe he is the one bewitching you,” he said. “Then you decide to go to the witch doctor.”

In fact, Ebola outbreaks are believed to start with the virus spilling over into humans from an infected animal such as a fruit bat. These cross-species infections often happen when people handle and eat wild meat, experts say.

The WHO is urging early testing for Ebola, in addition to isolating contacts in the current outbreak.

That's challenging in communities with deep religious faith, Christian but especially traditional. People insist on burying the dead according to established custom, because to do otherwise may deprive the dead of an afterlife. Pastors who stake their authority on the ability to heal the sick are expected to perform. Traditional healers face similar hopes.

This is why Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni rebuked religious leaders in a recent televised speech, saying there was no need to touch the sick in the time of Ebola. He said that Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO chief, told him while visiting Uganda that many victims in Congo are religious people.

“The pastors, the pastors, the pastors,” Museveni said, squinting in apparent disappointment. “The people of God — they are the ones who touch patients. … God is not deaf. You can pray without touching.”

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

The measure is expected to go before the City Commission for a third and final reading on July 21st, according to Fernandina Beach Police Chief Jeff Tambasco.

City leaders say the ordinance is a response to mounting complaints about unsafe e-bike riding, particularly involving juveniles throughout the island and downtown area.

Fernandina Beach Police Chief Jeff Tambasco said the city used definitions for electric bicycles directly from Florida state statutes and tried to mirror state law as closely as possible. “We wanted to try and mirror state statute as much as possible,” Tambasco said.

Tambasco said the goal is not to immediately punish riders, but to change behavior. “We’re looking for corrective action,” he told News4JAX, adding the rules are intended to improve safety “to help ensure the safety of our e-bike riders, our walkers, and our overall community that’s enjoying our beautiful city.”

The ordinance would set speed limits of 10 miles per hour for bicycles and electric bicycles on sidewalks, trails and paths, and 20 miles per hour on roadways.

Tambasco said the ordinance adds additional guidelines for where electric assist can be used:

• Sidewalks: 10 mph, human-power only (no throttle or electric assist)
• Beaches: 10 mph, pedal assist allowed
• Multi-use pathways and trails: 10 mph, pedal assist allowed

The ordinance was proposed in May after officials said they were receiving increased complaints about unsafe riding, particularly involving juveniles and young adults. Residents have reported riders speeding on sidewalks, doing wheelies and rolling through stop signs.

Camden Smith, a Fernandina Beach resident, said he sees children riding aggressively across the island and worries about injuries. “No matter where I go on this island, I see little kids everywhere, just popping their bikes up on one wheel, hauling behind down the road,” Smith said. “I’m really worried for them.”

Police have also updated how they plan to enforce the rules if the ordinance becomes law, moving from a three-step approach to a four-step process that begins with education.

The four steps include:

1. Warning: Officers warn riders and document the encounter as an education tool.
2. Parent contact: For juvenile riders, police contact parents and explain the violation.
3. Citation with course option: Police issue a citation, but the violator can attend a safety course and provide proof within 30 days to have it waived.
4. Fine: Riders who continue to violate the rules could face a $50 citation, with each additional citation carrying a $50 fine.

Educational outreach underway, Tambasco said the police department is also drafting a tri-fold educational pamphlet that will be distributed to schools, bike shops and hotels to help both residents and visitors understand the city’s rules.

If the ordinance is approved on its third reading in July, it would become law and police would begin implementing the education-first rollout described by Tambasco.

JEA says 59% of employees participated in the survey — 1,362 out of 2,314 employees. JEA says respondents also submitted 4,124 written comments. The utility says its overall results are benchmarked against “comparable electric and water utility companies.”

On Wednesday, News4JAX combed through the comments to see what employees said about the utility company.

Three results that stand out

• 47% of employees surveyed said they feel well-informed about important decisions at JEA.
• • 18% below comparable utilities.
• 49% said they have confidence in JEA’s chiefs.
• • 23% below comparable utilities.
• 46% said directors, VPs and chiefs understand what is really happening at JEA.
• • 19% below comparable utilities.

View the survey below:

Those results come as City Hall investigates workplace culture issues raised about the utility.

Council President Kevin Carrico formed a special investigative committee to look into culture complaints and capacity fee concerns.

What employees wrote

The newly released comments show a wide range of experiences across the utility.

Some employees described pride in the work and serving the community, including one comment that said they love “helping the people of our community in times of bad storms by getting their power back on in a quick, safe, and timely manner.”

Others emphasized teamwork and stability, with one employee writing that they feel supported by coworkers and that the job’s purpose is part of why they stay.

But other comments were sharply critical of leadership and workplace culture — including direct mentions of CEO Vickie Cavey and City Hall.

One employee wrote:

“I don’t trust the Board or Vickie, or at this point anyone at City Hall. JEA isn’t a political tool. It is a community service.”

In another comment, an employee described the culture as “unsettled,” while others pointed to what they called constant change at the top and stress tied to outside scrutiny.

Three other results

The survey also included several higher-scoring measures related to employees’ direct supervisors and overall satisfaction (each nearly on par with similar utilities):

• 83% said their manager cares about their concerns.
• 80% said they are very satisfied with their job.
• 77% said they would recommend working at JEA.

What JEA says happens next

In a statement released with the results, JEA said it is analyzing the survey and that senior leadership is developing action plans to address key employee concerns.

JEA also noted it has received three USA TODAY Culture Excellence Awards in the categories of Work-Life Flexibility, Professional Development, and Compensation and Benefits.

Garris, who currently serves as a city commissioner for District 4, filed for the seat after Mayor Nancy Sikes-Kline said she would not seek another term.

Garris is no stranger to the city or public service. She was born and raised in St. Augustine and spent two decades working in local government before joining the city commission.

In 2022, she became the first Black woman elected to a city commission seat — and now she is poised to make history again.

“I won because I was qualified. I just happened to be Black,” Garris said. “And the same thing with the mayor. I won because I was qualified and I just happen to be Black.”

Garris says the significance of her election reaches far beyond her own achievement. St. Augustine, founded in 1565, has never had a person of color serve as mayor in its 461-year history.

“Now it gives hope to the little girls and boys if they see that there was a Black person that was mayor, that they could be too,” she said.

She added that visibility matters when it comes to inspiring the next generation. “If you don’t see it, then you don’t believe that it can happen.”

The milestone has already generated widespread excitement. Garris said some supporters are even organizing trips to witness her swearing-in ceremony.

“Some people even talk about getting a bus coming south just to watch me get sworn in because they know this is the oldest city,” she said. “And the oldest city in 461 years has never been a person of color, a minority that has stood before the public to be mayor.”

At one point, Vice Mayor Barbara Blonder filed for the seat, but eventually withdrew.

“She is considered elected and her race will not appear on the ballot,” Vicky Oakes, the St. Johns County Supervisor of Elections, said.

One of the first challenges Garris may face as mayor is a state property tax overhaul that Florida voters are deciding on in November. She said she is committed to protecting city staff through any budget changes that could result.

“We’ll have to basically see what we have to do to scale back on how we need to revamp the schedule to be accommodating as far as how we’re going to do things with less money,” Garris said. “I don’t want staff to be laid off because staff have invested a lot of time in the city.”

Beyond the budget, Garris says she plans to maintain an open-door policy and work to bring the city together.

“My prayer is going to be that the righteous come forward to help me in December and that we just be ready for new opportunities, new visions, new insights and move the city in a new direction,” she said.

Garris brings 17 years of city government experience and 10 years of courthouse experience to the role. She is scheduled to be sworn in as mayor in December.

Click here to see the full list of candidates who qualified.

“There are no words I can say," said Rex Heuermann, the Long Island architect who lived a secret life of violence for years before admitting he killed eight women. “The words I would say would have no meaning.”

The sentencing capped an extraordinary investigation that solved one of New York’s most perplexing mysteries. The seemingly unconnected and largely overlooked disappearances of young women became the focus of true-crime documentaries, books and podcasts after police began discovering the victims’ skeletal remains in the sandy scrub along a coastal parkway.

Heuermann, 62, will have no possibility of parole.

“A million years isn’t enough,” Violet Swager, a cousin of victim Jessica Taylor, said. “Nothing will ever make this right.”

Judge calls Heuermann ‘despicable’

As a series of victims' kin spoke, Heuermann sat with his hands on the defense table, looking straight ahead and lightly tapping his fingers.

Then Amanda Funderburg, victim Melissa Barthelemy's sister, commanded Heuermann to look at her. He glanced in her direction, but his eyes were slightly downcast.

“I hope you suffer,” Funderburg said as she recounted a taunting phone call she received from him days after Barthelemy disappeared. Funderburg was 15 years old.

JoAnn Mack, the mother of victim Valerie Mack, told the killer that her daughter “had dreams, and you took them all away from her.”

“Justice has been done, but it can’t replace what has been taken,” Mack said.

Heuermann pleaded guilty in April to charges that he murdered seven women: Barthelemy, Mack, Taylor, Megan Waterman, Amber Lynn Costello, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, and Sandra Costilla.

Heuermann also admitted in court to killing an eighth victim, Karen Vergata, though he was never charged in her death. He said he strangled his victims, many of them sex workers, and dismembered some of their bodies.

“Are you at least a little bit sorry for that?” Judge Timothy Mazzei asked Wednesday in an indignant voice.

Heuermann nodded and said “Yes, I am.”

“You are disgusting — a despicable man, if you are a man at all,” the judge said, his voice rising. “And you are a coward.”

As Heuermann was led away in handcuffs, spectators in the packed courtroom jeered.

Victims' families recount a confounding loss

Liliana Waterman, who was 3 when her mom vanished, said she has been waiting her entire life to confront her mother’s killer.

“She can finally rest in peace,” Waterman said outside the courthouse. “He can’t hurt anybody else.”

Most of the women disappeared between 2000 and 2010 and their remains were all found on Long Island. Most were along Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach. Costilla’s remains were found in 1993 in the Hamptons, while Vergata’s remains were found in 1996 on Fire Island.

Brainard-Barnes’ two children, who were 7 and 1 when she disappeared in 2007, underscored Wednesday how her absence shaped their lives and how she never got to know the adults they became.

Her sister, Melissa Cann, sobbed deeply as she described wondering for decades if she could have done more to protect Brainard-Barnes. But, she said, that guilt is “not mine to carry. It is for Rex and Rex alone.”

Heuermann’s ex-wife and two adult children said they did not attend the sentencing out of respect for the victim’s families.

How the Gilgo Beach serial killer was caught

The case spilled into view in 2010, when investigators started to find remains along Ocean Parkway while looking into the disappearance of another sex worker, Shannan Gilbert, whose death was ultimately ruled an accidental drowning.

The case went cold until 2022, when detectives linked Heuermann to a pickup truck that a witness reported seeing when one of the victims disappeared in 2010.

Eventually, they matched DNA from a pizza crust Heuermann discarded in a Manhattan trash can to genetic material extracted from highly degraded hair fragments found on the women’s remains.

Investigators amassed other evidence, including cellphone and tracking data showing Heuermann arranged meetings with some victims shortly before their disappearances.

After Heuermann's 2023 arrest, prosecutors recovered what they described as a “blueprint” for the killings from his computer files. Among the documents was a series of checklists with reminders to limit noise, clean the bodies and destroy evidence.

Life behind bars

Heuermann will soon be transferred to a state prison after having spent the past three years alone in a segregated cell at the Suffolk County jail, reading crime novels and striking up a brief correspondence with the infamous “Happy Face Killer.”

Calling him “a monster,” Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney declared there was nothing Heuermann could say to mitigate his deeds.

“There is no doubt this defendant is sorry,” Tierney said. “He is sorry he got caught.”

Defense lawyer Michael Brown said Heuermann has shed tears, and there may be “some sincerity in his expressions of remorse.” His client appeared “as normal as they come” during their interactions, Brown said, in stark contrast with his crimes.

“He’s somewhat of a charismatic figure when you talk to him,” Brown said.

As part of his guilty plea, Heuermann has agreed to cooperate with the FBI’s behavioral analysis unit to help catch other serial killers.

___

Peltz reported from New York.

___

This story has been corrected to show that the cousin of victim Jessica Taylor who is quoted in the story was Violet Swager, not Jasmine Robinson, who spoke after her.

Cloudy skies will linger tonight as the showers and isolated storms end around sunset. The activity picks back up on Thursday and Friday as the combination of heat and humidity pushes the Heat Index to near advisory levels. The unsettled pattern brings another round of showers and storms through the area on Saturday. The first day of Summer and Father’s Day are looking better with partly cloudy skies with a light onshore breeze.

A quieter start to the week is expected as temperatures soar to above seasonal levels.

Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms will end around sunset. Patchy fog late.

Thursday: Heat Advisories possible. Scattered showers with thunderstorms will develop along the southwest breeze. Strong to isolated severe storms will be possible. Lows in the 70s, with highs in the 80s and 90s. Rain chance 50-70 percent, mainly from around noon through 10 p.m. Wind: SW 10-15 mph. Feels like temperatures 100-107 degrees.

Friday: Hot and humid with showers and afternoon thunderstorms, 40-60 percent for NE FL, 60-70 percent for SE GA. Lows in the 70s. Highs in the 80s to low 90s. Wind: SW 10-15 mph. Feels like temperatures 100-105 degrees.

Looking ahead: Scattered showers with storms expected Saturday, with drier weather expected on Sunday.

Tropics: The first storm of the season, Tropical Storm Arthur. www.news4jax.com/weather/2026/06/17/tropical-storm-arthur-develops-in-the-gulf-1st-named-storm-of-2026-atlantic-hurricane-season/

Sunrise: 6:25 p.m.

Sunset: 8:32 p.m.

The agreement calls for Tehran to, at a minimum, dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and would waive but not permanently end sanctions on the country, according to U.S. officials who read the language of the memorandum on ending the war to journalists after days of secrecy.

The agreement would also open the Strait of Hormuz toll-free for two months and affirm a commitment to Lebanon’s territorial integrity in the face of Israel’s invasion against the Hezbollah militant group.

President Donald Trump meanwhile, is wrapping up his time with world leaders in France for the Group of Seven summit. Trump’s last stop in France was a glitzy dinner at the Palace of Versailles outside Paris.

Here is the latest:

Pakistan’s leader deletes post on US-Iran deal, then reposts it without a reference to Friday signing ceremony

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan had written on X that there would still be a formal signing ceremony on Friday after both sides already signed a memorandum of agreement.

Sharif briefly removed the post a short time later, however. Then, he reposted most of the same text but removed a reference to Friday’s ceremony.

That could cast doubt on whether the ceremony will happen.

Trump said he signed the agreement at the Palace of Versailles and U.S. officials had been planning for a meeting on Friday in Switzerland — but with Trump having now signed the document it wasn’t clear if that would still be necessary.

Pakistan says the deal to end the war in Iran is taking ‘immediate effect’ after both sides have signed it

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said leaders of both the U.S. and Iran had signed the agreement and endorsed him as a mediator. He said there will still be a formal signing ceremony on Friday.

He said in a post on X that the deal “shall enter into force with immediate effect and as a first step, Islamic Republic of Iran will instantly reopen the Strait of Hormuz and the United States of America will immediately lift the naval blockade.”

Sharif said Pakistan and co-mediator Qatar will still host an official signing ceremony on Friday in Switzerland. His post came shortly after Trump said he’d signed the agreement during a dinner at the Palace of Versailles.

US official says US and Iran presidents have signed agreement

Though officials had said Trump and U.S. Vice President JD Vance had digitally signed the agreement Sunday and that a ceremonial signing would be held Friday in Switzerland, a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to share details about the agreement said Trump signed the deal while at Versailles on Wednesday.

The U.S. official said Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also signed it Wednesday, though Iran did not immediately comment. It wasn’t immediately clear if that act started a 60-day negotiating clock to reach a final deal. It was also not clear how Trump’s signing of the deal at Versailles differed from his digital signing on Sunday.

Trump tells reporters he signed the memorandum of understanding with Iran

“It’s signed,” Trump said as he left Versailles.

“I signed it in Versailles,” Trump said. “Just signed it.”

White House says Trump signed agreement on ending war in Iran

The White House said Trump signed a memorandum of understanding on ending the war in Iran while at Versailles, though cameras weren’t present for that.

Many historic treaties have been signed at Versailles over the centuries, ending wars or territorial disputes. The most infamous was that sealed in 1919 officially ending World War I — whose harsh terms imposed on Germany are blamed by some historians for laying the groundwork for World War II.

The gilt doors of Versailles

Trump walked through the palace’s courtyard and met his hosts, posing for photographers in front of the famed golden doors.

“Versailles is not gold leaf — Versailles is the real deal,” Trump had explained to reporters earlier about why he said yes to the late dinner outside Paris after the G7.

Earlier, Macron had told reporters that “Versailles is a diplomatic tool and an instrument of influence.”

GOP senator calls Iran deal ‘worst foreign policy blunder in decades’

“Reagan is rolling over in his grave,” said Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana in a post, referring to the former president.

“Iran’s nuclear ambitions were not curbed, and they have learned that threatening the Strait of Hormuz works and will undoubtedly leverage it in the future,” the Republican said.

“Before the war, the strait was open, Iran was being crushed by sanctions, and 13 service members were still alive,” Cassidy said. “Now, 13 Americans are dead, families have paid billions at the pump, sanctions will be lifted, and the bombing has stopped.”

Cassidy, who lost his primary reelection bid after Trump endorsed his challenger, has been among the rare Republicans willing to criticize the president.

“This is the worst foreign policy blunder in decades,” he posted.

Cruz says Trump is getting ‘bad advice’ on Iran

The Texas Republican, a leading hawk on Iran, heavily criticized the draft of the memorandum of agreement between the U.S. and Tehran shortly after it was released to journalists.

“Giving billions of dollars to theocratic lunatics who want to murder us is not a good idea,” Cruz told reporters. “I think the president, unfortunately, is receiving bad advice.”

Cruz was also critical of how the agreement addresses the issue of tolls through the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. draft secures toll-free passage through the vital waterway for 60 days, but it doesn’t preclude fees in the future.

“Setting up Iran to be in charge of the Strait of Hormuz in perpetuity and to charge tolls is not in America’s interest,” Cruz said. “In my view, the Ayatollah should not reap a single penny from the free transit of the seas.”

Energy experts say deal to reopen Strait of Hormuz is welcomed, given low oil reserves

The tentative deal for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and sell its oil without restrictions will help ease supply shortages in the short term, energy experts said.

“The oil market welcomes more supply from Iran or anywhere else right now,” said Jim Krane, energy research fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute. “Stocks are running low.”

But in the long term, there’s the chance that too much oil will come to market, Krane said, adding, “reopening the strait has come alongside investment in more oil production elsewhere, especially in the U.S. and Latin America.”

The global supply glut of crude oil that existed pre-war could return in 2027 if the peace deal holds, according to research firm Clearview Energy Partners. A report released by the International Energy Agency on Wednesday estimates a global shortfall of 0.9 million barrels of oil and petroleum products per day for 2026, which is more optimistic than other recent estimates, according to Clearview.

Senate Republican leader says MOU leaves more questions

Sen. John Thune said he doesn’t think the document that’s now been released is the final product.

“My understanding is, it’s a framework, it’s an MOU, and probably have more to come in terms of any final agreement,” Thune told reporters at the Capitol.

Congress has not yet been briefed on the emerging deal.

“I don’t think probably what you’re seeing right now represents what a final deal will look like,” he said. “I think that sounds like it’s still going to be negotiated.”

He said there are “a bunch of things” senators will have questions about.

Trump says he’s looking forward to having a ‘good time’ at Versailles

“We had an amazing day and now we’re going to Versailles for dinner with some of Europe’s great people,” he told reporters after Air Force One landed in Paris but before the drive to Versailles.

“I think we’re going to have a good time,” Trump said.

Trump arrives in Paris before Versailles dinner with Macron

Official says US or Iran could walk away at any time until they reach a final deal

The second official said the signed memorandum of understanding is final and has not been changed since it was signed electronically on Sunday. But the official said either side could walk away at any time until they reach a final deal, which they will attempt to do over 60 days.

The official referred to the plans to work with Iran to reach a final deal as a “gentleman’s agreement” and said they would find out in talks starting this weekend whether they can continue moving forward.

If talks with Iran do not seem to be working, then the U.S. could pull the plug on the effort to negotiate and return to “tightening the screws on them very, very aggressively,” the official said.

Oxfam’s withering view of the G7 gathering

A statement from the campaign group calls it the “summit of omissions” that was “defined as much by what was left off the agenda as by what was discussed.”

“Climate change, gender inequality and human rights were conspicuously sidelined to secure President Trump’s attendance. Silence became a strategy,” it said.

But the statement welcomed the G7 leaders’ call for a strong and coordinated response to the Ebola outbreak in Congo.

Trump says US isn’t giving Iran money but suggests frozen assets will be returned

He has repeatedly denied that the U.S. is sending money to Iran as part of a deal, but he said Iranian assets frozen during the war should be returned.

“It’s not our money, it’s their money, and we froze it,” Trump said. “At a certain point in time, I guess we’re going to have to give it back.”

Trump said he considered keeping the frozen assets for the U.S., but said it would hurt the strength of the U.S. dollar. “If we didn’t give it back, nobody would ever invest in the dollar again,” he said.

Trump jokes that if the Iran deal is a failure, he’s blaming Vance

Asked about the possibility of blaming the vice president if the deal with Iran doesn’t work out, Trump replied, “I like that idea, sure.”

“This way, if it works out, I’m going to take the credit. If it doesn’t work out, I’m blaming JD,” the president continued. Then, striking a more playful tone, he added, “You better be careful, JD.”

Vance has become a leading administration voice promoting the initial agreement to end the war in Iran, even as Trump has occasionally contradicted facets of the agreement that Vance has announced publicly.

The vice president is expected to be part of the U.S. delegation signing the agreement Friday in Switzerland. But Trump joked of Vance, “He’s gonna turn his plane around and get the hell out of here.”

Iranian Foreign Ministry suggests deal with US may be signed by Presidents Trump and Pezeshkian

Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday night suggested that Presidents Donald Trump and Masoud Pezeshkian could sign the deal with the United States.

Such a signing ceremony would represent a major step for the two countries, which saw diplomatic relations break off in 1980 over the U.S. Embassy hostage crisis in Tehran.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei, quoted by Iranian state television, made the comment.

Pezeshkian became president on a promise of seeking better relations with the West. However, he’s been sidelined for months after Iran’s mass killing of protesters in January and in the war as hard-liners broadly have taken over the levers of the country’s theocracy.

US officials read memorandum of understanding with Iran to journalists after days of secrecy; Iran has not released text

Senior U.S. officials have dictated the memorandum of understanding with Iran to journalists after days of secrecy.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to read the draft, which Iran has not released, ahead of a formal signing ceremony set for Friday.

According to the officials, the draft agreement includes a new ‘minimum’ standard for downblending of highly enriched Iranian uranium. Also, it has provisions to ensure the ‘territorial integrity’ of Lebanon after Israel’s latest attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanese territory.

In return, the U.S. will move to waive, but not eliminate, some wide-ranging sanctions against Iran once the deal is signed.

The U.S. draft of the agreement also only secures toll-free passage of the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days, and it doesn’t preclude fees in the future, the officials said.

If Iran violates agreement, Trump says US will ‘bomb the hell out of them’

Asked how the terms of an agreement would be enforced, Trump said the threat of further bombings would be enough.

“What else am I going to do? Am I going to say, ‘I’m going to take you to court?’” Trump said. “You know, we’re going to bomb the hell out of them if they violate the agreement.”

Trump said he doesn’t think Iran will veer from the deal and said he does not want to resume attacks. But he added that “bad things happen in war — war is a nasty place.”

Trump indicates he doesn’t plan to hold US officials accountable for bombing of Iran school

Asked whether he’d hold anyone in his administration accountable for the deadly missile strike on an elementary school in Iran that killed over 165 people, the president suggested that no, he would not.

Trump said it was an odd question given that the bombing had happened so long ago, during the opening days of the war in Iran.

He also said that all war is nasty and that, in this case, mistakes might have been made, but that “Nobody did it on purpose.”

Trump also said, though, that the Department of Defense is still investigating the bombing.

During a subsequent question, he returned to the school bombing, repeating the sentiment that war was nasty: “Bad things happen in war.”

Trump hints at diplomatic visit from Lebanon, offers sympathy amid Israeli strikes

It wasn’t immediately clear who would be visiting from Lebanon — Trump first said the president and then the prime minister would be coming to Washington “over the next week or two.”

Trump repeatedly expressed sympathy for Lebanon while criticizing Israel, calling it a source of tension with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“I say, ‘You can do a little softer touch, Bibi. You don’t have to knock down a building every time somebody walks into it that’s from Hezbollah,’” Trump said.

Trump said he feels bad for Lebanon, adding that it was “a great culture.”

“It was an incredible culture, maybe the highest in the Middle East, for years and years, centuries,” Trump said. “And for the last 50, 60 years, they have been just trashed.”

Trump offers lengthy – and very meandering – opening comments

The president began the press conference by speaking for around 40 straight minutes – offering a steady, stream-of-consciousness-style monologue that covered everything from Iran and Ukraine to drug dealers hiding fentanyl in hubcaps.

Trump talked about not wanting to crash the U.S. economy during the Iran war and said he thought Russia and Ukraine might make a deal to end that war.

He boasted about securing the U.S.-Mexico border but said that Mexico “has lost control of that country” and suggested that smuggling cartels – which he said hid drugs in cars and car parts to move them over the U.S.-Mexico border – had Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum “scared.”

Trump also talked about reaching a possible nuclear accord internationally, even as he suggested that he’d avoided “a nuclear holocaust.” And he said he was looking forward to admiring the golden finishes of the Palace of Versailles when he went to dinner there later Wednesday.

Trump thanks China, Russia for staying ‘neutral’

As he wrapped up his meandering opener during his press conference, the president noted that the leaders of China and Russia - often allies with Iran - largely stayed out of the conflict.

“They could’ve made it much more difficult for us,” Trump said.

China, in particular, had weapons that could “knock down airplanes,” he said.

“I said. ‘I would really appreciate your not giving or selling any of that stuff to Iran,’” Trump continued. “And you know what? For the most part, he didn’t.”

Trump again denies $300 billion reconstruction fund for Iran, traces it to Vance statement

“JD made a statement. It was a perfect statement, and they reported it in a very strange way. But that’s because that’s why it’s fake news, I guess,” Trump said.

He emphasized that the U.S. is “not investing any money” even though he said Tehran will need aid to recover.

Trump says an Iran deal will be signed ‘shortly’ and that a copy has been sent to Israel

Amid conflicting messages from Trump and top administration officials about whether an initial deal to end the war in Iran had already been signed, Trump said the agreement could be signed “maybe tomorrow” or the next day, meaning Thursday or Friday.

Trump recalled his years as a developer and said, “My whole life is all about deals,” and that sometimes “Crazy things happen with deals.”

But he added, “We are going to most likely sign a deal.” He said Iran wants “to sign a deal, and they’ve been acting very appropriately.”

Exactly what the deal entails is a matter of confusion since Trump and his administration have refuted publicly reported details without providing concrete details, they say are correct.

Trump also said a copy of the deal would be released and that the U.S. sent a copy to Israel.

Trump shifts tone on US allies, praises their support for Iran agreement

After complaining for months that U.S. allies were doing too little to help the U.S. in Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, Trump on Wednesday quickly shifted to praise for their support of a deal.

“The past two days have provided a chance to discuss the details of this historic agreement with many of our closest friends and allies, including the G7 nations and many presidents and prime ministers,” Trump said in remarks at the summit.

It comes after U.S. allies issued a statement welcoming the framework of a deal to extend the U.S.-Iran ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump said, “They all put out statements saying they love this deal, because they want to see it over.”

Trump says negotiating an end to the Iran war buoyed the stock market

The president suggested that fears of a weakening U.S. economy were a big driver for the administration’s work to negotiate an initial deal to end the Iran war.

“Every time we talked about the possibility of peace, the stock market shot up like a rocket ship,” Trump said. “The stock market is more brilliant than anybody there is.”

Trump also said that the “one thing I didn’t want to see is, I didn’t want to see economic catastrophe.” He said that “could have happened” if the war had continued.

“The one president I did not want to be was the late, great Herbert Hoover,” Trump said, referring to the president whose policies helped exacerbate the Great Depression.

Macron defends red carpet treatment for Trump

French President Emmanuel Macron defended his decision to roll out the red carpet for Trump, including a dinner at the Palace of Versailles later Wednesday.

“Versailles is a diplomatic tool and an instrument of influence,” Macron said.

Using a soccer analogy, Macron said he approaches diplomacy like the French national team: “Whether I’m playing at home or away, my goal is to score goals. And when I host other teams, I try to give them a nice welcome.”

Macron says he has always trusted Trump

Macron said he has “always trusted President Trump” because they both have “always spoken frankly.”

That applies on U.S. tariffs issues, Macron said, after Trump threatened 100% tariff on French wines unless a European digital tax is dropped. Macron is still seeking a compromise that would avoid U.S. tariffs from taking effect.

“Partners should never impose tariffs on one another or create instability,” Macron said.

Macron says US limit on cutting-edge Anthropic AI is a ‘bad thing’

The French leader is taking aim at a Trump administration directive preventing the use of Anthropic’s latest artificial intelligence models by foreign nationals.

He said it is “a good thing” that U.S. officials recognize that cutting-edge AI models could be dangerous. “What do they fear? That these models could be used by others to attack them or attack us,” he said.

But the “very strong decision” from the Trump administration is also “a bad thing,” he said. “The reaction is in some regards strictly nationalist.”

Anthropic said it has taken its latest artificial intelligence models, known as Fable 5 and Mythos 5, offline to comply with the directive. The AI giant said it did not believe the steps taken by the government were warranted by the concern it flagged about a potential security issue.

Macron describes ‘an Evian moment’ on Ukraine

Macron said the summit, attended by Zelenskyy, helped convince Trump that Russia currently has no serious intention of negotiating peace.

It’s too early to say whether there would be a clear “before” and “after” the Evian summit, Macron said — future developments will determine its impact.

“But there was an Evian moment, certainly on Ukraine,” he said.

Macron warns of the risks of artificial intelligence

G7 leaders discussed the revolutionary technology on Wednesday, the summit’s last day.

The French leader, the summit host, called for regulation.

“No one — neither political leaders nor business leaders — can any longer ignore the impact of AI on our democracies, on our societies. That is why the possibility and the necessity of regulation have now become imperative,” he said.

The enclave has seen near-daily strikes, as well as shelling and gunfire along the boundary that divides Gaza into Israeli and Palestinian-controlled zones. The most recent deaths were recorded after a series of Israeli drone strikes in the past few days on towns and refugee camps in central Gaza and Gaza City.

Also Wednesday, an Israeli strike killed two Palestinians and wounded six others in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, health officials at Nasser Hospital said. The Israeli military acknowledged carrying out the strike and said the target was a “terrorist,” but didn't elaborate. Families at the hospital said the strike targeted a group of people near the beach in the sprawling tent camp of Muwasi, where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians live.

Israel has said it is continuing to operate against Hamas and allied militants in Gaza and has expanded the amount of territory it controls inside the strip. Both sides have accused the other of violating the ceasefire.

In a separate statement Wednesday, the Israeli military said that it killed two militants from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in strikes over the weekend.

Gaza’s Health Ministry on Sunday said the death toll from the Israel-Hamas war had surpassed 73,000 in Gaza. The ministry doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants. It is staffed by medical professionals and maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by the international community.

The war erupted when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostage, on Oct. 7, 2023. In response, Israeli leaders promised a punishing offensive on the Gaza Strip to annihilate Hamas and free the hostages.

The 18-year-old was riding in the horse-drawn carriage with three other passengers when the accident happened just before 3 p.m., according to the New York Police Department. At least two passengers were sent flying out of the careening cab.

The teenager was initially hospitalized in critical condition. The other passengers refused medical treatment.

A representative for the Transport Workers Union, which represents carriage industry employees, said the driver had dismounted to take a photograph of his passengers, which they are not supposed to do.

The horse had been in the park for only six weeks, according to Alexander Kemp, the administrative vice president of the union's local chapter. He said he wants a full investigation.

“Safety in the park has been a growing concern among many, and improvements are needed to be made with respect to all vehicles, including e-bicycles, delivery vehicles, pedicabs, and horse-drawn carriages," he said in a statement.

Video showed the horse sprinting through the park as two people appeared to jump from the four-wheeled carriage. A second video shows the cab toppling over after clipping the wheels of another carriage on the park's busy loop.

It's a fraught moment for Central Park's 150-year-old horse-drawn carriage industry. The industry has long been seen as a quaint attraction that offers tourists a romantic remnant of a bygone New York, while providing hundreds of jobs to drivers, along with many farm and racing horses. But they are now facing the growing threat of a ban from opponents who say the rides are both inhumane to horses and a danger to city residents.

Wednesday's event follows several recent horse-related problems in the park, including the fatal collapse of a horse last week.

The Central Park Conservancy, the nonprofit which operates the park and came out last summer in support of banning horse-drawn carriages, said the back-to-back events should bring an end to the industry.

“A young man came to enjoy our park and lost his life,” the group said in a statement. “That is not an acceptable cost of an antiquated industry operating in the middle of one of the most heavily used public spaces in America.”

Central Park is nearly 850 acres and attracts millions of people every year.

Authorities raided the home of Omnia Swaydan in Damanhour, Beheira province, around 6 p.m. local time on Tuesday while she was alone and ordered her to turn off her phone before taking her into custody, according to Asmaa Naeim, a lawyer following her case.

Swaydan appeared Wednesday afternoon at the prosecutor’s office in Alexandria for questioning, Naeim told The Associated Press.

She was questioned on charges of spreading false news and “misusing” social media, according to lawyer Mohamed Ramadan, who attended her interrogation. On Facebook, late Wednesday afternoon, he said she was released on 20,000 Egyptian pounds ($401) bail.

Ramadan didn't immediately respond to requests for further comment. Naeim said that Swaydan's case is ongoing and that she could be brought again for questioning at any point or face charges to which she might face trial and imprisonment.

The arrest came after Swaydan on Monday posted harrowing details of abuses and violations that happened in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of al-Shatabi Hospital, which is a university hospital in Alexandria.

Her post on Facebook detailed incidents she saw that involved women who experienced sexual assault, violence, verbal abuses and intentional medical malpractice and negligence at the hands of doctors and nurses.

On Tuesday, before her arrest, she edited the post to say that she had shared the testimony to encourage a serious review of working conditions and medical practices in the ward, while calling for protections for women, patients and junior doctors.

In response to Swaydan’s post, the Doctors’ Syndicate said in a statement Tuesday that it had not received any official complaints regarding the incidents she described and urged anyone with claims to file formal reports with the syndicate, relevant regulatory bodies, the hospital administration, Alexandria University, or the public prosecutor. The following day, the syndicate said its Alexandria branch was closely monitoring developments surrounding the allegations at al-Shatabi Hospital.

Alexandria University released a statement saying it is reviewing and investigating the allegations of misconduct in the affiliated university hospital.

Egyptian human rights groups, including the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, condemned Swaydan’s arrest. Lobna Darwish, head of the group's women’s rights and gender program, said the allegations were not unique to al-Shatabi Hospital.

Darwish told The Associated Press that obstetric violence has long been common at hospitals offering free or low-cost medical services and even across some private medical facilities.

“Unfortunately, the state treats anything that sparks public concern as a security matter,” she said. “The fact that there are many testimonies appearing online from women who have experienced obstetric violence and abuse while giving birth naturally is an indication that we have a real crisis.”

Swaydan's testimony sparked online outrage among Egyptians, including women who came forward with similar abuses they or their family members faced at al-Shatabi Hospital and at public hospitals across the country.

The accounts that followed Swaydan’s post included one woman’s testimony that her sister died after a surgical error during childbirth led to complications that were mishandled by medical staff. Another woman shared a video testimony saying her daughter died following a tracheostomy procedure due to poor hygiene and neglect postsurgery at the hospital.

The Associated Press couldn't immediately verify those claims.

Cezary Tomczyk, Poland's deputy defense minister, spoke to The Associated Press a day after the Polish government approved steps to allow such a U.S. permanent base in Poland, on NATO's eastern flank. He said the government's resolution about the base Tuesday is an invitation to the Americans.

“The Americans are interested in the Polish offer to place a permanent base here,” because it would be financed by both countries, Tomczyk said in an interview at the Defense Ministry in Warsaw.

When asked about the remarks, U.S. Defense Department officials in Washington said they had nothing new to announce.

Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said that Poles are doing everything in their power to have such a permanent base but that “the decision will always be on the side of the Americans.”

Around 10,000 U.S. troops are typically stationed in Poland, the majority on a rotational basis.

The Polish government is hoping that thousands of U.S. troops be stationed permanently, as the U.S. rethinks its military presence in Europe, both in personnel and weaponry.

In May, the U.S. suddenly halted the deployment of 4,000 soldiers to Poland despite the Trump administration considering the country a “model ally” for reaching its NATO target for spending on defense.

U.S. President Donald Trump previously had threatened to pull troops out of Germany. That was attributed to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticizing the U.S. on Iran, but the reduction of troops in Poland caused widespread confusion on both sides of the Atlantic.

Tomczyk was part of a Polish team immediately dispatched to Washington for talks. He was still in the U.S. capital when Trump wrote on social media that U.S. would send an additional 5,000 troops to Poland.

Since then, the U.S. has confirmed that it is reorganizing its troop presence in Europe but has given no further clarity about which troops are going where. However, multiple statements from Polish defense officials since then indicate they believe Poland has a chance to see an increase in permanent U.S. troops.

“Sometimes a rotating model can change into a permanent model and this is always much better," Defense Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz said in mid-May.

Asked whether the Polish resolution came because the U.S. side signaled clear interest in having a permanent base in Poland, Tomczyk said Poland and the U.S. are “in a working dialogue” and that “the next step, after the two sides confirmed they are interested in this, is the official offer from the Polish state.”

“We can’t tell fortune from tea leaves," Tomczyk said. "But we are a serious state which is presenting a serious offer to the Americans, in connection with the dialogue we are having with the Americans.”

Dreesen died at his home in Los Angeles, according to publicist Lori De Waal. A cause of death was not provided.

After meeting in Chicago, Dreesen and Reid, who was Black, formed “Tim and Tom” in 1969. Against a backdrop of simmering racial tension, they used humor to address social issues and promote understanding between audiences of different backgrounds. They worked together until the mid-1970s. Reid went on to solo success playing DJ Venus Flytrap on the popular TV sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati,” where Dreesen was a guest star.

“When I was a kid I found an album he and his comedy partner did called Tim and Tom and took it home and played it and it was one of the albums that changed the course of my life. So great,” comedian and filmmaker Mike Binder wrote on X.

After splitting with Reid, Dreesen honed a solo comedy act, making over 500 national TV appearances, including 60 visits to “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson." He also was a frequent guest and sometime guest host on “The Late Show with David Letterman." Their friendship dated to the early 1970s when both worked at The Comedy Store in West Hollywood, California.

Dreesen's final TV appearance came last week on “Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen,” which replaced Stephen Colbert's canceled CBS late-night show.

Dreesen was Sinatra's opening act for 14 years and became close with the entertainer.

“If he loved you, he worshipped the ground you walked on,” Dreesen told The Desert Sun newspaper in 2014. ”In a lot of ways, he was like a father to me. I didn’t have a father that really cared that much where I was and what I did. But Frank would give me advice and counsel, and then he was a buddy in a lot of ways. I thought the world of him."

Dressen also toured with Sinatra's fellow Rat Pack member Sammy Davis Jr., as well as Liza Minnelli, Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight and Tony Orlando.

“He was one of the most brilliant comedians of all time. Tonight, he'll once again be opening for Dean, Frank and Sammy,” Deana Martin, a daughter of Dean Martin, posted on X.

In 2008, he co-wrote the book “Tim and Tom: An American Comedy Act in Black and White” and in 2020 he authored his memoir.

Dreesen acted in such TV shows as “Columbo,” “Murder, She Wrote," and “Touched by an Angel.” His film roles included “Spaceballs,” “Man on the Moon” and “Trouble With the Curve,” as well as the HBO movies “The Rat Pack” and “Lansky.”

Dreesen was active in charitable work, motivational speaking and veterans’ causes, including serving as ambassador for the Gary Sinise Foundation.

"America lost one of our great comedians and patriots, and I lost a dear friend,” Sinise posted on X.

He was born on Sept. 11, 1939, in Chicago and raised as one of eight children in suburban Harvey. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy at age 17 and after getting out in 1960 he returned home to work a series of jobs, including selling insurance.

Dreesen is survived by daughters Amy and Jennifer from his marriage to Maryellen Subock, which ended in divorce in 1984, as well as seven grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his son Tommy.

A team from the British firm Wessex Archaeology said the structure would have consisted of two wooden poles 120 meters (394 feet) apart and aligned to point directly at the rising sun during the summer solstice and the setting sun at the winter solstice.

Researchers said the discovery predated Stonehenge by around 500 years.

The team was led by archaeologist Phil Harding, who is well known in the U.K. through his many years of excavations for Channel 4 TV series “Time Team.”

Harding, 76, said the site, which also turned up a treasure trove of finds including pottery, animal bones and a rare disc-shaped knife, was likely to have been a focus for major religious gatherings.

“Opportunities like this probably only come once in a career, in a lifetime,” Harding said. “I’m probably towards the end of my career now, but thank God I’m still in archaeology long enough to be part of this discovery, because it’s certainly the highlight of my career.”

The findings were released ahead of the summer solstice, which falls this year on Sunday, when thousands head to Stonehenge each year to celebrate the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

Stonehenge is a symbol of British culture and history and remains one of the country’s biggest tourist draws. The World Heritage Site was built on the flat lands of Salisbury Plain in stages starting 5,000 years ago, with the unique stone circle erected in the late Neolithic period about 2,500 B.C.

The site’s meaning has been the subject of vigorous debate. The most generally accepted interpretation is that it was a temple aligned with movements of the sun — lining up perfectly with the summer and winter solstices.

Researchers who found the structure near Stonehenge carried out the dig at Bulford, 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from the main stone circle, as part of archaeological work to support the British defense ministry's program to accommodate troops who have been withdrawn in recent years from Germany, where the army had a big footprint for decades. The area around Stonehenge is one of the largest military training grounds and in the U.K. and Bulford is home to a barracks.

The original excavation took place between 2015 and 2017, with the findings requiring many years of analyses and tests.

English Heritage said other theories about Stonehenge include that it was a coronation place for Danish kings, a druid temple, a cult center for healing, or an astronomical computer for predicting eclipses and solar events.

Whatever the explanation, thousands of people, many dressed as druids and pagans, will gather at the site on Sunday to see the sun rise.

“What few will realize is that 5,000 years ago on a nearby hillside overlooking modern day Bulford, people were doing the exact same thing — revering and celebrating the sunrise on Midsummer’s Day,” said Harding.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Program (WFP) said in a new joint report that conditions are expected to deteriorate between June and November 2026, with around 266 million people already facing high levels of acute food insecurity, and called for urgent action.

“The warnings in this report cannot be ignored,” said WFP Acting Executive Director Carl Skau. “Without action now, millions more are expected to face worsening levels of hunger in the months ahead, pushing some closer to famine.”

Sudan, South Sudan, Yemen and the Gaza Strip remain the hot spots of greatest concern, the report said, while Nigeria and Somalia have been newly added to that category as conditions worsen and famine risks rise. Seven other countries are also on the hotspot list — Afghanistan, Congo, Myanmar, Haiti, Mali and new additions Lebanon and Madagascar.

The agencies said conflict and violence are the main drivers of hunger in nearly all the hotspots, compounded by economic shocks, deep cuts to humanitarian funding and the expected impact of an El Niño weather pattern, which could bring droughts and floods to vulnerable regions. They warned that additional pressures, including spillover effects from the Middle East conflict and an Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo, are worsening the outlook by disrupting markets, livelihoods and aid access.

Funding for food assistance and related programs has dropped sharply — by about 59% since 2022 — even as needs have surged, the report said.

There was a piece of good news on funding Tuesday: The United States pledged $800 million to WFP which the agency said will help more that 38 million people in at least 37 countries at “a moment of unprecedented global need driving hunger to record levels.”

But WFP's more than $10 billion appeal for 2026 still remains severely underfunded.

For years, the U.S. Agency for International Development had been the backbone of humanitarian aid around the globe. But last year, the Trump administration abolished the agency, cutting $60 billion in overall assistance. Under a reset in December, the U.S. has restored funding to WFP and just announced $218 million in assistance to the U.N. children’s agency, UNICEF.

WFP’s Skau called the new U.S. donation “a lifeline to reach people on the brink of famine, provide nutritional support to mothers and children and position food to prevent millions from slipping further into extreme hunger.”

Assessing the global hotspots, the report said that conditions in the Gaza Strip have improved since an October 2025 ceasefire but remain fragile. About 1.6 million people — roughly 77% of the population analyzed — were acutely food insecure earlier this year and in need of urgent assistance, including more than half a million in emergency levels and a smaller number facing catastrophic conditions.

Yemen remains “one of the world’s worst food security crises,” hosting the largest population facing emergency or catastrophic levels of food insecurity, it said.

And the threat of famine between now and November looms over people in Nigeria’s Borno state and Somalia’s Burhakaba district as well as in South Sudan’s Jonglei and Upper Nile states, and in Sudan’s North Darfur, South Darfur and South Kordofan regions.

The FAO and the WFP called for swift, coordinated international action to scale up aid, protect livelihoods and prevent further deterioration, warning that without swift intervention, millions more could face catastrophic hunger in the months ahead.

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Edith M. Lederer contributed to this report from the United Nations

Detectives arrested Shawn Walker Jr., 30, on Tuesday in connection with the November 2025 shooting death of 38-year-old Kenance’ Tiger’ Bronson.

JSO said Walker shot Bronson multiple times near Brentwood Avenue and Golfair Boulevard on Nov. 1, 2025. Bronson later died at the hospital.

According to the arrest report, the investigation pointed detectives to Walker and a stolen SUV linked to the case. The report said a witness told detectives that they saw Walker confront Bronson during a drug deal and then leave.

Bronson was a father of three and a beloved figure in his community.

“He was a great person. He had a big heart,” Bronson’s family said. “Remember his smile and just how happy he was to give to others. That made him happy — it brought him joy to take care of other people, especially kids. He loved kids.”

Bronson’s mother, Mary Bronson, told News4JAX back in November she was at the Florida-Georgia football game.

“My grandson called me panicking, saying, ‘Mama, where you at? You need to get to the hospital. Tiger been shot, and he’s unresponsive,’” she said. “I thought he was just panicking.”

Mary said she waited for hours in the emergency room before learning her son didn’t make it.

“As we were walking back to the trauma center, a chaplain must’ve thought we already knew,” she said. “She said, ‘So y’all know he gone.’ That’s something I don’t wish on my worst enemy. It’s something no mother should ever have to go through.”

Family members described Bronson as a man who never met a stranger and who always looked for ways to help others — from paying for people’s meals to mentoring neighborhood kids.

“My strength — that God gave me — I’m having to use to keep this group together,” Mary said. “The calls and visits from my friends are the strength that’s keeping me going.”

Despite their grief, the Bronson family is holding onto faith and calling for justice.

“I want the people that took my son from me to know not only did they hurt and kill Tiger, they hurt a community,” Mary said. “You didn’t have to do that to him, and you definitely didn’t have to do it to me. If you have any remorse out there, turn yourself in. Let us know who you are and tell us why you did it.”

JSO confirmed that several people have been detained in connection with the shooting but said no arrests have been announced as detectives continue to investigate what led up to the gunfire.

Bronson’s family says they hope someone will come forward with information that could help detectives find justice for their loved one — a man remembered for his big heart and his love for others.

“Tiger was full of life,” Mary said. “He loved people, and people loved him.”

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact JSO at (904) 630-0500, or to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS (8477).

Joshua Baer, 50, described himself as an “Austinpreneur,” a reference to the state capital and his enthusiasm for getting people into business. He founded Capital Factory, which has grown into an important Austin-based venture capital firm supporting a range of technology startup companies, from robots to autonomous ships.

Baer’s LinkedIn page shows him wearing a black T-shirt and pointing at the message: “I help people quit jobs.” His email had a similar handle. Capital Factory's downtown headquarters is among the offices of tech giants like Google.

“Whether you’re in technology or not, there’s a hole in the heart of Austin today,” Thom Singer, CEO of the Austin Technology Council, which promotes the local tech industry, said of Baer’s death.

Baer listed his life strategy as, “Plant lots of seeds. Water everyone's. Repeat.” And people noticed: The Austin mayor in 2023 gave him a key to the city, a symbol of civic honor.

Bryan Chambers, co-founder and president of Capital Factory, said his business partner was a “true super connector.”

Baer was aboard a business jet that crashed Tuesday on a highway in Laredo, Texas, after the pilots reported mechanical problems and requested to make an emergency landing at an airport. His LinkedIn profile said he had a wife and three children. It wasn't known whether three young people who survived the crash were family members.

After graduating from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where he created an email marketing business, Baer moved to Austin in 1996 to work as a software developer at Trilogy Inc. He started Capital Factory in 2009 and regularly held business chats with people at a coffee shop.

“My hobby is startups,” Baer told the Austin American-Statesman in 2012. “I don’t watch sports or anything like that. So this is what I do. ... I want to be an investor in every great tech company that comes out of Austin. That’s probably unrealistic, but I’m going to try anyway.”

Baer often spoke to high school students and had the title of “entrepreneur in residence” at the University of Texas.

“He was passionate that technology could change the world and make people's lives efficient and better,” Singer said. “And if entrepreneurs did it right, they could make money and help their communities. He believed in those two things.”

Texas U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn said they were saddened by Baer’s death. Cornyn wrote on X that Baer was an “innovative & creative leader in Austin’s entrepreneurial culture.”

The latest deal brings the total amount spent on these agreements to nearly $2.6 billion.

Chicago-based Invenergy has agreed to end its four offshore wind leases that were very early in development in exchange for reimbursements of lease fees totaling $765 million. The company had already canceled the largest of the four in November, Leading Light Wind off New Jersey's coast. The others are off the coasts of Maine and California. It will invest that money in natural gas and geothermal ventures that can be built more quickly instead.

By buying back leases, the Republican administration is stopping offshore wind farms that President Donald Trump does not support, and redirecting the money to fossil fuel projects that he does. It adopted this strategy after federal courts thwarted Trump’s efforts to stop offshore wind development through executive action. Trump has frequently talked about his hatred of wind power and calls turbines ugly.

“Under President Trump, companies are shifting investment back toward dependable, secure energy infrastructure that can power our economy and lower utility costs,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement. "We applaud Invenergy for recognizing the importance of baseload power and investing in energy solutions that deliver real benefits to American consumers.”

Hillary Bright, executive director of offshore wind advocacy group Turn Forward, said these buyouts are not one-for-one ‘swaps’ for another kind of energy, since the replacement projects won't deliver power to the same states as the offshore wind farms would have.

“Replacing coastal offshore wind with geothermal or natural gas infrastructure in another region does nothing to address rising ratepayer affordability concerns, reliability challenges or potential gaps in power supply in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic,” she said in a statement.

Eight offshore wind projects have been stopped

Under the first deal announced in March, French company TotalEnergies is getting nearly $1 billion — essentially a refund of its two offshore wind leases — if it invests the money in fossil fuels instead. Those leases were off the coasts of North Carolina and New York. New York is leading a lawsuit challenging the TotalEnergies agreement and Democrats in Congress are investigating it.

Golden State Wind and Bluepoint Wind agreed in April to end their leases in exchange for reimbursements totaling nearly $900 million, provided they invest equally in fossil fuels. California is investigating the deal that ended Golden State Wind, a floating offshore wind farm proposed off the state’s central coast. Bluepoint Wind was an offshore wind farm in the early stages of development off the coasts of New Jersey and New York.

Invenergy is North America’s largest privately held independent power producer. It has four offshore leases: a large lease area for Leading Light Wind, which would have used traditional turbines that affix to the seafloor; two leases for projects with floating turbines in the Gulf of Maine; and a lease for a floating project off California’s central coast.

Maine’s Democratic Gov. Janet Mills called the buybacks legally questionable, an egregious waste of taxpayer money, and “a shortsighted decision that will hurt our ability to reduce our reliance on expensive fossil fuels.”

Invenergy says it's focused on energy projects that can move forward today

For Invenergy, the deal offered a way to move forward with energy projects that could bring power to the grid more quickly for its customers than the dormant offshore wind leases. Trump has erected roadblocks for permitting wind energy, while trying to speed up fossil fuel development.

The company left the door open to reentering the offshore wind industry in the future. Daniel Runyan, senior vice president for development at Invenergy, said in a statement that at a time of unprecedented energy demand, they "will deploy additional capital into projects that can be delivered on a commercially reasonable timeline and meet customer demand while continuing to evaluate opportunities as market conditions evolve.”

Leading Light Wind was targeted for as much as 2.4 gigawatts to power more than 1 million homes. Invenergy told the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities in November it was canceling Leading Light Wind because of challenges with the supply chain, equipment and vendors, and changing regulatory requirements.

The floating projects were so early in development that Invenergy hadn't yet calculated how much power those sites could provide.

Invenergy, a major player in the natural gas sector, has 14 operational natural gas facilities. It’s expanding into geothermal energy, with 45 leases totaling 144,000 acres in Nevada, Idaho, California, Utah and New Mexico. Invenergy plans to use the $765 million from the agreement for natural gas facilities in Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri, and geothermal development in the West. It was not refunded interest paid on the offshore wind lease payments or incremental development costs.

Invenergy has a large portfolio of projects other than offshore wind that produce electricity without warming the planet. That includes about 125 land-based wind farms operating and in construction, more than 60 solar and nearly 30 battery storage projects developed, and many more that it's actively planning and building. Geothermal energy uses the Earth’s heat to make electricity cleanly, too.

In a related development Wednesday, the Interior Department appealed a ruling that struck down several Trump administration actions slowing down clean energy development, including a requirement that Burgum personally approve all solar and wind energy projects on federal lands and waters.

The Trump administration canceled a $4.9 billion federal loan guarantee last year for Invenergy’s planned Grain Belt Express, a new high-voltage transmission line for delivering solar and wind-generated electricity from the Midwest to the eastern U.S. But the company indicated that the project would go forward anyway.

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Associated Press writer Patrick Whittle in Scarborough, Maine, contributed to this report.

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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.

The fiery crash late Tuesday in Laredo near the Mexican border sent bystanders racing from their cars to help police rescue passengers and crew from the burning aircraft. The crash killed Joshua Baer, a leader in Texas’ technology and startup sectors, the president of Baer's company said.

Video from the frantic scene showed someone trying to smash the cockpit glass with a sledgehammer, while others used makeshift levers as they worked to open the plane's door. Local officials said a firefighter entered the smoke-filled jet to extract one person still inside after the rest had escaped.

“While the loss of life is deeply regrettable, it is nothing short of a miracle that this tragedy did not become a mass fatality event,” Laredo Mayor Victor Treviño said during a news conference Wednesday.

Two pilots and three teenagers survived the crash and have since been released from the hospital, according to the Laredo Police Department. A dog on board that suffered from smoke inhalation was also expected to survive, said Jose Baeza, an investigator with the police department.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known. The Federal Aviation Administration was investigating along with the National Transportation Safety Board.

Laredo Police Chief Miguel Rodriguez Jr. said investigators working to reconstruct the crash were at the crash site Wednesday.

Crash victim worked to help entrepreneurs launch startups

Baer, 50, was known as a central figure in Austin’s turbocharged evolution as a tech hub. He was the founder and chief executive of Capital Factory, which helps entrepreneurs connect with investors and others to launch their businesses.

“The number of lives Josh impacted in Austin, across Texas, and throughout the technology community is impossible to measure,” Capital Factory President Bryan Chambers said in a post on LinkedIn.

Capital Factory executives did not immediately return phone messages Wednesday from The Associated Press.

Baer lived in Austin with his wife and three children, according to his LinkedIn page. He recently taught a student entrepreneur class at the University of Texas at Austin.

“I help people quit their jobs and become entrepreneurs,” Baer said on his LinkedIn page.

Pilots reported low fuel and power loss, airport director says

The Cessna Citation Latitude twin jet departed Tuesday evening from the Mexican resort city of San José del Cabo and was bound for Austin, Texas, the FAA said in a statement.

The plane was operated by NetJets, a company owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway that lets people buy part ownership in private jets. NetJets said in a statement it was cooperating with authorities.

The jet went down at about 10 p.m. Tuesday on the Loop 20 highway, just a few minutes after its pilots radioed the local airport seeking to make an emergency landing. Their call to air traffic controllers “mentioned low fuel and a power outage,” Laredo International Airport Director Gilberto Sanchez said.

“They had mechanical issues and they lost communication with the tower,” Sanchez said Wednesday.

Dashcam video posted on social media showed the aircraft careening down the highway and knocking down a light post before stopping near the airport. The jet also barreled into a car, sending one motorist to a hospital in stable condition, Baeza said.

Five officers treated at a hospital for smoke inhalation have since been released, according to Rodriguez.

Experts wonder if jet lost engine power, had fuel leak

NetJets, started as a private jet charter service in 1964, had never had a fatal crash before Tuesday. Aviation safety experts interviewed Wednesday praised the company's safety record.

It shouldn't take investigators long to get a good idea of what caused the crash, in part because both pilots survived, former NTSB investigator Alan Diehl said.

The flight’s final minutes suggest the plane may have lost power to both engines and been attempting to glide into the Laredo airport, said Jeff Guzzetti, a former FAA and NTSB investigator.

“I think they just ran out of altitude and airspeed toward the end there,” Guzzetti said.

Aviation safety expert Mary Schiavo, a former inspector general for the Transportation Department, wondered if the jet had a fuel leak based on the pilots reporting they were running low. The jet has a range of 3,000 miles (4,800 kilometers), roughly three times the distance of their planned flight to Austin.

Ultimately, Schiavo said, a lack of fuel may have prevented more death and destruction.

“Luckily, the plane didn’t explode in a fireball,” she said.

The Texas crash was the third significant aviation accident in as many days. A B-52 bomber crashed Monday during a test flight at Edwards Air Force Base in California and killed all eight people aboard, while on Sunday, 12 people were killed when a plane on a skydiving outing in Missouri crashed.

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Collins reported from Hartford, Connecticut; Funk reported from Omaha, Nebraska; and Golden reported from Seattle. AP journalists Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, and Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.

The South Florida Detention Center has been praised by President Donald Trump. But its conditions have been harshly criticized by l awyers, families and human rights groups, who have persistently denounced the mistreatment of detainees since the center opened 11 months ago, during the Atlantic hurricane season.

DHS said that all detainees at the Florida state-run facility had been transferred but did not specify how many or where they were taken. Nor did it say whether the facility would close permanently or only temporarily.

"For the safety of the illegal alien detainees, we transferred them to other facilities,” department spokesperson Lauren Bis said in an emailed statement.

The hurricane season spans six months, from June through November. The detention facility opened on July 3, 2025, one month after the start of that year’s hurricane season, which concluded without any storms making landfall in Florida. It has been operating since then.

Shortly after ICE announcement, the National Hurricane Center reported on Wednesday that the first tropical storm o f the 2026 hurricane season had formed off the Texas coast.

Detainees at the facility have talked about their difficulty accessing lawyers, and have described poor physical conditions, including worms in the food, toilets that don’t flush, flooding floors with fecal waste, and mosquitoes and other insects everywhere.

Surrounded by alligator-filled swamps in the Florida Everglades, "Alligator Alcatraz” was built by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration in a matter of days, and Trump toured it on July 1, 2025, just two days before it was opened.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management, the main state agency responsible for its operation, did not immediately respond to an information request from The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Since the facility opened, immigration advocates said the tents were never safe or humane to hold people. Federal and state officials, nonetheless, had said that it was prepared to withstand hurricanes.

“Transferring people out of this cruel facility is an important step, but it does not erase the harm that has already been done,” said Amy Godshall, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union who filed a lawsuit against the state and the federal government alleging a lack of access to legal representation for detainees. “The state and federal government must permanently close this facility and commit to never detaining people there again.”

DeSantis said in May that South Florida Detention Facility always was meant to be temporary. He said the facility had processed and deported 22,000 detainees since its opening.

Hurricane season is an excuse, activists say

Immigration advocates and lawyers said the hurricane season is an excuse, not the real reason why the detainees have been transferred.

“That’s a nonsense excuse because they opened in the middle of the worst part of hurricane season last year,” said Arianne Betancourt, a community advocate at the non-governmental group The Workers Circle who has spent months connecting dozens of detainees with pro-bono attorneys.

Betancourt and other advocates and attorneys said they noticed an increase in the transfer of detainees to other facilities over the past two weeks, during which time they lost contact with dozens of detainees.

Katie Blankenship, an immigration attorney at Sanctuary of the South, said all 50 clients that she and other attorneys have been providing free advice during the past 20 days have been moved from “Alligator Alcatraz” to other facilities in South Florida, California, Arizona, Louisiana and Texas.

“They are all gone,” Blankenship said. “They have been moved and disappeared into the system and are unavailable to family or counsel, typically for a period of about a week."

She noted that she hasn’t received any official notice about the transfers, but instead found out because her clients did not appear at hearings or did not show up at calls. When she tried to find out what had happened to them, she located them using the official detainee search tool and saw that they had been transferred to other facilities, Blankenship said.

Families left to pick up pieces

Renata Bozzetto, deputy director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, said that even if the facility is closed, the harm will not end.

“Many of the people detained there will be transferred to other detention facilities, while their families continue to face uncertainty and hardship,’’ Bozzetto said. “When this detention camp closes, many corporations and contractors will have walked away with millions in profits, while immigrant families are left to pick up the pieces.”

Karthikeyan Deenadayalan was charged in U.S. District Court in Maryland on Monday with one count of violating the federal Port and Waterways Safety Act. Deenadayalan’s attorneys did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment.

Prosecutors also filed notice of a “deferred prosecution agreement” with the court, but did not provide details about the terms of that deal. Deferred prosecution agreements are typically used when a defendant has agreed to meet certain conditions — such as providing testimony, or paying restitution — in exchange for the charges against them being dropped.

Prosecutors say in court documents that Deenadayalan was the chief engineer of the container ship when it was in the Port of Baltimore in the days before the deadly bridge collision, and that Deenadayalan willfully failed to notify the U.S. Coast Guard that an improper fuel pump without a backup system was being used to power two of the ship's generators.

The Dali, bound for Sri Lanka, lost power twice in a four-minute span as it moved to sea from the Port of Baltimore, causing it to crash into the Key Bridge in the early hours of March 26, 2024. Investigators say a loose wire in a switchboard likely caused the first power loss that led to its steering failure.

But after regaining power, the ship found itself in trouble again, prosecutors say, because the fuel pump used on the two generators was not designed to automatically restart after the first blackout. That caused a second blackout to occur, and the vessel crashed into a supporting column of the bridge, killing six construction workers who had been filling potholes on the structure. The toll bridge first opened in 1977 and is traveled by millions of cars every day.

The Singapore-based ship operator and another employee were indicted on criminal charges in May, accused of relying on the improper pump and then lying about it to investigators. Synergy Marine Pte Ltd. and Chennai, India-based Synergy Maritime Pte Ltd. and the ship's former technical superintendent Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, 47, are charged with conspiracy, misconduct causing death, failing to immediately inform the U.S. Coast Guard of a hazardous condition, obstructing the National Transportation Safety Board and making false statements.

A trial in the case against the ship's operator and the technical superintendent has been scheduled for October 2027.

After the indictment, Synergy Marine expressed disappointment and accused the U.S. Justice Department of turning an accident into a crime. Nair’s lawyer, David Gerger, had a similar response, saying in May that his client “thinks about this accident every day, but he certainly did not cause it.”

In April, a $2.25 billion settlement was announced between the state of Maryland, Synergy Marine and Grace Ocean Private Limited, the Singapore-based ship owner. Grace Ocean hasn’t been charged with any crimes related to the collapse.

Earlier this month, a federal judge agreed to postpone a civil trial over the collapse after a flurry of last-minute settlements resolved most of the remaining claims, including deals resolving all pending claims over the deaths of six construction workers.

Virtually all of the unresolved claims are alleging economic losses by businesses and local governments. None of the remaining parties were asking to start the trial as scheduled this week.

News4JAX tried to speak to Jennifer Cruz as she exited the courtroom, but she had no comment.

Back in January, Cruz pleaded not guilty to the charge and despite arguments from federal prosecutors that Cruz posed a flight risk because of connections to Mexico, a federal judge ruled Monday that she can be released on an unsecured $50,000 bond -- meaning she won’t have to pay any money upfront, which is not uncommon in federal cases.

“She’s a mother of four, small business owner. She’s very gratified to get back to her family and her business and attend to both of those important responsibilities,” Cruz’s attorney Alan Ceballos said.

Cruz will have to abide by a myriad of conditions during her release, including reporting in person for all pre-trial hearings, surrendering her passport, restricting her travel to what federal courts consider the Middle District of Florida (which stretches from Jacksonville to Ft. Myers), refraining from the use of drugs or alcohol and submitting to drug tests.

When the judge asked Cruz during the detention hearing why she should be released pending her trial, she replied, “This is a horrible incident. It won’t happen again. You won’t see me again. I’m sorry.”

RELATED | Woman accused of punching trooper, kicking ICE officer ‘overwhelmed,’ ‘stoic’ facing federal charge, attorney says

State charges

According to an arrest report obtained by News4JAX, Cruz has also been charged with 14 state crimes, including battery on an officer, resisting an officer and driving with a suspended license.

The report says that Cruz challenged law enforcement during the traffic stop on Beach Blvd., telling them “she was ready to fight” before her arrest turned into a violent encounter.

According to the arrest report, around 8 a.m. on Jan. 13, a trooper saw Cruz driving a white Dodge Ram on Beach Boulevard while holding a cellphone and recording, tailgating a car and a marked patrol car “in a manner that interfered with her ability to safely operate the vehicle.”

Cruz then followed the trooper into the parking lot of a shopping plaza and started yelling at him, the report says.

The trooper continued to ask Cruz for her identification, and she provided a photo of her driver’s license. After doing a records check, the trooper found that her Florida driver’s license was suspended as of June 17, 2025, for financial responsibility.

Around 8:22 a.m., while the traffic stop was still ongoing, Cruz “willfully drove away without permission,” and marked patrol vehicles activated emergency equipment to stop Cruz, having to “box her in,” the report says.

Officials said after Cruz was stopped again, she was ordered to get out of the car and hand over her keys.

She then exited the car, but refused to give troopers her keys.

“Cruz then stated she was ready to fight,” the arrest report reads.

When one of the troopers tried to grab her keys, Cruz punched her in the face “with a closed fist,” causing injuries to her nose and fingers, according to the arrest report.

After that, Cruz continued to refuse to comply with law enforcement commands and resisted arrest “by tensing her body,” the report says.

While being escorted to the patrol car, Cruz tried to kick the same trooper she had punched earlier. Then, while officers tried to secure her in the patrol vehicle, she kicked an ICE officer and a U.S. Customs Air and Marine Interdiction agent, according to the report.

“Due to Cruz’s continued violent resistance, a taser was deployed in drive-stun mode without effect, and she was placed in a hobble restraint for safety,” the report says.

According to the report, the trooper who was punched in the face required hospital treatment.

Cruz was transported to Duval County jail and later released on bail.

Federal arrest

Cruz was arrested again after being indicted on the federal charge.

According to FHP, Cruz was a passenger in a car that was stopped by JSO during a traffic violation, and when the occupants’ names were searched in the system, Cruz’s name popped up with an active federal warrant.

Cruz was arrested and taken into custody at the Duval County jail.

News4JAX has requested the arrest report for Cruz’s second arrest, and we are still waiting to hear back.

Alan Ceballos, Cruz’s lawyer, said that the legal team has a litany of evidence that will be presented at Monday’s detention hearing that would qualify her for release under the 3144G Bail Reform Act.

“We will be presenting that evidence, and we believe it will be persuasive to the court,” Ceballos said.

He also talked about how Cruz is handling everything since being arrested.

“She’s a first-time offender, so she’s dealing with the stresses of being a mother of four, a business owner who’s in custody, and she’s overwhelmed by it, but she’s being stoic and responsible,” he said.

Caught on camera

Dashcam videos circulating on social media since last Friday also provided more insight into Cruz’s arrest, including a 13-second video shared by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier on X.

RELATED | Dashcam videos show woman kicking troopers before being hit with stun gun during ICE-related arrest on Beach Blvd.

In that video, Cruz can be seen attempting to kick a trooper, but it doesn’t connect. A trooper then slams Cruz on the hood of the patrol car as they put handcuffs on her, and then it ends.

The videos that have been shared do not show the punch that Cruz is accused of in her arrest report.

Uthmeier announced Cruz’s arrest via X, formerly known as Twitter, and also shared a picture showing two agents arresting Cruz outside a Mi Pueblo Mexican grocery store.

News4JAX spoke with Juan Alvarez, the owner of Mi Pueblo, who said he saw the violent encounter between Cruz and law enforcement.

“What I witnessed was a traffic stop by the state trooper,” he said. “ICE agents showed up with the state trooper. They detained a driver, the person was driving, and so yeah, they had an operation going on, and after that, they had detained another person, but it seems they got into an altercation with that person. It turned violent, and that led to the presence of a lot more police, federal enforcement showing up.”

He also caught part of the arrest on camera. Press play below to watch the video

Cruz’s arrest came amid multiple recent reports of increased immigration enforcement across Northeast Florida.

Gov. Ron DeSantis also addressed Cruz’s arrest during a news conference in Jacksonville.

“This is not Minneapolis. This is not going to end well for you in Florida,” DeSantis said. “You have a right to go out there and criticize government policy. You can go out there and protest within respected zones, but the idea that you’re going to assault one of our troopers is unacceptable, and you are going to face consequences as a result of that.”

Amanda and Jason LaPointe are among thousands of Northeast Florida residents who could lose in-network access to Baptist Health facilities if negotiations between the health system and insurance provider Cigna fail.

Baptist Health said it is “at a critical point” in negotiations and is “very concerned that Cigna will force Baptist Health hospitals and providers out of network on June 23.”

“Cigna canceled their contract with Baptist Health hospitals. This is not what we want, and it is not our choice,” Baptist said in a statement. “Baptist Health does not want anyone to lose access to the care they need.”

The LaPointes said they recently received a letter from Baptist warning that their children’s specialized pediatric care could no longer be covered as in-network after June 23.

“It kind of makes me angry that it just seems like they’re both pointing fingers still,” Amanda LaPointe said after reading the letter.

The family’s oldest daughter has hip dysplasia and requires ongoing monitoring from specialists. Their younger daughter previously received speech therapy and underwent surgery through Baptist-affiliated providers.

Amanda LaPointe said the family has relied on the same pediatric practice since their oldest child was born seven years ago.

“They’ve always been great to us, so now to start over it’s kind of stressful,” she said.

The family said they are now trying to determine where to continue their daughters’ care, but options for pediatric specialty services in Jacksonville are limited.

“For major things like orthopedics, we’re going to have to go probably outside the city,” Jason LaPointe said. “The only game in town for that in Jacksonville was Wolfson’s and Nemours, and it’s all under the Baptist umbrella.”

The couple said future appointments may require trips to Orlando or Tampa.

The potential loss of access to Wolfson Children’s Hospital is one of the family’s biggest concerns. Baptist called Cigna’s decision to terminate its contract with Wolfson “particularly disappointing” because it could limit access to critical pediatric care in Northeast Florida.

“As the only dedicated children’s hospital here, we play an irreplaceable role in caring for kids,” Baptist said.

The LaPointes also worry about the financial impact of continuing care with their current providers if they become out of network.

When their daughter was referred for physical therapy earlier this year, Amanda LaPointe said Baptist Rehab told her out-of-pocket costs could exceed $3,000 per session.

“That’s just not affordable,” she said.

The dispute affects more than just the couple’s children.

Amanda LaPointe said she continues to receive care from multiple Baptist specialists after experiencing heart failure following the birth of one of her children.

“I have an army of doctors that literally saved my life when my daughter was born,” she said.

Baptist argues it has attempted to reach a compromise, saying it offered Cigna lower rates in hopes the insurer would pass savings on to members and employers. The health system also claims Cigna’s latest proposal would give the insurer greater control over some care decisions.

“We believe medical decisions should be made by trusted doctors who know their patients,” Baptist said.

The health system warned that if coverage is denied by an insurer, patients may be required to pay out of pocket for treatments or procedures.

For patients currently undergoing treatment, Baptist is encouraging them to apply immediately for continuity-of-care coverage through Cigna. The program may allow certain patients — including those with serious medical conditions, scheduled surgeries, chronic illnesses, high-risk pregnancies or terminal illnesses — to continue treatment with their current providers for a limited time. However, Baptist noted that Cigna determines eligibility, timelines and required documentation.

The health system also emphasized that emergency care at Baptist Health and Wolfson Children’s Hospital emergency departments will continue to be covered at in-network rates under federal law. CareSpot Urgent Care centers, Baptist Behavioral Health services and independent physician practices, including Nemours Children’s Health and many OB-GYN groups, are not affected by the dispute.

Still, the LaPointes say they remain frustrated by what they see as a breakdown in negotiations.

“I would probably say stop pointing fingers,” Jason LaPointe said. “Cigna demanding that Baptist lower their rates and Baptist stating that they’re lowering their rates and Cigna doesn’t want to negotiate or pay.”

Amanda LaPointe said the potential loss of access is especially concerning for families with children.

“They’re the biggest hospital for kids,” she said. “Anybody in Jacksonville that you ask where you would take your kids in case of an emergency, they would say Wolfson’s. They would say Nemours. So to take that away from such a large group of people, it just seems kind of selfish.”

Baptist said it remains willing to continue negotiations in the final days before the deadline if Cigna is willing to negotiate “in good faith.”

Unless a new agreement is reached, Cigna members will lose in-network access to Baptist Health hospitals and employed providers beginning June 23.

News4Jax has also reached out to Cigna for comment on this story. We are still waiting to hear back.

The questions center on two different images of the same Carrico text message. One was provided last week to Jacksonville media outlets and another later sent to Florida Trib Executive Editor Nate Monroe after he asked for additional context and posed questions about unexplained omissions.

Placed side by side, the images appear visibly different, with changes in timestamp placement, cropping and missing header and recipient information. The differences have prompted scrutiny over why a public record would be released in an altered form.

“These are two different documents, these are two different records,” Monroe said. “And one of the questions that I have for the city is which one is the one that he actually gave over to the state attorney’s office.”

Carrico has acknowledged sending a message to his boss, Paul Martinez, that reads: “Guess it’s time they get a new board member to show them who’s boss. Are you ready to play the game?”

Monroe said a follow-up records request revealed the message was part of a larger conversation, and that the earlier version provided to media did not show the full context.

“The version that they gave last week obscured the fact that there is an entire top half to this message that we are not seeing,” Monroe said. “They have not explained, other than a kind of vague talking point about withholding personal information. And they haven’t provided us any specific statutory reason why that stuff is being held back.”

The controversy follows a separate text message in February, when Carrico pushed to appoint Martinez, his boss at the Boys & Girls Club, to the JEA board. In a message to outgoing board member Arthur Adams, Carrico referred to the appointment as a “favor,” according to previously reported records.

In a newly released statement, city council attorneys said Carrico’s compliance with a criminal investigation subpoena included both personal communications and public records containing search terms provided by investigators.

However, they said only documents that qualify as public records would be produced in response to public records requests, and that private communications do not become public records simply because they were submitted under subpoena.

Monroe and News4JAX have questioned how portions of the same text message could be treated differently, with part released publicly and other parts withheld.

“What we can see in the half of this message that is disclosed is this phrase, ‘Guess it’s time,’” Monroe said. “That sentence implies that whatever came before it has some relationship to this. You don’t just say ‘guess it’s time’ out of nowhere. You say guess it’s time play the gave in response to something. It’s like an if-then statement.”

The public records process has also drawn criticism over cost and transparency. When News4JAX and other outlets first requested subpoenaed Carrico documents, the city initially estimated the cost at about $4,000. After media attorneys became involved, that estimate dropped to about $200, according to the outlets.

News4JAX and the Florida Trib said they are awaiting further response from city council attorneys about the latest records release and the differences between the two versions of the text message image.

The aborted effort to reduce nonwhite voters' representation contrasts with other Southern states where Republican majorities moved quickly to redraw congressional boundaries ahead of the November midterms, partly in response to President Donald Trump's pleas to shore up the GOP's fragile House majority.

Civil rights activists and Democrats, especially Black and other nonwhite lawmakers, celebrated the development and claimed victory after exerting weeks of pressure and gathering hundreds of citizens at the Georgia Capitol on Wednesday ahead of the session.

“Today showed that ordinary people don't need to wait until November to make their voices heard and protect our democracy,” said U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, the state's first Black senator who returned to Atlanta from Washington to be at the Capitol. “We can stand up and speak right now.”

Kemp had not asked his fellow Republicans to reopen Georgia districts ahead of November. Instead, he wanted them to redraw congressional boundaries for the 2028 election. But the governor, in the final months of his second term, also called on lawmakers to redraw their own districts — a move that would have made Georgia the first state to apply the Supreme Court's Louisiana v. Callais decision to its legislature.

State House Speaker Jon Burns sent Kemp a letter hours before Wednesday's special session was set to begin, informing him that legislators would not consider redistricting at all during the session. He announced the decision publicly shortly after, as demonstrators filled the Capitol with chants of “Black voters matter!”

Kemp said he believes Georgia's current districts are unconstitutional, and he sees no reason to delay redistricting.

“Legislative districting, however, is the responsibility of the General Assembly, and it is within their discretion to defer the issue until a later date,” Kemp said in a statement.

Burns said lawmakers want to take their time after the Callais decision, which struck down Louisiana’s congressional map as an illegal racial gerrymander and laid the groundwork for legislatures to reduce the number of districts where Black and other nonwhite voters hold most sway.

The speaker said it was more important for lawmakers to focus on economic matters rather than “partisan games.” He also cited pending litigation over existing Georgia districts and the need to understand the full ramifications for how race can or cannot be used in redistricting.

Privately, Republicans had expressed concerns that a rushed process that diminished Black and other minority voters’ political power could cause a backlash. And they worried that redrawn districts could unintentionally create more competitive jurisdictions that Democrats could win, especially around Atlanta.

Still, Georgia Republicans did not rule out revisiting redistricting later this year.

Conservative justices gave the green light

Before Callais, Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act was understood to require maps — for Congress, state legislatures and local legislative bodies — that gave historically marginalized minorities a reasonable chance to select candidates of their choice. Nationally, those so-called “opportunity districts” have disproportionately elected Black and other nonwhite representatives.

About one-third of Georgia’s 180 state representatives are Black. Latino, Asian and other minorities bring the total nonwhite share to about 40% — roughly reflecting the state’s overall population. Georgia’s U.S. House delegation has five districts out of 14 total where the electorate is majority or plurality nonwhite. All elected Black Democrats in 2024.

With the Callais ruling, a conservative majority of justices concluded that jurisdictions drawn with racial makeup in mind violate the U.S. Constitution’s equal protection clause. Justice Samuel Alito's majority opinion declared that apportionment should be “race neutral.”

Alito's stated reasoning did not hinge on party interests, and federal courts have said partisan gerrymandering is constitutionally permissible. But in Southern states, party loyalty dovetails considerably with race and ethnicity. So the decision has allowed Republicans to redraw maps to boost GOP districts by redistributing nonwhite voters who tend to support Democrats.

Many civil rights activists argue that makes it impossible for Southern legislatures to be genuinely “race neutral” when drawing boundaries.

Democrats and activists opposed the special session

Minority voting rights are especially salient in Georgia, where the Capitol complex includes a statue of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and sits blocks from where the assassinated civil rights icon lived, preached and led the movement that yielded the Voting Rights Act in 1965.

Warnock, who is also minister at the Atlanta church where King once preached, invoked the civil rights icon as he led demonstrators who criticized the Supreme Court’s reasoning in Callais that it was discriminatory to draw districts to allow minority voters a chance to elect their preferred representatives.

The senator compared the possibility of scaling back nonwhite representation to the long Jim Crow history of poll taxes and literacy tests. White conservatives in the South once called those policies “race neutral,” too, Warnock noted.

Speaking before Burns’ announcement, Warnock lamented that some white Republicans who might consider redrawing district lines — or already have in other states — also praise King on his federal holiday each year.

“If you want to redraw maps and you have the power to do it, I guess you can do it,” he said. “But keep Dr. King’s name out of your mouth.”

Trump started the fight before the Supreme Court decision

Nationally, a partisan redistricting battle started last year when Trump urged Republican-controlled states to gerrymander their congressional maps. Texas answered the call first.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democrats in Sacramento answered with their own gerrymander that voters later approved. A succession of states followed. The outcome would have been close to even had the Virginia Supreme Court, controlled by conservatives, not struck down new Democratic-drawn maps approved voters. All told, Republicans think they could notch a net gain of 10 seats across the multiple states.

That still may not be enough for the GOP to hold a congressional majority, given Trump's lagging approval ratings. But it could mitigate Democratic gains and set Republicans up well for 2028 and beyond.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman issued a similar plea at the Group of Seven summit of major industrialized nations in France, saying an "international forum" is needed for countries to draw up AI guardrails. He said the task of AI safety should not be left to tech companies.

Overshadowing the discussion on AI was President Donald Trump's administration's directive last week, preventing foreign nationals from using Anthropic’s newest and most powerful artificial intelligence models.

Macron said it was a “good thing” that U.S. officials recognize that so-called frontier AI models could be dangerous, but he also criticized it as a “strictly nationalist” reaction.

The remarks followed a G7 working lunch that brought together AI industry figures, including leaders of three of the most powerful AI companies — Altman, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei — on the theme of “ensuring a safe, rapid and effective deployment of artificial intelligence.”

Trump's feud with Anthropic has unsettled many outside the US

Ahead of the meeting, the White House’s dispute with Anthropic fueled distrust in Europe about American dominance of AI and tech ecosystems.

The company was forced on Friday to take its latest artificial intelligence models, known as Fable 5 and Mythos 5, offline to comply with the directive. The AI giant said it did not believe the steps taken by the government were warranted by the concern it flagged about a potential security issue.

When asked by a reporter whether France and other G7 countries had asked Trump to permit access to Anthropic's latest AI models, Macron said he made a forceful plea for the U.S. not to keep cutting-edge AI to itself.

Macron warned of a possible drop in value for U.S. firms pioneering the disruptive technology if they switch off access like a light switch. Macron backed his appeal for partnership among key democracies with an insurance policy: France, he said, will boost funding for its own AI industry, so it’s not left behind if international cooperation breaks down.

Democratic countries ultimately want to prevent authoritarian regimes from getting access to advanced AI systems, Macron said.

"So let us move forward together," he said. “Our relevant agencies must first cooperate so that, in the areas of security and cybersecurity, we have a smooth government-to-government relationship."

Altman said in his lunch speech, attended by the G7 leaders and more than a dozen AI bosses, that the technology's future must be shaped by people, democratic institutions and society as a whole, "not just by the companies building the most capable systems.”

“We need an international forum for discussion that establishes globally accepted standards for testing, provides expert and impartial analysis of capabilities and risks, and serves as a venue for cooperation among nations," he said.

Europeans have sought checks on American AI dominance

Even before the Anthropic episode, there was growing distrust of American companies dominating AI and other tech ecosystems. In Brussels, the European Commission unveiled a tech sovereignty package this month with plans to boost homegrown AI, and at the Vatican, the pope last month called for robust regulation of artificial intelligence.

Trump's intervention with Anthropic highlighted how Europe, Canada or other countries “can be put in an extremely vulnerable position” if they are cut off from advanced AI models, said Zach Meyers, director of research at CERRE, a Brussels-based think tank.

“There is a general anxiety about the state of Europe, the fact that we’re relying on other countries for quite important strategic infrastructure and a desire to do something about it, whatever that is,” Meyers said.

At the G7, Aidan Gomez, CEO of Canada’s Cohere AI, said a “number of proposals” were discussed on working together on AI governance and regulation.

“I think the consensus was we need something,” he told The Associated Press.

He said he told the gathering that democracies should focus their efforts on making sure the G7 “doesn’t just produce the most capable AI, but also the second most capable AI," a reference to the U.S. and China being the world's only two major AI powers.

Meta’s chief AI officer, Alexandr Wang, also attended the meeting, along with the heads of smaller AI labs, including France’s Mistral, Germany’s Black Forest Labs, Italy’s Domyn, Sakana AI of Japan and United Kingdom-based Synthesia.

The G7 comprises France, the United States, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan and the UK. Brazil, India, Kenya and South Korea were among guest nations invited to participate in some discussions.

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Chan reported from London.

The airfield where the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff on Monday remained closed but other base operations have resumed, according to a base spokesperson. No cause has been determined. Officials said it could take six months to complete the investigation.

The victims were identified as: Col. Gregory Watson, 53; Retired Lt. Col. Miles Middleton, 50; Lt. Col. Gabriel Estrella, 40; Maj. Alexander Davis, 34; Maj. Robert Dee, 40; Maj. Brad Hovey, 35; Jeromy Smith, 32; and Christopher Rischar, 41.

“They were dedicated professionals, beloved family members and irreplaceable teammates," Col. Thomas Tauer, commander of the 412th Test Wing at Edwards, said in a statement.

Watson, a weapons systems officer, and Middleton, a pilot, were Boeing employees and the company said their loss "is deeply felt across our teams, and our hearts remain with their families, loved ones and those who worked with them.”

Engineer remembered for his passion for flight

Rischar was a flight test engineer with government contractor JT4 who had worked at Edwards for 10 years, said his wife, Rebecca Rischar. She said he loved going to airplane museums and showing their two children, 15 and 14, different types of aircraft and how they functioned.

She recalled how her husband’s father, who also works at the base and had seen the crash, called her to ask if Christopher had been flying.

“I knew he was on that flight,” she said Wednesday. “It was routine, and if the plane went up, he was going up with it.”

Rebecca and Christopher met at a church youth group while attending the same high school in nearby Lancaster and had celebrated their 17th wedding anniversary in April. He had just started helping their teenage daughter learn how to drive.

“Our marriage is not just for this life here on Earth but for eternity, so we are sealed together,” she told The Associated Press.

Bomber was part of a test program

The B-52 that crashed Monday was taking part in a test mission as part of a program aimed at making the 65-year-old bomber fleet operable through at least 2050. The bomber had arrived at Edwards in December after having a modernized radar installed at Boeing’s facility in San Antonio, an Air Force press release said at the time.

The plan was to use the bomber as a testbed throughout 2026 to help military officials decide whether to proceed with the B-52 Radar Modernization Program, the Air Force said.

For almost a decade before the plane served as a testing platform, it was based in Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, where the bomber was the flagship of the 307th Bomb Wing.

Its pilot, Col. Bruce Cox — an alumni of Texas A&M -- dubbed the bomber “The Spirit of Aggieland.” An Air Force press release from 2015 said that the bomber was “dedicated to former and future cadets that graduated from Texas A&M; University’s Corps of Cadets Program.”

Cox would go on to take his final flight aboard the bomber in 2017 before retirement, according to the unit’s Facebook page.

The crash came quickly

The aircraft took off shortly before noon on a clear day, heading southwest into the prevailing winds. It flew straight and crashed on the same 15,000-foot (4,572-meter) runway. The compact wreckage indicates the plane dropped sharply.

Aviation safety experts have said their first thoughts about what might have caused the crash were about a malfunction in the flight controls or engines, but it is much too early to know. Investigators will consider several factors, including the age and maintenance of the plane.

Aerial footage showed virtually nothing left of the aircraft that went down at the base in the Mojave Desert about 100 miles (161 km) northeast of Los Angeles.

Lauren Smith told Eyewitness News KBAK-CBS and FOX58 that her husband, Jeromy Smith, was a flight test engineer for the U.S. Department of Defense and died doing what he loved.

“It is such a horrible hurt, and I’m still processing everything that happened,” she said Tuesday.

The B-52, a long-range bomber that entered service in 1955, is designed to carry both conventional and nuclear weapons. It has been used in conflicts involving the U.S. military from Vietnam to Iran. .

Edwards is home to the 412th Test Wing, which conducts regular developmental testing of all Air Force aircraft, weapons systems, software and components before purchase by the service as well as throughout their life span. Test missions take place at Edwards daily, officials said.

The base is where Air Force test pilot Chuck Yeager reached a speed of Mach 1.05 and broke the sound barrier in 1947.

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Rush reported from Portland, Oregon, and Toropin from Washington, D.C. Associated Press journalist Josh Funk contributed from Omaha, Nebraska.

The unexpectedly aggressive tilt toward higher rates would disappoint President Trump and suggests heightened concerns about persistent inflation among Fed officials.

In an unusually short statement after their two-day meeting, the officials dropped language that had suggested their next move would be to cut the key rate. The brief statement reflects the influence of new chair Kevin Warsh, who was appointed by Trump. Warsh has previously criticized the Fed for commenting too broadly on the economy.

Still, Warsh's 18 colleagues on the Fed’s rate-setting committee sent a clear message in a set of quarterly projections released Wednesday: Nine signaled they supported higher rates this year, with six of those supporting two or more quarter-point increases.

It’s a sharp change from March, when no policymakers penciled in a hike and the committee as a whole forecast one cut in 2026. The change is an acknowledgement that inflation is at its highest level in three years and many officials have said in recent speeches that if inflation doesn’t decline, higher rates may be necessary in the coming months.

Warsh, in his first news conference as chair, also underscored the Fed's determination to bring inflation down to the central bank's 2% target, suggesting he will take a hawkish approach as chair. “Hawks” typically support higher rates to quell inflation, while “doves” often support lower rates to boost hiring.

“We’ve missed (on inflation) for five years and we’re going to fix that,” he said. “When we deliver on our price stability objectives, which we will, the American people will feel as though the hardships that they’ve been living through ... are in the rear view mirror.”

Warsh had supported rate cuts last year while under consideration to be Trump's pick as Fed chair to replace Jerome Powell. Since returning to the White House last year, Trump repeatedly attacked Powell for not cutting rates more deeply.

Warsh did not hint whether he was leaning toward hiking rates, but economists saw his message at the press conference as hawkish.

“The risk that they might need to raise rates has clearly risen given what we got today,” Matthew Luzzetti, chief U.S. economist at Deutsche Bank, said.

Financial markets agreed. Stock prices fell sharply after the Fed issued its statement and Warsh spoke. Bond yields rose.

Trump, for his part, appeared to accept the Fed's decision.

“We have a very good guy over there now so I’m guided by what he wants to do,” Trump said in France, where he attended a meeting of leaders from the world's seven largest economies.

All told, another eight officials signaled they would support keeping the rate unchanged, and one penciled in a cut. Warsh did not submit a forecast for how the Fed might change its key rate.

In another shift, the Fed's post-meeting statement contained no hints about its next moves, or what economists refer to as “forward guidance.” Previous Fed chairs, starting with Ben Bernanke, saw such guidance as a benefit to the Fed, because it prodded financial markets to move rates either higher or lower, depending on what the Fed preferred.

Warsh told reporters at a press conference that guidance was not “well suited to the current policy conjuncture." He has previously criticized forward guidance, as well as the quarterly projections, for potentially locking the Fed into a specific rate path.

Warsh also said he is forming five task forces to examine such areas as how the Fed communicates, the sources of data it uses in making policy decisions, and the frameworks it uses to evaluate inflation, all with the goal of making sure the Fed is “clear-eyed and focused on the future.”

Diane Swonk, chief economist at accounting firm KPMG, said the use of the task forces indicates Warsh is not looking to impose changes on the rest of the Fed, but instead is seeking consensus.

“He wants buy in,” she said. "He’s not trying to change it by command.”

If the Iran war is resolved, gas prices will likely continue to decline and inflation may cool in the coming months. But prices of many goods and services — such as clothes, dental care, and child care — were rising before the Iran war, and inflation has been above the Fed’s 2% target for five years, suggesting that there may still be inflationary pressures in the economy.

Warsh also faces a sharply different economic environment than when he appeared to campaign for the job of Fed chair last year. Back then, he was outspoken in favor of lower interest rates, as Trump has demanded. He pointed to the development of AI as a technology that could vastly expand the economy's ability to produce goods and services cheaply, which would over time bring down inflation.

Even then, many economists were skeptical of his claim. At least in the short run, analysts note that soaring investment in semiconductors and computing equipment is contributing to higher inflation.

Indeed, since the Iran war began Feb. 28, inflation has accelerated to a three-year high of 4.2%, lifted mostly by costlier gas stemming from the Iran war. The Fed typically fights higher inflation by raising its key interest rate to cool spending and growth.

Trump has announced a peace agreement that could bring the three-month conflict to an end, but it's not clear if peace will hold. And even if oil flows freely out of the Middle East again, it could take months for prices of gas, groceries, and items such as airline fares, to cool.

At the same time, hiring has picked up in recent months, removing a key rationale for cutting rates. In January, the Fed forecast that it would reduce rates twice this year, as part of its quarterly economic projections. A big reason for those potential cuts is that employers were shedding jobs and policymakers worried that the unemployment rate would rise. The central bank typically cuts its key rate to spur economic growth and hiring.

But earlier this month a government report showed that hiring jumped in May, when employers added 172,000 jobs, the third straight month of solid job gains.

The suit alleges the group, known widely as WPATH, made deceptive claims about gender-affirming care for minors and its members profited off the claims. Alaska, Iowa, Nebraska and Texas filed along with the FTC.

“Parents have a right to make informed decisions about their children’s health,” FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson said on X. “The FTC will not allow parents and children to be deceived by medical organizations and providers who are prioritizing profit over children’s health and safety.”

The suit also alleges the group didn't disclose the side effects of certain pediatric medical transition services, including those related to hormone treatments, and doctors then repeated to consumers "false, misleading or unsubstantiated statements about safety and efficacy found in WPATH guidelines.”

It asks a federal judge to block WPATH from “future violations of the FTC Act” and other laws, and to award civil penalties and other financial awards to each of the states.

In a statement WPATH said its guidelines call for care that is tailored to individual patients, rather than a “one size fits all” approach.

“Transgender and gender-diverse patients deserve the highest level of care from their medical professionals," the group said, saying its standards are "designed to promote this through open dialogue and clear communication.”

Lawrence Gostin, an international public health expert at Georgetown University, said the lawsuit represented a “significant expansion” of the FTC’s past approach to healthcare enforcement.

He said the agency is using consumer protection law to challenge a medical association’s standards of care, and the FTC “has rarely, if ever, focused on the scientific justifications for clinical medical guidelines."

“This strikes me as especially concerning given the Trump administration’s repeated attempts to use transgender health as a cultural and political issue,” Gostin said. “The FTC would be highly unlikely to second-guess clinical guidelines in areas that do not align with its political agenda."

Leaders at the Department of Health and Human Services applauded the FTC's move, pointing to an HHS review that questioned WPATH standards. That report was sharply criticized by major medical groups and those who treat transgender young people as inaccurate.

Gender-affirming care for transgender youth under standards widely used in the U.S. involves developing a plan with medical experts and family members that includes supportive talk therapy and can — but does not always — involve puberty blockers or hormone treatment. Many U.S. adolescents with gender dysphoria may decide not to proceed with medications or surgeries.

WPATH has established widely accepted medical standards for gender-affirming care for more than 50 years, the organization’s website notes, based on “established scientific standards, expert consensus and patient-centered values.” The group does not directly provide medical care to patients.

The suit comes following an investigation by the agency into WPATH. The group sued to block the probe, alleging the agency was violating its First Amendment rights. A federal judge in May ruled in favor of WPATH to temporarily block the probe from continuing.

The FTC also launched investigations into the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Endocrine Society over their guidelines on gender-affirming care. Both of those groups also sued.

WPATH noted in a statement that a federal court has already ruled against the FTC over this effort when it blocked the investigation.

"WPATH is in a strong position to prove that the FTC is acting out of pure retaliation as part of the federal government’s relentless and targeted campaign to undermine gender-affirming care by attacking the First Amendment rights and the independence of professional medical organizations,” the statement said. “We expect the same result when we oppose this latest attack on WPATH and its mission to promote evidence-informed care and guidance for doctors and their patients.”

Fewer than 1 in 1,000 adolescents in the U.S. received gender-affirming medication — puberty blockers or hormones — according to a five-year study of those on commercial insurance released this year. About 1,200 patients underwent gender-affirming surgeries in one recent year, according to another study.

While the nation's largest professional organization for plastic surgeons in February recommended that gender-affirming surgeries be delayed until patients turn 19, most other major groups have stood by their guidelines to act on a case-by-case basis and use caution when considering surgery for minors.

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The story has been corrected to show that the proper name of the organization is the American Academy of Pediatrics rather than the American Association of Pediatrics.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Jamaica's National Security Minister Dr. Horace Chang confirmed Tuesday that the country has signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to accept up to 25 people from countries other than Jamaica every two weeks.

The deportees, said Chang, will not be placed in detention, though details of where they would be housed have yet to be determined. Compensation for accepting them is still being hashed out.

If the agreement is finalized, Jamaica would join Mexico, El Salvador, Uganda and a number of other countries that have agreed to accept third-country migrants deported from the U.S.

The move is already getting pushback from the Opposition People’s National Party, or PNP, which accused the Jamaican government of keeping the negotiations from the public.

The PNP argued that accepting the migrants places Jamaica’s internal security, international standing, and fragile social infrastructure at severe risk.

“Jamaicans deserve to know whether discussions have taken place and whether any commitments or understandings have been reached,” Donna Scott Mottley, a spokesperson for the opposition, said in a statement.

“Jamaica, like other sovereign nations, is obligated under international laws to accept the return of its own citizens,” Chang stated. “However, this new arrangement does not mean third-country nationals are being dumped on our shores. This is a structured, managed process to transit individuals through Jamaica to their final destination,” he added, drawing a hard line between repatriating Jamaican nationals and processing foreign citizens.

A U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said that the administration is “utilizing all lawful options” to carry out deportations.

While a U.S. federal district court ultimately struck down the third-country removal policy as unlawful in February 2026 — ruling that the U.S. cannot dump migrants in undesignated nations without proper notice — the policy is still being enforced pending appellate action.

Widening rift in Caribbean

As part of its immigration crackdown, the Trump administration has used a series of secretive agreements to deport more than 19,000 people to third countries, according to the group Third Country Deportation Watch, with some ending up in nations they had never even heard of.

Most deportees have been sent to Mexico, the group says, but over 1,500 have been scattered to more than 20 other nations, many of them poorer countries in Latin America and Africa looking for ways to curry favor with the U.S.

The diplomatic rift in Kingston mirrors a broader fragmentation across the Caribbean, where several governments have quietly entered into varying agreements with the U.S. to avoid crippling travel restrictions or economic penalties.

The Dominican Republic signed a non-binding agreement to temporarily hold a limited number of non-criminal third-country nationals, while explicitly barring unaccompanied minors and nationals from neighboring Haiti, a deal that also met with heavy criticism.

Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit defended a similar agreement as a “pragmatic step” to preserve vital bilateral relations with Washington, though stipulating violent offenders would be rejected.

Antigua and Barbuda adopted a highly restrictive case-by-case posture. Prime Minister Gaston Browne confirmed a framework capping total acceptances at a maximum of 10 non-criminal individuals.

Guyana is leveraging negotiations to solve its massive oil-boom labor deficit, exploring a U.S.-bankrolled framework to accept skilled, non-criminal migrants to fill an estimated 80,000-worker shortage.

For critics and human rights advocates, the legal and humanitarian risks of these third-country agreements are evident in the case of Orville Etoria, a Jamaican citizen who was deported from the U.S.

Etoria, who had lived in the U.S. for nearly 50 years after arriving as a child in 1976, had his green card revoked following a criminal conviction. Instead of being repatriated to Jamaica, Etoria was sent to Eswatini in July 2025. Upon arrival, Etoria and four other third-country nationals were stripped of due process and indefinitely detained at the Matsapha Correctional Complex, a maximum-security prison. After two months of intense diplomatic intervention from the Jamaican government, Etoria was repatriated back to Jamaica.

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

Congo, which was playing at the World Cup for the first time in 52 years, became the second African nation to make a strong start in the tournament against European competition following Cape Verde's 0-0 draw with Spain on Monday.

“The World Cup is a tournament where this happens,” said Portugal coach Roberto Martínez, a Spaniard who coached Belgium to the semifinals at the 2018 tournament. “At times the performance is not up to the challenge.”

Playing in front of a crowd of 68,777 spectators at NRG Stadium, which was mostly filled with Portugal supporters, Congo earned its first point at the World Cup after losing all three of its previous matches.

Many Congolese were prevented from traveling to the United States for this year's tournament because of restrictions tied to Ebola.

“There was not enough blue in the stands, but the players are tough and they know how to overcome challenges,” Congo coach Sébastien Desabre said. “But I’m sure that many Congolese people are proud of their team today.”

João Neves gave Portugal an early lead in the sixth minute. The 5-foot-7 midfielder headed in a cross from Pedro Neto.

But Yoane Wissa equalized for Congo with a header in stoppage time at the end of the first half off a cross from Arthur Masuaku, delighting the small pockets of blue-clad fans. It was the first World Cup goal for Congo in its history.

“It’s crazy,” Wissa said. “Fifty-two years later we are here, we are back. It’s been long, it’s been difficult. So scoring that goal, it means a lot for all Congolese, for me, for my family, for the fans who showed up today.”

Congo's only other World Cup matches came at the 1974 tournament in West Germany, when the team was known as Zaire and lost to Scotland 2-0, Yugoslavia 9-0 and Brazil 3-0.

“The goal changed things,” Martínez said. “We almost felt the fear of not losing the game.”

For Portugal, it was the lack of goals that stood out. Ronaldo missed shots wide right in the 68th and 73rd minutes. He shook his head in disgust after both.

Martínez was asked if he considered taking out Ronaldo on Wednesday.

“It makes no sense to get the best world scorer to be out when you need goals,” the coach said. “The experience of Cristiano in the box is important. The way that he attracts defenders is important.”

Ronaldo became the oldest outfield player to start a World Cup match, taking the record set four years ago by Canada midfielder Atiba Hutchinson. Cameroon great Roger Milla is the oldest outfield player to appear in a World Cup match, coming on as a substitute at 42 years old during the 1994 World Cup.

Ronaldo also joined Argentina captain Lionel Messi as the only players to appear in six World Cups. Ronaldo can move out of a tie with Messi, who had a hat trick on Tuesday, by becoming the first player to score in a sixth tournament if he does manage to get one into the net this year.

Beside Ronaldo's efforts, Bruno Fernandes had a chance to put Portugal ahead in the 90th minute but his shot also was wide right.

Portugal looked to have taken the lead in the 55th minute on a bicycle kick by João Cancelo, but he was ruled offside.

Soon after that, Cédric Bakambu’s attempt to put Congo in front failed when his shot bounced off the near post.

The parents of Diogo Jota, a member of the Portugal team who died alongside his brother in a car crash last summer, attended the game in a luxury suite.

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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup

William Applegate, 31, said at a hearing that he and Carpenter were part of a classified military program that required them to “be together as soon as possible” because it’s essential to “national and global security.”

In one instance last month, Applegate hit a security guard and was arrested after reaching the front door of Carpenter's home in Los Angeles, she said in a petition. He got there through a neighboring property. He came back in the following days, and the judge issued a temporary restraining order on May 29.

Applegate admitted to all his appearances, saying Carpenter wanted him to be there. However, he said he would be “more than willing” to stay away from her if she told him herself. He said police and her representatives were working against him.

With no attorney, he delivered the message coherently, wearing a suit and sitting at the defense table with a laptop.

Carpenter was ready to testify remotely but was not called to do so.

Her attorney Blair Berk told the judge “she is in fear for her own personal safety and the safety of members of her family.” Berk questioned Applegate only to verify that social media posts about Carpenter were from him.

Applegate said in his filing opposing the restraining order that he was at Carpenter's Coachella festival performance in April and she had looked at him as she sang in an attempt to communicate with him.

In her petition, Carpenter called him “a complete stranger” who she has never met or communicated with, and never wants to.

Judge David L. Wasserman treated Applegate's assertions seriously in his questioning and said he appreciated the decorum of everyone in the courtroom.

“I understand that it's your belief that in order to save the world, you and the petitioner must be together,” the judge said. “I expect you to obey the order, not what you think is right, not what you think the military commands you.”

He ordered Applegate to stay at least 100 yards (meters) from Carpenter and her sister and sister's partner who live with her, along with many other restrictions. Applegate was also ordered not to attempt to communicate with her in any way and not to possess any firearms.

Applegate remains under a criminal investigation, but court records do not show that charges have been filed.

Carpenter, 27, starred in the Disney Channel series “Girl Meets World” as a teen before turning to a music career. She had modest success with her first few studio albums before scoring a breakthrough with 2022's “Emails I Can't Send.” With her 2024 album “Short n' Sweet” and its No. 1 hits “Espresso” and “Please Please Please,” she became a multiple Grammy winner and one of the biggest pop stars in the world.

Craig, 44, replaces John Tortorella, who was hired with eight games left in the regular season and led the Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup Final before they lost in six games to Carolina. The club announced Tuesday that Tortorella wouldn't be returning, creating immediate speculation that Craig would be promoted.

He was the Silver Knights' coach the past three seasons. Henderson went 39-21-12 this season and advanced to the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs.

Craig, who will address reporters on Thursday, has been in the Golden Knights organization all nine seasons, including the first six years with the top club. He was behind the bench when Vegas won the Stanley Cup in 2023 under Bruce Cassidy.

“He’s ready to be an NHL head coach," Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon said. "That carried the day.”

Craig takes over a team with high expectations, especially coming off a deep playoff run, and in an organization not known for its patience.

He is the fifth coach in the organization's short history and third this calendar year. Considering Craig remained in the organization through so much turnover speaks to management's belief in his abilities.

They could have handed Craig the job when Cassidy was fired, but instead chose the veteran Tortorella.

“Torts, very experienced, very comfortable in his own skin, very much was going to come in and hit the ground running,” McCrimmon said. “I don't feel it would have been fair to Ryan Craig to start his career as a (NHL) head coach in that way. The other part, Henderson was having a really good year. He was doing a great job as a coach of that team. We felt that the finish of the Henderson season is also really important for Ryan's development to coach in the American League playoffs.”

Tortorella guided Vegas from third to first in the Pacific Division and three postseason series victories that included a sweep Colorado, which had won the Presidents' Trophy.

The Golden Knights took a 2-1 lead in the final before the Hurricanes closed it out by winning three games in a row.

“He saved our season," McCrimmon said. "He turned our team around. Our players loved playing for him and it was a tremendous 30 games that he coached for our organization. John wanted to coach our team again this year. He wants to coach. We really wanted to give this opportunity to Ryan Craig.”

Marner speaks about ‘dark times’

Forward Mitch Marner, the team's prized acquisition from Toronto last offseason, spoke after sweeping the Avalanche about going through “dark times” with the Maple Leafs.

He was asked during the exit interviews with reporters to expand on that comment.

“I've been trying to take care of mental health for probably the last five years or so," Marner said. "I'm really thankful that I had some unbelievable teammates around me in Toronto that I was able to talk to, express myself. My family, my brother, my mom, dad, my wife, there were some really dark moments there that the thought if playing hockey was really tough in a lot of ways.”

The Golden Knights acquired Marner in a sign-and-trade. He grew up in the Toronto area as a Maple Leafs fan, but often was blamed for the team's disappointing playoff results.

Marner's led all skaters in this year's playoffs with 29 points and likely would have been awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy had the Golden Knights won the Cup.

“I think it's always important to check in on your friends, your family, people around you,” Marner said. “I think it's something in this day and age now gets talked about a lot, but still gets overlooked in a lot of ways. I think a lot of us are addicted to the social media aspect of things. You see a lot of comments, a lot of things about yourself. I tried to check myself out of that in the last two or three years.”

Karlsson set for surgery

Center William Karlsson was scheduled to undergo surgery on Wednesday for a broken wrist. He was injured in Game 5 of the Cup Final.

Defenseman Noah Hanifin played through an upper-body injury that McCrimmon said would have taken him out of the regular season for up to two months.

Defenseman Brayden McNabb wore a cage to protect his face after taking a puck in Game 2 at Carolina.

“(McNabb) had two other injuries that probably would have kept any player out of the lineup that he played through in the playoffs, which is just more testament to the warrior that he is for our organization,” McCrimmon said.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

The S&P 500 dropped 1.2% and erased an earlier, modest gain after the Fed released projections showing that nine of 18 policymakers foresee at least one increase to its main interest rate this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average went from a gain of 280 points in the morning to a drop of 507 points, or 1%, while the Nasdaq composite sank 1.3%.

One important policymaker at the Fed did not give a forecast for where the federal funds rate may end 2026: Chairman Kevin Warsh. In his first press conference as head of the U.S. central bank, Warsh said he’s also considering a revamp of how the Fed communicates with financial markets and U.S. households and businesses.

One of his first moves was to end the inclusion of hints in Fed statements about where interest rates may be heading in the future, something called “forward guidance.”

Warsh said he wants Wall Street to react to incoming reports about inflation, the job market and other economic data based on how they should affect prices for stocks, bonds and other investments rather than how traders expect the Federal Reserve to react to them.

As part of that, Warsh said the Fed could make changes to its usual release of projections every three months showing where Fed officials foresee interest rates, the economy and inflation heading.

For now, Wall Street reacted uneasily to Fed officials’ latest set of projections, though Warsh cautioned he “didn’t hear tons of conviction” behind them. Stocks zigzagged up and down several times following the release. The Fed also announced its decision to keep the federal funds rate steady at this meeting, as it has all year so far.

In the bond market, Treasury yields climbed. The yield on the 10-year Treasury, which influences rates for mortgages and other loans going to U.S. households and businesses, rose to 4.49% from 4.43% late Tuesday. The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for Fed action, jumped to 4.21% from 4.05%.

Traders upped their bets for at least one increase to the federal funds rate this year and now see an 84% probability of it, up from 59.5% a day earlier, according to data from CME Group.

High yields in bond markets worldwide caused by worries about inflation have already been threatening to slow economies and undercut prices for all kinds of investments.

In the stock market, SpaceX erased an early gain and fell 4.9% for its first loss since its ballyhooed debut on the U.S. stock market last week.

Drops of 3.8% for Microsoft, 3.5% for Amazon and 1.3% for Nvidia were three of the heaviest weights on the S&P 500.

They helped overshadow a jump of 14.8% for La-Z-Boy, which reported stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. It benefited from revenue made at newly opened stores, though Chief Financial Officer Taylor Luebke said the company continues to have “a measured view” of the broad sales environment.

All told, the S&P 500 fell 91.25 points to 7,420.10. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 507.12 to 51,492.55, and the Nasdaq composite sank 354.69 to 26,021.66.

A report released Wednesday said retailers across the country saw their revenue grow at a faster pace in May than economists expected, offering hope that solid spending by consumers can support the economy. But high inflation has also made U.S. shoppers feel more discouraged about their finances.

Oil prices were steadier Wednesday following slides earlier in the week on optimism about the tentative U.S.-Iran deal to get the global flow of oil going again. Iran is set to take steps to reopen the Strait of Hormuz once the deal is signed, which would allow oil tankers to deliver crude from the Persian Gulf again and hopefully take pressure off inflation.

The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil rose 0.7% to $79.55. It’s still above its roughly $70 price from before the war, but it’s well below its $100-plus price from a few weeks ago.

In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed across Europe and Asia.

South Korea’s Kospi jumped 1.6%, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.7% for two of the world’s bigger moves.

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

Just not for very long. Wind at Shinnecock Hills is as inevitable as traffic along the Montauk Highway from the infamous “trade parade.”

And that's what has everyone nervous — not only the players, but USGA officials in charge of the course — going into the 126th edition of the golf's second-oldest championship.

“Problematic,” is how John Bodenhamer, the chief competitions officer at the USGA, described excessive wind. “This year I believe the wind will impact our championship unlike many others.”

Adding to the concern are the previous two trips to Shinnecock Hills, when the wind and warmth dried out the course in a New York minute and caused the greens to be borderline unplayable.

It got so bad on the final day in 2004 that no one broke par and 28 players failed to break 80. Treacherously slick greens and questionable pin positions on Saturday in 2018 kept the last 44 players to tee off from matching par. That was the day Phil Mickelson hit a moving ball on the 13th green to avoid it rolling back into the fairway.

The USGA now is taking extreme caution. Bodenhamer said the greens would be roughly 10 1/2 on the Stimpmeter — the original plan was between 11 and 12 — and the course is being kept as soft as possible to get through the next four days.

“I would say the course is about as enjoyable as I've seen it,” said Justin Rose, who joins Adam Scott as the only players to have competed at Shinnecock the last two years.

“There's not many golf courses you could turn up to on any given week and play championship golf, and Shinnecock is one of them,” he said. “I think I like the way the approach is this year. ... Potentially what I'm hearing is some slightly different protocols this week make sense to me. And I think it's set up to be a great tournament.”

It all starts to unfold on Thursday at 6:35 a.m. — 10 minutes earlier than a normal start so the grounds crew has time to douse the greens with water before the afternoon wave — with a mixture of excitement and trepidation.

Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, Nos. 1 and 2 in the world, both start in the morning wave on opposite sides of the course. Scheffler is bidding for the career Grand Slam with the U.S. Open the only major title he is lacking.

Scheffler first picked up a golf club in his native New Jersey. He moved to Dallas when he was 6 and honed his game in the wind at Royal Oaks.

But there is wind, and there is wind at Shinnecock Hills, situated between the Great Peconic Bay to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the south.

Bodenhamer said the expectation was for wind in the 20s mph Thursday with gusts nearly twice that strong throughout the afternoon. The forecast was less wind on Friday, then wind strong and from a different direction Saturday, then a bit calmer on Sunday.

Bodenhamer said a key strategy in setting up the course is to be “tough but fair.”

“We could brutalize this place the next few days if we wanted to. That’s not what we’re about,” he said. “We really want it to be fair, and we want it to be what Shinnecock Hills has always been. It will be tough enough.”

Scott, who is playing in his 100th consecutive major, considers this course among his favorite in the world. He has yet to see Shinnecock Hills on the weekend, at least during a U.S. Open. The Australian knows what to expect, and he liked what he had seen so far.

“It looks like they’re being cautious at the moment. They know the wind is going to be a factor this week,” Scott said. “Hopefully, we can get the greens to firm up over the weekend, and we’ll see some of the greatness of Shinnecock where the shots in are so important to hit these small areas, and then you’ll get a great champion.”

The one statistic that speaks to Shinnecock Hills are the three players who have managed to finish a U.S. Open under par in the previous five U.S. Opens — Raymond Floyd in 1986, Retief Goosen in 2004, Mickelson as the runner-up in 2004.

Brooks Koepka in 2018 at Shinnecock is the last U.S. Open champion to win with a score over par.

“The Shinnecock links are almost perfect as they present nearly every kind of natural obstacle the most exacting and fanatical golfer could ever desire,” Bodenhamer said, pausing before adding he didn't actually come up with that.

“That comes from the New York Herald on Aug. 30, 1891, when this place was founded,” he said. “I don't think a whole lot has changed.”

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

Preventing Iran from attaining a nuclear bomb is a key reason that President Donald Trump said he launched the war alongside Israel in February, but the tentative agreement he has trumpeted leaves little runway to negotiate the long-running sticking point. The previous nuclear pact between Iran and world powers, from which Trump pulled the U.S. in his first term, took many months to negotiate.

Under terms of the initial deal, Iran would immediately take steps to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to global oil shipments and would be allowed to sell its oil without restrictions, senior U.S. officials said Wednesday.

The accord, due to be officially signed Friday in Switzerland, also envisions Iran receiving at least $300 billion to rebuild after the war and says the U.S. would work to end all American and U.N. sanctions imposed on Tehran. That is if a final agreement addressing Iran’s nuclear program is reached after the opening of a 60-day period for talks. The draft says the sides agreed to resolve “the disposition” of Iran's highly enriched uranium during that period.

Still, there is deep skepticism among both Republican and Democratic lawmakers, pro-Israel advocates and Israel itself that the deal is realistic, workable or would have any effect on subsequent nuclear talks.

“My skepticism is Iran itself. What would a good deal look like? No enrichment. And we’ll see if we can get there,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a close Trump ally and longtime Iran hawk, said Tuesday. “But whether or not we can get phase 2, I don’t know.”

A nuclear deal takes commitment to the details

David Schenker, director of the Arab Politics Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said “this administration has proven that it has a hard time keeping its attention on these issues.”

Schenker, who served as assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs in the first Trump administration, questioned whether the current administration would have the wherewithal to reach a nuclear deal even if the agreement is signed Friday.

“This is the kind of thing that requires dogged attention, attention to detail and numerous technical experts involved,” he said. “Trump loses his attention, moves on, and so does the administration. It’s like they don’t understand Iran’s strategy. They didn’t get it the first time, or the second.”

The Republican administration has maintained its confidence. Trump said Wednesday that Iran would work with the U.S. to turn over its highly enriched uranium believed to be in largely inaccessible underground facilities that the U.S. bombed in June 2025.

Because of that, Trump insisted it did not need to be done quickly and that the U.S. has “cameras on every inch of it” in the meantime.

If Iran tries to move it, the U.S. will attack and "they’ll be gone. And they know that,” Trump said at a closing news conference at the Group of Seven summit in France.

There is a general agreement on what to do to “downblend” the uranium that is buried in the rubble of the bombed facilities, but details of who would excavate the material, who would dilute it and where the resulting material would go remain to be negotiated.

Asked how the deal ensures that Iran is permanently prevented from getting a nuclear weapon, Trump responded, “If it’s not permanently, we will bomb them.”

The draft deal says “the minimum methodology” would be dilution of the material on site under the supervision of the U.N. nuclear agency. Iran has long maintained its nuclear program is peaceful.

It took over a year and a half to get the previous nuclear deal

The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, took more than 18 months to negotiate, starting with secret talks between U.S. and Iranian officials in Oman at the end of Democratic President Barack Obama’s first term.

They required dozens of direct high-level interventions from Secretary of State John Kerry and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, not to mention a team of dozens of technical experts traveling to Europe and elsewhere before the conclusion of the negotiations in Vienna.

Trump withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018 before most of its more contentious concessions had come into effect, and there is no indication now that Iran is willing to offer much more.

The JCPOA relied on very technical language and understandings, including limits on uranium enrichment, advanced centrifuges and heavy water production. In exchange, Iran was granted significant sanctions relief, amounting to billions of dollars.

As unhappy as critics were about the JCPOA — Trump called it the “worst deal ever negotiated,” while all Republicans and a number of prominent Democrats voted against it — all sides acknowledge it took more than 18 months to get to an even imperfect agreement.

Republicans say Congress must approve any deal

Republicans say any nuclear deal with Iran should be brought to Congress, as required by law. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has said he “would certainly anticipate that” the Senate will get the final say.

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said he had little confidence Iran would abide by any agreement.

But Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., one of a handful of senators who has spoken to Vance about the agreement, said the shortened timeline could be an advantage.

“Iran’s modus operandi is to negotiate for the purpose of delaying, so they can rearm themselves,” Marshall said Tuesday. “I think the president has to give them some type of a finite amount of time, or there’s going to be consequences. So I think it can be done.”

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., noted that what could help Trump’s negotiators to hammer out a nuclear agreement in such a truncated timeline is that there is “a base" to work from following the Obama-era talks.

Still, the JCPOA "took years to put together. You had allies and even adversaries — China and Russia — around the table, you had the IAEA at the table, the Obama chief negotiator had a Nobel Prize in physics, Ernie Moniz,” Kaine said. “I don’t know that either Jared Kushner or Steve Witkoff have a Nobel Prize. So it’s going to be hard.”

Trump envoys Witkoff and Kushner, neither of whom had any prior experience in nuclear negotiations, made numerous but ultimately unsuccessful attempts to reach an agreement under Omani mediation during the first months of Trump’s second term.

There also is uncertainty about other issues besides nuclear that have been of concern to Arab countries, Israel, Europe and the United States. Issues such as Iran’s ballistic missile program, its support for militant proxies in the region or repression of its own people do not appear in the interim agreement.

It includes major concessions, such as Iran selling its oil freely, beyond the terms of the JCPOA. Only at the conclusion of the overall deal in 2015 were sanctions on Iran’s oil lifted.

“A deal is better than more fighting, but the war America and Israel prosecuted against Iran has fallen short of achieving its stated objectives,” said Brian Katulis, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute. “This agreement is mostly about cleaning up an unnecessary mess and putting the best face on it.”

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Associated Press writers Seung Min Kim and Nathan Ellgren contributed to this report.

Thursday's ticker-tape parade for the new NBA champions will be a first. When the team won the title before, in 1970 and ‘73, they weren't honored with New York's signature procession.

Why not? There's no one definitive explanation. But there is some informative context: The '70s wins came at a time when then-Mayor John Lindsay had reined in the confetti-tossing spectacles. He celebrated the Knicks at the mayoral mansion and then City Hall — august settings, for sure, but not the fabled trip through lower Broadway’s “Canyon of Heroes.”

If there's pent-up demand for a Knicks parade, current Mayor Zohran Mamdani seems determined to meet it. He has predicted that Thursday’s celebration might be “the largest parade in New York City history.”

“There will be performances, there will be New Yorkers, there will be the team and there will be history,” the mayor, a Democrat, said Monday.

The event is set to start at 10 a.m. Thursday near Battery Park and end at City Hall, where Mamdani plans to give the players the keys to the city.

Knicks legends Walt “Clyde” Frazier — a member of the ’70s champion teams — and Patrick Ewing are expected to be in the parade, according to a person familiar with the plans, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the details before they were publicly announced. The person said Mike Breen, the Knicks’ play-by-play announcer on MSG Network, was set to emcee the City Hall ceremony.

Alicia Keys, the singer who joined with Jay-Z on the indelible 2009 “Empire State of Mind,” has been tapped to perform.

“How could I not?” Keys said Wednesday in a social media post that featured her chatting with Knicks forward OG Anunoby.

Police plan to deploy 10,000 officers to secure the event, which follows ebullient but sometimes chaotic street celebrations and some violence during the Knicks' run to victory over the San Antonio Spurs. Some 650 sanitation workers have been assigned to clean up what could be tens of thousands of pounds (kilos) of debris, if recent history is any guide.

How ticker-tape parades started

New York's ticker-tape tradition began in the late 19th century, when brokerage firm workers watched parades from office windows and — apparently to add decoration — flung out the narrow paper used by telegraph-era “stock ticker” machines, according to the Downtown Alliance, a lower Manhattan advocacy group. It joined with the private Museum of the City of New York to research and list the parades.

The organizations say the ticker-tape tradition began with an 1886 event honoring the dedication of the Statue of Liberty and became city-organized in 1919 to welcome returning World War I soldiers. The first ticker-tape celebration of athletes was a tribute to the 1924 U.S. Olympic team.

The parades proliferated, celebrating various feats in aviation, war, sports, music, space travel and more, according to the museum and the Downtown Alliance.

Processions honored historical anniversaries, firefighters, the Red Cross, ship rescues, an attempted ship rescue and even a ship replica (the Mayflower II, in 1957). There were a handful of parades for U.S. presidents and dozens for visiting foreign leaders, some notorious. For example, French Marshal Henri Petain was showered with ticker tape in 1931 and later convicted of treason for heading the Vichy government that collaborated with the Nazis during World War II.

Why they tapered off

By the time Lindsay took office in 1966, not everyone loved a parade.

Lower Manhattan businesses resented the frequent disruptions, and some New Yorkers saw the celebrations as rote and manufactured. Lindsay and his public events commissioner — former Knicks captain and jump-shot ace John “Bud” Palmer — eschewed ticker-tape extravaganzas for visiting dignitaries, instead favoring more personal and inexpensive gatherings, according to news stories by The Associated Press and other outlets at the time.

By 1970, the nation was in a recession. The city events budget had been cut, and Palmer — whose salary was a symbolic $1 — was peeved about the rejection of a $372 bill (about $3,300 today) for some materials for a 1969 ticker-tape parade celebrating the New York Mets' World Series win, according to memos unearthed by the city Department of Records & Information Services.

There was no ticker-tape bash for the New York Jets' 1970 Super Bowl win, which came days after such a parade honored the Apollo 8 astronauts ' historic orbit around the moon.

How the city celebrated the Knicks' 1970s titles

The Knicks topped the Los Angeles Lakers to win the NBA championship later that year. Lindsay, a liberal Republican, sent a congratulatory telegram and hosted the Knicks for a reception at the official mayoral residence, according to news coverage at the time.

When the Knicks bested the Lakers again to win the 1973 title, Lindsay scheduled a celebration in front of City Hall and urged “every New Yorker who can to come.”

Officials apparently were startled when more than 2,000 mostly young fans did just that. Police struggled to keep the speakers' stand clear, according to a New York Times article from the day.

But the ceremony went ahead as planned, and Lindsay bestowed the team with a distinctly municipal honor: medals commemorating the 75th anniversary of the unification of New York's five boroughs into one city.

Parades for championship sports teams picked up in subsequent decades. The city's most recent ticker-tape festivities honored the WNBA's New York Liberty in 2024.

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AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney contributed from Southampton, New York.

It’s the latest example of President Donald Trump ’s administration scrutinizing potential theft or misuse in state programs that get funding from Washington. While the letters went to all governors, the public announcement about them focused on issues in three states where Democrats are in charge. That’s been the case for many similar announcements from the Republican administration.

“We are officially putting governors on notice,” Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling said in a statement Wednesday. “The American people will no longer tolerate the blatant waste, fraud, and abuse of their hard-earned tax dollars — no state should allow it either. If states allow it, they will suffer the consequences.”

Labor Department offers few details

The Labor Department said Wednesday that poor oversight, outdated technology, weak identity verification and lax controls have “allowed unprecedented fraud to flourish.”

In its announcement, it cited problems in California, Illinois and New York — three states where Democrats are in control.

Government audits of a sample of cases from last year suggested that nearly $1 in $9 in the programs was an overpayment — and that most of those were for reasons other than fraud. They varied by state, but many involved work-search requirements or eligibility disputes after someone left a job.

There also doesn't appear to be a strong connection between which party governs a state and how much overpayment or fraud there is.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom ’s office blasted the move and criticized “lax regulations and rushed distribution” of unemployment benefits by the first Trump administration during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Meanwhile California outperforms other states in addressing fraud,” Newsom spokesperson Marissa Saldivar said in a statement.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker criticized what he said were the Labor Department's vague threats.

“The Trump Administration continues to govern by press release,” he said in a statement, arguing that the White House has been cutting resources used to modernize systems and prevent fraud.

The Labor Department said states would receive further directives in coming weeks.

Unemployment insurance has come into question before

The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office estimated that fraud accounted for between 11% and 15% of the amount paid out through unemployment insurance programs from April 2020 through May 2023, when the nation was under a public health emergency for the pandemic.

During that time — which included the last months of Trump's first term and over half of former President Joe Biden's time in office — access to the funds was eased, and the government noticed the issues as the money was going out.

In the new letter to the states, the department said that consequences from pandemic-era fraud “are still playing out.”

The administration has focused on fraud in state-federal programs

Vice President JD Vance is overseeing an anti-fraud task force focused on potential misuse of social programs.

The Department of Health and Human Services tried to withhold money for child care subsidies and other social service programs from five states — all governed by Democrats — but has been rebuffed by a court. The department has also announced it’s using artificial intelligence to police how states and other recipients of federal dollars are auditing their programs.

The Department of Agriculture has threatened to withhold administrative funds from states that don’t provide data on participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, including their immigration status.

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Associated Press writer Sophie Austin in Sacramento, California, contributed.

Simpson underwent CPR at the track and an automated external defibrillator was also used before taking her to the hospital. LetsRun.com was the first to report the medical emergency.

The 39-year-old Simpson was taking part in a community track event hosted by Sir Walter Running, with runners of all levels encouraged to attend. The event featured a chance to meet Simpson.

“We are incredibly grateful to the individuals who responded immediately, as well as EMS and the medical professionals who handled the situation with such care, urgency, and professionalism,” the “Sir Walter Running Team” wrote on Instagram on Wednesday.

The statement added that “Jenny is receiving excellent medical care, and our thoughts are with her and her family during this time.”

Simpson won the bronze medal in the 1,500 meters at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. She also won the 1,500 at the 2011 world championships, along with silver medals in 2013 and 2017.

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

Sorsby plans to hold his pro day July 10 at a Dallas-area high school, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Wednesday. That person spoke on condition of anonymity because the process for conducting the supplemental draft wasn't complete.

The deadline for applying for the draft is Monday, but there were still procedural issues related to a Texas district court's temporary injunction that had cleared the way for him to play for Texas Tech this fall.

Sorsby, who is from the Dallas area, would have to be ineligible from NCAA play to be able to apply for the NFL's supplemental draft. That rarely used draft would be completed at least a week before the start of the first training camp in late July.

The temporary injunction issued June 8 by a Lubbock County court prevented the NCAA from blocking the quarterback's eligibility for what would have been his final college season. That would have to be dropped to make him ineligible again.

The NCAA had declared the 22-year-old Sorsby permanently ineligible after he admitted making thousands of bets worth at least $90,000 during his time at three different schools. His college career began at Indiana, before playing for Cincinnati the past two seasons and then transferring to reigning Big 12 Conference champion Texas Tech in January.

Those bets included at least 40 bets on Indiana while he was a freshman there in 2022, though none on the game in which he played for the Hoosiers that season.

The June 22 deadline for entering the supplemental draft was among the key factors that led to the decision Monday for Sorsby to pursue the pros rather than move forward with the legal process that had gotten more uncertain.

Sorsby filed suit against the NCAA on May 18. The case was heard June 1 in the 99th District Court in Lubbock County, where Texas Tech is located, and he was granted the temporary injunction against the NCAA on June 8. The NCAA and the Big 12 went to different courts this week.

The NCAA on Monday asked a Texas appellate court for an emergency motion to stay the injunction, and for a resolution of the case before the start of Texas Tech's season. The Big 12 went to federal court seeking an order to back its ability to use its bylaws for possible sanctions against Texas Tech if Sorsby had played this season.

Sorsby, who never took a snap for Texas Tech, played in 35 college games, 24 at Cincinnati the past two seasons after 11 at Indiana the two seasons before that. He threw for 7,208 yards with 60 touchdowns and 18 interceptions while completing 594 of 968 passes (61.4%). He ran 320 times for 1,295 yards and 22 more scores.

At Cincinnati last season, he threw for 2,800 yards and 27 TDs while running for 580 yards and nine touchdowns. He ranked third in the Big 12 with 281.7 total yards per game.

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AP Pro Football Writer Schuyler Dixon contributed to this report.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Closing the three-day summit, French President Emmanuel Macron called it a “very good deal,” adding that U.S. allies in the G7 support it “because it’s an agreement that puts a stop to a situation of great instability that had terrible consequences for our economies.”

At his own press conference, Trump hailed the deal as “historic” and said other G7 leaders say “they love this deal because they want to see it over.”

U.S. officials meanwhile dictated the text of the deal to journalists, with details released after the summit ended.

The accord, due to be formally signed in Switzerland on Friday, lays out that the U.S. would work to end all U.S. and United Nations sanctions imposed on Tehran if a final agreement addressing Iran’s nuclear program is reached.

“I think it’ll be done. They want to sign. They want to get back to a normal life,” Trump said earlier Wednesday.

The final day of G7 talks at a lakeside resort in the French Alps started late with Trump, the last to arrive, saying “I’m the boss” as he entered and sat next to Macron. The assembled leaders laughed, and Trump grinned.

The formal talks of the leading industrial democracies closed with sessions on the future of artificial intelligence and fostering economic growth. They discussed concerns that China is flooding export markets with subsidized products, unfairly out-competing their own industries and destroying jobs. Leaders of India, South Korea, Kenya and Brazil joined the meeting.

Trump later attended a glitzy dinner at the Palace of Versailles outside Paris before he was scheduled to return to Washington. Before entering the palace, Trump complimented both Macron and his wife, Brigitte, whom the U.S. president greeted with a kiss on the cheek and called “amazing.”

Resuming traffic on the Strait of Hormuz is key

Trump still has to sell the deal to some members of his own Republican party who doubt it will defang Iran’s nuclear program. At the same time, he faces an anxious international community looking for him to follow through on his promise that the deal will reopen the Strait of Hormuz to oil tanker traffic and keep it open.

The G7 leaders said an international maritime mission led by France and the U.K. “can play an important role to facilitate the resumption of maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz by protecting merchant vessels, reassuring commercial shipping operators, and supporting verification that all mines are removed.”

Iran effectively closed the strait early in the war that began on Feb. 28 with U.S. and Isreali attacks.

The deal also calls for an immediate end to all fighting in Lebanon between Israel and the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah. That is one of the most delicate parts of the agreement because Israel has maintained it will continue to defend itself and to occupy vast swaths of Lebanon.

The agreement that U.S. officials dictated to journalists on Wednesday also has provisions to ensure “territorial integrity” of Lebanon after Israel’s latest attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanese territory.

In their declaration, G7 leaders said they supported “through an immediate robust ceasefire” Lebanese efforts to disarm Hezbollah, and protect Lebanon’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Israeli strikes in Lebanon have killed nearly 4,000 people and displaced more than 1 million since fighting there began on March 2.

“Israel’s fighting Hezbollah too long, and too many people are being killed,” Trump said.

Leaders vow to support Ukraine, tackle global drug gangs

In a flurry of unanimously agreed declarations, the G7 leaders stressed their support for Ukraine as it battles Russia's invasion and agreed to increase deliveries of air defense systems. They also said they would bolster sanctions on Moscow, including on Russia's oil and gas industries.

Trump called the conversations on ending the war in Ukraine “productive” and said both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy want to “do something."

“They just don't know how,” he said.

Leaders also pledged to step up the fight against the multibillion-dollar international drug trade.

Trump has been waging his own battle against drug traffickers. United States military strikes on alleged drug-carrying boats transiting in Latin America have killed more than 200 people since September, when the Trump administration began an operation it has justified as necessary to stem the flow of drugs.

Critics have questioned the legality of the strikes.

In a separate declaration, the G7 leaders reaffirmed their efforts to halt migrant smuggling and human trafficking, which they said “constitute serious transnational crimes that erode the sovereign right of States to control their borders and expose smuggled and trafficked persons to life-threatening risks.”

Trump calls Modi ‘most beautiful-looking man’

Trump said Wednesday after meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the U.S. is “very close” to reaching a trade deal with India, and then went on to lavish praise on Modi as “a very tough negotiator.”

“He’s the most beautiful-looking man. He looks so nice. He’s like an angel. But actually, he’s as tough as he’s a killer,” Trump said.

The meeting with Modi came at a choppy moment in the U.S.-India relationship, in part because of the war in the Middle East. On June 10 three Indian sailors were killed in a U.S. military strike on a tanker in the Gulf of Oman in the midst of the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.

Modi alluded to the incident at their meeting, saying the safety of Indian mariners "is of utmost importance to us.” He added he was “confident” the issue of seafarers” will be a top priority during implementation of the agreement between the United States and Iran.

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Superville reported from Geneva. AP writers John Leicester in Evian-les-Bains, Jamey Keaten in Geneva, Mike Corder in The Hague, Netherlands, and Seung Min Kim and Collin Binkley in Washington contributed reporting.

Hamilton appeared before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee at a hearing where lawmakers assessed a group of 10 nominees for administration posts.

“My focus will be to ensure that FEMA is objective, is fair and reasonable, follows the law, and is consistent” in how it reviews disaster declaration requests, Hamilton told Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, the top Democrat on the committee. Peters had asked about partisanship in granting major disaster declarations.

Hamilton had a brief tenure as FEMA's temporary leader early last year but was ousted after defending the agency's existence. At a House hearing in May 2025, he said he did not “believe it is in the best interest of the American people to eliminate” FEMA. He was fired the next day.

His nomination comes as the Republican administration has increasingly signaled it is backing away from promises to dismantle an agency that has been heavily criticized by the president.

If confirmed, he would be FEMA’s first permanent administrator in Trump’s second term. He will need to lead FEMA through what is expected to be a busy summer disaster season, while answering to Trump, who is likely to expect major changes after a council he appointed recommended sweeping moves at the agency that is part of the Department of Homeland Security.

Hamilton distanced himself from some FEMA controversies

Nominees did not give opening statements, but Hamilton received the bulk of lawmakers' questions while appearing with four others in the first half of the hearing.

His answers suggested a departure from some of the more aggressive policies considered and enacted during Kristi Noem’s turbulent leadership at DHS. FEMA’s workforce has been worn down by mass staff departures, policies that hamstrung operations and a protracted DHS shutdown.

Hamilton expressed confidence in the FEMA staff and praised the recent opening of 350 positions to counteract some of the cuts. He said that if confirmed by the Senate, he would do what he could to speed up disaster declaration decisions and reimbursements to states, tribes and territories.

“We owe you answers, I think, much faster,” he told Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo, adding that many FEMA processes needed to be simplified.

Hamilton disavowed a recommendation he included in an April 2025 memo to quadruple the threshold of financial damages a state needed to prove to receive FEMA public assistance. He also noted the importance of resilience funding, despite halting billions in resilience grants during his previous tenure.

Republican and Democratic senators at the hearing expressed support for FEMA's mission, despite Trump’s early threats to eliminate it. “I think what your agency does is hugely important,” Hawley told Hamilton.

But multiple Democrats echoed Peters' concern that Trump was approving far more disaster declaration requests from Republican states than Democratic ones.

Of the state disaster declaration requests Trump answered through the end of May, he approved about 82% from states that voted for him in the last election and 44% from states that voted for Democrat Kamala Harris, according to an analysis of public FEMA data by Andrew Rumbach, senior fellow at the nonpartisan think tank Urban Institute.

Hamilton, a former Navy SEAL, has never worked as a state or local emergency manager and has publicly criticized FEMA in the past. He has held positions at DHS and the State Department related to emergency response.

No senator questioned Hamilton’s suitability for the position.

Federal law requires the FEMA administrator to have “a demonstrated ability in and knowledge of emergency management and homeland security” and at least five years of “executive leadership and management experience.”

Criticism over the hearing format

Peters criticized the committee chairman, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., for scheduling so many nominees at once, saying that made it more difficult for senators to properly screen them.

“The lineup today severely limits our ability to have transparency for the American public,” Peters said. He noted that Hamilton was among two nominees whose FBI background investigations were not yet complete, and that two others had not submitted their financial disclosure reports.

Others who appeared included Trump’s pick for deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget, Hal Duncan, and administrator of the Transportation Security Administration, David Cummins.

Paul said the committee would only vote on the nominees when their financial and background checks were complete.

If a jury accepts that defense, the panel would convict Mangione of manslaughter and he would face up to 25 years in prison. Alternatively, the jury could reject the extreme emotional disturbance defense and convict him of murder, which carries a potential life sentence. That defense isn’t available in his federal case.

Judge Gregory Carro announced the decision in court Wednesday, two weeks after holding a secret hearing on the matter at the defense's request. He said he will release a transcript from that hearing and other records once redactions are made.

‘Nothing is going to be a surprise,’ judge warns

Carro said Mangione’s lawyers first notified him in a sealed letter last September that they planned to pursue a psychiatric defense and confirmed the decision at the June 3 hearing.

But, the judge warned, they're “coming close to not being able to put forth that defense” after prosecutors complained that Mangione's lawyers had yet to give them details about what they say triggered their client's extreme emotional disturbance. Prosecutors need to know that before they have their own psychological expert evaluate him, Carro said.

“Nothing is going to be a surprise,” Carro told Mangione’s lawyers. “I’m not going to let you surprise the People on the eve of trial. So, get it done.”

Carro said he didn’t expect the development to delay Mangione’s trial, which is scheduled to start Sept. 8. The federal trial, which involves stalking charges, is set to begin on Oct. 13.

Mangione, 28, has pleaded not guilty in both cases.

Sitting between his lawyers and wearing a blue suit, he tried to block his face with a large envelope as news photographers crowded near him at the start of Wednesday's hearing. He didn’t appear to have any reaction as Carro spoke about the planned psychiatric defense.

At a February hearing, Mangione had railed against the prospect of two trials, telling Carro: “It’s the same trial twice. One plus one is two. Double jeopardy by any commonsense definition.”

An emotional disturbance defense is not the same as a not guilty by reason of insanity defense, which would allow a defendant to go to a psychiatric facility instead of prison.

Circumstances of case could hamper defense, expert says

To establish an emotional disturbance defense, Mangione’s lawyers must demonstrate that the disturbance was so extreme it robbed him of self-control; that, in his mind, there was a reasonable explanation for the disturbance; and that it influenced him to kill Thompson.

Heather Cucolo, a New York Law School professor and expert in mental health law, said Mangione's lawyers could try to accomplish that by having a psychologist testify about his mental state at the time of the killing and the extent of any trauma, abuse or emotional instability he's suffered. But, she said, they aren't required to show any proof of a mental illness or show he was in danger.

The circumstances of Mangione's case could make it tough for his lawyers to convince jurors to accept a defense that people often associate with crimes of passion or a sudden outburst where someone is given shocking information that evokes a strong response, Cucolo said.

Prosecutors say Mangione planned the attack, wrote in a notebook about wanting to “wack” a health insurance executive and traveled from out of state to ambush Thompson, 50, as the CEO walked to a Manhattan hotel for an investor conference. “Delay,” “deny” and “depose” were written on the ammunition, police said, mimicking a phrase describing how insurers avoid paying claims.

“People want to view this within a relatively short period of time and they want it to be simply laid out,” Cucolo said, giving the example of a spousal killing over infidelity. As time passes, she said, “people are not as willing to accept this emotional response that ends up in the death of a human being.”

Mangione’s lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, protested Carro's decision to unseal materials related to his psychiatric defense, saying it will be “prejudicial to his defense to the exact same facts” in his federal case.

Last month, Carro ruled that the notebook and a 3D-printed pistol, which prosecutors say matches the gun used to kill Thompson, can be used as evidence against Mangione. But he said a loaded gun magazine and other items were seized during an “improper warrantless search” when he was arrested in Pennsylvania five days after the killing.

On Wednesday, Carro dismissed a charge related to the magazine.

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This story has been corrected to show that Mangione could receive less prison time as a result of a conviction using this defense, not be sent to a psychiatric facility.

The legislation, shown first to The Associated Press, would create a sovereign wealth fund overseen by an independent commission and financed through a one-time 50% tax on the stock of the largest AI companies. Sanders estimates that the tax would create a nearly $7 trillion fund that would generate hundreds of billions of dollars annually in direct payments to Americans and programs such as health care, education and housing.

“The benefits cannot simply go to the handful of wealthy corporations. They will be shared by the American people," the independent Vermont senator said in an interview Wednesday.

The idea of giving the public a stake in AI has recently drawn interest from figures as ideologically diverse as President Donald Trump and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. But Sanders’ proposal goes much further, calling for public ownership of half of the largest AI companies and direct influence over corporate decision-making.

“The public has got to have a significant seat at the table to make sure that terrible things do not happen to ordinary people, and that in fact, AI benefits ordinary people, not hurts them,” Sanders said.

How the fund would work

Sanders has previously proposed the sovereign wealth fund, but the bill summary obtained by the AP is the first legislative attempt to make it a reality.

The 50% tax would apply to AI companies that reach $200 million in annual AI sales. Any new AI company that reaches that benchmark would also be subject to the tax.

It would create a sovereign wealth fund — similar to those used by countries around the world and some U.S. states — that Sanders estimates would be worth around $7 trillion.

Unlike a traditional tax, the proposal would require companies to transfer stock rather than cash, effectively making the American public a major shareholder in the country’s largest AI firms.

A seven-person independent commission — nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate — would manage the fund and use its voting shares “to block decisions that hurt the American people and to push for policies that help them,” the bill summary says.

Sanders proposes that a 5% annual dividend from the fund would provide direct payments of more than $1,000 to every American. If companies grow, the gains would be used for public goods such as education, housing and health care.

Sanders argues taxpayers would not bear the losses if AI company valuations decline.

“We’re not going to lose any money, even if there is a bust in the bubble,” Sanders said.

The commission would be directed to “to block decisions that hurt the American people and to push for policies that help them,” according to the summary.

Sanders emphasized that the proposal is just a start.

“We think this is the best that we could do at the moment, and it’s certainly a major, major, major step forward from giving unilateral and total power to a handful of multi-billionaires,” Sanders said.

The idea has supporters in the White House and Silicon Valley

Sanders is not alone in pushing for a public stake in the companies that develop AI.

Trump, who recently signed an order to have new AI models voluntarily vetted by the government, has also mused about the government owning a stake in the companies that develop AI, saying “there’s something very interesting about it, where it almost becomes a partnership with the American public."

OpenAI — led by Altman — in April proposed to “create a public wealth fund that provides every citizen — including those not invested in financial markets — with a stake in AI-driven economic growth.”

Anthropic, one of OpenAI’s top competitors and recently valued at $965 billion, has been open to similar ideas, with CEO Dario Amodei writing recently that “universal basic income could be financed through taxes on relevant companies.”

Trump on Wednesday attended a session focused on AI at the G7 summit in France with top industry leaders, including Altman and Amodei.

Still, Sanders' push is much more aggressive than any of these. In Sanders' meeting with Altman, they remained far apart on how large of a stake the public would get, according to those in the room.

“I think people like Sam Altman and Trump (who) may be sympathetic to this are saying: ‘Okay, look, we’re making zillions of dollars so we’re going to be nice guys and maybe we’ll buy off the public. We will give 5% of our profits back into the government,’” said Sanders.

“That’s not what we’re talking about. What we’re talking about are two very different things.”

Taking the fight to voters

Sanders’ “Fighting Oligarchy” tour drew massive crowds across the country last year as he appeared with high-profile lawmakers such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. Asked whether he plans to make AI ownership and wealth inequality part of that message on the campaign trail, Sanders responded, “Absolutely."

It’s a message other candidates are using ahead of the midterms as they tap into voters’ angst about the technology. Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Mallory McMorrow unveiled a plan to “protect workers in the age of AI,” while New York Democratic House candidate Alex Bores has also made AI regulation a campaign issue.

Data center projects across the country have drawn opposition from residents concerned about electricity demand, water consumption and environmental impacts. Some states once eager to attract the facilities, including Ohio and Virginia, have moved to reconsider tax incentives.

On college campuses, commencement speakers have been interrupted by boos when discussing artificial intelligence. About 70% of college students see AI as a threat to their job prospects, according to a 2025 poll by the Institute of Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School.

“Workers will be thrown out of their jobs while billionaires, multi-billionaires become even richer," Sanders said. “The American people are aware of that and don’t want to see it happen.”

The bill (SB 1028) was initially opposed by Insurance Commissioner Michael Yaworsky, who wanted tighter oversight powers over the surplus lines carriers that would be taking policies out of Citizens.

Surplus lines insurers are companies largely exempt from state regulations, and their rates and policies aren’t reviewed by the Office of Insurance Regulation. As of May 31, surplus lines carriers covered 778,000 policies in Florida, including 88,314 homeowner policies and 147,501 commercial property policies, according to the Florida Surplus Lines Service Office.

RELATED: Citizens Insurance proposes first rate cut in a decade as Florida insurance market stabilizes

Lawmakers changed the bill to give OIR more power to vet companies that would apply to take policies out of Citizens through a “clearinghouse,” and Yaworsky dropped his opposition.

The bill eventually passed 33-1 in the Senate and 88-19 in the House.

Under the law, Citizens is directed to set up a clearinghouse to move its condo and commercial policies into the private market. If a company makes an offer that is within 15 percent more than the Citizens rate, the policy must be moved to the private carrier.

A company must have an A- rating from A.M. Best, and insurance ratings agency, to participate in the program.

The law takes effect immediately but Citizens has until Jan. 1, 2027 to set up the clearinghouse.

Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, who is also the chairman of the Republican National Committee, sponsored the bill. He and supporters of the measure cited the need to continue pushing policies out of Citizens as one of the reasons the bill is needed.

Citizens, which can impose assessments on all insurance policies in the state if a major hurricane wipes out its claims-paying ability, grew to 1.4 million policies in 2023. That alarmed some lawmakers about the risk of assessments on the rest of the market.

But the Legislature passed major changes in 2022 and 2023 aimed at limiting litigation costs for insurers, including by eliminating one-way attorney fees. Insurance companies had cited such costs as one of the main reasons for a surge in rates. At the time, a slew of carriers had gone bankrupt, destabilizing the market and leading to skyrocketing premiums.

Since then, however, litigation costs have lowered and more private companies have embraced the Florida market, including by taking over Citizens policies.

As of May 31, Citizens’ policy count was below 300,000.

The leaders’ meeting came just a week after three Indian sailors were killed in a strike on a tanker in the Gulf of Oman in the midst of a U.S. blockade targeting oil shipments passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The Indian Foreign Ministry has formally protested the incident.

The two sat down on the sidelines of the G7 summit on Wednesday, where Modi was one of several leaders who attended as a guest of the host, French President Emmanuel Macron.

Trump dismissed any suggestion of trouble between the U.S. and India, repeatedly heaping praise on Modi, describing him as a tough negotiator.

“We have the best relationship. We cannot be closer than we are. Would you say that, sir? I don’t think we can be any closer,” Trump said, reaching out to clasp Modi’s hand. “Both him and I, and our nations. But it really starts with the two of us.”

When it came time for Modi to speak, he raised the strike directly, noting hundreds of thousands of Indian nationals work on ships around the world, including in the strait. “Their safety is of utmost importance to us,” Modi said, after thanking Trump for coming to an agreement to end the war with Iran.

“You made tremendous efforts towards reaching this understanding and this agreement, and I’m confident that the issue of seafarers will receive the highest priority during the implementation of this agreement,” he said.

Asked for words of condolence for the mariners' families, Trump said, “It’s a tough profession. There’s no question about it. And we work together on it.” He added: “We love all of those people. They’re great people.”

Trump had a notably warm relationship with Modi during his first term.

During a two-day trip to India in 2020, Trump was impressed when Modi honored him with a massive rally at a cricket stadium. Months earlier, Trump had joined the Indian leader at the “Howdy Modi” rally in Houston, which drew a big showing from Texas' Indian diaspora.

But this time around, Trump and Modi's relationship has been complicated by Russia’s war in Ukraine and trade disputes.

The Trump administration put steep tariffs on Indian exports last year, partly over New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil. The two countries reached an interim trade deal, but talks on a broader agreement are ongoing.

Trump on Wednesday said a new deal is “very close” while describing Modi as a “scary” trade negotiator. “He’s the most beautiful looking man. He looks so nice. He’s like an angel. But actually, he’s as tough as — he’s a killer,” Trump said.

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Binkley reported from Washington.