The powders turned out to be nonhazardous — yeast or flour — though not all letters have been fully tested, the FBI said in a court filing made public Tuesday.

Robin Martin is charged with conveying a hoax and mailing threatening communications. He was arrested Monday and was expected to make an appearance Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Oklahoma City.

Online records do not list an attorney who could comment on his behalf, and one of his daughters, Ava Martin, said she didn’t wish to comment. Other relatives didn’t immediately respond to social media messages seeking comment.

The investigation stretched back to 2024 when election officials in multiple states reported mail with a white substance and a three-page letter declaring war, the FBI said. Some bore warnings that could only be read under ultraviolet light, such as, “Stay on the right side of history! Your life may depend on it!!”

The sender wrote a return address as “U.S.T.E.A., United States Traitor Elimination Army, Takoma Park, MD.”

Investigators believe more than 700 mailings this fall appeared to be associated with the same sender but with a different return address. They were addressed to election officials, members of Congress, pollsters, news media and federal law enforcement, FBI agent David Cole said in an affidavit.

A common message in the 2024 and 2026 mailings was a warning to recipients about upcoming arrests for treason “or worse!!”

“The writer of the letter described perceived issues with the 2020 election, claimed that President Donald Trump won the 2020 election, and voiced concerns regarding some of the same issues recurring in the then-upcoming 2024 election,” Cole said.

Federal authorities announced last month that they were investigating letters with “suspicious substances” that had been mailed to congressional and election offices nationwide and urged recipients to treat the mailings as potentially hazardous.

The packages led to the evacuation of election offices in Louisiana and Oklahoma. Numerous states, from Idaho to Florida, said they either received letters or had them intercepted by the Postal Service.

In a similar case, a 37-year-old Illinois man was charged last month with sending threatening letters to members of Congress containing a white powder, including one with a note reading “HAH enjoy the gift,” according to federal court records.

The FBI said it has video evidence of Martin's car stopping in October at mailboxes at Postal Service sites in Oklahoma City, Dallas and San Antonio. Investigators also gleaned his fingerprints from a letter addressed to FBI Director Kash Patel, whose first name was written as “Kashyap.”

Walmart records show Martin purchased common household goods, such as turmeric and vinegar, to create invisible ink that could be read with ultraviolet light, the FBI said.

The Democratic Socialists of America apparently assisted the investigation. The FBI said it believes Martin, posing as someone using the name George Livingston, posted a message to a DSA email list in October, warning that members were traitors and eligible for arrest for treason if they vote in the Nov. 3 election.

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Associated Press journalist Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington contributed reporting.

The target letter to attorney Marc Elias, who for years has represented Democratic campaigns as well as the party itself in election-related challenges, is one of multiple such letters that were issued, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation. They mark an overt widening of the investigation into potential voter confusion in the state.

“No one should be surprised that President Trump’s Department of Justice is targeting me and my law firm on Election Day. This administration has repeatedly weaponized the DOJ against the President’s political enemies despite zero evidence of wrongdoing, and we are the latest targets," Elias said in a statement Tuesday.

A target letter is a letter that the Justice Department sometimes sends to individuals whom it sees as at legitimate risk of indictment. The department defines a “target” as a person against whom it has gathered substantial evidence linking them to a possible crime and regards as a potential defendant.

News of the target letters surfaced on Election Day in a race headlined by two-term Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democratic former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola. The race is among a handful nationwide expected to determine control of the Senate.

Alaska U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman told reporters in Anchorage that the investigation has been ongoing for several months. But recent revelations from The New York Times that Peltola’s campaign appeared to be involved in recruiting retired teacher Dan J. Sullivan have resulted in a “significant surge of law enforcement assets to Alaska.”

More than 100 subpoenas have been issued as part of the investigation, one of the people briefed on the probe said.

The Justice Department does not typically require targets of its investigations to testify before a grand jury in part because of constitutional protections against self-incrimination.

In this case and others, though, getting a target letter does not necessarily mean that a person will be indicted. The Trump administration has repeatedly struggled to secure grand jury indictments in politically sensitive cases.

“We will not be intimidated by a sham investigation. We are going to keep working around the clock to support our clients and make sure President Trump and his party enjoy a well-deserved beating at the ballot box," Elias said in a statement.

He did not return messages seeking comment.

The Mountain View, California, company has been facing pushback from educators, child development experts and parents over the use of its technology in schools, with the backlash heating up since it announced in August that it had turned on its Gemini chatbot for many K-12 students who use Google Classroom.

On Tuesday, the company said that practice would no longer be the default option for school administrators and that opting out of AI tools would also mean losing access to Google search.

Access to Google's AI features — Gemini, Gemini Notebook and Gemini in Classroom — as well as Google search will be automatically turned off for K-12 student accounts until “school administrators explicitly turn them on,” Chris Phillips, Google’s vice president and general manager of education, said in a blog post.

“We believe schools should have control over AI in their classrooms and in providing administrators with controls to help them manage their approach,” Phillips wrote.

Google is by far the dominant provider of education technology for U.S. schools. Worldwide, the company says 150 million students and teachers use its Google Classroom platform and many students use school-provided Chromebook computers.

Google faced an outcry in August when it switched on its Gemini chatbot for many K-12 students. Until August, Google had only allowed Gemini to be turned on for students 18 or older.

Tuesday's announcement was met with swift criticism from educators and policymakers.

“Google is using its search monopoly to coerce schools into adopting AI. This highlights the danger of allowing an unregulated monopolist to control an essential service,” wrote Lina Khan, former chair of the Federal Trade Commission, on social media. “As the public increasingly pushes back against the use of AI in schools, Google is making clear it will punish those who don’t fall in line.”

Messages seeking additional comment from Google were left on Tuesday.

New York City and Los Angeles, home to the nation's biggest school districts, have issued temporary bans on generative AI tools in elementary and middle schools as they assess AI use and safety and develop policies on its use.

Many students already use AI to help with school and homework, but the technology has also made it easier to cheat and find quick, easy answers to questions instead of thinking critically. And experts have raised questions about how access to AI is affecting children’s brain development.

Josh Golin, executive director of children's advocacy group Fairplay, said Google's attempt to “strong-arm schools into using its AI products is likely to backfire.” He said Google's technology in schools is not about learning but about “developing lifetime brand loyalty” for its products.

“Because AI isn’t safe for kids and undermines education and critical thinking, schools should turn off Google’s AI tools the minute that option becomes available," Golin said in a statement.

Rather than fret about losing access to search, Golin urged schools to turn off not just AI but also Google, and "use this opportunity to help students find more privacy-protective alternatives for search, as well as ways to do more substantive research beyond search and click.”

The S&P 500 rose 0.4%, even though most of the stocks within the index fell. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 197 points, or 0.4%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.8%.

The stock market has been shaky recently as technology and artificial-intelligence stocks swing on worries their prices shot too high in the frenzy around AI. Several of the most influential AI-related stocks were firmer Tuesday, which supported the market, after flipping from gains in the morning to losses in the afternoon a day earlier.

Nvidia rose 2.3% and was the strongest force pushing upward on the S&P 500. Close behind was another chip company, Broadcom, which rose 3.1%. Also boosting the market were several companies that are spending heavily on AI. Microsoft, Amazon and Meta Platforms all rose more than 2%.

Apple was long seen on Wall Street as a Big Tech company that’s less dependent on AI. But it’s still feeling the effects of the AI boom.

Memory chips for computers have become more expensive because of the demand created by the rush to build AI data centers. Those higher costs are hitting Apple, which said it expects to make less profit from each $1 of its revenue during the final three months of this year.

That helped send Apple’s stock down 1.9%, even though the seller of iPhones and Mac computers reported stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected.

Palantir Technologies fell 1.6% even though it likewise reported a better profit than expected. The software company said it made more money working with U.S. companies than from the U.S. government for the first time, as U.S. commercial revenue soared 148% from a year earlier.

The market's moves came as voters cast their ballots in Tuesday’s midterm elections, where the rising cost of living and AI were issues that crossed party lines.

History suggests such elections may not matter much for the broad market. Going back to 1970, the S&P 500 has had a positive return every time in the six months following a midterm election, according to Brock Weimer, an analyst at Edward Jones.

Some on Wall Street speculate that a Democratic sweep of Congress this time around could lead to more regulations and restrictions on AI development. But Donald Trump would still be president and have the power to veto. And Wall Street generally prefers split control of Washington, which it sees as offering less risk of transformative policies that could reshape the economy.

On the winning side of Wall Street Tuesday were stocks of several companies that reported stronger profits for the summer than analysts expected.

DuPont rallied 8.6% for one of the biggest gains in the S&P 500, and Celanese climbed 5%.

Revvity rose 7.8% after the life sciences company topped analysts’ expectations and CEO Prahlad Singh said end market conditions are continuing to improve.

All told, the S&P 500 rose 27.52 points to 7,568.92. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 197.26 to 51,786.72, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 207.65 to 25,372.01.

Expectations are high for all kinds of companies to continue to deliver big gains in profits as the U.S. economy keeps chugging along, even with high inflation and elevated interest rates. That helped send the S&P 500 to a record high last month.

An encouraging report on the U.S. job market said Tuesday that employers were advertising more job openings at the end of September than economists expected. That helped push the yield on the 10-year Treasury up to 4.96% from 4.91% late Monday.

In the oil market, prices continued to swing. Brent crude climbed above $107 per barrel overnight before briefly dropping below $101 in the morning amid continued uncertainty about what will happen in the war with Iran. It settled at $103.60, down 1.1% from Monday.

In stock markets abroad, indexes fell in Europe following a mixed finish in Asia. South Korea’s Kospi dropped 3.6% for one of the world’s sharpest moves due to losses for its two tech giants, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.

Stocks rose 0.3% in Australia after the country’s central bank raised its benchmark interest rate for the fifth time this year.

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AP Writers Elaine Lai, David McHugh and Rod McGuirk contributed to this report.

The governor’s seat is open because Republican Gov. Brian Kemp is term-limited. Jackson, a businessman and health care executive, is running against Bottoms, a former Atlanta mayor. The candidates have offered sharply different views on the economy, taxes and the role of President Donald Trump in Georgia politics.

Jackson has campaigned on cutting taxes and regulations, and says he would halve the state income tax over four years. Bottoms has criticized Jackson’s personal spending on the campaign and his ties to Trump. The race is among the highest-profile contests on a ballot that also includes statewide offices, congressional seats, state legislative races and local contests.

Senate, statewide and local races

Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff is seeking a second six-year term and faces Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Collins.

Voters also will choose candidates for lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, agriculture commissioner, labor commissioner, state school superintendent, insurance commissioner and two seats on the Public Service Commission. The secretary of state and attorney general seats are open.

The ballot includes all 14 U.S. House districts and every seat in the Georgia General Assembly. Depending on where they live, voters may also see judicial races and contests for local offices, including sheriff, district attorney, probate judge, school board, mayor or city council.

The exact races vary by county. Voters can check their personalized sample ballot on Georgia’s My Voter Page.

Three constitutional amendments

Voters will decide whether to amend the state constitution on three issues:

• Agricultural land taxes: Amendment 1 would increase the acreage limit for land eligible for conservation-use property tax treatment from 2,000 acres to 4,000 acres per owner. A yes vote raises the cap; a no vote keeps it at 2,000 acres.
• Probate judge elections: Amendment 2 would require probate judges statewide to run in nonpartisan elections, without party labels. The change would not alter judges’ duties or terms.
• 911 funding: Amendment 3 would let lawmakers create a dedicated fund for the expansion, maintenance and operation of 911 systems, including upgrades to Next Generation 911. The amendment itself would not create a new tax or fee or change the current phone-service charge.

Some counties also have local tax or policy questions on the ballot.

Polling information

Georgia polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. Voters must go to their assigned polling place; those in line before 7 p.m. can vote. A valid photo ID is required, including a Georgia driver’s license, U.S. passport, military or tribal ID, or certain government or public-college IDs.

Georgia’s My Voter Page can confirm a voter’s polling place and show a personalized sample ballot.

The measure renews an existing tax, not a new one. One mill equals $1 for every $1,000 of taxable property value — or $300 a year on a home with a taxable value of $300,000.

The measure is separate from Amendment 3, a proposed statewide property tax change also on the ballot. School district property taxes are exempt from the potential overhaul.

The districts have different plans for the revenue. Duval’s ballot language says the money would support teacher, security and staff compensation, academic programs, arts, athletics and student activities. State law requires districts to share a portion with charter schools; Duval keeps 81% of the funds, with charter schools receiving 19%.

Nassau’s renewal would support employee compensation, school safety, arts and athletics. The district says 70% of the money has gone to employee compensation, 12% to school safety, with the rest split between arts and athletics.

Clay’s measure would fund school safety and security, as well as competitive compensation to attract and retain teachers and staff. The district’s ballot guide says the tax would extend the existing levy through June 30, 2031, with expenditures reviewed by an independent citizens’ oversight committee.

Supporters point to the tax’s role in school staffing and student safety. A Duval County parent said the tax costs her about $16 a month and that its impact is significant. A school district attorney urged voters to consider how each district plans to use the money and its effect on their property taxes.

If approved, each extension would continue the tax for another four years.

Election Day: Florida’s 3 statewide amendments: Here’s what your Yes or No vote would do

Each amendment needs at least 60% voter approval to pass.

Amendment 3: Homestead exemption and local spending rules

Amendment 3 would increase the homestead exemption for non-school property taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, with adjustments for inflation after that. The exemption applies to a homeowner’s primary residence.

The measure would also lower the annual cap on assessment increases for non-homestead properties — including businesses and rental properties — from 10% to 5%. It would direct counties and municipalities to use property tax revenue for specified purposes, including public safety, education, infrastructure and natural resources.

Supporters say the change would provide substantial tax relief to homeowners. Opponents, including law enforcement and firefighter groups, warn that reduced local revenue could affect public services and infrastructure. Jacksonville officials have estimated the proposal could cost the city more than $300 million a year.

People who were not Florida residents on Dec. 31, 2026, would receive the current homestead exemption when they first qualify, with the increased exemption beginning in their fifth year, as allowed by the U.S. Constitution.

A “yes” vote would approve the changes. A “no” vote would keep current rules in place.

Amendment 1: Expand the state’s “rainy day” fund

Amendment 1 would raise the cap on Florida’s Budget Stabilization Fund from 10% to 25% of general revenue collections. It also would generally require annual transfers of up to $750 million into the fund until it reaches the new cap, with exceptions.

The fund is meant to help the state address revenue shortfalls and emergencies. The amendment would allow withdrawals for critical state needs under specified conditions.

A “yes” vote would increase the reserve and establish regular deposits. A “no” vote would keep the current 10% cap and existing rules.

Amendment 2: Exempt some farm and agritourism equipment from taxes

Amendment 2 would exempt certain tangible personal property — such as equipment and machinery — from property taxes if it is typically located on agricultural land and used to produce agricultural products or for agritourism.

The exemption would apply beginning with the 2027 tax year. It would not apply to land or buildings.

A “yes” vote would approve the exemption for qualifying property owned by the landowner or leaseholder. A “no” vote would leave current tax rules in place.

Election Day: Here’s what to know before you cast a ballot in Florida or Georgia

The candidates offer voters a choice between continuing Republican leadership in a state where the party has dominated recent statewide elections and a change in direction under a Democrat with a complicated political history.

A University of North Florida Public Opinion Research Lab poll of likely voters conducted Oct. 12-19 found Donalds leading Jolly 49% to 47%. The poll’s overall margin of error was plus or minus 2.81 percentage points, putting the governor’s race within the margin of error.

Donalds, a Republican U.S. representative backed by President Donald Trump, won his party’s nomination in August. If elected, he would become Florida’s first Black governor. He has framed his campaign around affordability and protecting what he calls the “Florida Dream.”

Jolly, a former Republican congressman who later became an independent before joining the Democratic Party, won the Democratic nomination. He is seeking to attract voters beyond the Democratic base as he challenges the state’s recent Republican political dominance.

Data centers: moratorium or local control?

Jolly says he would issue a moratorium on hyperscale data centers on his first day in office. He has argued that the industry is moving too quickly and that public health and environmental questions have not been adequately answered. He also cited voter opposition to the facilities and concerns about the influence of campaign contributions.

Donalds says the decision about where data centers are built belongs to local governments, not the governor. He has pointed to Florida law giving local communities a role in siting and permitting, and said his administration would focus on ensuring data centers do not increase utility bills and that water use complies with existing permits. He also said he would release a state-commissioned study on data centers when it is completed, with results expected in 2027.

The candidates differ on the broader balance between development and environmental protection. In the UNF poll, 61% of respondents said environmental protection should take priority even if it curbed economic growth and development; 26% said economic growth should come first, even if the environment suffered to some extent.

AI: address risks while preparing for change

Jolly has called himself an AI optimist but says the state should focus on how the technology is adopted. He has raised concerns about job displacement, children’s privacy and AI’s role in classrooms, saying it should not replace teachers but could be a useful tool for them. If the federal government does not respond to potential job losses, Jolly has suggested Florida may need retraining and assistance programs modeled on support created for workers affected by trade agreements.

Donalds says AI is already embedded in daily life and cannot be put back in a box. He has emphasized protecting children, empowering parents and safeguarding name, image and likeness rights. He also points to commercial space development on Florida’s Space Coast as an example of the high-paying jobs and economic opportunity the technology could help create.

Property taxes: broad amendment or targeted relief?

Donalds supports Amendment 3, a proposed expansion of the homestead property tax exemption. He has said property taxes on Florida residents have effectively doubled over the past seven years and argued that tax relief returns money to taxpayers. He says the amendment requires public safety to be funded before cuts take effect and has proposed a dedicated funding formula to help fiscally constrained counties.

Jolly has said he expected to vote against Amendment 3, aligning with law enforcement groups that warned it could reduce funding for public safety and other local services. He has argued the proposal lacks a sufficient funding backstop and favors more targeted relief: a homestead exemption of up to $250,000 for first-time homebuyers, income-based relief for seniors and restoring local governments’ authority to expand exemptions.

The UNF poll found 50% of respondents planned to vote yes on Amendment 3, below the 60% required for passage. Thirty percent said they would vote no and 14% were undecided.

Cost of living and insurance

The candidates’ economic arguments also reflect different views on how to address affordability. In the UNF poll, voters were nearly evenly split on which candidate they trusted more on affordability and the cost of living: 42% said Donalds and 43% said Jolly. On property insurance, 43% trusted Donalds more, compared with 38% for Jolly.

The poll also found independent voters favored Jolly by 16 percentage points. The poll’s director said turnout would be key, while noting polling cannot determine how many voters will cast ballots.

The governor’s race gives voters a choice between the candidates’ competing approaches to development, technology, taxes and state leadership after DeSantis leaves office.

Election Day: Here’s what to know before you cast a ballot in Florida or Georgia

Moody, a former Florida attorney general, was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in January 2025 after Rubio resigned to become secretary of state. Nixon, a Jacksonville Democrat who has served in the Florida House since 2020, won her party’s nomination in an upset over retired Army Lt. Col. Alex Vindman. Moody defeated three other Republicans for her party’s nomination.

The race is a contrast between Moody’s emphasis on economic policies, law enforcement and her record in office, and Nixon’s focus on the cost of living, health care and support for families. The campaigns have also clashed over Nixon’s ties to the Democratic Socialists of America and a grand jury report involving the state’s Hope Florida program.

Affordability and the economy

Nixon has described affordability as a central concern for Floridians, pointing to health care costs, home insurance and child care. In a candidate questionnaire, she said families should not face bankruptcy because of medical care or risk losing their homes after insurance premiums rise. She also said she would work to protect Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and veterans’ benefits and make child care more affordable and accessible.

Moody has highlighted tax cuts and other measures she says will help families and businesses. She has cited the elimination of taxes on tips, overtime and Social Security, and promoted a bill offering mortgage assistance to teachers, first responders and law enforcement officers. At a Jacksonville campaign event, Moody also pointed to her support for the Ratepayer Protection Act, saying Republicans backed it and Democrats voted against it.

The candidates’ different economic messages come as voters face questions about housing costs, insurance and taxes. An Oct. 21 University of North Florida poll found respondents nearly split on whether to prioritize environmental protection or economic growth and development, an issue with implications for Florida’s growth and affordability debate.

Public safety and political labels

Moody has centered public safety in her campaign, drawing on her experience as a prosecutor, judge and attorney general. She has cited her support for the HALT Fentanyl Act, border security and law enforcement. At her primary victory speech, she accused Nixon and the Democratic Socialists of America of supporting policies including defunding police, reducing military funding and abolishing prisons. Those were Moody’s characterizations of Nixon’s politics and positions.

Nixon has rejected the campaign’s broad framing by making the case that her priorities are everyday costs and services. She has criticized Moody as a senator appointed by DeSantis and argued voters should decide who represents them. If elected, Nixon would be Florida’s first Black U.S. senator.

Hope Florida and accountability

Democrats have used a grand jury report involving Hope Florida, a state initiative, to question Moody’s ties to the matter. Moody has framed her campaign around restoring trust and accountability in Washington and says government should eliminate waste, fraud and abuse. An Oct. 21 University of North Florida poll found that 30% of respondents said Democratic messaging about the Hope Florida grand jury report made them less likely to vote for Moody; 9% said it made them more likely, and 53% said it made no difference.

The same poll found 25% said Republican messaging about Nixon’s ties to the Democratic Socialists of America made them less likely to vote for her, while 12% said it made them more likely and 55% said it made no difference. Among independent voters, Nixon led Moody by 15 percentage points, the poll found.

A close race in a Republican-leaning state

Moody led Nixon 49% to 45% among likely voters in the UNF poll, conducted by telephone in English and Spanish from Oct. 12 to 19. The overall margin of error was plus or minus 2.81 percentage points, and 5% of respondents were undecided. The poll’s findings indicate a competitive race, though polling is not a prediction of the result.

Florida has favored Republicans in recent statewide elections, while Nixon’s primary win showed enthusiasm among Democratic voters for her progressive campaign and grassroots message. The winner will serve through the end of Rubio’s original term in January 2029.

Election Day: Here’s what to know before you cast a ballot in Florida or Georgia

At the Edgewood polling site, voter Alinda Fox said she came early because she wanted to make sure her vote counted.

“One vote might not be the last vote, but it could be one vote that helps,” Fox said.

Duval County Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland said 232,465 votes had been cast through the end of early voting Sunday, an unofficial turnout of 35.48% of active eligible voters. That included 195,422 early votes; 17,807 were cast on the final day of early voting.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. Voters must vote in their assigned precinct.

All eyes are on Senate contests in Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Ohio and Texas, while House battlegrounds are scattered across the country.

Democrats have homed in on Trump’s poor approval rating, public dissatisfaction with the war in Iran and affordability concerns. Republicans have focused on social issues, while Trump has made himself the central character of the midterms.

Here's the latest:

Michigan raised concerns about federal monitors in two cities

Michigan election officials objected after hearing that federal poll monitors in Dearborn and Flint were asking workers about their training or requesting to see training materials, a spokesperson said.

“This is not permitted under the law,” said Angela Benander of the Department of State.

The U.S. Justice Department agreed and pledged to inform the election monitors, Benander said.

Separately, she said federal monitors in Lansing were trying to talk to voters, which is OK if the exchange happens after a ballot is cast and is outside the polling place.

“We don’t have any concerns,” Benander said.

3 precincts in Pennsylvania extend voting hours due to machine issues

Officials in Pennsylvania’s Chester County say they’re extending voting hours in three precincts after “machine set-up issues” delayed the opening of polling sites just west of Philadelphia.

The Chester County Court of Common Pleas granted the three precincts a 30-minute extension, meaning voters will be able to cast ballots until 8:30 p.m. EST, according to the county.

Voters casting ballots at these three sites after 8 p.m. EST — when polling stations close statewide — will use provisional ballots.

5 polling sites will stay open late in North Carolina

Election officials extended voting hours at each location after county election supervisors reported delays caused by technical problems with computers.

The longest extension granted by the North Carolina State Board of Elections was 45 minutes at one location in Columbus County, where officials said computer problems forced election workers to switch to backup paper poll books, slowing lines Tuesday morning.

Two precincts in Hertford County and one each in Lenoir and Wilson counties also will stay open an extra 15 to 30 minutes. The five-member board approved each extension unanimously.

The extended hours mean state election officials in North Carolina won’t begin reporting results until after the last polling site closes at 8:15 p.m. ET, said Adam Steele, an attorney for the election board. He said county election officials will tally their votes without delay.

Polls in North Carolina close at 7:30 p.m. ET, unless extended by the board.

Latest views on the 2 major parties from AP-NORC polling

At least half of U.S. adults have a negative opinion of the two parties, according to AP-NORC polling.

About half have a “very” or “somewhat” unfavorable view of the Democratic Party in an AP-NORC poll from October, while just over half say that about the Republican Party.

Roughly 7 in 10 Democrats hold a favorable view of their own party, which is down from 85% in September 2024. Republicans, however, feel about as positively as they did two years ago, with 85% in the latest polling saying they have a favorable view of the Republican Party.

Only about 2 in 10 U.S. adults feel “very” or “somewhat” optimistic about the future of the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. Republicans are a bit more optimistic about their party’s future than Democrats are — slightly fewer than half of Republicans, 46%, say they are feeling positive, compared to 35% of Democrats.

In Texas, Korean vet voter weighs in on Iran war

In southeastern Texas, Juventino Sáenz accompanied a relative to the polls in McAllen.

The 91-year-old Korean War veteran who said he’d voted early shared his feelings about Trump’s decision to go to war with Iran.

Sáenz blamed Iran but also blamed Trump, saying the president should have gone to Congress for permission.

“He couldn’t do it just because he’s the president,” Sáenz said.

He said he’s backed Republicans in the past, citing his votes for Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush for president.

But in the closely watched Texas U.S. Senate race, Sáenz said he voted for Talarico, the Democrat, because he didn’t like Paxton’s record or that Paxton’s own Republican Party impeached him.

“He was doing a lot of things that were not right,” he said of Paxton.

Pain at the pump powers voter fury

Gas prices have shot up by nearly a third since Trump launched his war against Iran, fueling voter distress about the economy and high prices. But another fuel source has risen even higher and caused potentially more pain.

That’s diesel fuel, which powers not just a whole bunch of farming and industrial equipment but the ships and trucks that transport a range of goods and services to voters’ doors.

Diesel prices have nearly doubled since the start of the Iran war. A disproportionate share of the oil that comes through the Strait of Hormuz is used to make diesel. Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries that produce the fuel added to the shortage.

That pushed Trump to take controversial action to try to lower the price of diesel, cutting a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to sell diesel from his country to the U.S. But even that hasn’t significantly brought diesel prices down.

Ranks of Black governors could grow with 8 nominees nationwide

Maryland’s Wes Moore is the only Black governor in the U.S., and he’s only the third elected Black governor in history, all of them Democrats and men.

But Moore, who’s heavily favored for reelection, could soon have company.

There are seven additional Black major party nominees for governor. They include Republicans and Democrats, men and women. Each would be the first Black chief executive in their respective states.

Georgia’s Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former Atlanta mayor and a Democrat, and Minnesota’s Lisa Demuth, a former state legislative leader and a Republican, could each make history. No Black woman has ever been elected as governor.

Two Black Republican men are on gubernatorial ballots: Byron Donalds in Florida and John James in Michigan. Both are U.S. representatives currently.

Three other Black men, all Democrats, round out the slate: Aaron Ford in Nevada, Jermaine Johnson in South Carolina and David Crowley in Wisconsin.

Early vote count reaches nearly 60 million as Election Day voting continues

More than 59 million people have voted so far, according to an Associated Press analysis.

The advance vote has spiked ahead of Election Day compared to 2022. There were 59.7 million ballots cast as of Tuesday, compared to a little over 58 million in 2022.

The tally includes early in-person and mail balloting.

The election will determine which party controls the House and Senate.

A Trump-backed redistricting plan goes to voters

At Trump’s urging, Republicans in eight states adopted new congressional districts to try to gain an edge in the midterm elections. But after a long legal battle, Missouri’s new map was blocked by both the U.S. Supreme Court and the Missouri Supreme Court because of a referendum petition.

Voters are now deciding whether to uphold or reject the new map. If approved, it could be used in the 2028 election.

Maryland voters are deciding a constitutional amendment that also could pave the way for a new House map in the 2028 election. Democratic proponents have urged a “yes” vote as a means to “stop Trump.”

Some Colorado Democrats also want to redistrict. But a citizen initiative on the ballot there would prohibit any potential redistricting for 2028 from favoring one political party and require approval from both an independent commission and the state Supreme Court.

Some voters in Georgia receive false texts from an unknown sender about polling site changes

A few hiccups have come up in Fulton County, Georgia, a Democratic stronghold Trump has long falsely accused of widespread voter fraud that he says caused him to lose the state in 2020.

Some voters have reported receiving texts that were not sent by the county about polling place changes, according to Fulton County’s Facebook page. A county spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for more information.

Kyle Gomez-Leineweber, policy director at election watchdog group Common Cause Georgia, said the group was aware of the texts but didn’t know who sent them or if they were based on incorrect information or were intentionally trying to mislead voters.

Gomez-Leineweber said volunteers have been telling people to double-check information with official sources.

Separately, about 1,000 ballots received during early voting last month will be rescanned “as a precaution” due to equipment failures with two scanners, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said Tuesday. He said it would not delay election results.

Progressive Democrats try flipping swing House districts

Democrats’ path to winning the House could rest with progressive candidates challenging Republicans in districts that swung between Trump and Joe Biden.

In California’s 22nd District, incumbent Rep. David Valadao faces Democratic challenger Randy Villegas, who has Sen. Bernie Sanders’ endorsement.

In Colorado’s 8th District, Rep. Gabe Evans faces Democrat Manny Rutinel, who had campaigned with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

In Michigan’s 7th District, Rep. Tom Barrett is up against Will Lawrence, a longtime liberal activist and former member of the Democratic Socialists of America.

Republicans are hoping their rivals’ political backgrounds are a mismatch in districts that are by and large evenly divided politically.

3 NASA astronauts cast ballots from the space station

Astronaut Anil Menon’s sleeping compartment aboard the International Space Station doubled as his voting booth. Menon said in a brief video posted via X on Tuesday that he used his computer to fill out and submit an electronic ballot to Harris County, Texas. Crewmates Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney did the same.

Harris County is home to NASA’s Johnson Space Center and Mission Control.

U.S. astronauts have been voting in space since 1997.

Values motivate Texas voters — but for different candidates

In the Dallas suburbs, two voters say Christian values factored into their votes.

James Bender said he wants the country to get back to an identity rooted in Judeo-Christian values.

He said he respected Talarico’s religious roots and faith but said, “At the end of the day, I just, I don’t agree with him.”

Bender, 47, said he wasn’t voting for Paxton’s character as much as the policies he’d try to enact if elected.

Paxton has faced a string of legal and ethical problems and allegations of marital infidelity.

April Vindiola said those issues made Paxton a “no” for her. She said a candidate’s morals and values are important.

“I’ve been following Talarico for quite some time,” Vindiola said. “I think whenever I’ve heard him speak … it resonates with me what his beliefs are.”

Republican governor hopeful to voters in liberal California: ‘Just try it!’

The last time California elected a Republican to statewide office, George W. Bush was president, entertainer James Brown was still alive and the second “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie was the biggest film of the year.

Republican Steve Hilton is trying to defy those odds and end his party’s 16-year drought in a state with 4.5 million more registered Democratic voters than Republicans.

He’s tried to win over Californians who rarely vote Republican by repeating the motto “Just try it!”; blaming Democratic leadership for the state’s high cost of living; and releasing splashy ads, sometimes using AI to mock his Democratic rival, Xavier Becerra.

Becerra, meanwhile, has campaigned on a promise to uphold the state’s status as a liberal counterweight to Trump’s policies. He’s tried to tie Hilton to Trump, who endorsed him in the primary.

California billionaire tax proposal tests voters’ appetite to ‘tax the rich’

The ballot measure, known as Proposition 40, has racked up support from progressives like Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has framed it as a monumental step toward reining in deep wealth inequality, while also drawing criticism from Gov. Gavin Newsom and other Democrats, who say it will trigger wealthy people to flee the state.

The ballot fight has also been defined by the copious amount of money tech moguls and venture capitalists have poured into it. Google co-founder Sergey Brin alone has donated more than $100 million to a political committee working to defeat the proposal.

The first-in-the-nation measure would levy a one-time, 5% tax on the wealth of Californians whose net worth exceeds $1 billion. Most of the money would be used to backfill federal funding cuts to healthcare, while 10% would go toward education and food assistance programs.

In Virginia, a retiree says Trump has ‘done a great job’

Joni Borrell, 67, and her father, Herman Jamerson, 91, described themselves as solidly Republican. They voted that way a week before Election Day, casting ballots in Henrico, Virginia, for GOP Rep. Rob Wittman and Bert Mizusawa, the Republican mounting a long-shot bid against Democratic incumbent Sen. Mark Warner.

Jamerson, a retired plumbing contractor, said he thinks the president has “done a great job” so far this term.

“He’s for the common person. To me, that’s his biggest success. I mean, he looks out for the little guy, just the average person,” Jamerson said.

As for Trump and the economy, Jamerson added: “Well, he ain’t done yet, that’s the thing. And it was in such a mess.”

Borrell, a retired nurse who now works with youth camps, said her strong objections to Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger factored into her vote. Keeping Republicans in control of Washington would help preserve some “balance,” she said.

Missouri could undo its amendment protecting the right to abortion

Abortion is on the ballot in four states including Missouri, where voters are being asked to erase the constitutional right to abortion they adopted two years ago.

The Republican-dominated state legislature advanced the measure, which also would write into the state constitution a ban on much gender-affirming healthcare for transgender minors.

Conservative Idaho’s question would remove a ban if it were adopted.

A measure in Nevada would ensure access until at least fetal viability and one in Virginia would create a right to abortion for the first two trimesters of pregnancy.

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 and allowed enforcement of state abortion bans, abortion-rights supporters have prevailed on 14 of the 17 ballot measures across the U.S.

Trump is miffed about reaction to his Reflecting Pool speech

Trump spent part of Election Day complaining about reaction to his Monday speech at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, criticizing a news outlet and a Democratic congressman.

Trump spoke in great detail on social media about his upgrades to infrastructure and plumbing at the Reflecting Pool, devoting more time to that project than to Republican candidates he hopes will help the party retain control of Congress.

Trump ripped the Daily Mail for describing the speech as a “final midterms speech.” He said his rallies Sunday in Iowa and Kansas were meant to close out the campaign.

He also went after Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., who on social media shared an edited clip of Trump suggesting he might rename the iconic spot on the National Mall the “Trump Reflecting Pool.”

Trump followed up by saying he was joking.

“I said, very clearly, ‘I’m joking,’” he wrote.

What is The Voter Poll and when will we start to get results?

Later tonight, we’ll start sharing data from The AP Voter Poll, a large survey of verified voters conducted for The Associated Press and the major broadcast news networks.

It’s a high-quality preelection survey of voters merged with the best practices of the historic exit poll, which major broadcasters have relied on for decades. Reflecting the complexity of American elections, it uses a combination of methods to find voters no matter how they cast a ballot, whether early, by mail or on Election Day.

We’ll start sharing data around 5 p.m. EST.

Oklahoma City man charged with mailing letters with nonhazardous powder to officials before the election

An Oklahoma City man is charged with sending hundreds of letters containing nonhazardous white powder to public officials ahead of the 2024 and 2026 elections.

The powders turned out to be yeast or flour, though not all letters have been fully tested, the FBI said in a court filing.

Robin Martin is charged with conveying a hoax and mailing threatening communications. He was in custody, and online records didn’t list an attorney who could comment on his behalf. He is expected to make an appearance Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Oklahoma City.

Authorities said last month that they were investigating suspicious letters mailed to congressional and election offices nationwide and urged recipients to treat the mailings as “potentially hazardous.”

Some letters bore ominous messages that could only be read under ultraviolet light. The sender wrote a return address as “U.S.T.E.A., United States Traitor Elimination Army, Takoma Park, MD.”

Texas voters offer 2 takes on Talarico

Outside an early voting site in Dripping Springs, Texas, 25-year-old Ian Brown said he had just voted for a straight Republican ticket.

He referenced some of Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico’s past statements about God and gender, which Republican Ken Paxton has highlighted in attack ads.

“He claims he’s Christian, but he says you know there’s multiple genders. That’s not even biblically accurate,” Brown said.

The self-described Republican Libertarian said he thinks Trump is “the best thing for our country right now.”

Sofia Sites, meanwhile, voted for the first time this election and supported Democrats.

Sites, 21, has a transgender sibling, and Talarico’s stance on transgender and LGBTQ+ rights was something that drew her to him, she said.

“There’s no perfect politician; there’s no one I like to bow down to,” Sites said. “I just think that I’m wanting to see more empathy."

Voting machine programming blamed for election issues in a New York county

The vote-counting issues bedeviling Westchester County stem from a program update that happened after polling equipment was initially prepared and tested, according to the state Board of Elections.

A change in an unnamed local race required an update that wasn’t made to machines in other counties, the board said. As a result, those tabulators were unable to recognize completed Election Day ballots.

State officials said they’re working with their counterparts in Westchester County to restore ballot-scanning capability to at least one vote-counting machine at every polling location. Voting continues through established emergency ballot procedures.

Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins vowed to launch a bipartisan investigation into what he called a “debacle.”

El-Sayed is aiming to prove that an unapologetically progressive agenda centered on universal healthcare can win a general election in a state President Donald Trump carried two years ago. The former Wayne County health director narrowly defeated establishment-backed Rep. Haley Stevens in an expensive and bruising Democratic primary.

Michigan’s diverse electorate has created a complicated political battleground, with both nominees seeking statewide support while navigating divisions among the state’s large Jewish, Muslim and Black communities. Bitter disputes over U.S. support for Israel and accusations of antisemitism overshadowed the race, culminating in Stevens' shocking endorsement of Rogers in the final days of the race.

For Rogers, the race is a second chance after he lost Michigan’s 2024 Senate election by fewer than 20,000 votes. This time, the former congressman must win without Trump as a galvanizing force at the top of the ballot and as high gas prices and other costs have weighed on Republicans nationally.

El-Sayed has sought to expand Michigan’s Democratic coalition with a populist message, hoping to drive up youth turnout after months of campus rallies, while winning over disillusioned Republicans in rural areas.

No Republican has won a Senate race in the state since 1994, but the retirement of two-term Democratic Sen. Gary Peters created a rare opening. The race has become a focal point in the national fight for Senate control, drawing well over $100 million in advertising since the Aug. 4 primary. Democrats need to pick up four seats to win the majority, and losing any could put that out of reach.

The campaign has also featured some of the year’s most inflammatory rhetoric. Republicans repeatedly have sought to link El-Sayed, who would be the first Muslim senator, to terrorist organizations, despite no evidence of such ties. Trump repeatedly called him a “jihadist.”

The nation's most contentious Democratic primary left scars

While Stevens' endorsement of Rogers stunned Democrats, it reflected tensions that had simmered since the primary for Stevens and some of her supporters. A four-term representative of parts of metro Detroit, she received significant support in the August contest from Black and Jewish communities in those areas.

El-Sayed had to work in the postprimary sprint to win over those voters. In September, Kamala Harris, the first Black vice president, campaigned with El-Sayed and told a gathering of the NAACP that he could be a “stopgap” on Trump. Barack Obama, the nation’s first Black president, joined a rally for El-Sayed and other Democrats in Michigan days before Election Day.

He has also been criticized by some in the Jewish community, and Stevens said her defection came after he didn't do enough to address the community's concerns.

El-Sayed has been a vocal critic of Israel and was criticized for his response to a March attack on a Michigan synagogue, when he said that “hurt people hurt people.” The attacker had lost family in an Israeli strike in Lebanon. El-Sayed later said that he was “sorry” to “anyone who feels like my comments might have been hurtful.”

Republicans have highlighted El-Sayed's ties to Hasan Piker, a popular political streamer who has made inflammatory comments about Israel, Jews and the Sept. 11 attacks. El-Sayed appeared with Piker multiple times during the primary but has since distanced himself from him.

El-Sayed faced nearly $60 million in spending from outside groups during the August primary against Stevens. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, spent nearly $30 million, its largest investment in a single race.

Rogers lost with Trump on the ballot. Can he win without him?

Republicans opted to nominate Rogers again after his razor-thin 2024 loss, when then-Rep. Elissa Slotkin prevailed even as Trump won Michigan by more than a percentage point. Once a CNN contributor who criticized Trump, Rogers has aligned himself more closely with the president in recent years.

Unlike two years ago, Rogers faced no viable Republican primary challenge this cycle, allowing him to spend months raising money and preparing for the general election while Democrats battled through their costly and divisive primary.

But the political environment has presented fresh challenges. The war with Iran continues as everyday costs, particularly at the gas pump, remain high. Trump has also waged a trade war with neighboring Canada, a longtime economic partner of Michigan.

Rogers has focused more on attacking El-Sayed than touting Republican achievements in Congress and the White House, even as he has campaigned alongside Trump, including at an Oct. 25 rally in Port Huron.

A former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee who built much of his career around national security, Rogers has had to navigate the unpopular war with Iran while remaining aligned with Trump.

“The war with Iran needs to end, and end quickly,” Rogers wrote on social media in September.

After polls close at 7 p.m., you can find live election results for Florida and Georgia on our Vote 2026 page.

Starting at 7 p.m., you can watch our live coverage, including analysis from our panel of political experts, on Channel 4, News4JAX+ or News4JAX.com.

Jacob Morley, who was serving a life sentence for killing a co-worker four years ago, was apprehended at around noon, officials said.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol says it learned Tuesday morning that Morley was possibly traveling west on Interstate 70 in the Kansas City area. The vehicle was located using automated license plate readers and undercover officers traveling on a state highway in western Missouri.

Morley was driving a “metal flatbed work truck” with a white cab, said Sgt. Justin Ewing, a spokesperson for the Missouri State Highway Patrol. It's unclear how Morley acquired the vehicle or where he was going. Morley may have had connections in the Kansas City area, but authorities don't think that he stopped at any residences, Ewing added.

A Kansas City police helicopter also followed the vehicle, which made it into Carroll County, a small county in northwest Missouri. Morley drove off the road and got stuck in mud, according to Ewing, and a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper took him into custody without incident, ending a weeklong hunt. Morley was “compliant” when he was arrested, Ewing said.

Morley, 28, escaped from the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tennessee’s far northwestern corner on Oct. 25, after he slipped through a fence in his prison clothes.

Surveillance video showed him stealing a truck from a farm near the prison, which he abandoned last week in Marion, Illinois. That is about 120 miles (193 kilometers) north of the prison.

Morley was serving a life sentence for killing co-worker Cody Birchfield in 2022. Birchfield’s body was found in a box under Morley’s home after he had been missing for a few weeks. The two lived in Carter County, in eastern Tennessee.

When Morley saw deputies at his home, he led officers on a chase that ended in North Carolina, authorities said. Morley was convicted of first-degree murder, aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence, vandalism and evading arrest.

After his escape, law enforcement agencies searched buildings and other structures near the prison, which is in Tiptonville, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) north of Memphis in flat farmland near a bend in the Mississippi River. Prison officials offered a reward of up to $17,500 for information leading to Morley’s arrest.

Morley’s escape is the latest blemish for Tennessee’s prison system.

Several violent attacks between inmates and by employees have been reported in recent years at Northwest Correctional Complex. A grand jury in July returned dozens of indictments for five inmate killings and other violent acts.

Following the failed execution of Christa Pike in September, Department of Correction Commissioner Frank Strada resigned after less than three years on the job.

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Kelety reported from Phoenix. Associated Press writer Laura Turbay in Little Rock, Arkansas, contributed.

Rachel Apa, 24, of Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, was approaching the 24-mile mark of the 26.2 mile race Sunday when she collapsed, according to the New York Police Department. The city medical examiner's office said Tuesday it was investigating the cause of Apa's death.

Her father told The New York Times that she'd been stricken with rhabdomyolysis, a rare condition in which muscles can break down during exertion, poisoning the body. It was her first marathon, Steve Apa said.

New York Road Runners, the nonprofit club that stages the race, said in a news release that a bystander administered CPR to Apa, and event medical staffers also did CPR and used a defibrillator. Paramedics arrived and took Apa to a hospital but were unable to save her.

Apa, an industrial-technology product manager and former college field hockey player, had run to raise money for Parkinson's disease in honor of her grandfather.

“It's unfathomable,” her father told The Times. He said his daughter, who had just begun a master's program at Charleston Southern University, had been in “perfect health.”

Michaela Nicholas was watching the race, cheering on any runners whose names she could discern from their bibs, when Apa passed. Nicholas recalled Tuesday that she called out a message of encouragement, then saw Apa collapse about 15 yards (14 meters) further along the route.

Nicholas, a hospital social worker, said she tried to comfort Apa while two other race spectators performed CPR.

“I just held Rachel’s hand and talked to her and told her that she wasn’t alone and that she’s loved, and I prayed for her,” Nicholas, a clinical social worker, said by phone.

The death occurred as the marathon marked 50 years in its five-borough format. Early editions of the race had been run only in Central Park. A record 61,000 runners reached the finish line.

“We are deeply saddened by Rachel’s passing following running in Sunday’s race. Our thoughts and sincere sympathies are with her family, friends and the entire running community,” New York Road Runners said in its statement.

As word of Apa's death spread on Tuesday, money poured into her “Parkinson's Champions” fundraising page, quickly exceeding her $4,000 goal. The fundraiser was sponsored by the Parkinson's Foundation.

On the page, Apa said her grandfather, who had Parkinson's disease and died in 2022, “taught me to stay active, push my limits, and embrace challenges, shaping my love for sports and movement.”

Apa worked for TE Connectivity, which makes various electrical components and electronics. The company was grappling with the news Tuesday and expressed condolences. So did Bucknell University, from which Apa graduated in 2024 with a degree in markets, innovation and design -- and a total of 17 goals for the school’s field hockey team.

USA Field Hockey, the sport’s governing body, said on social media that “Rachel’s impact on the sport and those around her will not be forgotten.”

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Associated Press writer Doug Feinberg contributed to this report.

Millions of Americans had already cast their ballots, with early voting turnout on pace to eclipse that of the last midterm elections. In contrast to the president’s continued rhetoric about election cheating, voting so far has unfolded with relatively few problems.

By afternoon on Election Day, the biggest issues affecting voting were weather-related, with flooding in Florida and parts of the Southwest prompting changes to polling locations and other emergency measures. A problem with ballot scanners also was delaying vote counting — though voting was able to continue — in New York's suburban Westchester County, part of which is in a U.S. House district with a competitive race.

Trump has spent months trying to use the power of the presidency to put his thumb on the scale of this year’s elections, which will determine whether his party keeps control of Congress.

His Justice and Homeland Security departments have been involved in a massive hunt for voters who are not U.S. citizens, at one point engaging in a made-for-the-cameras predawn operation that led to more than two dozen arrests in California. The Department of Justice was making its largest-ever effort to monitor Election Day polling places across all 50 states, countered by an even larger effort among Democrats and allied groups, and at the president's urging had sued to block certification of Alaska’s results if the outcome of the Senate race favored Democrats. A federal judge on Sunday dismissed that lawsuit.

At the same time, Trump’s constant false claims about widespread voter fraud led election officials and Democratic groups across the country to plan for the possibility of immigration agents at voting sites or federal officers seizing voting machines. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement posted a warning on its X account Tuesday that pushed the administration's narrative about noncitizen voting: “We will track you down, arrest you, and prosecute you,” the post read. “There will be no escape.”

The agency did not return a request for comment about the post. The Trump administration has insisted that no armed federal officials would guard the polls, and on Tuesday, none of the steps Democrats most feared had yet come to pass.

Westchester County ballot scanner issue is delaying tabulation, but voting continues

Voting on Tuesday has had few disruptions so far. Hannah Fried, CEO of the voting rights group All Voting Is Local, said the issues she's seen are “garden-variety stuff that any of us who works on elections is used to seeing, and it's quickly resolved.”

David Becker, executive director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, said it was “remarkable” to have so few issues, and suggested the massive early voting turnout may have contributed to a smoother Election Day.

In Westchester County, election officials said ballot scanners were not accepting paper ballots, an issue that resulted from a program update made after polling equipment was initially prepared and tested. That required the ballots to be placed in emergency bags for later counting. Officials stressed that the ballots would remain secure and monitored and that voters could continue casting ballots while they worked to resolve the issue.

One resident, registered Democrat Benjamin Hort, said he opted not to cast a provisional ballot Tuesday and planned to come back later in the day, when he hoped the machines would be operational.

“I’ll wait as long as I have to,” Hort said. “You would think they would have tested the machines. Not ideal.”

Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins vowed to launch a bipartisan investigation into what he called a “debacle.”

At polling locations across Florida's Broward County, voting was delayed for 20 minutes after polls opened because a new voting system safety feature malfunctioned. Supervisor of Elections Joe Scott apologized to voters who had to wait, and said some left before they were able to vote. The problem was solved by 7:20 a.m., and Scott encouraged those who left to return.

Officials also extended voting hours at three polling sites in Pennsylvania and five in North Carolina after technical issues created delays.

Weather disrupts voting in the Southwest and Florida

Heavy rains and flash flooding in a swath of the Southwest were making it harder for some voters to reach polling places in parts of Colorado, Arizona, Utah and New Mexico. Election administrators in the Navajo Nation announced several polling location changes, and in Utah's rural San Juan County, voters were allowed to vote electronically on Tuesday to account for difficulty getting to the polls.

Flooding in eight Florida counties also prompted some last-minute polling location changes in the state. Nancy Zhmendak, a registered Democrat from Riviera Beach, said she typically votes at her neighborhood clubhouse, but her voting location changed when her development flooded.

“Everybody's on Nextdoor and they're saying, ‘how do we get out of here? How can we go vote if we can't even get out of here?'" she said. “There's a lot of water in there, but it's better than it was.”

Election administrators and voting rights advocates had advised voters casting late absentee ballots to use drop boxes or deliver them to polling places in person, noting that recent changes in U.S. Postal Service operations could result in postmarking delays.

Courts have blocked the Trump administration’s efforts to influence elections

The Republican administration’s legal maneuvers have been largely blocked by the courts.

One of its most high-profile attempts to interfere in state elections was turned away Monday night by the U.S. Supreme Court, which rejected its push to force California to set aside thousands of ballots as part of its search for noncitizen voters. In another Monday night ruling, a federal judge said the administration must stop sending voter lists of alleged noncitizens to election officials.

On Tuesday, though, the Justice Department scored a small victory when the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals paused a lower court's ruling that had barred it from intimidating election officials involved in processing disputed ballots in California. Its practical impact was limited because rulings from other courts that are still in effect have blocked similar behavior.

Even the administration’s own record of arrests and charges has demonstrated what research and state investigations have made clear — that instances of noncitizens casting ballots are extremely rare.

The president faced another defeat in the Supreme Court less than two months ago, when it rejected his attempt to limit mail balloting through changes at the Postal Service. That directive was included in one of two executive orders Trump has signed during his second term that attempted to federalize certain aspects of elections, even though the Constitution gives states the authority to set election rules.

Trump hasn't committed to accepting the election results

Voting rights groups, Democrats and the Justice Department have been exchanging a flurry of legal filings over election processes — court battles that may extend past Election Day into counting and certification of the results.

Election law experts said the administration’s legal arguments were unlikely to convince judges.

Trump also has ramped up his own equivocations about whether the election will be legitimate, as he has in the past. A week before Election Day, he wouldn't commit to accepting the results.

“I will if they are honest,” he said.

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Associated Press writers Gary Fields, Geoff Mulvihill in Haddonfield, New Jersey; Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire; Michael Casey and Leah Willingham in Boston; Claire Galofaro in Louisville, Kentucky; and Philip Marcelo and Michael R. Sisak in New York contributed to this report. AP video journalists Mingson Lau in Philadelphia and Cody Jackson in Riviera Beach, Florida, also contributed.

A day after the start of free agent negotiations for the 2026-27 offseason, owners on Tuesday proposed to players the sport adopt a hard cap of $258.2 million for 2028 and a floor of $180.2 million, using luxury tax payrolls with average annual values. A team would be allowed to remain as low as 90% of the floor in 2028, which would be $162.18 million, but would have to spend the entire amount of the floor over a three-year period.

“We recognize that clubs will need a full offseason to prepare to operate within the cap and floor system," MLB spokesman Glen Caplin said in a statement. “This proposal would allow a smoother transition into the cap and floor system without delaying key player benefits, including earlier free agency, a $1 million minimum salary, a 30% increase to the pre-arbitration bonus pool and transactional reform that will reduce roster churn.”

Baseball's five-year labor contract, reached in March 2022 on the 99th day of a lockout, expires Dec. 1 and management is expected to again lock out the union. MLB hadn't proposed a salary cap since the negotiations that led to a 7 1/2-month strike in 1994 that forced cancellation of the World Series for the first time in 90 years. The players’ association has said it never will accept a cap.

“Coming off another incredible season of baseball, MLB owners continue to propose blowing up the current system and replacing it with one designed to line their pockets and increase their franchise values,” the union said in a statement. “Players stand ready to negotiate in good faith toward a new CBA that will capitalize on our sport’s unprecedented momentum and benefit players, clubs, and fans alike.”

Management's proposal is tied to a 50-50 split of revenue with players, and the union takes issue with management's definitions of revenue and expenses. Cap and floor figures would be lower if there is a work stoppage that causes MLB revenue to decline. Management's May proposal included a fixed $245.3 million figure for a cap and $171.2 million for a floor, also with the provision a club could be at only 90% of the floor.

“The projected salary cap and floor for 2028 continues to provide more money for major league players while leveling the playing field and giving more teams the ability to participate in the free agent market and retain their homegrown stars so that every fan believes their team has a fair chance to win it all,” Caplin said.

Management said eight teams would have to reduce current payroll by a combined $528 million to get under the 2028 cap: Boston, the Chicago Cubs, the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets and Yankees, Philadelphia, San Diego and Toronto.

Twelve teams would have to increase spending by $636 million to reach the floor: the Athletics, the Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Colorado, Miami, World Series champion Milwaukee, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, AL champion Tampa Bay and Washington.

MLB said it was willing to discuss phase-in timelines and procedures. It would keep the current luxury tax system and revenue-sharing plan for 2027 with the same thresholds and tax rates as in 2026, then centralize MLB media revenue for 2028.

Players claim the cap proposal would eliminate guaranteed contracts because of its escrow provision that would claw back salary money if the players' share of defined revenue in a year is above 50%. The union called the plan “replacement of market-based fundamentals with a zero-sum system that harms the middle class and pits player against player” and said the proposal would lead to “stripping current competitive advantages for smaller market teams." Players said the proposal would cause a $400 million reduction in amateur signing bonuses for 2027.

Owners said they would accept the union's proposal to reduce service time for free-agent eligibility from six seasons of service to five for players at least 30 years old but would give a player's team the right to make a qualifying offer as under the current free-agent rules. If a player rejects the qualifying offer, he would be eligible for salary arbitration.

MLB would accept the union's proposal to eliminate qualifying offers for other free agents.

Management would raise the minimum salary from $780,000 to $1 million for those with two years of service and $900,000 for others — those others would earn $100,000 more from the pre-arbitration bonus pool if they accrue a full year of service as long as they are not on the injured list for half a season or more. Minor league minimums would increase from $63,600 to $73,400 for initial big league deals and $127,100 to $146,700 for additional contracts.

MLB proposed a one-time bonus payment to players as part of the plan, using money from luxury tax proceeds the current labor agreement earmarks for players’ 401(k) accounts. The bonus would be based on 2026 service time, with those in the majors for at least 172 of the 187-day regular season getting $285,000. The bonus would be $213,400 for three-quarters of a year, $142,300 for half and $71,100 for a quarter.

MLB would increase the pre-arbitration bonus pool from $50 million in 2026 to $65 million in 2027, then up to $75 million over the term of a seven-year labor agreement through the 2033 season. It would include Prospect Promotion Incentive draft picks in the international draft MLB wants and would allow a player to earn his team two PPI picks, one in the amateur draft and the other in the international draft. MLB would accept the union's proposal to exclude foreign professionals, such as Japanese players, from the calculation if a player earns additional service time based on his finish in Rookie of the Year voting.

Owners would eliminate a player's fourth option year and reduce optional assignments per season from five to four. They would decrease the number of years by one for when a player must be protected from the Rule 5 draft and allow a player selected in the Rule 5 draft to be optioned.

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See AP’s full MLB coverage here

In a tense call lasting a little more than a minute, Kaylub Giamanco told the 911 operator there’s “someone with a gun” at the school his daughter attends. “I have a gun and I will shoot them right now,” said Giamanco, who was driving home for lunch and saw the shooter at Silver Rail Elementary School.

The operator implores him “don’t do anything, let me get an officer there.” They talk over each other and Giamanco sounds increasingly frustrated by the exchange. “I’m about to go kill this kid,” he said.

A few seconds later he says the shooter is entering the building. The operator asks if the shooter is firing and Giamanco says yes. The operator tries to get more information but the call ends.

A 16-year-old had shot his way through locked doors to get into the school in Bend, Oregon, on Oct. 15, killing three children — ages 5, 8, and 11 — and a teacher in a special needs classroom. Another student was critically injured and a teacher was injured and hospitalized.

A teacher tried to stop the shooter, Griffin J. John II, before Giamanco entered the school through an open window, opened the door of the classroom and fired his gun, dropping the shooter to the floor.

Teacher tried to stop shooter before father arrived

As Giamanco was racing toward the building, a teacher inside the school confronted the shooter in an effort to stop his progress. She threw her phone at the attacker, tackled him and wrestled with him for control of the weapon. Giamanco's arrival stopped the struggle.

He said the teacher was “a real true hero” because her actions gave him an opening to shoot the attacker.

The teacher, a certified learning specialist, had not been previously identified, but last week, Bend-La Pine Schools identified her as Cassidy Schutz and shared her statement. She said there were no words to describe the sadness she feels following the shooting.

“This is not a story. This is a horrific and heartbreaking tragedy, and it is our real lives,” Schutz wrote. “My thoughts are with those who were lost, their families, those who were hurt, and those who were there that day. My heart is with you.”

Schutz said her focus is on the families, the school “and my own healing.”

A second teacher in the classroom, Becky Drury, previously released a statement saying she never had a chance to shelter the children inside. She had tried to shut the door behind her, but the shooter was already there.

“Before I could do anything more, he shot me at close range and I fell to the ground,” Drury said. She was shot in her left hand and right arm. Unable to get up, she said she pretended to be dead in the hopes he would not shoot her again.

Father said he was the ‘last line of defense’

Giamanco said in a Oregon Public Broadcasting interview that he regrets not arriving soon enough to save everyone who was killed and injured.

After imploring the 911 operator to send help, Giamanco climbed into the school through a window and peeked into a nearby classroom. He saw Schutz and the shooter in profile, giving him an open shot.

“I felt like I was the last line of defense between him and the rest of the children,” Giamanco said.

He stepped into the room and fired his gun. The teacher ran from the room and the shooter reached for his shotgun.

“I looked at him and I shot him two more times to make sure that he couldn’t move, because I was afraid of him shooting anybody else,” he said. “If I wasn’t there, I just don’t know what would have happened.”

“Talisse was one of those salt-of-the-earth type students,” coach Clifton Collins said, saying she was a student who was quick to help others. “If she was in your class, she was going to help you out. She would keep the other kids in line.”

The shooting happened early Sunday outside the Regency Inn on Arlington Expressway. People were waiting in line to enter the Halloween party when an argument broke out, and three bystanders who weren’t involved were shot, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

Patterson was killed, and two others were injured when the gunfire erupted, police said.

Investigators believe at least two suspects walked up to the area before firing. JSO has not announced any arrests.

Collins said he coached Patterson for three years at Springfield Middle School and that teachers were devastated by her death.

“Every teacher that I’ve talked to since I heard what happened has been very, very devastated that such a good, good person lost their life too soon,” he said.

He said he has used the tragedy to talk with students about staying aware of their surroundings and trusting their instincts.

“If they’ve got a gut feeling that something’s going wrong, maybe they should go home or not be out that late,” Collins said.

A resident who lives near the scene described hearing repeated gunfire. The resident said the first burst caught their attention, followed by more shots.

“Our heart goes out to her family and anybody else that was involved,” Collins said.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office at 904-630-0500 or CrimeStoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.

History, polling and early voting numbers suggest it could be a difficult night for Trump's Republican Party, though the political map, not to mention a fresh round of gerrymandering, could limit Democratic gains.

Democrats are looking to win majorities in the House and Senate, which would curb Trump's power after he's faced few limits from a compliant Republican-controlled Congress. Several key governor's offices also are up for grabs.

More than 59 million Americans already had voted before Tuesday, but many more ballots will be cast on Election Day, and government watchdog groups worry that Trump and his loyalists could interfere with the voting process. Fearing a worst-case scenario, Democrats and nonpartisan watchdogs have trained tens of thousands of volunteers to monitor polling places.

Here's what we're watching Tuesday:

Trump said ‘pretend I'm on the ballot.' What do voters say?

The Republican president is trying to defy history, which shows that in almost every modern midterm election the party in the White House has lost seats in Congress — sometimes many of them.

Democrats certainly hope that's the case this year. The party is optimistic, given Trump's dismal approval ratings and voter concerns about the war with Iran and the surging price of gas and other daily necessities.

Trump is betting that his base of white working-class voters, which fueled his presidential victories in 2016 and 2024, can save his Republican allies if they show up in great numbers. Heading into Election Day, however, there are signs that Democrats are more fired up to vote against him and his party.

We're about to learn whether Trump and his coalition are still strong enough to stave off a political beatdown. Specifically, look to see whether Hispanic and Black voters and younger people who swung toward Trump two years ago now rebuke him.

The answer will have huge implications in the midterms and the next presidential cycle.

Can Democrats win both chambers of Congress?

It doesn't happen often.

Since World War II, the House and Senate have flipped from one party to the other in the same midterm just three times: 1946, 1994 and 2006. The common thread when it does happen is an electorate clamoring for change or broad frustration with the sitting president.

This year has both, and Democrats are trying to capitalize on the opportunity.

Strategists in both parties believe Democrats are on track to win a majority in the House, where Republicans began the current Congress with a slim margin of 220-215.

It's unclear how big of a swing there could be, however. Democrats are targeting more than 60 districts, including many where Trump won by double digits. But between redistricting and the deep partisan divide between metropolitan and rural America, there simply aren't as many competitive races as there were in some previous years when the House flipped, including 2018, when Democrats netted 40 more seats.

Early tells could be Pennsylvania's 1st District, where Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick is trying to hold his suburban Philadelphia seat; Florida's redrawn 22nd and 25th Districts, both of which were supposed to be Republican pickups after redistricting this spring; Virginia's 2nd District rematch between Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans and Democratic former Rep. Elaine Luria; and Virginia's 1st District, where Democrat Shannon Taylor, a local prosecutor, is challenging Republican Rep. Rob Wittman.

The Senate, meanwhile, is up for grabs. Republicans currently have a 53-47 advantage. To net the four seats that Democrats need to take control, they must win states that Trump won. Among their targets: Ohio, Iowa, Kansas, Texas and Alaska.

Early East Coast results could offer clues. Democrat Roy Cooper is favored to flip an open North Carolina seat, and Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff is widely expected to win reelection in Georgia. If one or both of those outcomes don't happen, or if the margins are razor-thin, it could forecast a stronger-than-expected Republican performance elsewhere.

Will Trump interfere?

It's a question not usually asked in U.S. politics.

The world is watching to see whether the president leverages the vast resources of the federal government to interfere with the election. Based on recent rhetoric, legal action and his yearslong record of promoting baseless claims of widespread voter fraud in elections he loses, there is reason to take the threat seriously.

In recent days, the Trump administration hinted at federal intervention in Alaska after a judge rejected his Justice Department's lawsuit seeking to block certification of the Senate race if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses. Trump called the situation "voter fraud at the highest level.” The administration also tried and failed to block California from counting 20,000 ballots from people the federal government has identified as “likely” noncitizens.

Trump’s Department of Justice is sending about 1,000 department staff to observe voting and ensure federal laws are being followed. Election observers are more concerned that Trump may dispatch federal immigration agents or the National Guard to intimidate voters in large Democratic precincts.

The Trump administration says it has no current plans to do so.

Still, a vast election protection effort will be on display this week featuring hundreds of Democratic groups and government watchdogs.

What version of the Democratic Party will emerge?

While Trump's standing has cratered in 2026, Democrats' brand as a whole isn't much to brag about. That will leave the party's major factions — the progressive left flank and the liberal-to-moderate establishment — parsing the outcomes to claim any advantage in Democrats' tug-of-war over party identity.

Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed is progressives' highest-profile candidate, and the movement would have a feather in its cap should he defeat Republican Mike Rogers to keep the seat in Democrats' hands. It's one thing for New Yorkers to elect Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, as mayor. It's quite another for an unabashed progressive like El-Sayed to carry a perennial battleground state that helped elect Trump twice.

On the other hand, progressives could lose leverage if their candidates are unsuccessful. Senate losses in Michigan and Minnesota — where Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan is defending a Democratic-held open seat against Republican Michele Tafoya — could cost Democrats control of the Senate and lead to serious finger pointing.

Still another possibility is that Democrats of all ideological stripes win, piling up Senate, House and gubernatorial victories that depend on urban, suburban and rural voters. That scenario would do little to resolve the discussion over party identity and would all but guarantee a wide-open, rollicking presidential nominating fight.

What effect will

Trump's gerrymandering push have?

Trump set off a tempest in Texas last year when he pushed the most populous Republican-run state to redraw congressional boundaries. California Gov. Gavin Newsom answered by persuading his state's voters to respond in kind. Democratic and Republican states followed. Along the way, the U.S. Supreme Court gutted part of the Voting Rights Act, thus allowing several Southern states to redraw districts that had been majority or near-majority Black.

On paper, the results suggest a net shift of nine seats to Republicans. But the gerrymandering meant spreading conservative supporters across more districts. In Florida and Texas, especially, the Republican plan counted on getting help from Latinos and other nonwhite voters who backed Trump in 2024 — and that may not happen.

Tuesday's results will settle whether redistricting ends up being a clear Republican benefit or a reminder that the law of unintended consequences can apply in politics, too.

A mild night as showers end for the night. Clearing skies with light to calm wind will allow for patchy fog tonight and early Wednesday. A few showers will be possible before sunrise, then becoming partly cloudy and warm.

Patchy to areas of dense fog will be possible Thursday and Friday morning with isolated showers possible each day. A weakening cold front will move in late Friday, bringing slightly cooler and drier air Saturday and Sunday.

Coastal and Marine hazards continue with minor Tidal Flooding for the St. Johns River Basin through Thursday. Tides are still averaging 1 - 2 feet above normal levels.

Tonight: Becoming partly cloudy as inland showers end.

Wednesday: Patchy fog then becoming partly cloudy with a few showers before sunrise, 20 percent. Lows in the 60s and 70s. Highs in the 70s to low 80s. Wind: E 5-10 mph. Partly cloudy with patchy fog overnight.

Above normal temperatures with a slight chance of afternoon showers Thursday and Friday. Slightly cooler this weekend following the cold front Friday night. The cooling trend continues next week.

Tropics: Chances are up for potential subtropical development near Bermuda. Current chance of development is 20 percent for the next two days and 40 percent over the next 7 days.

Sunrise: 6:44 a.m.

Sunset: 5:37 p.m.

A very tight pressure gradient between the low pressure and strong high pressure to its north is expected to produce near-gale to gale-force northeast to east winds beginning tomorrow afternoon.

Seas are expected to build to 10-16 ft with these winds through Thursday as the low pressure drifts east-northeastward. The low pressure could acquire some subtropical characteristics late this week.

The area of low pressure is expected to develop a few hundred miles south of Bermuda over the next day or so.

This system could gradually acquire some subtropical characteristics late this week or this weekend while it moves slowly eastward over the western to central Subtropical Atlantic.

By early next week, environmental conditions are forecast to become unfavorable for further development.

The formation chance through 48 hours is 20 percent and the formation chance through 7 days is 40 percent.

Jack Ellis, a retired school teacher, surveyed the damage along the San Juan River in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, which went through two rounds of severe flooding in recent weeks.

“This is quite a disaster for everybody, especially in the low-lying areas,” Ellis said. “We dig in and dig out, and that’s what it’s going to take."

More than 20 trillion gallons of rain have fallen on the Four Corners states and Nevada in the past two weeks, according to calculations by former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chief scientist Ryan Maue.

The skies were clearing on Tuesday, but flood risks remained as all that water moves through the dry landscape where Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah meet. While hundreds of evacuees were returning home, swift-water rescue teams were kept busy. One person died in the floodwaters and police suspect a second death was weather-related.

Some communities in Colorado and Utah made alternative Election Day voting plans because of the flooding. And as downpours swamped parts of Florida, some polling places were changed in at least eight counties after Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an emergency declaration.

Officials said the cleanup and repairs could take weeks or more in Pagosa Springs, walkways and bridges collapsed or were heavily damaged. A sign in front of a resort where the entrance was covered with a tarp and sandbags were stacked, a sign read “Love Pagosa.”

“I hope the federal government helps out a little bit. I know we’re a blue state. I just hope that they come through because we all pay taxes and we all work for each other in a time like this,” Ellis said.

In Durango, about 60 miles (96.5 kilometers) to the west, Willow Bradner's ranch-style home was surrounded by about 2 feet (60 centimeters) of mud. Nearly five feet (1.5 meters) of water from the overflowing Junction Creek poured inside at one point.

“Our basement became a soup bowl,” she said.

The basement had been a selling point when she bought the property in 2024. Bradner, who runs a small custom closet and storage business with her husband, said they had asked if they needed flood insurance, and were told they were outside the flood zone.

While the couple and their teenage daughter have been offered a place to stay through the end of the year, and they've been offered the help of countless strangers armed with shovels, the loss of their home and uncertainty over the future is overwhelming.

"The majority of our savings is in this house,” she said. “We have to dig deep and we have to rebuild.”

Officials in New Mexico's San Juan County, where there have been a number of evacuations, said the major rivers, including the San Juan, Animas and La Plata, have all crested.

“None are below flood stage, but will continue to recede,” the agency posted online Tuesday. “We believe that the crest has passed on all rivers, but it will take 24-48 hours for floodwaters to recede.”

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AP journalists Savannah Peters in Santa Fe, New Mexico and Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire contributed.

Democrats were cautiously optimistic as they watched Republicans spend the campaign's final stretch pumping tens of millions of dollars into states and districts that Trump won handily two years ago. They're betting that discontent over Trump’s failure to deliver on his promise to tackle rising costs and perceptions that he's focused more on gilding the nation’s capital than their pain at the pump will depress Republican turnout and drive their own voters to the polls.

Republicans held out hope their money advantage would help stem the tide, but they were bracing to lose control of the U.S. House and fighting to hang onto the U.S. Senate — an outcome that seemed unlikely earlier this year, given a map widely seen as favoring their party.

Margins are tight in both chambers; one or two seats could tip the balance. Democrats need a net gain of four seats in the 100-member Senate to win the majority, and most competitive races are in historically red states. In the 435-member House, they need three.

More than 59 million people had already cast ballots before Tuesday, according to an Associated Press analysis. That surpassed early-voter turnout from 2022, when the figure hit just over 58 million.

Trump, whose party has struggled when he's not running to turn out the low-propensity voters who've fueled his victories, has told voters to act as though he's running, even as many Republican candidates have kept their distance.

On Tuesday, he declared in a Fox News Channel interview that “everything's going good” and “inflation is solved” — even though consumer prices rose 3.6% in September from a year earlier, up from 3.4% in August, the Commerce Department reported last week.

“I think the results are going to be better than you think,” Trump said of the elections.

Voters weigh in on Trump

On Tuesday, Mark Barker, of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, said Trump was top of mind as he voted. “I’ve just been following Trump the whole time. I really think he’s doing an awesome job,” said Barker, noting the president's promise of $5,000 for every U.S. adult if Republicans retain control of Congress, border policy and war in the Middle East. “Everything he's done has been outstanding.”

In Raleigh, North Carolina, 57-year-old librarian James Moore said he voted for Democrats to push back on Trump's big tax breaks and spending cuts bill. “I’m paying more taxes. I’m paying more for my healthcare. I’m paying more for everything,” he said. “We need more representatives in Congress that are going to stand up to Trump.”

Trump's aggressive schedule had stops in the reddest states, including Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas, underscoring his party's challenges.

Trump has made false claims about voting fraud, such as insisting noncitizens are casting ballots en masse. His administration has filed lawsuits in Alaska and California. Democrats fear interference and voter intimidation as his Justice Department threatens to prosecute local election officials.

Polling sites opened early Tuesday along the East Coast, with few disruptions. In New York’s suburban Westchester County, officials said an issue with machines accepting paper ballots was requiring ballots to be placed in emergency bags for later counting but stressed that they would remain secure.

The election could reshape the political landscape

The results will shape the final two years of Trump’s second term after the Republican-controlled Congress acted as a rubber stamp to much of his agenda. While Trump has proven adept at steamrolling efforts to rein him in, Democrats taking control of even one chamber of Congress would open the floodgates to investigations and possible impeachments. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and tech titan Elon Musk, a former top Trump adviser, are among possible targets.

An especially strong showing for Democrats would also boost potential presidential candidates, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. It could also complicate the paths of Vice President JD Vance and other Republicans who may be looking to turn their loyalty to Trump into momentum.

Republicans tried to buck historical precedent — a president’s party almost always loses seats during the midterms — with an aggressive redistricting effort aimed at creating a more favorable congressional map. But the plan may fall short as districts drawn in Florida and other states to be safely red may not vote that way.

Other Trump choices could prove costly. In Texas, Trump worked to oust longtime incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in favor of scandal-plagued Attorney General Ken Paxton, setting the stage for an expensive race against Democratic nominee James Talarico, who Democrats hope may help them finally flip the state.

In North Carolina, Sen. Thom Tillis retired after clashing with Trump. The president's chosen replacement, former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley, has struggled to gain traction against the Democrats' candidate, former Gov. Roy Cooper.

“Everything depends on turnout. If we turn out our voters, we win," said Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters.

The vast majority of Republican television ad spending in the general election, 88.1%, was spent in states and districts Trump won in 2024, according to an Associated Press analysis of data from media tracking firm AdImpact. That included more than $850 million on ad reservations in states and districts Trump won by 10 percentage points or more.

The electorate sours on Trump

Only 35% of U.S. adults approve of Trump's performance as president, according to the most recent polling from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Most blame him for high prices as they struggle to afford gas and groceries.

What was once his strongest issue is no longer: 25% of U.S. adults say they approve of Trump's handling of the economy. Overall, about 7 in 10 say the country is heading in the wrong direction.

“The American people are angry. They want change,” said Rep. Suzan DelBene, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, who said momentum was on her party’s side.

The Senate and the House are in play

In the Senate, Democrats have been most confident about picking up North Carolina and holding Georgia, where Sen. Jon Ossoff faces Republican Rep. Mike Collins. Other key battlegrounds include Ohio, where Democratic former Sen. Sherrod Brown is challenging Republican Sen. Jon Husted, and Alaska, where the Trump administration filed a lawsuit to block certification of Senate results if Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan loses the race, citing the presence of a second candidate named Dan Sullivan on the ballot.

Republicans hope they can hold seats in Iowa, Kansas and Maine and pick up Michigan, where Mike Rogers faces progressive Abdul El-Sayed — one of a crop of left-wing candidates who prevailed in Democratic primaries. El-Sayed's former primary opponent, Haley Stevens, upended the race by endorsing Rogers, renewing focus on tensions over Israel and the party's direction.

In the House, Republicans try to hang on to their narrow majority, as Democrats aim to flip seats in states Trump repeatedly carried, from Florida to Texas to Iowa.

Dozens of states are electing governors

Beyond Washington, 36 states are electing governors. Democrats hope to take over a majority of statehouses for the first time in two decades. Competitive races include those in heavily populated states such as Texas and Florida, plus reliably red states such as Iowa.

In Ohio, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign faced backlash for an ad featuring Democrat Amy Acton’s estranged mother, who lost custody of Acton decades ago after her husband, Acton’s stepfather, was indicted for raping Acton as a child.

The stakes in Washington are high

Trump’s final two years in office will likely be defined in part by who controls Congress.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, in line to make history as the nation’s first Black speaker of the House if his party sweeps to power, has outlined a 100-day agenda focused on lowering the cost of living and aggressively overseeing the Trump administration.

The Senate could emerge as a key backstop for Trump’s priorities if Republicans retain control or as a new power center for Democrats who could use it to halt presidential nominees and challenge the White House agenda.

The 2026 elections will likely go down as the most expensive in history. Republican committees have dramatically outraised and outspent their Democratic counterparts thanks, in large part, to money from Trump-affiliated groups and Musk. But at the candidate level, Democrats outraised Republican opponents.

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Associated Press journalists Aaron Kessler and Ali Swenson in Washington; Cody Jackson in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.; and Allen Breed in Raleigh, N.C., contributed.

Yet De Miguel’s career was like that of most players. He was a journeyman who worked hard to turn a sport into a livelihood, bouncing from club to club in the lower divisions of his home country.

Born in Madrid in 1996, De Miguel got his start with Leganes’ reserves in 2015, and from there the striker moved between clubs in and around Spain’s capital.

His most successful season as a scorer came after he joined Castellón in 2023. His 16 goals were crucial to helping the club earn promotion to the second division.

After a season of struggling to score in the second tier, De Miguel left the peninsula in the summer of 2025 for Tenerife, located on Spain's Canary Islands archipelago.

Back in the third division, he thrived once more, grabbing six goals in the first five games. He went on to score 11 times in all and help the blue-and-white clad team earn promotion.

Left-footed, 1.9 meters (6 feet, two inches) tall, De Miguel was a traditional striker, one used to fighting for balls in the air.

On Monday, De Miguel was charging down the middle of the field at Tenerife’s home stadium in search of the ball after a teammate had booted a long pass in injury time of a 2-2 draw with FC Andorra.

That was when De Miguel was blind-sided by the Andorra goalkeeper rushing out of his area.

De Miguel crashed to the ground, curled onto his knees and flopped over on his back, his arms at his side. He suffered cardiac arrest and passed away the following morning in hospital.

He was 30 and left behind a daughter born last year and her mother.

Former teammate Fernando Román wrote on social media that he was devastated by the death of a friend he defined as “humble, hard-working … above all a good person.”

Román recalled a vacation they went on together, the time they spent with their daughters, the good times they shared at an escape room.

“I can’t believe you are gone,” he wrote. “You can’t imagine how much I am going to miss you. I didn’t consider you a friend. I considered you family.”

Tenerife said Miguel’s body would be transported to Navahermosa, in the Toledo province, at the request of his family, and his teammates and club officials would be present for a “final farewell.”

“We need to give Demi the tribute he deserves,” said Tenerife president Felipe Miñambres. “And from that point on we will always carry him in our hearts.”

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See AP’s full soccer coverage here

The central bank’s board voted unanimously late Monday to put Ueno Bank into resolution and hand its management to officials charged with assessing its finances and protecting its assets, the regulator said Tuesday. The move came after Ueno’s solvency ratio, a measure of its capital against its risk-weighted assets, fell below half the legal minimum. Resolution allows regulators to transfer a failing bank’s deposits to other institutions before liquidating its remaining assets.

The bank says it has about 3 million customers, equivalent to roughly 60% of the adult population of the South American country, and manages $800 million to $850 million in public money. That includes about $380 million invested by Paraguay’s state pension and health fund.

Prosecutors ordered the arrest of eight people, including Ueno President Juan Manuel Gustale and chief executive Federico Miguel Vázquez Villasanti, as part of an investigation into suspected breach of trust and other offenses. By Tuesday afternoon, another two bank directors had been taken into custody, prosecutors said.

Peña, who canceled a planned trip to an international summit in Spain late Monday, said that he had asked central bank chief Carlos Carvallo to resign and had agreed with congressional leaders to fast-track legislation expediting payouts to depositors and guaranteeing the return of public money. He vowed to hold whoever was behind the collapse accountable.

“Those responsible will have to answer to the courts, without exceptions or privileges,” he wrote on social media.

Carvallo, who led Ueno’s predecessor before Peña appointed him, said he had already signed his resignation but would stay on to oversee the takeover because “the central bank needs calm to do its job.”

Customers worry about their savings

Locked out of their accounts on the bank’s app, panicked customers gathered outside shuttered branches across the country demanding answers about their savings, as police stood guard.

Activists called for an evening rally outside Congress to demand Peña’s impeachment and an investigation into the bank’s collapse, while an association of pensioners planned a protest outside Peña’s official residence.

“This really tarnishes the country’s name,” said depositor Víctor González, who came to the bank’s headquarters to ask about his savings, only to be told by police that he and others couldn’t even stand outside.

“Apparently, these criminals are protecting the malicious people who caused this financial collapse,” he added, referring to the officers.

Customers could not withdraw or transfer money Tuesday, though most are protected by deposit insurance. A central bank fund guarantees up to 228.3 million Paraguayan guaraníes ($38,000) per person, enough to fully cover about 97% of Ueno’s depositors, according to preliminary estimates. By law, that money must be paid within 15 days of the takeover, a deadline that can be extended once.

As a first step, the central bank said depositors would soon receive up to 10 million guaraníes ($1,700), minus any debts they owe Ueno, though it gave no date.

Those with larger balances face more uncertainty. The central bank stopped short of promising them full repayment, saying only that it would seek “the greatest possible protection.”

The state pension fund said pensions would be paid as usual and that it was moving the roughly 32,000 retirees who collect their pensions through Ueno to another bank. It also plans legal action to recover its investment.

A bank under suspicion from the start

Fast-growing Paraguay has courted foreign investors with low taxes, light regulation and a record of economic stability, recently winning its first investment-grade credit ratings, a milestone in Peña’s campaign to turn the landlocked nation into a manufacturing hub.

But Ueno’s collapse revives long-standing concerns about weak institutions. Paraguay ranked 150th of 182 countries and territories in Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index, tied with Bangladesh and the Central African Republic.

Peña’s own ties to Ueno have fueled some of those concerns since he took office in 2023. Soon after his inauguration, he named Carvallo to run the central bank. Critics called the appointment a conflict of interest, though the regulator has said Carvallo recused himself from decisions involving Ueno.

Peña remained a business partner of Grupo Vázquez, the conglomerate that owns Ueno, until March 2025. He repeatedly dismissed concerns about its finances, accusing the media of fearmongering. Meanwhile, government agencies and state funds poured money into Ueno. The bank said last month that public money accounted for about a quarter of its deposits.

Less than a week ago, Ueno announced plans to raise $100 million in fresh capital, half from its holding company and half from shares to be sold to local private investors. Fitch Ratings changed its outlook on the bank to negative last month, citing rapid growth in its balance sheet and a high level of intangible assets.

The central bank said it warned Ueno in June that it was lending too much money to companies tied to its owners. Banks face strict limits on such loans because they let owners funnel customers’ savings into their own businesses.

“There was a great deal of flexibility in financial and banking rules that allowed this institution to expand very rapidly,” said Luis Rojas, a Paraguayan economist. “There was preferential treatment, which raised a lot of suspicions.”

Opposition senators said Tuesday they would seek to impeach Peña over his handling of public money deposited at Ueno. To succeed, they would have to win over lawmakers from his own Colorado Party, which controls both chambers of Congress and has governed Paraguay for all but five years since 1947, including during a lengthy military dictatorship.

Peña, a former International Monetary Fund economist who cast himself as a modernizer of both the country and its entrenched ruling party, cannot seek reelection in 2028. But as factions jockey to succeed him, the crisis has exacerbated political rifts. Rodolfo Friedmann, a party vice president, called for Peña’s expulsion, while Senate President Basilio Núñez defended the president and blamed the central bank instead.

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DeBre reported from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Associated Press writer Nayara Batschke in Santiago, Chile, contributed to this report.

Alix Didier Fils-Aimé said Haiti, which is battling powerful gangs, is responsible for the direction of foreign forces in his country.

“The international force is not here to replace the state,” he said. “They’re here to support us.”

Fils-Aimé was flanked from behind by an army colonel from El Salvador, a leader of the U.N.-backed gang suppression force, and officials from Haiti’s army and police. It appeared to be a show of unity as concerns grow about Salvadoran troops acting unilaterally.

Gangs have grown in power since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021. They now control 70% of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and have expanded their activities, including looting, kidnapping, sexual assaults and rape, into the countryside. Haiti has not had a president since the assassination.

Concerns grow about role of El Salvador's troops in Haiti

Fils-Aimé thanked El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele in his brief speech.

“He understands our fight,” he said, referring to Bukele’s ongoing battle against violent gangs in El Salvador. “He came to stand on the side of the Haitian people.”

But a source familiar with on-the-ground operations in Haiti who was not authorized to talk publicly about the situation told The Associated Press on Tuesday that up until the Oct. 18 attack against the Salvadoran technicians, El Salvador had not signed an agreement with the U.N. It also did not have a protection agreement with Haiti’s government or a memorandum of understanding with the Dominican Republic to medevac injured personnel of the U.N.-backed gang suppression force.

Damian Merlo, a lobbyist for El Salvador's government, asserted that the country's forces are closely coordinating with the gang suppression force and Fils-Aimé's office. He declined to clarify who the Salvadoran troops were reporting to or provide more details on operations, adding that “the only ones operating outside international law are the gangs.”

Up until the attack, the primary role of the roughly 200 Salvadorans in Haiti was to assist medically. Meanwhile, the whereabouts and operations of the recently deployed Salvadoran troops remained murky.

Haiti embraces foreign forces

Fils-Aimé said the government’s priorities are to reestablish security across Haiti and hold elections. “We have entered into a decisive stage,” he said.

The prime minister spoke a day after the U.N. said that most of El Salvador’s personnel in Haiti are not operating under the framework of the U.N.-backed gang suppression force. U.N. officials underscored the importance of complying with international law.

“People’s rights need to be respected as you conduct security operations,” U.N. spokesman Stéphane Dujarric told reporters Tuesday.

The prime minister said the international force came to help support Haiti and “uproot gangs,” adding that more than 1,000 new police officers just graduated from training, and that he hopes to see 4,000 new police officers and 15,000 new soldiers join the fight against gangs.

The prime minister said security operations have been launched in places including Kenscoff, Gressier and l’Artibonite, which have faced brutal gang violence in recent years.

“We are leading this fight with determination against the gangs to eradicate them,” Fils-Aimé said. “With reinforcement, the gangs won’t have time to sleep. … Every armed group that is causing terror in the country, your time has almost expired.”

More than 5,700 people have been killed or injured across Haiti from January to mid-September, according to the U.N.

Salvadoran troops come under scrutiny

Experts and those involved in Haiti’s security operations are raising questions about how the recently deployed Salvadoran troops are operating and what role they’re playing.

“We still do not know the terms of the agreement with the Haitian government, who commands these troops, under which rules of engagement, or for how long,” said Romain Le Cour, head of the Haiti Observatory at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.

“In a dense urban environment where civilians are trapped between the lines, those questions will determine who answers should things potentially go wrong,” he said. “The risk, as things stand, is a lack of transparency and no one taking responsibility.”

Le Cour said the actions of El Salvador could set a damaging precedent for multilateral missions: “Governments may conclude that the risks of joining are rising while the political rewards go to those who act alone.”

Le Cour noted that five structures are currently operating on the ground in Haiti: the country’s police and army, the gang suppression force and a task force working with Vectus Global, the private security firm founded by former U.S. Navy SEAL and Blackwater founder Erik Prince.

“Each with its own mandate and rules, and no common plan,” he said. “Haiti’s security response is already an orchestra without a conductor.”

Gang-penned letter to UN attracts attention

Haiti’s prime minister held the press conference a day after one of Haiti’s most powerful gang leaders told AP that he wrote the U.N. secretary-general requesting that the organization send a delegation to Haiti for dialogue and mediation amid fears that the arrival of Salvadoran troops could escalate the violence.

“The letter shows that the pressure is being felt, and potentially a strategic move to reduce exposure and gain recognition,” Le Cour said.

On Tuesday, the U.N. issued a statement saying it has previously directly received communications from people including those subject to U.N. sanctions: “Receiving such communications does not imply recognition, endorsement, or any change in the status of the individual concerned under the relevant sanction regime."

It’s unclear if U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres plans to respond to the letter sent via email from the leader of the 400 Mawozo gang.

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Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Associated Press reporter Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations and Megan Janetsky in Mexico City contributed to this report.

National Transportation Safety Board member Tom Chapman said during a news conference Tuesday that the discovery of tail parts confirms the plane was breaking apart before it hit the ground.

Chapman said the tail's elevator was broken into three parts, and without that intact, pilot would not have been able to pull the Learjet out of its nose dive.

“The function of the elevator is to control the pitch up and down," he said. "At those speeds I don’t know that it would’ve been effective even if it had still been attached to the aircraft, but knowing that it was lost is a very important piece of evidence in terms of pointing us towards other things to investigate.”

Chapman acknowledged Monday that parts of the jet likely started to break off before it struck the ground. The co-pilot, Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, told air traffic controllers minutes before the crash that ice was accumulating on the plane and that severe turbulence had thrown it up and down by more than 700 feet (210 meters).

“We’re going to die!” she said with a scream before the jet slammed into the ground and erupted in a fireball.

Friends and family celebrate and mourn the pilot

Family and friends of one of the pilots have been posting online about the longtime aviator, husband and father from the Philadelphia suburbs.

Jeff Gregory, 55, was one of two crew members in the cockpit of the Bahamas-bound Learjet 60 as it encountered bad weather and slammed into the ground Sunday afternoon in Greenacres, about 7 miles (11 kilometers) southwest of West Palm Beach.

As the plane plunged, a man’s voice could be heard reciting the Lord’s Prayer in the background of the copilot’s final radio transmissions to air traffic control. Friends are convinced it was Gregory, a devout Christian.

Thomas Noetzel, the director of operations at the company that operated the flight, Upper Jets, organized an online fundraiser to support Gregory’s wife and children.

Gregory was a close, personal friend and “knowing him has made me a better person,” Noetzel wrote on the fundraising website GoFundMe.

“Jeff was a devoted, conscientious, and deeply faithful man who had a genuine passion for flying and a strong love for the Lord ,” Noetzel’s father, Walter, posted on Facebook. “His journey on earth may have ended, but I like to think he is now flying among the angels, soaring peacefully in the presence of our Lord.”

Gregory held airline transport pilot and flight instructor certificates, according to Federal Aviation Administration records. He lived in Gilbertsville, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) northwest of Philadelphia, and had previously worked for a charter company based in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

“We are deeply saddened to learn that Captain Jeff Gregory was among those who lost their lives,” said April Honnen, the director of charter sales for East Coast Jets, Inc., where he worked in 2016 and 2017. “Our prayers go out to Jeff’s family, his fellow crew member, the passengers and everyone affected by this heart breaking tragedy.”

Co-pilot radios ATC and sends panicked texts

The Learjet hit the ground with enough force to create a crater before bursting into flames. The impact scattered plane fragments over a large area.

Images of the moment just before the aircraft made impact appear to show the elevator — a horizontal stabilizer — missing from the tail. About 600 nearby residents remain displaced, but only one injury was reported on the ground.

The plane took off from Austin, Texas. The victims included technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife, Helen Sharp, and their two young children, relatives said.

Filgueiras' stepfather, Thiago Corteleti, told the New York Post that she texted her boyfriend about 10 minutes before the crash, telling him: “I’ve got turbulence, I’ve got ice.”

The texts were sent before the situation became critical. In the last two minutes of the flight, Filgueiras shifted from calmly communicating with air traffic controllers to calling out terrifying updates as the plane plummeted.

The FAA prohibits commercial airline pilots from using cellphones at any point during a flight. The rules aren’t as strict for pilots of charter flights; they are not supposed to use cellphones during critical phases of flight, such as takeoffs and landings, but are allowed while cruising at altitude unless their company or pilot in command specifically bans it.

Tom Chapman, a National Transportation Safety Board member, said Monday that weather would be a key focus of the investigation. A preliminary report describing what happened will be released in about a month, but it will likely take more than a year to determine the cause of the crash.

Hocevar was accused of intentionally brake-checking competitor Austin Cindric following a restart at Martinsville Speedway last Sunday. He denied doing it on purpose.

Cindric finished 36th, with his No. 2 Ford’s front end destroyed by multiple collisions with Hocevar, who seemed to slam on the brakes multiple times to initiate contact. Cindric declined interviews after leaving the care center, but he radioed his team that Hocevar “had a mental breakdown” in the incidents.

Hocevar, who has been involved in several run-ins this season, said he “got lost there for a second” and denied hitting Cindric intentionally.

Earlier in the race, Hocevar was accused of intentionally spinning his No. 77 Chevrolet to bring out a caution flag and potentially catch Christopher Bell and others on pit road, disrupting their race strategies.

“A decision like this has a lot of variables and a cascading effect across an organization like ours," Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson said in a statement. "The easy thing would have been to leave this in NASCAR's hands and let them decide what any penalty should be.

"To us, however, this isn't about money or points. We believe in respect. Our integrity matters. This is the right decision for Spire Motorsports.”

Justin Haley will replace Hocevar in the finale.

“This is an embarrassing day for me,” Hocevar said in a statement posted on social media. “I let the people down that gave me the opportunity of a lifetime to drive a Cup car. I also let down my team, sponsors and fans. I crossed the line with my on-track actions and gave Jeff and Spire Motorsports no option but to put someone else in the 77 car this weekend at Homestead.

"I’ll be rooting for the entire organization this weekend and look forward to coming back in 2027 as a better driver, competitor and teammate.”

Hocevar, driving in his third full season for Spire, made the 16-team playoff field but has since been eliminated from the championship chase. He currently ranks 12th.

“Everyone here loves working with Carson, and we've enjoyed watching him thrive alongside our team,” Dickerson said. "Sometimes the right decision for someone you care about hurts in the short term.

“The way Carson conducted himself at Martinsville doesn't meet the standard we set for our drives, team members or employees, and there are consequences for that. That doesn't mean we don't love him and support him.”

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See AP’s full auto racing coverage here

Voters on Tuesday could propel into office the first Native American female governor and Native women senators, the first Black female governor,the first openly gay U.S. senator and the first Muslim U.S. senator, among other milestones. Most are Democrats, but the GOP could also break ground.

While some of these candidates have avoided focusing on the inherent historic value of their race, gender, religion or sexual orientation, some voters' rights advocates are celebrating how the electorate has expanded.

“These firsts show how our country is changing,” Alexis Anderson-Reed, president and CEO of State Voices, a network of advocates for civic engagement and equity in democracy, said via e-mail.

“For years, people of color and LGBTQ+ communities have organized, knocked on doors, talked to voters, held conversations, and done the hard work of saving our democracy," Anderson-Reed said. "These wins are because of them.”

Here are some of the races where history could be made.

First Native American female governor

Democrat Deb Haaland already broke barriers in 2018 as one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress. Then she became the first Native American cabinet secretary, running President Joe Biden’s Department of the Interior. Charles Curtis, from the Kaw Nation, was President Herbert Hoover’s vice president.

Now the Laguna Pueblo citizen is poised to add first Native American woman governor to the list if she beats Republican Gregg Hull, a former mayor, in New Mexico.

Oklahoma is the only state to elect a tribal citizen for governor — Democrat Johnston Murray in the 1950s and current Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt.

Haaland shrugged off a question about her various political identities in a recent interview with The Associated Press.

“I mean, somebody has to be the first,” she said. “I just don’t want to be the last, right?”

But she says she's proud to see how Indigenous people care about representation as other Native women run. “It truly does matter,” Haaland said. “It’s not just a slogan.”

First Native woman senators

Mary Peltola, who is Yup’ik and a Democrat, was considered a trailblazer in 2022 when she became the first Alaska Native elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Now the former congresswoman is trying to do the same in the Senate by unseating Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan.

The honor could also go to Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, a progressive Democrat and a citizen of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe who faces Republican Michele Tafoya, a former NFL sideline reporter.

And if Tafoya wins, she too would make history — as the first Republican of Latina heritage to sit in the U.S. Senate.

First Black female governor

Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms and Republican Lisa Demuth could end a 250-year streak without a Black woman serving as a state's governor.

Bottoms, the former Atlanta mayor, is running against Republican Rick Jackson, a billionaire businessman, to be governor of Georgia. If she wins, Bottoms would also be Georgia’s first governor of color. All 83 of Georgia’s previous governors have been white men.

Demuth, the former Minnesota House speaker, is going up against longtime Minnesota U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar. Whatever the outcome, Minnesota will get its first female governor.

Stacey Abrams is the only Black woman to come close to winning a governor's race when she got the Georgia Democratic Party's nomination in 2018 and 2022.

First Muslim U.S. senator

Abdul El-Sayed could be the first Muslim American to serve in the U.S. Senate.

The progressive Michigan Democrat needs to defeat Republican Mike Rogers in what has been a very tight and contentious race.

El-Sayed has had to contend with Republicans all the way up to Trump implying or overtly stating that the Michigan-born epidemiologist is not American and supports terrorism. Trump has called him “dangerously radical," “too extreme” and referred to him as “Mohammed." El-Sayed and his supporters have denounced the attacks as Islamophobic or racist affronts to religious freedom.

First openly gay U.S. senator

Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas could be the country’s first openly gay senator if he's elected in New Hampshire. He is running against former Republican U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu.

Pappas already became the first openly gay member of Congress when he was elected in 2018.

This potential new benchmark is not something Pappas has dwelled on while campaigning, saying “I’m not running to make history.” But he also applauded the fact that his sexual orientation was not a huge source of discussion among potential voters.

First Black governors

The U.S. could go from having only three elected Black governors in its 250-year history to gaining seven more overnight.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, the third one in the U.S. and the only current Black governor, is projected to win re-election. Besides Georgia and Minnesota, he could also have new peers in Florida, Wisconsin, Nevada, South Carolina and Michigan.

Moore, chair of the National Governors Association, has called the presence of so many Black gubernatorial contenders “a unique moment.” It's not “an applause line” but a challenge to make diverse gubernatorial nominees more common, he said.

Record year of women running for governor and Congress

This midterm has been a record-breaker for women vying for state and federal offices. Democrats increased their 2022 number of women candidates to 19 running for governor, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. The Republican Party has seven women setting their sights on governor.

Like Minnesota, Tennessee will elect its first female governor. The main candidates are Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn and Democrat Jerri Green, a Memphis city councilwoman.

The election of the first Democratic Asian American woman as governor could happen in Vermont with Amanda Janoo, who is half Malaysian, or Oklahoma with Cyndi Munson, a former state lawmaker of Korean descent. Former Republican Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina, who is of Indian heritage, was the first Asian American female governor.

Nearly 300 women, including incumbents, are running for the U.S. Senate and House, as documented by Rutgers' Center for American Women and Politics.

Among them is Democrat Juliana Stratton in Illinois. If Stratton, who is Black, wins her Senate race, then she and fellow Democrat Sen. Tammy Duckworth, who is of Thai heritage, will make Illinois the first state to be represented by two female senators of color.

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Associated Press writers Becky Bohrer in Juneau, Alaska, and Savannah Peters in Albuquerque, New Mexico, contributed to this report.

Once polls close at 7 p.m. in Florida and Georgia, elections officials will begin tabulating the day’s votes, and soon after will also release totals from early and mail-in voting.

At stake in both states is leadership for the next four years, as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp are both term-limited. Also, Florida’s Amendment 3 has the potential to dramatically change property taxes in the state.

On the national level, the balance of power in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate is up for grabs, with Senate races in both Florida and Georgia factoring in to the outcome.

Beyond the races at the top of the ballot, there are also plenty of consequential down-ballot elections in both Florida and Georgia, including races for school boards, county commissions, and local ballot questions, including the renewal of some property tax funding for local schools.

Find the latest election results for state and local races in the drop-down menu or the links below. Scroll down for a look at the balance of power and results from congressional races across the country.

Florida election results for governor, U.S. Senate, Florida Cabinet, constitutional amendments

Georgia election results for governor, U.S. Senate, statewide offices, constitutional amendments

U.S. House races for Northeast Florida

U.S. House races for Southeast Georgia

Florida Senate & Florida House election results

Results in Florida judicial retention races

Georgia House election results

Duval County election results (including Atlantic Beach)

Clay County election results

St. Johns County election results (including St. Augustine & St. Augustine Beach)

Nassau County election results (including Fernandina Beach & Hilliard)

Alachua County election results (includes Gainesville, High Springs, and Archer)

Election results for Bradford & Columbia Counties (includes Fort White)

Flagler County election results (includes Palm Coast and Flagler Beach)

Putnam County election results (includes Palatka, Pomona Park, Interlachen, and Welaka)

Southeast Georgia election results

On a winless streak in nine games in all competitions, Carrick's position is under intense scrutiny less than six months into a two-year contract.

Carrick was handed a long-term deal after rescuing last season for United when stepping in on a temporary basis in January, but things have gone badly wrong since.

“You never know what’s going to happen,” he told a news conference when facing fresh questions about his future on Monday. “That doesn’t change the way I feel, how we’re preparing for the game tomorrow, and I’m actually really looking forward to the game. Can’t wait.

“You might think I’m crazy with the results we’ve had and what’s going on, but I genuinely really can’t wait for the game. And that’s all I’m focused on. Really, I am.”

Back in the Champions League after a two-year absence, United already faces a struggle to advance after just one win in three games and sitting 20th in the standings.

Roma is a point better off going into the game at Old Trafford.

Barcelona awaits Emery and Aston Villa

High-flying Aston Villa headed to Barcelona.

Villa has maximum points after three games and is second in the standings behind back-to-back defending champion Paris Saint-Germain.

In the lead up to the match, Villa coach Unai Emery has been reminded of a painful visit to Camp Nou in 2017 when he was in charge of a PSG team that led 4-0 after the first leg at home in the round of 16.

PSG went on to lose 6-1 in the second leg match now known as “La Remontada” or “The Comeback.”

“To play against Barcelona is to play against the elite,” Emery said. “Barcelona is among the favorites to win the Champions League, I could pick five teams vying for the title, and they are one of them.”

Kane close to a new Bayern deal

Bayern Munich is another of the favorites and it faces a trip to Atletico Madrid with newly-crowned Ballon d'Or winner Harry Kane saying he is “days” away from signing a contract extension with the powerful German club.

“There has been good conversations,” he said. “I know I keep saying we are close, but we are extremely close now. Details are just details in every contract.”

PSG was playing Villarreal.

Wins for Sporting and Galatasaray

Sporting Lisbon beat Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0, a day after announcing it was parting ways with coach Rui Borges.

Under reserve coach Tiago Fernandes, the Portuguese giant picked up its third win in the Champions League this season, with Issa Doumbia scoring the decisive goal in the game at Stamford Bridge.

Aleksey Batrakov scored two goals in quick succession to seal a 2-0 win for Galatasaray against Stuttgart.

Batrakov opened the scoring in the 12th minute at RAMS Park and struck again three minutes later.

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

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See AP’s full soccer coverage here

County-by-County Results: Governor & U.S. Senate

Florida’s First District Court of Appeal is based in Tallahassee, and hears cases from the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 8th, and 14th circuits. In Northeast Florida, that includes Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Columbia, and Union counties.

Florida’s Fifth District Court of Appeal is based in Daytona Beach, and hears cases from the 4th, 5th, 7th, and 18th circuits. In Northeast Florida, that includes Clay, Duval, Flagler, Nassau, Putnam, and St. Johns counties. These merit retention races will appear on all ballots in those counties.

The man, identified by JSO as 44-year-old Jerson Felipe Estrada Gonzalez, has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, resisting an officer with violence and discharge of a firearm on residential property.

Officers saw Estrada Gonzalez around 6 p.m. Sunday when they responded to a report of shots being fired at an apartment complex on Broxton Bay Drive on the city’s Northside.

JSO said the officers heard six shots while they were speaking with a woman at the scene, and when they went to find where the shots were coming from, they found Estrada Gonzalez.

During the encounter, JSO said, Estrada Gonzalez ignored the officers’ orders to stop, show his hands and drop his weapon, and at one point, he turned toward them holding the gun.

That’s when the two officers fired at him.

He was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries and remained hospitalized on Tuesday but was listed as stable. No officers were hurt in the incident, JSO said.

JSO said investigators learned that Estrada Gonzalez, who was twice deemed ineligible to be in the U.S., had an adjudication of removal from the country in April 2023 and has previous arrests in Virginia and North Carolina.

JSO said this was the agency’s 16th officer-involved shooting this year.

The Republican president told Fox News Channel during a phone call on Election Day for the midterms that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had approached him about the idea and that they have been talking about it for a couple of years.

Trump said Israel doesn’t need the aid and it’s a lot of money for the U.S. to spend. But Trump also said that U.S. aid to Israel has become a Democratic talking point for candidates such as Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, a vocal critic of Israel.

Even far-right conservatives, who have supported Trump in the past, have taken issue with U.S. support for Israel, with prominent commentators like Tucker Carlson openly questioning the value of the relationship.

“You can consider it barter. You can consider military aid or cash,” Trump said. “Look, we give them $4 billion of things and money, and they don’t need it. And I was approached by Bibi Netanyahu, and we’ve been talking about it for a couple of years because it’s a lot of money.”

But if Trump intended the announcement to make a last-ditch effort to sway midterm votes, analysts said it likely would not work.

“It's an open question if this was about politics, but it isn't going to change Republican voters, and it certainly isn't going to change Democratic voters,” said David Schenker, who served as Trump's top diplomat for the Middle East in his first term and is now with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Israeli opposition leaders want to hear from Netanyahu

There was no comment from Netanyahu or his office as of Tuesday evening Israel time, several hours after Trump's announcement. The prime minister did post twice on social media, but he focused on unsubstantiated allegations of foreign interference in Israel’s elections, not on what Trump said.

But at least some of his political opponents were critical.

His chief rival, Gadi Eisenkot, called on the prime minister to speak to the possibly radical change in U.S.-Israeli relations.

“The fact that Israel’s defense establishment is learning of a shift in our strategic relationship through the media, at the same time as the Israeli public, shows just how dangerous Benjamin Netanyahu’s conduct is,” Eisenkot, a former military chief, said in a statement.

Yair Golan, a leader in Israel’s opposition bloc, said an end to U.S. military aid would deal a “severe blow to Israel’s security” at a time when the country is fighting wars on multiple fronts.

“The burden of funding defense needs at such a critical juncture will fall entirely upon the Israeli public,” Golan, a former deputy military chief, said in a statement.

Tens of billions of dollars have gone to Israel

The United States has sent tens of billions of dollars in military aid to Israel over decades.

In 2016, President Barack Obama, a Democrat, signed an unprecedented security agreement with Israel to give its military $38 billion over 10 years, amounting to $3.8 billion a year. Under the agreement, Israel’s ability to spend part of the funds on Israeli military products was to be phased out and eventually all of the money would be spent on American military industries.

Netanyahu has talked about the need to wean Israel off the aid in the past and has said that the American aid would end at some point.

He told The Economist in January that he wanted to “taper off” U.S. military aid in the next 10 years and that such a change was “in the works.”

Although Trump spoke of ending the aid by the end of 2026, such an abrupt shift would be all but impossible, and Congress will have a large say in what happens. More likely, there could be a wind-down of the current memorandum of understanding if Congress agrees, but it's unclear if that could happen as early as 2027. The current agreement is not set to expire until 2028.

Behind the scenes, there have been discussions about whether the U.S.-Israel arrangement should be restructured in the long term into one that’s more of a partnership of the two countries' defense tech and weapons manufacturing industries.

The 2027 National Defense Authorization Act includes a provision that would expand U.S.-Israeli cooperation on the development of new defense technology and identify opportunities to integrate Israeli defense technology into the U.S. military. The NDAA has not yet been approved by Congress.

But there has been some concern from the Israeli side that such a shift in the relationship could result in the Israelis giving up their intellectual property but still facing constraints imposed by the U.S., according to a person who is familiar with the diplomatic discussions but was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, some critics, including Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, have criticized the provision in the NDAA. Khanna said such integration between the militaries would lead to the U.S. losing sovereignty.

Trump says critics can easily target the $4 billion payment

The optics of the aid had also become an issue, according to Trump, who singled out El-Sayed for using it as a talking point.

“The left uses the $4 billion payment — that everybody knows about, it’s no secret — as a signal of unfairness,” Trump said Tuesday on Fox. “And we can’t allow that to happen. I don’t like that, because it’s too easy. It’s almost too easy a target. And Bibi and I have been talking, and we’ve agreed. He was very understanding of it.”

Phasing out direct military and economic aid to Israel has long been a subject of debate in both countries and has gained traction in the last several years. “This has been coming for a long time,” said Schenker.

There are several issues that complicate it, though, not least of which are obligations the U.S. has to Israel under the terms of the Camp David peace accords with Egypt, which require the United States to support Israel and Egypt with security assistance.

In addition, much of the assistance the U.S. provides Israel comes in the form of foreign military financing, or FMF, that gives Israel the money but requires it to spend the money on American-produced weaponry, meaning the funds are plowed back into the U.S. economy.

Unless Israel plans to spend the same amount on purchasing American materiel, U.S. defense contractors may see an impact.

In addition, even if aid were to be suddenly cut off, there would still be many years of previous purchases in the pipeline waiting to be delivered. Most purchases take years from the sale to construction and then delivery.

“The real question for me is whether weapons deliveries will be affected,” Schenker said. “Will Israel be prioritized?”

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Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani contributed.

County-by-County Results: Governor, U.S. Senate, Amendment 3

Troopers said the 48-year-old driver of the SUV and his 34-year-old passenger died at the scene. Neither was wearing a seat belt, according to the crash report.

FHP said the Freightliner tractor-trailer was crossing US 301, leaving the TA truck stop south of I-10, when the Nissan Rogue, which was headed south on US 301, slammed into the side of the trailer at around 6:30 a.m.

The 42-year-old woman driving the semi was not hurt. She was wearing a seat belt.

All three people involved are from Jacksonville.

The timing is raising questions for Matt Finefrock, whose daughter normally relies on the bus to get to work. He says he learned her usual route had been eliminated when she told him about the change, leaving him to make other arrangements and drive her himself.

Finefrock told News4JAX reporter Briana Brownlee and photojournalist Jesse Hanson he understands the financial challenges behind the changes, but questions why they had to take effect when they did.

“Nov. 2 is a very specific day,” Finefrock said. “Why wouldn’t changes have occurred on Friday this week or Friday next week? Give folks a time to make adjustments. That’s my concern.”

The Jacksonville Transportation Authority rolled out the service changes as it works to address a $39 million budget gap. Four routes, 18, 25, 32 and 82, were eliminated, while schedules on more than 20 other routes were changed.

Finefrock said his own work involves dealing with budgets, and he understands that difficult financial decisions sometimes mean cutting costs and jobs. But he said those decisions also affect people who depend on public transportation to get to work and around the city.

With Election Day underway, Finefrock is also concerned about people who may rely on bus service to reach their polling places.

“In my lifetime, this is probably the most publicized midterm I have ever experienced,” he said. “So no matter what side anyone is on, I think we all have the right to get to the polls.”

JTA responded to the concerns, stating it began notifying the public about the proposed service changes in July, holding eight community meetings throughout Duval County. The agency said its board approved the changes in August and that it has since used app notifications, its website, bus signage, social media and direct customer outreach to inform riders.

JTA also said alternative routes and connections are available for affected customers, and its customer service team can help riders plan their trips.

The agency added it had not received any customer-service concerns specifically from someone unable to vote because of the service changes.

Customers with questions about their commutes can contact JTA Customer Service or use the agency’s trip-planning resources.

Meals on Wings, created in 2019 through UNF’s College of Health, has recently reached a major milestone, providing and delivering 250,000 free meals in Duval County.

The program serves 300 seniors identified through community centers, with student volunteers delivering meals three times a week.

For Catherine King, getting groceries can take a lot of effort.

She walks to the bus stop and takes public transportation to the grocery store. Without a car, she can usually buy only what she can carry.

“I wouldn’t be able to buy a lot. I could only buy for, like, a couple of days,” King said.

Meals on Wings delivers food to King and other seniors at the Schell-Sweet Community Resource Center on Kings Road.

“It’s a supplement,” explained Marie Heath, the center’s director. “They get to save the money they normally would have to spend on food, and it’s right there for them to pop into the microwave.”

During a recent delivery, Meals on Wings’ Advisory Chef, Meghan Niemczyk, and a student volunteer delivered 120 meals for 30 seniors.

UNF students package the meals using food donated by local hospitals.

“Often hospitals will offer on their menu chicken and rice today or meatloaf and mashed potatoes. If more people ordered meatloaf and mashed potatoes, they have more chicken and rice so they save it for us,” explained Niemczyk.

Instead of discarding the extra meals, the hospitals donate the food to Meals on Wings.

Volunteers pick it up and divide it into meals at UNF’s Meals on Wings kitchen.

Mildred Flagg said the meals have helped her make healthier choices.

“I love the vegetables they have—the broccoli, the string beans, and the chicken,” she said.

She loves that the meals also support the health goals she discusses with others at the center, including managing blood pressure and A1C levels.

Cooking classes led by Niemczyk have also encouraged King to try new foods and cooking methods.

“I used to not like quinoa, so I like it now,” King said. “I used to not like asparagus, so I like it now...and I also learned that I don’t need to have salt in my food.”

Niemczyk hopes to build on the program’s work at the Schell-Sweet Community Center by creating a community kitchen at UNF where people can take cooking classes and learn how to eat healthier.

Monetary donations are the best way to support Meals on Wings. To learn more or contribute, visit UNF.edu and search Meals on Wings or click here.

A win for the Catholic preschools could further narrow a landmark 1990 Supreme Court decision that found religious practices don’t create exemptions from laws that otherwise apply broadly. Written by conservative icon Justice Antonin Scalia in a case over the spiritual use of peyote, a cactus containing mescaline that’s sacred to many Indigenous people, the decision has nevertheless long been a target of the conservative legal movement.

The Denver archdiocese argues that it’s unconstitutional to exclude Catholic preschools from the state's program over their admissions policy for LGBTQ+ families. The Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday on the archdiocese's request to overturn a 10th Circuit decision in the state's favor.

Colorado, meanwhile, says the refusal to admit kids from those families would violate the state’s anti-discrimination law.

But St. Mary Catholic Parish and the Archdiocese of Denver argue that the policy is based on religious teachings about same-sex marriage and that excluding them violates their free-exercise rights.

Nicholas Reaves, an attorney for the archdiocese and two parish preschools, said allowing Catholic schools to participate in Colorado's publicly funded preschools program “will create more seats for everyone, even for families who disagree with Catholic teachings.”

“This is not a zero-sum game," Reaves said. “Letting families use universal preschool funding at Catholic schools won't take away a single seat from the over 2,000 preschools already participating in the program.”

President Donald Trump’s administration is supporting the Catholic institutions. Justice Elena Kagan, who was nominated to the court by Democratic President Barack Obama, said the administration seems to be arguing that children of same-sex marriage can be excluded because “exposing" them to other students "creates a problem.”

"We have a clear line now and you want us to just upend it in one particular area of law," Kagan told Justice Department attorney Sarah Harris.

“No, I think the court currently has a mess,” Harris said.

In the Colorado case, the high court could be sympathetic to the schools. The justices have sided with religious schools in similar disputes before, ruling in recent years that they can’t be excluded from programs in Maine and Montana that provide public aid to private schools. In 2025, though, the court deadlocked over a plan to establish a publicly funded Catholic charter school after Justice Amy Coney Barrett recused herself.

The Colorado universal preschool program was created by a 2020 ballot measure. It provides public funding for preschool at schools chosen by parents.

The plaintiffs, represented by the group Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, say the state has allowed other preschools to prioritize children with disabilities or those from low-income families, so admission based on religious beliefs about gender and same-sex marriage should be allowed, too. The Catholic preschools say their enrollment has dropped 20% since the program started.

Colorado argues that the other admissions decisions are in line with the state’s anti-discrimination rules.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who was nominated to the court by Democratic President Barack Obama, asked Reaves if the Catholic school can reject a child simply because their parents are a same-sex couple.

"Is that the bottom line?” she asked.

“If it's the sincere religious exercise of the petitioner, then I think that would be permitted,” Reaves said.

Helen Norton, an attorney for the state, said Colorado is “neutral toward religion” and welcomes religious preschools to participate in the program — provided that they comply with the same conditions that every publicly funded preschool must meet.

“Under this program, faith-based preschools remain free to teach their religious beliefs, including their beliefs about sex or gender or marriage,” Norton said. “But families have no right to change a school's curriculum.”

Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who was nominated to the court by Trump, a Republican, suggested Colorado's law has created an unnecessary “clash of rights” between LGBTQ+ families and "religious believers."

“Just trying to figure out why we're here,” Kavanaugh told Norton. ”Why has this been provoked when there's an ability for everyone to go to the school, a good school that's a fit for them, and respect religious rights?"

Norton said preschools aren't “interchangeable” for parents and children.

“Families are harmed when they're turned away from the publicly funded school that makes their lives work because of the protected class status,” she said.

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Follow the AP's coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court at https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court.

The band's media coordinator, Tracy Clark, confirmed Butala's death to The Associated Press. She shared an official statement from the band.

“We have lost an integral member of The Lettermen family,” it read. “It is with profound sadness that we announce the recent passing of Tony Butala, founding member of the international recording artists ‘The Lettermen,’ and recipient of a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Our most heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with his children, grandchildren, siblings, the love of his life, the entire Lettermen organization and all who knew and loved him.”

A cause of death was not provided.

There will be no public viewing. Details for celebrations of life held in Wisconsin and California will be announced at a later date.

Born in Sharon, Pennsylvania, in 1938, Butala's career started in childhood. He started singing professionally at age 7, on KDKA Radio in Pittsburgh at age 8 and by age 10, he moved with his mother to Los Angeles, where he joined the Mitchell Boys Choir and appeared in classic films like “White Christmas,” “Peter Pan,” “War of the Worlds” and “On Moonlight Bay.”

In the late ‘50s, Butala co-founded The Lettermen alongside Jim Pike and Bob Engemann. The hits quickly followed: They had their first with their version of Fred Astaire’s “The Way You Look Tonight” in 1961, which peaked at No. 13 on Billboard’s Hot 100. It was nominated for a Grammy in 1962. At that award show, they also received the coveted best new artist nomination.

Over the course of the next decade, The Lettermen would place 19 more songs on Billboard charts.

Two made the Top 10, 1962’s “When I Fall in Love” and the Grammy-nominated 1968 medley “Goin’ Out of My Head/Can’t Take My Eyes off You.” Their last hit was 1971’s “Everything is Good About You.”

The beloved group toured constantly, playing colleges across the country and venues around the world.

Butala was the last surviving member of the trio's original lineup: Pike died in 2019 at age 82. The cause was complications of Parkinson’s disease. Engemann died in 2013.

Across its many decades, The Lettermen has had various lineups, replacing members who left but always remaining a trio to keep its distinctive three-part sound alive. The current lineup is made up of Donovan Tea, Bobby Poynton and Rob Gulack.

Butala stepped away from performing in 2019. And in 2020, Butala and The Lettermen received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

“Tony never met a stranger,” the official band statement continued. “His life was a living example of talent, perseverance, and refinement. But above all, his true joy was entertaining and sharing his music with audiences worldwide.”

But Ben Rumans said he was thankful no one was hurt.

Viewer Dan Williams captured video of flames that appeared to consume the top part of the restaurant on North Fletcher Avenue.

Rumans said the fire damage appears to be limited to the area seen in the video.

“There is some water damage from the inside, some pipes busted. Got some water damage that we got to clean up. But again, it could have been a lot worse,” Rumans said.

Our News4JAX crew at the scene was told that four employees were inside the restaurant when they smelled smoke and tried to put the fire out themselves.

Fernandina Beach Fire Chief Jeremy Holmes commended the employees’ efforts.

“They actually did a very good effort of trying to put it out with their own extinguishers and whatnot. But it was obviously a lot of fire,” Holmes said.

All four were able to get out safely. No injuries were reported.

Fire crews were called around 6:16 a.m. and arrived within 3 minutes. They had the fire contained within 5 minutes, Holmes said.

“Some things that really worked in Salt Life’s favor and in our favor is one: we were across the street at an apartment complex on an EMS call. So that was one of the reasons we were able to get here so quick, get water on the fire so quick,” Holmes said, adding that the employees responding quickly also helped minimize the damage.

Fire investigators said early indications appear to show the cause was electrical and not suspicious.

The restaurant will be closed for several days.

As standard procedure, the fire marshal will investigate.

For weeks now, U.S. President Donald Trump has said he was considering launching a new wave of strikes on Iran after the elections. Just days ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pressed Trump for renewed military action, according to two regional officials and a third person familiar with the matter.

The Middle East and beyond have been on edge about the prospects of the U.S. resuming full-scale operations against Iran for the first time in almost two months.

Talks aimed at avoiding that are ongoing, and other American allies in the region are pressuring the U.S. not to resume the more than 8-month-old war that’s rattled the global economy and wreaked havoc on Iran.

Trump has alternated between threatening major strikes and pushing for a deal with Iran.

The unpopular war and the resulting impact on U.S. gasoline prices and other parts of the economy have been a vulnerability for his Republican Party as it tries to keep control of Congress.

Strikes were targeted in Strait of Hormuz

Iranian state media reported explosions being heard on the islands of Qeshm and Hengam in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, and in the nearby mainland area of Bandar Abbas.

A U.S. official, who wasn’t authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said Monday that the strikes targeted Iranians using surface-to-air missiles against the U.S. in the strait.

Iran official says US must resolve its conditions

The head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said Tuesday that the U.S. response to Tehran’s demands to end the war was not convincing.

Maj. Gen. Mohsen Rezaei wrote on social media that the strait won’t reopen until the U.S. addresses Iran’s conditions.

Iran has offered to reopen the strait, and resume talks on its nuclear program if the U.S. lifts its naval blockade on Iranian ports, waives sanctions on Iranian oil sales, and observes a ceasefire including in Lebanon.

Vice President Vance buoyed hopes for a negotiated settlement

Back-channel negotiations have been playing out as Israel and some Middle East allies lobby Trump.

Speaking before the U.S. official confirmed strikes, U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Monday that he and Trump “both feel pretty good about the prospects for potentially coming to a negotiated settlement.”

The Trump administration was last known to have carried out attacks in early September. But thousands of U.S. troops remain in the waters off Iran to maintain a naval blockade aimed at preventing tankers carrying Iranian oil from reaching the global market. Another aircraft carrier and thousands of additional troops are also on their way to the Middle East.

Netanyahu pushed for another wave of strikes on Iran after the U.S. elections during a call with Trump over the weekend, according to two regional officials and a third person familiar with the matter. The two officials said diplomatic efforts have made progress and that mediators are trying to advance a framework for Iran to cease its attacks in the strait in return for the U.S. lifting its blockade.

The two officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing classified briefings they had received from American and, in one case, Israeli officials. The third person, who was briefed on the call, was not authorized to comment publicly and also spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has called on Iran and the U.S. to engage in dialogue and reach an agreement to resolve their ongoing conflict, warning against further military escalation in the region.

Iranians keeping watch on U.S. elections

Some people in Tehran were hopeful that the midterm elections would bring a shift in U.S. policies.

“The American people need to make a fundamental decision and bring about real change. They need to put an end to the leadership of someone who is so extreme and who runs things through lies, someone who supports Israel, a country that is literally killing children,” said 69-year-old Reza Rezaei.

One woman was less optimistic.

“It doesn’t really make much difference who comes into power," said Raheleh Movahhed, also of Tehran. “The American government and its policies have always had a problem with us. I’m not talking about the American people, mind you. I’m talking about their policies.”

Iran’s chief negotiator says it’s up to the US to prevent renewed war

Iranian state television quoted the country’s chief negotiator and parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, as saying on Tuesday that Iran had “delivered a firm and rational response to the American side. The ball is now in America’s court to prevent war.” It was not immediately clear what response he was referring to.

Qalibaf also warned that Iran’s armed forces remained at the highest level of defensive readiness.

“If Washington makes another strategic miscalculation, it should know that this time it will face a new battlefield and will find itself even more desperate than it is today,” he said.

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Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani and Cara Anna contributed to this report.

It's Malachi Toney vs. Leonard Moore.

And that matchup might be just as noteworthy to college football fans as the Hurricanes and Fighting Irish squaring off with huge College Football Playoff implications.

Toney is the star wide receiver and dazzling Heisman Trophy candidate for the top-ranked Hurricanes (8-0), the go-to guy for the nation's best offense. Moore is the lockdown cornerback and quite possibly the top defensive player on a Fighting Irish (7-1) team that happens to have the top-ranked defense in the country. The teams meet Saturday night at Notre Dame Stadium.

“I think if you ask both kids, they’re looking forward to playing against elite talent,” Miami offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said. “I think guys like that appreciate people that master their craft the way the other one does. I don't know Leonard like I obviously know Mali, but there's a very humble approach to this game. He's an elite player but he also appreciates elite competitiveness. ... You're going to get people's respect when you're that level player."

The mutual admiration from both sides was evident this week.

“He's as good as there is out there,” Dawson said of Moore.

Added Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman, when asked about Toney: “He's one of one.”

Toney's college debut came last season against Notre Dame in a 27-24 Miami victory that ultimately decided which team got the last at-large spot in the CFP field three months later. Toney had six catches for 82 yards and a touchdown — the one that opened the scoring.

Freeman didn't know much about Toney going into that game, other than he was still just 17 and should have been going into his senior year of high school. Toney reclassified to enter college a year early.

“Then you see him live, in person, and you go ‘Oh my gosh, he is the real deal,’" Freeman said. "And he wasn’t known on a college level — but after that game he was. He’s athletic, he’s fast, he runs good routes, he is competitive. And as you’ve watched him, he has even improved this year.”

Entering this week, nobody in college football has more catches than Toney's 182 since the start of last season. His next catch will give him outright possession of the No. 2 spot on Miami's all-time list; he's currently tied there with Mike Harvey, 18 catches behind school record-holder Xavier Restrepo's 200.

Toney isn't making much of the potential 1-on-1 matchup.

“It's an opportunity to get better," he said Tuesday. “That's what it is.”

Toney wears jersey No. 1; Moore wears jersey No. 15. The real story is No. 1 vs. No. 4, but 1 vs. 15 carries plenty of weight.

How much is Miami quarterback Darian Mensah looking forward to the matchup?

“Massively," Mensah said. "It’s a huge opportunity for 1 to go out and put on a show. I think he’s done it all year. Obviously, 15 is a great player and he’s going to win some plays.”

Moore was a unanimous All-American selection last season and has done nothing to suggest he won't be one again in 2026. He has seven interceptions and 23 pass breakups in his career; on the surface, they might not seem like huge numbers, but they become exceptional when considering that teams rarely try to test him.

“He is as gifted in his toolbox as I’ve been around,” Freeman said. “His toolbox is extremely large. He has a skill set to be able to play corner and play nickel, and I truly believe he could play safety. That’s the type of player he is. Mentally he can handle it, and physically. And that’s why he’s considered — if not the top — one of the top players in the country.”

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In the squad list displayed on UEFA's website on Tuesday, Balogun's name now appears among the forwards. Ansu Fati, who was injured in an Oct. 25 match against Lille and — according to French daily L'Equipe — is sidelined for two months, is no longer on the list.

Balogun has only featured as a substitute this season for Monaco, playing in five games and scoring his first goal in a 3-1 loss at Paris FC on Sunday.

The striker was close to joining Everton for a reported 40 million pounds ($54 million) on the last day of the summer transfer window for most leagues in Europe — Sept. 1 — but pulled out of a deal because he felt uncomfortable that the English club raised doubts about his health in a medical examination.

Days later, Balogun was left out of Monaco's Conference League squad because the club still had the option of selling him to a league where the transfer window remained open. That didn't materialize.

All this came after a World Cup when Balogun — the star player for the U.S. team — was the subject of a major controversy following his red card during the round-of-32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.

His one-game suspension was deferred by FIFA after U.S. President Donald Trump intervened, calling Gianni Infantino — president of soccer’s world governing body — to see if the red card could be reviewed.

Balogun was allowed to play in the round of 16 and had a forgettable performance as the U.S lost to Belgium.

Monaco won its first two games in the Conference League — against CSKA Sofia and Freiburg — and has matches to come in the 36-club league phase against FC Nordsjælland on Thursday, then Hearts, Brighton and Lincoln Red Imps.

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See AP’s full soccer coverage here

Built-in compost

Inspired by traditional African keyhole gardening, Vita’s Urbana 4-by-4-foot Keyhole Composting Garden combines a vegetable garden and composter into a single space. Place the raised bed on grass or soil. Add kitchen scraps to the compost basket at its center, and they’ll decompose naturally to nourish the surrounding plants, help retain soil moisture and reduce watering needs. Made from BPA- and phthalate-free PVC, the lightweight bed assembles easily without tools or screws. The company also gives back by supporting sustainable gardening programs in Africa and around the world. $239.99.

A ‘just-right’ gardening tool

A cross between a long-handled shovel and a handheld trowel, Sneeboer’s Great Dixter Planting Spade is the Goldilocks of gardening tools. Perfect for digging when you’re on your knees, the tool also has two side-by-side handles for comfortable maneuverability. Its small size makes it easier to work in established gardens without disturbing surrounding plants. The Dutch-made, heirloom-quality tool’s hand-forged, stainless-steel blade is angled and curved to scoop soil efficiently; its unfinished, 16½-inch (42 centimeters) ash hardwood handle is replaceable, ensuring a lifetime of use. $109.

A toast to last year’s tomatoes

The tomato grower on your list might appreciate some liquid holiday cheer to celebrate their past (and future) harvests. Crop Tomato Organic Vodka is an award-winning, USDA-certified organic spirit that’s gluten-free, distilled from non-GMO corn harvested in Minnesota, and infused with the essence of vine-ripened tomatoes. With the flavor profile of a savory, garden-fresh tomato, it’s well-suited for a Bloody Mary, martini or a cocktail of your own creation (fresh basil, anyone?). Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price $34.99 for a standard bottle.

Style that stands tall

Sure, you can use sticks or moss poles to support your climbing houseplants, or you can make a decorative statement with a Treleaf trellis. Made in Atlanta from locally sourced materials, each nature-inspired support is a work of art. Available in 13 designs, in finished or unfinished wood, including modular options you can extend as your plant grows. $24-$45.

Bath-time antics on display

Get up close and personal with backyard birds as they bathe, drink and splash in the Birdfy Bath Pro solar-powered smart birdbath. Its dual-lens camera is positioned for optimal viewing and streams live to your phone via a free app. Built-in artificial intelligence identifies more than 6,000 bird species, and an optional paid membership provides additional benefits. The integrated solar fountain includes interchangeable spray nozzles and a shut-off feature to conserve water. Around $259.99 with stand; $199 without.

Blow leaves, not smoke

The Stihl BRA 200 battery-powered backpack leaf blower will clean up your garden without noise — or smelly, polluting gas fumes. The blower delivers consistent airflow, with an easily handled lightweight, ergonomic design that lets you lock the throttle at any position to reduce hand strain. And it operates at just 64 decibels — quieter than an average conversation. $729.99.

A personal no-fly zone

Mosquito repellant might not be on their wish list, but your gardening friends will appreciate your practicality every time they head outdoors wearing your gift during buggy season. Each Parakito wristband comes with two refills that use a blend of seven natural essential oils, promising 15 days of protection apiece. It's available in a multitude of patterns and solid colors in four sizes, including one for kids. Made in France of adjustable neoprene, the wristbands can also be worn on ankles. $19.99; additional refills are sold in sets of two for $13.

Hope for black thumbs

Houseplants die all the time, but houseplant parents don’t always know why, or how to prevent it. The LeafyPod uses artificial intelligence to teach them how to care for their specific plant. After potting up a plant in the smart container, filling its reservoir with water and downloading the free app, users upload a photo for identification. The pot uses sensors to track soil moisture, then releases the right amount of water at the right time. It monitors light levels, humidity and room temperature, then communicates its findings to the app, which alerts you when the plant needs attention. $145.

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This gift guide originally published Nov. 2. It was updated Nov. 3 to reflect changes to the Birdfy Bath Pro's subscription model.

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For more holiday gift guides, visit https://apnews.com/hub/gift-guide.

Tenerife forward Jesús de Miguel died after he suffered cardiac arrest following the on-field collision, his club said Tuesday. He was 30.

De Miguel was challenging for the ball near midfield on Monday when he was struck in the chest by FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono, who came running from the opposite direction in an apparent attempt to make a clearance. Owono was shown a straight red card for the incident, which happened in added time.

The country’s National Police said Tuesday that an investigation had been opened. Under Spanish law, deaths from non-natural causes, including accidents, are subject to judicial investigation.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife chief prosecutor José Luis Sánchez-Jáuregui told Spanish news agency EFE that criminal proceedings were unlikely, noting that the collision occurred during play.

De Miguel was taken to a hospital and the match, tied 2-2, was abandoned after the incident.

The club located on Spain's Canary Islands said it was “heartbroken.”

Tenerife's largest shareholder Rayco García told reporters that De Miguel's body would be transported to Navahermosa, in the Toledo province, at the request of his family. He said De Miguel's teammates and club officials would be present for a “final farewell.”

On Saturday, fans will gather at the team's stadium to honor the player, García said.

“We will all join forces and get through this together,” García said.

Club president Felipe Miñambres said players and their families would likely need help to cope with De Miguel's death.

“We will need professional help and the help of all of our fans," he said. “They will be feeling the same way that we are feeling today.”

The club asked for its league game at Granada on Saturday to be postponed.

The heavy collision happened when Owono rushed out of his area all the way to midfield to challenge for a long ball that De Miguel was trying to reach.

De Miguel initially curled on his knees, clutching his torso for a few seconds, before he fell over onto his back, with his arms falling to his sides.

Owono was walking off the field after being shown the red card but turned around and joined the other players rushing to check on De Miguel.

The goalkeeper's Instagram account, which had nearly 30,000 followers, had been deactivated on Tuesday.

Another player with the same last name of Owono, Michel Owono, who plays for sixth-division Spanish club Can Vidalet, denounced a wave of racist insults against him by people thinking he was the Andorra goalkeeper.

De Miguel, a Madrid native, began his senior career with Leganés B in 2015 and subsequently played for a number of lower-division clubs in Spain. He joined Tenerife last year.

There were no local media reports about De Miguel having a pre-existing health condition. The precise medical cause of death was not immediately disclosed.

Spanish media said De Miguel is survived by his wife and their daughter.

“There are no words of comfort,” the club statement read. “There is absolutely nothing that can alleviate this profound sense of sorrow. We stand with his devastated family, his loved ones, and the entire Tenerife community.”

Andorra, which is owned by former Barcelona star Gerard Piqué, also offered its condolences, along with other clubs, the Spanish soccer federation and La Liga.

“We wish to extend our deepest condolences to the family of Jesús de Miguel, to all his colleagues and friends, and to CD Tenerife. May he rest in peace,” Andorra said in a statement.

Piqué said on X: “I am sorry with all my soul. Rest in peace, Jesús.”

The players of Real Madrid held a minute of silence for De Miguel during training, while fellow topflight club Espanyol postponed the presentation of its new coach.

Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé said on social media: “So much sadness. There are no words.”

Argentina great Lionel Messi said on Instagram: “There are no words. My condolences and lots of strength to all his family and friends.”

English clubs Manchester United and Liverpool joined in offering their condolences on social media.

The Spanish soccer federation postponed all Copa del Rey and Copa de la Reina matches scheduled on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. UEFA said a moment of silence would be observed at all its matches this week.

Life-threatening injuries from collisions in soccer are extremely rare.

Last year in Spain, a 19-year-old goalkeeper died from head injuries suffered during a collision in a fifth-division match. Colindres goalkeeper Raúl Ramírez had two cardiorespiratory arrests, one on the field and then in the ambulance while being transported to a hospital. He was declared brain dead two days later.

In 2001, Ukrainian goalkeeper Serhiy Perkhun died from head injuries sustained in a collision during a match while playing for CSKA Moscow.

Malaga goalkeeper José Antonio Gallardo died in January 1987, more than three weeks after a collision with Celta Vigo forward Baltazar in a second-division game.

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Azzoni contributed from Madrid.

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See AP’s full soccer coverage here

The rift in the sport deepened Tuesday as 11-time champion Sweden, Norway, Latvia and Denmark signed up for the boycott, and a top sponsor threatened to walk away, after Finland announced Monday it was rallying other nations to refuse to play Russia.

The Czech federation signed up, too, after initially saying it would wait for a board meeting next week. Austria told The Associated Press it is weighing whether to join, and Germany is unsure of hosting the men's championship.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled last week that the International Ice Hockey Federation must reinstate Russian teams, beginning with the world juniors starting next month in Canada. The team has been excluded since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

There was no immediate reaction from the IIHF to the boycotts. USA Hockey and Hockey Canada did not immediately respond to messages from the AP seeking comment.

Hockey power Sweden adds weight to boycott movement

The Swedish hockey federation said its board decided Tuesday that it would not play against Russia but would still play other world championship games. That was a turnaround from last week, after Sweden initially indicated a boycott was off the table following the CAS ruling Friday.

“The Three Crowns will not play Russia in coming world championship tournaments,” federation head Anders Larsson said in a statement, using the team's nickname.

The Swedish statement came shortly after Norway announced its boycott.

“Our position is that Russia should be excluded from all international championships as long as the war in Ukraine continues and remains unchanged,” the Norwegian Ice Hockey Association said in a statement. “At the same time, this decision is based on our responsibility to protect the safety and wellbeing of our players, team staff and their families. We believe that playing Russia under the current circumstances could expose our players and team staff to significant security risks. Our priority is therefore their mental health, wellbeing and personal safety.”

Norway referred only to the men's world championship in May in its statement. General secretary Petter Salsten told the AP that, in the case of the world juniors, Norway would potentially be removed from the tournament by the IIHF to make way for Russia. In that case, “if RUS is added, it is a huge possibility that NOR is out," he wrote via email, because Norway was the last team to qualify.

The chairman of Denmark’s hockey federation told the Ritzau news agency its teams would not play against Russia. Latvia's federation said it “reaffirms its longstanding and firm position" not to play against Russia or its ally Belarus.

The Austrian federation told the AP in an emailed statement: “We stand behind the decision of Finland and Norway and are currently looking into whether the European nations will join a boycott together. We are therefore not ruling out a boycott and are still coordinating with the authorities on this."

Finland is the defending men's world champion and Norway was the bronze-medal winner this year.

The growing boycott is similar to the situation in soccer in 2022, shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. On that occasion, all of Russia's potential World Cup qualifying opponents threatened to boycott. FIFA successfully argued at CAS for excluding Russia on the grounds that not doing so risked “irreparable and chaotic” harm to the competition.

Second major sponsor pressures IIHF

Finnish tire manufacturer Nokian Tyres said it will no longer sponsor the world championship if Russia takes part.

Tiina Frazer, senior vice president for brand, marketing and communications, said that “under the current circumstances, continuing the sponsorship if Russia participates would not be aligned with our values.”

Swedish furniture maker AJ Products, a tournament sponsor since 1989, said Monday it would ask for its logo not to be shown if Russia plays.

Previously, the chief executive of Germany's hockey federation said it could pull out of hosting the men's world championship next year over concerns about costs and security.

Junior tournaments are affected, too, with the Finnish city of Turku saying it will not co-host next year's world juniors if Russia participates.

The Czech federation is hosting the women’s under-18 world championship in January and said Tuesday it would speak with the government about whether Russian players would be denied entry to the country.

One political figure in support of Russia's return is Slovakia's pro-Russian Prime Minister Robert Fico.

“I’ve also always wondered what the value of a gold medal is, if on the way to it you don’t have to beat the Russian hockey players, who are undoubtedly among the best in the world," he posted on social media Saturday.

The women's world championship starting in Denmark this week is not affected by the CAS ruling and is going ahead without Russia.

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Associated Press writer Karel Janicek in Prague contributed to this report.

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See AP’s full sports coverage here

Monday's attacks on a shelter and former school with bunker-busting bombs came as people were lined up for aid in Komyshuvakha, a village in the Zaporizhzhia region. Teams of emergency workers and volunteers picked through debris at the cratered blast sites, as bodies were pulled from the rubble and carried away in white plastic sheeting. More than 45 residents remained missing.

“The scale of the tragedy is terrifying,” said Mykhailo Semikin, acting head of the region’s military administration, in an online post. “This is one of the worst tragedies in terms of the number of civilian victims in our region since the start of the full-scale war.”

As Ukraine prepared for a new round of U.S.-brokered peace negotiations next week, more than 4 1/2 years after Russia's all-out invasion, a wave of strikes overnight into Tuesday targeted power plants across the country, damaged hospitals and wounded scores of people.

Russia launched 289 attack drones, 17 ballistic missiles and 59 cruise missiles across nine regions, triggering emergency power cuts, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an online post that noted the barrage coincided with the U.S. midterm elections.

“The Russians think America won’t notice this signal of theirs,” he said. “But we need to notice and stop such terror. We need to help Ukraine defend its skies; otherwise, Russia will never stop its missile strikes.”

A volunteer describes the aftermath

Baptist pastor Vladyslav Makhovskyi joined the search for survivors, removing bodies and helping elderly Komyshuvakha residents swaddled in blankets.

He told The Associated Press the attack on the shelter was “truly devastating” and a shock to residents who had sought cover there.

The shelter was sturdy and had provided internet access and other assistance, and “was a place they trusted,” Makhovskyi said.

"People even came there to spend the night because they felt safer there,” he added. “I’d been in that school and its underground shelters many times.”

It was struck by a Russian bomb "so powerful that it broke through the heavily reinforced concrete blocks," he said. “The job's not done. There are more (bodies) in there.”

Bodies wrapped in white plastic sheets were carried from the ruins and laid in rows as smoke drifted across the shattered landscape. Rescue efforts were interrupted Tuesday by menacing Russian drones, forcing soldiers to halt recovery operations and open fire to try to bring them down.

Three days of mourning were declared in Zaporizhzhia. The dead included four police officers and two rescue workers, Semikin said. At least five people were hurt.

Zelenskyy had said on X that the strikes first targeted the former school that was used for regular distributions of humanitarian aid and then took aim at a nearby shelter.

“This is further proof that Russia wants no de-escalation,” he said.

Attacks intensified after humanitarian ceasefire

The attack came after the expiration of a six-day ceasefire in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky that allowed trapped residents to evacuate. It was the most significant truce between Kyiv and Moscow since 2022.

“We offered to Russia to extend the cease-fire in Oleshky, but this was the answer: new attacks, new strikes, new killings of our people,” Zelenskyy said in Berlin, where he met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and attended a security conference.

In the northeastern region of Kharkiv, a Russian missile and drone attack wounded at least 62 people, local authorities said.

A strike damaged a medical facility in the Nemyshlianskyi district, shattered windows in four apartment buildings and damaged cars. More than 200 patients were transferred to other medical facilities, said Oleh Syniehubov, head of the regional military administration.

In the Dnipro area, rescuers pulled a woman alive from the rubble Tuesday morning, after a Russian attack killed one person and wounded 17, local authorities said.

The attack damaged an outpatient clinic and a hospital. Patients were transferred to other hospitals, Oleksandr Hanzha, head of the regional military administration, said.

Power plants pounded in latest barrage

Russia attacked more power plants and other infrastructure ahead of winter, causing extensive damage and electricity outages as it carried out 20 strikes in 10 regions overnight, Ukraine’s energy ministry said.

Ukrainian power utility DTEK said three of its power plants halted operations. No injuries were reported.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said it shot down 856 Ukrainian drones overnight. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 493 drones were fired toward the capital.

A Ukrainian drone attack wounded two employees at an oil refinery in the Russian city of Yaroslavl, regional Gov. Mikhail Yevrayev said, adding there was damage to the refinery’s infrastructure.

Rolling blackouts have been instituted in the south, west and east of Russian-occupied Crimea following attacks on energy infrastructure, Moscow-installed officials said.

Zelenskyy consults with Europeans ahead of peace talks

Zelenskyy's trip to Germany began a new round of consultations with European leaders ahead of U.S.-mediated peace talks Nov. 10-11 in Abu Dhabi.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, confirmed the dates of the talks, with negotiations to focus on postwar security arrangements, de-escalation and humanitarian efforts. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed a Russian delegation will attend.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s priorities for the talks were halting strikes on energy and critical infrastructure, unblocking Black Sea grain shipments and expanding prisoner exchanges.

He said he hoped those talks and other diplomatic efforts would pave the way for trilateral talks among the countries leaders, which he said were needed to resolve key issues.

“Europe’s involvement in the process — in achieving peace — is essential," he said. "We are doing everything possible to ensure that we have a common European view of all the security challenges and of how this war should end and what its outcome should be.”

Zelenskyy told the Berlin Security Conference that even though his country is experiencing an extremely difficult period, “Ukraine will never surrender.”

Asked if he still believes the U.S. can bring an end to the war, Zelenskyy replied: “President Trump is still president.” He added that “America has huge influence and power” to push Russian President Vladimir Putin toward negotiations.”

Russia agreed last month to resume three-way negotiations with Washington and Kyiv aimed at ending the war, setting up the first such talks since February.

The European Commission said it would host a meeting Wednesday with officials from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the European Union, NATO, the United States and the World Bank to discuss postwar reconstruction in Ukraine. Zelenskyy said a Ukrainian delegation would attend.

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Moulson reported from Berlin. Susie Blann in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Elise Morton and Brian Melley in London contributed.

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

After three weeks of argument and evidence, judge Joel Bennathan told the jury at London’s Southwark Crown Court that they must reach a unanimous decision.

“I can only accept a verdict that is the verdict of all 12 of you,” he said.

After about an hour of deliberations, the jurors were sent home for the night with a warning not to discuss the case with anyone else.

Brand, who is free on bail, has attended court every day, accompanied by his wife, Laura Gallacher.

Six women, who don't know one another, accuse the actor-comedian of sexual misconduct between 1999 and 2009, a decade when Brand went from rising stand-up comedian to major celebrity in the U.K.

Prosecutors argued that during that time Brand was “a sexual predator” who attacked the women in a hotel room, the London offices of MTV, the toilet of a London bar, a radio station, a recording studio and his home.

Brand, 51, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of attempted indecent assault.

Giving evidence, the entertainer acknowledged that he had been obsessed with sex as a younger man, but said his encounters were always consensual.

Brand’s lawyers argued that the claimants’ cases were undermined by the fact that they only went to police years after the alleged assaults, and following the broadcast of a 2023 documentary that contained anonymous allegations against Brand.

Brand’s lawyer, Ian Winter, said the “well of justice had been corrupted and contaminated” by the documentary.

In his closing statement on Monday, Winter said the jury must separate Brand’s treatment of women from the question of whether he committed crimes.

“It is not criminal to treat women unkindly before, during or after sex,” he said. “It is not, I am afraid, criminal to be disrespectful or rude or to act like a crazy idiot.”

He said Brand “had an immense amount of sex and none of it was unlawful.”

“Disgusting, distasteful, immoral, who cares?” the lawyer said. “It’s irrelevant to your consideration.”

Known for risqué stand-up routines and battles with drugs and alcohol, Brand rose to prominence in the early 2000s, hosting television programs and his own BBC radio show. He appeared in Hollywood films including “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Get Him to the Greek” and was briefly married to pop star Katy Perry.

In recent years he has moved away from mainstream media, relocated to Florida and built a large online following with videos mixing wellness, conspiracy theories and discussions of his religious devotion.

U.S. job openings jumped to 7.5 million from a revised 7.19 million in August, the Labor Department reported Tuesday. It is the largest number of openings since May and up from a recent low of 6.9 million in March.

The department’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) also showed that gross hiring — job gains before subtracting people who quit or lost jobs — rose and layoffs fell in September.

The increases are a hopeful sign that hiring could improve, but the trend would have to continue for several months to suggest real progress. Hiring has been sluggish for nearly three years, though layoffs have also been historically low, a sign of meager “churn” in the labor market. Low churn means those who are employed are enjoying relatively high levels of job security, but it is much harder than normal for those looking for work to find a job.

Still, the number of job openings now exceeds the number of unemployed, a sharp switch from a year ago when there were more people out of work than available jobs.

“It’s an encouraging sign that despite all the headwinds right now with high diesel and gas prices and ongoing inflation problems, companies are slowly increasing their hiring,” Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, said.

Job openings rose the most in professional and business services, which includes high-paying jobs in engineering and accounting, as well as jobs in the temp industry. Manufacturers, shipping firms, and state and local governments also advertised for more workers.

Nicole Bachaud, a labor economist at ZipRecruiter, cautioned that with inflation still high and interest rates having increased since the summer, companies may not be able to ramp up hiring by much in the coming months.

“All of that added up together just makes it much more expensive to operate as a business and much more expensive to expand,” she said. “And so that will likely continue to be a downward pressure on hiring, until we see inflation really able to cool down.”

The government will issue the October jobs report on Friday, which is forecast to show that employers added 65,000 positions last month, according to data provider FactSet. That would be an improvement from 29,000 in September. The unemployment rate is expected to stay at a low 4.2%.

Typically, job gains of just 65,000 would be seen as a sign of a struggling economy, but with the giant baby boom generation retiring and immigration sharply reduced, the economy doesn’t need to generate as many jobs as it has in the past for unemployment to remain low.

In September, layoffs fell sharply to just 1.64 million, the fewest since March 2025. The number of people quitting their jobs rose to 3.37 million, the highest in about 18 months, and up from 3.04 million.

The rise in quits is generally a good sign because workers usually leave a job when they either have another lined up or when they are confident they can find new work.

The 36-year-old Kanzler replaces Dan Wilson, who was fired after a disappointing 76-86 season that began with World Series aspirations. Seattle reached Game 7 of the American League Championship Series in 2025.

Kanzler was the Cubs' director of player development, leading the organization’s minor league system, players and coaching staff. A former minor league player and coach, Kanzler has not managed a club at any level. He was on the big league coaching staff for the Houston Astros in 2022-23, serving as assistant hitting coach in his final season.

He will be the second-youngest manager in baseball behind Washington’s 34-year-old skipper Blake Butera.

“I am thrilled to join the Mariners organization and I’m looking forward to hitting the ground running,” Kanzler said in a statement. “This team has an immense amount of talent in all facets of the game, and my coaching staff and I are excited to access and unlock this team’s full potential.”

Kanzler was a 20th-round pick by the Minnesota Twins in 2013 and played three minor league seasons as an outfielder.

After retiring as a player, he taught high school chemistry and physics in Katy, Texas, before Houston hired him in 2019 as hitting coach for High-A Fayetteville. He worked in a variety of roles within the organization over five seasons.

Seattle general manager Justin Hollander said in a statement the organization believes Kanzler can lead the club back to the postseason.

The Mariners won the AL West in 2025, their first division title in 24 years, and came within one victory of the franchise’s first World Series appearance. But a combination of injuries and regression by the bullpen and several of the team’s top offensive stars led to a 2026 season filled with disappointment.

Slugger Cal Raleigh batted .182 with 23 homers and 69 RBIs. Center fielder Julio Rodríguez and first baseman Josh Naylor also had career-worst seasons, and the Mariners scored just 664 runs — third-fewest in the majors.

Seattle is still the only major league team that’s never reached the World Series.

“Throughout the process, Jason consistently demonstrated elite leadership skills, high-end content and an ability to connect and partner with players, staff and front office," Hollander said.

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See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Lawyers for Independent Television News and the Guardian newspaper's publisher told the High Court last month that the allegations they wanted to publish were about the man's “abuse of power and status” and his attempts to contact a number of young women to engage them in “inappropriate sexual activity.”

The celebrity denies wrongdoing and has repeatedly said he intended to take his own life if the allegations were published, according to the judgment.

The man's lawyer, Sara Mansoori, earlier told the court that he had made a suicide attempt when he received letters from ITN and Guardian News and Media seeking his response to the allegations. He later made another attempt, she said, and he was recently admitted to the hospital for psychiatric care.

The case has drawn widespread attention in Britain because it highlights questions over public figures' right to privacy and what media can report on the basis of public interest.

Gavin Millar, representing the media companies, has said that the allegations were gathered after “a wide-ranging and rigorous investigation” and that there was a strong public interest in publishing them.

“The defendants allege that, over a period of years, the claimant used his status and influence as a well-known public figure to establish contact with young women, some considerably younger than him, and that he engaged or sought to engage in seriously inappropriate conduct,” according to a summary of Tuesday's judgment.

Some of the alleged conduct could amount to criminal offenses if proven, it said.

Justice Matthew Nicklin dismissed the man's injunction bid, saying the legal measure would mean “an exceptionally serious interference” with the rights of the media companies.

He noted that the man has a “serious and longstanding psychiatric vulnerability" which must be taken seriously, and said a decision allowing the allegations to be published will substantially increase his risk of suicide. However, he added that the evidence does not “establish that suicide is inevitable."

The man's statements are “not a reliable basis for concluding that no future treatment or intervention could alter that risk,” the judge said.

He ruled that the man should remain anonymous to allow him to appeal the ruling.

Reporters Without Borders U.K. welcomed Tuesday's court decision, saying the remaining restrictions should be lifted.

"While the risks of harm in this case of course must be taken seriously, it is important that responsible journalism in the public interest is allowed to proceed," the nonprofit said in a statement. “Dangerous precedents can have impacts far beyond the cases that set them, and neither wealth nor access to the best legal teams should ever shield anyone from legitimate public scrutiny.”

After that, who knows?

Will the 13 people on the panel take a harder look at the other two undefeated teams — AP No. 3 Utah and No. 5 UCLA — and reward them for somehow avoiding a loss in a season that has produced nothing but upheaval in the upper reaches of The Associated Press Top 25?

Or will the committee follow the AP voters and place Georgia at No. 2 despite its loss last month to an unranked Auburn team that fell by 30 to Ole Miss just last weekend?

About the only guarantee for this reveal, which doubles as programming for ESPN — the network that's paying roughly $1.3 billion this year to televise the playoff, starting in December — is that somebody will end up unhappy.

This is the first of six weekly rankings for the playoff, culminating on Dec. 6, at which time the 12-team bracket will be announced. If college football fans learned anything from last season, it was that one week's decisions don't necessarily bleed into the next.

For weeks last year, the panel refused to elevate Miami ahead of Notre Dame even though they both had two losses and one of the Fighting Irish losses came against the Hurricanes on opening week in August. Then, when the bracket came out, the 'Canes were in and the Irish were out.

This season, those two programs don't face off until November — specifically, this coming Saturday, when the result will almost certainly dictate the first big shakeup in the rankings.

Notre Dame is ranked fourth in the AP poll — getting leapfrogged by Utah after a less-than-overwhelming 35-13 win over Navy. The rest of the Irish schedule is ranked 37th (only five spots below Miami's), meaning a second loss on the season could put them behind in some of the metrics the panel says it uses beyond wins and losses.

What does the committee think of SEC (lots of losses, tough schedule)?

Another point of interest will be what the panel makes of the Southeastern Conference, which comes into Week 10 without a single undefeated team but with 10 teams ranked in the Top 25.

Alabama has lost to Tennessee, Tennessee has lost to Texas and Texas has lost to Florida and Oklahoma but has beaten Ohio State and Ole Miss. Ole Miss beat LSU but lost to Florida.

The list goes on, but someone in that league might be questioning whether the strength-of-schedule boost the SEC got from booking a ninth conference game starting this season is worth all these losses piling up. At least until the CFP doubles in size to make room.

Ohio State looks like a bubble team

No. 11 Ohio State has two losses and lost quarterback Julian Sayin, too. The loss last weekend to Southern California tumbled the Buckeyes out of the AP top 10 for the first time since 2021. They now look like the quintessential definition of a bubble team, with some of this depending on the weight the committee gives to Sayin's absence.

Meanwhile, defending national champion Indiana dropped two spots to AP No. 6 after an overtime win against Minnesota, its third less-than-dominating win in four weeks, sandwiched around a loss to Ohio State.

No. 20 Boise State and No. 22 New Mexico are the two Group of Six teams in the AP Top 25. The CFP's highest-ranked team among the G6 will earn one of 12 playoff spots. Will the committee size up the G6 the same way?

A few new twists for this year's playoff bracket

A couple of new things for this, the second year of the 12-team bracket:

— Unlike last season, if Notre Dame is anywhere in the top 12 on Dec. 6, the Irish are guaranteed a spot and cannot be ousted by a conference champ ranked ahead of them, the way it happened last year.

— All four Power Four conference champions are guaranteed spots. Last year, automatic bids went to the four highest-ranked conference champions and James Madison of the Sun Belt beat out Duke of the ACC for the last spot.

— The G6 spot goes to the highest-ranked team from that group, even if the team didn't win its conference.

— Don't get too comfortable with any of it. ESPN and the CFP apparently have a handshake agreement to expand the playoff to 24 teams beginning next year.

— The playoff starts on campus on Dec. 18-19, then winds through traditional bowl games over New Year's and Jan. 14-15. The title game will be in Las Vegas on Jan. 25.

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This story has been corrected to show that Tennessee has lost to Texas, not Kentucky.

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Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here, visit the Top 25 here and see AP’s full college football coverage here

Who controls the balance of power in the House and Senate? Of course.

But also, who the winners and losers are in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season.

Whether it's a brilliant ESPN attempt at counterprogramming is up for debate. What's known is that this schedule has been locked in for some time.

Just as U.S. elections are held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, the CFP puts out six sets of rankings every season on a strict schedule. The final set comes on the Sunday after conference title games — the first Sunday in December — and the schedule works backward from there. Those reveals are on Tuesday nights, which means the first one lands on election night.

It's no coincidence for a network paying around $1.3 billion to televise the playoff that its hourlong bracket show (half an hour on most nights) will feed into ESPN's primetime programming. That's typically a basketball game, but this week, it's a three-hour studio show that will, undoubtedly, be devoted to massive numbers of experts and insiders breaking down the rankings while CNN, Fox News and the rest are doing the same about election results.

And, much like the election, these rankings will spit out their share of winners and losers and people crying foul. This might also sound familiar: It could take weeks, if not months, to finally figure out who the ultimate victor is.

Meanwhile, the NBA over the past several years has gone dark on election night and will be again this year, but the NHL has a full slate of 11 games Tuesday.

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Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here, visit the Top 25 here and see AP’s full college football coverage here

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump says his administration will stop providing $4 billion in aid each year to Israel but still sell arms to its ally. India reports that an attack on a commercial vessel off Oman killed an Indian national while 13 others were rescued.

Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Tuesday. Read our full coverage here.

Iranian parliament speaker says the ball is in the US court to prevent renewed war

Iran’s chief negotiator and parliament speaker says it's up to the United States to prevent new fighting after Tehran delivered what he called a “firm and rational response” to the U.S., state TV reported.

In an address to parliament, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Iran remained ready “for battle with its finger on the trigger.”

He did not elaborate and it was unclear what “response” he referred to. His comment came after a U.S. official said the military conducted defensive strikes on some Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz.

According to the official, the strikes targeted Iranians using surface-to-air missiles. The official wasn’t authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Iranian state television reported that explosions were heard on Qeshm Island.

— By Michelle L. Price

Trump cuts aid to Israel

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that stopping $4 billion in aid each year to Israel came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approached him about the idea.

Trump told Fox News Channel they have been talking about it for a couple of years.

“You can consider it barter. You can consider military aid or cash,” Trump said. “Look, we give them $4 billion of things and money, and they don’t need it.”

An Indian national is killed in an attack on a vessel off Oman

A commercial vessel was attacked and hit by an unidentified aerial object off the coast of Oman on Monday, India’s foreign ministry said, killing one Indian national while 13 other people were rescued.

There was no claim of responsibility, but Iran previously has claimed attacks on vessels it says took unauthorized routes through the strait. It also has claimed some vessels have struck mines.

Strikes in Gaza kill at least 2

Israeli strikes in Gaza killed at least two people Tuesday, including a 17-year-old girl, hospitals reported.

A strike on a tent in Gaza City killed the teenager and injured four people, according to Shifa Hospital. The Israeli military said it struck a militant who entered Israel during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack but did not say whether the girl killed was the target of the strike.

Associated Press video of the deceased girl’s father showed him crying over her body, his shirt stained with her blood.

Iran plans to train 1 million paramilitary volunteers

Iran opened its third military training center in Tehran as authorities announced plans to train 1 million paramilitary volunteers nationwide, amid fears of renewed conflict with the United States and Israel.

Members of the Basij, a paramilitary force affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, attended the opening, the semiofficial ISNA news agency reported. Two similar centers in Tehran opened in August and September.

UN says displaced Yemeni women and children are losing services

Women and children displaced by the fighting in Yemen are losing access to essential services, including maternity care and protection from sexual violence and exploitation, the U.N. said.

Renewed fighting between the Iran-backed Houthis and the Saudi-backed government forces has displaced some 300,000 people over the past few months. The conflict, mainly concentrated on the west coast and in the southern province of Taiz, broke a four-year truce and exacerbated an already dire humanitarian situation.

Israeli opposition parties meet for first time since election

The leaders of Israel’s political parties opposed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met for the first time since last week’s election, as the country is mired in political deadlock from results that do not show either side with a conclusive win.

The opposition parties agreed to recommend former general Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, to form the first coalition. Israel’s president, who holds a largely ceremonial position, chooses which party will have the first attempt to build a majority coalition of 61 seats after the election.

Jordan charges church attackers with ‘acts of terrorism’

Jordan has charged three gunmen who allegedly killed nine people at a Greek Orthodox Church in the city of Karak last month with committing acts of terrorism.

The Public Security Directorate identified the three Jordanian suspects as two brothers and their brother-in-law. The agency’s chief said the gunmen were not tied to an organized group, but described them as “takfiri,” a term used for Sunni militants.

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This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.

International monitors have noticed: V‑Dem recently downgraded the U.S. ranking sharply, and a PRRI/Brookings survey found 58% of Americans worry Trump could act like “a potentially dangerous dictator whose power should be limited.”

Trump-era actions — from efforts to reshape the administrative state and challenge electoral outcomes to cutting democracy aid and privileging transactional alliances — have altered norms and practice.

But experts disagree on the permanence of these changes,

Some see durable damage, arguing that the administration has shown “admiration and even love for a wide range of autocratic leaders,” and that its policies have “radically shrunk U.S. institutional capacity on democracy.”

Others believe institutions can rebound if civic engagement and legal safeguards hold, countering that constitutional structures remain resilient, and recovery is possible.

Why this matters

These changes affect whether citizens trust elections, whether checks and balances function, and whether the U.S. will continue to be a global backer of democratic norms.

Erosion in any of these areas poses long-term risks to rights, civic participation, and international order.

Key Points

• Concentration of executive power has accelerated and strained oversight mechanisms.
• Voting access and public confidence in elections face intensified pressure.
• U.S. retreat from global democracy promotion reduces leverage against autocrats.
• Media, civil service, and public‑interest institutions have been targeted rhetorically and through budgetary means.
• Scholars are divided: damage may be reversible, but the risk of long-term backsliding is real.

Our conversation

Nick Allard, dean of the Jacksonville University College of Law, joins me on this Election Day episode of Politics & Power to discuss:

• Whether traditional checks (courts, Congress, civil service) can restore norms
• How declines in international democracy support will reshape global politics
• What policy steps best protect voting access and restore trust
• Whether current American institutions are resilient enough to recover quickly
• What role civic education and local election reforms should play

How to watch

Watch this week’s episode live at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday on News4JAX+. Or catch it On Demand anytime on News4JAX+, the News4JAX YouTube Channel or News4Jax.com.

TODAY: Mostly sunny skies with afternoon highs climbing into the lower 80s. An easterly flow will keep conditions breezy, especially along the coast, with sustained winds of 8–15 mph and gusts approaching 23 mph. Otherwise, we’re looking at a dry and pleasant Tuesday, with overnight lows settling near 70°.

COASTAL/TIDAL FLOODING: This remains our primary weather concern through the first half of the week. A Coastal Flood Advisory continues for portions of the St. Johns River basin, where elevated water levels around high tide could produce minor inundation of 1.5–2 feet above normally dry ground. Low-lying roads, parking areas, parks, and properties near the river will be most vulnerable. Persistent onshore flow will continue to influence water levels, although tidal flooding impacts should gradually diminish heading into Wednesday and the second half of the week.

MIDWEEK: Wednesday brings another warm afternoon with highs near 82° under partly sunny skies. Easterly winds will remain in place but ease compared to Tuesday. Thursday and Friday will feature highs in the lower 80s with a slight 20% chance of afternoon showers or thunderstorms. Most neighborhoods will remain dry.

WEEKEND OUTLOOK: Saturday looks fantastic, with mostly sunny skies and highs around 80°. By Sunday, a gradual cooling trend begins, with afternoon temperatures dropping into the middle 70s and a slight chance of showers. Overnight lows fall into the lower 60s Saturday night and upper 50s Sunday night. By Monday, highs are forecast to reach only the lower 70s.

BOTTOM LINE: Our main weather story today is the combination of breezy easterly winds and continued tidal flooding concerns along the St. Johns River. Otherwise, we’re looking at a warm, predominantly dry stretch through the workweek, followed by a noticeable cooldown late in the weekend and into early next week.

The Ministry of Health said the five patients had recovered and were discharged following negative test results. It also announced the release of 46 people who had been identified as contacts of the first Ebola patient and placed under quarantine for 21 days.

A further 20 contacts were released last week, while the final batch of 52 people is expected to complete quarantine and be released next week.

The outbreak, which began in Congo in May, has claimed more than 5,000 lives, with over 10,000 cases reported, making it one of the worst Ebola outbreaks on record.

Kenya recorded its first-ever Ebola case on Oct. 6 after a man who had traveled from Congo through Uganda tested positive for the virus. He died hours later at Nairobi Hospital.

Health authorities identified 135 contacts linked to the first patient, eight of whom subsequently tested positive for Ebola. One of the eight patients died, bringing the total number of deaths to two.

On Tuesday, the Ministry of Health said that although no new infections had been recorded in the previous two weeks, the country remained on high alert.

The ministry urged the public to remain vigilant, warning that the outbreak would not be declared over until the recommended 42-day countdown had been completed following the recovery of the final patient.

The Palatka Police Department said officers responded around 5:30 p.m. Monday to a home on Main Street because of reports that a man was firing a gun inside the house.

According to police, the man, later identified as Coenraad Se-Van-Rensburg, fired multiple rounds in the direction of officers at the scene and eventually surrendered to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team.

Palatka police also received help from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office drone unit, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office negotiation team.

Se-Van-Rensburg, who was alone in the home during the standoff, was arrested on an active warrant for aggravated assault with no bond.

Detectives are still investigating what led Se-Van-Rensburg to barricade himself in the home.

Le Havre, founded in 1872 and considered the oldest club in French professional soccer, has plunged into a deep and unprecedented sporting crisis.

Languishing at the bottom of Ligue 1, and with relegation looming, the club started the week without a coach and a president.

Following a heavy 5-1 loss against leader Paris Saint-Germain over the weekend, Le Havre announced head coach Didier Digard had been suspended, and that the board members of owner Blue Crow Sports Group had accepted the resignation of president Jean-Michel Roussier.

Roussier’s resignation will be formally presented and ratified on Thursday, Le Havre said.

He's led the Normandy club since 2022 while Digard was appointed in the summer of 2024.

The exodus does not end there because French media have reported that sports director Demba Ba and goalkeeping coach Nicolas Douchez are also on their way out.

Blue Crow acquired Le Havre in July 2025, adding it to a portfolio of soccer clubs.

“In the space of just a few days, every individual who embodied this club, who helped bring it back to Ligue 1 (in 2023) and keep it there, has disappeared from its organizational structure,” three supporters groups said in a joint statement.

Le Havre has two points from nine matches and the fans blame the multi-club group based in Houston for the worrying situation.

“Blue Crow represents nothing in Le Havre,” they said. “Blue Crow Sports Group has dismantled (Le Havre) and demonstrates more clearly with each passing day its complete lack of understanding of how to run a football club, its history and its identity. The catastrophe that now looms is entirely their responsibility.”

Le Havre’s next game is against Lorient on Sunday.

“With this crucial match against Lorient approaching, the united front established between the players, the manager and the Kop (of supporters) following the match against PSG has been shattered,” the fan groups said.

A former Le Havre player, Digard managed to keep the team in the topflight over the past two seasons. He leaves the club with a record of 17 wins, 20 draws and 40 losses, according to Ligue 1 statistics.

The club has appointed Jaïr Karam, the academy director, as interim coach and said Yacine Alaoui would oversee administrative and sporting activities until a new chairman and CEO are appointed.

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See AP’s full soccer coverage here

Swarms of dazzling orange-and-black monarchs use environmental cues to travel some 3,000 miles (4,800 kilometers) from as far as southern Canada to spend the winter in forests of oyamel fir trees in central Mexico, a protected biosphere reserve that's also a World Heritage site.

For decades, however, scientists have struggled to build a clear picture of the butterflies' routes, how far they fly each day and where they settle at night. Solar-powered radio tags attached to nearly 1,750 monarchs this year are helping provide answers.

As habitat loss, pesticides and climate change pummel monarch populations, the research could help their numbers rebound. Quiñonez-Piñón said the uniquely famous monarch butterfly helps draw attention to the threats facing insects and their vital role in sustaining plant life across the continent.

“Pollinators are crucial to protect and ensure that our ecosystems remain healthy,” she said, “and also to have the sources of food that we require as humans.”

The public can follow the progress of individual butterflies on the free app called Project Monarch Science.

Tracking monarch butterflies in the ‘Texas funnel’ and beyond

Quiñonez-Piñón is the senior scientist at the National Wildlife Federation, a nonprofit that recently joined a tri-national science team to track monarchs. She’s leading a study that mixes real-time migratory tracking with community science to better understand where they stop in Texas.

Only some monarchs migrate. Of the ones that do, a big portion of the butterflies east of the Rocky Mountains fly through a narrow corridor known as the “Texas funnel” every fall and spring, when they head north again to lay their eggs before dying.

But depending on the year, they might favor different parts of the Lone Star State, based on where they can find water, nectar and overnight shelters like trees. It’s a detail that has fascinated scientists, including Quiñonez-Piñón.

Since the tracking started last year, scientists have found the first evidence of a butterfly in Utah, west of the Rockies, joining eastern monarchs in central Mexico. Others migrated down the Eastern Seaboard to Florida, jumped the Gulf of Mexico and are now tracking across Mexico, a connection scientists hadn’t seen before in such numbers.

“There’s just all these unique stories of their paths, connections between the population, that we didn’t know existed or we hypothesized but couldn’t prove,” said Emma Pelton, senior conservation biologist with the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

“We’re a year into it, and I think we’re all just thrilled,” she said, especially since older tracking devices proved too big or heavy.

Since their migration started this year, about 175 tagged butterflies have been detected in Mexico.

Only some monarch butterflies get tracking devices

The new $200 tags weigh about as much as a drop of water and were developed by Cellular Tracking Technologies. If the person attaching the tag is properly trained and puts it on correctly, Quiñonez-Piñón said, “the monarch will be completely safe.”

Not all monarchs are good contenders for the tags. To ensure they’re not overburdened, most of the butterflies that get a tag weigh more than 400 milligrams (about as much as a standard pill), said David La Puma, vice president of global market development for Cellular Tracking Technologies and coordinator of the Project Monarch Collaboration, the team the National Wildlife Federation recently joined. Other researchers and community scientists look for longer-winged monarchs to tag.

Many monarchs are caught with nets and kept in cool temperatures to calm them before they're tagged, which requires delicacy and care. The insect is positioned in the middle of a special board, its legs and antennae protected, where adhesive is cotton-swabbed onto its abdomen and the tag. Then the transmitter is gently pressed to its body and the butterfly is eventually released.

New tech is ‘remarkable’ but has limitations, expert says

Louie Yang, an insect ecologist at the University of California, Davis, who wasn’t involved in the research, said the technology is “pretty remarkable” because “we haven’t previously been able to see what path they take or how quickly they’re moving over different parts of that journey.”

But there are also limitations. The technology doesn't tell us a butterfly's exact location, he said, but rather where there was a receiver that detected it. And just because a butterfly was detected doesn't mean it's still alive.

Yang also said further studies will be needed to understand how and if the tags impact butterfly behavior.

Pesticides and climate change are pervasive threats

Monarchs typically live two to six weeks, but the butterflies that migrate to Mexico can live up to nine months and spend their lives moving south, waiting out the winter and migrating north again before breeding in the spring. The monarch’s feat has made it a symbol for the rights of international migrants.

Since the mid-1990s, the population of eastern monarchs has dropped more than 80%, and in the west by about 95%. Pesticides are a pervasive threat to milkweed, the plant where monarchs lay their eggs and the exclusive food source for its caterpillars.

Human-caused climate change — driven by burning coal, oil and gas — is also a primary threat year-round, said Tierra Curry, senior scientist and endangered species codirector with the Center for Biological Diversity.

“One of the problems now is that it stays too hot too long in the northern areas, and so they don’t get the cues to migrate. And then if the temperature freezes, they’re probably not going to make it to Mexico,” she said. “The later they start, the less the chances that they’re going to get all the way to the forest.”

Prolonged drought can dry up the water and nectar flower sources they need. They get hit by cars and trucks. And out in California, forests where western monarchs fly for the winter are being razed for development.

Late last year, the Trump administration delayed a decision on federal protections for monarchs. Several groups filed a lawsuit, and a court ordered the government to make a final decision by 2030.

However, conservationists are pushing ahead with new ways to protect the dwindling monarch population.

In Texas, nets on some highways are encouraging butterflies to fly higher so they don't get smashed, especially at night when they fly down to roost. Other efforts involve mass plantings of milkweed and pollinator plants in gardens, along roadsides and transportation corridors, Curry said. Several studies show they're boosting local populations.

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Dictionary experts said Tuesday that the word, most often used by young people “in a playful and ironic way when someone is upstaged," has entered mainstream language and saw a 210% increase in usage in 2026.

Other new and notable entries include “firewaves," defined as a series of urban wildfires in a short space of time, and “P(doom),” an estimation of the probability that artificial intelligence will bring about the collapse of human civilization.

Alex Beecroft, Collins managing director, said that choosing "mogging" shows how “each generation leaves its mark on language.”

“It’s a great example of how Gen Z and Gen Alpha have adopted a word and turned it into humorous slang, making the language their own and ‘mogging’ the rest of us," he said.

The dictionary said that its experts monitor the 27-billion-word database, which draws from sources including social media, to create its annual list of words that reflect the ever-evolving English language.

The 2026 list includes “carspreading,” which refers to the tendency of manufacturers to build cars that are longer, wider and heavier, and “fricy,” describing trendy food or drinks that are both fruity and spicy.

Other new entries were “ghost jobs” — jobs that are advertised without any intention to appoint anyone — and “friendslop,” a type of low-budget, independently produced video game played among friends.

She takes HIV-prevention medication called PrEP, or preexposure prophylaxis, which can come in the form of daily pills or periodic injections. But there’s a new option for her and millions like her — if they could only get it. It’s a drug called lenacapavir that studies have shown can offer nearly complete protection from HIV with just two shots a year.

Mutoni said access to lenacapavir would benefit sex workers who sometimes shift elsewhere for months at a time.

“If you know that you have that injection for six months, you feel like you are safe,” she said. “And then it is very good, nice because sometimes you can also forget, if it is the pill, you can forget to swallow.”

Promise and frustration with lenacapavir

But Mutoni says every time she tries to get what is commonly referred to as “lena,” it's not available. “They tell me that it is finished,” she said.

Such is the promise and the frustration with lenacapavir, a drug developed by Gilead Sciences. Other PrEP options, including pills and an every-other-month shot of the drug cabotegravir, are very effective and widely available. But health experts say lenacapavir has the power not just to protect individuals but potentially even turn the tide of the HIV epidemic globally because of its long-lasting effects.

But there are not nearly enough doses, in this East African country or the rest of the world.

“The rate of growth (of lenacapavir rollout) isn’t fast enough. We need to be getting to the millions pretty soon,” said Andrew Hill, an expert in HIV treatment who is a senior visiting research fellow at the University of Liverpool in northwest England.

FDA approves a generic version

That may start to change in the coming months. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has just tentatively approved a generic version of lenacapavir that could help speed the production and distribution of the drug to 120 low-income countries at a price of roughly $40 a year, far below the U.S. list price of $28,218. The approval was announced Monday.

The hope, according to the Global Fund, is to get it to 3 million people by the end of 2028.

Some, including Doctors Without Borders, known by its French initials MSF, say this isn't nearly enough. The group is calling on Gilead to make cheap doses available to more countries and to sell it directly to MSF so it can help protect more people faster.

“Gilead says it wants to end the HIV epidemic ‘for everyone, everywhere,’ but its actions say otherwise,” said Melissa Barber, MSF USA global health advocacy and policy adviser, in a recent statement.

For now, people in Mbarara, where an estimated 10% of the adult population has HIV — double the rate of Uganda as a whole — have to settle for inferior choices.

Demand is high and doses aren't enough

Julius Bampe, a polygamous man, was alarmed earlier this year when testing confirmed his younger wife had HIV. She was immediately given drugs to suppress her infection, while Bampe sought lenacapavir.

But when Bampe, an itinerant builder, went to get his injection, he found that there were no doses left.

“When I got here, they said that is what they would have given me, but they said they didn’t have enough doses for everyone,” he said.

The facility that Bampe goes to received 40 lenacapavir doses in April, with instructions to focus only on pregnant mothers at risk of acquiring HIV. The guidelines were later changed to include couples like Bampe and his wife, sex workers and others.

That batch was quickly administered and another 70 doses sent in June were used up within 10 days, said Tarsisio Biryeija, a nursing officer working as a counselor at Mbarara Health Centre IV.

Uganda has slashed its HIV rate over the past three decades, and it's far below that of some southern African countries. But like in many nations, health authorities in Uganda say infections are driven largely by transactional sexual encounters like those in Mbarara — and the type of transmission that lenacapavir could be so effective at stopping.

Mutoni, the sex worker in Mbarara, gets counseling and other support, including condoms, from Immaculate Nyamwija, founder of a Mbarara-based organization known as Action for Improved Health and Wealth. Nyamwija offers HIV support services to women who would face discrimination elsewhere.

“It is a challenge, because the demand is high and the doses are few,” she said. “Who would not wish to take (lenacapavir) for six months? Who would wish to be on drugs every day?”

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Gerald Imray in Cape Town, South Africa, and Laura Ungar in Louisville, Kentucky, contributed to this report.

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

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

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the truck hit the teen around 3 p.m. at the intersection of Polk and Harrison avenues. The report said the truck, described as an older model brown and silver 1959-1960 Ford pickup, might have been headed west on Polk Avenue before the crash.

Sheriff Michelle Cook posted on Facebook, asking everyone in the area to check any cameras they might have from the time frame of 1-3 p.m. on Monday to see if they can spot the truck.

Cook said the teen was carrying a pizza box when he was hit while riding the scooter.

Anyone with information can call 904-264-6512 or send a SaferWatch tip.

The rescue of the Azini was completed Monday in the Arabian Sea, more than 3,000 kilometers (1,865 miles) from Mumbai, Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said.

An official with the Puntland Maritime Police Force told The Associated Press that Indian forces disarmed 12 suspected Somali pirates, confiscated their mobile phones and released them. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

The suspects and two Somali security guards later came ashore at Bandar Bayla in northeastern Somalia, the official said. Three of those who came ashore had minor injuries, but he did not specify whether they were suspects or guards, or how they were hurt.

India’s ministry said the operation ended without casualties or injuries. It did not specify whether that account covered everyone aboard or only the rescued crew. It was unclear whether the crew remained on the vessel or were moved elsewhere.

The operation involved a warship, a maritime surveillance aircraft and marine commandos. An Indian Air Force C-17 aircraft airdropped additional commandos, the ministry said.

The Azini was hijacked Oct. 29 between Bandar Bayla and Hafun. A Puntland maritime police officer said on Sunday that it carried 21 Iranian crew members and two Somali security guards. The difference between that crew count and India’s rescue figure could not immediately be explained.

Indian forces tracked the vessel by sea and air before securing it, the ministry said. It said there had been concern that pirates could use the boat as a floating base for attacks on commercial ships.

The Puntland official said regional authorities learned of the rescue only after it had taken place.

The hijacking followed a resurgence of Somali piracy across the Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean. By August, pirates had hijacked six commercial vessels since April, some far from Somalia’s coast. They included the oil products tanker Sibu 1, seized about 252 kilometers (136 nautical miles) east of al-Mukalla, Yemen.

In September, Puntland authorities said pirates killed five crew members of the tanker MT Honour 25 before security forces recovered it. The tanker had been held since April. Authorities said they detained 16 suspected pirates.

The renewed piracy adds to shipping risks in a region already disrupted by the Iran war. Attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and threats by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels against Saudi-linked shipping through Bab el-Mandeb have complicated oil transport routes.

Those disruptions have lengthened voyages and driven up tanker costs. Some oil shipments diverted around Africa face journeys up to a month longer.

International naval patrols and improved maritime security have sharply reduced Somali piracy over the past decade, but recent hijackings have renewed concerns about the threat.

New deals and pledges are expected to emerge from the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which is held every two years.

The Commonwealth is made up of 56 nations spanning Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Pacific, most of which were once part of the British Empire. Their leaders are scheduled to attend, along with officials from Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates.

“To deal with what to expect in Antigua, I think we need … to look at the world in which we find ourselves today,” Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey told The Associated Press ahead of the meeting.

“We’re looking at issues like conflict, economic shocks, rising costs, climate change, trade, weaponization of tariffs; and all of this hitting directly the pockets of our people.”

Botchwey said Commonwealth leaders representing 2.7 billion people will look at how to attract investment and reduce barriers to intra-Commonwealth trade.

“For us, this is extremely important,” she said. “All the countries woke up one day and were slapped with tariffs. If we are trading more among ourselves, whatever happens outside the Commonwealth will not affect countries too much.”

U.S. President Donald Trump has imposed the highest import duties on U.S. trading partners since the Great Depression, although rates have fluctuated amid legal challenges.

Botchwey said that creating stronger economies is essential given the trade wars: “It’s an opportunity we cannot miss.”

The multiday summit began with cultural events on the weekend, while the formal opening ceremony is slated for Tuesday morning.

It comes days after British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he is open to making a formal apology for Britain’s role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Burnham, among leaders attending the meeting, has rejected calls for the U.K. to pay reparations, but has proposed leading a program of debt restructuring to help the Commonwealth's poorest countries.

Some Caribbean leaders have called for slavery reparations to be discussed at the meeting, which King Charles III is also attending after visiting the Bahamas and Guyana last week. Queen Camilla has joined him.

Dorbrene O’Marde, head of the Antigua and Barbuda reparations support commission, told The Associated Press on Sunday that he welcomed Burnham’s comments but seeks more than an apology.

“An apology for us is essentially the agreement to repair the damage that you have. It’s simply not saying I am sorry and waving your hand and walking away,” O’Marde said.

The Commonwealth of Nations also seeks to create a fund to provide digital skills to about 10 million young adults, Botchwey said, adding that she hopes the private sector, foundations and philanthropies will contribute.

Officials are also expected to establish a fund to help nations transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

Climate will be a big talking point because 49 of the Commonwealth’s countries share a border with the ocean as concerns grow over rising sea levels.

“How are we going to prepare them and ensure that our ocean is healthy?” Botchwey said.

The four-day meeting also will host forums focusing on business, women and young people.

Richardo Aiken, a civil society governor who represents the Caribbean and Americas at the Commonwealth Foundation, said in a phone interview that climate justice, freedom of expression and empowering vulnerable groups will likely dominate the people’s forum in Antigua.

“We are actually living in one of the most vulnerable regions in the world,” he said.

He expects the forum to propose specific initiatives to help civil organizations overcome various barriers, including not knowing how to write proposals, “which is the main vehicle to access financing.”

“We also have a large population of Indigenous people,” he said. “It’s about how do we bring these players, the first people, those who were before us, into the conversation?”

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Associated Press journalist Juan Pablo Arráez in St. John's, Antigua, contributed to this report.

Parents who want to can pick up their child, but the school will remain open and students can stay for the rest of the school day.

“We will be serving lunch for all students as scheduled. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as needed,” the school wrote.

Officials did not have an estimated time for when the water will be back up and running.

DeMarco came to New York in December after serving for more than a decade as an assistant with the Golden State Warriors. He had no prior WNBA experience before guiding the Liberty to the eighth seed in the regular season. After an impressive first-round playoff sweep over the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx, the Liberty were ousted by the Atlanta Dream in three games.

The Liberty coaching staff made a crucial mistake in Game 2 of the series not knowing that they had a reset timeout left in overtime with the team trailing by three late in that game.

Now New York will be looking for its third coach in three seasons. General Manager Jonathan Kolb didn't retain Sandy Brondello after the 2025 season.

ESPN first reported DeMarco's departure.

After the final loss to Atlanta, none of the Liberty’s three star players — Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones — offered a definitive vote of confidence of DeMarco.

“Of course, we want to win a championship every single time we step on the court, but it’s really hard in this league, and in order to do that, you need to be consistent for the full 44 games,” Stewart said when asked about DeMarco. “And I don’t think we were consistent throughout the season. I think that we started to show some life and peak a little bit towards the end and in the playoffs. But this is not like cramming for a test. You got to be ready and ready to go since the jump.”

Ionescu said DeMarco’s future was “not our decision.”

“We’re thankful for everything that he’s done this year,” Ionescu said. “Just focusing on the now, the way he’s poured into us and stayed positive, level-headed through the ups and downs of this season as well that didn’t go the way that he wanted either.”

DeMarco was under contract for next season. Now Kolb will lead his fourth coaching search since 2019.

New York had a disappointing regular season two years removed from winning the WNBA title. The Liberty finished eighth with a 26-18 record.

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See AP’s full WNBA coverage here

Milwaukee first baseman/outfielder Jake Bauers and Baltimore left-hander Trevor Rogers also received the offers along with Minnesota catcher Ryan Jeffers, Pittsburgh second baseman Brandon Lowe and San Diego left-hander Adrian Morejon.

Players have until Nov. 17 to accept.

Qualifying offers began after the 2012 season, and only 18 of 157 prior offers have been accepted. The figure is determined by the average of the top 125 major league contracts this year.

A free agent can be made a qualifying offer only if he has been with the same team continuously since opening day and has never received a qualifying offer before.

If a team makes a qualifying offer to a player who signs a major league contract with another club before the next amateur draft, his former club receives draft pick compensation at the end of the first round or at the end of competitive balance round B. The placement depends on the amount of the new contract and the revenue-sharing and luxury tax status of the team losing the player.

Among those not receiving an offer was Philadelphia third baseman Alex Bohm.

Twenty-eight more players became free agents, raising the total to 183. Players could start negotiating terms with all teams at 5 p.m. Eastern on Monday.

Major League Baseball is expected to impose a lockout when the collective bargaining agreement expires Dec. 1, likely creating a signing frenzy in the run-up.

Option and opt-out decisions

Baltimore declined a $7.5 million option on first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, limited to eight games this year by a broken left foot sustained when he stumbled while on the basepaths on April 8. The Orioles turned down a $3.5 million option on left-hander Dietrich Enns, which called for a $125,000 buyout.

Corbin Burnes decided not to opt out of the final four seasons of his $210 million, six-year contract with Arizona. The deal calls for $35 million annual salaries, including $11 million deferred each year. The 32-year-old right-hander returned to the major leagues on Sept. 8 after a 15-month recovery from Tommy John surgery, made three starts and went back on the injured list because of shoulder inflammation.

Toronto right-hander José Berríos decided not to opt out of the final two seasons of his $131 million, seven-year contract, which call for salaries of $24 million per season. The 32-year-old did not pitch this year and is recovering from Tommy John surgery on May 20.

Athletics right-hander Luis Severino exercised a $22 million player option for 2027, the last season of a $67 million, three-year contract agreed to in December 2025. The 32-year-old was 2-6 with a 4.16 ERA in 12 starts, not pitching after May 29 because of a strained right shoulder.

Baltimore reliever Ryan Helsley did not opt out of his $14 million salary next season, part of a $28 million, two-year contract. The 32-year-old right-hander was 0-4 with a 4.11 ERA and eight saves in 17 relief appearances. He didn’t pitch for the Orioles between April 28 and June 17 because of right elbow inflammation, returned for five outings and then went back on the IL with elbow discomfort. He did not pitch again this season.

Houston right-hander Tatsuya Imai did not opt out of the final two seasons of a $54 million, three-year contract, which calls for salaries of $18 million in 2027 and 2028. Imai also has the right to opt out after next season. The 28-year-old was 6-4 with a 4.93 ERA in 15 starts and eight relief appearances.

Chicago Cubs right-handers Clay Holmes, Hunter Harvey and Colin Rea became free agents along with left-hander Caleb Thielbar after their 2027 options were declined, while righty Jacob Webb agreed to a $2.5 million, one-year contract.

Arizona right-hander Michael Soroka declined his $10 million mutual option for 2027, triggering a $1 million buyout. Soroka, 29, was 9-5 with a 3.41 ERA in 21 starts and one relief appearance after signing a one-year contract that guaranteed $7.5 million. He earned $1.35 million in performance bonuses. He was sidelined between June 19 and Aug. 10 by a left glute strain.

Cleveland declined right-hander Shawn Armstrong’s $8 million mutual option in favor of a $1.5 million buyout. The 36-year-old had a one-year deal guaranteeing $5.5 million and went 2-1 with a 4.58 ERA in 41 relief appearances. He was out between July 24 and Sept. 23 because of a strained left calf.

World Series champion Milwaukee declined an $8.5 million mutual option on catcher Gary Sánchez, who gets a $250,000 buyout as part of a one-year contract guaranteeing $1.75 million. The Brewers also turned down a $14 million option on right-hander Antonio Senzatela, part of a $50.5 million, five-year contract he agreed to with Colorado.

Detroit declined a $12 million option on reliever Kenley Jansen. The 39-year-old right-hander, third on the career list with 498 saves, gets a $2 million buyout as part of an $11 million, one-year contract. The Tigers exercised a $10 million option on right-hander Drew Anderson, who had a $7 million salary this year.

Toronto declined an $8 million option on outfielder Myles Straw, who gets a $1.75 million buyout that completes a $25 million, five-year contract he signed with Cleveland.

St. Louis declined a $6 million option on right-hander Ryne Stanek, who gets a $1 million buyout as part of a contract guaranteeing $3.5 million.

Tampa Bay’s Yandy Díaz’s option vested at $13 million after the Rays deemed him healthy for 2027. Díaz reached the 500 plate appearances needed for the option to become guaranteed and had to meet the second provision.

Arbitration-eligible players

Among players who would have been eligible for arbitration if their options had been declined, Milwaukee exercised catcher William Contreras, the World Series MVP, at $14.5 million; Tampa Bay exercised Gold Glove shortstop Taylor Walls at $3.1 million; and Houston exercised infielder Isaac Paredes at $13.35 million.

San Francisco declined an $800,000 option on right-hander Rowan Wick, who gets a $100,000 buyout. If tendered a 2027 contract, he would be eligible for arbitration.

Detroit agreed to a $1.3 million, one-year contract with right-hander Jacob Waguespack, who can earn $300,000 in performance bonuses based on innings; $25,000 each for 45 and 50, and $50,000 apiece for 55, 60 and 65.

Once-touted prospect on the market

Baltimore outfielder Heston Kjerstad became a minor league free agent after clearing waivers. Kjerstad was the No. 2 pick in the 2020 draft and has played 117 games across four seasons in the majors.

Baltimore outfielder Leody Taveras cleared waivers and elected free agency.

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See AP’s full MLB coverage here

The Asian Football Confederation issued a statement Tuesday that after consultations with Saudi organizers it decided to push the start of its marquee continental championship back from Jan. 7 to Dec. 23.

The decision came to seem likely after developments in recent weeks raised questions over whether the 2034 World Cup host nation is currently safe enough for a major international soccer tournament.

Local organizers agreed to reschedule in “circumstances arising from developments in the region, including substantial logistical complexities and travel disruptions,” the AFC said. “Exceptional circumstances have been created for the organization and delivery of the competition as originally scheduled, making the postponement necessary in the interest of all participating teams, officials, spectators and other stakeholders.”

The new dates — Dec. 23, 2027 to Jan. 21, 2028, ending just days before the Islamic holy month of Ramadan opens — will be submitted to FIFA for approval. FIFA sign-off for rescheduled dates is needed to mandate when clubs worldwide must release their players to national-team duty.

The monthlong tournament was scheduled to feature 24 teams playing matches in eight venues across Riyadh, Jeddah, and Khobar. Iran qualified and has been grouped with Syria, China and Kyrgyzstan for the league stage. The Saudis, Australia, South Korea and Japan were top seeds in other groups.

The AFC's announcement ended months of speculation about a postponement which, until recently, had been rejected by local organizers.

Muhammed Q. Alghamdi, a spokesman for the organizing committee, last month told members at an AFC meeting in Tokyo that “daily life is ongoing in Saudi Arabia.”

Before that meeting, AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa had indicated potential for the Asian Cup to be postponed by a year if necessary and said a final decision could be delayed until late November.

Other sports disruptions

The Saudi Formula 1 Grand Prix was canceled this season, and the Bahrain race was relocated to Malaysia because of safety concerns related to the Iran war. Races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi are still on the calendar, and F1 has kept Saudi Arabia on the 2027 schedule with a grand prix planned there in March.

The WTA Finals, the season-ending event in women’s tennis, was moved from Saudi Arabia to Indian Wells, California.

Asia's marquee continental club soccer tournament — the AFC Champions League Elite — has already been disrupted.

A game between Cristiano Ronaldo ’s Al-Nassr and Uzbekistan’s Neftchi Fergana was delayed on Oct. 12 after Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defense issued a security alert. An Al-Nassr’s home game last week was postponed when against Al-Wasl of the United Arab Emirates didn't travel to Riyadh.

Impact on Asian Cup teams

Tuesday’s postponement means national federations across Asia face decisions about coaching staff with the originally scheduled Asian Cup marking the end of a four-year cycle before attention turns toward qualification for the 2030 World Cup.

Australia coach Tony Popovic, who guided the Socceroos to the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup, turned down a four-year contract extension in September in favor of a shorter deal through the Asian Cup.

“It was my choice to go until the Asian Cup,” Popovic said at the time, saying a decision on his longer-term future would then be made with the Australian federation.

“I know the legacy that I will leave behind,” he said. “And if it’s someone else that takes it forward, that’s fine. If it’s me, great, we agree to do this together.”

South Korea is also in a difficult position. After a disappointing World Cup, the Korea Football Association appointed Robert Moreno as interim coach in September.

The former Spain coach was given a contract through the end of November, with the possibility of a two or three-month extension to cover the Asian Cup. A strong tournament was expected to lead to a permanent appointment but now the KFA will have to make a decision without seeing how the team performs in the continental championship which it hasn't won since 1960.

After the World Cup, Japan gave coach Hajime Moriyasu an extension through the Asian Cup, with under-21 coach Go Oiwa then due to take over.

“Mr. Moriyasu has already shown that he can win in Asia, and we hope he can do so again by winning the Asian Cup,” Japan Football Association President Tsuneyasu Miyamoto said when the appointment was announced. “We worked backward from the goal of winning the Asian Cup. As for Mr. Oiwa, as the U-21 manager, we wanted him to focus on winning the Asian Games and to remain fully committed to the U-21 team until the end of the year.”

In Iraq, coach Graham Arnold signed an extension after the World Cup that was also designed to run through the Asian Cup.

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See AP’s full soccer coverage here

Feridun Sinirlioglu, the secretary-general of the Vienna-based Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, visited Belarus to attend an international security conference and met with Lukashenko.

Sinirlioglu’s visit to Belarus marks the first such trip by the OSCE’s chief since 2019. Belarus, a close ally of Russia, has faced Western isolation and sanctions for years.

Speaking at the start of his meeting with Lukashenko, Sinirlioglu noted Belarus’ role in helping organize exchanges of prisoners of war between Russia and Ukraine.

The Belarusian leader said that he “highly appreciates” Sinirlioglu's visit, but he also criticized the OSCE for what he described as its purported pro-Western stance and unfair criticism of elections in Belarus and Russia.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov attended the conference along with diplomats from ex-Soviet nations, China and other countries.

Lukashenko has governed the nation of 9.5 million with an iron fist for more than three decades, and Belarus has been sanctioned repeatedly by Western countries — both for its crackdown on human rights and for allowing Moscow to use its territory in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.

Belarusian opposition leader-in-exile Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said that “for Lukashenko, a meeting with the OSCE's secretary-general is already a significant and entirely undeserved political reward.”

“High-level visits and meetings with Lukashenko — if they don't lead to concrete changes — only strengthen his regime and foster a sense of impunity,” Tsikhanouskaya told The Associated Press.

“Engagement must yield real results — the release of political prisoners, an end to repression, and a withdrawal of support for the Russian aggression — rather than serving as a tool to grant the regime international legitimacy,” she said.

Lukashenko’s rule was challenged after a 2020 presidential election that kept him in power, when tens of thousands of people poured into the streets to protest a vote widely seen as rigged. In an ensuing crackdown, tens of thousands of people were detained, with many beaten by police. Prominent opposition figures either fled the country or were imprisoned.

Since U.S. President Donald Trump returned to the White House for his second term, Lukashenko has released hundreds of political prisoners in a series of U.S.-mediated deals that also lifted some U.S. sanctions, part of his efforts to overcome isolation and normalize ties with the West.

As part of a deal in March that Washington helped broker, Lukashenko ordered the release of 250 political prisoners, while the U.S. agreed to lift sanctions on two Belarusian state banks and the country’s Finance Ministry, and to remove the top Belarusian potash producers from a sanctions list. And in September, Belarusian authorities released 25 prisoners in exchange for the lifting of U.S. sanctions against two Belarusian companies.

The Belarusian opposition has welcomed the prisoners’ release, but noted that many others remain in custody. Belarus still has 887 political prisoners, according to the Viasna human rights center.

News has been coming in at such a pace in the wake of former Serbian strongman Aleksandar Vucic's electoral defeat on Oct. 25 that a website dubbed “system breakdown” has been set up anonymously, with AI feeding information in real time.

From high school students accusing their principal of throwing away documentation to the closure of a bank linked by local media to Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party, the public has been gripped by the fast-moving developments in the postelection week.

Somewhat chaotic reports are seen by many in Serbia as a sign that Vucic's carefully crafted power system is collapsing swiftly following the stunning victory of a student movement at the early parliamentary ballot.

The Students' List winners are yet to formally take over power in the government administration, security agencies and the army. But the seismic shift in the balance of power is pushing events to unfold before the actual takeover takes place.

Vucic says he is not afraid, accusing election winners of 'terror'

Despite the electoral defeat, a defiant Vucic — now described as the leader of the opposition — has continued with his daily appearances on loyal media, accusing the student-led movement of “revolutionary terror” and vowing to fight back.

On Sunday evening, Vucic told Pink TV that “naturally, this is hard for my family and those who love me, but I am ready for everything and I will persist through anything.” Denying crime links, Vucic said he is not afraid of possible arrest because there will be no evidence against him.

“I don’t sign anything … and nothing will be found,” he said. “They don’t have anything.”

Some prominent figures have been detained

Officials jailed so far include Vucic’s chief of criminal police, Marko Kricak, and another senior police official, both suspected of abuse of office in connection with a high-profile murder investigation.

Kricak was notorious over accusations that he personally threatened a female student with rape during anti-government protests, but he was not jailed over those allegations.

On Monday, authorities also detained Davor Macura, the owner of private Alta Bank, whose license has been revoked. Macura is suspected of trying to take millions of dollars out of the bank's vault and faces charges of abuse of office, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors are asked to start working or resign

While waiting to form the new government, the election winners have called on prosecutors and judges to start doing their jobs or step down.

Scores of investigations into alleged top-level corruption cases remained incomplete under the previous government, including one into a Nov. 1, 2024, train station tragedy that triggered two years of student-led anti-graft protests.

Now, the Serbian public is waiting to hear what will come out of a review into some of the longstanding probes after the student movement promised there will no longer be untouchable officials.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Higher Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade complained of “an atmosphere of persecution and lynching,” after the election, along with “open political pressure by some social and political actors.”

The statement said the alleged pressure was designed to force resignations and that the European Union mission in Belgrade and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe have been informed.

New complaints are piling up

Prosecutors have been swamped with new complaints over incidents that vary from suspected election fraud to threats and violence against protesters, journalists and activists. Organized crime prosecutors also initiated procedures to determine whether some of them had been placed under illegal surveillance.

On Monday, lawyer Ivan Ninic alleged a “criminal conspiracy” involving a justice ministry official and over three dozen prison wardens across Serbia, saying they pressured or bribed inmates to vote for Vucic during last week's ballot.

Ninic presented what he said were screenshots of online chats, with officials exchanging information about how many votes they managed to gather — Vucic's SNS won overwhelmingly in Serbia's prisons.

In Mali Zvornik, on the border with Bosnia, police detained six people accused of granting false residence papers to Bosnian citizens so they could vote for Vucic's party at the election.

Changes started first in the media

Some of the mainstream media in Serbia that were at the forefront of Vucic's propaganda machinery have been the first to regroup.

Previously staunchly pro-Vucic media outlets quickly adopted a more neutral position, while some television channels canceled chunks of their programs altogether and owners reportedly fled the country. State RTS television overhauled its leadership and apologized to its viewers for unprofessional reporting.

But some of Vucic's main mouthpieces, like broadcasters Informer and Pink, remain loyal, hosting the former leader daily in their programs.

Vucic's party faces pressure in cities and towns across the country

The election was for Serbia's 250-member parliament and did not include local governments across the country. Now, calls are mounting for early municipal elections.

Vucic's SNS lost in the capital, Belgrade, and most other towns, after it previously controlled the country down to every village, with the exception of one urban municipality in the southern city of Nis.

Throughout Serbia, employees in theaters, museums, culture associations, schools and hospitals are demanding that SNS-appointed managers immediately step down.

In Belgrade, Fifth High School principal Ognjen Mrvaljevic denied that he was throwing away relevant school documentation, N1 television reported. He said in comments carried by local media that he was just getting rid of unnecessary papers.

Vucic's party's “expiration date has passed,” analyst Slobodan Stupar said. “It will all fall like dominoes.”

That could include AI-powered malware for ransomware attacks as the technology will allow “vulnerabilities that have been tolerated for far too long” to be discovered and exploited “at a scale that was once unimaginable,” said Richard Horne, the head of the National Cyber Security Center.

One such vulnerability was discovered in refrigeration units that were targeted by hackers who turned up the temperature, causing food to thaw. The U.K. has also been affected, Horne said.

In a speech marking the publication of the annual cyber report by the National Cyber Security Center, or NCSC, Horne said that the leaders of businesses and organizations of all sizes who have “got away with tech on the cheap” will have to explain why “food isn't on the shelves, lights aren't on, businesses have gone under,” if they fail to invest in cybersecurity or update out-of-date technology.

Chinese cyberactivity is the “most sophisticated and sustained cyber challenge facing the U.K.” while both Russia and China will routinely use AI to achieve their geopolitical goals, the report said. Russia is intentionally conducting cybercampaigns which fall below the threshold of armed conflict, while Iran is carrying out attacks against the U.K. and targeting individuals who are a threat to the Iranian government, Horne said.

The use of AI by states and criminals is highly likely to increase the scale and efficiency of hostile operations, but AI is more likely to be used to enhance and scale existing tactics and techniques rather than find brand new vulnerabilities, the report said.

Technology “underpins the automation of physical processes that are vital to modern life,” Horne said. That includes, he said, electricity switching, sluice gates in water facilities, dam operations, manufacturing lines, heating and refrigeration controls. The recent cyberattacks on refrigeration systems in French supermarkets showed how easily hostile actors could exploit civilian infrastructure, Horne said.

Fridges across Europe have been affected, including in the U.K., where security experts from the NCSC worked “through the night” to contact organizations with the vulnerable technology, Horne told The Associated Press.

Refrigeration systems in France were attacked because they were using old technology which was no longer being updated and that was connected directly to the internet with default passwords, Horne said. It was, he said, not an AI attack but one where bad actors exploited vulnerabilities that have existed for a long time and showed the need for businesses to address the security of operational technology.

Last week, governments and corporations worked on urgent security updates after the AI-assisted discovery of vulnerabilities in a programming language vital to 70% of websites globally. The two critical flaws identified by AI could allow bad actors to get unauthenticated access to sites which, in theory, could allow them to control a web server remotely without needing a password.

Russia has already attacked critical infrastructure in Europe, according to the U.K. and European Union member states that said Russia's FSB security service was behind an attack on Poland's energy grid in December 2025. If the attack had been successful, 500,000 people could have lost electricity during winter.

In the U.K., malicious cyberactivity is costing organizations almost $20 billion every year, the NCSC said. In 2025, the carmaker Jaguar Land Rover suffered more than $260 million in direct losses following a cyberattack which also hit suppliers and dented the U.K. economy.

“We need every organization in the U.K. to take action now. Not only to protect their customers, services and livelihoods, but because cybersecurity is now part of the front-line defense of our nation,” said Anne Keast-Butler, director of GCHQ, Britain’s signals intelligence agency, which the NCSC is part of.

That includes implementing basic but effective cybersecurity measures such as making sure devices are up to date, limiting administrator access to systems and backing up important files and data, the NCSC said.

Rafael Nadal made that clear when he showed up slightly after the appointed time near 9 p.m. on a Monday night for a video interview from his home in Mallorca to promote his upcoming exhibition in Las Vegas.

Looking slightly frazzled, the retired tennis standout quickly apologized for being eight minutes late — because he was busy tucking in his two sons.

“Sorry,” Nadal said to open an interview with The Associated Press. “That’s the world of being a dad.”

While he no longer plays professional tennis, Nadal still travels the world representing his business interests, promoting his foundation and tennis academy and picking up awards.

When he’s not traveling, family comes first.

“It’s strange to say, but not much golf, not much fishing,” he said of what he does on a typical day at home. “I have two small kids. I have work to do.

“When I’m at home, normally I try to bring my kids to the school at 8:30 in the morning," Nadal said, noting that the school is at the Rafa Nadal Academy on his home island of Mallorca, Spain. “Then I normally try to go to the gym and stay in the office during the whole morning. Try to pick up the kids at 3:30 and then try to spend the afternoon with them.

“That’s my day normally, a normal day at home. I don’t have that many because I am traveling, I am doing stuff, I have events. But most of the days when I am at home and nothing to do, I do that.”

Las Vegas exhibition

Nadal — who turned 40 in June — said he was playing “almost zero” tennis before he picked up his racket for an exhibition a month ago with Andy Murray and others to mark the 10-year anniversary of his academy.

Next up is “The MGM Slam presented by Capital One” at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Feb. 28 — which will mark Nadal’s first time playing in the U.S. since retiring two years ago.

Nadal faced Carlos Alcaraz in the Vegas exhibition in 2024 during his final year on tour.

Additional players and the format for the 2027 event will be announced in the coming weeks. It’s slated for just before the ATP 1000 event in Indian Wells, California.

Last year, eight players competed in a tiebreaker format.

‘Weekly contact' with Federer

Might the next step be an exhibition with his former rival Roger Federer?

Federer showed that he’s still sharp during an exhibition at this year’s U.S. Open.

“I am open (to it) and I had long conversations with Roger,” Nadal said. “Let’s see what’s going on in the future; if something happens or not. But we are in almost weekly contact together. We talk very often and if at some point we find the right reason and the right place to do something, you will know, guys. But I don’t know yet.”

During their careers, Nadal won 24 of his 40 matches with Federer.

So beyond discussing possible exhibitions, when they chat do Nadal and Federer compare themselves to the current crop of tennis stars like Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev?

“Yeah, we think that we were much, much better. Yeah,” Nadal said jokingly with a big laugh before responding seriously: “No, we talk about different stuff. … We talk about golf. We talk about sports. We share thoughts. I mean, normal relationship.”

Is there also a “Big Three” chat that includes Novak Djokovic?

“We don’t have a chat at all,” Nadal said. “Novak is still in competition.”

‘Old body requires time and patience’

Nadal acknowledged that he was “not in the mood” to commit to the Vegas exhibition when it was first proposed.

“But then, in some way, that’s an obligation for me to start practicing again, to start doing my things,” he said. “I’m still hitting the ball quite well, to be honest. The movement is another story.”

Nadal had surgery to treat pain and regain mobility in his right hand nearly a year ago and said that he was “not able to do much” for four months. He was also bothered by chronic pain in his left foot, hip issues and many other physical ailments during his storied career.

“I need to go step-by-step,” he said about getting back into shape. “Because if I want to avoid injuries … the old body requires time and patience.”

Not for the kids

When Serena Williams came back to the pro game earlier this year, bringing her two daughters along to see her play was part of the motivation.

For Nadal, it’s different.

“Now I just do it for myself,” he said when asked if playing the exhibition was so his sons could see him in action. “Almost everything I do, I do it for them. But this, I do it just because I want to enjoy the preparation and then the feeling of playing again tennis in front of a good crowd.”

More clay and grass might have prevented injuries

Nadal’s Netflix documentary “Rafa,” released this year, provided a fresh glimpse into the immense pain that the Spaniard played through during his career.

And now with Alcaraz and Sinner both having missed large portions of this year due to injury, the game’s physical toll has come under the spotlight.

Nadal was asked if there were times during his career when he wished there were fewer matches on hard courts and more tournaments on clay and grass.

“It was difficult for me to fight for that when I was on the tour,” Nadal said, noting that people would have thought he was just trying to take advantage of his dominance on clay, “or even grass, that I think was my second-best surface.

“But now I can say: I don’t see a lot of professional sports playing on that kind of surfaces. That’s the truth. In tennis, we’re playing most of the time in a very, let’s say, aggressive surface for the body and for the joints. And then we pay the price.”

Ranking system fix

Nadal renewed his call to follow golf and move to a rolling ranking system based on two years of results rather than one year as is currently used in tennis.

A two-year system, Nadal said, would “give the players a little bit more freedom to make better decisions and at the same time, when you get injured, you have more time to recover” without seeing your ranking drop rapidly.

He also echoed many current players by saying that extending Master 1000s tournaments to two weeks was “a mistake.”

No coaching in immediate future

While Nadal remains busy running his academy — which employs up to 700 workers at a time — and other business interests, might he eventually return to the circuit as a “super coach” like Murray has with Djokovic and Jack Draper?

His academy this year celebrated having six players — led by No. 17 Alex Eala on the women's side and No. 23 Casper Ruud, who Nadal beat for his final Grand Slam title in the 2022 French Open final — in the top 100 of the rankings.

“Never say never,” Nadal said. “But not now.

“I have two small kids and I cannot commit to stay full time with a player,” he added. “Today, I am not the coach that I (would) pick up if I was a professional tennis player.”

Because then he wouldn't be there for bedtime.

___

See AP’s full tennis coverage here

VOTER’S GUIDES: Florida | Georgia

Key races

Both states have a term-limited, Republican governor: Gov. Ron DeSantis in Florida, and Gov. Brian Kemp in Georgia.

Republican Byron Donalds and Democrat David Jolly are facing off in the Florida race, with Republican Rick Jackson and Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia’s race for governor.

In the U.S. Senate races, Georgia Democrat Jon Ossoff is seeking his second six-year term, facing a challenge from Republican Mike Collins. Florida’s Senate race is actually a special election because Sen. Marco Rubio became President Donald Trump’s Secretary of State in January 2025. Republican Ashley Moody was appointed to the seat and is now running in the election to serve the final two years of Rubio’s elected term. Moody faces Jacksonville Democrat Angie Nixon.

Beyond those two races, voters in both states will face choices in statewide cabinet races, U.S. House races, and proposed constitutional amendments, including Florida’s high-profile Amendment 3, which could make sweeping changes to property taxes in the state. Most voters will also see state legislative races on their ballot, and some will also see local races such as county commission and school board.

You can read about the races on your ballot in our 2026 News4JAX Voter’s Guides for Florida and for Georgia.

At the polls

On Election Day, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in both Florida and Georgia, and you must vote at your assigned voting precinct.

To double-check your precinct before you head out (a good idea since some have changed), you can go to the Florida Division of Elections Voter Precinct Lookup page or the GA My Voter Page.

Florida voters will find links to their county’s supervisor of elections precinct finder pages.

Georgia voters will be able to enter their information to find their polling locations.

You must be prepared to show one of the accepted forms of photo identification.

Florida:

• Florida Driver License
• Florida ID Card (issued by DHSMV)
• U.S. Passport
• Debit or Credit Card
• Military ID
• Student ID
• Retirement Center ID
• Neighborhood Association ID
• Public Assistance ID
• Veteran Health ID (issued by the US Department of Veterans Affairs)
• Concealed Weapon License (issued pursuant to F.S. 790.06)
• Employee ID card issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the Federal Government, the state, a county, or a municipality.

If you show up without an ID, you can cast a “provisional” ballot, which is then evaluated by a canvassing board that decides if the ballot is eligible.

Georgia:

• Any valid state or federal government-issued photo ID, including a free ID card issued by your county registrar’s office or the Georgia Department of Driver Services. 
• A Georgia driver’s license, even if expired
• Student ID from a Georgia public College or University
• Valid employee photo ID from any branch, department, agency, or entity of the U.S. Government, Georgia, or any county, municipality, board, authority or other entity of this state 
• Valid U.S. passport ID 
• Valid U.S. military photo ID containing a photograph of the voter
• Valid tribal photo ID containing a photograph of the voter

To pass, each needs at least 60% of voters to say yes.

We know the legalese and political language that wind up on the ballot can be confusing, so we’re breaking down what voters need to know about what a yes or a no will mean for each amendment.

VOTER’S GUIDE: Check out info on the candidates and local referendums on your ballot

Amendment 1 — Budget Stabilization Fund (“rainy day” fund)

Florida’s Budget Stabilization Fund, created in 1992, is a reserve the state can use during revenue shortfalls or emergencies. All 50 states have some form of such a fund, but they are paid for and administered differently.

Currently, the Florida Constitution caps the Budget Stabilization Fund at 10% of the previous year’s general revenue collections, and requires that it not fall below 5%.

That means the current maximum for the fund is about $5 billion.

Amendment 1, if passed, would change that.

What the ballot summary says:

Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to increase the amount of funds that may be retained in the budget stabilization fund from 10% to 25% of general revenue collections, require the legislature to transfer the lesser of $750 million or the amount required to reach 25% of the general revenue collections each year unless certain conditions are met, and allow the legislature to withdraw funds for critical state needs.

Amendment 1

So to break it down:

• A Yes vote would: Raise the cap to 25% and require the Legislature to transfer up to $750 million into the fund each year, until it reaches that cap. Transfers can be suspended in certain circumstances, including when the state has withdrawn money for a shortfall or emergency. With a two-thirds vote in each legislative chamber, the Legislature could also suspend a transfer for a critical state need—no more than once every five years. Once the fund reaches 15% of revenue collections, lawmakers could use some funds for a critical state need, provided the balance would not fall below 10%. The amendment does not define “critical state need.”
• A No vote would: Keep the current 10% cap and avoid the new annual deposit requirement. Existing rules would continue to govern deposits and withdrawals.

In brief: A yes vote favors building a substantially larger state reserve and making regular deposits mandatory, with specified exceptions. A no vote preserves more legislative flexibility over how state revenue is allocated.

Who is in favor?

According to reporting from Jax Today, support for the amendment is not split across party lines.

For example, the Republican Party of Florida endorsed the amendment, but Gov. Ron DeSantis opposes it, going so far as to call it “foolish.”

And some local Democratic groups recommend a no vote, while Democratic nominee for governor David Jolly says he supports the amendment.

Jolly’s opponent, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, is a no.

The government spending watchdog group Florida TaxWatch is somewhat iffy on the amendment, saying that while it does think the 10% max on the fund should be increased, locking in $750 million payments to the fund each year for such a long time could be a bad idea.

Florida TaxWatch said it was a tough call but that, in the end, it recommends a yes vote on Amendment 1.

Amendment 2 — Property-tax exemption for qualifying farm and agritourism equipment

This amendment would give some tax breaks to those who work in Florida’s agricultural industry.

Specifically, it focuses on tax exemptions for tangible personal property—so things like machinery, equipment, and tools; not land or buildings—that are typically found on agricultural land, are used to produce agricultural products or for agritourism, and are owned by the landowner or leaseholder.

The exemption would begin with the 2027 tax year.

What the ballot summary says:

Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to exempt tangible personal property habitually located or typically present on land classified as agricultural, used in the production of agricultural products or for agritourism activities, and owned by the landowner or leaseholder of the agricultural land from ad valorem taxation. If approved this amendment would first apply for tax years beginning January 1, 2027.

Amendment 2

So to break it down:

• A Yes vote would: Exempt qualifying farm- and agritourism-related equipment and other personal property from property taxes. The Legislature would set details and limits by law.
• A No vote would: Leave the property under current tax rules, including the existing general exemption for the first $25,000 of assessed tangible personal property available to businesses.

In brief: A yes vote would provide additional tax relief to eligible agricultural operations. It would also reduce local property-tax revenue; one legislative estimate put the reduction at about $31 million annually, beginning in 2027–28. A no vote keeps the current system.

Who is in favor?

The Florida senator who sponsored the bill is himself a farmer and said the amendment would give farmers a break on the cost of doing business.

But critics point to the current rule allowing a property tax exemption for the first $25,000 in tangible personal property for all businesses, including farms.

Florida TaxWatch argues that the $25,000 exemption should be increased across the board, so it supports the amendment.

Amendment 3 — Homestead exemptions, property assessments, and local spending

By far the most hotly debated of this year’s amendments, Amendment 3 is also considered the most confusing when it comes to wording on the ballot.

The amendment combines several property-tax changes related to homestead exemptions.

A homestead exemption allows homeowners who use a property as their primary home to exempt a portion of its assessed value from property taxes, reducing the amount they owe to the government.

Amendment 3 would expand the non-school property tax exemption from $25,000 to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028.

That would mean there would be two separate homestead exemptions: a larger exemption for non-school property taxes and the existing $25,000 exemption for school property taxes.

The amendment would also give the Legislature a way to establish more local homestead exemptions, lower the assessment-growth cap for non-homestead property, and limit how local governments use property-tax revenue.

According to reporting from WUSF, a state economic analysis predicts passing the amendment could cost local governments nearly $5 billion in the first year and $9 billion the next year, with an eventual recurring impact of nearly $12 billion.

Amendment 3 also affects non-homestead properties, like businesses and rental units. Right now, the taxable value of those properties can rise by as much as 10% a year. The amendment would cut that in half to a max of 5% a year.

What the ballot summary says:

This amendment increases the homestead exemption, for all non-school taxes, to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, and adjusts for inflation thereafter. It requires the Legislature to prescribe a uniform procedure for counties and municipalities, for their respective levies, to increase the homestead exemption up to full assessed value, and allows special districts, subject to referendum approval, to do the same. Persons who are not Florida residents on December 31, 2026, will receive the existing homestead exemption upon qualifying for a homestead exemption, with the increased homestead exemption beginning with the fifth year of exemption, to the extent permitted by the U.S. Constitution. This amendment reduces the annual cap on assessment increases for non-homestead properties from 10% to 5%. This amendment requires counties and municipalities to use property taxes solely for public safety, education and schools, infrastructure, natural resources, bond debt service, retirement benefits for employees, and operations and administration. Other expenditures may be approved by county officers or county or municipal governing bodies unless prohibited by general law, notwithstanding Article VII, Section 9(a) of the Florida Constitution, which allows counties and municipalities to levy property taxes for their respective purposes. This amendment takes effect January 1, 2027.

Amendment 3

So to break it down:

• A Yes vote would: Increase the non-school homestead exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, with inflation adjustments afterward. This would reduce eligible homeowners’ taxable value for non-school levies; it would not reduce school property taxes. The amendment also directs the Legislature to set a process for counties and municipalities to increase exemptions further, potentially up to the home’s full assessed value. Those who move to Florida starting next year would have to live in the state for five years before they could qualify for the new exemption. Separately, it lowers the annual assessment-growth cap for non-homestead property from 10% to 5% and restricts property-tax spending to listed categories, including public safety, education, infrastructure, natural resources, debt service, employee retirement benefits, and government operations.
• A No vote would: Keep the current homestead exemption structure, the 10% assessment-growth cap for non-homestead property, and existing local-government discretion over property-tax spending.

In brief: A yes vote would lower non-school property taxes for many established homesteads, while also constraining local revenue and budgeting. A no vote leaves current rules in place. The amendment’s exemption does not apply to renters directly, and the reduced cap applies to non-homestead property—not the separate “Save Our Homes” cap for homesteaded properties.

Who is in favor?

The short answer is Florida’s Republican leadership. From Sen. Rick Scott to Gov. Ron DeSantis to Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, the state’s current leaders want to see this amendment pass.

They argue that the exemption would benefit Florida taxpayers, while forcing local governments to “find all their waste and get rid of it” because their budgets would shrink.

That budget shrinking is what has opponents concerned, however, particularly those in charge of public safety services in local governments.

Among the organizations that have voiced opposition to the amendment are the Florida State Fraternal Order of Police, Florida Sheriffs Associations, Florida Professional Firefighters, Florida Association of Counties, Florida League of Cities, 1000 Friends of Florida, and the Florida Policy Institute.

Florida TaxWatch also raised a different concern: the speed with which the amendment reached the ballot, saying, “The largest fiscal change in the history of Florida government should not be sent to the ballot one week after the initial proposal surfaced.”

That rushed process is why the organization recommends a no vote on Amendment 3.

JSO says officers were called just after 9 p.m. and found several men in their 20s with multiple gunshot wounds.

Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department crews took the victims to a hospital, where one later died. The conditions of the others was not released.

Detectives are investigating and seeking surveillance video and witnesses.

Anyone with information is asked to call JSO at 904-630-0500, email jsocrimetips@jaxsheriff.org, or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.

Here's a rundown of the biggest races hour by hour, along with some clues as to how long it will take to count the votes.

All times are in Eastern Standard Time.

6 p.m.

The first polls of the night will close in most of Indiana and Kentucky, but no statewide winners will be declared in either state until the last polls close at 7 p.m. It’s possible to see winners declared in the states’ easternmost congressional districts.

Key contests in this hour include competitive U.S. House races in Indiana's 5th and Kentucky's 6th congressional districts.

7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

All polls close at 7 p.m. in six states, including Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia, which tend to complete almost all of their vote counting on election night. In the 2024 general election, the vote count in all three states reached the halfway mark in the 8 p.m. hour. The counts were 90% complete at 10:21 p.m. in Georgia, 11:14 p.m. in South Carolina and 12:07 a.m. in Virginia. In Georgia’s competitive presidential contest, The Associated Press declared Republican Donald Trump the winner at 12:58 a.m.

Most Florida polls will also close at 7 p.m., including in every competitive congressional district, but no statewide winners will be declared until polls in the Central Time Zone close at 8 p.m.

Polls in North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia close at 7:30 p.m. All three states also count votes relatively quickly, reaching the halfway point at around 9 p.m. in 2024 and about 90% in the 11 p.m. hour. The AP declared a winner in Ohio’s competitive 2024 U.S. Senate race at 11:27 p.m.

Some key contests to watch in this hour are U.S. Senate races in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Ohio; gubernatorial races in Georgia and Ohio; and U.S. House races in Florida, Indiana, South Carolina, Virginia, Ohio and North Carolina.

8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

The 8 p.m. hour is primetime on election night, with polls fully or partially closing in almost half the states, including key states like Florida, Maine, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania.

Florida tends to have one of the faster counts in this time slot, since results in most of the state start releasing in the 7 p.m. hour. In 2024, the Florida vote count was 90% complete by 8:07 p.m.

The 2024 vote counts in New Hampshire and Pennsylvania reached the halfway mark at 10:12 p.m. They reached 90% at 12:48 a.m. in Pennsylvania and 1:42 a.m. in New Hampshire.

Maine didn’t reach the halfway mark in 2024 until 12:54 a.m.

Polls in almost all of Michigan and Texas close at 8 p.m., including in the states’ most competitive congressional districts, but no statewide winners will be declared until the final polls have closed at 9 p.m.

Polls close at 8:30 p.m. in Arkansas.

Some key contests to watch in this hour are U.S. Senate races in Florida, Maine and New Hampshire; gubernatorial races in Florida and Pennsylvania; and U.S. House races in Alabama, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Texas.

9 p.m.

This is election night’s other big logjam, with all polls closing in 15 states, including the midterm battlegrounds of Arizona, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, Texas and Wisconsin.

The 2024 general election vote counts in Iowa, Nebraska, New York and Wisconsin all reached the halfway mark roughly in the 10 p.m. hour, while Minnesota reached 50% of all votes counted at 11:29 p.m. Iowa and New York completed 90% of the count just before midnight, while Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin reached 90% early the next day between 2 and 3:30 a.m.

Kansas, Michigan and Texas all begin releasing votes in the 8 p.m. hour, but Michigan trailed the other two in the 2024 vote count. Kansas and Texas reached 90% counted during the midnight hour, while Michigan didn’t reach that threshold until 4:50 a.m.

Although polls close in Arizona at 9 p.m., the state does not begin releasing results until 10 p.m.

Some key contests to watch in this hour are U.S. Senate races in Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Nebraska and Texas; gubernatorial races in Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, Texas and Wisconsin; and U.S. House races in Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York and Wisconsin.

10 p.m.

Polls close at 10 p.m. in Montana, Nevada and Utah, with some polls closing in the eastern portions of Idaho and Oregon.

Key contests to watch in this hour include U.S. House races in Montana, Nevada and Utah and congressional and gubernatorial races in Arizona, where polls close at 9 p.m. but results are held until 10 p.m.

11 p.m.

All polls close at 11 p.m. in California and Washington, as well as the remaining polls in Idaho and Oregon.

Elections in California and Washington are conducted primarily by mail. Mail ballots postmarked by Election Day will be counted if received by Nov. 10 in California and Nov. 23 in Washington.

In the 2024 general election, about 38% of the vote in California and about 33% of the vote in Washington was not counted on election night. The count reached 90% in Washington by Nov. 9, four days after Election Day, and in California by Nov. 14, nine days after Election Day.

Some key contests to watch in this hour are California governor, California’s Proposition 40 and U.S. House races in California and Washington.

Midnight and 1 a.m.

Polls close in Hawaii and almost all of Alaska at midnight. The final polls of the 2026 midterms close at 1 a.m. in the Aleutian Islands, home of Alaska’s westernmost polling location.

In Alaska in 2024, about 25% of the total vote was not counted on election night. The bulk of the state's mail voting results aren’t expected before Nov. 18, the deadline to receive overseas and military ballots. Mail and early in-person ballots comprised about 35% of the total vote in 2022 and about 45% in 2024.

Key contests to watch include the Senate and House races in Alaska.

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Follow the AP's coverage of the 2026 midterm elections at https://apnews.com/hub/elections.

The seven High Court judges began hearing two challenges to the ban that took effect last year on young children holding accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Kick, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube and Twitch.

The first challenge was brought by Sydney-based rights group Digital Freedom Project.

They claim the law improperly robs millions of young Australians of a right to freedom of political communication implied in Australia’s constitution.

The second challenge comes from U.S. online forum Reddit, which argues the ban raised issues of privacy and political expression. Reddit also argued that it should not have included in the same category as other banned social media platforms.

The two-day hearing will end Wednesday.

Teens removed as plaintiffs in a case

Two Sydney 15-year-olds, Noah Jones and Macy Neyland, had been included as plaintiffs when the Digital Freedom Project case was filed last year. But the pair were removed over concerns they could be held liable for legal costs should the case fail.

Noah Jones, who is now 16 and no longer subject to the ban, told reporters outside court the legislation amounted to a government step toward censorship.

“I believe that this is just a stepping stone further and further to censorship and I think they’ve masked it as this form of child safety," Noah Jones said.

"But in the end, it’s really just them trying to slowly gain more and more control of what young people see as they will be voters,” he added.

Noah’s mother, Renee Jones, told reporters she was “fiercely afraid” of problems social media presented to young people, but the government’s legislation missed the mark.

She said the ban would leave young people ignorant about safe online interaction and the dangers that came with being on social media.

“I want my son to grow up into a young Australian man who is resilient, who is responsible online, who can identify the dangers, and who is able to vet some of these things,” the mother told reporters.

Australian government plans to strengthen social media ban laws

The government announced in June it was considering strengthening laws behind the ban. This followed evidence that young children were continuing to remain on social media.

The 10 targeted platforms face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars ($34.5 million) if they fail to take reasonable steps to remove the accounts of young children.

A study published in the British Medical Journal in June found 85% of a group of Australian 12- to 17-year-olds continued to use restricted platforms.

The government's own research released in March showed 7 in 10 underage children continued to hold accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok since December.

Communications Minister Anika Wells was in court for the proceedings and later told reporters the laws were under attack.

“We are here to defendant a fundamental tenet of Australian democracy which is an Australian’s right, and particularly an Australian child’s right, to be free from harm, and we seek to defendant that from sustained ideological attack,” Wells said.

Net profit rose to $36.3 billion from $26.9 billion in the year-earlier quarter. Adjusted net profit, which leaves out the sale of a stake in PRefChem to Malaysian state oil company Petronas, rose 9% to $31.2 billion.

The company also benefitted from high profit margins at its refineries turning crude into useable products such as diesel fuel.

Saudi Aramco sold its oil for an average of $95.20 a barrel during the quarter, compared to $70.10 in the year-before quarter, the company said in a news release. Oil prices surged after the outbreak of the Iran war due to disruption of supply and uncertainty about the course of the conflict.

After the war began in February, Saudi Aramco was able to use its East-West pipeline to the Red Sea port of Yanbu to maintain a significant share of its oil exports despite disruption of tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz due to the risk of Iranian attack. The pipeline was attacked Sept. 10 but has resumed flows.

Saudi oil is now also being transported through the strait using a U.S.-protected corridor near the coast of Oman. Exports have continued despite attacks on Aramco facilities by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.

The company is a major source of revenue for the Saudi government as it invests in projects aimed at diversifying its economy.

FDOT classified the crash as major and last updated the incident at 4:57 a.m.

Misfit Technologies CEO Munimul Islam was detained upon his arrival at the international airport in Barcelona, Spain, in late September at the request of Myanmar officials investigating a complaint by the AmCham Myanmar. Islam was beginning a vacation with his wife and children at the time.

Spanish judicial authorities said in a document dated Oct. 26 that they had dropped all legal proceedings against Islam, who had been freed on bail earlier in October, after being informed of Myanmar's decision.

“This case exposes serious weaknesses in Interpol's safeguards, allowing a military regime to trigger detention in a European democracy over unsubstantiated allegations,” Islam, a Bangladesh national, told The Associated Press on Monday.

Paris-based Interpol told the AP that only Myanmar authorities could provide information on the case. Acting Police Brig. Gen. Soe Lin Aung, a spokesperson for Myanmar’s Home Affairs Ministry, which oversees the country’s police forces, wouldn't comment on specifics, saying only that “all the cases have been concluded” before hanging up.

Monthslong case garnered international attention

The case began as an internal AmCham Myanmar dispute, with the current board accusing Islam, former board president Adam Castillo, an American, and former executive director Ye Khaung “Danny” Kyaw, an Australian, of financial impropriety for the hiring of an American public relations firm to assist in lobbying efforts in Washington.

It garnered international attention after authorities began investigating it as a criminal case and arrested Castillo and Ye Khaung Kyaw, and issued the “red notice” for Islam, who lives in the United Kingdom.

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration then stepped in and sent a delegation to Myanmar to secure Castillo's release and return to the United States in September, and Ye Khaung Kyaw was deported after pleading guilty to breach of trust, which he said was done under pressure from authorities.

Myanmar, which is embroiled in a civil war, is headed by President Min Aung Hlaing, who led the group of military officers that seized control from the democratically elected leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, in 2021.

The country is widely sanctioned, and Min Aung Hlaing has been on a charm offensive recently to try and win more international support for his government. When Castillo was released, the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper said that the government's “primary goal” was friendly bilateral relations with the U.S.

The president's spokeswoman didn't respond to a request for comment on the decision not to pursue the case against Islam.

Case centered on lobbying efforts in Washington

The original AmCham complaint centered on Castillo’s creation of the U.S.-Burma Economic Forum as a lobbying organization for the chamber he served as president from 2023 to 2025, and the 2024 contract Castillo signed with Mercury Public Affairs.

AmCham Myanmar maintains that Castillo “illegally collected” $300,000 and used the association’s name to enlist Mercury to assist in lobbying efforts without approval from the current board.

Myat Phyu The, the executive director of AmCham Myanmar, didn't respond to a request for comment on Islam's case, but previously said that the concern was that transaction could bring “potential legal, financial and criminal exposure” to the organization and current board.

A signed board resolution provided by Castillo’s supporters indicated that the board had approved the lobbying initiative, but AmCham Myanmar maintains that the document is a fake.

The AmCham also maintained it had received no services, but the AP confirmed that Mercury did organize and attend multiple meetings in Washington with Castillo and others. Mercury also declared all payments to American authorities as required under the Lobbying Disclosure Act, with reports available online to the public.

Ex-board member says all payments declared and above board

The $300,000 came entirely from Islam's company and was paid in installments. He questioned how the payments could have exposed the current AmCham to legal issues in Myanmar, which has strict foreign currency restrictions, noting he hadn't been a Myanmar resident since 2022 and that the funds were paid by his company's U.S. operation.

His contention appears supported in the official finding by Myanmar authorities, who wrote to their Spanish counterparts that they had concluded Islam “merely carried out corporate invoicing and disbursement directives while based abroad.”

Islam, 40, said that while he is relieved that the case is over, he is “certainly not satisfied” with the outcome and was exploring what legal action he could take against AmCham and the current board members involved.

“I spent 14 days detained, separated from my two infant daughters, causing enormous emotional, financial and reputational harm,” he said. “My freedom has been restored but the damage remains — I want accountability and safeguards so no other innocent family endures this.”