The allegations from the Justice Department were revealed Monday in newly unsealed court documents that shed light on a closed-door fight that represents an unmistakable escalation in the administration's targeting of Comey, a longtime critic and foe of President Donald Trump who has faced two other criminal cases since the Republican returned to the White House last year. The effort to prosecute Comey is also part of a series of politically charged investigative actions the department has undertaken in the run-up to next week's midterm elections.

“Well, they’re back — again,” Comey said in a video statement Monday. “It would almost be funny if it weren't such an appalling abuse of the Department of Justice – one that we cannot become numb to. Nothing’s changed with me; I’m still innocent, I’m still not afraid of these people — and I still believe in an independent federal judiciary.”

The Justice Department said it had filed what's known as a “criminal information” to extend the statute of limitations for when they can permissibly bring an indictment.

"Filing a criminal information to toll the statute of limitations is a widely recognized practice in federal court and has been approved by multiple Circuit Courts of Appeals. This is an ongoing criminal investigation, and we will not comment further,” a department spokesperson said.

An information can be filed without the approval of a judge or a grand jury's finding of probable cause to a court. Comey’s lawyers made clear that they intend to fight the charges as invalid and barred by a 10-year statute of limitations.

“For the third time in little more than one year, the Department of Justice has attempted to charge Mr. Comey with a federal crime. Mr. Comey steadfastly maintains his innocence,” his attorney, Patrick Fitzgerald, said in a statement.

The allegation was previously investigated

The latest allegation concerns an October 2016 New York Times story related to a secret court order that required Yahoo to scan emails for messages potentially linked to a foreign terrorist organization. The story cited two government officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity about the order from a judge on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court that Yahoo was barred from publicly disclosing.

Federal authorities, including prosecutor John Durham, began investigating the disclosure in early 2017. Durham, who later investigated the FBI's conduct as it scrutinized potential ties between Russia and Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, wrote a classified memo in December 2018 recommending no criminal charges against anyone in connection with the disclosure, Comey’s attorneys said in a recent court filing.

In January 2019, the U.S. Attorney’s office for the District of Columbia opened a second investigation of the same matter under the code name “Tropical Vortex.” But that investigation was closed without any charges filed in February 2020.

“Both times the Government determined that no charges should be brought against anyone. Now, ten years after the article was published, the Government filed an “Information” against Mr. Comey that was not approved by a judge nor issued by a grand jury. It purports to charge Mr. Comey with crimes that he did not commit,” Fitzgerald said.

Prosecutors in a newly unsealed filing said investigators found evidence that Comey “sought to correct misinformation which had appeared in the press by way of Reuters the day before” that New York Times story was published, directed his staff to speak to a journalist at the newspaper related to accuracy concerns “and thereby illegally transferred classified information.”

The criminal information was filed under seal on Oct. 6, 2016, 10 years after the story was published. “But,” Comey's lawyers said, “the applicable statute of limitations explicitly demands an indictment within 10 years of the offense; an information does not suffice.”

They have asked a judge to dismiss the information, a request that is still pending.

Trump and Comey have a long and uneasy history

The first criminal case against Comey, filed in federal court in Virginia, accused him of having lied to Congress in 2020 but was dismissed by a judge who concluded that the prosecutor who brought the charges was illegally appointed. A separate pending indictment charges the former FBI director with threatening Trump through an Instagram photo of seashells in the numerical arrangement of “86 47,” a case he has sought to dismiss and some legal experts have greeted with skepticism.

The cases are part of a Trump retribution campaign that has even extended to Comey's daughter, Maurene, who was fired from her job as a Justice Department prosecutor in New York last year in a termination that a federal judge on Monday ruled was illegal.

Comey was the FBI director when Trump took office in 2017, having been appointed by then-President Barack Obama, a Democrat, and serving before that as a senior Justice Department official in President George W. Bush’s Republican administration.

But the relationship was strained from the start, including after Comey resisted a request by Trump at a private dinner to pledge his personal loyalty to the president -- an overture that so unnerved the FBI director that he documented it in a contemporaneous memorandum.

Trump fired Comey in May 2017 amid an FBI investigation into potential ties between Russia and Trump’s campaign. That inquiry, later taken over by special counsel Robert Mueller, found that while Russia interfered in the 2016 election and the Trump team welcomed the help, there was insufficient evidence to prove a criminal collaboration.

The two men have been bitterly at odds ever since Comey's firing. Comey in 2018 published a memoir, “A Higher Loyalty,” that painted Trump in deeply unflattering ways, likening him to a mafia don and characterizing him “untethered to truth.” Trump, for his part, has repeatedly claimed that Comey should face charges for “treason” — an accusation Comey dismissed as “dumb lies” — and called him an “untruthful slime ball.”

The decision sets the federal government and state officials up for another legal showdown on the matter on Tuesday in front of a federal district judge, giving the federal government a very short window to compel California to sequester votes before the Nov. 3 elections.

The Republican administration sued election officials in the heavily Democratic state in mid-October, accusing them of failing to meet a 48-hour deadline to review a list of 20,000 people it alleged were likely noncitizens on the state’s voter rolls. The administration asked the judge to stop the state from counting those ballots until immigration status checks could be completed.

After a district judge had scheduled an Oct. 27 hearing on the issue, the federal government appealed to the 9th Circuit Court, arguing that a faster decision was needed to prevent the further counting of votes.

But two of the three 9th Circuit Court judges rejected that argument on Monday, writing that the federal government “failed to allow the district court adequate opportunity to consider” their initial request to sequester the ballots in question.

The Justice Department didn’t immediately respond to an emailed inquiry.

The Democratic Senate candidate Trump wants to help defeat, Scott Colom, said he’s going to the president’s rally site, too — creating the rare spectacle of Trump’s staunchest supporters interacting directly with one of the very figures the president surely will denigrate onstage later.

Trump intensified his anti-Muslim rhetoric against Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed on Sunday, portraying him as a threat to national security and questioning his loyalty to the United States in remarks that drew a sharp rebuke from a former top Arab American ally, Bishara Bahbah, a founder of Arab Americans for Trump.

Attorney General Todd Blanche on Sunday defended the Trump administration’slawsuit to block certification of Alaska’s Senate results if Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan loses the race and argued that the legal challenge was a necessary step to avoid confusing voters in the closely watched midterm race.

Here's the latest:

Appeals court declines to rule on federal bid to set aside California ballots of alleged noncitizens

The court declined to rule on whether California elections officials can count roughly 20,000 ballots that the Justice Department alleges belongs to noncitizens voters.

The decision sets the federal government and state officials up for another legal showdown on the matter on Tuesday in front of a federal district judge, giving the federal government a very short window to compel California to sequester votes before the Nov. 3 elections.

The Republican administration sued election officials in the heavily Democratic state in mid-October, accusing them of failing to meet a 48-hour deadline to review a list of 20,000 people it alleged were likely noncitizens on the state’s voter rolls.

Trump takes the stage in Mississippi

The president has begun addressing his rally in Corinth, Mississippi.

“We’ve been doing the rounds. We’ve been doing the rounds,” Trump said of his crisscrossing the country on behalf of Republicans.

Trump acknowledged that the president’s party often doesn’t do well in midterm elections, but added, “Nobody’s ever campaigned like I have for midterms.”

He was championing Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith while her Democratic challenger, Scott Colom, was spotted at his rally site, too.

Kamala Harris tells Wisconsin Democrats to turn ‘anger into action’

The former vice president stopped at a Democratic Party office in Milwaukee and attended a rally at a downtown hotel with gubernatorial candidate David Crowley. He is locked in a tight race with Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who is endorsed by Trump.

“This is a tight race because the stakes are so high,” Harris said at the event billed as a “women for Crowley” rally.

She praised Crowley, saying “unlike others who are constantly looking in the mirror, David is looking at the people.”

Harris urged Crowley supporters to tap the anger, sadness and depression they’ve been feeling into action to elect Crowley.

Tiffany said in a statement that Harris was bringing her “California playbook to Wisconsin.”

“Wisconsin rejected Kamala Harris once, and now it’s time to reject David Crowley,” Tiffany said.

Trump defeated Harris in swing state Wisconsin by less than a percentage point in 2024.

House Democrats say they’ve recruited 275 congressional election observers

Democrats in the U.S. House have recruited a record number of observers to fan out across the country and monitor the polls in November’s midterms, New York Rep. Joe Morelle, ranking member of the Committee on House Administration, told reporters Monday.

Morelle said the 275 congressional staffers will carry on a longtime tradition in the chamber of volunteers observing the election process to “protect free and fair elections.”

Republicans also participate in the congressional observer program.

Spokespeople for Rep. Bryan Steil, the Wisconsin Republican and chair of the committee, didn’t immediately respond to an inquiry about how many volunteers they’d gathered.

The news comes as Democrats, Republicans, watchdog groups and the DOJ are also preparing to send thousands of monitors to the polls on Election Day.

Bernie Sanders blasts ‘racist, Islamophobic’ ads targeting El-Sayed

Sanders, an independent senator from Vermont, said recent anti-Muslim ads about the Democratic candidate for Senate in Michigan were the result of “unbelievable and disgusting racism that we’re seeing from Trump and the Republican Party.”

“Billionaires are flooding the airwaves with racist, Islamophobic ads because they have nothing to say about the important issues facing working people,” Sanders said during a rally with El-Sayed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, billed as a Students Versus Billionaires town hall.

El-Sayed’s race against Republican Mike Rogers will help determine control of the Senate. Arab American groups have condemned anti-Muslim rhetoric during the campaign, including Trump’s calling El-Sayed a “jihadist.”

El-Sayed disavows ad critical of US support for Israel

The Michigan Senate candidate is distancing himself from an ad that blames high grocery prices on U.S. support for Israel.

“This ad is not affiliated in any way with the Abdul for Senate campaign. Abdul is focused on pushing back against Trump’s agenda that is raising prices for Michiganders. No one speaks for Abdul but himself and his campaign,” a spokesperson for El-Sayed, Roxie Richner, said in a statement.

The ad shows a couple discussing U.S. support for Israel as they shop for groceries. “Apparently it’s costing us a lot of money to drop bombs on Gaza,” the woman says.

It was created by a political action committee called Rebellion PAC and shared on social media by Cenk Uygur, host of the popular progressive show The Young Turks. It was condemned by Rep. Haley Stevens, who narrowly lost to El-Sayed in the Democratic primary.

“This type of fearmongering about Israel is wrong,” Stevens wrote on X.

Late in his tight race, Kansas GOP Sen. Roger Marshall is making ‘radical Islam’ a key issue

Marshall called “radical Islam” the biggest threat facing the U.S. while speaking during a rally in Topeka that was headlined by Vice President JD Vance.

At least 1,000 people gathered for the rally, which is part of the GOP’s efforts to rescue Marshall. The senator’s race against Democrat Adam Hamilton is considered a tossup even though Democrats haven’t won a Senate seat in Kansas since 1932.

Marshall said unrest in France shows what happens under “weak moderate” leadership and predicted that if Democrats control the Senate, they will let radical Muslims into the U.S.

“Radical Islam is trying to erase Western civilization from the history books,” Marshall said. “I refuse to let America burn because we refused to face down radical Islam.”

Trump administration attempting to prosecute former FBI Director James Comey again

The Trump administration is attempting to prosecute Comey for what it calls disclosing classified information, employing the unusual maneuver of bypassing a grand jury — a move Comey’s lawyers say makes the case legally invalid.

The allegations from the Justice Department came in documents unsealed Monday in federal court in Washington.

It would be the third criminal case that the Justice Department has brought against the longtime critic and foe of Trump since the Republican president’s return to the White House last year.

Alaska Senate candidate cites ‘brain fog’ in marking himself as an independent

Dan J. Sullivan says he mistakenly marked himself as an independent when he voted in the August primary.

The retired teacher earlier this year filed to run as a Republican against the GOP incumbent, also named Dan Sullivan.

He cited “brain fog” from months of the campaign in listing himself as independent on his absentee ballot envelope. He said he’s “pretty sure” he marked himself as a Republican when he voted early for next week’s general election.

The ballot lists him as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., with no party affiliation. The senator is listed as Dan S. Sullivan, Republican and incumbent.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice sued to block certification of the race if the incumbent loses, citing potential confusion with the other Sullivan.

The race is headlined by the incumbent and Democrat Mary Peltola, a former U.S. representative.

Rep. Russell Fry says South Carolina GOP unity ‘getting better’ as Election Day approaches

He lost the Republican special Senate primary to Darline Graham, but the U.S. House member says it’s time for his party to rally around her as their general election nominee.

Fry told reporters ahead of his 3rd Annual Freedom Fry on Monday in Myrtle Beach that South Carolina has “never had a more strange, radical leftist nominee” for the Senate than Democrat Annie Andrews, expressing confidence that Graham would win despite the race appearing to tighten.

Some conservatives have criticized the selection of Graham as their nominee, mounting a write-in campaign for Rep. Ralph Norman, who lost the special Senate primary runoff.

Trump urged Graham to run in the special GOP primary after the death of her brother Lindsey Graham earlier this year, and later this week will make his third trip to stump for her in the state since August.

Vice President JD Vance is headlining a Kansas rally to help an incumbent GOP senator

Hundreds of people gathered for the rally inside the warehouse of a steel-fabricating company in Topeka.

It was the vice president’s second visit to Kansas to help boost GOP candidates, particularly U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, who’s in a tossup race with Democrat Adam Hamilton.

A small group of labor union members stood along a street leading toward the entrance of the steel fabricating plant holding signs that promoted Hamilton’s support for unions.

A few of the attendees had “Stop Schumer” signs, a reference to Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, who stands to become majority leader if Democrats take control of the chamber.

The hotly contested race in Kansas, where Democrats haven’t won a Senate race since 1932, has buoyed the party’s hopes.

Trump suggests Brazil’s election may have been ‘rigged’

The president suggested on Monday, without providing evidence, that the reelection of his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, was “rigged.”

“Elections have to be indisputable and it looked very bad to me,” Trump told reporters before flying to Mississippi for a rally.

He added, “I thought it had a very bad look, the way it was tabulated.”

In a runoff election on Sunday, Lula beat Flávio Bolsonaro, a Trump ally who had emphasized his alliance with the U.S. president in making his appeals to voters.

Bolsonaro has rejected the results. Trump didn’t go that far, but said they “looked like another rigged election, frankly.”

Trump offers $1 million bounty for evidence of voter fraud

The president’s offer was made in a post on social media and isn’t even confined to the current election. He said he’d award the bounty for evidence of prior fraud, too, and highlighted the offer while talking to reporters.

Voter fraud happens but is far too rare to swing national elections. Trump has long insisted there must be an enormous amount of fraud to explain his electoral setbacks. His party is facing another tough election this time.

Trump’s marshaled the vast resources of the federal government behind his quest to prove massive fraud, but come up empty. The new bounty is reminiscent of ones offered by Trump supporters after the 2020 election. They could never find enough fraud to explain Trump’s loss in that one.

Treasury secretary dines at Cheesecake Factory after Obama’s comment

Campaigning in the Midwest over the weekend, Obama criticized Trump’s heavy use of gold accents in his White House renovations.

“He’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory,” Obama said, referring to Iraq’s former leader.

Fox Business caught up with Bessent as he left a Cheesecake Factory near the Treasury Department and asked for comment.

“This is the man who built the museum that looks like Darth Vader’s tomb,” Bessent said, referring to Obama’s recently opened presidential center in Chicago.

Bessent added that, “I had a great meal, always have a great meal” and “I would tell the Martha’s Vineyard set to give it a try,” referring to Obama’s summer vacations on the tony Massachusetts island.

Bessent said he had the French dip cheeseburger for lunch.

Iowa Republicans rally loyal supporters in a liberal county

U.S. Reps. Ashley Hinson and Mariannette Miller-Meeks on Monday encouraged a few dozen Republicans to talk to their friends and family about voting. The two Republicans made a stop in Coralville, Iowa, which neighbors Iowa City, home to the University of Iowa. The area is one of the state’s liberal bastions.

Hinson, the Republican running to be Iowa’s next senator, called this midterm election “the most critical of our lifetime.”

Miller-Meeks, who is seeking reelection in her southeast Iowa district, acknowledged that gas prices are “a little higher than I’d like them to be,” but she said there is no doubt the country is better off now than it was two years ago.

Rubio says US told Venezuela that opposition leader Machado should be allowed to return

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said U.S. officials told Venezuela’s interim authorities “weeks and weeks ago” that opposition leader María Corina Machado should be allowed to return to the country as it moves ahead with preparing for elections next year.

Rubio said Monday that the government led by interim President Delcy Rodriguez replied that Machado was free to enter the country. Rubio told reporters that the U.S. had not discouraged Machado from returning to Venezuela with the exception of immediately after the devastating earthquakes that hit the country in August. He said that was because the U.S. believed the priority should be in getting humanitarian and emergency relief into the country.

Vance rallies for Republicans in Montana

The vice president campaigned in Belgrade, where a western Montana congressional race also drew Trump to campaign recently.

Vance promoted Republican Aaron Flint, who is facing Democrat Sam Forstag, in the race for the state’s 1st Congressional District.

He also promoted Republican Kurt Alme in the Senate race, where he is facing two major candidates, Democrat Alani Bankhead and Independent Seth Bodnar, who is backed by top Democrats.

“You have not one but two Democrats on the ballot,” Vance said to the crowd, joking: “Aren’t you blessed with abundance?”

Lawler pulls from Trump playbook with McDonald’s stop

Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler manned a McDonald’s drive-thru in New York’s Hudson Valley on Monday, hoping to grease the wheels on some last-minute voters before Election Day.

The move was similar to a political stunt President Donald Trump pulled two years ago, coming as Lawler tries to put some daylight between himself and the president in his battleground district.

It was hard to tell if patrons were lovin’ it, but some appeared to engage in some friendly chatting with the congressman as he handed out lunchtime orders while wearing an apron and visor.

Lawler is locked in a tight race with Democrat Cait Conley over his House district in New York City’s northern suburbs.

Trump and first lady to host trick-or-treating at the White House on Thursday

Thousands of costumed children, accompanied by their parents, are expected to participate.

Trump and first lady Melania Trump will hand out candy to trick-or-treaters during a portion of the Thursday afternoon event on the South Lawn. Ticketholders will include military families, law enforcement families, foster and adoptive families, and the children of administration officials, the White House said.

The Republican president is scheduled earlier Thursday to headline a campaign rally in South Carolina for Sen. Darline Graham.

Hegseth will attend Southeast Asia defense ministers' meeting

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is heading to an annual meeting with his Southeast Asian counterparts as they face tensions with China.

At the Association of Southeast Asian Nations defense ministers’ gathering in the Philippines this week, Hegseth will “hold bilateral and multilateral meetings to strengthen deterrence, advance key alliances and partnerships, and expand burden-sharing across the region,” the Pentagon announced Monday.

There are tensions in the region over Chinese claims on the waters of the South China Sea. The key trade route also has claims by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

Hegseth will gather with his regional counterparts as the U.S. has tried for years to focus on the Asia-Pacific as a way to counter China’s growing influence. That effort has been stymied by the conflict in the Middle East and the Trump administration’s stated goal to focus much of its military efforts on the Western Hemisphere.

Democrats outspending Republicans as ad spending in the Kansas Senate race nears $91M

Incumbent GOP Sen. Roger Marshall and Republican groups had spent about $39 million on television and other advertising as of Monday to help Marshall win a second term, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact.

However, Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton and Democratic groups topped $52 million.

Vice President JD Vance was traveling to Topeka on Monday for a rally to help Marshall.

It’s by far the most expensive campaign in Kansas history, and it’s considered a tossup even though Democrats haven’t won a Senate race in Kansas since 1932.

A big part of the gap in spending is tied to Marshall’s lackluster fundraising. Between the state’s August primary and Saturday, Marshall raised about $1.5 million, according to campaign finance reports available online. Hamilton raised $13.7 million.

Democrat Annie Andrews gets bipartisan endorsements in South Carolina Senate race

Two former South Carolina governors, Republican David Beasley and Democrat Jim Hodges, say that they’re putting aside political differences to back Andrews over GOP Sen. Darline Graham.

Hodges blocked Beasley from a second term in 1998.

Andrews’ campaign says more than 100 Republicans have joined her “Republicans for Annie” coalition. Last week, the son of GOP Rep. Ralph Norman said in an op-ed he was also supporting Andrews in the race that has appeared to tighten in its closing days.

Trump returns to South Carolina on Thursday to campaign with Graham for the second time in the general election.

The criminal complaint unsealed Monday claims Matthew Ungelsbee sent at least four plain white envelopes with a powdery substance to elected officials in Chicago. They were postmarked in Springfield, Illinois, on Oct. 19 and had Unglesbee's name handwritten in the return address section.

Unglesbee, of Quincy in southwestern Illinois, is charged with mailing threatening communications and perpetrating a hoax. He was scheduled to appear in court Monday afternoon. Court records did not list a defense attorney, and a phone number for Unglesbee could not be found. A Facebook message to a Matthew Unglesbee in Quincy was not immediately returned.

FBI agents interviewed Unglesbee at his home on Sunday and he told them all the letters contained salt, court records show. He claimed he’d sent the letters after hearing someone talk about similar mailings in the news earlier this month.

Testing confirmed the white substance was not dangerous. The records did not identify the substance.

A motive was unclear. But Unglesbee said he knew the congress members would “take it serious” because the powder might be perceived as anthrax, which he knew was dangerous and could prompt a response by hazmat teams, according to the complaint.

“Unglesbee claimed he was joking but recognized the recipients would not know he was joking and could perceive it as a threat,” the complaint stated.

Investigators said none of the recipients opened the letters. The most recent envelope was received Oct. 23 at the office of a U.S. senator, records show. It contained a white powdery substance and a handwritten note reading “HAH enjoy the gift,” according to the documents.

The investigation began after an anonymous tipster reported overhearing Unglesbee in a restaurant talking about mailing a suspicious substance to members of Congress. The tip was received Oct. 16, and the FBI tracked Ungelsbee down after the envelopes arrived at the congressional offices days later.

The recipients of the mailings were not named. Authorities searched Unglesbee's home and found a fifth envelope addressed to another congress member's Washington, D.C., office, the records show.

Earlier this month, federal authorities said they were investigating letters with “suspicious substances” that had been mailed to congressional and election offices nationwide. That investigation by the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Capitol Police was first disclosed in a message from the Senate Sergeant at Arms obtained Oct. 15 by The Associated Press.

Unglesbee denied involvement in those mailings.

Damage in New Mexico alone after more than four days of flooding — only the latest in a deadly autumn of soaking rains in the U.S. Southwest — could total $300 million, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said.

The latest town to evacuate was tiny Bluff in southeastern Utah after San Juan River flooding swamped parts of cities and towns upstream in Colorado and New Mexico.

With parts of his town of 250 underwater, Mayor Josh Ewing was worried by a forecast for yet more heavy rain this weekend. After a few days of sunny, dry weather, more rounds of rain are predicted Friday night and again on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

“It’s the second flood that really gets you, you know, because everything is completely saturated. And so we’re trying to recover fast enough to be on alert for what might happen," Ewing said.

New Mexico assesses damage, awaits aid

Upstream from Bluff, in Farmington, New Mexico, Pagosa Springs, Colorado, and elsewhere along the San Juan and Animas rivers, hundreds of homes remained evacuated or cut off by flooded roads. Many homes were still without power as officials assessed when it would be safe for residents to return and have their utilities turned back on.

President Donald Trump on Monday announced federal disaster assistance would be available to New Mexico with 25% to be matched by agencies in the state. Earlier in the day, Lujan Grisham expressed concern about the matching requirement but said she would “frontload” state resources for flood recovery.

She estimated that the costs of debris removal, road and bridge repair and other “longhaul” recovery could amount to as much as $300 million.

“I don’t care if it’s a billion dollars. The goal here is to identify every state, every federal, every local resource and get it where it belongs,” Lujan Grisham said.

New Mexico had the only reported death so far in the latest flooding. Isabelle Beulaygue, 39, was swept away while attempting to cross a flooded arroyo in a vehicle Saturday in Santa Fe, authorities said.

Damage spread onto the vast Navajo Nation spanning parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.

Lupita Villa, her husband and three young children evacuated their rental home along the San Juan River in Farmington on Thursday. When they returned on Saturday, they needed muck boots and waders to reach the front door. Once inside, they found their laminate floors warped under several inches of muddy floodwater and much of their furniture destroyed.

The family is staying with relatives on higher ground while they plan next steps. Villa said her children are struggling to understand that their former home is now unlivable.

“They just keep asking, ‘When can we go back?’” Villa said.

Colorado residents still cut off by washed-out roads

The crisis continued in southern Colorado’s Archuleta County. After more rain brought another surge in San Juan River flooding through the hot springs resort town of Pagosa Springs last weekend, the river was back below flood stage Monday for the first time in more than three days.

No further rescues were reported after air operations that included the rescue of two people, three dogs and two cats from a recreational vehicle washed downstream in floodwaters Friday.

But all evacuated areas remained closed. Responders were landing in helicopters to check on people still unable to leave their homes due to the floodwaters and road damage.

“We do have a number of people cut off still but we’re accessing those with the National Guard and our search and rescue crews,” Archuleta County Sheriff Mike Le Roux said.

Utah town surveys desert that now looks like a sea

Officials throughout the region cautioned people to avoid entering floodwaters after wastewater treatment plants got flooded. If you are exposed, they said, take a shower or bath as soon as possible.

In Montezuma Creek, 14 miles (22 kilometers) downstream from Bluff, the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority reported its wastewater treatment lagoons were “completely breached,” potentially contaminating the San Juan River with bacteria and pathogens.

The river crested Monday lower than expected in Bluff. The water stopped mostly short of a highway that runs through town, said Ewing, the mayor and a local firefighter who took part in flood rescues.

It was cold comfort, though, after floodwaters hit seven more homes and four businesses overnight to bring the local flood toll to 17 homes and five businesses since a surge on Friday.

Unlike flooding that followed a levee break Friday, Ewing said, the latest surge happened after a day of warnings that higher water was on the way.

“It’s kind a weird thing when you’ve lived in red rock country to feel like you live by the sea now. Our floodplain is just filled,” Ewing said.

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Gruver reported from Fort Collins, Colorado.

The Bayern Munich striker scored 73 goals for club and country last season and smashed scoring records in Germany and at the World Cup, where he captained England to a third-place finish.

Kane was the top vote-getter among nominees who included Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi.

“My journey wasn't straightforward. I had to fight my way to be the very best right now,” an emotional Kane said.

Kane led Bayern to the Bundesliga and German Cup double, scoring a hat trick against Stuttgart in the cup final.

At the World Cup, he scored six times to pass Gary Lineker as England’s highest World Cup scorer and place himself among the all-time top five. England reached the semifinals where it lost to Argentina.

An Englishman hadn’t won the Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen in 2001.

Monday’s ceremony was held in London for the first time in recognition of the inaugural winner 70 years ago, England’s Stanley Matthews in 1956.

Putellas hat trick of awards

Earlier, Spain star Alexia Putellas won her third women’s Ballon d’Or after leading her former club Barcelona to multiple trophies last season including the Women’s Champions League.

Putellas, who joined London City Lionesses in the offseason, also helped Spain win the Women’s Nations League last December.

The 32-year-old midfielder ended Spain teammate Aitana Bonmati’s three-year reign.

Putellas won the prestigious award in back-to-back seasons — 2021 and ‘22 — before tearing her ACL and seeing Bonmati rise to stardom. Bonmati, who completed her women’s Ballon d’Or three-peat in 2025, was not on this year’s shortlist after breaking her leg in December.

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See AP’s full soccer coverage here

The ruling is tailored to Maurene Comey but its import stretches beyond her case, repudiating the claim of President Donald Trump’s administration that the Constitution permits such firings for any reason. Administration officials have cited that belief repeatedly in a sweeping purge of the federal workforce.

Comey, an assistant U.S. attorney for a decade, was fired in July 2025 despite consistently receiving “the highest accolades from supervisors and peers alike," Judge Jesse M. Furman found.

The judge said her firing violated laws passed by Congress that were intended to abolish the spoils system, under which newly elected presidents regularly purged government workers and replaced them with loyalists.

Furman's decision didn't address the validity of Comey's claim that she was fired because she is the daughter of James Comey, whom Trump has long viewed as an enemy.

Trump fired James Comey as FBI director in May 2017 as the bureau was investigating ties between Russia and the Republican’s successful 2016 campaign for the White House. Trump in the years since has repeatedly called for Comey to be jailed, and his Justice Department has worked with mixed success to make that happen.

Hours after Furman's ruling Monday, unsealed court filings showed that the Justice Department had quietly brought another criminal case against James Comey, accusing him of leaking classified information.

Furman, who was nominated to the bench in 2011 by then-Democratic President Barack Obama, granted Maurene Comey retroactive reinstatement and back pay from the date of her firing through Dec. 20, 2025, when she began a new, private-sector job.

In a statement, the Justice Department said it disagreed with this decision and would appeal.

Comey’s lawyers, Ellen Blain, Nicole Gueron, Deepa Vanamali and Margaret Donovan, lauded the ruling.

“This hard-earned victory belongs to Ms. Comey, to all civil servants, and to all fighting for the rule of law,” they said in a statement. “This decision reaffirms our bedrock system of checks and balances: the President is not above the law.”

Comey was fired two weeks after leading the prosecution of music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, which ended in a conviction on prostitution-related charges but an acquittal on others. She also worked on the sex trafficking prosecutions of Jeffrey Epstein, the financier who killed himself in jail a month after his arrest in 2019, and Epstein’s former girlfriend and longtime confidant Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021 and is serving a 20-year prison sentence.

The Justice Department during the Trump administration has fired scores of career employees, including prosecutors and FBI agents, who participated in investigations of Trump or who were perceived as opposed to the administration’s agenda. Some of those firings have also resulted in federal lawsuits.

The firing of Maurene Comey was seen as particularly personal, given her father’s longtime adversarial relationship with Trump.

An earlier criminal case accusing James Comey of having lied to Congress in 2020 was dismissed by a judge who concluded that the prosecutor who filed the charges was illegally appointed. A separate pending indictment charges the former FBI director with threatening Trump through an Instagram photo of seashells in the numerical arrangement of “86 47,” a case he has sought to dismiss that some legal experts have greeted with skepticism.

In his ruling on Maurene Comey's termination, Furman said the Justice Department's claim that Congress is barred from regulating the removal of federal prosecutors “flies in the face of nearly two centuries of Supreme Court precedent.”

Furman added: “Indeed, to accept Defendants’ argument would be to unsettle the very equilibrium established by this Nation’s constitutional system.”

He didn't rule on Comey’s claim that her firing violated her free speech rights, though he said he was inclined to dismiss it because she is now in private practice and no longer seeks reinstatement to her old job.

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Tucker and Durkin reported from Washington.

It said the operation “resulted in the killing and wounding of many members of these terrorist groups and the destruction of a number of their vehicles.” It did not specify who the groups were or the precise location of the strikes.

The operation sparked an outcry in Syria, where officials said the Jordanian operation killed several civilians and was carried out without notifying Syrian authorities.

Syria’s civil defense agency said it had recovered the bodies of seven people killed in strikes in the southern Daraa and Sweida provinces. Five members of one family, including three children and a woman were killed together in a strike that hit a tent in rural Daraa province and three other family members were injured, it said. An 80-year-old man and a 60-year-old man were killed in separate strikes, it said.

The Syrian government said the Jordanian operation took place “without prior coordination or notification with the Syrian side.” It said Syrian authorities were investigating the circumstances of the incident and had opened communication channels with Jordan to discuss the situation.

Syria's General Authority for Ports and Customs later announced the closure of Syria's main border crossing with Jordan.

Earlier on Monday, Jordanian authorities arrested three men for last week's attack, which also wounded more than two dozen people. The arrests followed a dawn shootout, and all three men were wounded, officials said.

The attack struck the Greek Orthodox Church during a funeral in Karak, about 90 kilometers (55 miles) south of the capital, Amman, on Friday. Karak is home to a minority Christian population.

The attack shocked the nation, and Jordan declared three days of mourning for the victims. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack and the attackers' motive remained unknown.

Later on Monday, the Public Security Directorate identified the three arrested men as brothers Hazzah Zaidan Mohammad and Mishal Zaidan Mohammad, and their brother-in-law Ahmad Sami Hussein. All three are Jordanian. They were taken into custody in Karak, south of Amman.

The agency's chief described the gunmen as “takfiri,” a term used for Sunni militants, but said they were not tied to any organized group.

“They only represent themselves,” Maj. Gen. Obaidallah Abd Rabbo Al-Maayta told a news conference. He also said a large cache of munitions was found in the abandoned house where Jordanian forces apprehended the men.

Jordan’s Interior Minister Mazen Al-Faraya said the attack by the three was the result of “a terroristic, extremist way of thinking.”

“If this way of thinking is not resolved, we will see incidents like this again,” he told reporters.

Jordan's King Abdullah II had ordered authorities to respond with “an iron fist” against what he called the outlaws of Islam and anyone attempting to undermine the unity of the Jordanian people.

“We vowed the terrorists would not escape punishment, and no proponent of dark ideologies that divide Jordanians will be tolerated,” he said in a statement on Monday.

Relatives of the victims said the arrests brought them some relief.

“Despite the profound and immense tragedy, what happened today has eased our grief — and the grief of the Jordanian people — not just for us, the families of the martyrs," Khaled al-Borqan, himself a survivor of the attack and a relative of three of the people killed, told Al-Mamlaka.

“Despite the sadness and pain, the news brought us joy,” Fares Halaseh, an uncle of one of the victims and a survivor of the attack, told the TV station.

But the pain remains, he added. "We will not forget this agony for years to come.”

___

Associated Press writers Kareem Chehayeb and Abby Sewell in Beirut contributed to this report.

There isn't a timetable for Williams' return and one won't be set until after the surgery, general manager Sam Presti said Monday — but given the history of such injuries, it's reasonable to think Williams could miss the rest of the season.

“Dub, as everybody knows, is as tough as they come,” Presti said at a news conference in Oklahoma City, where the Thunder were set to host Phoenix later Monday. “He's an elite competitor. Even last night, just miraculous in terms of his outlook and the way he's looking forward to attacking this. We're going to be with him the entire way.”

It was a double gut punch for the Thunder on Monday, with the team also revealing that forward Cason Wallace will need surgery to repair a left labral tear. Like Williams, Wallace was injured on Sunday in Oklahoma City's 108-101 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

The timetable for Wallace's return also will be set after surgery, but such procedures typically require several months of rehabilitation. Williams was an All-Defensive team selection in 2024-25; Wallace was picked to that team last season.

“Tough night last night,” Presti said. “There's no way to paint that differently. We say within our walls all the time there's a difference between being positive and being optimistic. Not going to sit up here and say this is exactly where we want to be or this is how we'd like to have it, but at the same time, we're extremely optimistic about the recovery for both the players. Most importantly, things could have been a lot worse.”

The Thunder have experienced major injury-related challenges in recent years, including Chet Holmgren missing the entirety of what would have been his rookie season with a foot issue. The team's 2024 first-round pick, Nikola Topic, missed all but 10 games in the previous two seasons — first because of a torn ACL, then with testicular cancer. And Williams missed 49 regular-season games a year ago with an array of issues, mostly wrist and hamstring problems.

“We’ve had some tough, uniquely tough, circumstances over the last few years,” Presti said. “One of the things I tried to say to the staff this morning when I talked to them was we can’t get to the point where we feel like this is a common situation. But that being said, it’s our situation.”

Williams was injured on a drive with 1:14 remaining against the Clippers. He was tended to almost immediately by medical personnel after going down underneath the basket on the Thunder’s offensive end.

Williams’ ankle was draped by towels and players from both teams reacted with dismay and disbelief as a stretcher was brought out. The game was stopped for about five minutes.

Williams — who has averaged 17.9 points in 251 games over his first five seasons — has already been an All-Star and an All-NBA selection, and he was a huge part of the Thunder team that won the 2025 NBA title.

The Thunder entered this season as a co-favorite with the Spurs to win the NBA title. Oklahoma City will — in time — likely make some decisions about applying for a disabled player exception or even using its stockpile of future draft picks to try and make trades and keep a title-hopeful team in contention.

Those conversations, for now, can wait.

“I haven't thought about anything related to the roster spot,” Presti said.

___

See AP’s full NBA coverage here

While the president was set to appear alongside Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, her Democratic challenger was spotted at his rally site, too, creating the rare spectacle of Trump's staunchest supporters interacting directly with one of the very figures the president surely will denigrate onstage later. Scott Colom said earlier Monday that he planned to go listen to what was on Trump supporters' minds.

"They actually deserve a senator that will listen to them, that actually cares about what they think, actually cares about what they’re going through,” Colom said ahead of the president's arrival for the evening event.

Colom's spokesperson later posted a photo on X, saying he had “chatted with folks in line for the Trump rally because Scott is running to represent ALL Mississippians.”

Mississippi, among the nation's most reliably Republican states, is not where the GOP envisioned needing a late-October stop from the president. But Hyde-Smith faces a stiff challenge from Colom, one of many Democratic underdogs who have managed to expand the House and Senate battleground maps because of widespread voter discontent over inflation, the Iran war and other aspects of Trump’s second presidency.

Colom said the dynamics make it easy for him to make a case to Trump rallygoers that Hyde-Smith is “not gonna change one single thing” that's making voters' lives harder.

“If you want somebody who’s gonna fight for higher wages, lower costs, get us out this stupid war, fight for affordable and accessible healthcare, actually stop the corruption that’s ruining our country, actually represent our Mississippi values, vote for Scott Colom,” he said.

Trump's event with Hyde-Smith will kick off a week that will include more stops in states he won comfortably in 2024, including Texas, South Carolina and Iowa.

Democrats, including progressives, are expanding their efforts

Top nominees and surrogates were greeting voters — almost 30 million of whom have already cast ballots — as Democrats try to end Republicans' threadbare majority in the House, take over a Senate majority that was once thought secure for Republicans and end the GOP’s national advantage in state capitals.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris, Democrats' 2024 presidential candidate, was to campaign in Wisconsin with Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who faces Rep. Tom Tiffany, a Trump ally, for governor. Crowley would be the state’s first Black governor if elected to lead the battleground state.

Georgia Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff and gubernatorial nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms were getting an assist from Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, chairman of the Democratic Governors Association and a likely 2028 presidential candidate, two days after Trump made his second October visit to the state.

Meanwhile, in Michigan, Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed was distancing himself from an ad created by a political action committee called Rebellion PAC that blames high grocery prices on U.S. support for Israel. “This ad is not affiliated in any way with the Abdul for Senate campaign,” a spokesperson for El-Sayed, Roxie Richner, said in a statement about the spot, which features a couple discussing U.S. support for Israel as they shop for groceries. “Apparently it’s costing us a lot of money to drop bombs on Gaza,” the woman says.

In Minnesota, Democratic Senate nominee Peggy Flanagan, the current lieutenant governor, welcomed House Progressive Caucus Chairwoman Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., to advocate for a national health insurance plan to achieve universal coverage.

“Everywhere I go on this tour I meet Minnesotans who are working hard and doing everything right and still can’t afford to take care of themselves or the people they love,” said Flanagan, who is backed by progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Flanagan is running against former sportscaster Michele Tafoya for the open seat.

Vance campaigning in Kansas to help a GOP senator

Vice President JD Vance traveled to Kansas on behalf of Sen. Roger Marshall, who finds himself in a tight contest with Democratic nominee and pastor Adam Hamilton. Hundreds of people were gathered inside the warehouse of a steel-fabricating company in north Topeka in a state where Democrats haven’t won a Senate race since 1932.

Marshall told the crowd that Trump is on the ballot, even if his name doesn’t appear, because of how Democrats will thwart his agenda if they win control of Congress.

“Democrats are coming out like it’s a presidential year,” he said, calling for GOP enthusiasm to match Democrats’ energy.

Jace Sullivan, a 50-year-old electrician from Topeka who describes himself as “85% Republican,” said Trump supporters need to “circle the wagons” and get out to vote.

Wearing a red “JD Vance for President 2028" shirt, he said he thinks Trump is rightly working to keep Iran from getting nuclear weapons.

“Gas prices are high and it does suck, but it’s a means to an end,” Sullivan said.

Earlier, Vance was in Belgrade, Montana, to campaign with Republican Aaron Flint, who is facing Democrat Sam Forstag in the race for the state’s 1st Congressional District, and Republican Senate candidate Kurt Alme.

Trump to rally in another reliably Republican state

But it's Trump's visit to Mississippi that perhaps brings the midterm landscape into the sharpest relief with just a week of campaigning left.

To be sure, Hyde-Smith, who is vying for her second full term, remains the favorite in a state Trump won three times by an average of nearly 20 percentage points.

But Colom, a local prosecutor who would make history as Mississippi's first Black senator since post-Civil War Reconstruction, is looking to parlay inflation, Trump's lagging popularity and Hyde-Smith's mistakes into an upset.

Colom has outpaced Hyde-Smith in fundraising since he launched his campaign last year, and he caught national attention this month with an ad that played off Hyde-Smith dismissing beef prices — driven higher by Trump's tariffs and fuel spikes resulting from the Iran conflict. The ad features Hyde-Smith, a former state agriculture commissioner, saying that consumers “have so many other proteins to choose from,” followed by several characters, and then Colom, saying Mississippi should “ pick another senator instead. ”

Senate Democrats’ super PAC has been a late entry in the contest, with a $1.2 million investment. Mississippians have not chosen a new Democratic senator since 1947, and Democrats last won a Senate race there when that senator, the onetime segregationist John Stennis, won his last reelection in 1982.

In New York, meanwhile, one of the party’s most vulnerable House members pulled from Trump’s campaign playbook. Rep. Mike Lawler, who is in a tight race with Democrat Cait Conley in New York City’s northern suburbs, manned a McDonald’s drive-thru — mimicking something Trump did two years ago, even as Lawler has tried to emphasize his independence from the president.

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Barrow reported from Atlanta and Colvin from New York. Associated Press reporters John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas; Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina; Laura Turbay in St. Paul, Minnesota; Seung Min Kim in Belgrade, Montana; and Anthony Izaguirre in New York contributed.

Police arrested 15-year-old Anthony Rivers and charged him with 11 felonies after the shooting Saturday near Perry Street, which runs alongside the FAMU football stadium. Police say none of the people shot was Rivers’ intended target and that he opened fire after a fight.

Rivers appeared virtually at a first-appearance hearing on Monday. His mother also attended, and the judge ordered Rivers to remain in supervised detention.

Police say six of the people shot were children. The youngest victim is 11.

Tiffany Renee, a FAMU graduate celebrating her 20th anniversary at homecoming, had left Perry Street shortly before the shooting. She noted that the street is behind the stadium but is not technically on campus.

Renee said the violence does not represent FAMU’s culture or values, and encouraged alumni to stay connected with the university and one another.

“The culture of the HBCU is like none other,” Renee said. “You really feel like you never left home.”

She said she would like to see increased security in the area, which was crowded during homecoming, while praising police for responding quickly and helping move wounded people to safety.

At the last report, five people had been released from the hospital and six remained hospitalized. One person was in critical condition.

The Gun Violence Archive reported 383 mass shootings in the United States this year.

Tesla’s Robotaxi account posted Oct. 21 that the service was coming soon to Jacksonville, along with Las Vegas, Phoenix and San Antonio. The notice signals interest in expanding to the city, but does not establish when rides will begin.

The announcement comes as Jacksonville’s existing autonomous shuttle service, run by JTA, is set to pause. The Jacksonville Transportation Authority announced in September that NAVI service will be paused Jan. 1, 2027, as the software contract for the autonomous vehicles expires. The vehicles will revert to manual operation, a change JTA said is expected to save about $487,000 a month.

Jacksonville City Council member Rory Diamond has urged the city to make room for privately operated driverless taxis, including services from Waymo and Tesla. He’s also been a critic of NAVI.

“It’s mission critical for our city to have robotaxis and Waymos and similar autonomous taxi services,” he said. “It’s so important because we’re a huge city and JTA took a huge hit.

I’m going to do everything I can to bring @Waymo to Jacksonville. I’ll post every time the special interests try to stop it.

— Rory Diamond (@RoryDiamond) February 27, 2026

Diamond told News4JAX in March he planned to introduce legislation to pave the way for autonomous robotaxis on Jacksonville roads. He argued privately operated services could cost less than NAVI, saying that each NAVI ride cost the city $360.

Some drivers said they are still leery of autonomous cars.

“With drivers these days and the way people are drivin, I don’t think that would be too conducive for Jacksonville,” George Hernandez said.

Another person said they are confused by how they function.

“I don’t even know what that is, oh no. Scary,” they said.

Diamond has also said robotaxis could improve road safety. Transportation safety analysts cautioned that deployment should be supported by safety evidence and clear accountability when something goes wrong.

Tesla’s “coming soon” notice does not confirm that Jacksonville has approved a service or that rides are imminent. The company has not released a local timeline or operating-area details.

The flooding prompted city officials to delay their workday until at noon for staff at city hall.

‘Water is finding any weak point’

Jessica Beach, Chief Resiliency Officer for the City of St. Augustine, was well at work throughout the day monitoring flooded roads around the city.

She said the timing of a nor’easter made an already challenging season significantly worse.

“We’re in the peak of our King Tide season, so we had a nor’easter pop up that coincided with King Tides,” Beach said. “There’s a lot of flood advisories that were issued by our emergency management system from St. Johns County.”

Beach explained that much of the city’s storm drain system relies on gravity — and that works fine under normal conditions. But king tide season changes everything.

“On a normal tide, it’s usually not an issue, but when we get into the king tides like this time of year, it’s extreme tides, and so that water is finding any weak point,” she said.

Video from lower-lying areas showed residents using kayaks to navigate the floodwaters.

A tall feat: Holding back the Matanzas River

Beach said the city has studied large-scale solutions, including a review by the Army Corps of Engineers.

“We looked through citywide comprehensively, the Army Corps of Engineers Back Bay Study, and to keep that out, you’re looking at flood walls and pump stations — you’re basically looking to hold back the entire Matanzas River, which, that’s a pretty tall feat,” she said.

However, the city recently completed a drainage improvement project in one of the affected neighborhoods. Beach said the system is functioning as designed, but the King Tides are presenting challenges.

“The good news is that the storm system is working great,” Beach said. “The bad news is that when the Matanzas River overtops ground elevations, this is where the flooding is actually coming from.”

Classes canceled, students still wade through water

For students at Flagler College, the flooding meant a late start — but not necessarily a dry one.

Maeve McCann, a Flagler College student, said classes before noon were canceled.

“All the ones before 12, they are canceled,” McCann said.

But the delay didn’t keep her completely out of the water.

“Yeah, except not really, because I’m still walking through floods,” she said.

The University of New Mexico Health System told people not to show up at its main hospital in Albuquerque and canceled appointments at its more than 30 clinics.

On Monday afternoon, at the main entrance to its Albuquerque hospital, employees in turquoise staff shirts sat on chairs that blocked the waiting room and told patients their appointments might be canceled.

UNM Health System said it was working to resolve the issue, the extent and nature of which was not immediately clear.

The attack comes amid growing concern about the security of digital systems that underpin essential services, from banking to medical care.

UNM's Health Sciences Center, the state's largest academic medical center, is canceling classes and will be closed for the day, the university said.

The hospital network conducts about 900,000 outpatient visits and receives 100,000 emergency room visits each year, according to its website. It operates the state's only Level 1 trauma center.

Presbyterian Healthcare Services, another major provider in New Mexico, said it is coordinating with the UNM Health System and has already taken additional patients.

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Yu reported from Phoenix.

In a public statement released Monday, Board Director J. Daniel Vallencourt said JTA’s interim CEO, COO and senior vice president of public affairs should all step down — and that the authority cannot recover with any of them still in place.

“The Jacksonville Transportation Authority cannot navigate this financial crisis without major change,” Vallencourt wrote. “The house was on fire, and leadership was doing everything it could to convince everyone otherwise.”

In a statement to News4JAX, JTA said:

“Vallencourt raises the very questions the public, the JTA Board and the Jacksonville City Council are asking: What happened? Why did it happen? And who is responsible? Interim CEO Cleveland Ferguson and CFO Randall Barnes plan to address those questions directly at Wednesday’s board meeting.”

RELATED | Jacksonville council rejects bid to withdraw subpoena for former JTA CEO | Florida AG subpoenas Mayor Deegan over meeting with former JTA board member who warned of financial crisis

Board kept in the dark on reserve withdrawals

Vallencourt joined the JTA board in February 2026. At his first meeting, he said management asked the board to approve an emergency budget cut — reducing the operating budget from $162.4 million to $148.2 million — blaming a drop in sales tax revenue. What the board was not told, according to Vallencourt, was that JTA had already been drawing from its reserve funds for a full year by that point.

By the date of that February meeting, $34.2 million had been pulled from reserves, according to Vallencourt. The board did not learn about those withdrawals until an August retreat — 18 months after they began, Vallencourt said in the statement.

Despite the mounting deficit, Vallencourt said monthly financial reports consistently included a “Pending” column that made the agency’s financial picture appear far better than it was. By August, the deficit reached $39 million.

According to Vallencourt’s statement, the board-approved budget was $148.2 million. JTA spent $181.1 million — $32.9 million over the approved amount.

“Under what authority was that money spent?” he wrote.

View the entire statement below:

Ford called JTA ‘financially strong’ as crisis grew

Vallencourt said the mixed signals from leadership continued even as the deficit worsened. In May 2026 — the day after the board adopted a smaller fiscal year 2027 budget — Ford wrote of JTA’s “strong financial stewardship” and described the agency as “financially strong,” according to the statement.

In July, management asked the board to approve a $40 million line of credit, describing it as a tool to manage “typical mismatches” in cash flow. The board later learned JTA owed vendors $24.9 million at that time, with $5.5 million more than 120 days past due.

JTA’s fiscal year 2025 audit also had to restate the prior year’s financial statements by $18.3 million, Vallencourt noted.

Questions raised about contracts and spending

Vallencourt raised pointed questions about several contracts and expenditures in his statement, including:

• Dream Builders Communication was paid nearly $1 million over two years for leadership training, succession planning and executive meetings — more than half of it without a purchase order.
• Team Pegine was paid $249,000 in 2025 for a “GEMS Initiative.” Vallencourt questioned what the agency received for that contract and what the total payments have been.
• Gannett Fleming TranSystems was paid $730,000 for an “Operational Development Plan.”
• JTA paid for an executive vice president’s Ph.D. education.
• JTA executives traveled to Germany and Japan while the authority was drawing millions from reserves.

Vallencourt also raised concerns about a conflict of interest in JTA’s CEO search. He said the managing principal of KL2 Connects — the firm hired to run the CEO search — was also a paid JTA contractor. JTA’s procurement director has since confirmed in writing that this represented a “real, apparent or potential conflict of interest,” according to the statement.

MORE: ‘Hurt and blindsided’: Laid-off JTA employee says employees were given severance packets, escorted out of headquarters | JTA planning additional layoffs as it works to cut $39 million from FY 2027 budget, suspend Skyway service in November

‘A completely fresh start’

Vallencourt said he personally bore some responsibility for the situation, acknowledging he had been one of Ford’s biggest supporters and should have demanded raw financial documents, including balance sheets and cash flow statements.

“I didn’t, and I own that,” he wrote. “Oversight was part of my job, and I failed to do it adequately. I deeply regret that.”

He said that Gov. Ron DeSantis — who appointed him to the board — would be justified in asking for his resignation. “If he asks for it, I will readily provide it,” Vallencourt wrote.

Where things stand

JTA’s financial collapse has triggered a cascade of consequences across the region.

The agency has laid off nearly 200 workers. Jacksonville City Council approved an emergency plan in October to allow JTA to access up to $30 million in unspent local gas-tax funds to pay down transportation-related debt, with the authority required to repay the funds by Sept. 30, 2037. The measure passed unanimously, 15-0.

Councilman Ron Salem said JTA is in a “death spiral.”

“When you’re borrowing money to pay bills, you’re in a death spiral,” Salem said.

Fitch Ratings downgraded JTA’s issuer default rating two notches — from AA+ to AA- — on Oct. 21, citing weakened financial resilience and assigning a negative outlook. A lower credit rating could make future borrowing more expensive.

City auditors have also told a council oversight committee that JTA’s financial problems may have been building for years. Auditors found the agency reported no significant budget stress in 2022, even though it spent approximately $4.8 million over budget. The agency finished fiscal year 2025 with a deficit of roughly $18.9 million before the shortfall ballooned to approximately $39 million in fiscal year 2026.

The Florida Attorney General’s Office has subpoenaed JTA records related to contracts, travel, sponsorships and communications involving former CEO Ford and other agency leaders. JTA said it is “prepared to fully cooperate.”

Clay County has also voted to end its funding agreement with JTA.

City Council’s Financial Audit and Oversight Committee is continuing its investigation. Auditors have said their findings have not established that financial statements were intentionally falsified.

Ford resigned in July and officially become CEO of Dallas Area Rapid Transit on Monday. Jacksonville City Council’s Finance Committee voted to subpoena Ford to testify about JTA’s finances and he is expected to speak at some point before the end of the year.

News4JAX has reached out to other board members for comment.

The advice comes as Jacksonville’s small-business community grows. The financial technology firm Nav ranked the metro area No. 3 in the nation for small-business development, citing entrepreneurial growth, business longevity and small-business hiring. St. Louis ranked No. 1, followed by Philadelphia.

Jones founded Acuity Design Group in 2008 and opened Aura Plant Studio more than four years ago. She said the businesses have grown gradually, with the plant shop expanding into commercial installations and event rentals as well as retail.

Her first advice to entrepreneurs: Keep researching. A business owner should not assume the needs of a community or industry will stay the same over time, she said. If a business is struggling, look for the reason — whether there is demand for the product or service, whether the business is reaching the right customers or whether something needs to change.

“That’s not something you start when you first open your business,” Jones said. “I’ve done the data back from 2008, and now it’s 2026, and I expect that information’s not going to be the same.”

Jones also said business owners need to know what makes them different. In a crowded market, a product or service may not be enough to distinguish a company. An owner’s reputation, expertise and communication help shape how customers see the business and whether they trust it, she said.

“You are the brand to your company,” Jones said. “How you market yourself as an individual is so significantly important.”

That includes how a business communicates on social media, she said. Owners should make their messaging clear and engage with customers rather than simply posting promotional content.

For online businesses, Jones said customer service means being responsive, hearing feedback and following up when something goes wrong. If customers raise an issue, owners should acknowledge it, explain how they plan to address it and show that they are listening.

“There’s a level of engagement that you have to do online,” she said. “Being responsive and being honest” is important.

Jones also encourages entrepreneurs to build relationships with professional organizations, potential partners and mentors. A mentor does not have to work in the same industry, she said; what matters is having someone who believes in the owner and can help the business grow. Partnerships can also open doors to projects a business might not land on its own.

At Aura Plant Studio, Jones said a customer’s visit led to a commercial plant installation after the family took time to understand what the customer needed. She said staying open to possibilities — and being willing to collaborate — can help small businesses find opportunities they might not have expected.

For Jones, passion is essential, but it has to be paired with hard work and a clear understanding of the business. Entrepreneurship, she said, is not a job that ends at 5 p.m.

“It’s really a passion,” Jones said. “If you don’t have that passion behind the reason why you want to open your business, it’s going to be a little bit more difficult for you to be successful.”

Jones said Aura Plant Studio’s growth has been steady rather than sudden. The shop focuses on distinctive plants and personal customer service instead of trying to compete with large retailers.

That approach reflects a broader lesson she shares with other business owners: Define what you do well, understand whom you serve and give customers a reason to come back.

The plan focuses on four areas: production, distribution, access and recovery. It recommends supporting local growers, strengthening food supply networks, addressing gaps in access and directing edible surplus food to people who can use it.

Mayor Donna Deegan said the plan is intended to help Jacksonville prepare for disruptions and coordinate efforts across city government, businesses, nonprofits, farmers, institutions and neighborhoods.

“Food is a shared responsibility, a matter of public well-being and an essential part of the infrastructure of a thriving community,” Deegan said.

Susan King, president and CEO of Feeding Northeast Florida, said the food bank expects to distribute about 48 million pounds of food this year, up from 38 million pounds last year. It works with more than 420 agencies, partners and programs and rescued more than 38 million pounds of food from retailers last year, she said.

“Our food system is vital infrastructure for our community’s growth and well-being,” King said.

About 30% of Jacksonville residents live more than a mile from a grocery store, while more than one in two households in 23 neighborhoods receive SNAP benefits, Deegan said. Nearly one in seven residents experience food insecurity, including one in five children.

The plan was developed with residents, community organizations, industry experts, public agencies and city staff. Some work is already underway, including City Council legislation known as Pathways to Urban Agriculture that would allow people to sell produce grown on-site.

The city is also working on an oyster-shell recycling pilot with the Parks Department and university partners. The shells could be reused for coastal restoration instead of going to a landfill.

Click here for more information about the plan.

The zoo sent a statement to News4JAX about the reports, saying that it takes the safety of all guests seriously.

On October 23, we received a report of a suspicious person approaching children in the Play Park area. Our Park Rangers responded immediately and began investigating. We have notified the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office of the incident. The safety of our guests is our highest priority, and we are increasing Park Ranger presence throughout the Zoo, including in the Play Park area. We encourage guests to report any suspicious behavior or safety concerns to a Park Ranger or Zoo staff member immediately.

Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens

JSO isn’t officially calling the incident an attempted kidnapping, but a mother made a Facebook post saying a man tried to kidnap her daughter during a field trip.

A frequent visitor to the zoo said the incident scares her.

“It’s scary to think that we come all the time, that something like that, that fast could happen,” Lacey Albritton said.

Another visitor said the zoo should add more cameras to make parents feel safe.

“That would be a good idea to put cameras out,” Cynthia Roberts said.

The zoo did say it is increasing Park Ranger patrols throughout the park and the Play Park area.

Duval County Public Schools told News4JAX that the incident did not involve the district or any school-sponsored activities.

News4JAX is working to learn more and this story will be updated later.

The newly developed StarGate drone, a six-rotor aircraft fitted with an enclosed evacuation capsule, was used in two separate missions over the past week, according to the 475th Separate Assault Regiment.

One of the rescued servicemen, a 24-year-old from the 1st Territorial Defense Brigade identified by his call sign, “Izyum,” told The Associated Press he waited two days to be evacuated and was unable to walk 20 kilometers (12 miles) out of the combat zone. The soldier's name was not given for security reasons and in accordance with Ukraine's military protocol.

“The injury tore off half of my foot, so a lot of blood was lost already,” he said in a video interview from his hospital room. “I think if that incredible little bird hadn’t flown in, well, getting out from there would have been unrealistic.”

The drone, carrying an orange-and-black, cigar-shaped stretcher, landed in a field where tall grass was tangled with fiber-optic spool cable, raising fears among Izyum and fellow soldiers that it could get stuck.

The flight to safety lasted less than 15 minutes.

“From the bottom of my heart, I am so grateful that they actually flew in and picked me up,” he said.

The 475th regiment, also known as Code 9.2, had tested StarGate for several weeks before deploying it on the battlefield.

It said both rescued men had sustained “severe limb injuries and were at positions in the gray zone, approximately 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the state border with Russia,” referring to a strip of territory separating Ukrainian and Russian forces.

The drone was designed to evacuate injured soldiers from high-risk areas where heavy artillery fire and hostile drone activity make rescue operations dangerous.

Developed by Ukrainian technology company SkyFall, the drone is intended to reduce rescue times from hours to minutes, reaching hard-to-access combat zones that are currently served by unmanned ground vehicles.

The Associated Press was granted exclusive access to the drone earlier this month, ahead of the final stage of testing.

The manufacturer says the drone can carry 150 kilograms (330 pounds) and is equipped with signal jammers and autonomous navigation to counter Russian electronic warfare systems. A company spokesperson said SkyFall planned to create a dedicated unit for the rescue drones, providing pilots and deployment specialists.

“Service members who weren't sure if they would ever make it out of their positions are now able to return home and hug their children,” the spokesperson told the AP. The person spoke on condition of anonymity, citing security risks facing Ukrainian military technology personnel.

The commander of the Code 9.2 regiment, identified by the call sign “Flint,” said aerial evacuations could significantly improve rescue efforts.

“In the future, we plan to make changes to the staffing structure of our regiment and create a separate medical aviation unit within the medical company,” he said. “It will specialize directly in evacuating wounded soldiers from the battlefield by air transport.”

Izyum, who hopes to return to beekeeping after the war, said he expects aerial rescue operations to expand.

“I think this needs to be developed and expanded because we have a lot of guys who cannot get out of the situations they find themselves in,” he said.

“Having to walk very many kilometers with that level of shelling that is going on, whether walking yourself or carrying a wounded person — let’s just say making it out of there is not very likely.”

PSG strikes late

Senny Mayulu rifled home an 18-meter strike seven minutes after coming off the bench to break Lyon’s resistance and set PSG on its way to an eighth straight win in all competitions.

Both teams started the match on 14 points but PSG had confidence, momentum and home turf that Lyon managed to resist until Mayulu’s goal.

Twelve minutes later, Mika Godts settled the game with a well-taken effort to finish off a fast break.

PSG moved one point clear of Rennes. Lyon remained in fifth place.

Romero’s third goal in three games

Isaac Romero scored against Aston Villa in the Champions League and against Levante before being sent off. For the visit of Osasuna he made his presence felt after 24 minutes.

Romero took Youssouf Fofana’s clever layoff and lashed it home from the edge of the box to put Sevilla ahead.

Felix Correia, who also scored in the 3-3 draw with Levante two weeks ago, got the second for Sevilla eight minutes from time.

It was a welcome return to form for a side that lost three of its last four games against Real Madrid, Barcelona and Aston Villa.

The result left Sevilla in sixth place. Osasuna remained in 12th, six points back.

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See AP’s full soccer coverage here

The Housing Authority board is holding an emergency meeting on Tuesday to review the performance and continued employment of Cheron Corbett Waller.

Last week, Corbett proposed to board members that she get a 12-percent cut of developer fees on any new housing authority project to be built.

On one project, she could’ve been compensated $1 million. Corbett Waller makes an annual salary of $300,000.

During the meeting set for 10 a.m., the agenda calls for the board to discuss CEO performance and “CEO continued employment.”

“JHA has a strong and professional board that is empowered to oversee agency leadership and make decisions that are in the best interest of tenants and taxpayers. They work with the CEO on a regular basis and are best positioned to judge performance,” the mayor’s office said in a statement to News4JAX. “Executive Order 2026-03 was issued by Mayor Deegan to provide independent authority board members the tools they need to provide proper financial oversight. This is an example where a board has a fiduciary responsibility to perform its due diligence.”

We spoke with Daniel Blanchard, board chairman, on Monday. He said he found the proposal “offensive and shocking,” and explained that the board shot it down, which led to Tuesday’s emergency meeting.

We were told the proposal came out of the blue, particularly because she wasn’t in contract negotiations at the time.

City Councilman Michael Boylan is the liaison to JHA. While acknowledging that Corbett had done some good things at JHA, he thought her compensation proposal was inappropriate and bad optics.

“Where is your priority? Your priority’s going out there and getting development deals done so you get your compensation or is your priority focusing on, you know, the day-and-day work of the JHA,” Boylan said.

We provide an update to this story after Tuesday’s meeting. We also reached Corbett for comment but haven’t heard back yet.

She has a year and a half left on her contract, and she could stay on the job, but if she’s terminated without cause, her contract states she could get 22 weeks of her salary, or over $100,000.

If she is terminated with cause, she could get nothing from her contract.

In a letter to the Washington Secretary of State's Office, the Justice Department said it had identified 1,500 votes cast by the over 400 people in prior elections. It asked the state to set aside any ballots the people might cast in next month's midterm until state officials can confirm they are legally eligible to vote. The state has more than 5 million registered voters.

“We are asking the state to set aside those ballots until we can confirm they are legal voters,” Acting U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd said in a news conference.

Much of the list was built based on “recent contacts” with suspected noncitizens, Floyd said, because federal officers are now routinely checking to see if the people they interact with are registered to vote. His office wants to compare that list against the state's voter information because that will help determine how many people actually cast ballots, Floyd said.

Without access to those state records, proving someone illegally voted will be a difficult and labor-intensive process, Floyd said.

Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs was reviewing the administration’s demand. His office noted that it had received about 60 subpoenas from the Justice Department since last month seeking information about voters.

“We take our responsibility to protect voter information seriously and will only respond to requests that follow due process,” Hobbs said in an emailed statement. “We see what’s happening in California and don’t want Washingtonians to be harassed.”

The effort is the latest by the administration to identify noncitizen voters, even though noncitizen voting is exceptionally rare. President Donald Trump has repeatedly sought to undermine public confidence in elections. The request in Washington is similar to a Justice Department attempt to require California to sequester mail ballots from up to 20,000 people the federal government suspects may not be citizens.

California has challenged that, and during rare Sunday arguments a panel of federal appellate judges questioned the timing, constitutionality and authority of the Justice Department’s demand. The Elections Clause of the U.S. Constitution gives state legislatures the power to set the time, place and manner of congressional elections.

Los Angeles County Assistant Registrar-Recorder Monica Flores said in a court filing that her staff went through a sample of 200 records from the Trump administration’s list. They found the sample included canceled or inactive registrations, people with no voting history and voters who appeared to have been born in the United States.

The Justice Department told Washington it anticipates sending the state an additional list of people it suspects are not citizens prior to Election Day. It also noted that some of the people it suspects registered without citizenship may have since become naturalized.

Investigations into prior allegations of noncitizen voters have revealed far fewer instances than the Trump administration has claimed. In Nevada, Trump’s administration alleged there were 1,500 potential noncitizen voters on the rolls but subsequent investigation found zero.

In Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, the county recorder, who is a Trump supporter, announced that there were 207 possible noncitizens on the county’s rolls. The Republican County Attorney determined there were actually eight.

The 25-year-old allegedly communicated that he was “gonna hijack this” plane — although he used an expletive — and “crash ur row only,” according to a copy of the criminal complaint. The document doesn't specify exactly how the message was sent or to whom it was directed.

Las Vegas police said they detained the man after a report of a person making “terroristic threats” on the Saturday night flight that had been headed to Newark, New Jersey. He was arrested on charges of making a threat or providing false information regarding an act of terrorism, which carries a possible sentence of 1 to 20 years in prison.

An attorney listed for the man did not immediately return a request for comment. His initial court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday.

The scheduled redeye flight returned to the airport less than an hour after departing, according to Flightradar24 data.

United confirmed that the flight with 150 passengers on board returned safely to Las Vegas to address a “potential security concern.” The flight was delayed overnight and departed for Newark on Sunday morning.

The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed it will investigate the incident and said in an email to The Associated Press there have been over 1,400 unruly passenger incidents so far in 2026.

—-

Associated Press writer Rio Yamat contributed to this report.

Higher Education Minister Philippe Baptiste announced “substantial change” to the platform next year, before its replacement in 2028.

Ministers also pledged up to 4 billion euros ($4.5 billion) in loans for school renovations, alongside smaller classes, more teaching and higher education posts and increased student grants.

The concessions target the school grievances that helped ignite the unrest.

But the movement has widened to include workers demanding relief from rising living costs, making the government’s task tougher than simply resolving a dispute over university admissions.

The promises came after a turbulent few weeks

The announcements followed France’s worst unrest in years on Oct. 17, when demonstrations over school funding and rising living costs descended into rioting and looting across the country.

Groups of protesters set fires, looted shops, clashed with police and attacked public buildings, briefly storming Marseille’s City Hall and setting Limoges’ 19th-century town hall ablaze. The fire brought down the Limoges building’s roof and clock tower.

About 2,400 people were arrested in connection with the demonstrations, in which hundreds of thousands marched peacefully.

Two high school student groups welcomed some concessions, but called for protests to continue. Their representatives spoke after meeting with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu earlier Monday.

“We have managed to address some of the students’ demands,” said Nathanaël Combary of the high school group Renouveau Lycéen. “I emphasize the term ‘some.’”

Other representatives were more critical. “We have received crumbs compared to what we are asking for,” said Clément Vieillot of the Mouvement Cachan 94 student group.

He pointed to students’ demand for 250,000 more university places, compared with the government’s pledge of 15,000 additional places in higher education.

Further demonstrations are planned.

Admissions changes will fall to the next president

The 2028 deadline puts a central concession to protesters beyond President Emmanuel Macron’s time in office, leaving his successor’s government to deliver it.

Macron can’t seek a third consecutive term in 2027, and far-right leader Marine Le Pen leads polling before the first round of presidential voting on April 18. A winner-takes-all runoff is scheduled for May 2.

Le Pen's National Rally party has sought to capitalize on the unrest, presenting itself as a force for law and order and urging voters to channel their anger into support for her presidential bid.

The university admissions replacement system still has to be designed, and legal changes may be needed — leaving crucial decisions unresolved even as the government seeks to persuade students to end their protests.

The platform, called Parcoursup, allows students to apply to universities and other higher education courses and receive admissions decisions. A record 1.05 million people applied through it this year, according to the Higher Education Ministry.

It has been a focus of the protests, with students criticizing unclear selection criteria and unequal access to their preferred courses.

French government commits to education reforms

For the 2027 admissions round, institutions would publish more detailed selection criteria. The platform would provide explanatory information with each rejection, and institutions would have to give applicants the reasons for their decisions if requested.

A committee involving students and teachers would produce initial recommendations for the replacement system by the end of November. The government said that it would introduce legislation if the proposed changes require it.

The government also promised 15,000 additional places in higher education across 2027 and 2028, mostly in vocational and technical programs, and increases in student grants linked to inflation from the start of the 2027 academic year.

To address demands for better learning conditions, the government pledged to cap some first-year high school classes at 28 students from 2027, starting with more disadvantaged schools. It also promised to cancel planned cuts to teaching positions at secondary schools and create 500 additional jobs.

The building plans would extend still further into the next presidency. The government proposed up to 4 billion euros ($4.5 billion) in low-interest loans to regional authorities for school renovations through 2030. A separate 1 billion-euro ($1.1 billion) state plan would fund university renovations through 2029.

Violence has lessened

Another round of nationwide demonstrations on Saturday saw less violence. Authorities estimated turnout at 410,000, while organizers put it at nearly 800,000.

Authorities deployed 70,000 police officers and gendarmes to prevent a repeat of the previous weekend’s widespread destruction. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said Monday that 1,435 people had been arrested nationwide in connection with the latest weekend’s protests.

Earlier Monday, the French president promised “concrete measures” to address students’ demands during a visit to the southern port city of Marseille.

“I have asked the government to address the legitimate demands at the root of this protest movement,” Macron said.

Macron and his centrist government have faced criticism for failing to address students’ grievances since high school blockades began in mid-September. The protests have led to mass arrests and scrutiny of police riot control weapons blamed for life-changing injuries suffered by some teenagers.

The demands for better-resourced schools, particularly in poorer communities, come as France grapples with record poverty and record public debt.

___

Nicolas Garriga and Jeffrey Schaeffer contributed

Eleven people were shot, and one person suffered an ankle injury while fleeing the gunfire.

The shooting happened around 8 p.m. near Perry and Manatee streets, behind the stadium, amid crowds leaving a homecoming celebration.

Anthony Rivers would be charged as an adult in connection with the shooting, according to officials.

Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell said six of the victims were minors, including an 11-year-old. At least three victims suffered serious injuries, according to police.

By Sunday morning, five people had been released from the hospital, and six remained hospitalized; one of those still hospitalized was in critical condition. No deaths were reported.

Police said the preliminary investigation indicates that a fight broke out before the shooting among people who knew each other. The area was crowded with people leaving the football celebration.

Video surfaced on social media of people fleeing the scene in terror. At this stage of the investigation, none of the victims appear to have been the intended targets, police said.

“What should have been a weekend of celebration in our community instead became a night of fear and violence for the victims and their families,” Revell said. “While this arrest marks a significant step forward, our work is far from over. We remain committed to holding those responsible accountable and getting answers for every family impacted by this tragedy.”

TPD said officers rushed to render aid to victims before the scene was fully secured, then began their investigation.

TPD said tips and video sent in by members of the community were vital to identifying the suspected shooter.

Additional arrests are possible, police said.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact TPD’s dedicated tip line at 850-891-4610. Individuals with photos, videos or other digital evidence can also submit information through the department’s online evidence submission portal.

A woman who was selling historically Black college and university apparel during homecoming told CNN affiliate WCTV that she heard the gunshots and saw people frightened. Another witness told the station he had just left campus and was worried about his daughter, who was in the area.

Florida A&M said the shooting happened near campus and that the university remained safe. Homecoming events had taken place throughout the week and were scheduled to conclude Sunday at the historically Black university, which has nearly 10,000 students.

University President Marva Johnson said the school had reached out to injured members of the FAMU community to offer support. She urged anyone with information to contact the police. Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey called the shooting “a truly horrific and heartbreaking tragedy” and said the community stood with the university.

Lula, who convinced an extra 10.4 million voters to support him in the runoff, is expected to take office on Jan. 5, 2027, for his fourth non-consecutive term. He will serve as a counterweight in a region where leaders are shifting to the right and aligning with U.S. President Donald Trump. Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, promised to cozy up to the Trump administration.

President Donald Trump suggested on Monday, without providing evidence, that Lula’s reelection was “rigged.”

“Elections have to be indisputable and it looked very bad to me,” Trump told reporters before flying to Mississippi for a rally. He added, “I thought it had a very bad look, the way it was tabulated.”

Trump also said: “It looked like another rigged election, frankly.”

At a news conference Sunday, Bolsonaro said he planned to request an annulment of the election following a chaotic extension of voting at the request of both candidates. But in a video on his social media channels on Monday he did not repeat that message and promised to organize opposition to Lula.

Bolsonaro said he will press the electoral court to nullify the election results, which it has never done before.

That would be a high hurdle: Bolsonaro would have to present evidence that the 4.4 million votes by which Lula won the election were fraudulent — and convince the full eight-member electoral court of that. He would need to do that before the election results are certified on Dec.18.

“I am going to gather elected lawmakers and senators to organize our strategy and make the lower house and the Senate our fortress against barbaric acts that are set to happen in another four years of Lula,” Bolsonaro said.

Bolsonaro also said he visited his father in house arrest on Monday. Jair Bolsonaro, who is now serving a 27-year sentence for a coup attempt, unsuccessfully contested his loss to Lula four years ago.

Early signs from Brazil’s institutions and from leaders across the region, including conservative presidents who oppose Lula, suggest the results will be respected nationally and internationally.

Even with the vote extension, Lula’s win was decisive. The soon-to-be 81-year-old incumbent won more than 64 million votes compared to just under 60 million for Bolsonaro, a margin of nearly 4%.

President of Brazil’s electoral authority, Kassio Nunes, who was appointed to the Supreme Court by ex-president Jair Bolsonaro, was among those who recognized Lula’s victory Sunday.

“This is a really uphill battle for Flavio Bolsonaro. Important Brazilian power brokers are closing ranks behind Lula, sometimes begrudgingly," said Brian Winter, Brazil analyst and editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly.

“I sense that Brazilian power brokers that matter don’t really want to go down the path of a truly contested election,” he said.

The numbers behind Lula's victory

The key to Lula’s win was the additional 14.1 million voters who showed up for the second-round election, including those who voted for other candidates in the first round. Analysts say three-quarters of those votes went to Lula, handing him the victory. And notably, the first round set a record for the number of Brazilians who decided not to vote, while the second round had the least number of abstentions ever.

Lula gave his digital campaign to lawmaker André Janones, who mounted a fierce and persistent social media operation that mobilized many of those previously uncommitted voters. Janones' key tool was a channel on messaging app WhatsApp called “Lula's Army,” which gathered almost 11 million people and mobilized them to campaign via social media for the incumbent.

Janones “basically embraced the right’s style of aggressive politics, very intense, constant messaging,” said Oliver Stuenkel, a professor of International Relations at Fundação Getulio Vargas in Sao Paulo.

“The defeat in the first round jolted the Lula campaign into action. The strategy during the first round was lackluster and saw a lot of infighting,” Stuenkel said.

Juliano Cortinhas, international relations professor at the University of Brasília, said Lula's social media initiative in the runoff was also key to pressuring Meta, the owner of Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook, to end what the president's campaign denounced as bias helping Bolsonaro.

Brazil’s top electoral court ruled on Oct.15 that Meta must adopt measures that assure equal treatment of the two presidential candidates, which the company later said it addressed.

There was “external interference we were suffering by major platforms,” Cortinhas said. “It wasn't only Meta, many others were using their algorithms to repost many images and many messages of the far-right, and they did not do the same to the left.”

It was the first time since 1989 that a candidate came from behind in the first round to win in the second.

Results show voter turnout surged overall, particularly in wealthier metropolitan centers, but Lula achieved his highest gains in lower-income municipalities where his base was already established. He mobilized former non-voters, those who voted blank in the first round and supporters of third-party candidates.

Jorge Henrique Oliveira Sena, a 26-year-old maintenance worker in Brasilia, was one of those who didn’t vote in the first round. Neither candidate excited him much, but he cast his vote for Lula. “It’s not a question of supporting, but between the two, I had more of a connection with him,” he said.

Brazil's voting system and Sunday's disruptions

Brazil holds general elections every four years, and its electronic voting machines have made the tallying process quick and secure.

Brazilian authorities adopted electronic voting machines in the 1990s to combat fraud and the system has been largely reliable since then. Results are usually reported mere hours after polls close.

In the lead-up to the 2022 vote, Jair Bolsonaro repeatedly cast unfounded doubts on Brazil’s electronic voting system. No significant fraud has ever been detected.

But the usually swift voting process was thrown into disarray Sunday after a last-minute decision to extend voting nationwide at both candidates’ requests.

Lula made the request because of issues with public transportation in metropolis, Sao Paulo, and the northeastern city of Salvador, two of his strongholds. Bolsonaro requested it after heavy rains in the south, which he won by a strong margin in the first round.

The decision was made by a Supreme Court justice mere minutes before polls were set to close at 5 p.m. and the speed of Brazil’s counting process meant many polling stations didn’t receive the news until they were already wrapping up.

Yet given the reliability of Brazil's voting system and Lula's win by a significant margin, a path to annul the results could be difficult for Bolsonaro.

Benjamin Gedan, senior fellow and director of the Stimson Center Latin America program, said Bolsonaro's rejection of his loss was not surprising.

“False claims of fraud are becoming commonplace, though that does not make them any less dangerous," he said. He noted “Lula’s margin of victory, and the quick recognition of the result by conservative leaders in the region."

Nevertheless, Lula still faces challenges moving forward, including political polarization in the country, a possible fiscal crisis and a right-wing Congress in which Bolsonaro's party will have more seats than any other. Bolsonaro himself remains a senator, though his term ends in January.

“We shouldn’t underestimate the power of the Bolsonaro family," said Winter, the Brazil analyst. "They can make life difficult for Lula for weeks and months to come.”

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Savarese reported from Sao Paulo. AP writer Will Weissert in Washington contributed.

Nigerian Health Minister Muhammad Pate said the woman, the country’s first case in the current outbreak, left the capital, Abuja, early Monday with his approval. Her condition had improved significantly, and she was stable, conscious and able to communicate, he said.

“This does not mean she is not still infectious, hence the strict protocols in place,” Pate wrote on X. Her husband, a Swiss diplomat in Nigeria, has shown no symptoms.

Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health said the couple arrived Monday on a medical evacuation flight. The woman was being treated at Geneva University Hospital, while her husband was in isolation at Zurich University Hospital. The agency said both hospitals were equipped to care for them and that there was no risk to the Swiss public.

The World Health Organization’s regional director for Africa, Mohamed Janabi, said the evacuation was arranged because the couple are Swiss citizens and that Nigerian medical teams had stabilized the woman after treating her through the acute phase of the illness.

Nigeria will continue monitoring 52 other contacts, Janabi said.

“With the evacuation of the patient and her husband, Nigeria currently has no Ebola cases,” he said, stressing that vigilance remained critical.

Pate said containment measures remained in place and urged Nigerians to remain vigilant.

The woman tested positive after returning to Abuja from Uganda. Nigerian authorities said Friday they had yet to establish how she contracted the virus.

Switzerland’s foreign ministry told The Associated Press last week that she had not visited Congo and was believed to have been infected while traveling to Uganda with her husband.

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the first patients in Nigeria and Kenya had both traveled through Uganda’s Entebbe International Airport on Oct. 3. Uganda had previously reported Ebola cases but later declared itself free of the virus.

Kenya has recorded nine cases, including two deaths, since confirming its first case earlier this month.

On Monday, Kenya released 20 people from quarantine following their exposure to the virus as contacts of the country's first case, while 98 others were expected to be released starting next Tuesday.

“Each of the 20 contacts was assessed against the release criteria, including 21 days without any symptoms since their last exposure,” the Kenyan Ministry of Health said in a statement.

The spread of Ebola beyond Congo has heightened longstanding fears among health authorities about the rapid transmission of the rare Bundibugyo virus.

The latest figures from Congo’s health ministry show more than 9,900 cases, including more than 4,800 deaths, since the outbreak began in May.

The WHO has said the outbreak is the fastest-spreading Ebola outbreak on record and is on track to surpass the death toll of the deadliest: West Africa’s 2014-2016 outbreak, which killed 11,000 people. Nigeria was among the countries affected, recording 20 cases before its outbreak was declared over after three months.

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Banchereau reported from Dakar, Senegal. Evelyne Musambi contributed from Nairobi, Kenya.

The screwworm — actually a fly larva that burrows into the flesh of livestock, pets and even humans — has threatened the $113 billion U.S. cattle industry. Containment efforts have cost jobs and trade in border communities, cutting off a source of cattle as the U.S. struggles to rebuild drought-depleted herds. Reopening crossings could help ease that squeeze, although experts caution that shoppers shouldn't expect quick relief on beef prices.

The port at Columbus, New Mexico, is the third to resume Mexican cattle imports under new safeguards, which include tests, shots and inspections that happen before an animal even gets close to the border.

Officials and ranchers in the two countries say layers of treatment and inspection give them confidence that imported livestock won't carry screwworm through the ports. But flies can buzz across the border on their own, meaning ranchers, hunters and pet owners should remain vigilant.

The parasite was an annual livestock scourge before being largely eradicated in the U.S. in the 1960s. It reappeared in Mexico in 2024, and the first confirmed U.S. case was in Texas in June.

More than 60 cases have been confirmed in Texas and New Mexico, with infestations of cattle, sheep, goats, horses and dogs. Last week, the first case in U.S. wildlife was confirmed after a hunter found screwworm in an elk.

Before the current outbreak, the U.S. was importing about 1 million head of cattle per year. It will take time to get back to that number while keeping a sharp eye on the risks to animal health, said Dudley Hoskins, undersecretary for the Department of Agriculture.

“As long as we can manage and mitigate that risk at an acceptable level, we will continue to process the safe and legal movement of cattle through these ports,” he said, watching as cattle lined up in the chutes at Columbus.

New Mexico is key for cattle imports

About a third of all Mexican cattle imported to the U.S. each year pass through Columbus and the Santa Teresa port near El Paso, Texas. Gerardo Fierro, executive director of the New Mexico Border Authority, pegged the value of the cattle trade for the area at $1 billion.

Fierro said the community watched as jobs, cattle sales and even tax revenue from the diesel fuel used to transport the animals evaporated due to the closures. Ranchers were no longer crossing into New Mexico and spending money on supplies, lodging and food, and farmers had no customers for their alfalfa and grain.

“This means a lot,” he said of the reopening.

Another border crossing for cattle in Arizona is due to open in late November.

Layers of safeguards ensure cows are clean

New Mexico state veterinarian Samantha Holeck said the rigorous process for getting cattle ready starts at their home ranches, where private veterinarians check for tuberculosis and other diseases and deliver medications that prevent screwworm.

At the next stop, veterinarians accredited by the Mexican government look for open wounds, signs of illness or other injuries. Then a head-to-tail inspection is done by the USDA while still in Mexico.

The last hurdle? Dipping — as it's commonly known — involves the cows being immersed in vats of insecticide to get rid of any missed parasites.

Flies have lots of ways to move around

Holeck said the protocols developed over recent years helped to buy more time, and the USDA is using fly traps and drones to survey areas.

The government has a longstanding program to breed sterile male flies and drop swarms of them from planes to mate with wild females, causing the flies to die out. The government is building a $610 million factory in Texas that can produce 300 million sterile flies per week. That will augment production at facilities in Mexico and Panama.

“That’s our sharpest tool,” Hoskins said.

Beef prices are a bigger problem

Mexican ranchers once again have a market for their feeder cattle, but experts say it will take time for U.S. ranchers to rebuild herds that have dwindled to record lows due to years of persistent drought. Constrained supplies have pushed prices higher.

Tom Paterson, president of the New Mexico Cattle Grower's Association, was among those who met with U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins last week in Columbus.

“I agree with the secretary,” he said, “when she says that food security is national security.”

The filing sets up the San Francisco company for a Wall Street debut next month, potentially eclipsing the record $86 billion raised by SpaceX in its initial public offering in June. An Anthropic IPO would also put the company ahead of OpenAI in going public, setting the stage for a pair of blockbuster stock debuts by rival AI developers.

An IPO could give Anthropic enormous resources to accelerate its expansion. The amount the company ultimately raises remains uncertain, as do its final valuation and offering price. But even at lower estimates, it would turn the five-year-old startup into one of the world’s most valuable companies, potentially adding billions of dollars to the fortunes of CEO Dario Amodei and his sister and co-founder, Daniela.

The 335-page filing showed Anthropic’s revenue is growing rapidly, reaching more than $16 billion in the first half of the year — 14 times its revenue from the same period last year. But like many other tech companies going public, the company behind the Claude chatbot has yet to turn a profit.

Despite the losses, Anthropic, valued earlier this year at $965 billion by private investors, is reportedly set to see that value rise to $1.5 trillion or possibly $2 trillion, although its final valuation has not been established. At $1.5 trillion, Anthropic would rank among the world’s most valuable public companies, alongside Tesla.

As for money raised, the offering could bring in as much as $100 billion, according to reports, surpassing the record set by SpaceX.

In a regulatory filing, Anthropic said it will list its stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol "ANT."

A Wall Street debut is planned in a jittery market

In the filing, the company said it could use some of that money on acquiring other businesses and technology as well as investing in infrastructure to grow its business to take on rivals.

Formed in 2021 by former OpenAI leaders, Anthropic is locked in a fight for dominance with that company. But they have plenty of other competitors, including Google, newer startups in the U.S. and China and SpaceX, which has an AI business. Anthropic, OpenAI and SpaceX’s AI division have all been losing more money than they make because of the huge costs of resources in building AI, fueling concerns of a bubble.

The need for cash may explain why Anthropic is rushing to tap public markets this year, and not waiting until next year, as is OpenAI's plan. Adding to the pressure is the possibility demand for AI shares could drop, or even collapse. Investors have become jittery about the massive financing needs of the sector, and several tech companies have pulled IPO plans recently.

David Hsu, a management professor at the University of Pennsylvania, said he sees the filing more as a move to diversify the company’s financial base.

“Obviously, they feel great, or at least good enough, on the safety aspects relative to OpenAI, and so that puts them in a position to really stay on track now to go public (first),” Hsu said.

In addition to helping plug any cash shortfall, the IPO will shower extraordinary wealth on Anthropic’s seven founders, including Amodei and his sister. The filing didn't directly state their ownership stakes, but other figures disclosed suggest each will end up with 1.4% of the company, a windfall of as much as $28 billion a person should the company go public at the top expected value.

Risks aplenty, but a big payoff to the founders

Dario, 43, and 39-year-old Daniela, who is Anthropic's president, are already worth $15.5 billion each, according to Forbes, which ranks them as the 176th and 177th richest in the world.

Anthropic reported a net loss of $80.7 billion in the first half of 2026, although that included a one-time, $72.4 billion charge for an accounting adjustment related to financing agreements, according to the filing. In the same period a year ago, Anthropic lost $13 billion.

The document includes some unusual provisions, including granting those two and their five other co-founders 50.1% of shareholder votes through a special class of shares. Anthropic also has appointed independent, financially disinterested members of a so-called Long-Term Benefit Trust, holding power to appoint directors, that is designed to ensure the company doesn’t put financial interests ahead of public safety.

Another unusual feature of the filing is its long list of “risk factors," a required disclosure for every public company but in this case one that runs nearly 100 pages — and makes for riveting reading.

Among the risks are the quotidian — the possibility it won't be able to retain key staff or navigate regulatory roadblocks — and the horrific. The latter includes the prospect of “malicious actors” using AI models to build chemical weapons, authoritarian rulers turning to the technology to crack down on their citizens and the possibility that its AI models could go rogue and “pose catastrophic or existential risks to humanity.”

Calls for an AI slowdown

Anthropic and other leading companies have touted the technology's potential to cure diseases and speed economic growth. But it also threatens major disruptions to jobs by reducing the need for human labor.

A string of hacking incidents by rogue AI agents also has raised fears the technology will slip free of human control to carry out harmful, life-threatening tasks.

In September, Amodei said the AI industry should slow its fast-moving development to give safety measures time to catch up. Without such a slowdown, Amodei warned AI could be capable of letting loose a swarm of agents that could take over the entire internet within six to 12 months.

He offered a plan in a post on his website to increase checks on the industry, noting that Anthropic is already undertaking part of this on its own. As for other steps, though, he said that would require coordination across the industry and with governments around the world, including authoritarian ones.

Clashes with the U.S. government

Anthropic has tried to set itself apart from other AI companies as the “good guys,” focusing on safety and responsible development as opposed to growing at all costs. Some of this sentiment stems from the company’s dispute with the U.S. government, which broke out in February when the Trump administration accused Anthropic of endangering national security and designated the company a supply chain risk.

Anthropic sued the Pentagon in March for what it called an “unlawful campaign of retaliation” over its refusal to allow unrestricted military use of its technology. The legal challenge intensified a dispute over how AI can be used in warfare and mass surveillance.

ChatGPT maker OpenAI made its own deal to work with the Pentagon hours after the government punished Anthropic for its stance. Anthropic also filed a separate and narrower case involving a different rule the Pentagon is using to try to declare Anthropic a supply chain risk.

A California judge ruled in Anthropic’s favor in the first case and a Washington, D.C. judge sided with the government in the second. Both sides are appealing the decisions.

——

Bernard Condon reported from New York. Associated Press writer Kaitlyn Huamani contributed from Los Angeles.

Williams, 34, was convicted of first-degree murder in July. Jurors deliberated about 20 minutes before finding him guilty and later voted 11-1 to recommend the death penalty.

The attack happened Aug. 2, 2024. Surveillance video and testimony showed Williams went inside the home, returned with an 8-inch chef’s knife and attacked his wife, Yolonda Charmaine Williams, in the street, according to court and prosecution accounts. She was stabbed 19 to 20 times and later died at a hospital.

Her 14-year-old son witnessed the attack and tried to intervene. Williams’ father, who lived nearby, held him at gunpoint until he stepped away from his wife.

Williams told detectives he retrieved the knife from the kitchen and stabbed his wife multiple times, saying a comment she made “pushed him over the edge,” prosecutors said. He was on probation for charges stemming from a 2022 domestic violence incident involving his wife, court records showed.

Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols imposed the sentence. State Attorney R.J. Larizza said prosecutors would pursue the death penalty after the jury’s recommendation.

The stunning triumph of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva over Flávio Bolsonaro on Sunday, with 51.8% of the vote to 48.2%, limits U.S. President Donald Trump’s drive to tighten his grip on the Western Hemisphere and cements Latin America’s most populous country and largest economy as a counterweight to Washington. A Bolsonaro victory would have left Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum as the only progressive president among the region’s powerhouses.

More broadly, Brazil’s vote — held the same day Serbia’s opposition scored a stunning win — opened a stretch of high-stakes elections that could reshape global politics, with Israel on Tuesday holding its first national election since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack and the U.S. midterms on Nov. 3.

For the Trump administration, which has wielded punishing tariffs, severe sanctions and military force to reassert its dominance in the region, Lula’s victory complicates its campaign to enlist Brazil in its military coalition against cartels and to gain preferential access to the country’s critical minerals, analysts say.

As congratulations poured in from Brazil’s allies and rivals around the world, Trump suggested Monday, without providing evidence, that Lula’s reelection was “rigged.” His ally Bolsonaro has refused to concede and called for the result to be annulled.

“I thought it had a very bad look, the way it was tabulated,” Trump told reporters before flying to Mississippi for a rally.

But Trump also said he had not formally endorsed either candidate and spoke warmly of Lula. “I like Lula. I get along with him very well,” he added.

Both governments have reasons to cooperate. Washington wants access to Brfazil’s vast trove of rare earths to reduce its defense industry’s reliance on China. Lula wants foreign investment and tariff relief for Brazilian exporters.

“Lula is pragmatic enough to work out some kind of modus operandi with the Trump administration,” said Will Freeman, a fellow for Latin America studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, adding that the Bolsonaros’ allies in Washington would likely lose sway after the family’s second electoral defeat. Flávio’s father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, lost to Lula in 2022.

“I’m not sure anyone in the Trump administration, beyond a few individuals, will want to keep making the Bolsonaros the central issue in the U.S.-Brazil relationship,” he said.

Trump's missing piece

Across much of Latin America, voters fed up with rising crime have rewarded presidential candidates promising to restore order. From Peru’s Keiko Fujimori to Colombia’s Abelardo de la Espriella and Chile’s José Antonio Kast, newly elected conservatives have courted Trump while taking their cues from El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, whose sweeping gang crackdown has sharply reduced homicides at the cost of mass arrests and suspended civil liberties.

Trump has reinforced that shift with electoral endorsements, financial bailouts and pledges of military aid.

“The U.S. is certainly putting its finger on the scale to try to help the more hard-line right-wing elements in the region,” said Kenneth Roberts, a professor of government at Cornell University.

Brazil would have been Washington’s most consequential addition. Bolsonaro had promised to join the U.S.-led security coalition “with great enthusiasm and great honor,” making his alliance with Trump part of his pitch to voters.

Lula, by contrast, has championed Brazil’s long tradition of nonalignment, cultivating ties with competing powers. His government deepened trade ties with China and sought greater global influence through BRICS, a group of emerging economies.

Trump’s heavy-handed support for the Bolsonaros played into that message. The double-digit tariffs he imposed on a range of Brazilian goods to punish Brazil for prosecuting former President Jair Bolsonaro over a coup plot to oust Lula stirred a nationalist backlash that the leftist leader channeled into the rallying cry “Brazil belongs to Brazilians.”

“To the extent that the regional superpower becomes a threat to Brazil’s democratic institutions, defending Brazilian national sovereignty also becomes a form of defending Brazilian democracy,” Roberts said.

In his victory speech late Sunday, Lula described the outcome as “a demonstration that this country does not accept being anyone’s backyard.”

Lula's red lines

Brazil resisted joining the Shield of the Americas, a U.S.-led military coalition targeting cartels.

When Washington in May designated Brazil’s two largest criminal factions, the First Capital Command and the Red Command, as terrorist organizations, Lula warned the labels could become a pretext for American intervention.

Countries along the main northbound cocaine and migrant routes, many of them heavily dependent on the U.S. market, have been more accommodating. In Ecuador, U.S. troops have joined local police in raids targeting suspected drug networks across the coastal lowlands. Honduras, Guatemala and Colombia have also agreed to joint military operations, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says, though Guatemala’s government has denied it.

“Brazil is not Honduras. It’s a large country with a very independent history and a military that would not look kindly upon foreign troops in its own territory,” said Brian Winter, a veteran Latin America analyst and editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly, a policy journal. “The Trump administration will have to walk a certain line here.”

On critical minerals, Lula wants Brazil to control its resources and preserve its freedom to sell beyond the U.S.

Brazil holds the world’s second-largest known reserves of rare earths, used in powerful magnets for guided missiles, smartphones, wind turbines and electric vehicles.

Last month, USA Rare Earth, in which the U.S. government holds a stake, completed its $2.8 billion takeover of Serra Verde, the Brazilian firm that owns one of the few mines outside of Asia producing all four rare earths needed for those magnets. Alarmed by the expanding U.S. role, Lula’s administration fast-tracked legislation tightening oversight of critical minerals.

“Revisiting the Serra Verde–USA Rare Earth deal may not be the first thing that Lula does when he’s reelected, but it’s on his radar,” said Monica de Bolle, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.

Brazil also produces about 90% of the world’s niobium, a critical element for jet and rocket engines and other military hardware, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Any Brazilian export restrictions could disrupt supply chains for U.S. defense manufacturers.

“Brazil has leverage,” de Bolle said. “With Lula, the U.S. is on shakier ground.”

Compromise at home and abroad

For all his defiant public statements, Lula has sought peace with Trump. His White House visit in May to discuss trade, organized crime and critical minerals undercut the Bolsonaros’ claim that only they could deal with Washington.

More bargaining with Trump surely lies ahead over tariffs and with Brazil's Congress, where conservatives expanded their ranks in the Oct. 4 elections, depriving Lula of the backing he needs to institute meaningful reforms. After three previous terms, Lula confronts voters impatient for safer streets and relief from the high cost of living.

“Lula has his hands tied,” said Guilherme Casarões, an associate professor of Brazilian studies at Florida International University. “Pretty much everything he has tried to do has been blocked in Congress.”

Across Latin America, coalitions that united against a common opponent have often splintered as the realities of governing set in. Trump’s new allies are already losing support in Chile, Bolivia and Peru, suggesting the region’s rightward turn may be less durable than it appears. Lula bucked the anti-incumbent trend, but his support could evaporate quickly as he bargains with opponents — in Congress and beyond Brazil’s borders — to deliver the results voters expect.

___

Associated Press writer Mauricio Savarese in Sao Paulo contributed to this report.

Organizers of the Ballon d’Or event mistakenly published multiple “winners” of the men’s award on its website Monday hours before the ceremony.

One announcement read, in part, “Harry Kane wins 2026 Ballon d'Or” — and similar articles described Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé also winning.

It turned out the organizer France Football had prepared many announcements — to be ready for when the winner is announced — but they were accidentally posted well ahead of the gala at The London Palladium.

“Some profiles of nominees prepared by BallonDor.com were inadvertently published online,” the organizer said in a statement to the BBC.

“These articles had been prepared for all nominees and should in no way be considered as an indication of the final results or rankings.”

___

See AP’s full soccer coverage here

The S&P 500 rose 0.7% and more than recovered its losses from last week, pulling within 1.8% of its all-time high set earlier this month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 146 points, or 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.8%.

The strongest lift for the market came from Nvidia, which rose 2.4%. That helped the chip company recover some of its drop from three straight losing weeks, its longest such streak since June.

But stocks elsewhere in the artificial-intelligence industry remained unsettled. They’ve been swerving on worries about whether their industry’s boom is under threat because of how expensive it’s become for companies to borrow money to build data centers and buy more AI chips.

Meta helps lead the swings

Meta Platforms bounced up and down after outlining plans to raise $35 billion by selling stock to help pay for its AI investments. It also said it could raise another $60 billion by selling shares of a new class of its stock once it begins trading. Meta’s stock initially dropped more than 2%, but it quickly flipped to a gain and then pulled back to a loss of 1.9%.

Meta said Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices and Broadcom have already indicated they may buy a total of $5 billion of stock in its offering. Those are strong signals of interest from chip companies that stand to benefit from additional AI investments. But they also give fuel to critics of “circular financing” who say it raises the risk if AI isn’t as successful as expected.

One big company at the center of the AI boom, Anthropic, gave details Monday about how much money it’s losing as it prepares to sell its stock on the publicly traded U.S. market for the first time.

Worries remain about borrowing for AI

SpaceX, Elon Musk’s rocket company that also runs the xAI business, had similar swings after it announced a roughly $40 billion deal with an entity managed by Apollo Global Management to lease AI computing power. Its stock initially fell nearly 2% before flipping to a gain of 1.9% and then finishing with a dip of 0.4%.

Musk warned over the weekend that hundreds of companies that rent out AI computing power are under threat because of the difficulty in borrowing money, saying on his social-media platform, X, that they could face “guppy-level death and consolidation.”

CoreWeave, a company that’s borrowed money to buy AI computing power that it rents to customers over the cloud, has been at the center of investors’ worries in recent weeks. On Monday, it dropped 5.5% quickly after trading began, only to flip to a gain of 6.6% before moderating to a rise of 1.8%. Such minute-to-minute swings have become commonplace for it in recent days.

All told, the S&P 500 rose 53.09 points to 7,676.77. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 146.42 to 52,361.58, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 214.04 to 26,169.38.

It’s a big week for profit reports

Profit reports from huge tech companies this week could offer more details about how spending on AI is going, and whether it’s producing the profits and productivity that proponents promised.

Alphabet and Microsoft will report their latest quarterly results on Wednesday, with Amazon to follow on Thursday.

Companies across all industries are under pressure to report strong growth in their profits. Expectations for big growth are what allowed stock prices to run to records recently despite worries about high inflation, high interest rates and other concerns.

Verizon Communications fell 3.5% even though it reported a stronger profit for the summer than analysts expected, as its revenue fell short of forecasts.

Roughly one out of every three stocks in the S&P 500 is scheduled to report its latest quarterly results this week.

Brazilian stocks tumble following mixed moves in other markets

In stock markets abroad, Brazilian stocks fell sharply after President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won reelection in a result that surprised investors.

The worry among investors is that he could increase the government’s spending and put more pressure on its debt. The Bovespa stock index in Brazil dropped roughly 14%.

Other governments around the world are also feeling pressure because of high debt loads and strained budgets, including the United States. France has been at the center of the worries recently following violent protests in the country.

But yields on French government bonds eased Monday, and its CAC 40 stock index rose 0.8% for one of the world’s better moves. Indexes also rose in other European markets following a mixed finish in Asia.

The European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan will be meeting to vote on interest rates later this week.

Yields ease ahead of the Federal Reserve’s meeting

In the U.S. bond market, yields fell for longer-term Treasurys. The yield on the 10-year Treasury eased to 4.98% from 5.00% late Friday and from more than 5.30% earlier this month.

The two-year Treasury yield rose to 4.71% from 4.69% late Friday. It more closely tracks expectations for what the Federal Reserve will do with overnight interest rates, and the widespread expectation is that it will say on Wednesday that it is leaving the federal funds rate alone following its latest meeting.

The Fed last month hiked the fed funds rate for the first time in three years in hopes of slowing inflation, which has remained much higher than anyone would like.

Oil prices swing

The price for a barrel of Brent crude swung between gains and losses through the day before settling at $110.74, down 0.9%. It remains near the high end of its range since the war with Iran began. The highest price for the most actively traded contract in the market for Brent crude since then is nearly $120, reached in March.

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AP Business Writers Michelle Chapman and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed to this report.

Varsity 4 Independent coaches poll, Week 11/12

Rank, (previous), school, record, points, (first-place votes)

1. (1) Episcopal (10-0, SSAA), 116 (9)

Last week’s result: Beat Fernandina Beach, 20-15. This week: vs. (6) Old Plank Christian (6-3), first round SSAA 11-man championship state playoffs.

2. (3) Christ’s Church (9-1, SSAA), 88 (1)

Last week’s result: Beat Englewood, 49-0. This week: vs. (5) St. Joseph (4-6), first round SSAA 11-man championship state playoffs.

3. (2) West Nassau (7-2-1, SSAA), 86 (2)

Last week’s result: Beat Keystone Heights, 42-22. This week: vs. (8) Trenton (7-2), first round SSAA Atlantic League state playoffs.

4. (4) Paxon (8-2, SSAA), 66

Last week’s result: Beat Union County, 36-19. This week: vs. (7) Lafayette (4-6), first round SSAA Atlantic League state playoffs, 6:30 p.m.

5. (5) Hilliard (10-0, FHSAA), 56

Last week’s result: Beat Cornerstone Classical, 60-55. This week: Off, game against Taylor Pierson win by forfeit.

6. (NR) Stanton (8-2, SSAA), 28

Last week’s result: Off. This week: vs. Branford (6-4), first round SSAA consolation bracket state playoffs, 6:30 p.m. 3-4), 7:30 p.m.

Dropped out

Union County (5-5), lost to Paxon, 36-19.

Others receiving votes

Old Plank Christian (6-3, SSAA), 23; Interlachen (6-3, SSAA), 23; Union County (5-5, SSAA), 20; Fernandina Beach (3-7, SSAA), 18; Cornerstone Classical (6-3, SSAA), 7.

Week 11 schedule, Florida

Monday, Oct. 25

Beachside (4-4) at Legacy (3-5)

Friday, Oct. 30

Atlantic Coast (0-9) at Fletcher (4-5), 6:30 p.m.

Baker County (6-3) at West Port (2-7)

Baldwin (4-5) at Ed White (7-2), 6:30 p.m.

Belleview at KIPP Bold City, 6:30 p.m.

Buchholz (9-0) at Bolles (6-2)

Clay (6-2) at Jackson (7-2), 6:30 p.m.

Creekside (7-2) at Ponte Vedra (3-6)

Fleming Island (4-4) at Bishop Kenny (5-4)

Fort White (6-3) at Palatka (4-5)

Halifax Academy (1-7) at Providence (3-6)

Hilliard (10-0) d. Taylor Pierson (0-4) by forfeit

Land O’ Lakes (6-3) at Bartram Trail (6-3)

Matanzas (2-7) at Palm Bay (2-7)

Middleburg (4-4) at Parker (1-8), 6:30 p.m.

Nease (6-3) at Sandalwood (6-3), 6:30 p.m.

Oakleaf (4-5) at First Coast (1-8), 6:30 p.m.

Orange Park (3-5) at Flagler Palm Coast (7-2)

Ridgeview (1-8) at Englewood (1-8), 6:30 p.m.

St. Augustine (9-0) at Mandarin (8-1), 6:30 p.m.

St. Petersburg Catholic (5-4) at NFEI (4-4)

Sunlake (4-5) at KIPP Bold City (1-8), 6:30 p.m.

Suwannee (5-4) at Columbia (9-0), 7:30 p.m.

Tocoi Creek (3-6) at Menendez (5-4)

Trinity Christian (5-4) at Riverside (3-6), 6:30 p.m.

University Christian (6-3) at Calvary Christian (6-3)

Westside (1-8) at Beachside (4-4)

Zarephath Academy (1-7) at Yulee (5-4)

OFF: Bradford, Hilliard, Wolfson.

Saturday, Oct. 31

Ribault (9-0) at Raines (5-4), 2 p.m.

SSAA state playoffs

Friday, Oct. 30

Atlantic League division playoffs

(8) Trenton (7-2) at (1) West Nassau (7-2-1)

(7) Lafayette (4-6) at (2) Paxon (8-2), 6:30 p.m.

(5) Fernandina Beach (3-7) at (4) Franklin County (8-2)

(6) Union County (5-5) at (3) Cottondale (8-0)

11-man state championship playoffs

(5) St. Joseph (4-6) at (4) Christ’s Church Academy (9-1)

(7) Cornerstone Classical (6-3) at (2) Seffner Christian (9-1)

(6) Old Plank Christian (6-3) at (3) Episcopal (10-0)

Consolation bracket

Bishop Snyder (1-9) vs. Harvest Community (3-7)

Branford (6-4) at Stanton (8-2), 6:30 p.m.

Duval Charter (4-5) vs. Eagle’s View (0-10)

First Coast Christian (1-8) at Keswick Christian (5-3)

Keystone Heights (2-8) at Liberty County (6-2)

Week 11 schedule, Georgia

Friday, Oct. 30

Charlton County (6-1-1) at Clinch County (5-3), 7:30 p.m.

Colquitt County (5-3) at Camden County (5-4), 7:30 p.m.

Effingham County (6-2) at Brunswick (3-5), 7:30 p.m.

Glynn Academy (3-5) at South Effingham (6-2), 7:30 p.m.

Islands (3-5) at Pierce County (7-1), 7:30 p.m.

Tattnall County (3-5) at Brantley County (3-5), 7:30 p.m.

True Institute (1-5) at P.K. Yonge (1-7)

Ware County (6-2) at Wayne County (2-6), 7:30 p.m.

OFF: Frederica Academy.

Varsity 4 News4JAX Super 10 Coaches poll, Week 11

Rank, (previous) school, record, classification, points (first-place votes)

1. (1) Raines (9-0, Class 3A), 146 (11)

Last week: Beat Cocoa, 34-20. This week: vs. Ribault (5-4), Saturday, 2 p.m.

2. (2) Columbia (9-0, Class 4A), 137 (3)

Last week: Beat Yulee, 42-0. This week: vs. Suwannee (5-4), 7:30 p.m.

3. (3) St. Augustine (9-0, Class 4A), 113

Last week: Beat Fleming Island, 42-7. This week: at Mandarin (8-1), 6:30 p.m.

4. (5) Mandarin (8-1, Class 5A), 103

Last week: Beat Bartram Trail, 49-7. This week: vs. St. Augustine (9-0), 6:30 p.m.

5. (6) Bolles (6-2, Class 2A), 76 (1)

Last week: Beat Jackson, 38-0. This week: vs. Gainesville Buchholz (9-0).

6. (9) Ed White (7-2, Class 4A), 69

Last week: Beat Bradford, 19-18. This week: vs. Baldwin (4-5), 6:30 p.m.

7. (7) Trinity Christian (5-4, Class 1A), 65

Last week: Beat Impact Christian, 56-0. This week: at Riverside (3-6), 6:30 p.m.

8. (4) Bradford (9-1, Class 2A), 53 (1)

Last week: Lost to Ed White, 19-18. This week: Off, regular season complete.

9. (8) Nease (6-3, Class 5A), 41

Last week: Beat Ponte Vedra, 49-35. This week: at Sandalwood (6-3), 6:30 p.m.

10. (NR) Creekside (6-2, Class 6A), 16

Last week: Beat First Coast, 27-6. This week: at Ponte Vedra (3-6).

Dropped out

University Christian (6-3, Class 1A), off in Week 10

Others receiving votes

University Christian (6-3, Class 1A), 15; KIPP Bold City (1-8, Class 2A), 10 (1); Jackson (7-2, Class 2A), 9; Baldwin (4-5, Class 2A), 7; Clay (6-2, Class 4A), 6; Ribault (5-4, Class 3A), 3; Bartram Trail (6-3, Class 5A), 2; Fletcher (4-5, Class 5A), 2; Oakleaf (4-5, Class 5A); 2; Sandalwood (6-3, Class 6A), 2; Ponte Vedra (3-6, Class 5A), 1.

Week 11 schedule, Florida

Monday, Oct. 25

Beachside (4-4) at Legacy (3-5)

Friday, Oct. 30

Atlantic Coast (0-9) at Fletcher (4-5), 6:30 p.m.

Baker County (6-3) at West Port (2-7)

Baldwin (4-5) at Ed White (7-2), 6:30 p.m.

Belleview at KIPP Bold City, 6:30 p.m.

Buchholz (9-0) at Bolles (6-2)

Clay (6-2) at Jackson (7-2), 6:30 p.m.

Creekside (7-2) at Ponte Vedra (3-6)

Fleming Island (4-4) at Bishop Kenny (5-4)

Fort White (6-3) at Palatka (4-5)

Halifax Academy (1-7) at Providence (3-6)

Hilliard (10-0) d. Taylor Pierson (0-4) by forfeit

Land O’ Lakes (6-3) at Bartram Trail (6-3)

Matanzas (2-7) at Palm Bay (2-7)

Middleburg (4-4) at Parker (1-8), 6:30 p.m.

Nease (6-3) at Sandalwood (6-3), 6:30 p.m.

Oakleaf (4-5) at First Coast (1-8), 6:30 p.m.

Orange Park (3-5) at Flagler Palm Coast (7-2)

Ridgeview (1-8) at Englewood (1-8), 6:30 p.m.

St. Augustine (9-0) at Mandarin (8-1), 6:30 p.m.

St. Petersburg Catholic (5-4) at NFEI (4-4)

Sunlake (4-5) at KIPP Bold City (1-8), 6:30 p.m.

Suwannee (5-4) at Columbia (9-0), 7:30 p.m.

Tocoi Creek (3-6) at Menendez (5-4)

Trinity Christian (5-4) at Riverside (3-6), 6:30 p.m.

University Christian (6-3) at Calvary Christian (6-3)

Westside (1-8) at Beachside (4-4)

Zarephath Academy (1-7) at Yulee (5-4)

OFF: Bradford, Hilliard, Wolfson.

Saturday, Oct. 31

Ribault (9-0) at Raines (5-4), 2 p.m.

SSAA state playoffs

Friday, Oct. 30

Atlantic League division playoffs

(8) Trenton (7-2) at (1) West Nassau (7-2-1)

(7) Lafayette (4-6) at (2) Paxon (8-2), 6:30 p.m.

(5) Fernandina Beach (3-7) at (4) Franklin County (8-2)

(6) Union County (5-5) at (3) Cottondale (8-0)

11-man state championship playoffs

(5) St. Joseph (4-6) at (4) Christ’s Church Academy (9-1)

(7) Cornerstone Classical (6-3) at (2) Seffner Christian (9-1)

(6) Old Plank Christian (6-3) at (3) Episcopal (10-0)

Consolation bracket

Bishop Snyder (1-9) vs. Harvest Community (3-7)

Branford (6-4) at Stanton (8-2), 6:30 p.m.

Duval Charter (4-5) vs. Eagle’s View (0-10)

First Coast Christian (1-8) at Keswick Christian (5-3)

Keystone Heights (2-8) at Liberty County (6-2)

Week 11 schedule, Georgia

Friday, Oct. 30

Charlton County (6-1-1) at Clinch County (5-3), 7:30 p.m.

Colquitt County (5-3) at Camden County (5-4), 7:30 p.m.

Effingham County (6-2) at Brunswick (3-5), 7:30 p.m.

Glynn Academy (3-5) at South Effingham (6-2), 7:30 p.m.

Islands (3-5) at Pierce County (7-1), 7:30 p.m.

Tattnall County (3-5) at Brantley County (3-5), 7:30 p.m.

True Institute (1-5) at P.K. Yonge (1-7)

Ware County (6-2) at Wayne County (2-6), 7:30 p.m.

OFF: Frederica Academy.

Rubio told reporters in a call that the government of acting President Delcy Rodríguez replied to the U.S. by saying that Machado was free to enter the country. Machado returned to Venezuela over the weekend.

“Weeks and weeks ago, we spoke to the interim authorities and just said, 'Look, our expectation is that she’s a Venezuelan, she belongs in her country. That’s the country she’s from. She should be allowed to return. She should be allowed to return unperturbed,’” Rubio said.

He noted that the U.S. had not discouraged Machado from returning to Venezuela except immediately after devastating earthquakes in June. He said that was because the U.S. believed the priority should be in getting humanitarian and emergency relief into the country.

Rubio spoke after Venezuelan authorities and opposition figures agreed last week on a blueprint to reform the country’s electoral process in order for free and fair elections to take place at some point in 2027. He said the Trump administration, which captured then-President Nicolás Maduro in a January military operation and brought him to the U.S. to face drug-trafficking charges, would be watching events closely and urging all sides to comply with the new process.

“Obviously, we need to use our leverage with the government for the interim authorities to ensure that the process is moving forward in a responsible way,” Rubio said. “Our goal here is to have an election.”

Machado had been in hiding in Venezuela for most of 2025 before making a clandestine escape that December to Norway, where she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. She later gave her medal to President Donald Trump.

She returned to Venezuela on Sunday, her first appearance since the U.S. deposed Maduro and replaced him with Rodríguez, who had been his vice president and has now exceeded the time she was authorized to serve, with no election yet scheduled.

Rubio said the U.S. goal is to help put in a place a sustainable election architecture that will give all parties confidence in the vote.

To get there, Rubio said Venezuela must stabilize its economy and rebuild its institutions, including its courts and electoral council, and provide an open space for political expression that will hinge on press freedom and access to all media outlets, including online platforms.

Five professional leagues in North America are in action at the same time on Monday night, a phenomena known as a sports equinox.

Major League Baseball and the NFL will compete for the most viewers while the NBA, WNBA and NHL give their diehard fans games to watch.

Monday marks the 33rd sports equinox, the first since Oct. 27, 2025 and the fourth instance with women's professional basketball included, according to Sportradar.

Here's a guide to attempt to sample a little bit of this and that in the sports smorgasbord:

How to watch the World Series

The Tampa Bay Rays will host the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 3 of the World Series with the first pitch scheduled for 8 p.m. EDT on Fox.

The Brewers won the first two games by one run, taking a 2-0 lead in the best-of-7 series.

How to watch ‘Monday Night Football’

Even though the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys both have 2-4 records, the NFL always draws a lot of interest and millions will be watching the NFC East matchup when it kicks off at 8:15 p.m. on ESPN.

The Eagles have lost four in a row, reeling with quarterback Jalen Hurts on injured reserve because of blood clots. The Cowboys have won only one of their last four games.

How to watch the NBA

By the time the baseball and football game start, we'll know if reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg is returning to a lineup from an injury that is expected to include banged-up Kyrie Irving for the Dallas Mavericks on the road against the Miami Heat. The game tips off at 7:30 p.m. on NBA TV.

In the middle of the World Series and “Monday Night Football,” the NBA will have an intriguing matchup to compete for attention. Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors travel to face Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets at 10 p.m. on NBCSN and Peacock.

How to watch the WNBA Finals

The WNBA is vying for eyeballs against MLB, the NFL, NBA and NHL for the first time since 2000, when the league did it three times in September of that year.

The Golden State Valkyries are hosting Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals at 8 p.m. on USA Network, CNBC and Peacock. The best-of-7 series is tied at two games apiece.

How to watch the NHL

The NHL will have some of its top scorers skating in three games.

The New York Rangers, with high-scoring Alexis Lafreniere, will host one of their former stars, Artemi Panarin, and the Los Angeles Kings at 7 p.m. on the NHL Network.

Edmonton star Leon Draisaitl of Germany has a shot to become the first NHL player born outside of North America to score at least two goals in four straight games when Connor McDavid and the Oilers host the Detroit Red Wings at 9:30 p.m. on ESPN+ and Sportsnet.

_

See AP’s full sports report here

RELATED: Homestead tax amendment falling short in 60% support needed to pass, but many remain undecided, UNF poll finds

The typical homeowner’s property tax bill in the Jacksonville metro area increased 21.7%, while median home values rose 8.1%, according to ConsumerAffairs’ analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. The 13.6-percentage-point gap trailed only Lakeland-Winter Haven, Florida.

The study found property taxes outpaced home values in 46 of the 100 metros examined. Nationally, home values increased 12.4% over the period, compared with a 10.6% rise in property taxes.

The ranking reflects the two-year change, but the study’s five-year comparison showed a different trend: From 2019 to 2024, Jacksonville-area home values rose 63.1%, outpacing the 44.9% increase in property taxes.

The report said Jacksonville home values climbed by double digits in 2021 and 2022, then slowed in 2023 as mortgage rates rose to about 7% for a 30-year loan. It cited a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development analysis of the local market.

Florida voters will also decide on Amendment 3 in the Nov. 3 general election. The proposed amendment would increase the homestead exemption for non-school property taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, with inflation adjustments afterward, according to the Florida Department of State. It would also reduce the annual assessment-increase cap for non-homestead properties from 10% to 5%.

The study ranked metro areas by the percentage-point difference between property-tax growth and home-value growth. Its data covers 2022 to 2024, the most recent comparable two-year period available when the report was published.

Koenig died Monday at his home in the North Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, talent agent Zachery McGinnis said in a statement.

In “Star Trek,” Ensign Chekov was the sole Communist-bloc member of the spaceship Enterprise bridge staff. His friendly, supportive presence showed how the rival nations (in the far-off future in which the show was set) were capable of working together.

Speaking Russian-accented English, Chekov embodied stereotypical Russian personality traits, including fierce pride, love of poetry and blind loyalty.

“Star Trek” ran on NBC from 1966 to 1969 and has had an almost unprecedented afterlife as fans, or Trekkies, kept interest in the show alive.

Koenig was born Sept. 14, 1936, in Chicago, the son of a businessman. He graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1958, then studied acting at New York's The Neighborhood Playhouse for two years. He began getting television roles in the early 1960s, appearing on “Mr. Novak” and “Ben Casey.”

“My heart is heavy,” Koenig's castmate, George Takei, who played Hikaru Sulu, said in a post on the social platform X. “Walter was more than Chekov. He was a writer, a teacher, a thoughtful man, and a loyal friend.”

Koenig was the best man at Takei’s 2008 wedding to Brad Altman, his partner of more than two decades.

“Walter’s legacy extends far beyond the screen. Through countless convention appearances and interactions with fans, he shared his kindness, wit, and appreciation with everyone fortunate enough to meet him. He understood what Star Trek meant to people and embraced the community that grew around it,” McGinnis said. “Thank you, Walter, for the memories, the inspiration, and for boldly going where few have gone before.”

McGinnis said Koenig died surrounded by his daughter and niece.

Koenig's son, Andrew, was also an actor, best known for playing Boner on the sitcom “Growing Pains.” Andrew Koenig died in 2010 at 41. Walter Koenig said his son had taken his own life.

Koenig played Chekov in seven “Star Trek” movies starting in 1979, as well as innumerable other spinoffs, including writing a “Star Trek” book, “Chekov's Enterprise,” in 1980. The TV show has also inspired two spinoff TV series with new casts, and conventions that draw thousands of fans.

After “Star Trek” ended, Koenig continued acting and wrote scripts for “Family,” “The Incredible Hulk” and other shows. He also taught part time at UCLA and other schools.

Koenig also worked in the burgeoning field of computer games, including some with a “Star Trek” theme. In 1995, he took a role in the CD-ROM game “Maximum Surge.”

“I'm at a point where I could opt in my life for complacency and a bit of predictability, or I could have one last holler — one last try for adventure,” Koenig told The Associated Press in 1995. “I'm of the opinion that adventure is still a very enticing and exciting option.”

He returned to the science fiction genre with occasional appearances in the syndicated 1990s TV series “Babylon 5.”

Koenig's death leaves William Shatner, who played Capt. James T. Kirk, and Takei as the only surviving members of the original series' main cast. Leonard Nimoy, Nichelle Nichols, James Doohan and DeForest Kelley, who played Spock, Uhura, Scotty and Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy, have died.

Officials realized Jacob Morley, 28, was unaccounted for around 11:30 p.m. Sunday at the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, the Tennessee Department of Correction said in a statement.

Investigators looked at security cameras and saw Morley escaped while wearing his prison uniform, officials said. They did not release any other details, including how Morley got through the fence.

Prison officials offered a reward of up to $2,500 for Morley's arrest. They said law enforcement throughout the area has searched buildings and other structures near the prison about 90 miles (145 kilometers) north of Memphis in an isolated, rural area of flat land tucked near a bend in the Mississippi River near Missouri.

Morley is 5-foot-11 (1.8 meters) and 240 pounds (109 kilograms). He has brown hair and green eyes.

Morley was sentenced to life for killing co-worker Cody Birchfield in 2022. Birchfield's body was found in a box under Morley's Carter County home after he had been missing for a few weeks.

Along with first-degree murder, Morley was also convicted of aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence, vandalism and evading arrest. When Morley saw deputies at his home in 2022, he led police on a chase that ended in North Carolina, authorities said.

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 murders, assaults against staff and inmates and other violence.

Northwest Correctional Complex can house 1,776 men and can house minors who have been convicted as adults, according to the Department of Correction. In 2023, an audit of Tennessee prisons found that the department was struggling to fill open positions at the prison and had a 61% vacancy rate for correctional officers in that fiscal year.

Host Nease outlasted Ponte Vedra in a 49-35 thriller to win its fourth straight in the Battle of the Bridge. The Panthers (6-3) got four touchdowns from Tyshawn Ford to pull away from the Sharks in a back-and-forth game that wasn’t decided until the final minutes. Chase Bogle had the game-sealing sack on fourth down with under two minutes to go with the Sharks inside the red zone to ice it. Nease led 21-0 in the game before the Sharks and Carter Sole surged back to tie things at 21-all in the opening half. The Panthers moved back in front following an Aiden Phifer touchdown pass before the break.

Sole evened things up in the third quarter as he found Cade Turner for a couple touchdowns to knot things at 35-all. But Nease closed with a fury behind Ford and then the goal line stand that ended with a sack by Bogle.

The loss was a tough one for Ponte Vedra, which likely needs a win in Week 11 to have a shot at reaching the playoffs in Region 1-5A. They did get a bit of help from Beachside, which shocked Fletcher in a 28-27 OT win. The Senators have tumbled down the stretch. The loss to the lower-ranked Barracudas will likely see them slide from the top eight in Region 1-5A.

In Starke, No. 8 Ed White fended off Bradford in a 19-18 thriller that was decided in the final seconds as the Tornadoes missed a winning field goal try. Quarterback Mike Hinson tossed touchdown passes to Vedo Jones and King Mercer, and the Commanders stopped Cy Cubbedge on a two-point run after Bradford cut things to 19-18 late. Hinson also had a rushing touchdown for White.

Bolles won the District 3-2A title with a 38-0 win over host Jackson in a game that was called early in the fourth quarter after an injury. Jameer Jackson had three sacks and forced a fumble for the Bulldogs before leaving with an injury that forced the game to be called off. Xander Edwards, Jaxon Flowers, Matt Mizell and Luke Toland all had rushing touchdowns for Bolles.

Top-ranked Raines won its 23^rd consecutive game with a 35-20 win on the road at Cocoa. The Vikings (9-0) will look to wrap up their third straight unbeaten regular season on Oct. 31 in the Northwest Classic against Ribault.

On the independent side, Episcopal held off Fernandina Beach 20-15 to wrap up a perfect regular season for just the second time in school history and first since 2002. The Eagles (10-0) will play next in the Sunshine State Athletic Association playoffs.

Hilliard got seven touchdowns from DJ Alderman and held off Cornerstone Classical in a 60-55 shootout. The Red Flashes are 9-0. Alderman rushed for 415 yards on 35 carries and six touchdowns. He added a 57-yard receiving touchdown, too.

District champions all decided

With play on Friday night, all area districts have crowned champions. Here are the district winners in all districts featuring area teams. All district champs have clinched playoff spots. The full playoff bracket will be released on Nov. 6 at 5 p.m.

1-6A: Creekside

2-5A: Mandarin

3-5A: Gainesville Buchholz

3-4A: Columbia

4-4A: St. Augustine

2-3A: Wakulla

3-3A: Raines

4-3A: Palatka

3-2A: Bolles

4-2A: Bradford

3-1A: Madison County

5-1A: Trinity Christian

SSAA playoffs up next for independent teams

Paxon wrapped up an 8-2 season and Christ’s Church Academy ended up at 9-1 as the Sunshine Independent Athletic Association playoffs arrive. Along with Episcopal (10-0) and West Nassau (7-2-1) the area is positioned well for a strong field in the SSAA bracket.

Atlantic League division playoffs

(8) Trenton (7-2) at (1) West Nassau (7-2-1)

(7) Lafayette (4-6) at (2) Paxon (8-2), 6:30 p.m.

(5) Fernandina Beach (3-7) at (4) Franklin County (8-2)

(6) Union County (5-5) at (3) Cottondale (8-0)

11-man state championship playoffs

(5) St. Joseph (4-6) at (4) Christ’s Church Academy (9-1)

(7) Cornerstone Classical (6-3) at (2) Seffner Christian (9-1)

(6) Old Plank Christian (6-3) at (3) Episcopal (10-0)

How the Super 10 fared in Week 10

1. Raines (9-0, Class 3A)

This week: Beat Cocoa, 34-20. Next week: vs. Ribault (5-4), Saturday, 2 p.m.

2. Columbia (9-0, Class 4A)

This week: Beat Yulee, 42-0. Next week: vs. Suwannee (5-4), 7:30 p.m.

3. St. Augustine (9-0, Class 4A)

This week: Beat Fleming Island, 42-7. Next week: at Mandarin (8-1), 6:30 p.m.

4. Mandarin (8-1, Class 5A)

This week: Beat Bartram Trail, 49-7. Next week: vs. St. Augustine (9-0), 6:30 p.m.

5. Bradford (9-1, Class 2A)

This week: Lost to Ed White, 19-18. Next week: Off, regular season complete.

6. Trinity Christian (5-4, Class 1A)

This week: Beat Impact Christian, 56-0. Next week: at Riverside (3-6), 6:30 p.m.

7. Bolles (6-2, Class 2A)

This week: Beat Jackson, 38-0. Next week: vs. Gainesville Buchholz (9-0).

8. Ed White (7-2, Class 4A)

This week: Beat Bradford, 19-18. Next week: vs. Baldwin (4-5), 6:30 p.m.

9. Nease (6-3, Class 5A)

This week: Beat Ponte Vedra, 49-35. Next week: at Sandalwood (6-3), 6:30 p.m.

10. University Christian (6-3, Class 1A)

This week: Off. Next week: at Calvary Christian (6-3).

How the Super 6 fared

1. Episcopal (10-0, SSAA)

This week’s result: Beat Fernandina Beach, 20-15. Next week: TBA.

2. West Nassau (7-2-1, SSAA)

This week’s result: Beat Keystone Heights, 42-22. Next week: TBA.

3. Paxon (8-2, SSAA)

This week’s result: Beat Union County, 36-19. Next week: TBA.

4. Christ’s Church (9-1, SSAA)

This week’s result: Beat Englewood, 49-0. Next week: TBA.

5. Hilliard (10-0, FHSAA)

This week’s result: Beat Cornerstone Classical, 60-55. Next week: Off, game against Taylor Pierson a win by forfeit.

6. Fernandina Beach (3-7, SSAA)

This week’s result: Lost to (1) Episcopal, 20-15. Next week: TBA.

Week 10 results, Florida

Friday, Oct. 23

Baldwin 40, KIPP Bold City 14

Beachside 28, Fletcher 27 (OT)

Bishop Kenny 50, Parker 14

Bolles 38, Jackson 0

Buchholz 37, Oakleaf 22

Columbia 42, Yulee 0

Ed White 19, Bradford 18

Episcopal 20, Fernandina Beach 15

Christ’s Church Academy 49, Englewood 0

Clay 35, Middleburg 6

Creekside 27, First Coast 6

Flagler Palm Coast 31, Atlantic Coast 6

Fort White 41, Hamilton County 0

Godby 52, Suwannee 0

Halifax Academy 26, Eagle’s View 20

Hilliard 60, Cornerstone Classical 55

Interlachen 27, Atlantic 10

Mandarin 49, Bartram Trail 7

Old Plank Christian 45, Bronson 0

Orange Park 27, Ridgeview 21

Matanzas 28, West Port 7

Menendez 42, Westside 8

Nease 49, Ponte Vedra 35

Palatka 46, Wolfson 7

Paxon 36, Union County 19

St. Augustine 42, Fleming Island 7

Saint Stephen’s Episcopal 17, St. Joseph 0

Seven Rivers Christian 52, Bishop Snyder 34

Raines 35, Cocoa 20

Riverside 26, Ribault 14

Sandalwood 23, Tocoi Creek 17

Trenton 39, Crescent City 0

Trinity Christian 56, Impact Christian 0

Umatilla 17, Zarephath Academy 6

Wakulla 7, Baker County 3

West Nassau 41, Keystone Heights 22

OFF: Duval Charter, First Coast Christian, Harvest, Hilliard, Providence, Stanton, University Christian.

Week 11 schedule, Florida

Monday, Oct. 25

Beachside (4-4) at Legacy (3-5)

Friday, Oct. 30

Atlantic Coast (0-9) at Fletcher (4-5), 6:30 p.m.

Baker County (6-3) at West Port (2-7)

Baldwin (4-5) at Ed White (7-2), 6:30 p.m.

Belleview at KIPP Bold City, 6:30 p.m.

Buchholz (9-0) at Bolles (6-2)

Clay (6-2) at Jackson (7-2), 6:30 p.m.

Creekside (7-2) at Ponte Vedra (3-6)

Fleming Island (4-4) at Bishop Kenny (5-4)

Fort White (6-3) at Palatka (4-5)

Halifax Academy (1-7) at Providence (3-6)

Hilliard (10-0) d. Taylor Pierson (0-4) by forfeit

Land O’ Lakes (6-3) at Bartram Trail (6-3)

Matanzas (2-7) at Palm Bay (2-7)

Middleburg (4-4) at Parker (1-8), 6:30 p.m.

Nease (6-3) at Sandalwood (6-3), 6:30 p.m.

Oakleaf (4-5) at First Coast (1-8), 6:30 p.m.

Orange Park (3-5) at Flagler Palm Coast (7-2)

Ridgeview (1-8) at Englewood (1-8), 6:30 p.m.

St. Augustine (9-0) at Mandarin (8-1), 6:30 p.m.

St. Petersburg Catholic (5-4) at NFEI (4-4)

Sunlake (4-5) at KIPP Bold City (1-8), 6:30 p.m.

Suwannee (5-4) at Columbia (9-0), 7:30 p.m.

Tocoi Creek (3-6) at Menendez (5-4)

Trinity Christian (5-4) at Riverside (3-6), 6:30 p.m.

University Christian (6-3) at Calvary Christian (6-3)

Westside (1-8) at Beachside (4-4)

Zarephath Academy (1-7) at Yulee (5-4)

OFF: Bradford, Hilliard.

SSAA state playoffs

Atlantic League division playoffs

(8) Trenton (7-2) at (1) West Nassau (7-2-1)

(7) Lafayette (4-6) at (2) Paxon (8-2), 6:30 p.m.

(5) Fernandina Beach (3-7) at (4) Franklin County (8-2)

(6) Union County (5-5) at (3) Cottondale (8-0)

11-man state championship playoffs

(5) St. Joseph (4-6) at (4) Christ’s Church Academy (9-1)

(7) Cornerstone Classical (6-3) at (2) Seffner Christian (9-1)

(6) Old Plank Christian (6-3) at (3) Episcopal (10-0)

Consolation bracket

Bishop Snyder (1-9) vs. Harvest Community (3-7)

Branford (6-4) at Stanton (8-2), 6:30 p.m.

Duval Charter (4-5) vs. Eagle’s View (0-10)

First Coast Christian (1-8) at Keswick Christian (5-3)

Keystone Heights (2-8) at Liberty County (6-2)

TBA, SSAA playoffs: Interlachen.

Week 10 results, Georgia

Friday, Oct. 23

Bulloch Academy 42, Frederica Academy 14

Charlton County 21, Mitchell County 14

Greenbrier 26, Glynn Academy 15

Pierce County 52, Brantley County 0

South Effingham 35, Brunswick 31

Valdosta 63, Camden County 10

Ware County 17, Jenkins 0

Week 11 schedule, Georgia

Friday, Oct. 30

Charlton County (6-1-1) at Clinch County (5-3), 7:30 p.m.

Colquitt County (5-3) at Camden County (5-4), 7:30 p.m.

Effingham County (6-2) at Brunswick (3-5), 7:30 p.m.

Glynn Academy (3-5) at South Effingham (6-2), 7:30 p.m.

Islands (3-5) at Pierce County (7-1), 7:30 p.m.

Tattnall County (3-5) at Brantley County (3-5), 7:30 p.m.

True Institute (1-5) at P.K. Yonge (1-7)

Ware County (6-2) at Wayne County (2-6), 7:30 p.m.

OFF: Frederica Academy.

Saturday, Oct. 31

Ribault (9-0) at Raines (5-4), 2 p.m.

Week 0

Thursday, Aug. 13

Ed White 30, Nease 23

Gainesville 34, Ridgeview 0

Rickards 35, Ribault 2

Tocoi Creek at Orange Park, canceled due to weather

Friday, Aug. 14

Baker County 10, Dunnellon 6

Beachside 34, Atlantic Coast 3

Bolles 34, Camden County 10

Bradford 46, Menendez 0

Clay 29, Bishop Kenny 28

Englewood 14, Westside 13

Flagler Palm Coast, Fleming Island at Bartram Trail (jamboree format), not reported

Fletcher 41, Yulee 3

Fort White 42, Providence 21

Impact Christian at Taylor County, not reported

Madison County at Suwannee, canceled

Mandarin 21, Creekside 6

Matanzas 17, Daytona Beach Seabreeze 14

Middleburg 7, Baldwin 6

NFEI at Father Lopez

Oakleaf 21, Columbia 14

Palatka at North Marion, canceled due to weather

Parker 46, Joshua Christian 6

Raines 56, First Coast 14

Riverside 14, Jackson 0

St. Augustine 40, Ponte Vedra 7

Sandalwood 34, KIPP Bold City 0

Trinity Christian 42, Bradenton Manatee 7

University Christian 43, Trinity Catholic 6

Wolfson 21, Hamilton County 7

Regular season games

Bayside 6, Crescent City 0

Christ’s Church Academy 48, St. Joseph 21

Episcopal 27, Westminster Academy 26

Fernandina Beach 63, Keystone Heights 14

Harvest Community 61, First Coast Christian 6

Old Plank Christian 42, Eagle’s View 0

Port Orange Atlantic 20, Bishop Snyder 0

(3) Union County 21, Lafayette 7

Stanton 42, Duval Charter 24

(1) West Nassau 35, (4) Paxon 20

Interlachen at Trenton, delayed

OFF: Hilliard, Cornerstone Classical, Zarephath Academy

Week 1

Friday, Aug. 21

Atlantic at Crescent City, postponed to Monday, 7:30 p.m.

Baker County 31, Clay 19

Bartram Trail 37, Tocoi Creek 3

Beachside 58, KIPP Bold City 0

Bishop Kenny 35, NFEI 14

Bradford 65, West Port 0

Branford 50, Eagle’s View 0

Charlton County 14, West Nassau 14 (tie)

Chiles 50, Impact Christian 0

Christ’s Church Academy 51, First Coast Christian 0

Columbia 20, Bolles 19

Cornerstone Classical 46, Bishop McLaughlin 15

Creekside 21, Nease 14

Ed White 42, Trinity Christian 40 (OT)

Englewood 22, Bishop Snyder 20

Episcopal 42, Providence 6

Flagler Palm Coast 42, Matanzas 7

Fleming Island 33, Atlantic Coast 0

Fletcher 49, Sandalwood 21

Fort White 28, Eastside 13

Hilliard 37, All Saints Academy 13

IMG Academy White 47, Zarephath Academy 0

Interlachen 63, Keystone Heights 0

Jackson 41, Orange Park 0

Joshua Christian 8, Young Kids in Motion 2

Mandarin 38, McArthur 21

Middleburg 23, Menendez 6

Old Plank Christian 34, Duval Charter 0

Paxon 39, Wolfson 12

Raines 21, Oakleaf 7

Ribault 20, First Coast 14

Ridgeview 16, Westside 12

Riverside 32, Parker 6

Stanton 54, Harvest Community 0

St. Augustine 49, Palatka 0

Suwannee 35, Crystal River 0

Tallahassee Leon 42, Fernandina Beach 24

Union County 35, Rutherford 34

University Christian 31, Ponte Vedra 29

Yulee 42, Baldwin 14

OFF: St. Joseph

Week 2

Thursday, Aug. 27

Duval Charter 40, Harvest Community 22

Friday, Aug. 28

Bartram Trail 23, Middleburg 12

Bell 13, Interlachen 7

Bishop Kenny 28, Ponte Vedra 21, OT

Bolles 21, Archbishop McCarthy 14

Bradford 16, Baker County 9

Clay 29, Matanzas 10

Columbia 24, Lakewood 6

Cornerstone Classical 42, Bronson 12

Creekside 45, Fleming Island 28

Daytona Beach Seabreeze 21, Tocoi Creek 14

Episcopal 47, Englewood 0

Flagler Palm Coast 23, Riverside 0

Fort White 61, Chiefland 19

Hilliard 41, First Coast Christian 8

Joshua Christian 28, True Institute 14

Keystone Heights 33, P.K. Yonge 8

Mandarin 50, Atlantic Coast 0

Menendez 32, Ridgeview 13

NFEI 24, Fernandina Beach 11

Oak Hall 36, Bishop Snyder 6

Oakleaf 46, Orange Park 6

Palatka 28, Union County 15

Paxon 31, Christ’s Church Academy 29

Plant City 27, Fletcher 25

Raines 52, Baldwin 14

Ribault 34, Jackson 14

St. Augustine 28, Nease 22

St. Joseph 41, Geneva 14

Sandalwood 44, Parker 12

Santa Fe 51, Zarephath Academy 6

Stanton 40, Eagle’s View 0

Suwannee 38, Lafayette 6

Trinity Christian 14, University Christian 8

Umatilla 26, Providence 13

West Nassau 55, KIPP Bold City 6

Wolfson 25, Westside 8

Yulee 16, First Coast 13

Saturday, Aug. 29

Impact Christian 52, Halifax Academy 0

OFF: Beachside, Crescent City, Old Plank Christian, White.

Week 3

Thursday, Sept. 3

Orange Park 27, Atlantic Coast 16

Friday, Sept. 4

Baker County 50, Baldwin 7

Bartram Trail 27, Bishop Kenny 24

Bradford 56, Zarephath Academy 0

Christ’s Church Academy 35, Old Plank Christian 6

Clay 35, Palatka 0

Columbia 27, Madison County 13

Cornerstone Classical 54, Harvest Community 0

Deltona (2-0) at Matanzas (0-2),

Episcopal 44, KIPP Bold City 0

Fletcher 27, Creekside 21

Flagler Palm Coast 49, Parker 14

Franklin County 47, St. Joseph 25

Hilliard 56, Keystone Heights 7

Interlachen 26, Crescent City 7

Jackson 49, Westside 0

Merritt Island 45, Ponte Vedra 37

Middleburg 35, North Marion 0

Nease 35, Daytona Beach Mainland 33

NFEI 32, Bluffton SC 27

Oakleaf 47, Fleming Island 15

Paxon 26, Williston 25

Providence 23, Eagle’s View 0

Raines 21, Ed White 12

Riverside 17, First Coast 7

St. Augustine 34, Menendez 0

Sandalwood 31, Wolfson 28

Stanton 26, Englewood 6

Suwannee 15, Gainesville 14

Trenton 43, Impact Christian 8

Trinity Christian 48, Tallahassee Lincoln 28

True Institute 10, Joshua Christian 0

University Christian 62, Lecanto 14

Yulee 39, Fernandina Beach 19

Monday, Sept. 7

Beachside 28, Tocoi Creek 24

OFF: Bishop Snyder, Bolles, Duval Charter, First Coast Christian, Fort White, Mandarin, Ribault, Ridgeview, Union County, West Nassau.

Week 4

Friday, Sept. 11

American Heritage Plantation 15, Trinity Christian 14 (OT)

Baker County 14, Yulee 13

Baldwin 47, Impact Christian 0

Bell d. Harvest Community by forfeit

Bolles 35, Bishop Kenny 13

Bradford 49, Trinity Catholic 0

Brookwood 41, Bishop Snyder 26

Christ’s Church 49, Duval Charter 20

Clay 63, Orange Park 18

Columbia 49, Ribault 0

Cornerstone Classical 35, Seven Rivers Christian 20

Creekside 38, Tocoi Creek 17

Dixie County 57, Zarephath Academy 28

Ed White 52, Riverside 21

Episcopal 61, Westside 6

First Coast Christian 26, Eagle’s View 22

Flagler Palm Coast 38, First Coast 15

Fleming Island 46, Ridgeview 0

Fletcher 30, Bartram Trail 7

Fort White 33, Union County 0

Interlachen 59, Bronson 7

Madison County 22, University Christian 16

Mandarin 32, Nease 14

NFEI 44, Providence 19

Ocala Forest 42, Matanzas 13

Paxon 51, Stanton 0

Ponte Vedra 24, Beachside 7

Raines 43, Parker 8

St. Augustine 48, Middleburg 6

St. Joseph 12, Old Plank Christian 6

Sandalwood 49, Atlantic Coast 26

Suwannee 20, Palatka 6

Wolfson 37, KIPP Bold City 0

West Nassau 34, Bayside 7

Saturday, Sept. 12

SmartEn Sports Academy 20, Joshua Christian 12

OFF: Englewood, Fernandina Beach, Hilliard, Jackson, Keystone Heights, Menendez, Oakleaf.

Week 5

Friday, Sept. 18

Baker County 22, Palatka 7

Bartram Trail 10, Creekside 9

Beachside 52, Englewood 8

Bolles 42, Oakleaf 24

Bradford 48, Tocoi Creek 10

Bronson 27, Harvest Community 7

Clay 42, Fernandina Beach 14

Columbia 27, Trinity Christian 20

Cottondale 62, Joshua Christian 14

Duval Charter 30, First Coast Christian 0

Ed White 48, Camden County 44

Fletcher 48, First Coast 0

Hilliard 47, St. Joseph 20

Interlachen 35, Citrus 21

Jackson 21, Paxon 0

Keystone Heights 16, Bell 13

Lake Weir 48, Union County 21

Menendez 20, Matanzas 15

Merritt Island 45, Bishop Kenny 23

Middleburg 20, Newberry 17

Old Plank Christian 36, Cornerstone Classical 20

St. Augustine 24, Orlando Evans 20

Orange Park 28, Parker 14

Orangewood Christian 28, Crescent City 0

Ponte Vedra 31, Fleming Island 18

Providence 26, Impact Christian 8

Raines 31, Mandarin 13

Ribault 18, Ridgeview 10

Sandalwood 63, Westside 6

Santa Fe 41, Fort White 28

Stanton 52, Bishop Snyder 7

Suwannee 45, Hamilton County 0

University Christian 42, NFEI 14

West Nassau 28, Yulee 7

Wolfson 63, Eagle’s View 0

OFF: Atlantic Coast, Christ’s Church Academy, Episcopal, Flagler Palm Coast, KIPP Bold City, Nease, Zarephath Academy.

Week 6

Thursday, Sept. 24

Nease 49, Beachside 14

St. Augustine 37, Clay 13

Tocoi Creek 21, Flagler Palm Coast 19

Friday, Sept. 25

Atlantic 41, Keystone Heights 6

Bell 40, Eagle’s View 6

Bartram Trail 34, Ponte Vedra 16

Bolles 58, Baldwin 10

Bradford 52, Madison County 24

Branford 26, Crescent City 2

Christ’s Church Academy 63, McKinney Christian, Texas 28

Columbia 35, Riverside 17

Cornerstone Classical 63, Aucilla Christian 35

Creekside 49, Sandalwood 10

Ed White 47, Yulee 0

Episcopal 57, Duval Charter 8

First Coast 29, Atlantic Coast 7

Fleming Island 49, Orange Park 24

Fort White 27, Taylor County 20

Godby 14, Baker County 10

Harvest Community 20, Halifax Academy 16

Hilliard 49, Scintilla Charter 8

Jackson 43, KIPP Bold City 6

Joshua Christian 32, Bronson 13

Menendez 44, Wolfson 14

Mandarin 31, Fletcher 10

Matanzas 21, Pine Ridge 0

Middleburg 42, Ridgeview 8

Oakleaf 56, West Port 6

Old Plank Christian 30, Seven Rivers 6

Palatka 35, Westside 0

Ribault 48, Englewood 0

St. Joseph 35, Bishop Snyder 14

Seffner Christian 41, Providence 0

Stanton d. First Coast Christian by forfeit

Trinity Christian 42, NFEI 0

Union County 46, Parker 26

University Christian 55, Impact Christian 8

Wakulla 37, Suwannee 7

West Nassau 30, Fernandina Beach 24

Zarephath Academy 46, West Oaks 0

OFF: Bishop Kenny, First Coast Christian, Interlachen, Paxon, Raines, Stanton.

Week 7

Thursday, Oct. 1

Beachside (3-2) at Port St. Lucie Legacy (2-4), postponed to Oct. 26, 6 p.m.

Deltona 21, Matanzas 12

Trinity Prep 42, Harvest Community 7

Friday, Oct. 2

Atlantic 47, Cornerstone Classical 34

Baldwin 27, Parker 12

Bishop Kenny 35, Menendez 6

Bradford 53, Gainesville Eastside 14

Branford 42, St. Joseph 20

Carrollwood Day 63, Trinity Christian 21

Christ’s Church Academy 41, Oak Hall 6

Columbia 51, Manatee 28

Crescent City 14, Keystone Heights 0

Deltona 21, Matanzas 12

Duval Charter 40, Halifax Academy 0

Ed White 21, Oakleaf 18

Episcopal 35, NFEI 34 (2 OT)

Flagler Palm Coast 38, Orange City University 10

Fort White 29, Mayo Lafayette 22

Gadsden County 62, Impact Christian 0

Gainesville P.K. Yonge 68, First Coast Christian 0

Hilliard 35, Old Plank Christian 32

Jackson 49, Fernandina Beach 33

Lake Highland Prep 35, Bishop Snyder 19

Lake Weir 44, Interlachen 14

Mandarin 33, Lake Mary 17

Nease 49, Riverside 14

Paxon 31, Ridgeview 0

Raines 20, Venice 17

Ribault 46, KIPP Bold City 6

Stanton 48, Wolfson 34

Suwannee 21, Zarephath Academy 0

Taylor County 42, Joshua Christian 0

Union County 35, Atlantic Coast 6

University Christian 24, Florida High 7

West Nassau 49, Providence 12

Westside 28, Englewood 12

OFF: Baker County, Bartram Trail, Bolles, Clay, Creekside, Eagle’s View, First Coast, Fleming Island, Fletcher, Middleburg, Orange Park, Palatka, Ponte Vedra, Sandalwood, St. Augustine, Tocoi Creek, Yulee.

Week 8

Thursday, Oct. 8

Baker County 42, Suwannee 0

Bartram Trail 33, Beachside 26

Bishop Snyder (0-7) at Faith Christian (0-5), moved to Oct. 13

Christ’s Church Academy 42, Harvest Community 12

Creekside 46, Atlantic Coast 0

Duval Charter 27, Joshua Christian 14

Fernandina Beach 25, Union County 8

Gainesville Buchholz 48, Matanzas 0

Hilliard 46, Aucilla Christian 27

Madison County 42, Fort White 26

Providence 23, Foundation Academy 14

University Christian 59, Williston 6

Friday, Oct. 9

Bolles 70, KIPP Bold City 0

Bradford 34, Newberry 17

Clay 11, Fleming Island 6, postponed to Nov. 3 or 4

Crescent City 27, Halifax Academy 0

Dixie County 50, Keystone Heights 14

Ed White 52 Ribault 7

Episcopal 41, Wolfson 8

Flagler Palm Coast 28, Sandalwood 7

Hamilton County 21, Impact Christian 0

Interlachen 28, P.K. Yonge 8

Jackson 14, Baldwin 0

Keswick Christian 51, Eagle’s View 0

Mandarin 34, Ponte Vedra 10

Middleburg 15, Orange Park 13, postponed at start of third quarter

Nease 31, Fletcher 27

Oak Hall (4-2) at Old Plank Christian (4-3), canceled

Oakleaf (3-3) at Ocala Forest (6-1), postponed to Monday

Palatka 12, Menendez 0

Paxon 37, Englewood 6

Port Orange Atlantic 53, First Coast Christian 0

Raines (6-0) at Bishop Kenny (2-3), postponed to Monday, 6 p.m.

St. Augustine 55, Ridgeview 0

St. Joseph 43, West Oaks Academy 6

Stanton 18, Westside 0

Tocoi Creek 27, First Coast 0

Yulee 14, Riverside 10

Saturday, Oct. 10

West Deptford, NJ 17, West Nassau 7

OFF: Columbia, Cornerstone Classical, Parker, Trinity Christian, Zarephath Academy.

Week 9

Monday, Oct. 12

Crescent City 27, Halifax Academy 0

Ocala Forest 21, Oakleaf 7

Raines 48, Bishop Kenny 3

Tuesday, Oct. 13

Bishop Snyder 36, Faith Christian 8

Thursday, Oct. 15

Episcopal 68, Eagle’s View 0

Friday, Oct. 16

Baker County 34, Fort White 32

Baldwin 47, Englewood 12

Bishop Kenny 45, Zarephath Academy 6

Bradford 27, University Christian 24

Christ’s Church Academy 57, True Institute 6

Clay 40, Ridgeview 0

Columbia 42, Ed White 22

Creekside 28, Flagler Palm Coast 12

Cornerstone Classical 42, Duval Charter 30

Fernandina Beach 57, Providence 37

Fleming Island 31, Middleburg 19

Harvest Community 12, First Coast Christian 6

Hilliard 28, Dixie County 22

Jackson 24 at West Nassau 19

KIPP Bold City 22, Stanton 20

Mandarin 47, Beachside 6

Menendez 46, Impact Christian 14

Nease 41, Bartram Trail 27

Newberry 13, Palatka 7

NFEI 20, Taylor County 13

Oak Hall 21, St. Joseph 14

Oakleaf 28, Matanzas 0

Old Plank Christian 52, Bishop Snyder 13

Parker 34, Wolfson 20

Paxon 50, Keystone Heights 0

Ponte Vedra 40, Fletcher 31

Raines 48, Riverside 0

Sandalwood 38, First Coast 24

St. Augustine 52, Orange Park 8

Tocoi Creek 17, Atlantic Coast 14

Trinity Christian 20, Bolles 17 (OT)

Umatilla 33, Crescent City 10

Union County 56, Father Lopez 38

Wildwood 48, Interlachen 13

Yulee 23, Ribault 13

OFF: Suwannee, Westside.

Week 10

Monday, Oct. 19

Bishop Kenny 49, North Florida Educational 21 (completion of suspended Week 1 game)

Friday, Oct. 23

Baldwin 40, KIPP Bold City 14

Beachside 28, Fletcher 27 (OT)

Bishop Kenny 50, Parker 14

Bolles 38, Jackson 0

Buchholz 37, Oakleaf 22

Columbia 42, Yulee 0

Ed White 19, Bradford 18

Episcopal 20, Fernandina Beach 15

Christ’s Church Academy 49, Englewood 0

Clay 35, Middleburg 6

Creekside 27, First Coast 6

Flagler Palm Coast 31, Atlantic Coast 6

Fort White 41, Hamilton County 0

Godby 52, Suwannee 0

Halifax Academy 26, Eagle’s View 20

Hilliard 60, Cornerstone Classical 55

Interlachen 27, Atlantic 10

Mandarin 49, Bartram Trail 7

Old Plank Christian 45, Bronson 0

Orange Park 27, Ridgeview 21

Matanzas 28, West Port 7

Menendez 42, Westside 8

Nease 49, Ponte Vedra 35

Palatka 46, Wolfson 7

Paxon 36, Union County 19

St. Augustine 42, Fleming Island 7

Saint Stephen’s Episcopal 17, St. Joseph 0

Seven Rivers Christian 52, Bishop Snyder 34

Raines 35, Cocoa 20

Riverside 26, Ribault 14

Sandalwood 23, Tocoi Creek 17

Trenton 39, Crescent City 0

Trinity Christian 56, Impact Christian 0

Umatilla 17, Zarephath Academy 6

Wakulla 7, Baker County 3

West Nassau 41, Keystone Heights 22

OFF: Duval Charter, First Coast Christian, Harvest, Providence, Stanton, University Christian.

Week 11

Monday, Oct. 25

Beachside (4-4) at Legacy (3-5)

Friday, Oct. 30

Atlantic Coast (0-9) at Fletcher (4-5), 6:30 p.m.

Baker County (6-3) at West Port (2-7)

Baldwin (4-5) at Ed White (7-2), 6:30 p.m.

Belleview at KIPP Bold City, 6:30 p.m.

Buchholz (9-0) at Bolles (6-2)

Clay (6-2) at Jackson (7-2), 6:30 p.m.

Creekside (7-2) at Ponte Vedra (3-6)

Fleming Island (4-4) at Bishop Kenny (5-4)

Fort White (6-3) at Palatka (4-5)

Halifax Academy (1-7) at Providence (3-6)

Hilliard d. Taylor Pierson by forfeit

Land O’ Lakes (6-3) at Bartram Trail (6-3)

Matanzas (2-7) at Palm Bay (2-7)

Middleburg (4-4) at Parker (1-8), 6:30 p.m.

Nease (6-3) at Sandalwood (6-3), 6:30 p.m.

Oakleaf (4-5) at First Coast (1-8), 6:30 p.m.

Orange Park (3-5) at Flagler Palm Coast (7-2)

Ridgeview (1-8) at Englewood (1-8), 6:30 p.m.

St. Augustine (9-0) at Mandarin (8-1), 6:30 p.m.

St. Petersburg Catholic (5-4) at NFEI (4-4)

Sunlake (4-5) at KIPP Bold City (1-8), 6:30 p.m.

Suwannee (5-4) at Columbia (9-0), 7:30 p.m.

Tocoi Creek (3-5) at Menendez (5-4)

Trinity Christian (5-4) at Riverside (3-6), 6:30 p.m.

University Christian (6-3) at Calvary Christian (6-3)

Westside (1-8) at Beachside (4-4)

Zarephath Academy (1-7) at Yulee (5-4)

Saturday, Oct. 31

Ribault (9-0) at Raines (5-4), 2 p.m.

OFF: Bradford, Impact Christian, Wolfson.

Sunshine State Athletic Association playoffs

Atlantic League division playoffs

(8) Trenton (7-2) at (1) West Nassau (7-2-1)

(7) Lafayette (4-6) at (2) Paxon (8-2), 6:30 p.m.

(5) Fernandina Beach (3-7) at (4) Franklin County (8-2)

(6) Union County (5-5) at (3) Cottondale (8-0)

11-man state championship playoffs

(5) St. Joseph (4-6) at (4) Christ’s Church Academy (9-1)

(7) Cornerstone Classical (6-3) at (2) Seffner Christian (9-1)

(6) Old Plank Christian (6-3) at (3) Episcopal (10-0)

Consolation bracket

Bishop Snyder (1-9) vs. Harvest Community (3-7)

Branford (6-4) at Stanton (8-2), 6:30 p.m.

Duval Charter (4-5) vs. Eagle’s View (0-10)

First Coast Christian (1-8) at Keswick Christian (5-3)

Keystone Heights (2-8) at Liberty County (6-2)

A lawsuit filed Monday on behalf of six such citizens — essentially representing the wider public audience — argues that it’s not only the rights of news organizations that are violated when Trump bans them from White House premises. Even more fundamentally, the lawsuit argues, such bans violate the public’s right to independent reporting about its president and government.

“The ultimate injury here … is to the democratic public,” says the suit, filed in federal district court in New York against Trump and three key aides, including the White House chief of staff, Susie Wiles.

“The First Amendment protects the public’s right to know what its government is doing,” said Katie Fallow, deputy litigation director at the Knight First Amendment Institute, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of the plaintiffs, along with the Media Freedom & Information Access Clinic at Yale Law School.

“The White House cannot decide what information Americans receive by punishing critical reporting," Fallow said in a statement. "When the White House expels reporters because of their coverage and threatens others with expulsion, it isn’t just the press that suffers — the public loses access to independent reporting and gets something closer to government propaganda.”

The Trump administration, asked for comment on the lawsuit, responded in a statement that it attributed to an unidentified White House official: “No person may demand access to the Oval Office.” It said media that peddle “misinformation and defamation are completely capable of reporting their manufactured stories from directly outside.”

The plaintiffs all rely on White House news for their work

The six plaintiffs are all people who say they rely on independent and diverse White House reporting for their teaching, journalism or advocacy. They include a noted human rights advocate, a political journalist, a Yale history professor, a high school civics teacher, a legal journalist, and a student journalist at the University of Pennsylvania.

The complaint filed Monday recounts how various news organizations that have been targeted by Trump are already battling the administration in the courts. These cases include the current lawsuit by CNN, MS NOW and Politico, whose journalists were banished from the White House in September.

A federal judge recently extended an order preventing the White House from enforcing the ban while the case makes its way through the legal system. Still affected, though, is CNN’s pool coverage of Trump. The White House has been denying the network its usual slots in the video pool covering the president’s activities and travel, and CNN has threatened further action.

Also continuing is the legal case involving The Associated Press, whose reporters were barred last year from the Oval Office, Air Force One and some events in retaliation for the outlet’s decision not to follow Trump’s lead in changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico, which lies partially in Mexican and other waters, to the Gulf of America.

The New York Times is also involved in litigation, over a Pentagon policy requiring escorts for journalists on its grounds. And ABC is fighting back against the Trump administration in a dispute over renewal of its broadcast licenses.

This lawsuit seeks more wide-ranging relief

The new lawsuit filed Monday, though, is different from previous legal action against the president — first, in that the plaintiffs are ordinary citizens, shifting the focus from news gatherers to news consumers, and thus implying a much larger pool of stakeholders.

The lawsuit reframes the current debate over White House access in at least one key way. The public right to receive information is part of established law, said Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight Institute. However, nobody has yet asserted this right in relation to the White House press corps and the issues currently at stake.

“We wanted to put the injury to the public at the center of the conversation,” Jaffer said.

“It’s one thing for CNN to say, ‘We are here because the public needs us,’” he said. “It’s another for a member of the public to say that interference with the White House press corps undermines our right to information about the government.”

In addition, the litigation seeks more wide-ranging relief.

The suit, which names Trump as defendant along with Wiles, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung and Secret Service Director Sean M. Curran, calls not merely for reinstatement of access that has already been impacted, but for a broad injunction that would protect from retaliation every news outlet that covers the White House —- now, and in the future.

“Defendants' policy of restricting the access of disfavored news organizations deprives the public of the reporting of those organizations," the complaint says. It also "inevitably deprives them of the independent reporting of other news organizations as well, since every journalist who reports from the White House must now account for the possibility that a critical or ill-advised word about the president may result in their access being summarily restricted or revoked."

“Plaintiffs ... seek a declaration that the policy is unconstitutional because it imposes restrictions on a limited public forum that are viewpoint-based and unreasonable," the complaint adds. "They also seek an injunction barring defendants from enforcing the policy.”

Plaintiffs include a human rights advocate, a high school teacher and a student journalist

Plaintiff Ethan Young, a student at the University of Pennsylvania and editor-in-chief of The Daily Pennsylvanian, said in an interview that White House reporting has become increasingly important at his college newspaper during Trump’s second term.

“Over the last two years we’ve seen college campuses be a key avenue where President Trump’s policies have really affected people across the country, and Penn’s campus is no stranger to that,” he said.

“So I use White House reporting almost daily to look at what’s happening in both national higher education trends, but also just general federal policy changes, to see what might impact Penn,” Young said. “You never know what policy could have an impact on the Penn student body.”

Especially important to Young and his colleagues at the paper is a diversity of news outlets to choose from.

“We are not in the room. We are not in Washington,” Young said. “The benefit of having access to a variety of publications ... means I am constantly seeing different questions being asked of White House officials.”

And more often than not, he said, that means he’ll get the answer to a question he has, too.

The other plaintiffs are:

— Kenneth Roth, former longtime executive director of Human Rights Watch and a lecturer at Yale’s law school and school of global affairs.

— Daniel Froomkin, media and political journalist and editor of Press Watch, a nonprofit that encourages political journalists to “fulfill their essential mission of creating an informed electorate and holding the powerful accountable.”

— Beverly Gage, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and professor at Yale University.

— Peter Schmidt-Nowara, a social studies and civics teacher at Brooklyn Technical High School in New York.

— Benjamin Wittes, editor-in-chief of Lawfare and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

The steady onshore wind continues through Thursday and then weakens slightly on Friday and this weekend.

The main hazards will be along our area waterways. From the beaches to the River basin and all tributaries, flooding will be possible at times of high tide. The marine and coastal impacts include dangerous surf conditions with High Surf Advisories. Tides will average 2.0 to 3.5 feet above normal.

Monitor water levels and tide times. Here are links to the National Weather Service Jacksonville for tides and river levels.

Tides: https://www.weather.gov/jax/marineTides

River and water level: https://water.noaa.gov/#@=-82.5005554,30.6754268,7.4917476&b=light&g=obsFcst,1!1!1!1!1!1!1!1!1!1!0!0!0!0!0!0!0!0!0!0,0.5,0!0!0!0!0,0,1,true,5,10,1!1!1!1!1!1&ab=0,0,#D94B4A,1,1,1,#cccccc,1,1,1,#B243B1,0.44,1,1,#98E09A,0.46,false&a=hide,0.35,false&s=0,0,0.9,0.9,false&n=false,#72afe9,0.9,0,0.9,0,0.9,false&p=false,0.75,0,7,0,1,2026,10,19,0,false&d=0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,#006EFF,1,#006EFF,1,#006EFF,false&q=

Tonight: Cloudy and breezy.

Tuesday: Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with a strong northeasterly flow. Lows in the 50s and 60s for SE GA, 60s and 70s for NE FL. Highs in the 70s to low 80s. Wind: NE 15-20 mph with gusts to 30 mph. Flooding will continue at times of high tide.

Wednesday - Thursday: Strong northeasterly winds with partly cloudy to mostly cloudy skies and a slight chance of coastal showers. Wind: NE 15-20 mph. Lows in the 50s and 60s in SE GA, 60s and 70s for NE FL. Highs in the 70s to low 80s. Rain chance 10-20 percent.

Looking ahead: Clocks fall back Sunday morning. Seasonal temperatures with less wind Friday and this weekend. Slight chance of showers on Halloween and Sunday.

Sunrise: 7:38 a.m.

Sunset: 6:43 p.m.

The company's voluntary exit offer was available to eligible employees in Canada, India, the United Kingdom and the United States, the company's Chief People Officer Amy Coleman wrote in a blog post Monday.

“The Voluntary Exit Offer is new for us,” Coleman wrote. “We’ll learn from it. At the same time, we’ll keep helping people focus on the work that matters most, build new skills and, where it makes sense, find new opportunities across Microsoft.”

The company, which releases its quarterly financial results Wednesday, had approximately 223,000 full-time employees at the end of June.

Shares of Microsoft Corp., based in Redmond, Washington, hit an all-time high this month. The stock rose about 1% on Monday.

In May, Microsoft planned to offer buyouts to about 8,750 people, or 7% of its U.S. workforce, according to two people familiar with the plan who were not authorized to speak about it publicly. In July, the company said it was cutting 4,800 jobs, about 2.1% of its global workforce, including a large number of workers at its Xbox video game business.

The gusher of investment in data centers — likely topping $700 billion this year — to power artificial intelligence has made memory chips, computer processors and other equipment, as well as electricity, more expensive. Economists expect it will continue to push up inflation at least through the end of this year.

Microsoft has been ramping up its AI capabilities for several years. In 2024 the company revealed a new class of AI-imbued personal computers that centered on fusing its AI assistant, called Copilot, into the Windows operating system for PCs, where Microsoft already has the eyes of millions of consumers.

And in October 2025 Microsoft introduced a new artificial intelligence character called Mico, a floating cartoon face shaped like a blob or flame that embodies the software giant’s Copilot virtual assistant.

The enormous sums involved in building and maintaining artificial intelligence models, the pursuit of artificial general intelligence, which can surpass humans at many tasks, and widespread AI adoption all have led to an air of excitement around the technology that has helped propel stock market gains.

“These companies are now burning through cash to win the AI race, and public equity is the cheapest source available, particularly in a rising interest rate environment,” said Michael Field, chief equity analyst at Morningstar.

But amid the billions — even trillions — at stake, worries about an AI bubble are looming in the background along with concerns about keeping the technology under human control. Some experts fear tech companies and venture capitalists are pouring too much money into a still-nascent technology.

Amid that anxiety, some AI companies have put off going public. SB Energy, which plans to build a large data center in Ohio; Nscale, which supplies compute capacity to Anthropic under a potentially multibillion dollar contract; and Singapore-based DayOne Data Centers have delayed their offerings at least until December and possibly into next year, according to IPO research firm Renaissance Capital.

Here's a look at some of the biggest AI-focused companies.

Anthropic

Anthropic, which filed paperwork Monday for an initial stock offering on Wall Street, was formed in 2021 by former OpenAI leaders. The maker of the Claude chatbot was recently valued at $965 billion, making it one of the world’s most valuable startups. It has been a meteoric rise for what was once a little-known research laboratory in San Francisco. Its value is reportedly expected to rise to $1.5 trillion or possibly $2 trillion.

In its regulatory filing, Anthropic said it will list its stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol “ANT.”

OpenAI

The maker of ChatGPT began in 2015 as a nonprofit dedicated to developing AI for the common good. It is now a company valued at $852 billion. The company had been looking to go public this year as well, but CEO Sam Altman has said that timeline would be extended amid concerns about AI safety.

While OpenAI may have helped set off the current AI boom, Anthropic’s meteoric rise and Claude’s growing popularity have left the ChatGPT maker playing catch-up.

In an unsuccessful lawsuit against OpenAI and its top executives, Elon Musk, an OpenAI co-founder, claimed the company had strayed from its founding mission in pursuit of greater profits. OpenAI had countered that Musk was simply seeking a bigger slice of the company. OpenAI has not yet reported that it has filed initial IPO paperwork with the SEC.

SpaceX

Elon Musk’s SpaceX was valued at $800 billion last year, but its value grew to $1.25 trillion after the space exploration company merged in February with Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI. The company went public in June with an offering that raised $86 billion, breaking the record for the largest IPO, which had been set by Saudi Aramco in 2019 when the oil giant went public and raised $26 billion.

Musk arranged for SpaceX to buy xAI earlier this year despite protests from some SpaceX investors, who argued that the deal amounted to a bailout and raised ethical concerns because Musk was a controlling shareholder in both companies. Revenue has soared to $14.6 billion, the company reported earlier this month.

Several AI heavyweights are already public companies

Google developed the Gemini AI assistant in response to a competitive threat posed by OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which came out in late 2022. Gemini AI models are integrated into Google search and other products such as Maps. The market value of Alphabet, Google's Mountain View, California-based parent company, was $4.54 trillion at the beginning of June, up from $2.3 trillion a year earlier. That growth suggests that Alphabet’s spending spree on AI is producing dividends so far, despite investor worries about some of its peers' massive AI investments.

Meta's AI push has included the rollout of its AI agent Muse, which can help with daily tasks. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said last week on a call with analysts that more than 10 million people in the U.S. and Canada have set up accounts for Muse, which the company launched in August. He noted that Muse requires significant computing power to run, but said the company expects to improve its cost efficiency by more than 10 times in the next year, “which will enable it to be profitable once the revenue lines are at scale.”

Microsoft, which went public 40 years ago, likely would have been running behind in the AI race were it not for a timely multibillion-dollar investment in OpenAI. Microsoft provided the computing power and financial backing that helped OpenAI build ChatGPT. In turn, Microsoft was able to use the same technical foundation to power its own AI assistant, now called Copilot. The once-exclusive partnership has since evolved as both companies have turned to other partners to advance their AI ambitions.

___

Associated Press writer Damian J. Troise contributed to this report.

“It’s hard to believe,” crew chief Cliff Daniels said after Larson gained 10 spots on Sunday's final lap for his first victory in 24 starts at the treacherous track in Alabama. “I had to ask where victory lane was. I’ve never seen the place; didn’t even know where it was.”

The Chase points leader won’t need help finding his way if Larson celebrates a third Cup Series championship during the next two weeks.

Larson and Hendrick Motorsports know their way around the season’s final two tracks as well as anywhere on the NASCAR schedule.

With a 73-point lead over Denny Hamlin, a strong performance Sunday at Martinsville Speedway could make Larson the first driver in Chase history to clinch the title before the season finale.

Hendrick is NASCAR’s winningest team at Martinsville with 31 victories (including wins in seven of the past 12 races). Larson has eight consecutive top 10s (including a 2023 win) at the 0.526-mile oval.

He is even better at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where the Cup season ends Nov. 8. Larson has two wins at the 1.5-mile track, is tied for second in top fives (six) and ranks fourth in average finish.

Martinsville and Homestead are stronger fits for Larson’s aggressive style than the unpredictable draft of Talladega, which ranked among his worst tracks in Cup and seemed a major title roadblock.

A disastrous 34th-place finish at Phoenix Raceway left Larson clinging to a five-point lead, and five former Talladega winners were within striking distance.

It’s no wonder he was much looser after surviving the caution-plagued stress of 500 miles at Talladega, where the nine drivers behind him in the Chase standings were involved in incidents Sunday.

“I feel good,” Larson said. “Never in a million years would I have imagined leaving here plus-73. That makes the win feel even way cooler.”

After finishing eighth at Talladega, Hamlin conceded that Larson is destined for the title if he avoids misfortune in the next two races.

Hamlin still should be able to keep the pressure on at Martinsville. The Joe Gibbs Racing star ranks first among active drivers at the Virginia short track in wins, laps led and points per race, and he led a race-high 292 laps for a runner-up finish there on March 29.

Teammate Christopher Bell, ranked third in the Chase 74 points behind Larson, won at Martinsville four years ago and has four top 10s in the past six races there.

The competition is concerning to Daniels, who plans to keep the No. 5 Chevrolet on offense at Martinsville instead of protecting the Chase lead.

“The points can swing a lot,” said Daniels, who led Larson to championships in 2021 and 2025. “There’s always been this question of what is a comfortable points gap. The Chase so far has shown some volatility. You just never know what’s going to lie ahead.”

Though Larson can wrap up the title by scoring 59 points at Martinsville (he amassed 71 of a maximum 76 at Talladega), he and his team are downplaying their chances by noting that alternate tire strategies and the timing of cautions can negate a fast car.

“It’s certainly not over by any means,” said Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman and NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon, whose nine wins at Martinsville tie him for the team lead with seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson. “You’ve got to execute, and there’s so much on the line. So many different strategies can play out now. I know Hendrick runs good at Martinsville, but that’s just not a guarantee.”

Since joining Hendrick in 2021, Larson has finished outside the top 10 only twice at Martinsville. He is mindful it’s still easy for things to go wrong at the smallest track on the Cup circuit.

“If there’s a stackup on the first lap, I could cave in the radiator and be done,” Larson said. “There’s still a lot of racing left in the Chase. I’m not getting ahead of myself at all.”

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See AP’s full auto racing coverage here

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But the Instagram account posting this claims Winter Park police were called to the fields because the child was playing too well, and that they asked Nevada and his family to leave.

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The youth sports league, i9 Sports Maitland/Winter Park, shared the following statement below when WKMG asked why the family was asked to leave, and if there had been any confrontation or disturbance caused by Nevada’s family that prompted it.

“We are aware of concerns being shared regarding an incident at a local i9 Sports program, and we take them very seriously. The respectful treatment and well-being of every child and family matter deeply to us. We have reached out to the family and have begun a review that includes speaking with those involved. While we work to understand the circumstances, we will not speculate or share unverified information. We appreciate everyone who has brought their concerns to our attention.”

i9 Sports Maitland/Winter Park

The Winter Park Police Department released a statement regarding the incident.

“The Winter Park Police Department was contacted by a soccer league official who requested response to a disturbance between league officials and the parents of a player. The league requested the family leave and offered to refund the league cost to family. Shortly after arrival, the officers were requested by the league official to communicate with the family as he did not want to further a disturbance. The family stated the game was over and they were leaving. The family was cooperative with the officers and were provided with an event number for the incident at their request. The incident was a civil matter between those parties and not criminal. No one was arrested, trespassed, or forced to leave the park. The Officers body worn cameras confirm the above information.”

Winter Park Police Department

Many in Iran are anxious about a possible return to all-out war. Israeli and American leaders have been sharpening their threats before elections in both countries, while Iranian leaders have remained defiant.

The war in Yemen and strikes by Iran-backed Houthi rebels against Saudi Arabia were also discussed, according to two regional officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak with reporters.

The four countries agreed Monday to continue talks on expanding cooperation among them, particularly about regional peace and security, a statement said. No details were given about a date or place for a future meeting.

Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman, Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Ibrahim Kalin, the head of Turkey’s intelligence service, attended the talks, hosted by Maj. Gen. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Monday that Iran supports any agreement that would deepen regional cooperation, resolve differences and make greater use of the shared resources and capabilities of Islamic countries.

Delegations from the other Middle Eastern countries sought to avoid further turmoil in the region.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned in a televised address on Monday that renewed attacks on Iran would destabilize the region and hurt countries that aren't party to the conflict.

“It is our hope that all parties will refrain from any actions that could drag our region into a new spiral of violence,” Erdogan said.

Saudi Arabia said in a statement that the delegations hoped to find “ways to de-escalate tensions, enhance regional security and promote its stability.”

Qatari mediators also traveled to Tehran on Sunday, working in coordination with the United States, as part of efforts to de-escalate regional tensions, according to a regional official speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks.

Pakistan and Qatar helped broker an agreement in June aimed at having Iran fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping, ending a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports and opening negotiations on a broader settlement addressing Iran’s nuclear program. The deal unraveled quickly, however, as both sides renewed attacks.

Iran and Israel trade accusations

With worries about renewed fighting before Israel's election on Tuesday and the U.S. midterm election on Nov. 3, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said over the weekend that Iran hadn't closed the window of diplomacy and that messages were being passed to the U.S. through intermediaries.

With negotiations long stalled, he said that the U.S. appears to be persisting in unilateral demands and that U.S. President Donald Trump and other American officials repeatedly use the phrase “complete surrender,” which Baghaei said no Iranian accepts.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, repeated his warning on Sunday that Iran or its proxies could launch an attack before the election to disrupt the vote, citing intelligence.

“The (military) is ready both to defend and to strike,” he said in a video statement. “You will suffer disproportionate blows far greater than you can imagine.”

Israel’s Channel 12 reported Sunday night that Netanyahu and his military chief of staff clashed over an instruction by Netanyahu to carry out an “action” that the army believes could quickly trigger a resumption of the conflict with Iran.

Netanyahu’s office later described the report as “fake news.”

In Tehran, when asked whether Iran was planning attacks, Baghaei on Monday said that “the Israeli regime is highly skilled at carrying out false-flag operations.”

“The Islamic Republic of Iran will not hesitate to exercise its inherent right to self-defense to protect Iran’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence,” he said.

Front in the Iran war widens

Yemen has become a widening front in the Iran war that began in February, with the Houthis increasingly launching attacks on Saudi Arabia because it supports Yemen’s internationally recognized government battling the rebels.

The conflict has intensified since forces from the internationally recognized government and Saudi-led coalition launched airstrikes on Houthi-held Sanaa International Airport in July, shattering a 2022 ceasefire deal that largely stopped the fighting in Yemen’s civil war.

Early Monday, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said that the rebel group had fired ballistic missiles at military gatherings and weapons depots belonging to Saudi-backed government forces in Aden and Lahj provinces. He said that the attacks destroyed military equipment and caused casualties, but didn't provide evidence. The Associated Press couldn’t independently verify the information.

Houthi media said that airstrikes targeted a solar power system and a water well in Sanaa, but offered no proof. In the port city of Mokha, recently seized by the Houthis, residents said that rockets hit several buildings, including a hospital.

Doctors Without Borders, or Médecins Sans Frontières, said Monday that three strikes hit Mokha, one landing just 150 meters (nearly 500 feet) from Mokha General Hospital, where its teams work in maternity and pediatric wards.

The statement came after the Houthi-run Health Ministry accused Saudi-backed forces of targeting the hospital. The Saudi-backed forces haven't commented.

All staff and patients were safe, MSF said, adding that the strike damaged the hospital building.

Days earlier, a missile struck near Aden’s airport as an MSF plane carrying humanitarian workers was preparing to take off, forcing staff to seek shelter instead of boarding, the organization said. Aden’s airport is the main entry point for humanitarian workers, supplies and medical equipment to the southern parts of Yemen.

Houthi-run al-Masirah channel also reported strikes in Saada, in northern Yemen, and in southwestern Taiz province, where the rebels and Saudi-backed government forces have been fighting for weeks.

The spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition said that an operation in Houthi-controlled territory destroyed five tunnels used for storing ballistic missiles, four ballistic missile launchers and other missile storage.

Meanwhile, Egypt’s parliament on Monday approved a request from President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to provide military support to Saudi Arabia to help defend against Houthi attacks.

___

Victoria Eastwood and Fatma Khaled in Cairo, Natalie Melzer in Tel Aviv, Israel, Munir Ahmed in Islamabad, Ahmed al-Haj in Aden, Yemen, and David Rising in Bangkok, contributed to this report.

A fight broke out before the shooting Saturday night, and it appears that none of the victims were intended targets, according to Tallahassee police. The youngest victim is 11 years old.

Authorities arrested Anthony Rivers III on Sunday and charged him with attempted second-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a delinquent, police said in a statement. Court records did not indicate whether Rivers has an attorney who could comment on the charges.

The teen appeared in court Monday for a brief hearing, where a judge ordered that he remain in jail. Prosecutors will move his case to adult court, State Attorney Jack Campbell said.

A surveillance camera captured some of the shooting, Campbell said, but he said investigators are searching for more video and want to talk with witnesses to piece together what happened.

The shooting erupted near a street corner just outside Bragg Memorial Stadium after Florida A&M lost to Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Eleven people were hit by gunfire and another person — a grandmother of one of the shooting victims — was injured while running away. Six of those hurt were minors, police said.

Police Chief Lawrence Revell said the area was so crowded at the time that ambulances were unable to get through to where the shooting happened.

Officers carried the wounded through the crowds to emergency vehicles so that the victims could be taken to hospitals, he said.

The shooting stemmed from an isolated dispute between just a few people, Revell said. Investigators are looking for others who might have been involved and more arrests are possible, he said.

At least three of the victims suffered serious injuries, authorities said. One was in critical condition as of Sunday, police said, but no other updates have been released on the wounded.

Video surfaced on social media of people fleeing in terror. The area was packed with people leaving the game and homecoming celebration.

Anthropic launched a new Claude for Nonprofits plugin created with 30 nonprofits to be more responsive to their specific needs. It will also broaden its Claude Corps program that embeds fellows with nonprofits to help them better utilize AI by also making consultants available to help organizations with smaller, shorter-term projects.

“This work is so core to who we are as a public benefit corporation,” Elizabeth Kelly, Anthropic’s head of beneficial deployments, told The Associated Press. “We were founded to ensure that we’re both developing AI safely and responsibly and that we’re deploying it in a way that really benefits everyone, including those who are too often left behind.”

Earlier this month, Anthropic announced plans to commit 5% of its shares to a new Anthropic Public Benefit Fund that could be used for large scale donations to nonprofits or directly distributed to groups of people adversely impacted by AI. The fund still needs to be approved by shareholders once Anthropic completes its IPO, which could come as early as November.

Critics say AI companies are using donations and nonprofit pledges as an attempt to generate goodwill with the public at a time when so many are worried about the potential dangers of the technology and its impact on jobs.

However, Anthropic says that as a public benefit corporation, it balances its commercial interests with the interests of the public good. Anthropic President Daniela Amodei told The Associated Press in a May interview that the company works to make that balance clear. “I think there’s something really valuable about that as a construct just to help investors and employees and outside people understand what our intentions are and hold us accountable to them,” she said.

Other public benefit corporations include eyeglass maker Warby Parker, insurance company Lemonade, and Amalgamated Bank.

Questioning whether public benefit corporations work for the public

Bella DeVaan, director of the Charity Reform Initiative at the Institute for Policy Studies, said that public benefit corporations can be meaningful, but the federal government doesn’t currently properly regulate corporations. Without tax reform and a change in what she calls “the public permissiveness toward billionaire power in America,” DeVaan said there is no guarantee that even public benefit corporations will act in the public interest.

“Their wealth belongs to the public in the first place -- it’s created by the country and there’s a sort of social wage owed to people who use their products,” she said. “I hope that when people use the ethos of Silicon Valley that gave birth to these companies that have grand designs of changing the world that they’ll also think about how philanthropy could actually achieve charitable aims.”

Kelly said Anthropic’s work with the nonprofit sector is part of the company’s mission. The bulk of the 25,000 nonprofits currently using Claude for Nonprofits have less than 10 people on staff, so its impact on the organizations is often great. She points to Allies Against Slavery, the Texas-based nonprofit fighting human trafficking, as an example of what is possible, after its only government affairs staffer used Claude to analyze more than 750 state-level anti-trafficking policies and turned them into recommendations for advocates.

“This is basically compounding good,” she said. “That’s the kind of work that we’re so excited to support here at Anthropic.”

Some nonprofits already find help from using Claude

Montgomery County Food Bank President and CEO Scott Burns said his organization’s use of Claude has already generated significant savings that allow it to provide food to more people in his Texas county north of Houston.

“Costs have gone up for fuel,” Burns said. “Costs have gone up in every area – for proteins, in particular… I still want to be able to do more without adding a bunch of additional resources and (Claude) will enable me to do that.”

The Montgomery County Food Bank is one of the 30 nonprofits that has been working with Anthropic to better customize Claude for its specific needs. Burns said his team has already used it to optimize scheduling for food pickup and delivery and keeping better contact with donors.

He is looking forward to welcoming two Claude Corps fellows into the organization soon to tackle its outdated inventory system and the scheduling of its volunteers. Burns said he is also hoping to share his findings with other food banks.

“Nonprofits – we’re kind of an open book,” he said. “Why would I not share? It’s only going to help get more people fed, right?”

Taproot Foundation CEO Cat Ward said her nonprofit is excited about working with Anthropic to provide pro bono expertise to nonprofits for specific projects.

“Nonprofits are as lean as they come,” Ward said. “They’ve got the ambition. They’ve got the vision. This is about empowering them with tools that’ll help them go further faster.”

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Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

The teams, owned and operated by Zawyer Sports & Entertainment, will use Xenco Medical’s XenVision platform to assess athletes’ biomechanics, including joint movement, range of motion, balance and differences between the left and right sides of the body.

The platform uses computer vision and markerless motion capture to conduct evaluations in less than two minutes without wearable sensors or physical markers. The teams plan to use the assessments to establish individual baselines and track changes over time, helping inform training, recovery and rehabilitation.

Xenco Medical Founder and CEO Jason Haider said the Icemen’s use of the platform will create a longitudinal record of each athlete’s movement during the season.

“The body of a professional hockey player is a story written in motion,” Haider said. “The Icemen’s installation of XenVision to build a longitudinal portrait of each athlete throughout the course of the season, growing more revealing with every assessment, marks what we believe to be one of the most exciting moments in sports science.”

The 37-year-old was given an eight-month sentence, suspended for a year.

He had faced up to three years in prison after pleading guilty to a count of affray in July for the attack on the dance floor of Tape, a private club in the swanky Mayfair neighborhood in February 2023.

Video footage played in court showed Brown having to be pulled away from the victim, his former friend Abraham Diaw, after striking him twice in the head with a bottle.

“The repeated use of a glass bottle in that way, especially aimed at the head, was plainly dangerous. It carried the risk of delivering a more serious injury than was ultimately sustained,” Judge Tony Baumgartner said in Southwark Crown Court.

Despite the seriousness of the attack, Baumgartner said Brown did not qualify for a custodial sentence because he pleaded guilty and there were several mitigating circumstances, including stable employment and charity work. The judge acknowledged Brown’s previous convictions but said he had maintained a clean record in recent years.

Previous brushes with the law

Brown has faced repeated legal trouble since his felony conviction in the 2009 assault of his then-girlfriend, Rihanna, hours before the pair were due to perform at the Grammys.

He has been arrested in several U.S. states over altercations but was either not charged or prosecutors later dropped the charges. In 2019 he was arrested in Paris and questioned on suspicion of rape, but was released without charge.

In return for his guilty plea, prosecutors dropped charges of assault, attempting to cause grievous bodily harm and having an offensive weapon, a bottle.

Brown’s friend and vocal coach Omololu Akinlolu also pleaded guilty to affray and was given a four-month suspended sentence.

Affray is the use or threat of unlawful violence that leads someone to fear for their safety.

Brown has apologized for the attack

Prosecutor Heidi Stonecliffe said Brown played a leading role in the attack.

“By any circumstances, when one watches that footage, it is Mr. Brown that moves first,” Stonecliffe said.

Defense lawyer Sallie Bennett-Jenkins said Brown apologized to all those at the club that night, though she emphasized the attack lasted no more than 20 seconds.

“This is an ugly and unattractive incident,” Bennett-Jenkins said. “It is something which undoubtedly would have caused distress to those who are present and for which Mr. Brown … offers a profound apology to all those present.”

Diaw was discharged from the hospital with head and knee injuries, Stonecliffe said.

Crowds greet Brown outside court

Brown was cheered outside the courthouse by fans who came from as far as Italy and the Netherlands.

His face was covered by a black mask and dark glasses and his bleached hair was mostly hidden from view under a black ball cap. He wore a black leather jacket and light-colored turtleneck.

He blew a kiss to one fan and appeared to sign an autograph for another as he moved through a pack of photographers and onlookers.

Not everyone was cheering for him. When he arrived at court in the morning, a lone voice could be heard shouting at him to ask when he was going to learn that violence is not OK.

Brown left the United Kingdom after the brawl but was arrested in May 2025 at a Manchester hotel after flying to the city for a concert. He had been free on bail of 5 million pounds ($6.7 million), which allowed him to tour Europe and North America the past two summers.

Brown rose to stardom as a teen in 2005 and won his first Grammy for best R&B album in 2011 for “F.A.M.E.” He earned his second in the same category for “11:11 (Deluxe)” in 2025.

Bauza died suddenly late Sunday, his family said in a statement. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner reported that he died at his home from hypertensive cardiovascular disease.

Beginning in 2001, Bauza amassed more than 400 voice acting credits in a career that gave voice to beloved characters in animated Looney Tunes series including “Puss in Boots,” “Muppet Babies,” “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” and countless others. He won three Children's and Family Emmy Awards, from 2022 to 2025.

“Looney Tunes will always have a special place in my heart,” Bauza said in an interview with The Associated Press this year. “I watched them on Saturday mornings originally. It's not just the voice but the overall aesthetic has influenced me as an artist.”

Raised in Scarborough, Ontario by Filipino immigrant parents, Bauza found his passion for voice acting as a teenager. In high school, he would deliver the P.A. system morning announcements in various cartoon voices.

In voicing Looney Tunes characters, Bauza faithfully and reverentially channeled Mel Blanc. So great was his affection for Blanc that, in conversation, he would even toss out an impression of Blanc outside the recording booth. Bauza last year told The New York Times: “Mel Blanc is like the voice of God for me.”

Bauza's Looney Tunes work included such feature films as “Space Jam: A New Legacy” (2021), “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie” (2024) and this year's “Coyote vs. Acme.” That film, in which Wile E. Coyote takes the Acme Corporation to court for its defective products, became a modest cause célèbre after Warner Bros. opted not to release it.

After an outcry from fans, partly stoked by Bauza, the film eventually found a distributor in Ketchup Entertainment and surpassed $100 million at the worldwide box office. While the film was in limbo, Bauza argued for its release at the 2024 Annie Awards, in the voice of Daffy Duck.

“He’s the go-to cartoon character above anyone else when it comes to begging and pleading,” Bauza explained. “It seemed appropriate.”

Before becoming one of the most recognized personalities in the often anonymous field of voice acting, Bauza pursued working in animation production. After graduating from the film program at Toronto's Centennial College, Bauza first worked as animator and character layout artist. Initially, he did voice acting on the side.

Channing Dungey, chairman of Warner Bros. Television Group and U.S. Networks, called Bauza “a unique voice talent who brought joy and laughter to millions.”

As a voice acting professional, Bauza sometimes chafed at celebrities brought in to replace him in bigger-budgeted productions. Bauza occasionally voice-matched for stars including Bill Hader on “Bob's Burgers” and Antonio Banderas as Puss in Boots.

“From my experience working several times in the feature film format, there's always the reminder that it is ‘temporary dialogue’ and ‘Chris Pratt will be voicing all the Looney Tunes in this feature film' — no, just kidding,” Bauza told The AP.

But even in productions where A-list stars took the spotlight, Bauza said there was still room for “nine-to-fivers like me” to color in the scenery. Bauza, who seldom went more than a few minutes without slipping into the voice of Bugs or Daffy or some other character, was rarely anything but grateful at being part of the Looney Tunes legacy.

“The Looney Tunes were here before I was born and they're definitely going to be here long after I leave this realm,” he said shortly before the release of “Coyote vs. Acme.” “I just feel like the luckiest guy.”

“Can you guys put pressure on them?” Embiid said with a laugh. “I want to play tomorrow, so start writing articles and put pressure on them so they’ll let me play.”

Not even the power of the pen can aid Embiid in playing consecutive games.

The Sixers smartly rested their All-Star center — no one game in October in the NBA is worth the potential of long-term harm — and then they went out and got smoked Sunday night by the Detroit Pistons.

LeBron James is in Philadelphia, and that's a good thing. Jaylen Brown has an NBA Finals MVP on his resume and is serving up one-liners about lamb and gravy in his rivalry with a former Boston teammate.

No matter the star power added to the roster, the natural growth of homegrown talent such as Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, the 76ers have always since his 2016 debut — and will always — win as much and go as far in the postseason as Embiid will take them.

The Sixers were outrebounded 54-37 and trailed by 21 points in their first loss of the season to the Pistons. The Pistons pounded the inside and scored 24 second-chance points. They got the kind of looks that only get tougher to attempt when Embiid is in the lineup.

So yes, with the Sixers already thin in frontcourt depth, it was up to James to man a bulk of the minutes at center. The 41-year-old James won the opening tip for the Sixers.

The Pistons won everything else.

“We’re going to have those moments where we have different lineups out there throughout the course of the season,” James said. “I think the more minutes we get, the more games that we get under our belt, the more time we get, we’ll know what works well for us.”

James scored 18 points, grabbed two rebounds and was a minus-22 going up against Paul Reed, and the Sixers were left to hope his presence at center was nothing more than a cameo.

The Sixers were a whopping plus-49 with Embiid on the court over the first three games and minus-25 with him off it.

“I mean (heck), we've got an MVP over there,” James said as he looked in the direction of Embiid's locker.

“I'm not here to have a sustainable role at the five. We've got Joel Embiid at the five. I don't see it being a sustainable role but it's a role that we know we can tap into if we needed. But sustainable playing the five? If I was to say I was signing here to have a sustainable role at the five, I don't think none of us would actually want that.”

The Sixers also played without big men Dominick Barlow (back), Jabari Walker (knee) and 7-foot-6 center Tacko Fall. Fall has yet to play this season with a left quadriceps strain.

“We've got a 7-7 guy over there who hasn't played. That would help," James quipped.

Even with Embiid and his 11 boards in the lineup against the Bucks, the Sixers were still outrebounded 62-39.

Maxey, a first-time All-Star starter last season, had a suggestion to fix the rebounding woes.

“Some of our tall guys could come back,” Maxey said with a smile. “That would be great. We've just got to hit, box out, try to fight. We've got to figure it out.”

James took inspiration from Detroit's bench where Taurean Prince sat and watched the game. Prince didn't play but he is responsible for one of the great viral interview moments in NCAA Tournament history when he deadpanned the definition of a rebound after his Baylor team was outrebounded by Yale.

“In the great words of Taurean Prince, who I saw tonight on the bench,” James said, “a good friend of mine, so, the ball goes up into the air. You go grab the ball. That's what we've got to do, man. They got more of those than we did.”

So the Sixers did what they do so many times when Embiid doesn't play and took the loss.

Let him sit. One game won't hurt. It's when those absences start stacking up that always doom the Sixers.

Even if one of the greats can take his place.

___

See AP’s full NBA coverage here

Due to the close proximity of these systems, gusty wind will persist over the next few days.

Along with the wind, moderate to major tidal flooding is in the forecast through the end of the week.

Looking back to last weekend, our area experienced significant coastal flooding with tide levels approaching 2-4′ above normal.

Below are two charts that show the tide level over the past few days in Mayport and Fernandina Beach.

It is worth noting that we experienced the highest tide levels of this Nor’easter event this morning.

In fact, the official tide stations along the Atlantic Coast at Mayport, FL (MYPF1) and St. Augustine Municipal Marina (SMFF1) both crested Monday morning at the highest water levels since 10/11/2025.

Nearly all gauges in the St. Johns River reached at least moderate flood stage this morning as well.

That’s why it’s important to know that you can still have significant flooding with no rain.

Tide levels will remain elevated over the next few days thanks to the northeasterly wind and an approaching full moon.

For reference, here are the future tide cycles. Make sure to use caution if you are in an area that’s prone to tidal flooding.

But the Tampa Bay Rays love their quirky ballpark, especially after being forced out for a season because of destruction from Hurricane Milton.

A sellout crowd of more than 40,000 towel-waving, cowbell-ringing fans will welcome the Rays back for Game 3 of the World Series on Monday night after a pair of gut-wrenching, one-run losses in Milwaukee.

The Brewers lead 2-0 and are two wins away from the franchise’s first World Series title. The Rays need to win four of five games to secure their first championship in their 29th season.

When Milton swept through downtown St. Petersburg on Oct. 9, 2024, shredding the roof and causing extensive damage to the Trop, there were concerns the Rays would never play again at the only place they had called home since the franchise’s debut in 1998.

Nearly $60 million was spent to replace the roof and rebuild the stadium before the Rays returned 18 1/2 months later to start this season. They played their 2025 home games across the bay in Tampa at Steinbrenner Field, the spring training home of the New York Yankees.

During the renovation, the Rays were sold to a group led by real estate developer Patrick Zalupski. The new ownership team spearheaded an agreement to build a 31,000-seat ballpark in Tampa near the home of the NFL’s Buccaneers.

In August, the Rays received county approval on a financing plan for the $2.3 billion project that features what they’re calling their “forever home” within a mixed-use entertainment district.

The new stadium is scheduled to open in 2029. The Rays and their fans are hoping a World Series banner will hang in the stadium.

“We love playing at the Trop. We played so well at the Trop all year,” second baseman Richie Palacios said Sunday. “It’s going to be exciting to go out there and put on a show for our fans and hopefully bring them a couple more wins.”

The Rays and Brewers tied for the best home record in the regular season, going 55-26. Though Rays fans have often been criticized for not showing up — the team finished 28th in attendance at 1.4 million — they’ve rocked the Trop throughout the postseason and made sure to give the rival Yankees an earful in the AL Division Series when the crowd included plenty of New Yorkers.

Large crowds also gathered at the Trop for watch parties during Games 1 and 2 while the Rays and Brewers played at American Family Field in Milwaukee.

“These Milwaukee fans have been really loud. I know our fans are going to be really loud and excited to see us come back and kind of reset ourselves a little bit,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said.

Tropicana Field hosted only two World Series games in 2008 when the Rays split at home and then lost three in a row in Philadelphia. The 2020 World Series was played on a neutral field in Arlington, Texas, because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Rays lost that series to the Dodgers in six games.

One of the Trop’s most distinctive features is its catwalk system, consisting of four circular steel rings suspended beneath the stadium’s non-retractable, cable-supported roof that stabilize the structure.

Sometimes the catwalks interfere with baseballs. It happened in Game 2 of the ALDS when Yankees rookie Spencer Jones hit a towering flyball off a catwalk that was caught by Victor Mesa Jr., who ran over to center field from right field to make the play.

A batted ball that strikes either of the lower two catwalks is a home run, per stadium ground rules. A batted ball that hits either of the two upper catwalks is in play.

“It’s very much a different place,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “It seems like a great place, and you have to make adjustments to it. That’s part of being a big leaguer. You have to make adjustments to it.”

The Trop also is the only ballpark in the majors where fans can touch stingrays. Seven cownose stingrays that weathered Hurricane Milton returned to the stadium for opening day inside the “Cownose Clubhouse,” a 10,000-gallon touch tank experience located just beyond the right-center-field fence.

“They have stingrays in the outfield here? I didn’t know that,” Brewers reliever Aaron Ashby said.

Second baseman Brice Turang asked if the stingrays can be touched. They can.

“That’s really cool,” he said.

If Milwaukee wins two of the next three, Turang and Ashby could pose for photos with the stingrays and the World Series trophy.

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This story has been corrected to show that the 2020 World Series was played in Arlington, Texas, not San Diego.

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See AP’s full MLB coverage here

During rare weekend arguments, two of the three judges on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals appeared skeptical of a lawsuit brought by President Donald Trump's administration in mid-October. The lawsuit accuses California officials of failing to meet a 48-hour deadline to review 20,000 names the administration flagged as likely noncitizens on the state's voter rolls.

The administration asked a federal judge to require the state to withhold counting those ballots until the voters’ immigration status could be verified. The district judge scheduled a hearing for Oct. 27, days after the case was assigned, but the federal government appealed to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, seeking an expedited decision.

Justice Department attorney Matthew Donnelly told the panel that California is causing irreparable harm “by allowing noncitizens to vote in violation of their own state laws. The damage is irreversible and irrevocable.”

The Trump administration has made efforts to identify noncitizen voters a priority this year, even though noncitizen voting is exceptionally rare.

Circuit Judge Mark Bennett, a Trump appointee, questioned whether the appellate court even has jurisdiction to hear the case even before a ruling by the lower court.

Donnelly argued that the schedule set by the lower court judge was too slow and effectively a denial of the government's request, as state elections officials process thousands of mail ballots every day.

Judge Gabriel Sanchez, appointed by former President Joe Biden, questioned whether the federal government was violating the Tenth Amendment, essentially commandeering the state to enforce a federal law that makes it a misdemeanor for a noncitizen to vote.

The federal government is simply asking California to enforce its own law, which also bans noncitizens from voting, Donnelly said. He argued the state's refusal to comply with the federal request to set aside the ballots for review was “frustrating the purpose” of the federal law against noncitizen voting.

The Elections Clause of the U.S. Constitution gives state legislatures the power to set the time, place and manner of congressional elections, Bennett said. The executive branch may be “unhappy with what they’re doing, and doesn’t like the manner,” Bennett said, but under the Election Clause the state has the right to determine those issues — including how it sorts out any noncitizen voters.

Attorney Seth Waxman, representing Los Angeles County Clerk Dean Logan, said the federal government's list was unreliable and that segregating the ballots for a review process would effectively disenfranchise thousands of eligible voters.

Even if election staffers spent just three minutes checking each of the expected 2.75 million mail ballots against the government's list, the process would take 140,000 man-hours, Waxman said — or about 16 years of working time.

Waxman cited a review of 200 records from the Trump administration's list conducted by Los Angeles County staffers. Assistant Registrar-Recorder Monica Flores said in a court filing that the sample included canceled or inactive registrations, individuals with no voting history and voters who appeared to have been born in the United States, which the filing notes “is strong evidence of citizenship.”

If the administration disagrees with how California runs its elections, it can ask Congress to change that process, said attorney Sam Siegel, representing California Secretary of State Shirley Weber.

The federal government has provided no credible evidence to support its suspicions, said Siegel.

“It has no basis in law or in fact,” he told the panel. “We just dispute the premise that noncitizens are voting."

But Judge Patrick Bumatay, who was appointed by Trump, said everyone has an interest in ensuring that only eligible citizens vote. He suggested that granting the administration's request for an emergency order could provide clarity.

“Without an injunction, you will never know” if that is happening, Bumatay told Siegel.

Bennett said the panel would try to issue a ruling as quickly as possible.

___ Boone reported from Boise, Idaho.

___

This story was first published Oct. 25, 2026. It was updated Oct. 26, 2026, to correct the name of the attorney who represents California's secretary of state. He is Sam Siegel, not Siegal or Seigel.

“I'm the one that said do it,” Trump told reporters as he landed for a campaign rally in Florida.

The lawsuit, filed late Thursday, centers on one of the president's longstanding complaints in the Senate race — the presence of a second candidate named Dan Sullivan, who Republicans fear could siphon away votes from the incumbent in what's likely to be a photo-finish contest with Democrat Mary Peltola, the state's former congresswoman.

The second Sullivan, who is Daniel J. Sullivan from the tiny fishing community of Petersburg, has said he decided to run on his own, but Republicans have contended he is a Democratic plant to siphon votes away from their candidate.

The lawsuit by the Republican president's Department of Justice in federal court in Alaska demands that the state be blocked from certifying a Peltola win if Daniel J. Sullivan remains on the ballot. “The United States accordingly brings this lawsuit to protect the integrity of the 2026 Senate election in Alaska,” the lawsuit says.

The legal challenge came 11 days before the Nov. 3 election and months after the final ballot was set. It is the latest example of the Department of Justice bolstering Trump's political operation, targeting his enemies and suing Democratic-controlled states before the election.

At a forum in Anchorage Friday night, Peltola called the lawsuit “just flagrant, flagrant corruption in my opinion." She told reporters that the legal fight was “another diversion from the issue that Alaskans want to talk about, which is affordability” and an example of how her Republican opponent was "using his connections in Washington, D.C., to manipulate the situation.”

“I am very concerned about Alaskans' voices not being heard,” Peltola said.

Democrats and many voting rights advocates have long feared that the administration will try to block certification of elections that Trump’s party loses, much as he unsuccessfully tried to do when he lost the 2020 White House race to Democrat Joe Biden.

The Alaska Supreme Court rejected a previous Republican effort to remove Daniel J. Sullivan from the ballot, and the state's Republican officials made the decisions about how to list him on the ballot. He will appear without a party designation next to his name, while the senator will be listed as the Republican incumbent. Alaska's ranked choice voting system also will allow voters to select both of the men if confused.

Alaska’s other Republican senator, Lisa Murkowski, alluded to that in a social media post criticizing the lawsuit. “Alaskans don’t need any help voting for their preferred candidates, and the State of Alaska has already handled this by clearly distinguishing the candidates on this year’s ballot,” wrote Murkowski, who has endorsed the incumbent Sullivan. “The Department of Justice should never have filed this lawsuit.”

Peltola and Sen. Sullivan were top vote-getters in nonpartisan primary

The senator received more than 68,000 votes in the August primary, while the challenging Sullivan got 4,107, about 2% of the total vote. Peltola, who had previously served one term in the House, was the top vote-getter in the nonpartisan primary. Both parties expect that whoever wins in November will do so by a tight margin in a state of 738,000 people.

The campaign for Sen. Dan Sullivan did not address whether the senator supports the Department of Justice's intervention. “We'll let the DOJ complaint run its course,” campaign spokesman Nate Adams said in a text message. “Alaskans can tell the difference between a Democrat sideshow and Senator Sullivan's strong record of delivering for Alaska.”

Daniel J. Sullivan, whose presence on the ballot is at issue in the lawsuit, did not respond to a request for comment.

“Donald Trump knows that Dan Sullivan is going to lose the election, so now his Department of Justice is filing a sham lawsuit to overturn the will of Alaska voters and steal an election when he loses,” said Devan Barber, executive director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

In a statement Friday, the Department of Justice noted that Alaska's election officials, who are Republicans, determined the other Sullivan's campaign was an attempt to “mislead” voters and wanted him removed from the ballot. Both a state court and Alaska's Supreme Court disagreed and kept the second Sullivan on the ballot.

"The Justice Department, consistent with the National Voter Registration Act enacted by Congress, is taking the necessary steps to ensure that this frivolous candidacy does not undermine the integrity of Alaska’s election or the will of its voters,” the department's statement said.

Concerns about the Department of Justice's role in the election had already reached a fever pitch this month after it filed an unusual, last-minute lawsuit demanding California segregate ballots from 20,000 voters who the Trump administration believed could be noncitizens. California said that it appeared many of those identified were indeed citizens and that they had no time to carefully investigate, as the administration threatened to prosecute the state's election workers if there was illegal voting.

U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche denied the action was a prelude to challenging certification of the midterm results in that state, adding that such a move may happen under a “doomsday” scenario but was unlikely.

“It is not DOJ’s intention to, and it’s never our intention to, improperly interfere with elections or the state certification process," he told reporters Thursday in Virginia before the Alaska lawsuit was filed.

The lawsuit was signed by Associate U.S. Attorney General Stanley Woodward, who represented Trump allies and Jan. 6 defendants before becoming one of the top appointees at the department.

Constitution gives states the power to run elections

Derek Muller, a law professor at the University of Notre Dame, said the lawsuit would likely only kick in if Republicans narrowly lose the Alaska Senate race and that it probably would not survive long. “The statute simply doesn't let the Department of Justice enjoin certification,” Muller said. “The lawsuit could well be mooted by a wide Democratic victory or a narrow Republican one, and if not, the court will likely dismiss it next month.”

The U.S. Constitution grants states the power to run their own elections. Elections for federal office like the Senate must comply with standards set by Congress. That division of power has frustrated Trump, who repeatedly has tried to seize control of election procedures through executive orders that courts have blocked.

The final step for a state election is formally certifying the winner, the act that the administration's lawsuit seeks to prevent, it requests, “pending an investigation to determine whether votes cast for Daniel J. Sullivan were meant to be cast for Senator Sullivan."

The process in Alaska is complicated by the state's ranked choice voting system, which Trump opposes, and many expect it to take weeks before a winner is known. Also on the state's ballot is an initiative to repeal that system.

Trump has stepped up complaints about a ballot with dueling Sullivans

Trump has complained about Daniel J. Sullivan's presence on the ballot, making reference to it during a rally in Alaska this month and in repeated social media posts, including one this week where he called it “CHEATING.”

“We are looking at powerful legal options to remove the fraudulent Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. from the Ballot, and holding the Democrats accountable for their Election Interference, in the pursuit of Justice and Fairness,” the president wrote on Wednesday.

Clogging a ballot with third-party candidates to siphon off votes from the other major party is a long-standing tactic in the country's two-party system. Republicans have been linked to an effort to persuade Ohio voters to support a socialist in that state's Senate race, which could help Republican Sen. Jon Husted fend off a challenge from former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown.

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Associated Press writers Becky Bohrer in Juneau, Alaska, Haven Daley in Anchorage, Alaska, Ali Swenson in New York and Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington contributed to this report.

In Israel, the country's defense minister strongly denied that the military has clashed with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his reported instructions for an “action” against Iran ahead of national elections on Tuesday.

Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Monday. Read our full coverage here.

Saudi-led coalition says it destroyed Houthi missile launchers

An operation in Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen destroyed five tunnels used for storing ballistic missiles, four ballistic missile launchers and another missile storage facility, according to the spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Iran-backed Houthis.

Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki said the operation also aimed to cut the Houthis' supply lines between areas under their control and targeted rebel fortifications and military equipment along the front lines inside Yemen.

In a post on X, al-Malki said the coalition would continue to use “deterrent operational measures” to protect against the Houthis' “brutal attacks” inside the kingdom and in Yemen.

Houthis say Saudi-backed forces struck hospital in Red Sea port city

Yemen’s Houthi-run Health Ministry said Monday that Saudi-backed forces targeted a hospital in the Red Sea port city of Mokha, which the Houthi rebels recently seized. It did not provide evidence for the claim, and The Associated Press could not independently verify it.

In a statement, the ministry said the attack caused extensive damage to the hospital, but did not say whether there were any casualties. It also said Saudi forces on Sunday targeted a children's hospital in Taiz province, causing damage.

Earlier on Monday, two residents of Mokha, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, said Mokha General Hospital and at least 10 houses were damaged after a rocket struck a nearby four-story residential building. The AP could not independently verify the claim, and it was not clear if this was the same incident that the Health Ministry was referring to.

There was no immediate comment from the Saudi-backed forces.

— By Ahmed al-Haj in Aden, Yemen

Houthis say they fired missiles at Yemeni government forces

The Houthi rebels claimed Monday that they struck military gatherings and weapons depots belonging to Saudi-backed government forces in Aden and Lahj provinces.

The Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a statement that the rebels fired ballistic missiles at the sites, inflicting losses. The claims could not be independently verified.

The Houthis continue to target government forces and their allies inside Yemen. The Yemeni government accused the rebels on Sunday of targeting displacement camps on the outskirts of the southern port city of Aden. The government didn’t provide evidence to support its claim.

Israel’s defense minister denies clash with the army over Iran

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Monday dismissed reports regarding rifts between the political leadership and the Israeli military over Iran as “completely baseless and false.”

In a post on X, Katz also said Israel had no intention to strike Iran before Tuesday’s national elections but that it would respond “with great force” if Iran attacks first.

Israeli Channel 12 reported Sunday evening that Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel's military chief of staff clashed over the Israeli prime minister's instruction to carry out an “action” that the army believes could quickly reignite the conflict with Iran. The report did not specify the nature of the action. Netanyahu’s office later described the report as “fake news.”

Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan seek closer cooperation

Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan agreed Monday to continue talks on strengthening cooperation, particularly on regional peace and security, Iran’s state-run news agency IRNA reported.

Maj. Gen. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, hosted the four countries’ first quadrilateral meeting in Tehran.

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan’s armed forces chief Gen. Asim Munir and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin attended.

The IRNA report did not specify when or where the next meeting would take place.

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said renewed attacks on Iran would destabilize the region and hurt countries that are not party to the conflict. In a televised address on Monday, he said reports about potential attacks had already driven fuel prices higher.

UN chief ‘alarmed’ by Israeli settler violence

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said Monday he was “deeply alarmed” by surging Israeli settler violence and settlement expansion in the West Bank.

Speaking in Cairo on one of his final trips as U.N. chief, Guterres called for lifting Israeli restrictions on humanitarian aid to Gaza and removing obstacles to the Security Council’s peace plan, warning that “the specter of ethnic cleansing” was looming ever larger.

He said lasting peace in the region depends on Palestinians’ right to self-determination and that a two-state solution, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states, is the only viable path.

Guterres also called for restoring stability around Iran and the Strait of Hormuz and ensuring safety around Yemen’s Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

Egypt's parliament approves help to Saudi Arabia

Egyptian lawmakers on Monday approved President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi’s request to support Saudi Arabia in countering Houthi attacks.

The decision comes amid growing public concern that Egypt could become involved in Yemen’s long-running conflict.

Egypt’s highest security body had pledged to provide “all necessary and possible forms of support” to Saudi Arabia to defend its security and stability, protect its resources and territorial integrity, and safeguard Islamic holy sites.

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This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.

The Vatican press office said the pope’s recovery continues to progress in line with favorable assessments from his medical team. It also confirmed the pope is keeping the already ambitious trip program with no announced changes.

Surgeons on Oct. 13 removed a lobe where the nodule later diagnosed as malignant was located, in the first major health event of Leo's 17-month pontificate. The surgery confirmed he had adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer.

Since returning to the Vatican, Leo has gradually resumed his activities while adjusting his schedule to prioritize recovery and periods of rest, the statement said.

The pope’s physician, Luigi Carbone, said there's no medical reason preventing Leo's trip to South America, which involves a dozen flights and two helicopter rides to high altitudes.

Leo expressed gratitude for the prayers and support he has received during his recovery and said he was eager to return to a region where he spent important periods of his life.

“I am looking forward to returning to the continent where I’ve experienced so many moments of my life,” Leo said Monday. “May this journey be an occasion for us to open our hearts to one another, strengthen our communion as brothers and sisters, and renew our commitment to proclaiming the Gospel with joy.”

The Vatican said the visit will provide an opportunity for the pope to strengthen ties with local churches, encourage the faithful and promote a message of faith, hope and peace in Uruguay, Argentina and Peru.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion will headline “The MGM Slam presented by Capital One” at T-Mobile Arena on Feb. 28, organizers announced Monday.

Nadal faced Carlos Alcaraz in the Vegas exhibition in 2024 during his final year on tour.

“I remember how impressive it was to feel the energy of a full arena in a city like Las Vegas,” the 40-year-old Nadal said. “Now I return in a different stage of my life, without the pressure of the tour but with the same passion for this sport. I have always loved competing, and even if my professional career is finished, that feeling never really goes away.”

Additional players and the format for the 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.

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See AP’s full tennis coverage here

Coastal Flooding: Coastal Flood Warnings have been extended through Tuesday and Wednesday for the Atlantic coastal counties, Intracoastal Waterway, and the entire St. Johns River basin.

Moderate tidal flooding is expected around high tide, with locally major flooding possible. Water levels could reach 2–3.5 feet above normally dry ground.

Flooding of vulnerable roads, low-lying neighborhoods, and riverfront properties will remain a concern through multiple high tide cycles.

Winds and Marine Conditions: A tight pressure gradient will maintain gusty northeast winds across the area.

A Wind Advisory remains in effect for coastal locations through this evening, with sustained winds of 20–30 mph and gusts reaching 35–45 mph.

Marine conditions remain hazardous, with seas of 9–14 feet and frequent gale-force gusts. A high risk of rip currents and dangerous surf will continue along our beaches.

Monday: Mostly sunny and breezy, with afternoon highs in the lower to middle 70s. Jacksonville should reach around 73 degrees, with northeast winds of 15–20 mph and gusts approaching 30 mph. Overnight lows fall into the lower 60s.

Tuesday and Wednesday: Mostly sunny with highs in the upper 70s. Northeast winds remain elevated, particularly near the coast. Coastal flooding will continue to be the primary concern during high tide cycles.

Thursday through Sunday: Rain chances begin to return Thursday, with a 30% chance of showers. Friday looks mainly dry, with just a 20% chance of rain. Temperatures gradually warm into the upper 70s and near 80 degrees over the weekend. Scattered showers remain possible Saturday and Sunday, with a few thunderstorms possible Sunday.

The bottom line is that coastal flooding will remain our highest-impact weather concern through at least midweek. We’ll continue monitoring water levels and high tide cycles closely, especially along the St. Johns River, Intracoastal Waterway, and Atlantic beaches. While inland locations will experience relatively quiet weather, coastal communities could see several rounds of moderate to locally major flooding.

Have a great Monday!

The elevator dinged open. A year ago in this building, surgeons removed Banda’s right breast, and she still didn't know whether treatment had expunged the cancer from her body. Doctors had told her it would be tough to beat.

“I’m more of a positive person myself,” Banda said, now sitting with a white wristband in a dim waiting room. But the bills are harder to dismiss, and the single mother with six children in her care repeated something like a mantra. “Keep the house. Keep the cars. And just keep the kids stable.”

That’s true for many Americans, as rising healthcare costs leave more families with a sinking feeling after seeing the bill for surgery or medication. Heading into the Nov. 3 midterm elections, about half of registered voters said healthcare costs are a major problem for them and their families, up from a little more than one-third four years ago, according to a Fox News poll from September.

With party control of Congress at stake, registered voters are nearly twice as likely to say they trust Democrats over Republicans to handle healthcare, according to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll from the same month. Those frustrations, combined with broader concerns over rising prices, have sapped support for President Donald Trump and his Republican Party.

Banda knows how that feels. She backed Trump in each of his three campaigns, motivated by her opposition to abortion. But when cancer came, the ensuing scramble to make ends meet was painful enough to rearrange her priorities, and she started to think about voting Democratic for the first time.

The 46-year-old was ushered into a sterile room for her appointment, her phone lit up with a text. “Please contact TD Auto Finance.”

“This one’s $1,300,” she said of the car payment bill. “I have to go back to work.”

She had been on sick leave from her job selling internet service for one year, and she needed the income to support her three kids and three more she had taken in after her sister's death.

The doctor said her reconstruction surgery could be scheduled early next year. “I was hoping for maybe December,” Banda said, “only because I've met my deductibles.” Come January, she would have to pay down the $7,500 again. Earlier may be possible, the doctor replied, if the skin around her surgical scar loosens.

The evening had cooled slightly by the time she walked back through the rows of parked cars, their ebb and flow marking the tide of sickness, survival and death in a small corner of a colossal healthcare industry that saves lives while taking in over $5 trillion every year.

Banda paid $8 for parking as she left.

Confronting death and debt in America before a midterm election

Two weeks later, Banda was back at work, making door-to-door rounds to sell Spectrum's Wi-Fi in McAllen, her city along the U.S.-Mexico border in the Rio Grande Valley. Banda, holding blue flyers, walked along a row of storefronts, some that shuttered since she last was in the area.

She hadn't had a sale and commission since October of last year, after the biopsy and diagnosis.

The doctor who gave her the news had hugged Banda, and she sobbed even though she never really sobs in front of other people. During chemo, her children took turns buzzing off her wispy hair. When her 9-year-old daughter's hand quivered, a teenage cousin helped guide the clipper over her mother’s scalp.

Banda’s first impulse was to maintain normalcy, stability, for the children.

But that requires roughly $7,000 a month for utilities, mortgage, car payments and groceries, along with the two water leaks. Then, even with insurance through her job, the surgeries, chemo and radiation added up to over $25,000 that she's been paying off, making Banda one of tens of millions of other people in the United States in medical debt.

Banda tries not to dwell on death and debt.

“It’ll consume you,” she says. She smothers those thoughts beneath her bubbly demeanor and avoids being alone. But that truce, between her insistence on positivity and the fears that it covers, is brittle.

Certain thoughts still arrive uninvited. Banda’s late sister, Melissa, didn’t have life insurance. Banda makes sure it's a payment she never misses.

“Sometimes I think, and I shouldn’t think like this, but I’m worth more gone than here,” she said one day. “Obviously, the goal is not that, the goal is to beat it,” she continued, “to keep the house and keep the cars.”

So far she has, with the help of others.

On top of child support, the father of Banda's 9-year-old often pays $400 a week for a nanny to help with the kids. Banda’s own father sent her $700 before for her recent Houston appointment, one of his many cash infusions. Her high school classmates, who she hadn’t been in close touch with in decades, fundraised by selling grilled chicken, rice and beans from a roadside tent. Two GoFundMe fundraisers raised nearly $30,000 and Banda rented her late sister’s house while putting her own in forbearance.

But months of insecurity takes its own, sleepless toll. She needed to sell some internet services to catch up.

After sticking the Spectrum Wi-Fi flyers onto empty storefronts, she drove to pick up her kids from school. The following day she had a morning meeting at a barbershop for what would be her first sale back at work.

Turning on Trump and voting Democratic for the first time

A lifelong Christian, Banda had voted her anti-abortion stance in past elections. When her sister was kidnapped and murdered by her ex-husband in 2020, Banda retreated from religion. The cancer brought her back to church with an apology to God, but it also made her rethink her politics.

She voted for Trump in 2016, and his first four years seemed steady, so she voted for him again in 2020. Democratic President Joe Biden's tenure, including the tail end of a global pandemic and rising inflation, felt like bedlam, so she voted for Trump to return to the White House in 2024.

But two years later and fighting an expensive disease, she had found no respite from high prices.

So when James Talarico, a Presbyterian seminary student running for U.S. Senate as a Democrat, visited one of Banda’s fundraisers — speaking about his diabetes and his work in the Texas Statehouse to lower the price of insulin — it moved her. “Imagine if he can do that for the cancer,” she said.

Talarico and his Republican opponent, state Attorney General Ken Paxton, have different approaches to healthcare. Talarico wants all Americans to be able to join Medicare; Paxton proposed a $25,000 tax deduction for out-of-pocket medical expenses.

Talarico also supports a law guaranteeing abortion access nationwide, which Banda has voted against for years. But after she slid into debt to stay alive, after her grocery bills mounted and the high school had to comp the kids' soccer gear she couldn't afford, Banda’s anti-abortion concerns have been superseded by costs.

“Because it’s what I’m living,” she said. “I'm living it."

Banda cast an early ballot for Talarico. “Never voted Democrat before today!!” she wrote in a text with blue heart emoji.

Her news will come on Election Day, in a doctor's office

Banda had just started a new cancer-targeting medication that cost $16,000 a month, reduced to $500 by insurance. By the afternoon, she was nauseous and fatigued, unable to eat. The malaise would keep her home the next day. She would miss the meeting with the barbershop to close her first deal since getting sick, though she felt confident it was in the bag.

But Banda pushed through the discomfort one evening to join her family as they replaced the flowers at her sister's tomb.

She drove past the headstones and oak trees in the evening’s slanting light, and the family gathered around Melissa Banda's tomb in an open-air mausoleum. There was no speech. Their eulogy was her father, Fidel Banda, methodically clipping and arranging the flowers for his daughter.

Banda walked along the wall of tombs. She will find out on Election Day whether the cancer is in remission or whether it's spread to her organs.

“This one’s for me,” she said, pointing to a blank tomb next to her sister's.

“Mom!” said her daughter with the huffiness of a 9-year-old. “Why would you say that?”

Banda smiled and added, “in a hundred years."

Lawson, who has been a feature on The Morning Show broadcast for nearly two decades, was named Folio Weekly’s 2026 Person of the Year, chosen by readers across Northeast Florida.

Lawson, who has worked for Channel 4 for 21 years, was selected for the magazine’s inaugural honor through a nomination process that drew more than 280,000 votes.

Readers cited her philanthropy, community involvement, and dedication to storytelling as reasons they chose her for the distinction, Folio Weekly General Manager Teresa Spencer said.

“There were hundreds that wrote in all of the different reasons,” Spencer said. “Her philanthropy, what she does for the community, what she does here on air, bringing the stories to life that Northeast Florida deserves to hear and the right way to hear it.”

RELATED | Melanie Lawson: Why I’m celebrating my 50th birthday by saying ‘Dear Jacksonville’

Lawson, appearing alongside Spencer and Folio Weekly Publisher John Phillips on The Morning Show, expressed genuine gratitude for the recognition.

“It’s been an honor, I have to say,” Lawson said. “And so cool because being here for 21 years is a long time. And to be able to have this platform. People watch us from all over. And I try to use it, like I said, for good and not evil. I try to lift up organizations. And this has been really special.”

A city speaks

The Person of the Year award is part of Folio Weekly’s “Best of Jax” reader engagement initiative. Phillips, who took ownership of the publication in 2020, said the award was designed to reflect the pulse of Jacksonville.

“This is Jacksonville’s news,” Phillips said. “This is our first year of just trying to find who Jacksonville loves, who’s its person. And I love that it was you.”

Lawson was not the only nominee. Nine others were recognized in the same issue, including Mayor Donna Deegan, Democratic Senate candidate Angie Nixon, and Jaguars head coach Liam Coen, among others. But according to Spencer, the result was decisive.

“It’s amazing that people that were nominated — everyone from Liam Coen to Mayor Donna Deegan, Angie Nixon, just a plethora of different personalities doing different things in our community — but the votes came in and hands down,” Spencer said.

The remaining top 10 nominees were:

• Monique Madrid – Festival Director, LOL JAX Film Festival & Co-City Producer, Jax 48 Hour Film Project
• Jasmine Monroe – News Anchor/Reporter, First Coast News
• Jason Peoples – Author & Executive Director, JAMS ( Jacksonville Arts & Music SCH)
• Robert Phelan – CEO, Cancer Specialists of North Florida
• Christy Ponder – Executive Director, Art with a Heart in Healthcare
• Kamala Williams – Founder, The Lotus Flower Project

Jacksonville roots

For Lawson, the honor carries personal meaning. She arrived in Jacksonville without plans to stay long, yet two decades later, she remains one of the city’s most recognizable faces.

“You come here, and you’re kind of nervous and young and immature and insecure,” Lawson said. “And then, you know, after all these years, it feels good because you feel like you know your purpose.

“I love Jacksonville,” she added. “When I got here, I hadn’t planned to stay — 21 years later, still here and still serving this community.”

This week, Lawson will celebrate her 50th birthday with a special community tribute show at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Ritz Theatre Downtown. Doors open at 6 p.m.

A portion of the proceeds from “Dear Jacksonville: A Love Letter, 21 Years in the Making” will benefit Empowerment Resources, Inc., a Jacksonville nonprofit serving children and families.

Click here to get tickets

From the outside, the home on Ramona Boulevard appears intact. But inside, the destruction tells a very different story.

“This one’s our bedroom, and this one’s our daughter’s room, and it’s covered in black soot,” renter Michael Flye said. “It’s like walking around in a chimney.”

Flye walked News4JAX through the damage, showing room after room consumed by fire and soot, including the back of the home, where little remained.

“And back over here. That’s just what’s left of the back side,” Flye said. “Completely gone, obliterated.”

Flye says the fire broke out the morning of Oct. 21, when Flye’s wife, Elisabeth, brought groceries inside and set some on the stove. She stepped away briefly to use the bathroom and returned to find the kitchen engulfed in flames, which quickly spread through the house.

“When she came back out to leave out the front door, the flames were already in the dining room, starting to make its way into the living room,” Flye said.

The situation became even more dangerous as Elisabeth attempted to flee.

“She felt the heat coming off the back of her. She said that, she felt that it was burning her as she was trying to run out of the house,” Flye said.

Michael Flye was at work when he got the call.

“I was at work at the time, and that’s when I got the phone call from her saying, hey, you need to get home, the house is burning down. I didn’t know what to think,” he said.

Thankfully, Elisabeth made it out unharmed. Despite firefighters’ efforts, little could be recovered from the blaze.

“My son lost everything. We were, we tried to salvage some of my daughter’s stuff, but that didn’t, didn’t work out,” Flye said.

Elisabeth initially believed she may have accidentally triggered the fire by placing groceries on the stove and inadvertently turning on a burner. But Fly says that wasn’t exactly the cause.

“After further investigation, the fire looked like it initiated behind the wall at the bottom of the oven versus at the top of the oven,” Flye said. “This was more of an electrical fire.”

Family leans on community support

Flye, Elisabeth and their three children are currently staying with family as they work to rebuild. A GoFundMe set up for the family has raised more than $8,000.

“When you have nothing, anything is amazing. So starting over again is gonna take a lot of helping hands. But at the end of the day, we’re always appreciative for anything,” Flye said.

News4JAX reached out to the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department for more information on the cause of the fire and is still waiting to hear back.

New, 39, was indicted Oct. 7 on 46 counts of mail fraud, 15 counts of aggravated identity theft and one count each of SNAP fraud and illegal transactions with access devices.

New was arrested Oct. 13 and is being held by the U.S. Marshals Service pending further court proceedings.

According to the indictment, New controlled more than 350 fraudulent Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program accounts between January 2020 and July 2026.

Prosecutors allege the accounts were opened using stolen identities, and that New arranged for electronic benefit transfer cards to be sent to addresses around metro Atlanta.

New also allegedly sought and obtained authorization for the company Shawty Dred LLC to operate as a SNAP retailer.

From April 2024 to November 2025, prosecutors say, New used fraudulently obtained EBT cards and a point-of-sale device associated with the company to take more than $660,000 in benefits.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture revoked the company’s retailer authorization in November 2025, according to prosecutors. About two weeks later, local police arrested New on allegations of selling SNAP benefits at a metro Atlanta store and seized 14 EBT cards issued to other people.

Prosecutors allege New later arranged for replacement cards to be sent to the store and other Atlanta-area addresses.

Over the course of the alleged scheme, New caused Georgia’s Division of Family and Children Services to transfer about $4.6 million in benefits to the accounts, and EBT cards were used to take about $4 million from them, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors also allege New displayed an extravagant lifestyle on social media, including posts showing private jets, Rolls-Royce and Maybach vehicles, and stacks of cash.

The Instagram account “richlifeshawtydred” has more than 2 million followers, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

“New allegedly stole over $4 million meant for poor families who need help putting food on the table,” U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said.

SNAP provides monthly food benefits to eligible low-income households. Beneficiaries are prohibited from selling or trading those benefits.

The charges are allegations. New is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The parliament said in a statement that the vote was meant to give el-Sissi authorization to take necessary measures to back Saudi Arabia in the defense of its territory and sovereignty against an external “aggression.”

The parliament didn't provide a breakdown of the closed-door vote, but the chamber is overwhelmingly dominated by pro-government lawmakers.

Egypt won't provide ground troops, regional official says

The government didn’t give details about the support, prompting lawmakers to question the nature and extent of the proposed assistance. A regional official, briefed on the matter, said that Egypt will deploy air defense systems and aircraft to help repel missiles and drones fired at Saudi Arabia.

The Egyptian support is defensive in nature and won’t include any ground troops in Yemen, the official said on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak to reporters.

The vote, which had been scheduled for last week, was delayed after two days of deliberations because of growing wariness among Egyptians concerned about an intervention in Yemen’s long-running conflict. Because the debates weren't open, it wasn't immediately clear how the discussions went.

Egypt’s highest security body pledged in a meeting earlier this month to provide “all necessary and possible forms of support” to Saudi Arabia to defend “its security and stability, safeguard its resources and territorial integrity, and protect Islamic holy sites.”

In its meeting, chaired by el-Sissi, the National Defense Council also said that Egypt would increase its diplomatic efforts to find a settlement to the conflict.

Saudi Arabia provides Egypt with billions in aid and investment

Egypt “will carry out any measure to protect Saudi Arabia,” el-Sissi said earlier this month. “I’m not speaking about fighting anyone or attacking anyone. I’m speaking only for defense.”

Saudi Arabia is one of Egypt’s main financial backers, providing the country with billions of dollars in financial aid and investments, particularly since el-Sissi came to power following the overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi, a Muslim Brotherhood leader, in 2013. Remittances from Egyptians working in Saudi Arabia are also a major source of foreign currency.

The opposition Egyptian Social Democratic Party announced that its 11-member parliamentary bloc would abstain from voting, citing insufficient information about the mission’s objectives, scope, duration and costs, as well as the risks to Egyptian troops. The party called for prioritizing diplomacy to avert open-ended military commitments.

El-Sissi attempts to reassure wary Egyptians

Egypt's president sought to reassure the public that the country wouldn't attack Yemen, and that the military support is limited to defending Saudi territory.

“I have heard a great deal of talk suggesting that we are preparing to launch an attack on Yemen, or something to that effect. That is certainly not the case,” he said in comments last week.

“We have not engaged in any cooperation aimed at conducting combat operations beyond the borders (of the countries with which we cooperate),” el-Sissi said. “Our focus is on the defense of the kingdom’s territory and its borders.”

Dark memories

The announcement of support for Saudi Arabia has evoked dark memories of Egypt’s involvement in the civil war in Yemen in the 1960s, pitting royalist supporters of the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen against the Yemen Arab Republic.

That war began in 1962 when army commander Gen. Abdullah al-Sallal launched a coup against the newly-crowned King Muhammad al-Badr, declaring North Yemen a republic.

Egypt and Saudi Arabia backed opposite sides: Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom supported royalist forces, while Egypt and the Soviet Union backed the republican troops.

Then Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser deployed tens of thousands of troops to North Yemen in support of his ally, al-Sallal, starting a decadelong military intervention in the country.

The 1960s intervention in Yemen was seen as “one of the low points” of Nasser’s presidency and widely regarded as one of the main causes of the defeat by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War, because of the strain it exerted on the Egyptian military and economy, according to the state-run Al-Ahram daily.

In 2015, Egypt sent naval vessels to the Red Sea off Yemen to support the Saudi-led coalition operating against the rebels at the height of the earlier phase of the war. It didn't deploy ground troops.

___

Fatma Khaled contributed to this report.

The long-ruling authoritarian leader on Sunday conceded the defeat of his right-wing Serbian Progressive Party to a grassroots movement of university students in a parliamentary election. The students had led protests for almost two years before unseating him in a historic change of government.

The 56-year-old political veteran easily outplayed political opponents in the past and thought he could do it again. Ahead of Sunday's ballot he pulled a maneuver in the style of his ally Russian President Vladimir Putin when he resigned the presidency to pursue a bid to become the prime minister.

Vucic then launched a fierce campaign involving favorable around-the-clock coverage on state media and attacks on opponents. He handed out cash to voters and promised higher pensions, new roads and cheaper medicines.

It didn't work. The diverse youth movement's message that rampant corruption, cronyism and organized crime under Vucic were eating away at the country resonated widely with voters.

The student protests first started in 2024 after a collapsed canopy at a renovated train station in Serbia's north killed 16 people, triggering claims that graft-fueled negligence led to poor construction work and eventually to the crash.

Defiant, Vucic on Sunday blamed his defeat on foreign interference.

“I want people to know,” he said. “This was the verification of a revolution that they carried out directly with support of different European countries and the deep American state, the one that is also against President (Donald) Trump.”

Vucic began his career as an ultranationalist

During a political career spanning more than 30 years, Vucic morphed from being an extreme nationalist who supported aggression against non-Serbs in the former Yugoslavia to a populist who shifted his preferences to balance between global powers and influences.

During the wars in the 1990s, Vucic was one of the radical party leaders who advocated the creation of a “Greater Serbia” that would include territories in Croatia and Bosnia where minority Serbs live. Those policies are widely blamed for bloody conflicts that killed over 100,000 people and displaced millions.

Vucic was known for fiery speeches, including one in Serbia’s parliament where he said that for each Serb killed in the Bosnian war, 100 Bosnian Muslims must die. He later said that he didn’t mean it literally.

As information minister in the late 1990s, Vucic oversaw media critical of then-President Slobodan Milosevic slapped with heavy fines or shut down. He shifted away from ultranationalism to a proclaimed pro-EU stance on the eve of his party’s electoral win in 2012.

He embraced Europe for a time

In office, Vucic positioned himself as pro-European and pro-Russian, and as an admirer of Trump. Ahead of the decisive ballot, however, Vucic re-embraced his hard right roots and turned to Putin again as he struggled to restore his shaken voter base.

Vucic defied the EU last month by allowing a hero’s funeral in Belgrade for Ratko Mladic, the former Bosnian Serb army commander convicted of genocide by a U.N. court in the Netherlands.

“It is no coincidence that Vladimir Putin said he hopes that I will be the prime minister,” Vucic boasted days ahead of the ballot, ditching the proclaimed pro-EU position that helped his populist party come to power in 2012.

Vucic's fall draws varied reactions in Russia

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed hope Monday that the post-Vucic government will retain friendly relations with Russia. Vucic had refused to join EU sanctions against Moscow over the war in Ukraine despite formally seeking membership for Serbia in the 27-nation bloc.

“We highly value the contribution Mr. Vucic has made to the development of our bilateral relations," Peskov said.

“We intend to continue doing everything possible to help the development of our relations with Belgrade,” Peskov said. "But, as you know, it takes two to tango.”

Konstantin Kosachev, a deputy speaker of the upper house, the Federation Council, said that the Serbian elections’ outcome could signal that “there would be one sovereign country less in Europe.”

But Konstantin Malofeyev, a hawkish tycoon who sponsors a virulently nationalistic media outlet, welcomed Vucic’s defeat, denouncing him as a hypocrite who has tried to maneuver between Russia and the West.

“The Serbian people have delivered a historic verdict on the Vucic regime,” Malofeyev said on his Telegram channel. “The era of political hypocrisy and duplicity is drawing to a close."

Vucic controlled Serbia for 14 years

In the past 14 years, Vucic served as a deputy prime minister, the prime minister and president.

As president for nearly 10 years, Vucic turned the largely ceremonial post into the center of power in the country. He was known for frequent addresses to the nation and appearances in pro-government media.

“He is a competitor who has mastered a technology of governing that is based on stick and carrot, and the idea that nobody but him is right,” Dejan Pavlovic, a professor in the Faculty of Political Sciences at the University of Belgrade, told The Associated Press recently.

Pavlovic described Vucic’s 14-year rule as a “textbook regime” of autocracy, with his party extending its control over the media, judiciary and other institutions, leaving nothing to chance.

“Cover it all: control the media, control the judiciary, control all institutions,” he explained.

In the highly organized ruling SNS party, Vucic commanded ultimate authority and loyalists were rewarded through lucrative deals with the state and protection from prosecution, Pavlovic said. Vucic, he said, “created a whole new elite in the Serbian society and that elite knew how to be thankful.”

Vucic now says he will fight again from the opposition

Elections under Vucic were increasingly marred by reports of voting irregularities, violent incidents and complaints that his control over pro-government media and use of public funds to bribe voters gave his party an unfair advantage.

During the student-led protests, Vucic fenced off a central park outside his office in Belgrade and installed tents with groups of supporters as an apparent human shield. Investigative reporters identified some of the camp residents as people with criminal backgrounds and tied Vucic to criminal clans, which he refuted.

As he conceded defeat, Vucic vowed to keep fighting.

“Our structure is very firm, we are very united and strong, and we are used to being in opposition,” he said in a Sunday night speech.

Former President Boris Tadic believes Vucic would not have conceded in case of a less convincing student victory. But under the circumstances, “he could not avoid it.”

Polling sites are now open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. — a change from the previous week’s hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Early voting continues through Sunday, Nov. 1.

Turnout nearing record territory

Duval County Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland says the county is on track for a strong showing at the polls.

“We’ve had a good turnout. We’ve had over 80,000 people vote early, and another 26,000 by mail, so about 107,000 voters so far in Duval County,” Holland said.

According to figures released by the Supervisor of Elections Office, 11,019 votes were cast during early voting on the most recent reporting date, bringing the combined total of early and vote-by-mail ballots to 107,463 — representing a 16.4% turnout of registered voters.

Holland said the presence of an open gubernatorial seat is helping drive interest.

“When we have an open gubernatorial seat, it draws out more voters,” he said. “We’re looking at turnouts like eight years ago, probably somewhere close to 60%.”

Mail-in ballot reminder: Check both sides

Holland is also urging voters who cast mail-in ballots to make sure they fill out both sides of their ballot before returning it.

“A lot of times they won’t flip over the ballot and vote the back page — that’s where all your amendments are,” he said.

Holland cautioned that once a ballot has been submitted and tabulated, nothing can be done to correct it.

“Once you’ve turned in your ballot, once it’s been tabulated, it’s too late,” he said. “But always ensure you make sure next time — read the entire ballot.”

Tips for heading to the polls

Holland encouraged all voters — even those without a photo ID — to show up and cast their ballot.

“Bring your sample ballot, great tip, and then also bring your ID with you,” he said. “But again, no one is ever turned away from the polls, so just come vote. And again, even if you have to vote provisional without an ID, we’ll allow you to vote.”

Early voting schedule, locations

Duval County has 24 early voting sites countywide. Click here to find one near you and see current wait times.

The full schedule for remaining early voting hours is as follows:

• Monday, Oct. 26 – Friday, Oct. 30: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 31 – Sunday, Nov. 1: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

They won't be the only ones there. A sprawling election protection effort on the left that is expected to deploy tens of thousands of monitors will be met by the largest-ever monitoring program by the Justice Department and still more observers from Republican-aligned groups. The result could be unlike anything seen at the polls in modern times.

The effort among Democratic and nonprofit groups includes training volunteers to stand watch outside polling places and report activities they consider concerning. The network includes traditional government watchdogs such as Common Cause and the American Civil Liberties Union plus a flood of volunteers assembled by state Democratic parties, congressional leaders, national activist groups and organizations focused on protecting democracy.

The Democratic National Committee's Association of State Democratic Committees created a first-of-its-kind cybersecurity unit staffed by former CIA and FBI officials to monitor and report online misinformation, including artificial intelligence deepfakes, said Jane Kleeb, vice chair of the DNC.

That's as Democratic mayors, attorneys general and secretaries of state host tabletop exercises simulating worst-case scenarios, such as a surge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials at voting locations or the seizure of ballots and voting equipment.

On Capitol Hill, Democratic leaders have assembled a legal team that rivals that of any presidential campaign.

“We’ve never done this before,” Kleeb said of the party’s sweeping efforts. But “we’ve never had to deal with the president of the United States saying that he may seize ballots, put ICE agents outside polling locations and other kinds of very clear direct threats to the voting process.”

The Department of Justice has already filed lawsuits in California and Alaska that could affect ballot counting or certification.

While Trump continues to make baseless allegations of cheating in the election, administration and military officials have said they have no plans to deploy immigration agents or troops to polling sites.

White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis blamed “radical Democrats” for creating fears about election security by refusing to enact voter ID requirements and other Republican-backed measures.

“President Trump has done more than any other president to ensure we have free and fair elections,” Bis said.

Tens of thousands of volunteers trained to observe

State Democratic parties have trained an estimated 10,000 volunteers to observe polling places and report anything potentially concerning they might see from federal agents. Common Cause has trained roughly 16,000 more volunteers to stand watch at voting precincts, said Suzanne Almeida, vice president of states for the group.

She said a broader Election Protection coalition involving 300 other groups has trained tens of thousands more.

Smaller pockets of volunteers from other groups also are preparing to show up, including roughly 100 organized by Senate Democrats and hundreds more from a Democratic-allied group called Save America, which is training clergy members, veterans, teachers and other local community members. National groups such as Indivisible and MoveOn are activating their own expansive networks.

There are so many organizations working to protect the voting process — including many that cannot legally coordinate with each other — that some officials involved worry about unintentionally creating chaos outside polling locations.

Almeida said Election Day confusion is possible in some precincts but the nature of the threat requires a collective effort.

“It will actually take all of us if some of the threats we are most worried about come to pass,” she said.

Trump administration sends its own team

Harmeet Dhillon, a Trump appointee who leads the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, was asked on CBS’ “60 Minutes” whether the Republican administration is planning to send ICE agents to polling places.

“There is no plan to do that,” she responded.

Still, the Justice Department is planning its largest-ever election monitoring effort, with about 1,000 department staff expected to observe voting and ensure federal laws are being followed, spokesperson Kiersten Pels said. That comes after a primary season in which the department said it deployed more than 100 election monitors across hundreds of polling locations.

At least one of those placements sparked tensions with local officials. Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, a Republican, said the behavior of two monitors during that state's primary was “a bit aggressive” and “irregular.” A Laramie County clerk said the Justice Department monitors arrived at the polls intending to interview voters, but her office didn’t allow it.

The department disagrees that the monitors did anything improper, Pels said. She added that the monitors are trained to comply with federal law governing conduct at polling places and won’t “interfere with the voting process.”

Democratic lawmakers and voting rights advocates have raised concerns that the Trump administration’s monitors could intimidate voters or abandon the duty they’ve had for decades to protect against civil rights violations.

The department plans to send them to every state, focusing on high-population areas, jurisdictions that have had problems in the past and districts with close elections, according to a senior department official who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity under terms set by the department.

The Republican National Committee said its operation involves deploying “election integrity deputy state directors” in 22 states, among them Arizona, Michigan, Georgia and North Carolina.

Those workers are the “eyes and the ears of the RNC in the field” who recruit volunteers and organize trainings, said Ally Triolo, the RNC’s election integrity communications director. Their mission is to surface anything that seems unlawful.

At the same time, the RNC has enlisted nearly 22,000 poll workers and is recruiting poll-watching volunteers for competitive districts. The poll watchers will “observe the process and help ensure election rules are followed in accordance with the law,” Triolo said.

Local election officials prepare for increased attention

While federal monitors have quietly observed elections for decades, largely without incident, some election officials are taking precautions.

Chris Swope, the city clerk in Lansing, Michigan, said he preemptively contacted law enforcement and his attorney in case federal monitors violate election law, although he expects them to abide by the rules.

The Democratic Mayors Association issued guidance to local Democratic officials with detailed instructions about what to do if federal agents appear at polling locations.

It notes that federal law prohibits the presence of federal immigration agents, the FBI or other investigative personnel. It also issued a reminder that federal agents are not allowed to be armed at the polls, nor are they allowed to interact with voters or handle ballots or election equipment.

Justice Department officials have said their monitors won't be armed and will not interfere with voting. Asked about department monitors being sent to Georgia, Trump told a reporter recently: “They’re not going to do anything other than watch."

Some of the poll observations have already begun. Mary Corcoran, Save America's executive director, said her group's volunteers have been monitoring precincts during early voting in Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina and Ohio to help give voters a sense of security.

“The fear is the point, and we must do something about it,” she said. “Left unanswered, fear does the work of keeping people home without a single agent setting foot at a polling place.”

___ Associated Press writers Jacqueline GaNun in Lansing, Mich., Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington and Jessica Hill in Las Vegas contributed to this report.

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Founder Al Jourgensen, the group's mastermind and sole consistent member, wants you to know he really means it's over — done, finished, goodbye — after the release of their 17th album “Hate To Go — Take Out Or Delivery” on Oct. 30 and a tour to follow.

“It's time to go,” he told The Associated Press from his home outside Los Angeles. “Everyone says it’s their last tour and they're back the next year. Or they say it’s the last tour and they’re back for the next 20 years. It's The Rolling Stones playing into their 90s. How much money do you need? How much, like, adoration?”

For his band, this really is the end. There are a few reasons for that.

The music industry has changed, for one, and Jourgensen and his band do not see Ministry progressing within its algorithmic framework. And there are sociological and political grounds for the decision: “We’ve been yabbering about the same stuff for 45 years. Nothing’s changed,” he says. “It has gotten worse, and so it’s time for a new generation to carry the torch because they’re not listening to our message.”

The band has long released songs with strong anti-authoritarian and anti-fascist sentiments, and that continues everywhere on “Hate to Go,” from the heavy-as-heck “Voices of Hate” to the propulsive “Delete,” which takes aim at the ways in which endless scrolling and social media erode attention and reinforce negativity.

The issue with speaking truth to power, of course, is that at some point “every canary in a coal mine dies,” Jourgensen says with a smile.

“We’re quite happy with our decision” to call it quits, he adds. “We are quite happy with our career.”

Planning the end of Ministry

When a band takes ownership over their own end, something interesting happens: A final album can become a statement, not a funeral — a bow on the end of a spectacular career. For Jourgensen, there were a few things that just needed to happen on “Hate to Go.” Bassist Paul “Ion” Barker, Jourgensen’s bandmate in Ministry and Revolting Cocks from 1986 to 2004, was welcomed back into the fold for the album's final track, “We're Still Here.”

And sonically, the album needed to reflect their multidecade run, to sound like a summation of Ministry without leaning into easy parody. “It has elements of hardcore, it has elements of ambience, it has your usual social commentary and your snapshot of society at the time,” he says. “It’s a perfect Ministry album. It’s like a greatest hits album without having any hits. It’s just beautifully wrapped.”

But it also sounds like the future, like so many Ministry albums before it. For some of the songs as well as the music videos for “Hate to Go,” Jourgensen utilized artificial intelligence, perhaps most controversially employing the new technology to simulate celebrity voices — most effectively, that of President Donald Trump on the no-holds-barred “Grifter.”

“It’s a very dichotomous feeling for me,” he says of applying the polarizing tech. “We’re fighting fire with fire. Trump puts out his little AI videos every day and we put out our AI videos.”

Think of it as similar to early Ministry experiments. “I remember when we started doing tape cutups, very similar to like William Burroughs and Brion Gysin … on celluloid to do our music in a metal landscape. That was exciting, back at the time,” he says.

Using AI was yet another tool in a unique application, but one he found to be unsettling.

It's a topic that comes up quite a bit on the record, like in “Singularity,” a reference to the technological idea that AI may one day surpass human cognitive abilities and recursively self-improve.

“It doesn’t seem so science fiction anymore,” he says. “The tiger is out in the lab, outside of the cage, and they can’t control it.”

Ministry's legacy — and what comes next

Ministry will officially throw in the towel on Oct. 30, 2027 — one year after the release of “Hate to Go” — with a huge blowout concert in Los Angeles. Jourgensen assures there will be tons of special guests — a “fun mic drop” — but attendees will have to wait and be surprised to see who will show up.

After that, well, he's got other plans. “I am the Greta Garbo of industrial,” Jourgensen jokes, referencing the great actor who retired young and lived reclusively in her final decades. “I have a plot of land a couple miles away from my house where I’m just going to herd goats and deny I was ever in a band.”

As far as legacy goes? That's not something he has spent a lot of time thinking about, either. “Everyone’s always asking me like, ‘Well, what do you want Ministry to be remembered by?’ And the whole point is, I don't,” he says. “I don’t want them to remember us. It’s time for somebody new, and it’s time to get out. We did what we could.”

Or, even more simply put: “Later!” he cheers. “Hate to go!”

Those agreements, announced Monday, are intended to provide “significant integrity protections for NBA-related markets,” including limitations on what can be offered on those exchanges, transparency when it comes to suspicious patterns by site users, and banning league and team personnel from making trades related to league events.

The prediction markets will have “information-sharing obligations relating to investigations and suspicious trading,” the NBA said. The NBA has had similar guardrails in place with its sportsbook partners for some time and has cited instances where that system has flagged irregularities in betting patterns.

“If you’re going to be betting on our games or trading on our games or playing fantasy around our games, it’s better for it to be regulated than unregulated,” said Scott Kaufman-Ross, the NBA’s head of media distribution and partnerships. “And clearly, our fans have interest in this activity. So, we’re in a better position to protect the integrity of our games in a regulated market where there’s transparency, where things can be monitored and we have insight into what’s happening.”

The NBA is also expanding its agreements with current official sports betting partners, such as DraftKings, to include their prediction-market offerings. Not all states offer legalized sports betting but predictions markets — at least on some level — are essentially available in all 50 states.

More than a dozen states are involved in litigation over prediction markets and earlier this month the NFL asked the Supreme Court to rule on the regulation of such markets. The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission contends that it has exclusive jurisdiction on oversight, though some states believe it should fall under their purview.

Earlier this month, the NBA told sportsbooks they will not be permitted to offer certain types of wagering this season, including but not limited to which players record the first stat of a game, the outcome of the opening tip and taking the “under” involving players not expected to play more than a few minutes. The deals announced on Monday are expected to have similar restraints.

“A big part of this is a limitation on the types of markets that can be offered,” Kaufman-Ross said. “We will have the right to approve the types of markets that are available on our games, which is a very important component for us. And we’ve had very constructive dialogues with the companies as part of that.”

The NBA’s memorandum of understanding with the CFTC “reflects a shared commitment to ensuring that NBA-related prediction markets are subject to appropriate regulatory oversight and integrity protections,” the league said.

Kalshi and Polymarket, as part of their partnerships with the NBA, will now be able to describe themselves as the “Preferred Prediction Market Exchange of the NBA,” plus have access to league intellectual property such as logos, be able to get NBA statistical data from league partner Sportradar “to operate and settle authorized NBA-related markets,” and other marketing activations.

The terms of the NBA’s agreements with Kalshi and Polymarket were not disclosed, other than the league confirming that they are for multiple years. There are NBA stars with business relationships with those markets; Miami’s Giannis Antetokounmpo has promoted Kalshi and Philadelphia’s LeBron James recently signed a deal with Polymarket. At least one other NBA star, San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama, recently said he will never endorse such sites.

___

See AP’s full NBA coverage here

Borne also discusses his feud with Tavion Heights and issues he’s had with hearing.

In response, Israel's mission in Geneva called for the commission's dissolution and said on X the report marked an example of the body's “misinformation campaign to demonize the state of Israel and portray its very existence as criminal."

Israel has long criticized the commission's output and denied accusations of genocide in Gaza and sexual assault by its forces.

The Associated Press could not independently corroborate multiple graphic accounts described in the report of sexual assaults by prison guards and soldiers on Palestinian detainees since October 2023. In one, female guards strip-searched a pregnant Palestinian, touching inside her anus and vagina. In another, guards beat a detainee and hurled sexist slurs while denying her access to the toilet and sanitary pads. She bled onto her clothes and interrogation chair.

The findings by the Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which seeks to document in minute detail the allegations and evidence of crimes to bolster accountability for perpetrators, could be used by prosecutors at the International Criminal Court or in other jurisdictions to try to bring justice to victims and their relatives.

The report Monday said Israel was “continuing to commit genocidal acts with the genocidal intent to destroy, in whole or in part, the Palestinians in Gaza.”

Much of the harm has come from Israel’s expansion deeper into Gaza during the ceasefire period, the report says. Since October 2025, when the ceasefire was signed, Israeli forces have gone from controlling 53% of Gaza to at least 60%, the commission said.

In that time, Israeli fire across the advancing front has killed at least 196 Palestinians – including 18 women, 32 boys and 11 girls, the commission said.

The report also accused Israeli soldiers and prison guards of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the West Bank, including extermination, torture, rape and other forms of sexual violence and persecution against civilians.

The commission said that it had recently documented six cases where Israeli guards were sexually violent toward male detainees from Gaza in the Sde Teiman military prison.

In one case, it says guards raped a Palestinian detainee with a stick, then forced him to put the stick in his mouth until he vomited. It also recalled another episode in which guards instructed a Palestinian man to urinate as they tied a plastic cord around his genitals.

The ceasefire scaled down a devastating war started by the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, when the militants killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. Israel responded with a campaign that has killed over 74,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.

Tensions flared over reports that Netanyahu and his military chief of staff disagreed over an instruction by the prime minister to carry out an “action” that the army worried could reignite the conflict with Iran. Netanyahu’s office denied the report, first published by Israel’s Channel 12, as “fake news.”

Defense Minister Israel Katz also quickly denied the report.

“I state unequivocally that there has been no intention by Israel of initiating an attack on Iran before the elections in Israel,” Katz wrote on X on Monday, calling reports of rifts between political and military leaders “completely baseless and false.” However, he said that Israel would respond forcefully if Iran attacks first.

Israel’s opposition candidates accused Netanyahu of endangering regional stability for his political preservation. Netanyahu’s main rival, former military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, warned Netanyahu not to “dare to place your own political interests above the security of the state.” He posted on X, “Netanyahu, my eyes are on you.”

Avigdor Lieberman, head of the hawkish Yisrael Beytenu party which is part of the opposition bloc, sent a letter to Israel’s attorney general demanding a criminal investigation into possible treason by Netanyahu’s “attempts to drag Israel into a war on the eve of elections, including a willingness to sacrifice (Israeli) soldiers out of fear of losing the election.”

The election on Tuesday is the first since the Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which sparked the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and conflicts across the Middle East.

Israelis are deeply divided heading into what is expected to be a close race, and the veteran Israeli leader's legacy is on the line. Netanyahu's opponents say he should be held accountable for the failures surrounding the Oct. 7 attack. His supporters say that he has led the country back from its toughest moment.

The vote also marks another important test for the populist right. Brazil's voters dealt a stunning setback to the movement on Sunday, lifting President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to a surprising victory over Flávio Bolsonaro. The Republican Party of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has endorsed Netanyahu, faces a new test next week in the U.S. midterm election.

Although Israelis are breathlessly approaching the election as one of the most crucial in years, people across the Middle East aren't expecting dramatic changes regardless of the victor. Both Netanyahu and his main rivals have similar approaches to Israel’s regional security in both Gaza and Iran.

In southern Gaza, Jamal Abu Deeb, who was displaced from Khan Younis, said that no matter who is elected, it won't be good news for the Palestinians.

“It is all war and destruction,” he said, adding that there are still strikes every day that kill people and children across Gaza. “Do you think whoever gets elected will give us a better life? Quite the opposite.”

Ibrahim Qeshta, who was displaced from Rafah, said that “they all have the same playbook, they have no mercy — death and destruction for everyone.”

“Eisenkot is like Netanyahu, he will be the same,” Qeshta said. “Our people die every day, for nothing.”

Iran also watched the last-minute electioneering warily.

“It makes no difference to us who ultimately takes the helm of a regime whose track record shows that it has brought nothing to our region but violence and bloodshed,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said in his weekly media briefing on Monday.

___ Wafaa Shurafa contributed to this report from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip.

But Republican candidates in marquee Senate races have welcomed Thune's help as he’s traveled around the country in the weeks before the midterm elections, scrambling to save his majority.

That includes Rep. Ashley Hinson in this deep red corner of Iowa, a state that Republicans couldn’t have envisioned as a tossup race a year ago. Hinson is locked in a tight contest against Democrat Josh Turek to replace retiring Republican Sen. Joni Ernst.

Hinson said she was grateful for Thune’s visit as the two spent Friday campaigning together in the northwest part of the state — a luncheon at the Sioux City chamber of commerce, a tour of the Iowa Air National Guard’s refueling wing, a roundtable with local business owners and meet-and-greets at a packed high school football game that night.

“I’m absolutely convinced that she flat has to win, and if she doesn’t, we’re not going to be in the majority,” Thune said in a joint interview with Hinson between stops, during a brief moment of rest in the back of her campaign bus. He acknowledged the environment for Republicans is tough, but “we have to be able to deliver a message that you have a clear choice in front of you about two very different paths.”

The stakes for Thune and his party are enormous in Iowa and in several other traditionally Republican states as voters voice frustration with Trump, his war in Iran and high gasoline and grocery prices. Despite a map favoring Republicans, Democrats are hopeful that they can win the Senate. And like several other Democrats running in red states, Turek, a state legislator, is telling Iowa voters that he would be a bipartisan voice in Washington.

Hinson acknowledges that voters have concerns. But “there is a lot at stake in this election,” she says, “and Iowans are pretty savvy people to understand that this is a six-year term.”

Thune told voters who showed up to the business roundtable to “do everything you can to help her get there.”

“We’ve got to turn out the vote," he said.

Thune makes closing argument to save his majority

Beyond Iowa, Thune has campaigned with Republican Senate candidates in Nebraska, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, Kentucky, Florida and Minnesota. He's headed to Ohio in the coming days to help Republican Sen. Jon Husted, who is facing a tough challenge from Democratic former Sen. Sherrod Brown.

It wasn’t always a given that Thune, elected by his conference to replace Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell two years ago, would have so much face time with voters and candidates.

Some on the right blame Thune for the failed effort to pass the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship for voters and mandate voter ID across the country. Thune supports the bill, but it has no chance in the 100-member Senate with the filibuster intact, because Republicans need Democratic support for any piece of legislation to win the necessary 60 votes.

Trump has pressed Thune to change the rules of the Senate and ditch the filibuster, but Thune has staunchly refused, citing the need to stop Democratic legislation if and when Republicans lose power again.

Tensions between the two men peaked this summer, when Trump appeared to question Thune’s leadership. Asked in the Oval Office if the South Dakota Republican was the man for the job, Trump replied that “we’re going to find out, and I’ll let you know.”

Still, Trump has said more than once that he likes Thune personally, and Thune’s office released photos earlier this month of the majority leader and his grandchildren at the White House, on a personal tour led by a smiling Trump.

Thune is also well-liked among his colleagues and enjoys strong support from within his GOP conference — and from possible future members like Hinson.

Thune joked at one of the Iowa events that “I tell all of our candidates, I’ll come out for you or against you, whichever helps you the most.”

Thune navigates Trump, just like GOP candidates

Voters in Iowa weren't asking Thune and Hinson about the SAVE America Act. Instead they were mostly focused on issues like childcare and how the economy and farm input costs are affecting their businesses.

Like Thune, Hinson has been navigating Trump throughout her campaign — appearing with him at a rally in Sioux City the night before but also speaking out against decisions she disagrees with, like increasing beef imports and a deal with Russia to import diesel fuel.

When the president is right about something, “I’m going to be with him, and if he’s wrong about something, I’m going to be in his ear telling him,” Hinson said.

Both are also having to answer for Trump’s war in Iran, as they have joined most Republicans in voting against repeated Democratic attempts to stop it. Rising gas prices since the war’s inception along with Trump's trade war have hit farmers in the state particularly hard.

Despite those votes, Hinson has said on the campaign trail that she wants to see the war come to a “successful and immediate end.”

Thune told attendees at the chamber of commerce lunch that the war is “not going to be a long-term thing.”

“There’s going to be a solution there, an answer there soon,” he said, and fuel prices will eventually come down.

It’s unclear whether enough voters will trust them. Outside one of Hinson’s events, two Turek supporters staged a small protest.

Hinson is “doing Trump’s bidding,” said Valerie Conaway Cote, a Democrat from Sioux City.

Cote said she used to like Thune and thought he was “a respectable man that saw both sides and made reasonable decisions."

“But,” she said, "he is firmly in Trump’s corner, and he seems to bend the knee.”

GOP conference backs Thune as he plans robust agenda

In the nation's capital, Senate Republicans will gather a week after the Nov. 3 election to decide whether to reelect Thune as leader. It’s a secret ballot, and no one has stepped up to challenge him.

“The guy’s an extraordinarily nice human being,” said Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio earlier this month. “Do I think he’s got broad support? Yes.”

Moreno said he doesn’t think Thune will be blamed if they suffer losses in the midterms.

“At the end of the day, if there’s any Republican losses, it’s going to be about gas prices,” Moreno said.

If Republicans do hold on to the Senate, Thune said part of next year’s agenda would be trying to put guardrails around artificial intelligence along with renewed attempts at housing and tax reform. He said they would also try again on permitting legislation and a broad bill to regulate college sports, if those don’t get done this year.

If Democrats win, “you’re going to have two years of paralysis,” Thune said, with Trump in the White House. “And I don’t think that’s good for anybody.”

Halfway up, they found a massive abandoned excavator fitted with an attachment designed to tear down trees.

The discovery came a day after the men had found a makeshift camp at the foot of the mountain that they believed had been used by Chinese loggers. Packets of masala powder and bottles of soy sauce remained in the cooking area. They spent the night there, stringing their hammocks from the camp’s makeshift wooden structures before setting off up the mountain the following morning.

Beyond the excavator, near the summit, they found another camp, with pieces of plastic tarp, aluminum mugs and other items left behind.

“We knew that some people come here, but we didn’t know that they are doing logging,” Vola, 31, said, pointing into the distance at the summit of Ebbatop mountain. “This part is supposed to be untouched.”

As roads, logging and gold mining encroach deeper into Saamaka territory, communities are turning to modern technology to defend forests protected for generations — using satellite images, GPS mapping and patrols to track incursions.

In villages such as Tutubuka, officially known as Nieuw Aurora, along the Upper Suriname River, residents hope the evidence will help secure government recognition of their traditional forest management system, nearly two decades after an international court ordered Suriname to recognize their collective land rights, a ruling that remains largely unfulfilled.

Last year, Suriname pledged to protect 90% of its tropical forests and strengthen conservation laws, potentially including legal recognition of the ancestral lands of Indigenous and tribal communities. The small South American country between Guyana, French Guiana and Brazil has a population of about 650,000 and is about 93% forested. Its forests span parts of the Amazon rainforest and Guiana Shield and absorb more greenhouse gases than the country emits.

Tribal territories in Suriname have lost nearly 154,000 hectares (380,500 acres) of forest since 2001 — roughly twice the size of New York City. Nationwide, about 200,000 hectares (494,000 acres) of humid primary forest were lost between 2002 and 2025, according to Global Nature Watch.

Mapping forests protected for generations

The Saamaka are one of Suriname’s six communities descended from Africans who escaped slavery on Dutch plantations and established autonomous settlements deep in the forest in the 17th and 18th centuries. After decades of fighting Dutch colonial forces, they secured a peace agreement in 1762 recognizing their freedom and autonomy. About 60,000 Saamaka people live in Suriname, according to the Association of Saamaka Communities, often called VSG.

For generations, Saamaka clans have governed how their forests can be used through traditional agreements, setting aside areas for farming while protecting others for their spiritual, cultural or historical importance.

Now, communities are mapping these traditionally protected areas to document their forest management system and strengthen their case for government recognition. They named the initiative Apaki in November 2025, after a container made from dried calabash fruit traditionally used to preserve food, symbolizing their efforts to safeguard the forest for future generations.

Hugo Jabini, managing director of VSG and a longtime land rights advocate, said roads are increasingly opening traditionally protected areas to outsiders. Jabini said the Palmera road, which began expanding in 2022 despite Saamaka opposition, now stretches roughly 253 kilometers (157 miles), according to community mapping, opening access to one of the most important Apaki areas.

Jabini, who won the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2009, grew up without a road linking his community to Paramaribo. When he first traveled to the capital to continue his education, part of the journey took four days by boat. From the late 1980s, roads began reaching deeper into Saamaka territory, turning journeys of days into hours — while opening once-inaccessible forests to outsiders.

“Within a couple of months,” he said, the road had pushed deep into the forest. “That’s how fast things go.”

John Goedschalk, an adviser to the president of Suriname on climate and biodiversity finance, said the government recognizes the Saamaka’s longstanding role in protecting the country’s forests and is open to working directly with their traditional authorities.

“Their mapping and satellite monitoring can help us enforce where the State alone cannot reach,” said Goedschalk.

He said talks with Saamaka leaders on forest protection are taking place in October and that the government is updating its legal framework to allow community-protected areas to be formally established.

Jabini, however, said he was unaware of any plans for such talks.

Satellites reveal new incursions

The documenting effort increasingly combines knowledge passed down through generations with satellite images and digital maps.

Sara Ramírez, a Colombian researcher working with VSG, said satellite analysis has detected changes in areas so remote that community members initially struggled to believe what they were seeing. Higher-resolution imagery later confirmed signs of activity in one such area.

The information can then guide helicopter flyovers or patrols like the one Vola joined, allowing communities to investigate suspicious clearings or roads first spotted from above.

“They have the information, and then they have the resources to go and check what is happening,” Ramírez said.

Ramírez said the technology is not replacing traditional knowledge but helping the Saamaka document a system outsiders have often failed to recognize. After elders saw maps and satellite images showing new logging and mining during a meeting, some concluded that they needed to formally document Apaki so outsiders could better understand how they have long managed their forests.

The Associated Press joined a helicopter flyover to see firsthand the expansion of logging and gold mining on Saamaka territory, much of it illegal and none approved by Saamaka authorities. From the air, the damage observed was far less extensive than in Colombia, Peru and Brazil, which are already heavily scarred from years of illegal mining and logging. But new roads and small clearings pushing into largely intact forest offered signs of how that footprint is quickly expanding in Suriname.

Natasha Donu, 49, secretary of VSG, said she was shocked by the scale of the new destruction.

“I’m very worried, because I didn’t know that many places were still being destroyed like that,” Donu said just after seeing the latest findings. "There are some places we weren’t expecting to see deforestation.”

Jabini said communities are also training young people to monitor the forest and collect data that can support complaints, negotiations and legal action.

Mapping alone cannot protect the forest

Mapping the forests will help the Saamaka document incursions and strengthen their case for government protection, but it does not give them legal title to the land.

In 2007, the Saamaka won a landmark case at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights after challenging logging and mining concessions granted in their traditional territory. The court ruled that Suriname had violated their property rights and ordered the government to demarcate their territory and grant them collective title. Nearly two decades later, Jabini says key parts of the legally binding ruling remain unimplemented, leaving communities without the legal authority to control what happens on their land.

Goedschalk, the adviser to Suriname’s president, said the president has imposed a moratorium on new gold mining concessions and extensions to ease pressure on the country’s interior. He also pointed to Suriname’s commitment to maintain 90% forest cover, saying cooperation with communities such as the Saamaka would be essential to meeting that goal.

Opposing mining interests can carry personal risks

Jabini said he received a death threat earlier this year after Saamaka communities challenged a gold-mining concession near Paba Creek, a major Apaki protected area. He reported the threat to police and temporarily changed his movements. Earlier threats drove him to live in the Netherlands from 2016 to 2022. Since returning, he said, he has taken greater security precautions and avoids publicizing his whereabouts.

There are divisions within Saamaka communities, too. Gold mining provides income for some residents, and Jabini acknowledges that those who depend on it may support the industry’s expansion, even as others fight to keep it out of protected forests. With Suriname preparing for an offshore oil boom, questions are also growing about how new wealth and development could affect the country’s forested interior.

For Saamaka leaders, the maps offer evidence of what their communities have protected for generations. But lasting protection, they say, depends on the government recognizing their territorial rights and stopping unwanted incursions.

For Vola, who helped lead the forest patrol, the stakes extend far beyond his own lifetime.

“This is our wealth and this is what we are fighting for,” he said. “Maybe a thousand generations from now, this must still be here like how our ancestors left it for us.”

___

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

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Consultative Selling: From Needs Analysis to Closed Business

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• Use market, audience, competitive, and consumer insights, including first-party, third-party, and marketplace data, to identify opportunities and build strategic recommendations.

• Convert every needs analysis into a customized multi-platform proposal with KPIs and conversion metrics tied directly to the client’s business outcomes.

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• Negotiate packages, rates, and terms that meet client goals and station revenue targets, then secure signed contracts.

• Move every needs analysis to a clear next step (proposal, presentation, or signed order) and track stage progression in Salesforce.

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Business Development and Account Growth

• Identify, prospect, and develop new advertisers for television and digital platforms.

• Build relationships with business owners and marketing decision-makers by leading strategic conversations around growth, customer acquisition, retention, and return on investment.

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The discovery highlights growing threats to one of the world’s most heavily forested countries, where roads, logging and gold mining are pushing deeper into largely intact rainforest.

Saamaka communities are fighting back with satellite images, GPS mapping and forest patrols, documenting areas they have protected for generations in hopes of securing government recognition of their traditional forest management system.

The Associated Press accompanied community patrols and a helicopter flyover to see how the Saamaka are responding to the incursions.

Here are takeaways from AP’s reporting:

Suriname’s largely intact forests face growing pressure

Suriname, a small South American country of about 650,000 people, remains roughly 93% forested. Its forests absorb more greenhouse gases than the country emits, making it one of the world’s few carbon-negative countries.

But expanding roads are opening previously inaccessible areas to logging and gold mining. Tribal territories have lost nearly 154,000 hectares (380,500 acres) of forest since 2001, roughly twice the size of New York City.

During a helicopter flyover, the AP witnessed new roads and clearings pushing into largely intact forest. The damage was less extensive than in parts of neighboring Amazon countries, but offered signs of expanding development in Suriname’s interior.

Saamaka communities combine traditional knowledge with modern technology

For generations, Saamaka clans have governed how their forests are used through traditional agreements, setting aside areas for farming while protecting others for their spiritual, cultural or historical importance.

Now, communities are mapping those traditionally protected areas under an initiative called Apaki, named after a container made from dried calabash fruit traditionally used to preserve food. Just as the container keeps food safe, the initiative aims to safeguard the forest for future generations and strengthen the case for government recognition of their traditional forest management system.

Satellite images help identify suspicious clearings and roads, while GPS mapping, forest patrols and helicopter flyovers allow communities to document incursions on the ground. Young people are also being trained to collect evidence that can support complaints and legal action.

The aim is to document a forest management system that has existed for generations and strengthen the case for its formal recognition by the government.

A landmark land rights ruling remains largely unfulfilled

In 2007, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ordered Suriname to recognize the Saamaka’s collective land rights after ruling that the government had violated their property rights by granting logging and mining concessions on their traditional territory.

Nearly two decades later, Saamaka leaders say key parts of the ruling remain unimplemented, leaving communities without the legal authority to control development on their land.

John Goedschalk, an adviser to Suriname’s president, said the government is updating its legal framework to allow community-protected areas to be formally established. He also said the president had imposed a moratorium on new gold mining concessions and extensions.

But defending the forest carries risks. Hugo Jabini, managing director of the Association of Saamaka Communities, said he received a death threat earlier this year after communities challenged a mining concession near a protected forest area.

For Navaldo Vola, 31, who helped lead the forest patrol, the fight is about preserving the forest for future generations.

“This is our wealth and this is what we are fighting for,” he said. “Maybe a thousand generations from now, this must still be here like how our ancestors left it for us.” ___

Follow Steven Grattan on Instagram: @steven.grattan.

___

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Coastal flooding warnings have been extended through Wednesday, with communities in St. Johns, Nassau, Duval and Flagler counties listed among the most vulnerable areas.

What is a king tide?

A king tide is an unusually high tide that, on its own, can cause flooding in low-lying and coastal areas. When combined with rain and strong winds, the effects can be amplified significantly — impacting not just beaches, but neighborhoods, roadways and areas near rivers and waterways.

Jacksonville’s Southbank neighborhood is among the areas considered especially vulnerable. Its proximity to the St. Johns River puts it at risk of tidal flooding even during dry weather conditions.

Kayaks on the street

The flooding is already affecting daily life for some residents. Cindy Wallace Bayly captured images from her home on Coquina Avenue showing neighbors using kayaks to reach their homes.

Wallace Bayly said she experienced about two hours of flooding during high tide the previous night and was already beginning to see water rising again the following morning.

In Fernandina Beach, the city shared photos over the weekend showing flooding along Front and Center streets, with water visibly rising up along the train tracks in that area.

Government offices close, warnings extended

In St. Augustine, City Hall and several government offices will not open until noon due to flooding concerns in the area.

St. Johns County has also issued a public safety notice in response to the conditions.

Coastal flooding warnings have been extended through Wednesday. Residents are encouraged to monitor conditions both on air and online for updates.

Travel tips for commuters

For those navigating flood-prone neighborhoods on their way to work or school, officials are urging drivers to check road conditions before leaving home and to identify alternate routes in advance.

Leaving earlier than usual is also recommended in the event road closures require a detour. Most importantly, officials are reminding drivers not to attempt to cross flooded roadways.

“If you encounter a flooded road — don’t drive through it,” officials said.

Blanche said earlier this month the DOJ plans to send 1,000 election monitors to polling places in every state on Election Day.

Michael Morley, an elections law expert at Florida State University, joined us on The Morning Show to discuss whether or not the DOJ is overstepping its bounds.

Low gas prices were a key campaign pledge during Trump’s second presidential run. But the energy crisis spawned by the war has left him grasping for solutions and promising that things will get better.

The cost of crude oil — the main ingredient in gasoline as well as diesel — has been volatile as markets and consumers feel whiplash about uncertainty of the war's future. All the while, households are feeling more strain, with cost of living concerns at the top of many voters' minds going into Election Day on Nov. 3.

As of Monday, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline was $4.29, up from $2.98 before the war. Diesel surpassed $6 last month — a record — and now sits at an average of $6.35 a gallon, up from $3.76 in February.

Trump has repeatedly claimed that more expensive fuel is small price to pay for the war, which he describes as necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. He’s also continued to blame his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, for the country’s economic problems. And the president has tried to frame the world’s oil squeeze as good news for U.S. production.

“We’re making a freaking fortune,” Trump told supporters at a campaign rally in Georgia over the weekend.

Here’s how Trump’s views on gas, oil and other energy costs have shifted since the war began.

Feb. 24: Gasoline prices are ‘falling fast’

Trump bragged about gas prices in his 2026 State of the Union address, just days before joining Israel to launch the Feb. 28 attacks on Iran.

“Gasoline, which reached a peak of over $6 a gallon in some states under my predecessor and was, quite honestly, a disaster, is now below $2.30 a gallon in most states, and in some places $1.99 a gallon," he said. "And when I visited the great state of Iowa just a few weeks ago, I even saw $1.85 a gallon for gasoline, the lowest in four years, and falling fast."

AT THE PUMP: Gasoline prices averaged $2.95 a gallon nationwide, about 19 cents cheaper than a year earlier.

March 12: ‘When oil prices go up, we make a lot of money’

Trump saw a silver lining as oil prices spiked less than two weeks into the war.

“The United States is the largest Oil Producer in the World, by far, so when oil prices go up, we make a lot of money," he posted on his social media site Truth Social.

THE PRICE TAG ON OIL: Brent crude cost over $100 a barrel, up from about $70 in 2025.

June 29: ‘Gasoline Retailers must get their Prices down, IMMEDIATELY!’

As oil costs cooled amid hopes for peace earlier this summer, Trump expressed frustration that gas prices were not falling quicker.

“They’re too high considering that Oil is now at $68 a Barrel, and heading south,” he posted on social media. "The Retailers must quickly react to this statement, and do what they know is right — DROP YOUR PRICE FOR OUR GREAT AMERICAN PEOPLE! There will be no gauging, which is totally illegal. If Retailers don’t do this, big problems lie ahead!"

AT THE PUMP: The national average for gasoline was $3.86 a gallon — down from over $4.50 in May, but still about 67 cents pricier than a year ago.

July 1: Prices ‘will soon be back’ to record lows

Ahead of the Fourth of July holiday, Trump claimed that lower gas prices were in sight.

“Just as I promised, Oil Prices are plummeting FAST, and Gas Prices at the pump are dropping too, but not as fast as they should be,” he wrote online, as he anticipated discounts at some “Freedom Fuel” stations near Philadelphia. “Gas Prices will soon be back to the Record Low Prices Americans enjoyed at the pump before our very successful ‘excursion’ in Iran.”

THE PRICE TAG ON OIL: Amid wider hopes for peace, Brent crude fell to $71.57 a barrel from its triple-digit highs.

Sept. 9: Oil prices will come down ‘right after’ midterms

In early September, Trump said that he didn’t think oil prices would cool before the midterm elections.

“Right after the election, oil prices are going to be tumbling downward,” Trump said at the time. “I think it’s going to take a little bit longer than the midterm.”

THE PRICE TAG ON OIL: As fighting once more escalated, Brent spiked past $101 compared with $66 a barrel a year earlier.

Sept. 16: More expensive gas is a ‘very inexpensive price to pay'

At a North Carolina campaign stop, Trump continued to downplay surging gas prices and again described the war as necessary.

“You have a little higher. It’s a very inexpensive price to pay for what we’ve done,” Trump said. “Remember that. It’s a little more. Frankly, even if it was a lot more.”

AT THE PUMP: Gasoline prices averaged $4.37 a gallon, about $1.18 more expensive than they were at the same time in 2025.

Oct. 9: Diesel prices will be ‘coming down, in record numbers’

Earlier this month, Trump said he struck a deal to buy Russian diesel to tamp down a spike in fuel prices — marking a stark reversal of years of U.S. pressure on Moscow over its war with Ukraine. He also continued to claim the U.S. retained control of the Strait of Hormuz, despite traffic remaining well below pre-war levels amid threats of further attacks from Tehran.

“Between our TOTAL CONTROL of the Strait of Hormuz, and this great announcement on Russian Energy, Diesel Prices for Americans and, indeed, the World, will be COMING DOWN, IN RECORD NUMBERS, AND FAST!" he wrote. "Lower prices for Americans, especially our Great Farmers, Ranchers, and Truckers, is my Greatest Priority.”

THE COST OF DIESEL: The national average for diesel was $6.28 a gallon, slightly down from a high of nearly $6.53 in September.

Oct. 19: Farmers will get more relief ‘when Republicans win’

Trump announced his administration's latest effort to offset steep diesel costs: a new harvest fuel relief program, which he claimed would provide $8 billion in support for farmers.

“When Republicans win, we will pass even more funding for our farmers," Trump said at a Kansas campaign rally, where he also asked the crowd to “pretend please that I’m on the ballot."

THE COST OF DIESEL: Nationwide, diesel averaged about $6.32 a gallon — 74% more expensive than a year earlier, when the fuel cost $3.63 a gallon.

Oct. 24: ‘We’re making money like this country has never made before’

Over the weekend, Trump argued once more that the Iran war means profits for the U.S. oil and gas business -- claiming that the country “is making hundreds of billions of dollars because of what’s happened in the Middle East.”

“My people said, ‘Please don’t mention that sir, because people are paying a little higher’,” the president said at a Georgia campaign rally on Saturday, adding that he can already see “fake news” headlines about consumers still suffering from steeper prices. “But I said I don’t give a damn. I’m going to say it. We’re making a freaking fortune. Our country is getting stronger and stronger all the time. And those pump prices are going to come down.”

AT THE PUMP: Gas prices averaged at nearly $4.30 a gallon nationwide on Saturday. A year ago, drivers were paying about $3.07.

The seasonal squash can also be a healthy addition to a variety of meals.

“I don’t think people realize how versatile pumpkin is. You can incorporate it into a variety of dishes, especially when it’s paired with warm spices like cardamom and curry,” said Beth Czerwony, RD, registered dietitian at Cleveland Clinic.

According to Czerwony, pumpkin is packed with nutrients, including vitamin A for eye health, fiber for digestion and antioxidants that help protect your cells.

It’s also low in calories and can help keep you feeling fuller longer.

Czerwony said pumpkin can be used in both sweet and savory dishes, from soups and chili to oatmeal and pancakes.

You can even roast the seeds for a crunchy snack that’s rich in protein, healthy fats and minerals like magnesium.

To get your fix this season, Czerwony recommends using actual pumpkin instead of pumpkin-flavored products.

“This time of year, it’s easy to get excited about all things pumpkin. But many pumpkin-flavored products are highly processed and contain a lot of added sugar, like lattes and cereals,” Czerwony said.

While pumpkin gets the most attention in the fall, Czerwony added that canned pumpkin makes it possible to enjoy the nutritional benefits all year long.

Andre McKechnie, 55, who is serving a life sentence for murder, took his battle for the salty, sticky, black-brown byproduct of brewing beer to the Supreme Court of the state of Victoria last year.

He had argued being refused Vegemite denied him his right under the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act to “enjoy his culture as an Australian in the community with other persons of Australian background,” court documents showed.

Justice Claire Harris accepted prison authorities’ refusal to allow McKechnie Vegemite “limited his cultural rights” under the charter.

But she found the ban was justified in meeting authorities’ goals of removing illicit drugs and alcohol from the prison system.

“The limitation on Mr. McKechnie’s ability to enjoy Vegemite in community with other persons of Australian background is primarily that he is a prisoner,” Harris wrote in her 47-page judgment.

Prison officials testify Vegemite could impair drug sniffer dogs and be used to make alcohol

Prison officials testified at a trial in July that Vegemite had been banned throughout the state’s 12 prisons for the past 20 years because it could potentially impair sniffer dogs’ ability to detect narcotics and could be used to brew alcohol because of its yeast content.

McKechnie, who represented himself in court by video link from maximum security Barwon Prison west of Melbourne, argued that the fact that neighboring New South Wales state did not ban Vegemite from its prisons was evidence that there were “less restrictive means reasonably available” to achieve such drug and alcohol outcomes.

Most Australians revere Vegemite as an unfairly maligned culinary icon, and more than 80% of Australian households are estimated to have a jar in their pantries. Vegemite is typically considered an acquired taste at best by those who weren't raised on it.

The last U.S. president to visit Australia, Barack Obama, once said: “It’s horrible.”

Prisoner argues Vegemite ban contributed to vitamin deficiency

McKechnie had initially testified that the lack of Vegemite had contributed to his thiamine deficiency.

He said both Vegemite and pork were sources of thiamine, also known as vitamin B1. As a Jew who observed kosher law, he told the court he couldn’t eat pork either and took daily doses of the vitamin.

Vegemite has long been marketed as a source of B vitamins thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3) and folate (B9) which are promoted as healthy additions to the diets of growing children.

But McKechnie dropped the thiamine issue as “not important,” after lawyers for the prison authorities objected to his evidence.

Prisoner said Vegemite ban left him feeling ‘deprived, sad and disconnected’

McKechnie said not eating Vegemite made him feel “deprived of being able to practice my Australian culture, sad and disconnected from my family and community.”

The judge responded that “it is difficult to accept that the inability to consume Vegemite, rather than the fact of his imprisonment, is a material cause of his sadness and disconnection from his family and community.”

McKechnie cited an article published in the food studies journal “Gastronomica” in 2003 that said, “Vegemite may be the best predictor of national identity of any food in the world.”

The article, based on research by Australia’s Queensland University in 1995, found that a “taste for the spread strongly correlates with early exposure and to Australian birth and ancestry.”

McKechnie also referred to the Australian Olympic Committee overturning an Chinese import ban on Vegemite ahead of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

He cited Australian band Men at Work's 1980s international hit “Down Under” that mentions a “Vegemite sandwich.”

On the effectiveness of smearing contraband with Vegemite, McKechnie cited a Melbourne newspaper article from 2017 that reported a man’s unsuccessful attempt to use the odor of the spread to conceal illicit drugs that he attempted to smuggle into a music festival in Victoria. The attempt was thwarted by police sniffer dogs.

Judge rejects evidence that Vegemite doesn't interfere with drug sniffer dogs

The judge upheld prison authorities’ argument that McKechnie had failed to provide any proper foundations for his opinion that Vegemite does not interfere with drug sniffer dogs.

McKechnie also argued that Vegemite contained “no live yeast” and that any piece of fruit would be more useful in making alcohol than the spread.

A state prison department manager, Kevin White, cited publicly available research that said Vegemite helped home-brewed beer ferment more quickly.

Vegemite's owner, Bega Group, did not respond to a request for comment on Monday.

News4JAX is once again partnering with the City Rescue Mission and Closets by Design to collect personal care items for men, women and children in our community who are without homes.

The Shoeboxes of Love project is for individuals or groups who want to make a boxed toiletry kit that will be given to those who seek emergency shelter at CRM’s New Life Inn.

People come with little to nothing, so shoeboxes filled with personal hygiene items are a small way to provide hope to those in need.

Please remember that most of these people carry their possessions in a backpack and larger items become heavy. Donors are asked to wrap the box with a new blanket and indicate on each box whether it is for a man, a woman, or a child (boy or girl).

City Rescue Mission, Closets by Design, and WJXT-Channel 4 are collecting these shoeboxes, starting Nov. 1. Collections will continue through Nov. 23 during regular business hours.

Shoeboxes of Love may be dropped off at:

• City Rescue Mission, 426 S. McDuff Ave., 32254
• Closets by Design, 3728 Philips Highway, Suite 301 & 304, 32207
• WJXT Channel 4 Studios, 4 Broadcast Place, 32207

Officials in Florida's Okaloosa County expect to sink the SS United States off the Gulf Coast during the second week of November. The exact dates could change because of weather.

The ship will be sunk about 22 nautical miles (41 kilometers) southwest of Destin.

“This is an exciting move forward to create a one-of-a-kind resource for the environment and for our tourism industry,” county officials wrote in a news release.

The nearly 1,000-foot (305-meter) vessel shattered the trans-Atlantic speed record on its maiden voyage in 1952. Preservation groups tried to save the ship but were hindered by high costs.

Supporters hope that sinking the ship will make it a barnacle-encrusted star among more than 500 artificial reefs and a signature diving attraction, helping to generate millions of dollars a year in local tourism spending for scuba shops, charter fishing boats and hotels.

Filling up a basic Ford F-150 truck now costs about $100, up $30 from a year ago. Mortgage rates have jumped to levels that have depressed home sales. And for the past 12 months, consumer prices have risen faster than paychecks, making the average family poorer.

One week before midterm elections that will serve as a referendum on his second term, Trump is struggling to deliver on his campaign promise to bring down costs, even as he insists the country has entered an economic “golden age." The same frustration that powered his comeback two years ago could now cost Republicans control of Congress.

“Our nation is doing better now than ever before,” Trump insists while campaigning, vowing that interest rates and oil prices will plunge once the war with Iran — which he started — comes to an end.

The word “affordability,” he says, is nothing but “a con job by the Democrats," adding that “it doesn’t mean anything to anybody.”

Trump's rosy rhetoric meets voters' reality

That rhetoric comes as voters say they're struggling to afford basics like fuel and groceries and as they blame Trump for higher costs, pointing to the Republican president's aggressive tariff policies and the ongoing, unpopular war with Iran.

Record-high diesel prices, in particular, have driven up shipping and farming costs, creating trouble for Republicans in typically conservative states such as Iowa, Kansas, Ohio and Texas, where Democrats appear uniquely competitive in races that will shape Trump's final two years in office.

“The costs of things are absolutely the first thing people talk about, but also it’s their pay not keeping up with the cost,” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler. “It’s a double whammy.”

Prices at the pump have become a preeminent issue for voters.

"People hate paying more money for gas, and the prices have gone up a lot,” said Stephen Moore, who has previously advised the president on the economy. “It’s frustrating because Trump’s done so many good things for the economy. But with the Iran situation, that’s really had a big effect on the economy, and Republicans may pay a high price for that.”

Misty Reeder, 48, said she considers herself “in the middle” politically but picked all Democrats on her ballot in Easley, South Carolina.

“I’ve noticed that things have been getting a lot harder,” said Reeder, who receives disability payments. “You hear about it everywhere you go."

In the six years that she and her husband have been renting their home, Reeder said their rent had increased by hundreds of dollars.

“Something’s gotta give,” she said. “It’s like a dam — the pressure’s too much, and it’s going to break.”

Sandra Capell, 69, said she wants “to see some change" when it comes to the economy even though she voted Republican in Easley, which is part of South Carolina's conservative Upstate region.

“I think everybody is kind of suffering when it comes to groceries, gas, everything really,” she said. “I’m looking at the Republican Party to jump on the wagon, get in the saddle and let’s bring it back.”

Beti Rosales, 47, said higher prices have taken a toll on her family's Mexican restaurant in Allentown, Pennsylvania, part of the Lehigh Valley that has seesawed between the parties in recent years. Limes and avocados cost more than before. So does the plumber who's occasionally needed.

Two years ago, Rosales decided to give Trump and Republicans a chance, hoping for relief from inflation.

“The reality now is that it actually didn’t get better," she said. "It actually got worse. The prices of everything have increased."

Rosales is now considering voting Democratic in the midterms.

"Maybe fresh new faces might make a difference?” she said.

Trump promised he’d bring prices down

While running in 2024, Trump hammered President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, his Democratic opponent in the election, for high inflation, which climbed as high as 9.1% in June 2022. He promised voters he would lower gasoline prices and unlock roaring growth.

“With your vote in this election, I will end inflation,” he vowed.

In less than two years, Trump has aggressively remodeled the U.S. economy. He's slapped double-digit tariffs on many trading partners — including the European Union, India, Japan, Canada and Mexico — and sparked trade wars with allies. The U.S. government now holds stakes in several dozen private companies. He's signed broad income tax cuts into law.

But the persistent challenge of inflation has continued, overshadowing the positives of continued economic growth and a low unemployment rate. Inflation was 3% when Trump took office and reached 3.7% last month.

The president has played down the intensity of inflation, claiming that it is under 2% and “under control.”

Democrats have seized on the discontent, using the same high cost of living that sank them before to pressure vulnerable Republicans and put congressional districts Trump won by even double digits in play.

“Now remember, they promised to lower prices on Day One. Instead, under the failed President Donald J. Trump, it costs more than ever in American history to fill up your truck, stock your fridge, visit the doctor or power your home,” said Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff, a Democrat running for reelection, at a recent rally in Atlanta.

“You work harder and harder, but the treadmill gets faster and steeper and the bills get higher and higher," he told the crowd.

Cait Conley, a Democrat running in New York against Republican Rep. Mike Lawler, one of his party’s most vulnerable incumbents, harkened back to his tweet from the last midterm elections, when Biden was president. Lawler had advised voters to "fill up your tank and go grocery shopping — it will inform your decision.”

In a new ad, Conley said voters should follow that advice this year "and then tell me if the system’s working for you.”

“You deserve better. It shouldn’t be this hard," she says.

Democrats turn Trump's attacks back on him

Conley and other candidates have pounded on a theme that Democrats believe will be especially effective this cycle: accusing Trump and other Republicans of compounding voters' economic pain by corruptly pursuing policies that help their billionaire donors at the expense of everyday Americans.

“I know you’re frustrated. Washington politicians get rich while you get hurt. Corporations make huge profits while your costs go up," North Carolina Senate candidate Roy Cooper says in an ad airing in the competitive state.

That has included a particular focus on the war with Iran.

“Trump’s war abroad costs taxpayers a billion dollars a day on a war we have no business fighting. Our schools crumble, our factories shutter, our gas prices skyrocket. But when they want war, billion-dollar blank checks," says Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed in another spot.

The president "thinks that the economy is doing well because he and his family have enriched themselves to the tune of several billion dollars,” said Amy Richards, 56, a onetime Republican who has voted Democratic since Trump became his party's 2016 nominee.

“He has zero idea what it is like to receive a paycheck and have to feed yourself and your family,” said Richards, standing outside a polling place in her town of Round Rock, Texas, on Friday, "and he doesn’t care.”

Republicans, meanwhile, have tried to cast Democrats as extreme, pointing to an ascendant populist wing that includes a number of Democratic socialists.

Moore, who advised Trump's campaigns, said he wished Republicans would spend more time talking about the economy’s strengths, including rising median incomes and a record-setting stock market, even as he acknowledged those numbers might not resonate with voters.

“What matters is how people feel, and clearly people are feeling stressed out financially,” he said.

Some Trump supporters remain satisfied. Renee Blood, 57, an executive assistant in Round Rock, feels the economy has “improved quite well."

“Of course we see gas prices up and down, but things are much more affordable,” she said.

She plans to vote Republican because she worries things will get worse if Democrats return to power.

Trump’s golden age might not have arrived, she said, but “we are still working on it.”

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Colvin reported from New York. Associated Press writer Meg Kinnard in Easley, S.C.; Mike Catalini in Allentown, Pa.; and Jesse Bedayn in Round Rock, Texas, contributed to this report.

Messi, of course, is still in the running for soccer's top individual prize at the age of 39 after his outstanding performances at the World Cup. And while it feels like this is the start of the Yamal-Mbappé era, Harry Kane's outrageous goalscoring exploits could yet push that rivalry back by another year.

The women's award, won by Barcelona and Spain star Aitana Bonmati for the past three years, will go to someone else this time around. Bonmati is not on the shortlist after breaking her leg in December.

Two-time winner Alexia Putellas is the favorite to lift the trophy for a third time.

Here's what to know about the Ballon d'Or, which is French for Golden Ball.

Where and when is the Ballon d'Or ceremony?

The ceremony will be staged at the London Palladium on Monday at 2000 GMT. It is the first time the annual ceremony is held outside France since 2015 and the first time in London. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the awards presented by French magazine France Football since 1956. The women's award was created in 2018.

The favorites to win the Ballon d'Or

Of the 30-man shortlist for the men's award, four names have dominated the conversation.

Yamal, Mbappé, Kane and Messi are the favorites to lift the prize won last year by Ousmane Dembélé.

Yamal was named the best young player for the last two years and after helping Spain to the World Cup and Barcelona to the Spanish title, he looks well-placed to win his first Ballon d'Or.

Mbappé was long-expected to be confirmed the best player in the world before now, having won the 2018 World Cup at the age of 19. But, if anything, he has been slipping down the Ballon d'Or rankings, coming seventh last year.

He had an outstanding season individually last term, even becoming the highest scorer in World Cup history, but did not lead Real Madrid or France to trophies. That could work against him.

The opposite is true of Kane, who has been breaking goalscoring records in Germany and winning titles with Bayern Munich. He was also one of the top performers at the World Cup as England finished third.

Messi just won't go away

Many might have expected Messi to leave the Ballon d'Or conversation after moving to MLS and Inter Miami., but the Argentine, who is widely regarded as the greatest player of all time, clearly had other ideas.

He inspired Miami to its first MLS Cup last season and then rolled back the years to drive Argentina to within one win of back-to-back World Cups. Ultimately Argentina came up short in the final against Spain, but the tournament was undoubtedly lit up by Messi's brilliance once again.

Putellas back on top

Putellas is favorite to win the women's award after returning to her best to win the Champions League and Spanish title with Barcelona before joining London City Lionesses.

The Spain star, who suffered ligament damage and watched as Bonmati overtook her as the best female soccer player in the world, can confirm her return to the summit of the sport by lifting the trophy again, albeit in the absence of the injured Bonmati.

Leading contenders include Manchester City's Khadija Shaw and Barcelona's Claudia Pina.

How the Ballon d'Or is judged

Ultimately it is a matter of opinion — voted for by one journalist from each of FIFA’s top 100-ranked nations. The criteria include individual and team performances, “decisive and impressive character” and “class and fair play.”

Each journalist picks 10 names from the 30 nominees in descending order, with each position scored on a basis of 15 points for the top choice and one for the 10th. The player with the highest number of points is awarded the Ballon d'Or.

Tiebreakers include the number of first-place mentions, then second-place mentions and so on.

Kane's flying start won't help him

Kane just can't stop scoring and the records keep on falling.

Last month he became the fastest player to score 100 Bundesliga goals, reaching that landmark in just 98 appearances.

Such outstanding form at the start of the season have only seemed to confirmed his march toward the Ballon d'Or. There's just one problem -- the judging period ended after the World Cup. The official judging dates from Aug. 3, 2025 to July 19, 2026.

Sure Kane's numbers and his trophies over that period have already put him well in the frame to lift the award, but if the start of this campaign had been included as well, his case to be called the best player in the world would have been even stronger.

Most wins

Messi holds the record with eight wins, his most recent coming in 2023. Cristiano Ronaldo is next on the list with five wins, the last in 2017.

Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten have three each.

It's not just about the Ballon d'Or

Also presented at the ceremony are awards for the men's and women's young talent, goalkeeper, coach, club and striker.

There is also the Socrates Award for “solidarity initiatives and societal causes”.

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

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See AP’s full soccer coverage here

With the country overwhelmed by grief and anger after the deadliest security breakdown in its history, his resignation seemed like a matter of time.

But the divisive veteran Israeli leader has scratched, scraped and literally battled his way back during a stormy three-year period of nonstop domestic crises and wars across the region. Confounding his critics, he now finds himself in a tight race for reelection on Tuesday.

Netanyahu has been the country’s most dominant politician for nearly two decades, and his legacy is on the line. A poor showing could end the 77-year-old’s lengthy career on a bitter note and open the door to a new era in Israeli politics. A victory would cement his image as the ultimate political survivor.

Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, a onetime ally turned rival of Netanyahu, said there has never been so much at stake — from national security to the future of Israel’s democratic institutions and its standing in the world. After a series of wars that have destabilized the region and jolted the global economy, the world is watching closely.

Politicians often say the current election is the most fateful in their country's history, Olmert said, but “this time it really is.”

The vote is a referendum on Netanyahu

Netanyahu's opponents, led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, see Tuesday as a day of reckoning. They say Netanyahu should be held accountable for Oct. 7 and the failure to turn battlefield victories into diplomatic achievements.

“What he is offering is an eternal war,” Eisenkot, whose son and two nephews were killed in combat, said in a radio interview. “Choosing a leader whose only goal is not to surrender means choosing a leader who will not deliver victories.”

Netanyahu’s supporters say he was betrayed by Israel’s defense establishment and that he has led the country through a remarkable turnaround with devastating strikes against Hamas, Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Iran.

The Israeli leader has also turned to his traditional use of scare tactics. His campaign slogan, “Right or Palestine,” which rhymes in Hebrew, suggests his opponents would establish a Palestinian state alongside Israel, something his main rivals vehemently reject.

A two-state solution, still seen internationally as the only realistic way to solve the conflict, is politically toxic in Israel — another legacy of Netanyahu's long rule.

Scars of Oct. 7 have hung heavily over the campaign

Nearly every poster, stump speech or televised debate seems to reference the Oct. 7 attack, which has scarred the country and remains fresh in the minds of voters.

Some 1,200 people were killed that day and 251 others taken hostage, the last of whom were returned in a ceasefire deal last year.

Israel responded with a military offensive that has killed over 74,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to local health authorities, left the territory in ruins and triggered open-ended wars in Lebanon and Iran. Netanyahu faces an international arrest warrant, experts have accused Israel of genocide, and Israel’s image has further deteriorated with a spike in settler violence in the occupied West Bank.

Most Israelis across the political spectrum reject the war crimes and genocide allegations. But Netanyahu's opponents, including many former hostages, refer to his outgoing coalition as the “failure government” and have pledged to launch an official investigation into how Oct. 7 was allowed to happen.

Netanyahu has refused such an inquiry and calls his ongoing — and inconclusive — military campaigns a “war of redemption.”

Boosted by an endorsement from President Donald Trump, Netanyahu has also tried to turn attention to Iran, threatening to resume the war, and vowing to destroy its nuclear program and topple its government.

“Donald, we have a job to finish. You said it and we’ll finish it together,” he said in a conversation with Trump released by his campaign.

Oct. 7 failures have deepened earlier fissures in the country

Netanyahu's rule has left Israelis bitterly divided over other issues, especially a longstanding system granting ultra-Orthodox men exemptions from military service.

In a country where enlistment is mandatory for most Jewish men and women, these exemptions have always angered the broader public. But resentment has grown as hundreds of young soldiers have been killed in battle and tens of thousands have been pulled away from families and careers for reserve duty.

Netanyahu, who has close ties with politically powerful ultra-Orthodox parties, has resisted attempts to end the exemptions.

He has also outraged many Israelis with his attempts to overhaul the legal system.

Before the war, Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption charges, launched a controversial plan to weaken the courts. That prompted mass anti-government demonstrations by crowds who accused him of undermining the country’s system of checks and balances to escape prosecution.

Each side has accused the other of weakening Israel on the eve of the Oct. 7 attacks. The plan has been mostly frozen since then, but Netanyahu’s allies want to revive it.

A clear winner is unlikely

Israelis vote for political parties, not individual candidates. Since no political party has ever captured a 61-seat majority on its own, political leaders must form coalitions.

Netanyahu has been a master at forming coalitions with religious and nationalist partners, but opinion polls suggest a tight race between his bloc and the one led by Eisenkot.

With non-aligned Arab parties campaigning hard, there is a strong possibility that neither of the main Jewish blocs will capture a majority. That could set the stage for weeks or even months of negotiations among around a dozen parties expected to win seats.

Small parties could gain leverage and promises may be broken

Netanyahu’s allies and members of Eisenkot’s bloc both say they will not govern with Arab partners.

Amid so much uncertainty, a number of scenarios are possible — including a unity government between Eisenkot and Netanyahu, or an Eisenkot-led government backed by Arab partners from outside the coalition.

Eisenkot says he will not serve in a Netanyahu government. But politicians have broken promises before. The alternative would be to hold new elections early next year — leaving Netanyahu in office until then.

The Palestinians are barely an issue

Largely missing from the Israeli public discourse is any discussion of the dire situation in Gaza or Israel's open-ended military rule over millions of Palestinians.

The Oct. 7 attack, which came after decades of conflict and four previous wars with Hamas, convinced many Israelis there was no partner for peace, while Netanyahu and his allies have largely succeeded in branding the Israeli left as weak or even traitorous.

Palestinians have little hope their lives will improve regardless of whether Netanyahu wins or loses.

Olmert, who led the last serious negotiations with the Palestinians before a corruption scandal forced him from office and Netanyahu replaced him in 2009, said the candidates aren’t discussing the two-state solution because it is not popular with voters.

But given the international outrage over the situation in Gaza and settler attacks, he said it will be impossible for the next government to ignore the issue for long.

“Sooner or later, a new government will have to deal with it,” he said.

A few steps to his left, right, front or back and a big red "X" appears on the video board above home plate. That's not good.

If he stays on that little island of dirt in a sea of grass, a big ‘O’ appears and the video board is green. Much better.

Welcome to Major League Baseball's newest experiment in its long-running quest to juice the game's sluggish offense: Restricting the positioning of outfielders on every at-bat. The idea is that making outfielders play straight up — instead of adjusting for individual hitters' tendencies — will lead to more doubles and triples.

“The hardest part is cutting off doubles in the gap and they’re even turning into triples,” DeBarge said. “That’s what they told us they wanted in the beginning. So it works.”

Infielders also have new positioning requirements when there are no runners on base, limiting how much they can shift for a hitter's tendencies.

The Arizona Fall League has long been a testing ground for the next generation of MLB players, and lately, it's also been a venue for testing potential rules changes. As an example, the AFL was experimenting with the current Automated Ball-Strike system long before it hit the big leagues in 2026.

MLB feels that the AFL is a good opportunity to test rules in a relatively low-stakes environment. The league declined official comment on the most recent experiment, and any change to big-league rules would still be years away.

The outfield positioning experiment is limited to just games that are played at Salt River Fields, since it has similar technology to MLB parks.

“We talked to our guys about embracing it, it only happens in our ballpark, so embrace it and move on,” Salt River manager Ted Tom said. “There's going to be some things that we've never seen before. That's OK, just keep playing.”

MLB still searching for more offense

The rules package that MLB debuted in 2023 has widely been seen as a success. The pitch clock was the biggest change — and drastically reduced game times — but there were also tweaks that included rules on infield shifts, bigger bases and a limit on how many times a pitcher could disengage from the rubber.

The idea was to make the games faster and increase offense.

The former objective was definitely achieved. The latter, not so much.

Most of MLB's offensive numbers have barely budged since the new rules package was debuted. Game times are about 25 minutes shorter and stolen bases are up, but batting average (.243 in 2022 and .244 in 2026), runs per game (4.28 in 2022, 4.48 in 2026) and hits per game (8.16 in 2022, 8.20 in 2026) haven't changed much.

The lack of offense is even more stark during MLB's postseason. Through Game 2 of the World Series, teams have combined for a .216 batting average through 37 games.

A good pitcher's duel certainly has its merits, but the occasional 12-8 score can keep fans engaged, too. Doubles and triples are exciting, and MLB wants to see more of them.

“The pros are that you're never out of the game, it's very exciting for the fans and there's lots of action, which is part of the intention,” Tom said.

Doubles, triples galore

The experimental rules force outfielders at Salt River Fields to play much more shallow than they would in most situations, which means they are forced to go back on fly balls much more often than normal.

The flip side is that there are almost no bloop singles.

“It’s a give and take,” Washington Nationals prospect Teo Banks said. “Your first move is always back with how shallow you are — lots of running. But I think there's some part of strategy that's taken away with something like this.”

Banks wasn't kidding about the running. The left fielder was discussing the new rules after Scottsdale beat Salt River 15-8 during Thursday's game that featured five triples — which was an AFL record.

There's little question that the experiment is having an effect. But is it too much of a change?

Tom — the Salt River manager — thought about the question for a moment and then gave a little grin before mimicking a zipper across his lips.

Some things are better left unsaid.

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See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Farmer Mike has been chiseling whimsical faces and comical creatures into big pumpkins for more than four decades. Wearing his trademark orange overalls and farmer hat, he's sculpted hundreds of gourds into ghoulish faces, seaside landscapes, witches, dragons and pop culture figures such as Yoda and Charlie Brown.

Valladao doesn’t have any formal artistic training, but he's always looking for inspiration. He gets ideas from looking at art in a museum or just walking down the street.

“Sometimes I’ll look at somebody and I’ll think, oh, I like the teeth or I like ears or the way the nostrils flare,” Valladao said.

This year, “Farmer Mike” celebrated 40 years of Halloween artistry at the Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival, which is held in mid-October and is best known for its giant pumpkin weigh-off. At the two-day festival on the coast south of San Francisco, Valladao works on stage so people can watch.

His pumpkin carvings have drawn requests from across the US

Valladao stumbled into his artistic hobby after he began growing big pumpkins at his San Jose home in the mid-1980s. He didn’t know what to do with the massive gourds, so he pulled out a knife and started slicing faces into them.

“I’m an engineer by trade and I tend to look at it as building something the same way I would build a piece of hardware, one layer at a time,” he said.

In 1986, festival organizers saw a picture of Valladao’s pumpkins and invited him to showcase his carving skills in Half Moon Bay, where his family opened the town’s first feed and seed store in the 19th century. He grew an 800-pound (363-kilogram) pumpkin once, but it was a lot of work, so he doesn’t participate in the giant pumpkin contest.

His art has since taken him to different parts of the country, including an appearance on “The Tonight Show.” He has gotten requests to carve pumpkins at venues such as the San Diego Zoo, the California Academy of Sciences and the State Fair of Texas.

‘It’s about the illusion of depth'

He uses Atlantic pumpkins that weigh from 100 to 1,000 pounds (45 to 454 kilograms). They have thick skins that allow him to cut protruding facial features shallow or deep.

“It’s really about the illusion of depth,” Valladao said. “I can make it so that it’s three-dimensional, such that the eyes are inset and the nose sticks out. So it’s a little bit of carving, but it’s just adding a little more magic to it.”

Valladao said he doesn’t name his creations because he recognizes the ephemeral nature of his art, which only lasts a few days.

“It never really bothers me when a pumpkin starts to age because in some cases they’ll build character,” Valladao said.

And there are always more pumpkins to be carved.

After 40 years at Half Moon Bay, Valladao doesn’t have any plans to hang up his carving knives.

“It’s fun, it’s enjoyable and, quite frankly, it’s a piece of me,” he said.

In recent weeks, Antonelli and Mercedes had been struggling with a package of car upgrades that often seemed more like downgrades as Max Verstappen and Red Bull took advantage to win back-to-back races.

But Antonelli’s dominant win from pole position at the Circuit of the Americas on Sunday showed he’s now confident of getting the best out of the car over a full race distance at a pace Red Bull and Ferrari largely couldn’t match.

“All this time putting so much work into bringing this new package and finally seeing the result is very pleasant,” he said.

In Singapore earlier this month, Antonelli said there was only a “very, very small” window of performance to unlock the new design's benefits before it became skittish and unpredictable.

Now the car is working as intended, he says there's more to come.

“In some places, I would say, still not as much as we expected, but in other places it is delivering very well,” Antonelli said. “We’re still struggling a little bit in low-speed with front locking, but overall, I feel like the package is finally starting to deliver.”

With much smaller regulation tweaks coming for 2027 compared with the sweeping changes implemented this year, what teams learn from late-season developments can have a direct benefit next year.

Only one of Mercedes' drivers is seeing the benefit. George Russell was at a loss for his “rubbish” pace as he finished eighth in Texas. A five-second penalty didn't help, but Russell told Sky Sports he was clueless about the rest of the yawning gap to Antonelli.

“Hopefully there are some answers somewhere but at the moment I don’t have them,” he said.

Russell has less experience with the upgrades after the team put him back on the old package in Singapore to make a side-by-side comparison.

Verstappen's still a threat after Red Bull developments made his set up more predictable, but the car is slow off the line at the start of the race and it's costing him. Verstappen started second alongside Antonelli but spent his first lap under attack from Charles Leclerc as Antonelli zoomed off into a lead that was never seriously under threat.

“The start definitely is something we’ve improved massively,” Antonelli said. “We were nowhere at the beginning of the season, and now we’re good, so that’s definitely one less thing to worry about.”

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See AP’s full auto racing coverage here

The deadliest day in Israel's history features prominently in the campaign, but not in the way many outsiders might expect.

There's been almost no debate over Israel's wartime conduct in Gaza — which led to an international arrest warrant against Netanyahu — its occupation of much of southern Lebanon and parts of Syria, or its two wars launched against Iran, all of which have broad support.

Instead, candidates have focused on Netanyahu's leadership and moral character; his role in the security breakdown on Oct. 7; his efforts to exempt ultra-Orthodox Jews from military service and a 2023 judicial overhaul seen by critics as an assault on Israel's democratic institutions.

Both of the main electoral blocs are dominated by parties that support Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank and oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state, and no major candidate is advocating a return to the long-moribund peace process.

Here's a closer look.

Netanyahu's handling of Oct. 7 and its aftermath

People heading to the polls will pass the faces of fallen soldiers peering from stickers on train station walls and faded yellow ribbons honoring the hostages, the last of whom were returned in a ceasefire deal last year.

Around 68% of Jewish Israelis say their attitudes toward Oct. 7 are a central factor in deciding which party to support, according to the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem think tank. Among the Arab minority, just 32% said it factored prominently, with most citing crime as the main issue.

Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, has sought to shift blame for the failures surrounding Oct. 7 to security officials while touting Israel’s military achievements against Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and their patron, Iran.

Critics accuse him of evading responsibility by blocking an official inquiry into the attack, of not reaching a deal to bring back the hostages sooner, and of failing to win a decisive victory against any of Israel's foes.

Anger over exemptions from military service

Netanyahu's governing coalitions have long relied on ultra-Orthodox parties that demand exemptions from military conscription for young men engaged in religious studies. That policy has infuriated Israel's secular majority as reservists have been repeatedly called up in the various wars.

Military service is mandatory for most Jewish men and women, and about a quarter of Jewish voters polled by the Israel Democracy Institute ranked the issue as a key factor in deciding which party to support.

The country is struggling with a shortage of soldiers. Each year, around 13,000 ultra-Orthodox men reach the conscription age of 18, but fewer than 10% enlist.

“We have this notion that military service is a kind of permit to citizenship,” said Tamar Hermann, an expert on Israeli public opinion with the Israel Democracy Institute. It makes you a “legitimate part” of Israeli Jewish society, she added.

Netanyahu’s chief rival, Gadi Eisenkot, has vowed to end the de facto exemptions. The former military chief and political centrist lost his son and two nephews to combat in Gaza.

Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, said the military exemptions were “probably the number one issue” for the anti-Netanyahu coalition.

Netanyahu's judicial overhaul remains divisive

Netanyahu’s plan to overhaul the judiciary and weaken the Supreme Court sparked mass protests in Israel in 2023, leaving the country fiercely polarized when Hamas attacked.

Netanyahu portrayed it as an attempt to curb the authority of unelected judges, while critics viewed it as a power grab by a prime minister who has been indicted on corruption allegations.

After the Oct. 7 attack, the public focus shifted to Gaza, and many who had mobilized against the judicial changes redirected their efforts to demand a deal to release the hostages.

Only 18% of Jewish Israelis said the judicial overhaul was a main factor in deciding which party to support, according to the Israel Democracy Institute. “There’s some public fatigue,” Hermann said.

On the left, judicial changes raised greater concern, with 22.5% of voters saying the issue will influence their decision at the ballot box. Among centrist and right-wing voters, it did not rank among the top four issues.

Last year, Israel’s parliament passed a law giving the government a larger role in appointing judges. But it won’t take effect until the next legislature is sworn in, and the anti-Netanyahu bloc has vowed to repeal it.

Questions of leadership loom large

Israelis vote for parties, not specific candidates, and no single party is expected to win anywhere close to a 61-seat majority in parliament, known as the Knesset. Whoever can cobble together a majority coalition will become the next prime minister.

If no one is able to, Netanyahu's government will continue to serve as caretaker until another round of elections in the coming months.

More than a quarter of Jewish Israelis view the head of the party as a key factor in deciding how to vote, according to the Israel Democracy Institute.

Netanyahu's supporters see him as a veteran statesman who has gone toe-to-toe with U.S. presidents and other world leaders, resisting pressure to end the war in Gaza or make other concessions that could harm Israel's security. His opponents think he's a crook.

Eisenkot's supporters point to his long military service and his personal losses in the ongoing wars. The son of Moroccan Jewish immigrants would also be the first Israeli prime minister of non-European descent, though he has not made that a central part of his campaign.

The economy and cost of living

Israel isn't immune from the affordability concerns that have roiled elections worldwide in recent years.

The cost of living has soared, and is higher than in many wealthy European countries like Austria, Denmark and Sweden, according to research by Sarit Menahem-Carmi of the Aaron Institute for Economic Policy at Reichman University.

Netanyahu says his policies have unleashed growth and contributed to the rise of a world-class tech sector, while opponents say many Israelis have been left behind.

Among Jewish Israelis, 38% said the economy and cost of living are the most important or second most important issue in the election, a stance that rose to 46% among Arabs, the Israel Democracy Institute found.

But you wouldn’t know it from the campaign.

None of the main candidates has made the economy a central issue or drawn attention to the costs of the various wars. Joseph Zeira, an economics professor at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, said the high levels of military spending cannot be ignored.

“The cost of the conflict is tremendous,” Zeira said.

With 100% of the vote counted, Brazil’s electoral court announced that the soon to be 81-year-old Lula had a lead of nearly 4.4 million votes over opponent Flávio Bolsonaro, giving him 51.8% of the total vote. Bolsonaro quickly refused to concede defeat and asked for the election results to be annulled after an evening of chaos at some polling places that followed a last-minute decision to extend voting by two hours.

Bolsonaro is the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, whom Lula defeated to take the presidency in 2022.

Lula's triumph bucks a regional trend of victories for right-of-center presidential candidates allied with Trump. It also means Latin America’s largest economy, with a GDP of $2.6 trillion per year, will likely continue defying Trump’s demands, despite the pressure of increased tariffs.

Lula says Brazil is ‘not anyone’s backyard'

A video published by Lula’s campaign shows the veteran leader celebrating with First Lady Rosângela da Silva and allies after his runoff victory was confirmed by Brazil’s electoral court. Wearing star-shaped red glasses, he kissed his wife.

Speaking to his supporters, thousands of whom gathered on Sao Paulo's main artery and in Rio de Janeiro's Cinelandia Square, Lula expressed his gratitude to the Brazilian people, and pledged to respect all Brazilians, regardless of gender or religion. He also attacked Bolsonaro.

“This was a defeat for denialism and lies. I must confess that every time I attended a debate, I felt embarrassed,” he said.

He also doubled down on his commitment to Brazil’s sovereignty.

“Either the homeland remains free, or we die for Brazil,” he said. “This country will not accept being anyone’s backyard.”

In Rio de Janeiro, cars beeped their horns and a woman dressed in red — the color of Lula supporters — shouted “You lost! Cry harder!” to four men in yellow and green sipping beers, Bolsonaro's signature colors. A huge roar echoed in the street as the result was confirmed.

Rodrigo Valentim, a 51-year-old businessman and supporter of Bolsonaro, said that another Lula government would harm the economy. He pointed to financial markets’ positive reaction to the result of the first round, when Bolsonaro bested Lula.

“I don’t understand how people can vote for Lula,” he said. “The country is collapsing.”

Lula is set to begin his fourth non-consecutive term as president on Jan. 5, 2027.

Bolsonaro rejects results after confusion at polling places

The electoral court's announcement ended an evening of confusion at polling places after Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin ruled three minutes before the scheduled end of voting to keep polls open for two more hours, following requests by both candidates. Lula’s request came after issues with buses that provide transportation to polls in Sao Paulo and Salvador, two cities that tend to favor the incumbent. Bolsonaro’s request was due to heavy rains in Brazil’s south, where he is favored.

The decision delayed tallying the votes by two hours. It was unclear how many polling stations stayed open after the scheduled closing time. Polling stations in Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro closed shortly after the original 5 p.m. deadline, reporters for The Associated Press observed.

Bolsonaro, whose father is serving a 27-year prison sentence for attempting a coup after he lost the 2022 presidential election to Lula, pointed out that Zanin is Lula’s former lawyer and criticized him for “changing the rules of the game in the middle of the game.”

“It's impossible to recognize the results of the election in the context of these things that happened,” he said.

It's not clear if Bolsonaro’s complaint could meet the legal threshold to annul the results. Bolsonaro also has the right to request a recount if he has evidence of fraud, but that might not change the results.

The president of the electoral court, Kassio Nunes Marques, who was appointed to the Supreme Court by former President Bolsonaro, said that the extension of voting hours did not impact results.

Joao Pedro Padua, a law professor at the Fluminense Federal University, said that Bolsonaro can file a lawsuit directly with the country’s electoral authorities or the Supreme Court, asking for the elections to be declared null and void.

“But there isn’t much legal basis for that,” Padua said. “The extension of voting hours is unusual, but for it to invalidate the elections, the candidate would have to prove that it affected voters’ ability to freely express their will. There doesn’t seem to have been any such impact.”

Lula overcame concerns about security and cost of living

Bolsonaro bested Lula by more than 2.2 million votes in the first round of the election earlier this month. Sunday night's victory by Lula marked the first time since Brazil’s military dictatorship ended in 1985 that the second-highest vote-getter in the first-round elections won the presidency.

Lula faced a tough reelection battle because of concerns about the cost of living and security. Bolsonaro made a tough-on-crime approach the cornerstone of his campaign and pledged to bring down food costs while Lula, trying to lure undecided voters, has invested in costly incentives.

Both have been hit by corruption suspicions involving family members and allies, with Bolsonaro implicated in a sprawling scandal rocking Brazil. Lula previously spent more than a year in prison on corruption convictions that were eventually annulled.

This will likely be the last victory of the veteran leader’s political career. Lula began his political career in the 1970s as a union leader. He then helped found the Workers’ Party, which he represented as a presidential candidate three times until he finally won it in 2002. He was reelected four years later and was succeeded by one of his cabinet ministers, Dilma Rousseff, in 2010. She was reelected in 2014 but impeached two years later.

Lula tried to run for president again in 2018 but was jailed in March after being convicted. He was released from prison after 580 days and saw Brazil’s Supreme Court annul his sentence after police found messages that showed the judge who convicted him was biased. He quickly became one of Jair Bolsonaro’s biggest critics and narrowly beat him in 2022.

Since he lost the first round, Lula reorganized his campaign, appealed to young voters, put millions of Brazilians on the streets to defend democratic values and his legacy, raised fears of another Bolsonaro administration and boosted several government initiatives.

He joins Trump and Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega — all aged 80 — as one of the oldest presidents in the Americas.

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Savarese reported from Sao Paulo. Brigida reported from Brasilia.

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

It was a seismic political shift in the Balkan country where Vucic, who had been endorsed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and who denounced the student movement as a foreign-led attempt to unseat him, led with virtually absolute power for 14 years.

Almost immediately, crowds flooded the streets of the capital Belgrade and other Serbian cities in an outburst of euphoric celebration.

Belgrade resident Dragana Kovacevic was thrilled that “everyone greets with smiles.” She said "we are all too happy, finally we are becoming one normal and free country.”

Maja Stetic said she feels “fantastic.” Vucic's ouster, she said, "means liberation for me, means a new future for us and our children.”

High turnout and gathering tensions marked the highly contested parliamentary election that was a showdown between Vucic and his right-wing Serbian Progressive Party and university students who, accusing the government of corruption and dismantling democracy, had built a popular following across the country.

Serbia's 6.4 million voters were electing lawmakers to the 250-member Parliament. In conceding the election, Vucic said his party projects that his opponents, the youth-backed Students’ List, will take between 135 and 140 seats while his SNS party will have around 105.

“It is now clear that we have lost and the Students’ List has won,” Vucic told supporters at his party's election night event, though he blamed Serbia's independent media as well as alleged interference by unnamed European countries and an ”American deep state" for the loss.

Belgrade erupts in celebration

Vucic said that his SNS party won around 1.7 million votes compared to the Students’ List, which he said took around 2.2 million.

Radomir Saicic, a Students’ List candidate, said “tonight is not just about results.”

“It is about people who believed and continued to fight,” he said. “This is a victory over fear …it is nobody’s trophy, it is a citizens victory. But victory carries responsibility.”

Supporters of the Students' List drove around Belgrade in cars, honking horns, singing, shouting and chanting: “Aleksandar is gone,” referring to Vucic. Crowds swiftly dismantled the fences and tents at a park in central Belgrade where Vucic’s loyalists had been camping for over a year and gathered earlier on Sunday. One tent was later set on fire in the now-abandoned camp.

A group of young people could be seen throwing rocks at a withdrawing column of police cars and anti-riot vehicles.

The outcome, which Vucic announced only around an hour and a half after polls closed, came after tensions had built as voting progressed during the day.

Police in anti-riot gear had cordoned off an area in central Belgrade around the election commission headquarters. Special police vehicles could be seen near the pro-Vucic camp, and large groups of black-clad men had congregated at various points throughout the city.

Protests over corruption lead to Vucic's fall

Vucic was seeking become Serbia's prime minister after serving two near-full terms as president. He resigned the presidency last month to lead the campaign.

Support for the populist had eroded since 16 people were killed in 2024 when a concrete canopy collapsed at a train station in Novi Sad. That set off a wave of youth protests that blamed the collapse on high-level corruption, cronyism and rampant graft during renovation work at the station.

Dijana Hrka, the mother of one of the victims, was in the crowd celebrating in Belgrade. Sobbing, Hrka told N1 television: “I have been waiting for this moment for two years.”

“Now I expect that they will all be held accountable,” she said.

Despite the protests, Vucic retained considerable support among many of Serbia’s voters. Admirers viewed him as a capable leader who can steer the nation through global uncertainties — the image that was carefully crafted by the mainstream media.

Student movement campaigned on rebuilding democracy

While the increasingly authoritarian Vucic has routinely outplayed Serbia’s fractured opposition in the past, the leaderless youth movement proved to be a tough opponent that rattled his firm grip on power in Serbia like no one else in the 14 years since his party took office.

The newly formed Students’ List movement was shaped by university students but none actually appeared on the election list. Instead, its candidates are little-known experts, athletes, farmers and artists.

This approach was meant to counter Vucic’s one-man rule and restore a sense of community and solidarity. The students’ message during the campaign focused on a non-partisan effort to rebuild Serbia’s economy and restore its democracy.

The students have used youthful energy to attract voters who are disillusioned with local politicians. Vilified by pro-government media, they cycled and walked through the country to reach voters in rural areas — Vucic’s traditional strongholds.

The student victory echoed the recent electoral defeat of a Vucic ally in Hungary, where youth participation helped oust the autocratic Viktor Orbán after 16 years and bring in a new pro-European government. It was likely to resonate beyond Serbia as countries across Europe have faced angry youth and student protests.

The vote was closely watched in the EU

Monitors predicted that total turnout in the election could reach around 70%, unseen in Serbia since 2000. During the day, long queues formed at polling stations in Serbia and in cities around the world. Some in the Serbian diaspora were made to vote in the middle of the night after authorities tied voting hours to local Serbian time.

Recent Serbian elections had been marred by irregularities and the EU was closely watching the conduct of Sunday's vote in a candidate nation for the bloc's membership.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated the student movement, saying “people of Serbia turned out in record numbers to shape their country’s future.”

“We stand ready to support reforms on the rule of law, media freedom, the fight against corruption and strong democratic institutions, and to work together to advance Serbia’s future in the European Union,” she said.

Independent election monitors reported dozens of cases of irregularities on Sunday such as photographing of ballots that suggested pressure on voters and attempted vote buying.

Both international and local election monitors had expressed concern about the safety and fairness of an election campaign marked by detentions, near-total government control over the media and reports of surveillance and cyberattacks against activists.

Local elections earlier this year in 10 municipalities in Serbia saw violent attacks on journalists and activists. The previous parliamentary vote in 2023 was followed by opposition protests alleging fraud.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught nine passes for 150 yards and a touchdown, and the Seahawks handed the Kansas City Chiefs their first loss of the season, 20-3 on Sunday night.

Sam Darnold threw for 257 yards and a score for the Seahawks (4-3), while Emanuel Wilson had 24 carries for 100 yards and a TD.

“Playing a team like Kansas City and all the killers that they got on that side, we knew how big this game was, and we wanted this one badly,” said Smith-Njigba, the NFL's leading receiver and reigning Offensive Player of the Year. “You know, we saw it as a playoff game.”

Patrick Mahomes struggled, throwing for 165 yards with an interception for the Chiefs (5-1). Kenneth Walker III, the Super Bowl MVP for the Seahawks last season before signing with the Chiefs in the offseason, was held to 36 yards on 14 carries.

Walker entered the night averaging a league-leading 133 yards per game, but the Seahawks shut him down, along with the rest of Kansas City's offense. The Chiefs had 213 total yards, 50 on the ground.

“Listen, all three phases we struggled, so we’ve got to do better, and that’s my responsibility,” Kansas City coach Andy Reid said. “So I take full responsibility for this. We’ve got to play better as a team.”

The Super Bowl champion Seahawks have not allowed a 100-yard rusher in 36 games, the league’s longest current streak.

“We know what kind of running back was coming in here, but we don't allow people to run through our defense,” linebacker Ernest Jones IV said. “That's just us.”

The only bright spot for Kansas City's offense was a milestone for Travis Kelce, who had four receptions to reach 1,104 for his career, moving past Marvin Harrison and Cris Carter for fifth in NFL history.

After Darnold hit Smith-Njigba for a 33-yard gain early in the second quarter to get the Seahawks in the red zone, Jason Myers kicked a 25-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.

On the next series, Ty Okada intercepted Mahomes on a pass intended for Jalen Royals. Seattle's ensuing drive was kept alive by Darnold's 7-yard scramble. He then connected with Smith-Njigba for a 28-yard touchdown to put Seattle up 10-0 with 1:44 left in the first half.

Another 28-yard pass from Darnold to Smith-Njigba got the Seahawks to the Kansas City 1 in the closing seconds of the half, but Darnold was intercepted by Nohl Williams in the back of the end zone. Williams returned the pick 64 yards, but Harrison Butker's 58-yard field goal attempt fell short as time expired.

Myers made a 35-yard field goal to extend Seattle's lead to 13-0. Before the third quarter was over, the Chiefs drove to the Seattle 30, but Mahomes fumbled on third down and Kansas City had to settle for Butker's 50-yard field goal.

Mahomes found Kelce for a 19-yard catch early in the fourth quarter, but the Chiefs came away with no points when Butker missed a 45-yard field goal attempt wide right. Butker has missed 10 field goals since the start of last season.

“He’s off a bit. Got to fix it,” Reid said.

The Seahawks pushed their lead to 20-3 on Wilson's 21-yard scoring run with 3:47 left.

“I think this game reminds the guys what we’re capable of,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said. “I think our guys understand that there’s more levels to where we can go, and so I hope they feel the sense of urgency that we can get there because it is stuff that we can control. You know, talking about procedural stuff, red-zone stuff, negative plays, how we rush our red-zone defense, all those things we’ve been attacking.”

Notable absences

The Seahawks moved running back Zach Charbonnet to the active roster this week, but he was ruled out for the game. Charbonnet rushed for 730 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Seahawks last season before he tore an ACL.

The Chiefs were without receiver Rashee Rice, who missed his third straight game with a hamstring injury, and starting tackle Jaylon Moore, who is in the concussion protocol.

Injuries

Seahawks receiver Rashid Shaheed left early in the second half with a knee injury. He did not return. Tackle Charles Cross left in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury.

Up next

The Chiefs visit the Denver Broncos next Sunday.

The Seahawks host the Chicago Bears on Monday, Nov. 2

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