Regional investors were still weighing the impact from last week's joint U.S.-Japan currency intervention, analysts said.

France's CAC 40 added 0.3% in early trading to 8,643.50, while the German DAX surged 0.9% to 26,232.04. Britain's FTSE 100 edged up nearly 0.4% to 10,897.75.

U.S. shares were set to drift higher with Dow futures up 0.1% at 53,409.00. S&P 500 futures rose 0.2% to 7,644.00.

In Asia, Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 gained 0.3% to finish at 63,957.53, as the U.S. dollar rose to 157.80 Japanese yen from 157.18 yen. The euro cost $1.1513, inching down from $1.1514. The dollar was trading at 160-yen levels before regulators stepped in to boost the yen's value after it fell to nearly 40-year lows.

Some analysts said the effectiveness of such an intervention remains uncertain as it doesn't address the fundamental economic reasons behind the currency fluctuations, including inflation, interest rates and the relative strengths of the economies.

“A U.S.-backed operation carries far more signaling weight than Tokyo acting alone, and the pledge of further action will give speculators pause. But any U.S. contribution will probably be constrained by size,” a report by BMI, a unit of Fitch Solutions, said.

Matthew Ryan, head of market strategy at global financial services firm Ebury, noted the latest effort could have some impact because it appears to signal a real change in monetary policy rather than just a one-time defensive move.

“This is an historic and meaningful development for the yen, which materially improves confidence in our mildly bullish call for the currency,” he said.

South Korea's Kospi gained 1.6% to 6,358.95. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 1.4% to 9,145.80. Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.6% to 25,852.92, while the Shanghai Composite gained 0.3% to 3,822.28.

In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude gained 15 cents to $80.49 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, jumped 98 cents to $84.75 a barrel.

A day earlier, oil prices dropped more than 5% after U.S. President Donald Trump said over the weekend that he had decided to hold off on new strikes against Iran.

Brent’s price careened between $72 and $102 last month as worries rose and fell over the war in Iran and when oil tankers would be allowed to freely exit the Persian Gulf again to deliver crude to customers worldwide.

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AP Business Writer Stan Choe contributed to this report.

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Yuri Kageyama is on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@yurikageyama

After many shares and comments, thousands of Moroccans became convinced that Europe was suddenly within reach.

Within hours, young people began heading toward the border with the Spanish territory of Ceuta in North Africa. Packed buses rolled into the neighboring Moroccan city of Fnideq. Regional trains filled up. Taxis did too.

By the time authorities reacted, an estimated 60,000 people had reached Ceuta in just a few days, the largest migration surge between Morocco and Spain in years. More than 80 migrants died on both sides of the border, including some who drowned and others who were killed in a stampede, authorities said.

Nearly all of the surviving migrants soon returned, but the fallout from last week’s events will linger.

Rumors started online

In the northern Moroccan city of Larache, about 93 miles (150 kilometers) from Ceuta, three friends watched a video posted by an Instagram account called Haraga Ceuta claiming the border would be open. Haraga refers in Moroccan dialect to young migrants who destroy their identification papers and try crossing illegally into Europe.

The post convinced Anas Amrani, Yahya Harak and Ismail Atik that it was worth risking the journey.

For migrants hoping to reach Spanish territory, the most common route begins in Fnideq, where many attempt the roughly 3-mile (5-kilometer) swim around the border breakwater. Others leave from the nearby village of Belyounech.

One TikTok video mapped the exact route swimmers should follow.

On Facebook groups such as Fnideq Bab Sebta, users shared screenshots from vessel-tracking platforms to identify moments when coast guard patrols appeared lighter. Some sought advice on using inflatable boats. Others advertised wetsuits for sale.

“I saw online that the border was open, and I decided to go,” said 17-year-old Omar Danbor from Fnideq, walking back exhausted along the coast.

It's unclear who was behind the claims that the border was open or who operated many of the social media accounts, several of which were deleted soon after the crossings. The Associated Press contacted several accounts but received no response.

Chaos unfolded at the breakwater

As migrants reached the shores of Ceuta, mass chaos erupted at a narrow concrete breakwater where many tried to climb onto land.

According to multiple migrants interviewed by AP, people rushed to scramble over the slick rocks at the same time, pushing and climbing over one another. Several said they saw people knocked back into the water and forced beneath others, leaving them unable to resurface as migrants sought to reach land.

“I stepped on the face of a dead man while I was climbing out. I hope God forgives me and all those whose bodies were found,” said Lahcen Kalouch, a Moroccan migrant who reached Ceuta before returning home distraught.

At least 72 people died on the Spanish side of the border. Another 11 died on the Moroccan side.

Tens of thousands of migrants have since returned to Morocco, either after being expelled or leaving by choice because of a lack of shelter, food and water in Ceuta.

Some misinterpreted Spain’s new migration measures

Some migrants misunderstood recent legal developments in Spain, including Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s immigration regularization measures and a court ruling limiting authorities’ ability to immediately return migrants who swim into Ceuta.

Sánchez’s recent efforts to regularize migration were meant only for people already living in Spain prior to Jan. 1, the majority of whom hail from Latin America and entered Spain legally but overstayed their visas. But some in Morocco misinterpreted his policy, believing they would be allowed to stay. That belief spread online.

“Pedro Sánchez is a liar. He told us if we came, we would get jobs and papers, but they sent us back,” said Adam Assil, a migrant from Casablanca, even though Sánchez never made such a promise.

While attempts to reach Ceuta are common, migration activists said this episode was different because of the way rumors snowballed online, encouraging thousands of people to head toward the territory at the same time instead of in smaller, scattered groups.

Failures happened on both sides of the border

Moroccan authorities said the migration wave was not spontaneous. The Interior Ministry blamed the “exploitation of the digital sphere” and “the spread of misinformation.” Officials offered no evidence but said an investigation had been opened. Spain’s government made similar statements.

Ceuta officials said they had warned the Spanish government of a surge in arrivals before the massive crush on Thursday. The Spanish Interior Ministry said Monday that it had not received “any report or warning regarding the mass arrival of people in Ceuta,” and it praised cooperation with the Moroccan authorities in sending most of the migrants back.

“Nobody addressed how these individuals managed to breach the border," said Mustapha Azaitraoui, a Moroccan geographer specializing in migration dynamics. “If a large group of people can cross the border under these circumstances, it suggests a broader security issue that has yet to be acknowledged publicly.”

Migrants reject government claims of smuggling

Both Morocco and Spain blamed the Ceuta crisis on human smugglers and trafficking networks, saying organized criminal groups encouraged the mass crossings.

But returning Moroccan migrants interviewed by AP largely rejected that explanation.

“No one smuggled me there. I wanted to go of my own free will, but that country is not worth all this sacrifice,” Kalouch said.

“There are no mafias. The border was open, and I crossed. But now I regret it,” said Danbor, his clothes still wet after making the journey back.

The Spanish Interior Ministry said investigations into smuggling networks are ongoing and noted that Spain and Morocco have carried out joint operations against trafficking groups. The Moroccan Interior Ministry did not respond to questions about smuggling networks.

Several politicians and experts have suggested it would be impossible for so many to cross without Moroccan complicity. A high-ranking Moroccan diplomat appeared to push back against that.

“It would be reductive to say that Morocco should have used force to stop the migrants,” said the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the issue is highly sensitive in Morocco. “We are not Europe’s police.”

The lack of jobs is a key factor

Morocco’s economy is projected to grow by 4.5% this year, boasting major factories, advanced ports and ambitions to become a regional hub for the car industry.

Yet for many young Moroccans, that transformation has not translated into stable work. Youth unemployment remains high, with 37% of people ages 15 to 24 out of work. Among university graduates, unemployment stands at nearly 20%. The dream of migration is often reinforced by stories of relatives who left and returned with cars, new clothes and foreign currency.

One of those who breached the border was a 16-year-old who grew up a few dozen miles from Ceuta. Europe had always seemed a dream close enough to see, yet impossibly far.

So when he saw a post on Facebook suggesting the border was open and thousands were making it across, he joined the rush.

Days later, he was back on the Moroccan side, crying as he asked strangers for money for a taxi home.

“They fired tear gas at me and beat me with batons. There’s nothing for me there,” said the teen, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of being stigmatized following his failed border crossing attempt.

“I just wanted to provide for my mom,” he said, wiping his tears.

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Associated Press journalists Bernat Armangue in Ceuta, Spain, and Joseph Wilson and Renata Brito in Barcelona, Spain, contributed.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said the two sides are resuming talks to wind down the war. But Iran insisted it only was talking with Oman and the discussion focused on the Strait of Hormuz.

Here is a look at the most important developments in the Middle East on Tuesday.

Cargo ship reports strike in Strait of Hormuz

The cargo ship reported being “hit by an unknown projectile” at 2 a.m. local time while it was 37 kilometers (23 miles) northeast of Al Khasab in Oman, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center said.

The UKMTO did not provide further information on the ship, including what flag the vessel was sailing under or whether it was carrying cargo.

The ship suffered damage, according to British maritime security firm Ambrey, which did not elaborate.

The town of Al Khasab sits on the tip of the Arabian Peninsula that juts into the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial waterway at the mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas passed before the war.

The strait has been effectively shut by Iran’s attacks on shipping since the start of the war in February, while the U.S. also has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports in the waterway.

US and Iran offer conflicting claims about talks

Trump said Monday that talks with Iran had resumed, a day after saying he called of massive strikes he had threatened to unleash on the country. Trump said he pulled back at the urging of Gulf allies Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Whether “Iran wants to admit it or not, we are, in fact, talking,” Trump maintained.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Monday that no negotiations were being held with the U.S., adding that Tehran’s talks were only with Oman and focused on establishing a route for safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump voiced frustration with Iran, suggesting Tehran had asked for the talks, which are critical to ending the monthslong conflict and reviving stalled cargo traffic through the strait.

“Iranian Leadership is unbelievably duplicitous!” the U.S. president vented on Truth Social, his social media platform.

“They ask for a meeting, some would say ‘beg,’ talks begin, with more scheduled in the immediate future, and they say, openly and proudly, that they’re not having any discussions, that nothing is being talked about, and they’re only dealing with ‘Oman’,” he wrote.

Gaza plans mass funeral for people killed in 2023 airstrike

Gaza residents are expected to hold a mass funeral Tuesday for 112 Palestinians whose bodies were recovered after nearly three years under the rubble in Gaza City. They were among more than 300 people killed on Nov. 22, 2023, when Israeli warplanes flattened a residential block in the city’s Sabra neighborhood.

First responders recovered the bodies over the weekend after digging through the rubble for 136 hours, according to the Civil Defense, a rescue agency operated under Gaza’s Hamas-run Interior Ministry.

The bodies included 40 children, 30 women and seven people with disabilities, the Civil Defense said in a statement, adding that another 157 people remained missing under the rubble.

The Gaza war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage.

Israel’s military offensive in Gaza has since killed 73,375 people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Its figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants but they are considered generally reliable by the United Nations and other international organizations.

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Becatoros reported from Athens, Greece.

Arbaeen is held 40 days after Ashoura, which commemorates the killing of Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, and members of his family, at the Battle of Karbala in 680 A.D.

The operations command overseeing the Arbaeen pilgrimage at the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces said on Monday that more than 4.88 million pilgrims had entered Iraq since the first day of the Islamic month of Muharram, which includes Ashoura and the period leading up to Arbaeen, with arrivals from various countries ongoing for what is considered one of the world’s largest annual religious gatherings.

Millions more pilgrims typically come from different regions of Iraq to Karbala for the occasion.

Among the highest- profile foreign visitors was Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who arrived in the Iraqi city of Najaf Monday and continued on to Karbala to take part in the pilgrimage.

Araghchi's presence was a reminder of the delicate balancing act Iraq — which has close ties to both Washington and Tehran — has carried out since the beginning of the war. Iraq has found itself in the crosshairs of both sides and has sought to avoid getting pulled further into the conflict.

As usual, Iranian pilgrims arrived in large numbers, but some observers said the number of pilgrims from other countries had shrunk.

Aqeel al-Rubaie, 45, a pilgrim from Baghdad who was on his way to Karbala, said Iranian flags were particularly visible along the Najaf-Karbala road, while there were fewer flags than usual from European, Arab and other Islamic countries.

He attributed this to “the war and the events unfolding across the region, which have affected the number of Arab and foreign pilgrims."

Another pilgrim from Baghdad, Hassan al-Sarai, 35, said, “I hardly saw any flags other than Iranian ones, which were clearly visible along the road as well as inside and around the city of Karbala."

Volunteer processions providing food, water, medical care and other services lined the roads leading to Karbala from across Iraq.

The pilgrimage is taking place this year as Iraq faces difficult economic conditions following the war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has disrupted Iraqi oil exports. More than 90% of Iraqi state revenues come from oil exports, making the country’s economy highly vulnerable to any interruption in crude shipments.

It also comes as Baghdad is wrestling with a difficult task it has set for itself: disarming the country's network of militias, many of them Iran-backed.

One of the most powerful Iran-backed militias, Kataib Hezbollah, said in a statement marking the occasion of Arbaeen that it rejects calls to disarm and remains committed to retaining what it described as the “weapons of the resistance."

The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office said Aaron F. Farinacci, 37, was arrested and booked on suspicion of first degree arson in connection with the Old Trails Fire, the largest of the three blazes around Spokane.

Together, the fires have destroyed at least 700 buildings and forced some 67,000 people to evacuate around the state's second-largest city. Authorities haven't stated a possible cause for the other two fires.

The wildfires are still completely uncontained, fire officials said on Monday.

Sheriff says suspect was seen near where fire started

A tip from a community member who saw a nervous-looking man bent by the side of the road near some grass initially led authorities to Farinacci, though they released him after initial questioning, Sheriff John Nowels said Monday night.

Later, when major crimes detectives started investigating using body worn cameras and reports, they again identified Farinacci and determined that the fire had started where the witness had seen him, Nowels said. Farinacci had matches and a butane lighter when he was detained, Nowels said.

“As it happens in so many critical cases, it was citizens who were paying attention to their surroundings, being aware and willing to step up and say something that led to the relatively quick apprehension of Mr. Farinacci,” he said.

Farinacci’s first court appearance will be Tuesday, according to Spokane County Prosecutor Preston McCollam. It wasn't immediately clear if he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf. He has been convicted of felony manslaughter in Arizona.

Some residents are returning to destroyed homes

The Old Trails Fire sparked Saturday northwest of downtown Spokane, eventually jumping over the Spokane River and ripping through neighborhoods.

Earlier Monday, some residents returned to find their homes leveled by wildfires that erupted across a parched landscape over the weekend, covering yards in charred debris. In some cases, only chimneys were left standing.

“There’s nothing to save,” Miriam Sim, 76, said Monday as she and her husband, Daniel Sim, surveyed the ruins of the home where they had lived since 2005.

“At our age, do we want to rebuild?” her husband asked.

Together, the three fires burned about 12.5 square miles (about 32 square kilometers) by Monday. The sky filled with smoke and haze. Calmer winds and lower temperatures arrived to help firefighters, but it was expected to be hot and dry again by midweek.

In one Spokane neighborhood, blackened vehicles, a boat twisted by the heat and melted plastic recycling bins remained. Across the street, lawns were still green and houses were spared, as residents continued to run hoses or sprinklers to water their properties.

“Hundreds of people have completely lost their homes and farms, and many are prohibited from returning to their homes or neighborhoods as crews continue to extinguish smoldering embers,” the state's entire congressional delegation wrote Monday in asking President Donald Trump to approve an expedited emergency declaration.

No deaths or major injuries have been reported so far

Cpl. Mark Gregory, a spokesperson for the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, said the county initially received nearly 300 reports of missing people, but by Monday they had cleared all but 14.

Those outstanding reports more likely represented people who had not been in contact since evacuating than people who were truly missing or in danger, authorities said.

More than 1,000 firefighters, many from out of state, arrived by Monday, and that number was expected to double in the next few days.

The fires were among dozens across the Western U.S. stretching the ability of federal, state and local agencies to fight them. At least 390 square miles (1,000 square kilometers) has burned across Washington, which has contended with severe drought and a paltry snowpack.

Authorities warned people not to fly drones near the burned areas, saying it could force them to delay aerial firefighting operations.

Homes, cars and possessions have been lost in flames

Angela and Wayde Deatherage, both 49, evacuated shortly after 3 p.m. Saturday with a son, grabbing a few bins of family photos and heirloom rings but not much else. Roughly 30 minutes later, their security camera was sending fire notifications to Angela’s phone.

Wayde Deatherage took some back roads and returned by early evening. He stopped at the end of the street and called his wife: “Our house is done.”

Deatherage, however, wasn't done with his neighborhood. He propped a hose at another house so it sprayed the property. That home survived.

The couple returned to their property Sunday.

“It’s just ash,” Angela Deatherage said of the home where they had lived for nearly 22 years. ”It’s like our house sunk down in the basement. ... There’s just so much loss for so many people.”

Karen Faggioli, 61, figured she would be returning to her home. She recalled how other recent fires had been brought under control. But a relative texted her the bad news: Her house and three vehicles were destroyed. A daughter lost her nearby house, too.

“Why cry? What’s crying going to do? I’ve been through so many tragedies myself,” said Faggioli, who is recovering from breast cancer. “This is nothing. Like I told my granddaughter, ‘We’re strong — and now we get all new things.’ I’m emotionally numb.”

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Johnson reported from Seattle, and White from Detroit. Associated Press writers Manuel Valdes in Spokane; John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas; Kathy McCormack in Concord, N.H.; and Martha Bellisle and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed.

That kind of ambience is what you'll find on comic Jenny Yang's unique nationwide summer comedy tour, where she has been turning cultural grocery stores into comedy clubs for a night. And she's been leaning into her unconventional venue choice.

“I got to buy a bunch of small snacks and shrimp chips and throw it into the audience every time I felt like a joke didn’t land,” Yang said. “I mean this is my dream.”

A stand-up and sketch comedy veteran whose acting credits include the Netflix show “The Brothers Sun,” Yang is living a dream of “the most politically and creatively fulfilling project” she's ever done. The Good Egg Immigrant Grocery Store Standup Comedy Tour is partly her reaction to the immigration crackdowns by President Donald Trump's administration impacting Asian, Latino and Black communities. She wanted to entertain in cities with immigrant enclaves where she could give back. So, Yang and her team chose grocery store stops and nonprofits to donate to based on recommendations from local organizations.

The unorthodox tour has grown from five performances to nearly 20, far beyond her expectations. It started June 5 in Los Angeles, where Yang lives, and has taken her to Minneapolis, Phoenix and other cities. After stops in New York and San Francisco, the tour will wrap Sept. 26 back in L.A. with Yang filming a performance for a proposed comedy special.

She touches on topics ranging from infertility to awareness of immigrant experiences in the U.S. While comedians are divided on whether stand-up should stand down on politics, Yang has always spoken on it.

“People come into this art form as a stand-up comedian for different reasons. I am of the mind that my stand-up comedy is just an extension of my values and I believe in punching up, not down,” Yang said.

Being inspired to be a ‘good egg’

Last December, Yang, who immigrated from Taiwan, was back there to receive what was a failed round of in vitro fertilization treatment. Heartbroken and sitting in front of an omelet breakfast, she lamented not having “one good egg" to start a family. As she mulled a new endeavor to focus on, her mind drifted toward the “non-stop barrage” of headlines about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.

That's when the idea for a tour weaving her past as a labor organizer with her passion for stand-up sparked.

”The ability to do and bring a show together, and bring people together inside of the immigrant grocery store, to me, reaffirms our ability to take up space and to own the space that matters to us," Yang said.

After emceeing a gala for the Asian Law Caucus in April, Yang shared her outside-the-box idea with the San Francisco-based group. The Caucus works pro bono in immigrant communities and on high-profile cases like the recent birthright citizenship case. They hired Yang not just for her comedic touch but as “somebody who culturally could relate to the communities that we serve,” said executive director Aarti Kohli. The Caucus offered its vast network of Asian American community leaders and immigrant-centered nonprofits nationwide.

“Although we are a legal civil rights organization, we understand that so much of how we reach community is through, especially for Asian communities, food and culture,” Kohli said. “I think comedy is healing and unifying.”

How a grocery store becomes a stage

At Shuang Hur Supermarket in Minneapolis — half a block from where ICE agents fatally shot Alex Pretti — Yang put on a show in July, said manager Henry Zhou.

They reconfigured shelves near the checkout lanes to fit 150 chairs, he said.

“Everybody got in line to buy some snacks and some drinks. A few people even did a bit of grocery shopping,” Zhou said.

He then dimmed the lights for Yang.

“Just renting a spotlight makes a show,” Yang said. “How fun is it that I’m literally doing stand-up comedy next to an aisle that sells fungus and five pounds of rice?”

Zhou found it a “unique experience” that he'd do again.

“We enjoyed every minute. Even after the show, everyone stayed and chatted,” Zhou said. “I’m pretty sure it helped us promote the store.”

The value of cultural grocery stores in the US

"Ethnic food” is no longer just a supermarket aisle. Chains like H Mart and 99 Ranch Market, as well as smaller stores, generate $55.8 billion in revenue, according to a 2025 report from market research firm IBISWorld.

These stores are also “cross-cultural meeting grounds,” said Willow Lung, founding director of the Small Business Anti-Displacement Network. They provide jobs for locals and attract other businesses such as restaurants, beauty counters, and even tax preparers. They can be anchors where there is no Chinatown or Japantown.

“They act as kind of a ‘main street,’ if you will, for communities,” Lung said. “There's just so many ways in which we underestimate the value of a grocery store as just being like, ‘Oh, it just sells these products and services.’”

For over a year, international grocers have struggled with tariffs and the absence of immigrant customers fearful of venturing out. Some stores had to close temporarily or long-term, Lung added.

Grocery workers like Zhou try to “just help as much as we can.” For a few customers, he took a shopping list via text and delivered it.

Yang hopes bringing a dose of humor will momentarily distract from the angst so many of these communities continue to feel.

“It’s just a way to remind people, yes, there’s a lot of doom and gloom,” she said. “But, we got to make room for joy.”

The sudden arrival of 50,000 to 60,000 migrants on Thursday and Friday sparked a humanitarian crisis in Ceuta and reignited the immigration debate in the 27-nation bloc, though most of the migrants soon went back. More than 80 migrants died, including some who drowned or were trampled in a stampede to cross a breakwater barrier, according to Spanish and Moroccan authorities.

Open letters from 22 EU leaders, and a quick retort from Sanchez, have exposed a roiling debate inside the EU pitting migration hawks against the progressive Spanish leader who has challenged consensus within the bloc on migration as well as NATO spending, Gaza and Israel.

Sanchez's government has fended off the attacks as politically motivated, saying most of the migrants were pushed back from Ceuta within hours in “close coordination with the Moroccan authorities and with very little support from other European states.”

Regardless of Tuesday meeting's outcome, Europe is displaying a deeply damaging disunity as it faces security threats from Moscow, instability with Washington and economic tension with Beijing, said Alicia García-Herrero, chief economist for Asia Pacific and Middle East for the financial firm Natixis.

“Europe has shown weakness again,” she said. “Massive weakness.”

Sanchez rattled by withering criticism from fellow EU leaders over Ceuta

EU leaders quickly pounced on Sanchez once videos from Ceuta went viral. Many blamed the incident on his government's progressive policies and publicly rallied for new border checks at sea, air and land ports of entry.

They blamed a recent Spanish court ruling for triggering “this attack on our migration and asylum system,” according to an open letter signed from the leaders of 22 EU countries, from Finland to Malta.

Spain's Supreme Court had ruled that migrants arriving by sea could not be summarily deported without due process, unlike those who cross by land or climb Ceuta's border fence because they had not crossed a physical barrier.

Sanchez said that the ruling had been intentionally misconstrued by migrant smugglers to convince thousands of people to cross by swimming around the border fence.

The Socialist leader replied in his own letter by recalling that Spain had, in solidarity with the EU, taken in migrants who arrived to eastern European nations from Belarus in 2021 and to the southern Italian island of Lampedusa in 2023.

Right-wing coalition had led migration policy overhaul in Brussels

Many right-wing politicians have won elections across the EU by promising to crackdown on migration — and they claim to have done so with the European Migration and Asylum Pact.

Newer, stricter regulations for asylum seekers and migrants largely replaced the previous migration system, which was widely considered a failure. EU capitals now boast greater abilities to surveil, detain and deport migrants to so-called “safe countries” like Morocco or “return hubs” outside the bloc.

These new provisions have been met with skepticism from human rights groups, including fears that deportation centers hosted abroad could morph into long-term holding facilities overflowing with asylum seekers stuck in legal limbo.

“On Ceuta, political games are being played over the lives of people on both sides of the border," said Michele LeVoy, director of the Brussels-based Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants. She criticized “Europe's inaction" in tackling the root causes of migration that she said led to the Ceuta crisis.

“We need regular pathways for people to move in safety and dignity," LeVoy said.

Italy slams Sanchez and calls for fast-tracking controversial migrant detention center

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni issued the most blunt criticism of Sanchez, as well as announcing that Italy would enforce air and sea border controls with Spain.

Yet Cueta's remote geographical position meant “there was almost zero risk that people (would) really arrive in Spain and then move on to Italy,” said analyst Matteo Villa at the Italian Institute for Political Studies in Milan. He said that just 2% of migrants arriving in Europe make it to Italy.

Italy has also pointed to Ceuta to push forward a controversial plan, forged in Italy's partnership with Albania, to move migrant screenings outside of the EU.

Sanchez fired back by calling the Italian leader's position on Ceuta "contrary to European law, humanitarian law, and the principles of solidarity that bind us together.”

In a post on X, Sánchez also claimed that Italy has allowed in twice the number of migrants as Spain since 2021, with Spain receiving 234,000 to Italy’s 478,000.

Migration dynamics and policies have changed in Europe

Data from the EU’s border agency Frontex shows migration to the EU peaked in 2015 with 1.8 million people, the majority of whom crossed via the Balkans or the eastern Mediterranean. Since then numbers have dramatically fallen: In the first half of 2026, crossings fell by 37% to around 49,000 people.

“Fewer boats are setting out towards Europe, and that is the result of sustained cooperation with our partners in the region,” said Frontex Executive Director Hans Leijtens.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had at first expressed shock over Ceuta while calling for a doubling down on the bloc's hard line on migration. But she sent a letter Monday to Sanchez praising his handling of the crisis.

“We need a lessons-learned process to improve our European resilience, preparedness and response,” said Arianna Podesta, a spokesperson for the commission, reflecting the contents of the letter.

“What happened in Ceuta has made it clear that we must do more to further strengthen external borders, for example with vigilant monitoring and where needed the use of physical barriers.”

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Wilson reported from Barcelona, Spain, and Barry from Rome. Associated Press writer Renata Brio in Barcelona contributed to this report.

After the frenzy of Monday’s trade deadline, Burleson hit a trio of two-run homers off three different pitchers, including a drive into the second deck in right field that capped a seven-run eighth inning as St. Louis outslugged the New York Yankees for a 13-7 victory despite blowing a six-run lead.

“He’s human and there’s a lot of conversations around it, but he was able to kind of stay focused on the things he could control,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “I’d give him credit for prepping the way he did today, knowing that his name was still being thrown around and having the type of night that he did.”

Burleson had the biggest night of his five-year career after the Cardinals traded outfielder Lars Nootbaar to Arizona and pitchers Dustin May and JoJo Romero to Milwaukee. About an hour before the first pitch, Burleson met with Marmol in his office and learned he was staying with the young Cardinals (56-57), who were nine games over .500 on June 16.

“He kind of messed with me a little bit,” Burleson said. “He kind of brought me in like I was being traded and just said, ‘Hey, you’re staying here’ and just shook my hand. He just kind of messed with me a little, and he just told me to be myself.”

Burleson had the first three-homer game by a Cardinals player since catcher Iván Herrera did it April 2, 2025, against the Angels. The 27-year-old became the first Cardinals first baseman with a three-homer game since current Yankees slugger Paul Goldschmidt on May 7, 2023.

On a muggy night when the teams combined for 10 homers and 18 of the 20 runs were scored via longballs, the left-handed-hitting Burleson used the short porch in right field to his advantage.

Three batters into the game, he pulled a 1-2 fastball from hard-throwing Yankees starter Cam Schlittler into right-field seats for a 350-foot drive. In the fourth, Burleson sent an 0-1 sinker 15 feet further into the right-field seats off reliever Tim Hill.

After the Yankees took a 7-6 lead on a two-run homer by newcomer Luis García Jr. in the seventh, the Cardinals scored seven times in the eighth for their second-biggest inning this season. Following a go-ahead, three-run homer by Nathan Church and a two-run drive by fellow rookie Jimmie Crooks, Burleson fouled off three straight pitches before connecting on a 2-2 slider from Angel Chivilli and launching it 418 feet to right for a 13-7 advantage.

Burleson became the 15th player in St. Louis history with a three-homer game. He also became the eighth visiting player to do it at the current Yankee Stadium, which opened in 2009. The previous one was Jordan Diaz for the Athletics on May 9, 2023.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office said 37-year-old Aaron F. Farinacci was arrested and booked on suspicion of arson in connection with the Old Trails Fire. He is being held on $1 million bond. It wasn't immediately clear if he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

The fire that sparked Saturday is one of several burning around Spokane, the state's second-largest city. They are among the most destructive blazes in state history, together destroying at least 700 structures and forcing roughly 67,000 people to evacuate.

Earlier Monday, some residents returned to find their homes leveled by wildfires that erupted across a parched landscape over the weekend, covering yards in charred debris. In some cases, only chimneys were left standing.

“There’s nothing to save,” Miriam Sim, 76, said Monday as she and her husband, Daniel Sim, surveyed the ruins of the home where they had lived since 2005.

“At our age, do we want to rebuild?” her husband asked.

The fires jumped roads and rivers and had burned about 12.5 square miles (about 32 square kilometers) by Monday. The sky filled with smoke and haze. Calmer winds and lower temperatures arrived to help firefighters, but it was expected to be hot and dry again by midweek.

In one Spokane neighborhood, blackened vehicles, a boat twisted by the heat and melted plastic recycling bins remained. Across the street, lawns were still green and houses were spared, as residents continued to run hoses or sprinklers to water their properties.

“Hundreds of people have completely lost their homes and farms, and many are prohibited from returning to their homes or neighborhoods as crews continue to extinguish smoldering embers,” the state's entire congressional delegation wrote Monday in asking President Donald Trump to approve an expedited emergency declaration.

No deaths or major injuries have been reported so far

Cpl. Mark Gregory, a spokesperson for the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, said the county initially received nearly 300 reports of missing people, but by Monday they had cleared all but 14.

Those outstanding reports more likely represented people who had not been in contact since evacuating than people who were truly missing or in danger, authorities said.

The Spokane-area wildfires were completely uncontained, fire officials said. More than 1,000 firefighters, many from out of state, had arrived by Monday, and that number was expected to double in the next few days.

The fires were among dozens across the Western U.S. stretching the ability of federal, state and local agencies to fight them. At least 390 square miles (1,000 square kilometers) has burned across Washington, which has contended with severe drought and a paltry snowpack.

Authorities warned people not to fly drones near the burned areas, saying it could force them to delay aerial firefighting operations.

Homes, cars and possessions have been lost in flames

Angela and Wayde Deatherage, both 49, evacuated shortly after 3 p.m. Saturday with a son, grabbing a few bins of family photos and heirloom rings but not much else. Roughly 30 minutes later, their security camera was sending fire notifications to Angela’s phone.

Wayde Deatherage took some back roads and returned by early evening. He stopped at the end of the street and called his wife: “Our house is done.”

Deatherage, however, wasn't done with his neighborhood. He propped a hose at another house so it sprayed the property. That home survived.

The couple returned to their property Sunday.

“It’s just ash,” Angela Deatherage said of the home where they had lived for nearly 22 years. ”It’s like our house sunk down in the basement. ... There’s just so much loss for so many people.”

Karen Faggioli, 61, figured she would be returning to her home. She recalled how other recent fires had been brought under control. But a relative texted her the bad news: Her house and three vehicles were destroyed. A daughter lost her nearby house, too.

“Why cry? What’s crying going to do? I’ve been through so many tragedies myself,” said Faggioli, who is recovering from breast cancer. “This is nothing. Like I told my granddaughter, ‘We’re strong — and now we get all new things.’ I’m emotionally numb.”

Friends and relatives of fire victims posted online appeals for money, clothes and basic necessities.

Grassland burns in Idaho, Oregon and Utah

Spokane was hardly the only place struggling to contain fires.

A lightning-caused fire that has burned over 530 square miles (about 1,370 square kilometers) of grassland in western Idaho and eastern Oregon continued to grow Monday. The area is home to cattle ranches, and authorities said the fire is threatening more than 600 homes and 800 other structures.

In central Utah, a blaze quadrupled in size over the weekend to nearly 109 square miles (282 square kilometers) by Monday afternoon. More than 100 cattle have been killed, according to law enforcement.

Heavy winds helped flames jump containment lines, but forward progression was slowed toward Fillmore, a town of about 2,600 people and the seat of Millard County, officials said. Mandatory evacuations were ordered Sunday evening for the town's southern portion, and inmates at the county jail were transferred.

Spokane sets up shelter for impacted residents

In Spokane, about 400 people were staying at city's main convention center, which was turned into a shelter, officials said.

Spokane Public Schools opened a free emergency drop-in camp for children on Monday. Trials at the county court were pushed to Aug. 10.

Several larger fires continued to burn in less populated areas northwest of Spokane.

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Johnson reported from Seattle, and White from Detroit. Associated Press writers Manuel Valdes in Spokane; John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas; Kathy McCormack in Concord, N.H.; and Martha Bellisle in Seattle contributed.

Chicago acquired right-hander Clay Holmes and outfielder Tyrone Taylor from the last-place New York Mets on Monday for touted infield prospect Jefferson Rojas. The Cubs also added reliever Ryan Zeferjahn and left-hander Braxton Garrett in two other deals ahead of Monday's deadline.

Those moves were completed one day after the Cubs augmented their rotation by landing Kevin Gausman in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays.

“In some ways we were as focused as I can remember in a deadline,” president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said. “It was very clear we needed to add pitching.”

The Cubs weathered a series of pitching injuries on their way to a 64-49 record and the top spot in the NL wild-card standings. They trail NL Central-leading Milwaukee by 5 1/2 games.

Led by All-Star center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Cubs' group of position players has been in place for most of the season. But Hoyer wanted to make sure the pitching staff was equipped for the rest of the season and a possible postseason run.

“I think we’re more talented than we were 48 hours ago,” he said. “Like I said, I think these guys have battled and they’ve done a really good job. We’ve used so many different guys. I think our coaching staff has done a terrific job with them as well. But certainly I think providing more talent and more depth was something that was critical.”

Some of Chicago's injured pitchers are nearing a return. Right-hander Edward Cabrera (hamstring/abductor) and hard-throwing reliever Daniel Palencia (flexor strain) are scheduled for rehab appearances with Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday. Hoby Milner (appendicitis) is expected to pitch for Iowa on Tuesday.

The Cubs got Zeferjahn from the Los Angeles Angels for two minor leaguers: catcher Moisés Ballesteros and right-hander Mason McGwire — son of retired slugger Mark McGwire. Garrett was acquired in a deal with the Miami Marlins for minor leaguer infielder Jonathon Long and right-hander Jace Beck.

The 28-year-old Zeferjahn is 4-3 with a 3.66 ERA and four saves in 45 games this season. The right-hander has 75 strikeouts in 51 2/3 innings.

“I think he’s getting better,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said before Monday night's 10-5 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. “I think it’s an improving player.”

Garrett was optioned to Iowa. Garrett, who turns 29 on Wednesday, had a 3.66 ERA in 159 2/3 innings with Miami in 2023.

“We’re going to need depth. We’re going to need innings,” Hoyer said. “He’s likely to provide that here. But there’s also a future play as well. Like I said, we always thought highly of him.”

Holmes appears just about ready to return from a broken right leg that has sidelined him since mid-May. He was 4-4 with a 2.39 ERA in nine starts before getting hurt.

The 33-year-old right-hander has a $12 million player option for 2027 that he's expected to decline in order to become a free agent again. He was an All-Star reliever with the New York Yankees before signing with the Mets ahead of the 2025 season and successfully converting to a starting role.

Holmes fractured his right fibula May 15 when he was hit by a low line drive while pitching against the Yankees. He made his third minor league rehab start Sunday, allowing four runs in 5 1/3 innings for Class A Brooklyn.

Hoyer said the team plans to meet with Holmes before a decision is made about his next step.

“I think we love the fit from a shape standpoint,” Hoyer said. “I mean he’s a fantastic groundball guy, doesn’t give up home runs. I think putting that kind of guy in front of this defense makes a ton of sense for us.”

Holmes went 16-12 with a 3.26 ERA in 40 starts and two relief appearances for the Mets overall.

Taylor, 32, batted .241 with 10 homers, 28 RBIs and a .794 OPS in 67 games for New York this season. The reserve outfielder, better known for excellent defense, has been on a remarkable tear at the plate since returning June 26 from a strained right hip. He can become a free agent after the World Series as well.

Chicago also acquired pitcher David Peterson from the Mets for minor league infielder Cole Mathis in late June.

The 21-year-old Rojas was hitting .270 with 15 home runs, 57 RBIs, 17 stolen bases and an .800 OPS in 91 games at Double-A Knoxville this season. He was the second-ranked prospect in Chicago's system and No. 63 overall in baseball, according to mlb.com.

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AP Baseball Writer Mike Fitzpatrick in New York contributed to this report.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Instead, the Yankees found other ways to bolster their roster. They added outfielder Heliot Ramos from the last-place San Francisco Giants in a three-player swap, a day after acquiring left-handed-hitting Luis García Jr. from the Washington Nationals for four pitchers.

Skubal went to the Dodgers on Sunday in a blockbuster trade for three prospects and Rutschman was sent to the Red Sox for a package that included three of Boston’s top prospects earlier Monday.

“We had many conversation with Baltimore but were unable to obviously meet the price,” Cashman said in a video conference after the trade deadline passed. “So they did their business elsewhere and we kept grinding through it, but ultimately in the end of the day, there was no opportunity that existed that we felt good enough about to be able to push through on.”

The Yankees had less of a need for Skubal because their rotation began Monday with a 3.46 ERA, but their catchers entered the series opener against the Cardinals hitting .188 with eight homers and 27 RBIs, which ranked 28th among the 30 big league teams.

“We talked to Detroit,” Cashman said. “They set a high price and to be honest that was not something we were unable to get them off of what they said might work, but at the same time they were communicating that it also might not even win the day and then they kind of went silent, I think after they got what they were looking for.”

García was in the lineup at first base and batting third after hitting a career-high .283 in his first season as a full-time first baseman with Washington. He hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the seventh inning of a 13-7 loss.

García's average is the highest on the Yankees, who began Monday with a .232 average and hitting .219 in 53 games since losing captain Aaron Judge to an injury two months ago.

“I think it has been one of the keys to how the season has played out so far,” García said Monday through a translator. “Before I used to hit the ball very well, but a lot of the times it was on the ground. So I think one of the focuses was to get the ball in the air and keep hitting it with the same intensity, but lift it up, and better results have come.”

Besides the batting average, Garcia also joined the Yankees after hitting a career-high 23 homers and producing a career-best 78 RBIs. He was third in the big leagues with a .560 slugging percentage behind new teammate Ben Rice and Houston slugger Yordan Alvarez while also hitting .330 with runners in scoring position.

“As good a year as he’s having, leading the league in slugging percentage over there, we think there’s more in there potentially in our ballpark,” manager Aaron Boone said. “So it’s exciting. We needed to inject a presence in our order, and we think we’ve done that in a big way.”

García appeared in 93 games at first base with the Nationals and will share time with Rice and Paul Goldschmidt at first and as the designated hitter. García struggled defensively as a second baseman at times before moving over to first base full-time.

The 26-year-old García was born in New York and said his favorite Yankees growing up were Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano. His father, Luis García Sr., appeared in eight games with the Tigers in 1999 and spent 10 seasons in the minor leagues from 1993 to 2002.

The Yankees needed another outfielder after losing Cody Bellinger to a strained left hamstring July 25, and Ramos batted .264 with nine homers and 34 RBIs in 74 games for the Giants. He also had an .835 OPS against left-handed pitching and slugged 43 homers in the previous two seasons.

Ramos will likely join the Yankees on Tuesday, and touted shortstop prospect George Lombard Jr. is expected to be promoted from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Following their loss Monday night, the Yankees optioned outfielder Jasson Domínguez, shortstop Anthony Volpe and reliever Angel Chivilli to Triple-A.

The Yankees sent starting pitcher Henry LaLane and infielder Kaeden Kent to the Giants for Ramos, who is not eligible for free agency until 2030.

“They have a lot of history,” Ramos said. “It’s obviously going to have a big place in my heart, but at the end of the day, I’m very happy to be a New York Yankee.”

LaLane was recently promoted to Class A Hudson Valley and was New York’s fifth-ranked prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. Kent, the son of recently inducted Hall of Famer Jeff Kent, was batting .302 this season at Hudson Valley.

New York is 27-27 since Judge last played May 31. The slugger is still awaiting another scan to determine when he can start baseball activities.

“It’s always possible that things don't go the way you want, but we currently are still very optimistic he’s going to return,” Cashman said.

The Yankees have been without Giancarlo Stanton since April 24 due to a strained right calf and lost Bellinger for four to six weeks when he was injured in Philadelphia.

“One of the first areas of need was to try and upgrade the offense in any way, shape or form in any way we can while waiting for important players to come back at the same time off the IL,” Cashman said.

To make room for García, the Yankees optioned Max Schuemann to Triple-A. New York also recalled reliever Kervin Castro to take the spot of Yovanny Cruz, who was sent to Washington for García.

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AP Freelance Reporter Jeff Miller contributed to this report

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Edwin Lopez-Cornejo, 41, had been held at Delaney Hall in Newark after being arrested June 18, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Lopez-Cornejo, whom the government accused of entering the U.S. illegally, died Saturday, the agency said. His official cause of death will be released following further medical examination, according to ICE.

Democratic politicians and civil rights groups in New Jersey questioned whether the death was preventable, saying they had little confidence people detained at the 1000-bed facility were receiving proper care.

“This is not the first death of a detainee at Delaney Hall, and absent decisive action, it will not be the last,” Democratic U.S. Sen. Cory Booker said in a statement. “I have visited the facility myself and witnessed these conditions firsthand, so I say this plainly: Delaney Hall must be closed immediately and permanently.”

ICE said Lopez-Cornejo “received proper medical care and was seen by medical professionals" while he was in custody.

The death is the second at Delaney Hall since the beginning of President Donald Trump's second term, according to tracking by The Associated Press. Another 41-year-old man, Jean Wilson Brutus, a Haitian national, died suddenly after collapsing in December in what a medical examiner ruled was a natural death due to a lung blockage.

In all, at least 56 people have died in ICE custody during Trump’s second term. Lopez-Cornejo is the second native of El Salvador, following the September death of Norlan Guzman-Fuentes, who was killed during a sniper attack on an ICE field office in Dallas.

People held at the Newark facility have asked for improved living conditions and better medical care, as they say some are being denied medication. Earlier this year, some launched a hunger strike, according to Cosecha, an immigrant advocacy group.

The facility has also been a key flashpoint for protests against Trump’s immigration crackdown, with demonstrators trying to block vehicles from entering or leaving the facility.

Trump and his deputies have defended the center’s operations and denied there is any hunger strike, abuse or poor conditions inside.

The facility is owned by Geo Group, a private prison contractor that runs multiple detention centers across the country. The contractor did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment.

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat, said her administration is working to better understand the facts surrounding his death.

“At the same time, we continue to face obstruction in our efforts to conduct a full health inspection of the facility,” she said in a statement. “Every effort to block oversight raises serious questions about what is happening inside Delaney Hall and what those operating the facility are trying to hide.”

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Associated Press writer Ryan Foley in Iowa City, Iowa, contributed to this report.

Although there have been similar contests around the country, this one will hold extra weight because Michigan is a key state in presidential races. Abdul El-Sayed, backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, is up against four-term Rep. Haley Stevens, supported by Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer.

Democratic and Republican voters in Michigan are also deciding on their parties’ nominees to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

In Kansas, Missouri, Virginia and Washington state, voters are settling primaries in a host of races, including a key rematch between Democrats in a Missouri House contest. Also in play is whether Democrats, who tried to redraw districts in Virginia to their advantage but were rebuffed by the state supreme court, can pick candidates who can defeat Republicans in the fall.

Test time for Democrats in Michigan's Senate race

The choice between El-Sayed and Stevens has become a focal point for Democrats this year, and the race has become bitter. Whoever wins will need to bring splintered factions back into the fold to beat Republican Mike Rogers, a former congressman.

The seat is open because Democratic Sen. Gary Peters is retiring, and Democrats are under pressure to defend it to preserve their chance of winning control of the chamber.

Another dynamic at play has been the influence of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC and its affiliated groups, which have spent nearly $30 million supporting Stevens.

The issue has become a lightning rod in Democratic politics since the Gaza war has split the party over U.S. backing of Israel. AIPAC backs candidates who support strengthening U.S.-Israeli relations. It's a significant issue in Michigan, which is home to the country's largest Arab American population.

El-Sayed cast the spending as a question of whether grassroots organizing can overcome millions in outside contributions.

That tension was also at play in 2024 when Democratic activists pressured now-Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin to take a harder line on Israel’s war in Gaza. Slotkin, who is Jewish, had already distanced herself from AIPAC earlier. She ultimately defeated Rogers by fewer than 20,000 votes.

Rogers is running for Senate again this year, and is unopposed in the GOP primary.

Will Trump's endorsement overpower self-funded candidate for governor?

Republican voters will decide on their nominee for Michigan governor on Tuesday as well. President Donald Trump has endorsed Rep. John James.

The president's backing typically carries significant weight in Republican politics, but there could be a complicating factor. Businessman Perry Johnson has loaned his campaign more than $30 million, according to Michigan campaign finance records.

A similar dynamic played out this year in Georgia's race for governor, where Rick Jackson spent $100 million, largely of his own money, to overcome the Trump-backed Burt Jones in a runoff.

On the Democratic side, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson faces Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson.

Virginia Democrats aim to overcome redistricting disappointment

Virginia has been one of Democrats’ greatest regrets this year after the state’s supreme court overturned a voter-approved referendum to redraw its House map to create four new winnable seats for the party.

The measure’s failure left Republicans with a clear national lead in winnable House seats in the partisan footrace triggered by Trump’s unusual mid-decade redistricting push.

Democrats are hoping to whittle away at that lead the old-fashioned way — by winning elections. The first step is Tuesday’s primary, where the party will be watching races in three of the state’s 11 districts to see whether the candidates its strategists see as most competitive can win the nomination.

Two of those candidates are former House members. Elaine Luria, a former Naval commander, is seeking to return to her Virginia Beach-centered swing seat, which she narrowly lost in 2022 to Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans. Luria faces three other Democrats, none with a history of holding elected office, in the primary.

Former Rep. Tom Perriello is running for his old central Virginia seat in the state’s 5th congressional district. The district has swung even further to the right since Perriello briefly represented the region following President Barack Obama’s 2008 election.

Perriello ran this year hoping a remap would make it friendlier to Democrats but says he’ll still compete and hope to flip it in November. He faces political commentator Robert Tracinski and physician Suzanne Krzyzanowski.

Many Democratic strategists see Shannon Taylor, the longtime Henrico County commonwealth’s attorney, as their best bet out of the seven candidates competing for the party’s nomination in the state’s 1st congressional district, a swing seat held by Republican Rep. Rob Wittman.

Last time the progressive lost in Missouri. Who'll emerge in the rematch?

All eyes have been on Michigan, but there's another matchup between Democrats' centrist and leftist wings playing out in a safely blue House seat in the St. Louis area.

Two years ago, prosecutor Wesley Bell ousted firebrand leftist Rep. Cori Bush in the Democratic primary for the district that includes Ferguson, the city where a police killing of a Black teenager helped set off 2014’s Black Lives Matter protests.

Now Bush is back, challenging Bell and arguing voters can take revenge against AIPAC for targeting her in the previous cycle.

SpaceX shares are down by half from their June peak as investors worry Musk may have oversold them on its future prospects. They're also bracing for volatile trading as some company insiders get the opportunity to sell shares after the expiration of what's known as a lockup provision later in the week.

Part visionary engineer, part stock salesman, Musk is likely to be asked about when he expects to finish testing SpaceX's giant Starship rockets that NASA hopes to use to put men on the moon again, his plans for its satellite network and the prospects of putting football-field sized datacenters in orbit.

Given rumors of SpaceX possibly merging with Musk's Tesla car company, he may also face questions about that tie-up but that is likely to yield few details. Neither company has confirmed plans for a combination and Musk has parried questions before by noting securities regulations bar him from discussing the issue.

SpaceX is losing money fast, with net losses for its first half this year expected to exceed more than the $5 billion in losses for all of last year. Some analysts have penciled in a strong rebound for the rest of the year that will return it to profitability.

For the second quarter ended June, SpaceX is expected to report a net loss of $1.9 billion, or 23 cents a share, according to a FactSet survey of analysts.

SpaceX insiders were barred from selling in the public offering in June but that prohibition begins to ease on Thursday when more than 900,000 shares are released for trading, more than doubling the amount currently available for trading. The prospect has weighed on the shares, which closed Monday at $114.46, down from both the peak of $225 in June and also the IPO price of $135.

The lockup release is the first of several tranches of stock that will be freed to trade over the next several months.

After an abandoned launch, the Starship rocket successfully deployed satellites in orbit during a test late last month. Future tests could include trying to use giant arms at its Starbase launching site in Texas to grab the rocket and its booster upon its hovering return to earth.

SpaceX's satellite communication business, Starlink, is a big cash generator for the company with contracts around the world. The company also runs a money-losing AI business, known for its Grok tool, as well as the social media platform X, the rennamed Twitter.

Burleson homered to the short porch in right off Cam Schlittler three batters into the game. The first baseman also sent a drive to the short porch off lefty reliever Tim Hill in the fourth for a 6-0 lead.

Burleson became the first Cardinals player with a three-homer game since catcher Iván Herrera on April 2, 2025, against the Angels when he lifted a 2-2 slider from Angel Chivilli (1-1) to right field for a 13-7 advantage. Burleson launched the 418-foot drive after fouling off three straight pitches.

The left-handed hitter also became the eighth visiting player with a three-homer game at the current Yankee Stadium, which opened in 2009. The previous one was Jordan Diaz for the Athletics on May 9, 2023.

Nathan Church hit a go-ahead, three-run homer for St. Louis in the eighth after George Soriano allowed a two-run drive to Yankees newcomer Luis García Jr. that gave New York a 7-6 lead in the seventh.

Jimmie Crooks added a two-run shot in the eighth for the Cardinals, who hit six homers for the first time since connecting seven times against the Dodgers on May 18, 2023.

Ryan McMahon and José Caballero opened the seventh with back-to-back homers for the Yankees off Ryne Stanek. Austin Wells hit a two-run shot and Trent Grisham had a solo homer in the fifth after New York trailed 6-0.

José Fermín had an RBI double for the Cardinals, and Church hit an RBI single.

García started at first base and went 2 for 4 after being obtained from Washington on Sunday.

Schlittler allowed four runs and four hits in three innings, his second-shortest start this season. The right-hander tied a career high with five walks and struck out six.

St. Louis starter Michael McGreevy permitted two runs and four hits in 4 1/3 innings. Gordon Graceffo (7-1) retired New York's final six batters to earn the win.

After the game, the Yankees optioned Chivilli to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre along with outfielder Jasson Domínguez and shortstop Anthony Volpe. Touted shortstop prospect George Lombard Jr. is expected to be called up.

Up next

Yankees LHP Ryan Weathers (4-7, 3.99 ERA) opposes Cardinals RHP Hunter Dobbins (2-1, 3.74) on Tuesday.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Japan has bolstered its military capability and spending in recent years and has started deploying long-range cruise missiles as a deterrence to China's military activity.

The 598-page defense paper adopted by the Cabinet on Tuesday reiterated that China is Japan’s biggest strategic challenge. Japan is alarmed by the growing presence and frequency of Chinese warships in the Pacific Ocean.

The annual white paper outlines Japan’s military activity and priorities and analysis of military trends in specific countries. As Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government needs public support for further military buildup and spending and to attract service members, the report has features to appeal to readers including a cartoon on the cover and links to video clips in Japanese, English and Chinese.

Combat drones for new warfare

Inspired by the use of drones by Ukraine, Japan considers it is essential to adapt to “new ways of warfare,” the paper said.

With many countries racing to develop combat drones, Japan's government prioritizes development of its own for a coastal defense, in combination with long-range missiles.

“Speed is key,” Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said in early July.

The Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency recently selected four drone makers out of 38 applicants for a rapid development program and that they will advance to testing by Japan's navy in early August before a final selection.

A number of companies are developing similar drones. Toshiba announced Friday plans to jointly develop combat drones with startup Pro Drone.

Uncrewed weapons could help Japan make up for its decreasing number of service members in a country with a shrinking population.

Experts say developing fully homemade drones while Japan’s commercial drone market is dominated by Chinese imports would be a challenge.

Alarmed by China’s activity in the Pacific, Russia and North Korea

Japan has strengthened its military forces on southwestern islands in recent years and has started deploying long-range cruise missiles, as it worries about a conflict in Taiwan, which China claims as its territory.

The paper noted the growing presence Chinese warships and frequency of their activity in the Pacific as a major concern. The Defense Ministry has established a unit dedicated to study Japan’s Pacific strategy and strengthen its defense against China.

China has consistently increased its military spending without transparency and strengthened nuclear and missile capability extensively and rapidly, the defense paper said.

It noted that in last December Chinese aircraft locked their radars, considered possible preparation for firing missiles, on Japanese planes during Chinese aircraft carrier drills near southwestern Japan.

Two Chinese aircraft carriers were spotted last June near the southern Japanese island of Iwo Jima for the first time. This triggered Tokyo's worries about Beijing’s rapidly expanding military activity far beyond its borders and in disputed areas in the East China Sea.

Tensions between Tokyo and Beijing have escalated since Takaichi said in November that Chinese military action against Taiwan could justify Japan’s use of force.

China’s growing joint military operation with Russia around Japan, including joint bomber flights and warship operations, is also “a grave national security concern,” the paper said.

It says North Korea’s rapid development of missiles, including hypersonic arsenals, is an “increasingly serious and pressing threat” and that the North’s growing military ties with Russia and its backing for Moscow's war in Ukraine are a grave concern.

Bolstering defense industry, weapons sale

Strengthening arms production and technology is essential to Japan's military power, the paper said. The government has been expanding funding for startups and scientific research.

In a country that had maintained a pacifist pledge since the end of World War II, many established companies avoid ties to lethal weapons, but a growing number of startups are showing interest in converting dual-use technology for military use, officials say.

Japan’s recent scrapping of lethal weapons export ban could also help strengthen the country's underdeveloped defense industry.

Weapons technology transfer and joint development and production strengthens both Japanese defense industry base and Japan's ties with its defense partners, said Koizumi, whose travels to other countries have involved arms sales.

Japan recently made major deals, including the joint development and transfer of 11 upgraded Mogami-class frigates to Australia. It is discussing a similar deal with New Zealand and has struck a deal to sell retired destroyers to the Philippines.

Grande had been due to star alongside her “Wicked” co-star Jonathan Bailey in a production of Stephen Sondheim’s “Sunday in the Park With George” at the Barbican theater in 2027.

Empire Street Productions said Sunday that Grande will no longer be part of the London production. A representative for Grande told People magazine that the 33-year-old singer “will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour.”

“She looks forward to finishing the tour and ending it on a high note, both healthily and happily, and then taking a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances, which has led to endless, ongoing public scrutiny,” the statement said. A representative for Grande did not offer further comment to The Associated Press.

With Grande’s recent breakup from “Wicked” co-star Ethan Slater, the ongoing tour and last week’s release of the album “Petal,” attention has swelled, fueling rampant speculation online about her health and appearance. Grande has previously expressed discomfort with public discourse around her weight.

“I think we should be gentler and less comfortable commenting on people’s bodies, no matter what,” she said in a 2023 TikTok video.

Late last year, while promoting “Wicked: For Good,” she reshared a 2024 interview in which she said it was uncomfortable having being picked apart for her appearance since she was a teenager. In the December social media post, she called the clip a “loving reminder to all.”

Grande found fame as a child performer on Nickelodeon before releasing her debut album, “Yours Truly,” in 2013. She has won three Grammy Awards and was nominated for a supporting actress Oscar for her role as Glinda in “Wicked.”

Grande's next concert is Monday in Chicago. Her tour is due to wrap up in London on Sept. 1.

“We know this cannot have been an easy decision, and she makes it with our complete understanding and support,” Empire Street Productions said. The company said “Sunday in the Park With George” will open next summer as planned, and that casting would be announced “in due course.”

Wildfires west of Athens jumped containment lines a day after a midair collision between two helicopters killed two crew members. A Greek and a Danish national died and two others were hospitalized following the collision on Sunday.

All four were private operators chartered by the Greek firefighting service.

In France, firefighters in the region around Bordeaux guarded against potential flare-ups inside a still-burning scar four times the size of Paris.

A prolonged heat wave and lack of rainfall led to the driest July in England and Wales in nearly 200 years of recordkeeping, according to provisional statistics, the U.K.’s weather service said Monday.

All of Wales and more than half of England are officially in drought, the Met Office said. The dry spell was accompanied by sweltering temperatures across much of the U.K., following heat waves in May and June.

Wales tied its record for its warmest mean temperature for July while England and the U.K. recorded their second-warmest July.

The Athens region remains at high risk with hundreds evacuated

Strong winds returned to southern Greece late on Monday, pushing flames into mountain home clusters, destroying farms and property, and closing a highway.

Areas surrounding the Greek capital remain at high risk through the week with temperatures set to rise further. More than 1,000 people have been evacuated from around the seaside resort of Porto Germeno and other areas west of the capital — including more than 250 rescued by boats from beaches in the area.

“This is a difficult fire that has troubled us,” Fire Service spokesman Yiannis Artopios said, adding that 12 water-dropping planes and 11 helicopters were operating in the area Monday.

The blaze was blamed on a faulty power line from a wind farm and led to the arrests of two contractors on charges of negligent arson.

Despite improved detection methods and expanded cooperation among European Union members, Greece and other countries along Europe's Mediterranean coast suffer devastating wildfires every summer as spells of heat wave temperatures grow longer.

Europe is Earth’s fastest-warming continent, heating at more than twice the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union’s Copernicus climate service. Rising temperatures and prolonged drought leave vegetation drier and more combustible, allowing fires to spread faster and burn more intensely.

France's massive blaze is contained as evacuees return home

Thousands of evacuees were allowed to return home or to their holiday accommodations in France on Monday after a massive wildfire remained contained. More than 224,000 people had fled in what officials said was the country’s largest civilian evacuation outside wartime.

The wildfire burned about 420 square kilometers (162 square miles), making it France’s largest wildfire on record. Monday's return includes Cap Ferret peninsula, a tourist hot spot along the Atlantic coast, and Le Porge, the municipality hardest hit by the fire, where 183 homes were destroyed. Campsites remain closed.

A second wildfire in Provence did not flare up overnight, but was still not contained on Monday as stronger winds were expected, firefighters and authorities said. About 1,500 firefighters, supported by water-dropping helicopters, continued reinforcing fire lines along the blaze that tore through about 18 square kilometers (7 square miles).

The European Forest Fire Information System said the risk of wildfire remains high across parts of the continent through Aug. 5, including in traditionally cooler northern countries.

Firefighters in the Netherlands were battling a large blaze on Monday in a forest in the southern province of Limburg, authorities said, as the country sweltered through another day of hot, dry summer weather. The national railway operator halted trains between two towns in the area due to the fire.

The Dutch air force sent two Chinook helicopters equipped with large water containers to help firefighters tackle the blaze. Media reported that a campsite in the area was evacuated due to poor air quality caused by a large plume of smoke.

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Corbet reported from Paris. Associated Press writers Elena Becatoros in Athens; Thomas Adamson in Paris; Mike Corder in The Hague, Netherlands, and Brian Melley in London contributed to this report.

Before late last week, the dollar was trading above 163 yen, touching 40-year highs. After regulators were suspected of stepping in, it fell below 160 yen.

Early Monday, after the official announcement of the intervention, the dollar fell to nearly 155.20 yen. That’s a big drop for the exchange rate. The dollar was trading at 156.70 yen early Monday Eastern time.

Even though it has attracted millions of bargain-hunting tourists, the yen's prolonged weakness against the dollar has been a source of frustration for Tokyo. Since Japan imports so much of what it consumes, a weak currency pushes prices higher. High oil prices have amplified that problem and that's putting pressure on the administration of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to do more to address the rising cost of living.

Joint intervention was needed to stem the yen's decline

Efforts earlier this year to raise the value of the yen against the dollar did little to budge the exchange rate.

Normally foreign exchange markets determine the relative values of currencies, but there are many factors that shape what happens in the markets.

A big gap between interest rates in the U.S. and Japan has led investors to sell yen and buy dollars to take advantage of the higher yields from dollar-denominated assets. Both the Bank of Japan and the Federal Reserve kept their interest rates unchanged at meetings last week, maintaining that gap.

So, last week, when the dollar slipped below 160 yen and stayed there, the U.S. side was suspected of lending a hand.

Officials usually stay mum on such actions. But on Sunday, Trump confirmed that the U.S. side had helped, and Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama likewise issued a statement saying the finance ministry had purchased yen in coordination with the U.S. Treasury Department.

“We will not hesitate to conduct further joint intervention,” she said.

Such overt acknowledgment of market intervention is rare, said Neil Newman, managing director and head of strategy at Astris Advisory Japan. He said the last big example was when governments intervened following a massive earthquake and tsunami disaster in northeastern Japan in 2011.

Why the US is helping support the yen

When asked why Washington was helping, Trump said Sunday that “We have a good relationship with Japan. We’re very strong —- very, very strong financially — and they are, you know, they have a weakening yen, and they wanted a little bit of help, and we’re always there for Japan. Japan’s been very good to us, with the exception, of course, of Pearl Harbor.”

Trump said the U.S. got “financial benefit” out of the intervention, calling it a “signal of friendship.”

“It’s also good for the world economy,” he said.

A weaker dollar makes U.S.-made goods more competitive, reducing their costs in yen terms, and might help increase American exports to Japan, Newman said.

“It’s very rare that the Americans will work with the Japanese on this, but there is an alignment of interests here basically between Japan and America,” Newman said.

It was a “low-cost” way for Washington to pay a favor to a key U.S. ally, while also protecting the stability of foreign exchange and bond markets, Shigeto Nagai, head of Japan economics for Oxford Economics, said in a report.

Analysts question if the intervention worked

The latest intervention appears to be having a more durable impact than earlier cases this year, and the yen may have a slightly stronger path for the rest of the year, Nagai said.

But the factors that have contributed to the yen's long-term weakness remain.

Takaichi has pushed to cut Japan's sales tax on food to 1% from 8% and to dramatically increase government spending. Such moves would tend to weaken the yen since it would increase inflation and add to Japan's already massive government debt.

The Bank of Japan has moved slowly to raise its benchmark rate from near zero to the current 1%, its highest level in 31 years but still well below the Federal Reserve' s rate of 3.5%-3.75%.

It likely will continue to slow-walk any changes as it evaluates the impact of the Iran war and other factors on the economy, Nagai said.

Meanwhile, a surge in oil prices because of the war and resulting higher inflation has kept the Fed from cutting rates.

“The yield differential remains wide, Japan’s energy-import burden remains significant, and the Bank of Japan is still moving more slowly than the market would normally require to generate a sustained currency reversal,” Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary.

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Kurtenbach reported from Bangkok. AP journalist Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.

Two photographs published with the announcement showed Suu Kyi shaking hands with Arnaud de Baecque, the ICRC’s representative to Myanmar, and meeting with him in a wood-paneled room.

The Presidential Press and Information Bureau, which released the photographs, said the meeting was held Monday morning but did not disclose the location or provide details about what was discussed.

The ICRC confirmed in a statement on Monday that one of its delegates visited Suu Kyi under its standards and procedures for visiting people deprived of liberty, and spoke with her in private, but it did not disclose details of the discussion.

The organization said it continues to engage with all relevant actors to maintain and expand its access to places of detention in Myanmar.

Two other photographs showed Suu Kyi cutting a pink birthday cake bearing the inscription, “Happy Birthday Aunty Suu,” suggesting they may have been taken during a celebration for her 81st birthday in June.

In the photos, Suu Kyi appeared relaxed and was smiling. She did not show any obvious signs of ill health, although her physical condition could not be independently assessed from the images.

The release came as calls are growing from other countries, including Myanmar's fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, for access to or engagement with Suu Kyi as part of efforts to resolve the country's political crisis.

Kim Aris, her younger son living in London, and Myanmar democracy activists have been waging an online campaign to demand evidence that his mother is alive and well.

In a statement sent to the AP, Aris welcomed the reported ICRC visit, saying it could mark the first positive development concerning his mother in more than five years.

“This may be a first step, but it must not be the last,” Aris said.

He thanked governments, the international community and supporters for standing with his family and backing his campaign to seek proof of his mother’s well-being, while stressing that he had not yet received independent confirmation of her condition.

He said he hoped the visit would lead to direct family contact and her eventual release together with all political prisoners.

Suu Kyi was detained Feb. 1, 2021, when the army seized power from her elected government. She has not been seen publicly since then, and the last official photo of her released was in April, when she was moved from prison to house arrest and her sentence was reduced as part of a prisoner amnesty for a Buddhist holiday.

The country's military leaders, who have faced sanctions and widespread international isolation since seizing power in 2021, have sought to project a return to normalcy by holding a 2025 election and increased engagement with regional neighbors.

However, critics say the transition to a nominally elected government largely composed of former generals and holdovers from the previous military-led government has done little to change the military’s grip on power.

Nay Phone Latt, a spokesperson for the opposition National Unity Government, said the ICRC’s meeting with Suu Kyi shouldn’t be taken as a real move to address human rights or democracy issues.

“Since, from the outset, a country’s leader was wrongfully arrested and imprisoned by finding faults where there were none, she must be released without any conditions,” he said.

The United Nations welcomed the ICRC visit and reiterated its call “for the swift and unconditional release of all those arbitrarily detained as a fundamental step toward conditions conducive to a credible and transparent political process."

U.N. deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said Secretary-General António Guterres stresses the importance of a dialogue between all Myanmar parties and his special envoy Julie Bishop on how the U.N., the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and other key players can help peacefully resolve the current conflict.

Talks between the U.S. and Iran are critical to ending the monthslong conflict and reviving stalled cargo traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway through which about a fifth of all traded oil and natural gas passed before the war.

Trump, who has made a habit of threatening strikes on Iran only to dangle the prospect of a last-minute diplomatic reprieve, said the negotiations would be the “last chance ” for Iran to forge a deal to reopen the strait and address his concerns about its nuclear program.

But Iran’s foreign ministry said it's negotiating with Oman, not the U.S., prompting Trump to criticize the country’s leadership, which has grown increasingly divided over the war’s endgame.

Whether “Iran wants to admit it or not, we are, in fact, talking," Trump maintained.

Elsewhere, Israel bombed the Gaza Strip and the Syrian president met in Damascus with the Iraqi Kurdish regional leader over security concerns. In Iran, the government executed two men it claimed were Israeli spies.

Here is a look at the most important developments Monday in the Middle East.

Trump announces renewed talks

Trump said Sunday that he decided against carrying out major strikes against Iran at the urging of Gulf allies Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

He said a plan was in place for U.S. forces to carry out “the biggest attack since World War II,” but he decided to give diplomacy more time after hearing from key Gulf leaders and fielding requests from unnamed Iranian officials. He did not provide further details or say who would be involved in the talks.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry maintained that the country was not currently holding negotiations with the United States.

Esmail Baghaei, an agency spokesperson, said Monday that ongoing talks were with Oman, the country on the other side of the strait, and were focused only on establishing a temporary route for safe navigation through the channel.

Nine vessels transited through the strait Sunday, most of them using an Iranian-controlled route, according to trade data and analytics platform Kpler.

Trump voiced frustration at Iran's public posturing, suggesting the country's leaders begged for the discussions, despite their claims of only wanting to deal with Oman.

“Iranian Leadership is unbelievably duplicitous!” the U.S. president vented on Truth Social, his social media platform.

Iran's top delegates head to Iraq and Pakistan

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived Monday in Iraq’s holy city of Najaf to participate in the Arbaeen commemorations, an annual pilgrimage for Shiite Muslims, his office said on social media.

Araghchi’s trip comes as Iraq has been walking a tightrope between Iran and the U.S., an act that has only grown more fraught since the U.S. and Israel went to war with Iran in February.

Meanwhile Iran's Minister of Industry, Mines and Trade, Mohammad Atabak, headed Monday to Pakistan for a two-day visit expected to focus in part on ways to ease transit bottlenecks and move more Iranian containers through Pakistani ports during the U.S. naval blockade.

Syrian and Iraqi leaders discuss security concerns

Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Iraq’s Kurdish regional president met Monday in Damascus to discuss ways of improving mutual cooperation and contributing to regional security.

The meeting between al-Sharaa and Nechirvan Barzani came amid regional tensions as Iranian-backed Iraqi militia groups carried out multiple drone strikes targeting American interests across Iraq, including the country’s Kurdish region.

Syrian state media reported last month that authorities at the country’s border with Iraq thwarted an attempt in June to smuggle weapons believed to have been headed to the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. Hezbollah denied the charges.

Iran executes 2 men it says spied for Israel

Iran’s judiciary said it executed two men Monday after convicting them of spying for Israel during both last year’s 12-day war and the ongoing conflict.

The judiciary’s Mizan news agency identified the two as Omid Behzad and Pouria Safvat, who were accused of providing military coordinates, images and other intelligence used in attacks on Iranian targets. The agency did not specify where the executions took place.

Last week, Iran publicly hanged two men convicted of killing four police officers during nationwide anti-government protests in January.

Gaza official urges Israel to halt attacks

A top official overseeing Gaza’s postwar transition met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, in part to press him to halt military attacks on the territory.

Nikolay Mladenov, the high representative for Gaza on the Board of Peace, also discussed with Netanyahu the need to decommission all weapons in the enclave, the international body established by the U.S. said in a statement.

An Israeli strike Monday evening hit a car in Gaza City, killing two men, according to Shifa Hospital, where the casualties were taken. Over the weekend, Israeli attacks left at least 17 people dead, including children, according to hospitals in Gaza.

The Israeli military said the weekend strikes targeted militants. It confirmed Monday's strike and said it would release more information later.

Days earlier, the U.S. and Hamas reached a deal to disarm the militant group, a potential step toward ending the war in Gaza.

Gaza residents swelter in tents

Soaring temperatures in Gaza this summer have turned the makeshift tents sheltering hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians into suffocating ovens. Made of plastic sheets, the shelters trap heat during the day and offer little ventilation, forcing many families to spend hours outside.

The extreme weather compounds an already dire humanitarian crisis. With limited access to clean water, electricity and sanitation, residents of the overcrowded camps are at high risk of dehydration, heat-related illnesses and the spread of skin infections, diarrheal diseases and other communicable illnesses, humanitarian agencies warn.

“There is no breeze, nothing,” said Aida Abu Hadeesha, a woman displaced from the town of Rafah, near the border with Egypt. “Our kids are suffering."

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Becatoros reported from Athens, Greece, and Boak from Washington. Associated Press reporters Julia Frankel in Jerusalem, Bassem Mroue in Beirut and Philip Marcelo in New York also contributed to this report.

Delaney earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from UNF in 2006 before going on to earn a degree in aerospace engineering. Jacksonville was home for him, his wife Tracey, and their family for a period of time — a chapter of life he still reflects on fondly.

“It was early on for me and Tracey, my wife and my family — kind of a young family then,” Delaney said. “So it stands out as a lot of those experiences. Experiences on UNF.”

From Central Florida to the cosmos

Growing up in central Florida, Delaney said watching Space Shuttle launches planted an early seed.

“I think the goal was always kind of there in the background — growing up in central Florida, watching Space Shuttle launches — kind of an inspiration for moving down that track,” he said.

Before NASA, Delaney built a career as a retired Marine, naval aviator and combat veteran. He has logged more than 550 combat flight hours and, including his NASA career, more than 3,900 total flight hours across 48 models of jet, prop and rotary wing aircraft.

“It all just kind of melts together pretty nicely,” Delaney said, “and the latter portion of my career in a test pilot environment — that helped culminate everything for astronaut training and future spaceflight missions.”

NASA selected Delaney to join the 2021 Astronaut Candidate Class, and he reported for duty in January 2022.

Spacewalks and science on the agenda

Once aboard the International Space Station, Delaney said he is looking forward to getting outside the spacecraft.

“Of course we are looking forward to spacewalks, and looking forward to those — and that will be fantastic,” he said. “Any time you get outside of a spaceship and do some maintenance and upgrade things, it just sounds like a good time.”

The crew also has a full science agenda. Research planned for the mission includes work to better characterize blood flow, understand how fluid shifts affect human vision in microgravity, and explore stem cell development — examining how microgravity can be used to scale those opportunities.

Every challenge built on the last

When asked what has been the most challenging chapter of his career — becoming a pilot, a Marine or an astronaut — Delaney said each phase prepared him for the next.

“I think they all had their challenges. And it was perfect at that time for me that those challenges were something that I was ready for,” he said. “They all built on each other to get to this point.”

Now, the challenge ahead will take him further than any before — out of this world entirely.

Delaney is married to Tracey Delaney, and they have two daughters. His parents, Robert and Stephanie Delaney, are from Central Florida.

In Detroit, El-Sayed posed for photos and participated in interviews with content creators at a backyard pool party before a final rally with supporters. He projected confidence about Tuesday’s result, already looking ahead to a general election against Republican Mike Rogers.

“We have an opportunity to continue to build this movement. We got 13 weeks left to work,” El-Sayed said at his final event of the primary campaign in Detroit.

On the state’s west side, Stevens was barnstorming in the final hours with events in Muskegon Heights and Grand Rapids alongside Michigan Democratic officials. She continued to frame herself as the only candidate who could defeat Rogers.

It was a fitting final contrast in a race that has become one of the clearest tests yet of where Democratic voters want their party to go. El-Sayed, a progressive backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders and other leaders on the party’s left, has run against much of the Democratic establishment. Stevens, a four-term congresswoman backed by Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and many of Michigan’s top Democrats, has made electability and experience central to her case.

Tens of millions of dollars have poured into the race, much of it from outside groups supporting Stevens. But the contest now comes down to which candidate can assemble enough of Michigan’s Democratic coalition to win Tuesday.

El-Sayed opted to focus in his campaign’s final days on Detroit, which he called a “spiritual home” and a place where he wanted to “demonstrate what this movement is and what it could mean.”

Stevens, meanwhile, spent time in Detroit before heading to the state's west side. She called the final push the “last word phenomenon."

“Everyone’s trying to get in their last points," she said.

Both candidates focused on Detroit-area churches and union halls Sunday

Both candidates have spent parts of the campaign’s final days in Detroit, where Black voters have long been crucial to winning Democratic primaries.

El-Sayed began Sunday by sitting alongside his wife and Black political leaders in a packed Detroit church, clapping as the congregation sang and the pastor preached. Then he stood before the room and asked for their votes.

“I believe in the kind of America where no matter where you grow up, the color of your skin, how you pray, you deserve equal rights in this country,” El-Sayed told the congregation at Kingdom Covenant Church.

“You deserve to go to a good school, you deserve to get healthcare, you deserve to graduate and get a good job,” he added.

El-Sayed was joined by Democratic Reps. Summer Lee of Pennsylvania and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, as well as Yusef Jackson, the son of the late Rev. Jesse Jackson who is president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.

Pastor David A. Johnson II said welcoming a political candidate was not something he typically did, but “this particular season, it’s time for us to do something different.”

For Robin Robertson, a 59-year-old Detroit resident, El-Sayed’s visit came just in time. Robertson said she had gone back and forth over whom to support, waiting until the campaign’s final days to decide.

She ultimately settled on El-Sayed, saying Stevens “had a good run.”

“His agenda seems to match more for me the things that we need right now,” Robertson said. “And then, he’s here in my little church. That was confirmation that I’m going to vote for him.”

Stevens, meanwhile, emphasized her longstanding connections to Detroit-area churches.

At a church in Pontiac on Sunday afternoon, Stevens stayed after the service to speak individually with congregants, greeting many like familiar faces.

“I come here year-round. This isn’t just a campaign thing,” Stevens said. “Our churches are places of community refuge, community connection.”

Stevens and her allies have also made a direct appeal to Black voters through advertisements highlighting her ties to former President Barack Obama and her work as chief of staff for his administration’s auto rescue effort from 2009 to 2011.

Her campaign acknowledges that a strong showing among Detroit voters will likely be necessary for her to win Tuesday.

Reggie Williams, a longtime constituent who was supporting Stevens at an Oakland County event Sunday evening in a union hall, said he continues to back her because she “has always been there for the people.”

“She is out and about in the community, always has boots on the ground,” Williams said.

Stevens, El-Sayed

focus on different parts of Michigan on final day of campaigning

After spending much of Sunday pursuing some of the same Democratic constituencies, El-Sayed and Stevens took different paths across Michigan for the final full day of the primary.

For El-Sayed, that meant leaning into a volunteer operation his campaign says has grown to 12,000 people statewide. Stevens is relying on the broader institutional support she has accumulated across the state, including endorsements from many of Michigan’s most prominent Democratic officials, such as Sen. Gary Peters and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

El-Sayed remained in Detroit, trying to turn enthusiasm in the state’s largest city into votes. Monday evening he closed his campaign with a voter mobilization event in Detroit, alongside other candidates running for Congress and state office.

Stevens' Monday included a stop at a soul food restaurant and bakery in Muskegon Heights, where she addressed just over 20 people and positioned herself as the only candidate who can win against Republican Mike Rogers in November.

Sharri J. Lane, who owns a jewelry business and grew up in Muskegon Heights, was in attendance and had already voted for Stevens.

“I hope that she will keep her word and will do things that will benefit so many communities like ours,” Lane, 54, said while standing next to a rack of her earrings for sale. “Sometimes we’re forgotten about, you know, after the voting ends.”

Can Michigan Democrats come back together after Tuesday?

The primary has been bruising and expensive. And after Tuesday, Michigan Democrats will have to figure out how quickly they can put it behind them.

The winner will immediately face the task of bringing together supporters of two candidates who have offered different visions for the party and whose campaigns have grown increasingly contentious in the closing weeks.

El-Sayed and his allies have sharpened their attacks on Stevens. He told Semafor in July that a pro-Israel group backing her needed to “teach her how to string together two coherent sentences.” Stevens escalated her own criticism in the campaign's final days, responding to a clip of El-Sayed on July 31 by saying, “Everyone in America understands you want to blame all of your problems on Jewish Americans.”

Michigan Democrats are hoping to begin the process of coalescing almost immediately. The party plans to bring its nominees from across the state together in the days after the primary for a general election kickoff aimed at presenting a united front heading into November.

—

GaNun reported from Muskegon Heights, Michigan.

The Lake City City Council was set to take up a debate playing out in communities across the country: the use of camera and sensor technology that can track vehicles and collect data — and whether it’s a public safety tool or an overreach.

On Monday night, council members discussed “Flock Cameras” and considered Resolution No. 2026-094, which would have put the issue on the November ballot — polling voters on whether Lake City should keep using automatic license plate reader cameras.

If approved, the measure would have appeared during a special election Tuesday, Nov. 3, held in conjunction with Florida’s 2026 general election.

The debate drew passionate comments from council members and residents alike, reflecting a broader national conversation about public safety, privacy, and the role of government surveillance.

What voters would have been asked

According to the resolution, voters would have been asked whether the City of Lake City or its contractors should continue installing and maintaining automatic license plate readers and cameras that collect and store license plate and other vehicular data.

The proposed ballot language stated that a vote “YES” would support continued installation and maintenance, while a vote “NO” would oppose it.

City documents also stressed the result would be nonbinding — meaning the vote would not automatically change city policy without further action by city leaders, but it would show where voters stand.

Council weighs safety against civil liberties

Councilman James Carter, who supported putting the question to voters, framed the issue in constitutional terms.

“Government should not search people without a warrant,” Carter said. “Private companies do not have the ability to arrest you.”

Carter acknowledged the cameras have shown results but questioned whether effectiveness alone justifies their use.

“Sometimes it does,” he said of catching criminals. “The question I would argue is whether the usefulness alone justifies it... This is a much broader issue of building a surveillance state,” he said. “These items make me uncomfortable.”

Carter ultimately argued the community should have a direct say.

“I think that we should put it to the voters and I’m curious what you guys think,” he said.

Supporters point to crime reduction

Councilwoman Chevella Young pushed back, arguing the cameras have made a tangible difference in Lake City.

“They were placed there for safety… they have made a great difference for our city,” Young said. “Before the Flock cameras, crime was getting all the attention.”

Young dismissed privacy concerns by noting surveillance is already widespread.

“We’re always on camera,” she said. “They made a great difference and we expect them to keep making a difference in our city.”

Councilman Ricky Jernigan echoed that sentiment.

“The Flock cameras is needed in certain areas of our community,” Jernigan said. “If we have more pros than we have cons than we need to keep them.”

Residents speak out

Public comment reflected the same divide. One resident drew a sharp distinction between private and government-owned surveillance.

“There is no protection for your privacy,” the resident said.

Another resident referenced the circumstances under which the cameras were originally adopted.

“We panicked. We were having a crime issue,” they said. “We did not know as much about the Flock cameras as we do now. We have an obligation to make sure that the 4th Amendment is not being infringed upon,” they said. “Crime can always be fixed in other ways.”

Police chief sounds off

Lake City’s police chief Gerald Butler defended the program, saying it has helped in major investigations, including violent crimes and finding victims of kidnapping.

He said the technology does not take a picture of the driver and does not collect cell phone information, and it requires officers to log in using city-issued dual authentication, entering a case number and call number before accessing data, with audits tracking all activity.

“I’m concerned if we do remove that, it would hinder our ability to keep the crime rate down,” Butler said.

Prior agreements with Flock Safety

The agenda packet also includes previous agreements with Flock Safety, Inc. dating back to 2023, involving license plate readers and audio detection devices, providing additional context for Monday’s discussion.

Separately, Lake City has promoted the use of Flock technology in the past, including a 2025 social media post about the department implementing a Flock gunshot detection system.

The sheriff said investigators spent hundreds of hours following leads after a May 20 report alleged several juveniles had abused and attempted to drown the puppy, known as Ghost. The allegation prompted extensive canvassing, witness interviews and searches for video evidence.

Cook said the couple who took possession of the puppy, identified as Zachery and Amber Manning, told investigators they had found the dog and accepted it when the owner offered to rehome it. Because their landlord did not allow pets, the couple concocted a false story about the dog’s abuse to gain sympathy and persuade the landlord to let them keep the dog, the sheriff said.

“We spent hundreds of hours canvassing the neighborhood, interviewing potential witnesses, looking for video evidence,” Sheriff Cook said. “When we confronted [the Mannings], they finally admitted that they had made up the story.”

News4JAX previously reported that Allen Belton and his wife took Ghost in and cared for him until he died days later. A necropsy by a veterinarian determined the dog died of natural causes and not by drowning, Cook said. The sheriff’s office said that the Beltons were told the false story by the Mannings.

The sheriff said the Mannings avoided interviews for weeks before admitting they had fabricated the account.

Detective Gary Winterstein, who led much of the probe, received heavy public criticism online as investigators worked the case, the sheriff said, and thanked residents who provided tips and information.

First Coast Crime Stoppers also offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the juveniles involved in the case.

“We would not be here today if it weren’t for all the people coming forward, trying to help,” she said.

Cook said they are working with the state attorney’s office to pursue charges related to making a false report and lying to investigators.

Further updates will be released as the case develops, she said.

In an hourlong presentation to journalists, Petro claimed that results from thousands of tally sheets were manipulated by programmers after vote counts were transmitted to the headquarters of Colombia’s national registrar, the agency in charge of organizing the elections.

The accusations of fraud have been dismissed by international observers as well as electoral authorities in Colombia, which declared in late June that conservative lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella won the election, defeating Petro ally Ivan Cepeda by 250,000 votes. De la Espriella will begin a four-year term on Friday after he is sworn into office in a joint session of Congress.

Petro, a longtime critic of Colombia’s political establishment, has refused to acknowledge the results of the June presidential election. On Monday, the outgoing president accused electoral authorities of running an “obscure” election manipulated by foreign powers, and said that officials did not provide metadata for tally sheets that were scanned and posted on a public website, where citizens can check the results of every voting center in the country.

“We are facing a profound institutional problem,” Petro said. “And it’s the inauguration of an illegitimate president.”

Under Colombian law, there is little Petro can do to stop de la Espriella from being sworn into office this week because the conservative leader’s victory has already been certified by electoral judges.

However, analysts say that Petro’s claims of electoral fraud could undermine de la Espriella’s legitimacy among some voters and further polarize the nation’s politics.

Cepeda has said he will organize a series of protests against the incoming president, and will not acknowledge him as Colombia’s leader until de la Espriella meets several conditions that include renouncing his dual U.S. citizenship.

Petro, a former member of a rebel group, earlier Monday also urged people in rural areas to form committees he described as “liberation guards” that could resist the actions of military detachments that, according to him, are allied with local mafia groups.

Andres Macias, a political-science professor at Colombia’s Externado University, said that Petro’s statements could help “justify the use of weapons by civilians” in areas that have already been affected by conflicts between the Colombian military, drug traffickers and rebel groups.

Petro said Monday he feared being “extracted” from Colombia after he steps down from office to become an opposition leader and continues to make claims that Colombia’s election was rigged.

“I’ve been told to behave well,” Petro said. “But as a democrat I cannot accept this electoral fraud.”

The inland Flood watch has expired. Isolated showers will be possible through the night.

Daily rounds of showers and thunderstorms will continue this week with locally heavy rainfall possible. Flooding, damaging wind and lightning remain as the main hazards.

Tonight: Cloudy, showers possible.

Tuesday: Partly cloudy to mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms, 40-50 percent for NE FL, 20-40 percent for SE GA. Lows in the 70s. Afternoon highs in the low 90s inland, upper 80s to low 90s along the beaches. Wind: SW 5-15 mph.

Wednesday - Friday: The pattern continues with building afternoon clouds and rounds of showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the 70s. Afternoon highs in the low 90s inland, upper 80s to low 90s along the beaches. The wind will remain from the southwest through Thursday then switch to a southeasterly flow through the weekend.

Tropics: Models are hinting at potential development along the mid-Atlantic. The current forecast is no Tropical activity for the next 7 days.

Sunrise: 6:47 p.m.

Sunset: 8:19 p.m.

William Lippold was arrested and charged with premeditated first-degree murder with a firearm in the death of his wife, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office announced on Monday.

Crime scene tape replaced the usual quiet of the St. Augustine Shores neighborhood as detectives spent hours documenting evidence at the home.

Neighbors say Como Court was quickly filled with deputies and emergency vehicles, a jarring sight on what is typically a peaceful residential street.

Neighbors who spoke with News4JAX described the couple, saying the woman was blind and may have been living with Alzheimer’s disease.

“Well, she was blind, and frail. And then he started getting even frailer. But they were a really nice couple, and everybody’s heart broke,” neighbor Bill Meyers said. “Everybody in the neighborhood’s heart broke because we all loved the guy and we’d do anything for him.”

One resident says they witnessed law enforcement take a man from the home into custody, describing a dramatic scene involving a drone and a large law enforcement presence.

“The police landed a drone right in front of the front door. It had, like, a speaker on it. And they were talking to him and telling him to come out with his hands up,” neighbor James Frazee said.

“Well, then he did, I guess agreed to come out because a bunch of guys swarmed up there with assault rifles around the house, and he came out and they pulled the car up real quick, and they put him in the back,” Frazee continued.

The Padres acquired left-hander Robbie Ray from the San Francisco Giants and right-hander Casey Mize from the Detroit Tigers on Monday, giving up three of their highest-rated prospects in deadline trades for two proven starting pitchers.

“We’re trying to win,” Preller said. “We don’t apologize for it. We’re trying to win championships. We’re trying to get to the postseason, and do it year after year.”

San Diego sent right-hander Miguel Mendez and 17-year-old shortstop Joniel Hernandez to San Francisco, which will pay part of Ray’s $25 million salary.

The Padres also got infielder Gage Workman from Detroit while giving up left-handers Kash Mayfield and Jackson Wolf.

Ray and Mize can become free agents this winter, so they could wind up being only late-season rentals for San Diego. But after stumbling into the All-Star break at .500 following a 15-28 skid, the Padres (58-54) have won eight of nine to move one game back of the final NL wild-card playoff position despite a patchwork rotation with an ugly 4.66 ERA.

That prompted their ever-aggressive GM to go into buyer mode again, shipping out yet another chunk of his severely depleted farm system to fill his obvious need for quality starters.

“We’re definitely excited to have them,” infielder Xander Bogaerts said in the Padres’ clubhouse in Arizona before they opened a key four-game series against the Diamondbacks. “We’ve been playing some good ball as of late. I think we showed them enough. We’ve got to continue doing that, obviously, with the nice additions that we have. Adding two guys of that caliber definitely boosts everyone in the clubhouse.”

Ray and Mize should slot in immediately for the Padres, who could also get back injured starters Nick Pivetta, Joe Musgrove and Lucas Giolito within the next month.

“We have a team that can compete and win,” Preller said. “(The thinking was) if we can supplement, that would be great, but there’s a lot of belief in this current team.”

Ray is 10-6 with a 3.08 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 122 2/3 innings this season, his third with San Francisco. He has been largely outstanding over the past two months, posting a 1.65 ERA since May while allowing one earned run or fewer in nine of his past 11 starts.

Ray is the only starting pitcher to beat the Padres in the past 10 days, throwing six innings of four-hit ball at Petco Park in the Giants' 4-1 win last Thursday. Ray won the AL Cy Young Award with Toronto in 2021 and had Tommy John surgery in early 2023 while with Seattle, but has returned to be a dependable starter for the Giants, who are retooling late in another disappointing season.

“We feel good about the moves we made back from a few weeks ago in the draft, and then now we feel like we’ve got some position players and pitchers that hopefully will have a bright future in San Francisco, but that still remains to be seen,” Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey said. “It doesn’t really matter until you do it out on the major league field.”

Posey wanted Giants fans to know the club isn’t satisfied with the results of recent years. San Francisco has made one playoff appearance since 2016.

“I guess you can characterize it how you want, (but) I wouldn’t necessarily say a rebuild,” Posey said. “Obviously we moved six major league players off of our roster today. I guess the message is we’re not satisfied with the way we’ve played this year and the last few years, and we’re trying everything we can to continue to build a product that we can all be excited to come and watch.”

Mize, the No. 1 overall draft pick by Detroit in 2018, is 4-6 with a 2.70 ERA and an 0.99 WHIP in 16 starts for the Tigers this season despite managing a groin injury. He also overcame Tommy John surgery and became an All-Star last season before starting two playoff games last fall.

The Padres' recent success has been driven by an offense that has awoken from its first-half slumber, making up for a starting rotation that was perilously thin due to injuries.

San Diego's only regular starting pitchers are Michael King and Walker Buehler, forcing the team to throw three bullpen games per rotation turn with Griffin Canning, Randy Vásquez and Germán Márquez anchoring the outings.

Dominant closer Mason Miller and elite left-hander Adrian Morejon were the subject of innumerable trade rumors this summer while the Padres struggled last month.

Instead, Preller kept his star relievers — and more help is on the way, with Pivetta, Giolito and Musgrove all taking steps toward their returns this month.

Preller made it clear he got no offers he couldn't refuse for Miller, a player he had coveted for years before acquiring him just 12 months ago from the Athletics for a package highlighted by blue-chip prospect Leo De Vries.

“We’ve let it be known, with any one of our players, it’s a very clear bar,” Preller said. “We’re going to listen at all times to any conversation that a team wants to bring up, (but) ultimately it was a high bar for all of our players.”

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AP Sports Writer Janie McCauley in San Francisco and AP freelance reporter Jack Thompson in Phoenix contributed to this report.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

The country’s international code will change from NRU to NRO and its people will be known as dei-Naoero instead of Nauruan. Commonly known abroad by the pronunciation of Now-roo, the new name is spoken as Now-ero.

The move would return the remote South Pacific island nation to its traditional name, a statement posted Thursday to the government’s Facebook account said. The country became known internationally as Nauru only because its local name was difficult for foreigners to pronounce and was a matter of convenience rather than one of choice, according to an earlier government statement.

“This proposed change seeks to more faithfully honor our nation’s heritage, our language, and our identity,” President David Adeang said when he proposed the move to Parliament in January. The suggested constitutional amendment has been endorsed by lawmakers in the requisite two rounds of voting, though it wasn't immediately clear if the document had been formally amended.

With 12,000 residents, Nauru is the world’s third-smallest country by population size, after Tuvalu and Vatican City. The tiny coral limestone atoll was colonized by Germany and later administered by Australia before becoming an independent republic in 1968.

It has faced tumultuous circumstances, with phosphate mining creating huge wealth on the island in the 1970s before the industry collapsed, bringing Nauru to the brink of economic ruin in the 1990s.

Now, the country is one of the world's most at risk from rising seas due to climate change, prompting the government to seek overseas investment through a paid citizenship program intended to fund the movement of people and infrastructure away from the encroaching ocean.

The name change indicated “the beginning of renewed national pride,” Adeang said in his latest announcement. When his government last voted for the move in May, the president announced a referendum to confirm it.

The government said in last week’s statement that after “extensive discussions,” lawmakers had decided a public vote wasn’t needed.

“While a referendum is intended to determine the will of the people, the name Naoero has never been lost, but rather waiting to be fully embraced,” the statement said.

The designation “is already the identity of the people, is on the national coat of arms, and spoken in the community; and importantly is allowed by the Constitution,” it added.

The move makes the country the latest to signal a shift away from a colonial past by changing its name. The tiny African kingdom of Eswatini reverted to its historic name from Swaziland in 2018. Other countries have sought the switch as a sort of rebrand, as Turkey did when Ankara asked the United Nations in 2022 to begin calling the country Türkiye, which the nation had long gone by at home.

Nauru's decision will prompt the renaming of its national aircraft and ships. The government was already seeking to have other countries and international institutions recognize the shift, its statement said.

The website of the United Nations records the country by its new name, noting the government had requested it be changed in June. Australia and New Zealand’s foreign ministries as well as the U.S. and Chinese embassies in the region also designate the country as Naoero on their websites.

That was on display when the Red Sox made a series of moves Monday, beginning with the splash acquisition of All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman from the Baltimore Orioles for a package that includes three of their top prospects.

“We didn't want to go through a deadline where we kind of just rearranged the chairs but didn’t actually get better and introduce the possibility of messing with the culture and the environment,” Breslow said. “We were aggressive in bringing players in and we were positioning ourselves to reach our objective, which is to try and win a World Series.”

The deal was announced about an hour before Monday's deadline. Baltimore also sent catcher Jake Rogers to the Red Sox. In return, the Orioles received minor league right-handers Anthony Eyanson and Kyson Witherspoon, minor league outfielder Enddy Azocar, catcher Carlos Narváez and a player to be named later. Eyanson, Witherspoon and Azocar were ranked among Boston's top five prospects by MLB Pipeline, with Eyanson in the top 50 in all of baseball.

Orioles team president Mike Elias said Boston's offer made the intra-division swapping of players worthwhile.

“It wasn’t going to be any trade. It was going to have be something that we were overwhelmed by, and we were," Elias said.

In another move involving a former top 5 draft pick, Boston traded shortstop Marcelo Mayer— the fourth overall pick in 2021 — to San Francisco for left-handed reliever Erik Miller. The Red Sox also dealt right-hander Tyler Uberstine to Atlanta for outfielder Eli White.

The Rutschman piece gives the surging Red Sox, winners of 23 of their last 26, a needed offensive upgrade at catcher. Narváez and fellow Red Sox catcher Connor Wong had a combined OPS of just .615 together in Boston, with five home runs and 37 RBIs

The 28-year-old Rutschman is hitting .251 with eight home runs and 47 RBIs this season. He earned an All-Star nod for the third time but is currently on the injured list with left wrist inflammation. He’s also dealt with an ankle injury and a concussion this year.

In Mayer’s case, it ends a short and injury-plagued run in Boston that saw the 23-year-old play in only 114 games over two seasons. His trade comes while he is currently on the injured list recuperating a stress reaction in his left forearm.

Breslow acknowledged the moves were about taking advantage of the moment they're in.

“Over the last month and a half or so this team has demonstrated an incredible resilience and relentlessness and put itself kind of firmly in the playoff picture," he said. "And they deserved — and our fans deserve — our effort, and the efforts from the front office to try and find ways to make it better.”

If he can return to the field soon, Rutschman is a significant addition for a Boston team that stormed back into the postseason picture with a 15-game winning streak last month. The Red Sox needed catching help, and their offense is also dealing with injuries to Triston Casas, Trevor Story, Roman Anthony and even the recently acquired Curtis Mead.

The Orioles drafted Rutschman with the No. 1 overall pick in 2019, but unlike Bobby Witt Jr., the second pick that year, he hasn't signed a long-term contract. Rutschman can become a free agent after next season.

Trading him to an AL East rival is a bitter pill for some Baltimore fans. In many ways, he represented both the success and failure of the past few years for the Orioles. He made his debut in 2022 and the team took off, finishing with a winning record that year and then storming to a 101-win campaign in 2023.

Baltimore made the playoffs in 2024, but Rutschman slumped down the stretch and was unable to rebound in 2025, when the Orioles collapsed to a last-place finish. He's been better this year but has played in only 67 games. Baltimore is 54-58 and entered Monday 2 1/2 games behind the final playoff spot in the American League.

Samuel Basallo, who has 16 homers this season, now becomes Baltimore's clear No. 1 catcher. However, the 21-year-old Basallo is currently on the injured list as well.

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

In a social media post last week, Jax Community Action Committee (JCAC) said the teen and a friend were stopped for jaywalking, then harassed by officers who accused them of tampering with vehicles and possessing weapons.

The group said officers used racial slurs, stomped on the teen’s ribs and that a police dog bit him on his arms, legs and back. The post said the teen did “nothing wrong” besides walking with his friend.

JSO disputed the account two days later, posting what it called a correction to “misinformation” on social media. The Sheriff’s Office said the 14-year-old was arrested not for jaywalking but for “actively committed armed car burglaries.” JSO said officers saw the teen and another juvenile breaking into a car, identified themselves and ordered them to stop, but both ran while holding guns.

On Monday evening, JSO released body camera video showing the arrest and released new details, combatting the claims of JCAC. (Editor’s Note: News4JAX has requested all unedited video of the incident)

JSO said around 2:45 a.m. on July 20, officers went to the Greenfield Manor neighborhood after reports that two people were actively burglarizing vehicles. A homeowner also reported the suspects were armed with handguns, JSO said.

When officers arrived, they said they witnessed the 14-year-old and another juvenile breaking into a vehicle. In the body-worn camera footage, released by JSO, a car alarm can be heard as officers make contact with the teens.

Video shows officers identify themselves and repeatedly order both to stop, but both can be seen running off. JSO said the teen refused commands to stop, prompting a K-9 handler to deploy a dog, which bit the teen and caused him to stop running and drop the gun.

The video does show a K-9 grab the teen during the takedown before he was handcuffed, but no further force by officers was seen in the video provided to News4JAX.

JSO said the teen was arrested on nine counts of armed burglary and possession of a firearm by a minor. The agency also described the teen as 5-foot-10 and 275 pounds in its post.

Both the Jacksonville Community Action Committee (JCAC) and JSO posted the teen’s photo and details of the arrest on social media.

(News4JAX is not naming the 14-year-old because he is a juvenile, and we typically do not name underage suspects unless they are accused of violent crimes like murder.)

Kiersten Gilmore of JCAC said the sheriff’s office’s description of the teen’s size was used to justify the level of force.

“They’re going about it by describing the height and weight of a child,” Gilmore said.

Gilmore said JCAC is concerned about the use of police dogs and what it calls excessive force in arrests. She also criticized JSO for posting the teen’s mugshot, though JCAC had identified him first.

The video provided by JSO does not show the officers using racial slurs or stomping on the teen’s ribs. The officer searched the teen and found a device that is commonly used for breaking windows, which was highlighted in the video. JSO said the gun that was found on the teen was also stolen.

Another officer chased the 15-year-old in the neighborhood without the help of a K-9, and he was arrested.

JCAC is calling for the teen to be released to his mother.

The group is also urging the city to create a public safety oversight committee.

In a statement to News4JAX, the advocacy group condemned JSO’s release of the bodycam footage, calling it “carefully selected.”

The Jacksonville Community Action Committee condemns the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office’s latest attempt to retroactively justify the brutalization of 14-year-old RaShawn Knight. JSO has released carefully selected body cam footage showing a K-9 being deployed and officers using so-called “distraction strikes.” However, releasing footage of an act does not make that act justifiable. This is a deliberate attempt to shift public focus away from the brutality of the incident to a misleading portrayal of Knight as a threat.

This “distraction strikes” terminology is a sanitized label for punching and striking a child. JSO has a documented history of attempting to normalize excessive force through bureaucratic language. JSO is currently entangled in multiple federal lawsuits for deploying K-9 units against unarmed, non-resisting individuals, including cases where dogs were released on people who were already seated with their hands up, already handcuffed, or had clearly surrendered . In one active lawsuit, a man was bitten by a JSO K-9 for over 30 seconds despite fully complying with all commands . The charges in that case were later dropped . This is not an isolated incident—it is part of a systemic pattern. In this instance, on camera, it shows a K-9 being deployed on a 14 year old who had already complied with officers orders to get on the ground.

JSO’s decision to release this footage and narrative to the media before notifying Rashawn family shows this as blatant smear campaign designed to demonize a child and prejudice public opinion. 

The facts remain: RaShawn Knight is a child, and he was subjected to K-9 bites and strikes. The community demands the full, unedited body cam footage and audio, not just the clips JSO chooses to release. We demand all trumped-up charges be dropped and continue to demand that Rashawn be released to his mother immediately. We demand the officers involved in this brutal arrest be held accountable. 

End JSO excessive force now!

JCAC

Columbia Journalism School announced Monday that the two would serve as Journalists in Residence for the upcoming academic year.

In a statement, the school said the two, who both lost their “60 Minutes” jobs two months ago amid changes imposed by CBS News' editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, would in their part-time positions advise and mentor students, give lectures and contribute to the Columbia Journalism Review, among other things.

“Their appointments give CJS students access to two journalists whose reporting has shaped the national conversation for decades," the statement said. "Alfonsi and Pelley have covered many of the defining stories of our time — from war and politics to public health, criminal justice and international affairs.”

In an interview, Jelani Cobb, dean of the journalism school, said he had reached out to Pelley the day after he was fired in early June after he confronted CBS News leadership about the changes instituted by Weiss. That included replacing the show’s executive producer, Tanya Simon, with Nick Bilton, who had little substantial broadcast TV experience.

“One of the responsibilities of my job is to have an eye out for talent that’s available,” Cobb said. “The caliber of their investigative work was just unparalleled. ‘60 Minutes’ is the preeminent investigative broadcast news show for a reason.”

The decision was made quickly, and then was kept under wraps in order to announce the news closer to the beginning of the academic year, Cobb said.

In a statement released by the school, Alfonsi, who spent more than a decade reporting for “60 Minutes” before the show failed to renew her contract this year, called the new position "an extraordinary privilege, especially at a time when deep, rigorous and fearless reporting has never been more vital.”

“I’m excited to work with the next generation of journalists who are eager to ask the tough questions that hold power accountable," Alfonsi said.

Pelley, who anchored “CBS Evening News” and spent more than 37 years at the network, 27 of them at “60 Minutes," noted in his statement that it was “a critical time for a free press.”

“Columbia is leading the way in training the next generation of great journalists and I am honored to join Sharyn in that vital cause," Pelley said.

In addition to their work advising and mentoring students, Alfonsi and Pelley will participate in a Nov. 11 dialogue moderated by Cobb, the dean said.

That panel will discuss “significant stories that they’ve done over the course of their careers, what they’ve learned as journalists, how they have navigated different ethical conflicts that have come up — the things that they’ve learned over the course of their careers,” Cobb said.

At “60 Minutes,” meanwhile, a new slate of correspondents has been announced ahead of the show's 59th season.

Pittsburgh, looking to end a decade-long playoff drought, sent 21-year-old shortstop prospect Sammy Stafura to the Mets in exchange for the 32-year-old Weaver.

The addition of Weaver signals an unusually aggressive financial push by the typically frugal Pirates. Weaver is in the first season of a $22 million, two-year contract.

Pittsburgh also added right-handed relievers Kirby Yates from the Los Angeles Angels, Lake Bachar from the Miami Marlins and took a flyer on San Diego prospect Andrew Moore.

The moves come with Pittsburgh's bid for a National League wild card flickering a bit following a 2-7 stretch in which the bullpen faltered repeatedly, most notably in an 8-7 loss to Cincinnati last Friday when a two-run lead in the eighth inning quickly evaporated.

“We’ve worked hard to try to add to the team because we believe in the team,” general manager Ben Cherington said. “You know, we believe this team can win games and make a push into October. And the bullpen was an area that we intended to strengthen. We feel good about the individual pitchers coming onto the team, felt like the prices we paid made sense.”

Stafura was the only top-10 prospect Pittsburgh parted with at the deadline, and Cherington pointed to depth at the position — most notably in 20-year-old rookie Konnor Griffin — as a reason they felt they could make an aggressive bid for Weaver.

Pittsburgh's bullpen can certainly take all the help it can get. The Pirates have blown 20 of 42 save opportunities this season and already released reliever Dennis Santana, who began the year splitting the closing duties with Gregory Soto.

Pittsburgh's dealing started before Monday. The Pirates brought in former All-Star reliever Camilo Doval from the New York Yankees on Saturday. Doval allowed a run in one inning of work during his Pirates debut in a loss to Cincinnati on Sunday.

Weaver had been one of the few bright spots this season for the last-place Mets, going 2-1 with a 1.84 ERA and one save in 42 appearances. A converted starting pitcher, Weaver has been excellent since moving to the bullpen full-time in 2024 with the New York Yankees. He has a 13-8 record with a 2.90 ERA and 13 saves in 168 games with the Mets and Yankees over the last two-plus seasons.

Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly called Weaver's experience a plus for a young staff, most of whom are in a playoff race for the first time. Weaver excelled during the 2024 postseason with the Yankees, recording four saves and posting a 1.76 ERA while helping New York to the World Series.

“The demeanor and just the way he goes about things is something that has stood out to me from the other side, and how he stays poised and continues to attack the strike zone,” Kelly said. "He’s been really good against righties and has had success against left-handers as well.”

While the Pirates could use Weaver as a closer, he's more likely to see action in high-leverage situations before the ninth.

“I’m sure he’s going to close some games, and I’m sure that we’ll see him in the seventh and eighth,” Kelly said. "He’s going to pitch in big spots.”

Yates also has plenty of experience in significant moments. The 39-year-old led the National League with 41 saves in 2019 with San Diego and was an All-Star in 2024 for the Texas Rangers. He is 0-5 with a 3.95 ERA in 31 games this season with the Angels.

Every pitcher but Yates is under contract for 2027, which Cherington said points to the club's belief that it plans to continue to build around a young core that includes Griffin and reigning Cy Young winner Paul Skenes beyond the end of this season.

The moves came on the same day Pittsburgh lost veteran starting pitcher Mitch Keller to a season-ending injury to the teres major muscle in his right arm. Keller reported pain in the area after exiting Sunday's loss to Cincinnati.

Cherington declined to say who will replace Keller in the rotation, though Carmen Mlodzinski, who pitched well during the opening months of the season while waiting for Jared Jones to return from right-elbow surgery, seems the most likely candidate.

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AP freelance writer Rich Rovito in Milwaukee contributed to this report.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

The tragic story of a 17-year-old from Tangier is representative of the plight of many of the more than 800 minors who four days after the collective push by migrants into Ceuta face a scary present and an uncertain future.

She told an Associated Press photojournalist how she and her family joined the massive crowd that tried to swim around a border fence to reach the Spanish territory on Thursday. Like many, she said they did so seeking better opportunities. The AP is withholding her identity because she is a minor in a vulnerable situation.

She described how she saw Spanish police pull the body of her 8-year-old brother from the water.

She made it to the shore but became separated from her mother, and has spent the last four days on her own. She said some locals gave her food and some clothing, with one woman taking her into her home so she could bathe. She then went to a center for youths run by the government for some help, but found it was full.

“I saw people stepping on the dead,” she said through a translator since she doesn't speak Spanish. “Now we are children begging on the street.”

She is one of some 860 minors who remained in Ceuta on Monday after crossing over, according to local officials. AP journalists saw other minors asking for food.

Those minors now make up a large part of the 3,000-5,000 migrants who have avoided expulsion from Ceuta of the original 60,000 who came across. Spanish authorities confirmed 72 people died, mostly in the water, during the crossing. Morocco reported 11 deaths which are not included in the Spanish total, the Spanish interior ministry said.

Minors must be cared for under Spanish law

Spanish law says that adult migrants can apply for asylum. If rejected, they will face expulsion procedures. The bar is normally very high for Moroccans to be granted humanitarian protection.

Migrant minors who are unaccompanied by adults, however, are supposed to be granted protection and taken care of by Spanish authorities.

An AP journalist witnessed Spanish soldiers escorting an unaccompanied Moroccan boy who was crying and begging not to be sent back to Morocco. A few meters before reaching the border, and due to pressure from local residents who insisted he was a minor, as well as the presence of the media, a lieutenant colonel in the Spanish Army stopped the repatriation and transferred the boy to the Spanish Civil Guard.

Most of the Moroccan adults have either voluntarily gone home or were pushed back by Spanish police. Among those who remain in Ceuta are significant numbers of people from other countries, including Sudanese fleeing their war-torn country, Palestinians from Gaza and Afghans, as well as people from several African nations.

The city’s migrant center with a capacity for 600 people is completely full. Food is scarce among the migrants, according to reporting by AP journalists.

“The strategy is that hunger, thirst and exhaustion forces these people to finally decide to voluntarily return to Morocco,” said local migration activist Ramsés Mohamed Azumik of Asociación Elín.

Many migrants sleep or rest on the beach or hills surrounding the speck of Spain. In the hazy distance, mainland Europe, their ultimate goal, lies across the sea.

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Associated Press writer Joseph Wilson in Barcelona, Spain, contributed to this report.

The pair of aggressive moves highlighted a hectic day of swaps, featuring dozens of deals in the hours leading up to Monday's 6 p.m. EDT deadline. Among Monday's other fireworks: the Houston Astros added veteran outfielder Daulton Varsho from Toronto in exchange for right-hander Spencer Arrighetti, and the Chicago Cubs got pitcher Clay Holmes from the New York Mets.

The San Diego Padres made multiple moves to deepen their pitching staff, picking up former Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray in a deal with the San Francisco Giants and right-hander Casey Mize from the Detroit Tigers.

The Los Angeles Dodgers woke up already looking like the deadline’s biggest winners after adding two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal to a loaded roster Sunday. The Dodgers are chasing a third straight World Series title.

Here are Monday's biggest deals.

Rutschman gives Red Sox young catching star

Rutschman was the No. 1 overall pick in 2019 out of Oregon State and has largely lived up to the high expectations with five quality seasons with the Baltimore Orioles.

Now he moves to the Red Sox, who started slow this season but revitalized their playoff hopes with a franchise record-tying 15-game winning streak in July. The 28-year-old Rutschman — who is under team control for one more season in 2027 — has had a bounce-back season at the plate with a .762 OPS, which helped him earn his third All-Star nod.

Rutschman is currently on the injured list with left wrist inflammation. He’s also dealt with an ankle injury and a concussion this year.

The Red Sox also received catcher Jake Rogers and cash considerations in the deal. The Orioles got catcher Carlos Narváez, minor league right-handed pitchers Anthony Eyanson and Kyson Witherspoon, minor league outfielder Enddy Azocar, and a player to be named later or cash considerations. Eyanson is one of the top pitching prospects in baseball.

Later in the day, the Red Sox also acquired left-hander Erik Miller and minor league outfielder Carlos Gutierrez in exchange for infielder Marcelo Mayer.

Arraez gives Philly an elite contact hitter

Arraez comes to the Phillies from the San Francisco Giants, and he'll be expected to create RBI opportunities for sluggers Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber.

Arraez is hitting an NL-best .324 in a resurgent season after signing a $12 million, one-year deal with San Francisco early in spring training. The 29-year-old has his highest batting average since 2023, and he's played better defense at second base after questions about his glove hindered his market in free agency.

Philly also got reliever Caleb Kilian back from the Giants in the trade for two minor leaguers, and it swung a separate deal for left-handed reliever Brooks Raley with the Mets.

Padres load up on starting pitching

The Padres have won eight of nine to move one game back of the final wild-card playoff position, and this latest surge in their up-and-down season apparently prompted general manager A.J. Preller to trade yet another chunk of his severely depleted farm system for a chance to win now.

Ray is 10-6 with a 3.08 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 122 2/3 innings this season, his third with San Francisco.

San Diego gave up right-hander Miguel Mendez and 17-year-old shortstop Joniel Hernandez for the 34-year-old Ray, who will be an unrestricted free agent this winter. The Padres also got cash in the deal.

The 26-year-old Mize has a 4-6 record and 2.70 ERA this season over 16 starts. The Tigers received left-handed pitching prospects Kash Mayfield and Jackson Wolf.

Dodgers keep adding after landing Skubal

The Dodgers added 2025 All-Star left-hander Kris Bubic from the Kansas City Royals for minor league right-hander Carlos Duran.

Bubic is on the 60-day injured list with shoulder and elbow issues, but the Royals had expected him to return in late-August, which would put him in line to pitch out of the bullpen for Los Angeles during the playoffs. He is 3-2 with a 4.11 ERA in nine starts this season. Duran is 3-2 with a 3.38 ERA for the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City.

Los Angeles also re-united with a pair of backup catchers in Ben Rortvedt and Hunter Feduccia. The Dodgers acquired Rortvedt at last year's deadline from Tampa Bay in a trade that sent Feduccia to the Rays. On Monday, Los Angeles got Rortvedt back from the Mets for right-hander Chayce McDermott, and swung a deal with the Rays for Feduccia. Starting catcher Will Smith has been out since June with neck inflammation.

Varsho helps Astros in AL West pursuit

The 30-year-old Varsho has had a disappointing offensive season with a .682 OPS over 99 games with the Blue Jays, but he earned a Gold Glove award in 2024 and remains an excellent defender.

Houston came into Monday's games with a 58-55 record, which is good for first place in the AL West. The Astros took over the division lead for the first time since April after a three-game sweep of the Rangers over the weekend.

The Blue Jays received Arrighetti, who is 7-5 with a 4.60 ERA over 17 starts this season.

Guardians add Adell, Griffin, Lowe

The Cleveland Guardians picked up a power bat and some outfield versatility by adding Jo Adell from the Angels, who received minor league catcher Jacob Cozart. Later in the day, they acquired veteran lefty Foster Griffin from the Washington Nationals and slugger Nathaniel Lowe from the Cincinnati Reds.

The 27-year-old Adell has 16 homers and 62 RBIs this season, one year after hitting a career-best 37 homers with 98 RBIs. Adell has spent his entire career with the Angels after being the 10th overall pick in the 2017 amateur draft.

The 31-year-old Griffin has been excellent for the Nats this season with a 12-3 record and 3.06 ERA. He's back in the big leagues after a three-year stint playing in Japan.

The 31-year-old Lowe is having a bounceback season with a .266 average, 12 homers and 37 RBIs. He'll add more thump from the left side.

Other trades of note

— The Pittsburgh Pirates added veteran right-hander Luke Weaver from the Mets. Weaver is in the first season of a two-year, $22-million deal. He had been one of the few bright spots this season for the last-place Mets, going 2-1 with a 1.84 ERA with one save in 42 appearances. The Pirates also added veteran right-hander Kirby Yates in a deal with the Angels.

— The Cubs got left-hander Braxton Garrett from Miami for two minor leaguers. Garrett — the former seventh overall draft pick who turns 29 on Wednesday and will be under club control for two more seasons after this — suffered a torn UCL midway through the 2024 season. His only two big league starts since then came in mid-May, when he struck out five while allowing seven runs over 4 1/3 innings. He has since been at Triple-A. The Cubs also added righty Ryan Zeferjahn from the Los Angeles Angels for minor league catcher Moisés Ballesteros and minor league right-handed pitcher Mason McGwire, the son of former MLB slugger Mark McGwire.

— The Seattle Mariners acquired outfielder Taylor Ward from the Orioles in exchange for minor league right-handers Alex Hoppe, Brock Moore and Harrison Kreiling. Ward, 32, is hitting .246 with seven home runs and 30 RBIs in 111 games.

— The New York Yankees added outfielder Heliot Ramos from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for minor league infielder Kaeden Kent and left-hander Henry Lalane. The 26-year-old Ramos has hit .264 with nine homers and 34 RBIs in 74 games this season for the Giants.

— The Milwaukee Brewers added right-handed starter Dustin May and left-handed reliever JoJo Romero from the Cardinals in exchange for prospects Alexander Frías and Josiah Ragsdale. May has a 5-7 record and 4.38 ERA over 21 starts. Romero has a 3.35 ERA over 44 appearances. The Brewers also acquired right-handed reliver Antonio Senzatela in a deal with the Rockies, who received infielder Juan Martinez and left-hander Mark Manfredi.

— The Blue Jays bolstered their rotation with an eye on 2027 by acquiring right-hander José Soriano from the Angels for three prospects. The 27-year-old is 9-6 with a 3.29 ERA and has a 3.72 ERA over four big league seasons. He's under team control through 2028. Infielder Arjun Nimmala, a 2023 first-round pick, headlined the minor leaguers going to Los Angeles, along with outfielder Eddie Micheletti Jr. and right-hander Angel Rivero.

— The Rays added catcher Liam Hicks in a trade with the Marlins while Miami received prospects RHP Jacob Kisting, SS Adrian Santana and INF Brayden Taylor. Hicks, 27, is in his second big league season and batting .282 with 14 homers and 62 RBIs. He's under team control for the next four seasons.

— The Minnesota Twins added reliever Jeff Hoffman from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for three prospects, including lefty Dasan Hill, right-hander John Klein and infielder Dameury Pena.

— The Chicago White Sox acquired outfielder Brenton Doyle from the Colorado Rockies for a pair of prospects. Doyle, who recently came off the injured list due to a bruised oblique, is hitting .214 with a homer and nine stolen bases. He’s won two Gold Glove awards for his work in center field. The Rockies received right-hander Mason Adams and infielder Carlos Vielma. The White Sox also added righty reliever Huascar Brazobán from the Mets for minor league right-handers Gabe Davis and Zach Franklin. The 36-year-old Brazobán is 5-2 with a 2.56 ERA over 46 games this season.

— The playoff-chasing Arizona Diamondbacks got a left-handed bat that can fill a spot in left field with the acquisition of Lars Nootbaar from St. Louis for prospects. Nootbaar has hit .234 with three home runs and 16 RBIs in 48 games since his season debut in early June after heel surgery last offseason.

— Toronto got utility player Josh Smith and minor league right-hander Josh Stephan from Texas for rookie left-hander Adam Macko. Smith, who in 2024 won a Silver Slugger as a utility player, was at Triple-A Round Rock. He went into this season with the chance to be the Rangers’ everyday second baseman, but he hit .213 in 45 games and missed 37 games because of injuries and a bout with viral meningitis.

— The Atlanta Braves acquired veteran left-handed reliever Brent Suter from the Angels for minor league infielder Nacho Alvarez Jr. The 36-year-old Suter provides some bullpen depth for the NL East leaders. He was 1-2 with a 4.12 ERA over 63 1/3 innings in 41 appearances for Los Angeles. The Braves also traded outfielder Eli White to the Red Sox for right-hander Tyler Uberstine and dealt backup catcher Joey Bart to the White Sox for right-hander Duncan Davitt. Both Uberstine and Davitt were optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett.

— St. Louis got left-handed reliever Caleb Ferguson from Cincinnati in exchange for $250,000 of international bonus pool space. The 30-year-old Ferguson is 1-0 with a 4.01 ERA in 26 games this season. In 359 games over eight big league seasons with six teams, he is 25-17 with seven saves and a 3.69 ERA.

— Last offseason, the Orioles included right-hander Michael Forret in a deal to acquire starter Shane Baz from Tampa Bay. On Monday, Baltimore went and got Forret back by trading reliever Tyler Wells to the Rays.

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AP Baseball Writers Jay Cohen, Mike Fitzpatrick and Noah Trister and AP Sports Writers Kristie Rieken, Dave Skretta and Alanis Thames contributed to this story.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

The order comes as crews across the southern border race to complete one of President Donald Trump's highest domestic priorities — barriers that span four states and received over $46 billion in federal funding. Controversies have sprouted up in Texas and California, with border-town residents and environmentalists reporting a wide variety of issues with construction.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which oversees border wall construction, has said water is needed to make concrete for roads, wall construction and dust suppression. Cattle ranchers in the area say the drought has already forced them to reduce their herd size.

“It would put us in an immediate catastrophe and having to do something with our livestock. I mean, it could potentially put some people out of business, us included,” said Russell Johnson, a cattle rancher whose property runs along the border.

Johnson raised the issue at a public meeting in July after noticing an industrial well, which drilling crews told him would pump 300 gallons a minute, on land he leases for grazing. Johnson has roughly 12 wells across his ranch, which pump between three and seven gallons a minute.

A spokesperson for CBP said on Monday that border wall contractors in New Mexico have been instructed to stop drilling new wells, but did not comment on whether the wells already drilled could be pumped. The agency said they would collaborate with New Mexico and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop a groundwater strategy.

“CBP is committed to working collaboratively with local landowners to ensure that construction activities do not adversely impact their water needs,” read the statement.

The federal contractors building the wall in New Mexico — Caddell Construction Co. and Fisher Industries — did not respond to emails or phone calls seeking comment. Messages left with receptionists for Barnard Construction and Spencer Construction Co., the contractors building near Johnson's ranch, were not immediately returned.

State agency that monitors wells said contractors drilled illegally

The New Mexico Office of the State Engineer, which monitors and approves wells across the state, said staff have counted eight wells drilled without the office’s permission along the southern border, but cautioned there could be more. Staff visited two wells in July and reported they were pumping 200 gallons per minute.

“All non-tribal wells in New Mexico, whether they are drilled on state or federal land, must have permits from the state engineer before they can be drilled or water can be pumped from them,” the Office of the State Engineer said in a statement.

The wells for border construction were all drilled on a federally owned strip of land 60 miles (96 kilometers) north of the border called the Roosevelt Reservation. CBP did not respond to follow up questions about whether the federal government has a right to pump groundwater on federal land without state oversight.

Cattle ranchers report culling herds due to water scarcity

Tom Patterson, president of the New Mexico Cattle Growers' Association, says water is the No. 1 concern for ranchers and that if wells start to go dry, it’s already too late. During wall construction in Trump's first term, Patterson said, contractors bought water from farms, ranches, or municipalities in the area, which meant the amount of water being pumped from nearby basins didn’t increase during construction.

“Why do they need all this water?” said Patterson. “And why can’t they buy it as they have in the past from farmers, ranchers, or even from Luna County?”

Johnson said the moratorium on future well drilling is a step in the right direction, but he’s still worried after a contractor told him the well near his ranch could eventually be pumped if crews ended up needing the water. Though beef prices are up, Johnson has been forced to reduce his herd to one third its original capacity. He cites the drought, which has left less grass for cattle to graze on, as the main reason for the drop.

Before the first border wall went up, Johnson remembers seeing at least one truck of people crossing his ranch every week. Now, he says illegal crossing hardly ever happens on his ranch. As a former Border Patrol agent, he supports the border wall but doesn’t believe it should cost him his livelihood.

So far, half a mile of secondary wall has gone up near Johnson’s property.

“They need to stop pumping all of these wells because they were all drilled illegally,” Johnson said.

New Mexico politicians scramble to claim credit for deal

Both candidates in the race for a congressional seat that represents this area in New Mexico claimed credit for the moratorium.

Congressional candidate Greg Cunningham, a Republican, said he advocated for the agreement between CBP and border wall contractors and was the first to announce the news over social media on Friday.

“Ranchers, families and local officials brought us their concerns. I raised it with the Trump Administration. They listened. They acted fast,” Cunningham said in a post on X.

Congressman Gabe Vasquez, who faces Cunningham in November's midterm elections, spoke about the issue on the House floor earlier this month.

“This illegal drilling by this administration should never have happened, but when it did, I heard our ranchers’ concerns loud and clear and immediately raised hell in Washington to get the job done and protect New Mexicans’ water rights.”

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Schuettler is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

Clancy described feeling anxious and overwhelmed with motherhood, including her struggles to get her newborn Callan to sleep and constant worries of his being sick. She also expressed concerns about going back to work as a labor and delivery nurse, not being able to breastfeed, and feeling disconnected from her children and her then-husband.

“I’m so desperate to get a mental break from taking care of everyone that my mind is trying to find something physically wrong with me,” she wrote in a Nov. 18, 2022, entry.

Clancy's defense says she was a loving mother who was overmastered by postpartum psychosis, a dangerous psychiatric condition that afflicts a small proportion of women after childbirth and affects their hold on reality.

Prosecutors contend that she acted intentionally and should be held criminally responsible for the deaths of Callan, Dawson and Cora Clancy, who ranged in age from 8 months to 5 years.

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

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Clancy’s lawyers don’t dispute that she killed the children. But in the criminal trial and a medical malpractice lawsuit, her attorneys say the 35-year-old had bipolar disorder that wasn’t fully diagnosed until after the killings.

Her attorneys say her condition seemed to worsen on an ever-shifting lineup of psychiatric prescriptions, some of them problematic for bipolar patients.

Her diary sheds light on the mental health issues at the heart of the case

In the three months before the killings, various clinicians prescribed a range of antidepressants, sleep aids, an antipsychotic and other medications while she reported increasingly profound insomnia, anxiety, despair and confusion about what was real, according to her lawsuit.

Both the prosecution and her defense attorney read pages from her journal Monday as she chronicled those difficult months.

“I want help. I want to be well,” Clancy’s attorney Kevin Reddington read from one journal entry.

She also wrote of feeling “incredibly sad and guilty” about not breastfeeding and was “obsessed” with Callan’s sleep and nap schedule.

“I have crazy brain fog. I feel like I can’t make a plan,” she wrote in another, undated entry. “I live moment to moment waiting for the next nap time. I’m terrified of Cal getting overtired now because I feel can’t help him.”

In separate lawsuits, Lindsay and ex-husband Patrick Clancy allege that various providers failed her, and should have recognized she was a risk to herself and the children. The providers, at least those who have responded to date, deny the allegations and dispute that she clearly told them she intended to harm the kids.

Lindsay Clancy was seeking help before the killings

When she sought care at a postpartum depression program in late December 2022, providers noted that her symptoms might be due to medication, according to her lawsuit. It says those clinicians told her to taper off the antipsychotic drug and then discharged her after a day.

Clancy checked herself into a psychiatric hospital that New Year’s Eve and spent several days there. Once home, she resumed appointments with her psychiatrist, who last saw her for 17 minutes on Jan. 23, 2023, according to her lawsuit.

The next day, she believed a commanding voice was telling her to “kill the children so you can kill yourself,” according to her lawyers.

That evening, she asked her then-husband to run some errands, a request that prosecutors cast as a ploy to get him out of the house.

Father returns home to a shocking scene

Lindsay Clancy wept at the defense table last week as Patrick Clancy and other witnesses testified.

He told jurors about returning to a horrible scene at their house: a bloodied bedroom, an open window, his wife on the ground below it, the children in the basement, throttled with exercise bands.

“She killed the kids!” he told a 911 dispatcher on a call played in court.

Lindsay Clancy remains paralyzed from the waist down because of the fall.

In the hospital two days later, when a forensic psychologist asked Clancy how she felt, she responded: “horrified.” She also asked if she had a lawyer and whether her body and legs were broken. She was intubated and could only communicate through written messages on a whiteboard, the psychologist testified.

“She then asked, can she have visitors, and where her family is,” Dr. Jhilam Biswas of Brigham and Women’s Hospital recalled.

Doctors testified Monday that 8-month-old Callan was in cardiac arrest when he arrived at a hospital in nearby Plymouth. He needed a ventilator at Boston Children’s Hospital to help him breathe, but did have a heartbeat. He died after three days.

Prosecutors will try to keep the spotlight on Clancy

Prosecutor Shanan Buckingham sought in an opening statement last week to keep jurors' focus on the defendant, not her doctors.

“This is not a public debate about women’s mental health and how the medical system treats women,” Buckingham said.

If convicted of murder, Lindsay Clancy faces life in prison without parole. If found not guilty due to a lack of criminal responsibility, she would be committed to a state mental health facility.

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Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz contributed from New York.

Head Start, established in the 1960s to help fight poverty, has long been considered by experts to be a gold standard early learning program. Its regulations, which stretch more than 100 pages, outline requirements on everything from child-to-teacher ratios and child health screenings to family engagement.

Trump's Republican administration would replace those regulations with around a dozen pages of rules, leaving most of the specifics up to state and local law, said the people familiar with the deliberations, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss information that was not yet public and because they feared reprisal.

In a post on X, the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees Head Start, said to expect a rule to be published this week. The administration “remains committed to strengthening Head Start by preserving federal investment in the program while advancing reforms that expand access, increase local flexibility, reduce unnecessary administrative burden, and ensure services are delivered effectively to children and families in need," department spokesperson Emily Hilliard said Monday in an email.

The draft rules would require more documentation from parents who are homeless or unemployed, the people familiar with the deliberations told The Associated Press. An early version of the proposal also would have barred parents who are in the United States illegally from enrolling their children, even if the children are U.S. citizens. It's unclear whether those provisions will make the final draft.

Head Start, which operates in all 50 states, has long enjoyed robust bipartisan support. But some prominent conservatives in recent years have called for its elimination, saying the federal government should get out of the education business at every level. Deregulating the program would deliver a win for them and aligns with the Trump administration's goals of scrapping rules it views as onerous or unnecessary.

Head Start is designed to target poverty, experts say

Head Start serves more than half a million low-income babies, toddlers and preschoolers nationwide. For families that qualify, it offers free preschool and screenings to identify developmental delays. It also offers supports for families.

If the changes take effect, they could make Head Start unrecognizable, said Khari Garvin, who ran the Office of Head Start under Democratic President Joe Biden.

“We’d have the carcass of Head Start,” Garvin said. “You might have a program that’s called Head Start, but in substance it will not be.”

The proposed rules were originally reported in The Bulwark.

Tommy Sheridan, deputy director of the National Head Start Association, said the organization has yet to see the proposed rules.

“When it does come out,” Sheridan said, “we’ll be ready to fight back where we need to fight back.”

Once the proposal is made public, federal law requires the administration to give at least a month for the public to weigh in on it. If any new rules are finalized, there may be a delay before they take effect, and potential lawsuits could halt implementation.

Current rules cover dental screenings and staff-to-student ratios

Head Start was created as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty and targets the myriad challenges that low-income households face. It serves children and adults alike, coaching parents on reaching their goals, connecting them with services and even employing them.

Head Start operators, which include school districts and nonprofit organizations, are required to provide medical, dental and vision screenings for children and to monitor them for developmental delays. There are also curriculum frameworks and prohibitions on physical and emotional abuse of children.

Many of the features that make Head Start distinct from mainstream preschools are spelled out in 122 pages of performance standards. The Trump administration’s proposal would toss most of that rule book and replace it with a much shorter version that eliminates or loosens many requirements, the people familiar with the proposal said. The proposal also calls for some new regulations, such as requiring all instruction in English.

Requirements around staff-to-student ratios and safety standards would be erased. Operators instead would be instructed to follow local and state laws, which are often more permissive. And the new proposal also says nothing about suspensions and expulsions, the people said, making it easier for programs to kick out kids with disabilities who are difficult to educate.

Jody Smith, a lead Head Start teacher south of Seattle, said she’s seen firsthand how critical many of the requirements are, especially the ones for engaging with families and screening kids for disabilities. Smith was a high school dropout when she enrolled her first child in Head Start, where she was encouraged to go back to school and inspired to become a teacher. Later, Head Start helped diagnose her youngest child with autism.

Without Head Start, “I would have probably stayed as a poverty line,” Smith said. “And I don’t know that we would have gotten as far in life as we have.”

Head Start has faced several threats

The numerous standards are key to preparing Head Start kids for kindergarten, said Ruth Friedman, who helped Democratic President Barack Obama's administration draft the regulations now in jeopardy.

“If the administration strikes down those standards, it would set back our nation’s educational goals and our efforts to reduce poverty, and it is explicitly prohibited by the Head Start law itself,” Friedman said.

Head Start, which has enjoyed robust bipartisan support for decades, has faced several threats since Trump took office last year. Project 2025, a conservative policy blueprint authored by the official who is now Trump's budget chief, called for the federal government to get rid of the program altogether. Last year, in a draft budget, the administration proposed exactly that, saying: “The federal government should not be in the business of mandating curriculum, locations, and performance standards for any form of education.” After public outcry, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose department oversees Head Start, told Congress the program's funding was safe.

Funding for the program was disrupted not long after Trump took office, leading some programs to have to shutter temporarily. It was once again halted after a government shutdown in October that led some centers briefly to close their doors.

Trump’s administration has chipped away at the program in other ways. The administration let go scores of federal workers who supported the program and closed half of its regional offices. It also began discouraging those seeking Head Start grants from using words like “woman” or “race” in their applications, part of an effort to root out diversity, equity or inclusion programs. Officials also set out to bar undocumented immigrants from the program. Courts put both the anti-DEI and anti-immigration efforts on hold after lawsuits.

Earlier this year, Trump officials also erased a Biden-era rule that mandated raises and greater benefits for Head Start employees. When the rule went in to effect in 2024, Head Start teachers, the majority of whom have bachelor's degrees, earned less than $40,000 a year on average.

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Associated Press writer Ali Swenson contributed reporting.

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The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find the AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

The court filing is tied to a lawsuit filed against Capital One by one of Trump’s financial holding companies shortly after he was sworn into office a second time. Trump alleges that Capital One illegally closed his accounts for political reasons, following the Jan. 6 attacks on the U.S. Capitol.

Capital One wants the lawsuit dismissed.

“The closures were the result of months of analysis and a careful review by Capital One’s AML team in accordance with bank policies and regulatory guidance,” the bank said in the court filing. The term “AML” is an abbreviation for anti-money laundering.

Trump has sued Capital One, as well as JPMorgan Chase, for allegedly debanking him after he left office in 2021. Debanking occurs when banks shut down customer accounts because they believe they pose financial, legal or reputational risks to the banks.

Both banks have denied they severed their relationships with the president, his sons, and other related businesses for political reasons. The lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase is seeking damages of $5 billion. JPMorgan has said it does not close accounts for political reasons, but closes accounts “with or without cause” and also accounts that create “legal or regulatory risk.”

In July, after the original lawsuit had laid dormant for months, lawyers for the president filed an amended lawsuit that alleged the bank debanked him for political reasons. The bank says the new allegations are without merit, saying the complaint rests on “new theories are based on cherry-picked quotations.”

President Trump’s legal team dismissed that claim Monday, but did not address the internal findings by the bank.

“Capital One, along with other major banks, de-banked President Trump, his family, and his businesses for blatantly political reasons,” a spokesperson for Trump’s legal team said. ”President Trump’s powerful lawsuit holds Capital One accountable for its disgraceful conduct, and we look forward to seeing this matter through to a just and proper conclusion.”

Conservatives have long alleged that banks debank them and their political allies. The allegations became louder after Operation Choke Point, an initiative during the Obama Administration when regulators pressed banks to cut off financial services to the firearm industry, tobacco, and payday lenders, among others. The cryptocurrency industry alleged it was also a victim of debanking during the Biden Administration.

Trump signed an executive order in August 2025 titled “Guaranteeing Fair Banking for All Americans” directing federal bank regulators to terminate examinations of banks over who they were doing business with. The Trump administration has also subpoenaed records of the biggest banks as part of an investigation into alleged debanking.

Trump had more than 300 bank accounts with Capital One before they were closed. The bank accounts were for a variety of Trump-branded businesses, ranging from a golf course to a winery. Trump had banked with Capital One for more than a decade before the accounts were closed.

In the court filing, Capital One said it had no reason to make a political statement with the closure of Trump’s accounts in 2021 and the move had everything to do with activity in the accounts being flagged by anti-money laundering experts with the bank.

“Capital One never publicized the termination decision nor its confidential internal process giving rise to the closure, and it permitted Plaintiffs several months (and granted several extensions) to find new banking services, which they did,” the bank said.

A night before the trade deadline, Harper went from calling out Dombrowski to texting him, noting he would move from first base back to right field if it helped upgrade the lineup.

Harper is indeed now the Phillies right fielder — just for the remainder of this season — after Dombrowski swung a deal Monday for three-time batting champion Luis Arraez from the San Francisco Giants.

“I think any chance that we have an opportunity to win, I'd do anything for this organization," Harper said ahead of Monday's game against Washington. “They know that.”

Arraez is the proven bat Philadelphia’s lineup needed in its chase for a fifth straight trip to the playoffs and first World Series championship since 2008.

Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said Arraez will play second base, triggering a defensive shuffle that switched up the corner positions.

Bryson Stott will move from second base to third, and third baseman Alec Bohm will shift to first, where Harper has played since returning from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in 2023.

The 33-year-old Harper long-tossed in the outfield before Monday's game and conceded there would be an adjustment in the position shift.

“I think it's probably just more of the arm-care stuff,” Harper said. “Maybe a little of the bit of the legs, as well. At 33 right now, this is the best I've felt in a long time. I feel healthy, I feel strong. Obviously, may need to get my arm going a little bit more. You don't show too much arm strength at first base."

Mattingly said there was never a consideration to moving shaky shortstop Trea Turner, who has 18 errors this season, to the outfield.

Mattingly, 50-34 with the Phillies since he replaced Rob Thomson in April, also wanted assurances from Harper he was on board with leaving first base.

“He just came up to me and said, ‘Hey, are you serious?’ I said, ‘yeah,’” Harper said.

Harper, a former catcher who spent the bulk of his career in Washington and Philadelphia as an outfielder, brought his outfielder's glove with him on last week's trip to Miami, just in case it was needed. The Phillies lost eight of nine games after the All-Star break before winning two straight over the weekend in Baltimore.

In Miami, Harper was blunt on the Phillies' chances, saying “I think we need some help.”

All he had to do was change positions for the Phillies to add reinforcements.

“I don't have to do that," Harper said. “Hopefully it helps. I think it's helped us obviously get the guy that we need.”

The gesture was appreciated by Dombrowski, who added the Phillies were aware long before the deadline of Harper's openness to move back to the outfield.

“Let's seriously consider it because it really hasn't been a necessity in this situation,” Dombrowski said. “His volunteering opened the door for us to go ahead and get an infielder.”

Arraez gives the Phillies a needed contact hitter

Arraez is batting a National League-best .324 with four homers and 47 RBIs with an .801 OPS. He’s a four-time All-Star and, of importance in the free-swinging Phillies lineup, is a contact hitter who rarely strikes out.

He has struck out just 236 times over his eight-year career.

Arraez has 25 walks to 21 strikeouts this season. The Phillies .304 on-base is second worst in the majors, only ahead of the New York Mets.

Arraez is eligible for free agency at the end of the season and has played for five teams in the last five seasons. He played in the All-Star Game last month in Philadelphia.

The Phillies also acquired right-hander reliever Caleb Kilian in the trade in exchange for minor league right-handed pitchers Ramon Marquez and Marty Gair.

The Phillies struck a separate deal for Mets left-hander Brooks Raley in exchange for minor league right-handed pitcher Luke Gabrysh and minor league outfielder John Spikerman. They also sent out righty reliever Nolan Hoffman to Kansas City for minor league righty Manuel Colón, a move that opened a spot on the 40-man roster. They also traded righty reliever Seth Johnson to the Athletics for a minor leaguer.

Raley has a 5-5 record with a 1.96 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 45 games. His 1.96 ERA is tied for the fourth-lowest mark in the majors among left-handed relievers and 35 appearances this season have been scoreless.

Philly has a big gap to catch the Braves in the NL East

The Phillies entered Monday’s game against Washington at 59-53 and hold one of the final NL wild-card spots. They are eight games back of Atlanta in the NL East.

Arreaz led the National League in hits the past two seasons and had signed a $12 million, one-year contract this season with the Giants. He spent his first five major league seasons with the Minnesota Twins before they traded him to the Miami Marlins in January 2023. San Diego acquired him in May 2024.

Stott, who blossomed into a Gold Glove candidate, echoed Harper's comments and said he was fine with heading to third base.

“It should be not lost that our superstar first baseman, two-time MVP is willing to move,” Stott said. “When you're on a team and you see a guy like that, what we are going to say, no, we're not moving?”

Dombrowski came out swinging with deals that — while not at the level of the Dodgers trading for Tarik Skubal — showed the Phillies are serious about staying in the playoff hunt and making a World Series push in October.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

The state case against Vance Boelter had been on hold pending resolution of the federal case.

Monday's procedural state court hearing came less than two weeks after Boelter's sentencing in federal court. He pleaded guilty to the federal charges related to the killing of former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, as well as critically wounding state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette.

Boelter, 59, agreed to plead guilty to the federal charges in June, almost a year after the Minneapolis-area attacks, so federal prosecutors would not seek the death penalty.

Boelter told the judge at Monday's hearing that over a span of eight years he had met with Minnesota elected officials in Washington, D.C., including U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported.

“We have found no record of my ever meeting or speaking with this murderer who will be spending the rest of his life in prison,” Klobuchar said in an emailed statement. "This is the second time he has falsely brought me into his tormented web and no one should be giving him more attention."

“Does this court have the authority to bring her in to testify?” Boelter asked Hennepin County Judge Juan Hoyos. “Or is she above the law?”

Boelter also told the judge that his rights had been violated during the 14 months he has been in federal custody, the Star Tribune reported. The judge told Boelter that any arguments he wants to make about his case could be made at future hearings by his attorney.

If convicted of the state charges, Boelter could face mandatory life in prison without the possibility of parole. Minnesota abolished capital punishment in 1911 and has never had a federal death penalty case.

In state court, Boelter faces two counts of murder for killing the Hortmans, four counts of attempted murder, impersonating a police officer and animal cruelty. The Hortman family’s golden retriever was gravely injured in the shootings and had to be euthanized.

Hoffman and his family also filed a personal injury lawsuit against Boelter in April.

Boelter's next state court appearance is set for Sept. 2.

The General Assembly heard hours of debate and testimony on a proposed constitutional amendment intended to give Democrats greater latitude to draw congressional maps favoring their party, which already represents seven of the state's eight House districts. The legislation was expected to reach a vote on final passage Tuesday, and the proposed changes to the state constitution would have to be approved by voters before lawmakers could begin considering new district lines.

Deep blue Maryland’s move is the latest turn in the national battle over redistricting, which kicked off a year ago and has reshaped the U.S. House map ahead of this year’s midterms.

Leaders of the General Assembly — who have been vague about their future plans for redrawing districts but in recent years have attempted to craft 8-0 maps — have characterized their proposal as an attempt to make sure Maryland is well-positioned to respond to redistricting by red states and contribute to efforts to elect Democrats who could serve as a check on the Trump administration.

The state’s Republicans called the proposed amendment a blatant power grab aimed at ousting Maryland's lone GOP representative in Congress, Rep. Andy Harris.

“Gerrymandering is wrong. Whether it’s in a red state, a blue state — it's just wrong,” said state Sen. Mary Beth Carozza.

Democrats see an eventual opportunity to pick up one seat

Harris, chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, represents Maryland's 1st District, which is centered on the mostly rural Eastern Shore, part of a scenic peninsula separated from the rest of the state by the Chesapeake Bay.

In 2021, lawmakers tried to remake the maps in a way that made Harris' district more competitive for a Democrat to win, drawing in communities across the bay. But a judge struck down those districts in 2022, calling them a “product of extreme partisan gerrymandering.”

In light of that decision and in hopes of avoiding future adverse legal rulings, lawmakers began advancing legislation to amend the state constitution to make clear that the parameters the judge cited — including that districts be compact in form and have regard given to “natural boundaries” — apply only to General Assembly districts, not congressional ones.

If approved by a three-fifths vote of both chambers, the amendment would go before voters in the Nov. 3 general election. If approved there, lawmakers could revisit the congressional maps for the 2028 election cycle under the constitution’s new guidance.

Republicans say the move sets up a gerrymander

Harris, in an interview ahead of the session, said the “gerrymandering that this constitutional amendment sets up” would break up areas of common interest into districts predominated by urban and suburban areas, disenfranchising rural voters. Such a move would “of course” face a court challenge, he said.

Democratic Gov. Wes Moore cast the move as an urgent necessity in light of Republican redistricting elsewhere. The proposal currently before lawmakers will ultimately give voters, not “party bosses,” the final say, he said.

“And if the people determine that there’s nothing to do, then there’s nothing to do. But if the people determine that we move, we move,” he said in an interview as he became chair of the National Governors Association.

Redistricting reverberates around the country

Maryland’s special session is part of a new phase in a national redistricting battle that began a year ago, when President Donald Trump urged Republican-led states to redraw congressional districts to help the party hold on to its slim House majority in the midterm elections. Republicans think they could win as many as 16 additional seats from new House maps enacted in eight states — Texas, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Florida, Tennessee, Louisiana and Alabama. Democrats, whose counterattack faced several setbacks, think they could win up to six additional seats from new districts in California and Utah.

Now some states, such as Maryland and New York, are taking steps to redraw congressional districts ahead of the 2028 elections. New York’s Democratic-led Legislature has approved a proposed constitutional amendment to authorize mid-decade redistricting, repeal prohibitions on partisan gerrymandering and make it easier for lawmakers to bypass an independent redistricting commission in the future. The measure needs another round of legislative approval next year before it can appear on a statewide ballot.

In Maryland, the issue divided Democrats earlier this year.

Democratic state Senate President Bill Ferguson blocked a different Moore-backed redistricting initiative this spring that could have put new maps in place before the fall elections, citing concerns that the move could backfire upon judicial review. But he has said his views shifted after the U.S. Supreme Court weakened the Voting Rights Act in late April. That decision offered new grounds for Republicans to swiftly reconfigure districts in Southern states with large minority populations that have elected Democrats, moves that Ferguson called “painful” to watch.

“It felt like the unwinding of any type of democratic norms in the blink of an eye,” Ferguson said in an interview.

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Associated Press reporters David A. Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri, and Steven Sloan in Oklahoma City contributed to this report.

Under Florida law, the Second Chance Act, all rising ninth graders who intend to play a sport in school are required to have an ECG screening of their heart starting this school year.

The test can detect undiagnosed heart conditions that can cause sudden cardiac arrest.

Ashlen’s twin sister, Skyler, will be playing softball at Bartram and was required to take the test to play. Their mother took both girls to an event offered by Who We Play For, which offers free ECG screenings to Florida students.

“She asked me, ‘Why do I have to do it?’” explained Ashlen’s mom, Andrea Byrd. “I felt kind of a nudge in my side, like, ‘Let’s just do it, just in case.’”

She credits that “nudge,” a feeling in her gut, as a decision that saved her daughter’s life. Days after her daughters underwent the heart screening, her phone rang.

Ashlen’s ECG test revealed she had an undiagnosed heart condition known as Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome, which can cause the heart to beat out of rhythm and trigger sudden cardiac arrest.

“Fourteen years of living a healthy life, of undergoing normal physicals, participating in activities, going to overnight camp, running, swimming, playing with friends like nothing was wrong,” she explained about her seemingly perfectly healthy teenagers. “And suddenly we were facing potentially a life-threatening condition.”

Ashlen required heart surgery, a terrifying reality for the 14-year-old.

“I was just worried that something bad was going to happen during the procedure,” she said.

Doctors performed an ablation on her heart, which prevents it from skipping out of its normal rhythm.

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is not as rare in young people as you might think. It is the leading cause of death on school campuses.

According to Who We Play For, an organization created to eliminate preventable SCA in young people, 96% of standard youth wellness checkups miss deadly heart conditions.

An ECG, which is a painless screening of the heart, is considered the most effective tool to identify youth at risk for SCA, yet the test is not part of a standard wellness visit performed at a pediatrician’s office.

There are often no symptoms; in fact, according to Who We Play For, sudden cardiac arrest is the first symptom for 80% of those who collapse, and 1 in 300 youth has a detectable and potentially life- threatening heart condition that has not been diagnosed.

Who We Play For was created by friends of Rafe Maccarone, who died in 2007 after collapsing on the field warming up for soccer practice at his school in Cocoa Beach.

After his death, doctors discovered he had Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, even though his family says he had no symptoms until he collapsed.

Who We Play For has worked for years with state legislators to require ECG tests of student-athletes.

The Second Chance Act is named in honor of Chance Gainer, who collapsed and died of sudden cardiac arrest during a football game in Port St. Lucie in 2024.

Ashlen Tarzwell can now find comfort knowing her heart condition has been corrected.

“I can finally be a child again,” she said, “because of that ECG, I’m still alive to this day.”

Her mother’s message now to any parent who will listen: Get your child screened because “you just never truly know.”

You can find an ECG screening event near you by clicking here.

Speaking at an unrelated Oval Office event, Trump ducked questions about whether he'd fire Pirro, a former Fox News host and longtime ally he handpicked as top federal prosecutor in the nation's capital. But the president kept up his drumbeat of sharp criticism, saying he remained disappointed by her assessment that damage to the Reflecting Pool was the result of shoddy construction, not vandalism.

“Frankly, I think she choked because the judge was really vicious. Instead of going after the people that did it, the judge went after her and went after her department, and I guess she choked,” Trump said in response to a reporter's question after he signed an executive order for military spouses. “I don’t know what the hell happened.”

The move to dismiss charges against David Hearn was an embarrassing setback for the Justice Department and marked a rare moment during Trump’s second term of an aide or political appointee openly defying him.

After initially posting on social media over the weekend, “I disagree 100% with Jeanine Pirro,” Trump was still fuming two days later, insisting for several minutes that vandalism had marred the troubled project.

“I was disappointed with Jeanine Pirro, really disappointed,” the president said Monday. “She folded like an umbrella.”

Pirro seen later at the White House

Though she has not commented publicly since Trump's initial social media post criticizing her, Pirro was spotted walking into the White House on Monday evening. Also spotted was Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who has been outspoken in defending the president's suggestions that vandalism was to blame.

Hearn has said he was on a bike ride June 19 when he reached in to examine the pool’s newly peeled coating and briefly touched a chunk attached to the side of the pool. But he said he obeyed a park worker who told him to let go of it.

Republican Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy said of Pirro, “All I know is, you better not go before a federal judge and make allegations you can’t back up.”

A lawyer who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Kennedy added, “They are very serious about it.”

“I think he’s going to sue” or file for compensation under the Federal Tort Claims Act, Kennedy said of Hearn. “I mean, I would.”

Trump denies knowing the contractor, contradicting his own past comments

Meanwhile, charges also have been dropped against three other people charged in the same D.C. court with misdemeanors for allegedly removing pieces of paint from the Reflecting Pool, according to online court records.

Justin Carreno, Cameron Thiers and Sophie Dennison-Gibby all pleaded not guilty during their initial court appearances last month. They had been accused of destruction of property with a value less than $1,000.

The president further used his Monday comments to distance himself from the troubled project, which he had touted as part of his overarching efforts to spruce up the nation's capital.

Trump said in April that he had consulted with a trio of firms that had worked on swimming pools at his properties and that the one he picked for the Reflecting Pool project had done work at his golf course in Northern Virginia. That firm was Virginia-based Atlantic Industrial Coatings, which was awarded a $14.7 million no-bid contract to repaint and waterproof its concrete floor.

“I have a guy who’s unbelievable at doing swimming pools,” Trump said then. “He looked at it. He called me up. He said, ‘Sir, we can do something on it.’”

But the president insisted Monday that “I didn’t know the contractor” and for the first time hinted that he wasn't pleased by the work that was done to get the Reflecting Pool ready in time for Independence Day celebrations.

“I’m not saying I was 100% thrilled with the contractor, but the contractor was rushing. We wanted to get it open for July 4th,” he said.

Crews drained the Reflecting Pool weeks ago to launch a new round of repairs. The White House hasn't said when those might be finished or how much more they will cost, but the Trump administration did not seek new bids from other companies on the new round of repair work.

Trump also said Monday that the Reflecting Pool would be “fixed” and reopened in the next week and a half to two weeks — without providing further details.

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Associated Press writers Matthew Daly and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.

A censure registers the House’s deep disapproval of a lawmaker's conduct that does not meet the threshold for expulsion.

Edwards, 65, has denied that any of his conduct was intended as a sexual or romantic advance, but the committee said his behavior would “lead a reasonable observer to interpret it as such.” It also described his actions as “beyond inappropriate.”

The panel highlighted numerous examples of actions it considered improper, including Edwards providing the young women with lavish and recurrent gifts, making comments regarding their appearance and dress, inviting them to intimate dinners and vacations, and sending notes regarding his affection.

Report found Edwards made aides ‘uncomfortable’

The Ethics panel found no evidence Edwards explicitly propositioned any person under his employ or engaged in any sexual activity with them. But it also said he failed to adhere to “the spirit of rules prohibiting sexual harassment of and unwanted advances to House staffers.”

"Both women were uncomfortable with his behavior (which they attempted to communicate) but were put in an untenable position by virtue of his status as their boss and a Member of Congress," the Ethics Committee said in its 25-page report. “Representative Edwards was at minimum blind to that reality, and at worst, dismissive of the impact his inappropriate conduct had on the careers and well-being of two women on his staff.”

One aide worked for the congressman's office for about two-and-a-half years and the other for about three years. They no longer work there. The Ethics panel said they left due to conduct described in its report, although they provided other explanations to Edwards.

In a 15-page response to the report, Edwards' attorneys argued that the committee's findings “exonerate” the congressman, pointing to the conclusion that he did not engage in sexual activity or explicitly proposition any staff member.

His attorneys said the recommendation of censure was an “extraordinarily harsh and infrequent punishment” that is based on vague standards and adherence to the spirit of House rules, “not based on a direct violation of House rules addressing sexual misconduct.”

Paul Shumaker, a spokesperson and strategist for Edwards' reelection campaign, said the Ethics Committee's staff took it upon themselves to write rules inconsistent with the written rule of law or House rules.

“Representative Edwards looks forward to having his name cleared and will work to ensure that the full light of day is brought on this process and that every member of Congress and the public can see the attempt to harm the Congressman who has brought no harm to others,” Shumaker said in a written statement.

The committee's report detailed numerous gifts that Edwards gave the two aides, calling the gifts “beyond norms of professional behavior.” The women received jewelry totaling more than $1,000, designer purses, guns, shoes, flowers, a laptop and cell phone, as well as vacations, tickets to performances, and one-on-one dinners.

There are House rules in place to protect staff

House members are prohibited from engaging in sexual harassment or making unwanted advances toward their subordinates.

The Edwards investigation came at a time of heightened scrutiny of lawmakers’ behavior toward female staffers following the resignations of Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell and Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales. Both were facing calls for their expulsion before they stepped down earlier this year.

In May, House leadership designated Reps. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., and Teresa Leger Fernández, D-N.M., to lead a bipartisan effort to combat sexual misconduct in Congress. Their work is focused on making Capitol Hill a safer job environment for women.

The Ethics panel said Edwards cooperated with the investigation and acknowledged to them that at least some of the behavior at issue could be viewed as inappropriate. However, he has not acknowledged or taken responsibility for the harm he caused, the committee said.

In his interview with the committee, the panel said Edwards repeatedly asserted that he knows well what constitutes “sexual harassment,” and seemed to believe he had immunized himself from such a charge by avoiding inappropriate touching and sexual comments and occasionally telling the staffers that they were free to put up boundaries.

“Despite the absence of an explicit proposition, a reasonable person could interpret Representative Edwards’ intimate and effusive attentions, where he prioritized the personal over the professional, as thinly veiled advances," the committee wrote.

The House would have to approve Edwards' censure

The full House will have to vote before any censure would occur. Traditionally, a lawmaker who is censured must stand in the well of the House while the speaker or presiding officer reads the censure resolution as a form of public rebuke.

Lawmakers are back in their home districts for almost the rest of the month, so a vote on whether to censure Edwards won't occur for a few weeks at the earliest.

At the start of the new year, Berg will take over for Don Garber, who has served as the league’s commissioner since 1999.

The 60-year-old Berg, who will divest his ownership interest in LAFC, will be officially introduced on Tuesday at MLS headquarters in New York.

“I’m honored to lead Major League Soccer into its next era,” Berg said in a statement. “Thanks to the vision and commitment of so many people, Major League Soccer has achieved tremendous success, but I believe our greatest opportunities are still ahead. We have an extraordinary opportunity to strengthen the quality of our competition, develop more world-class players, deepen our connection with supporters, and continue elevating Major League Soccer’s place in the global game.

“Together with our owners, clubs, players, partners, supporters, and league staff, I could not be more excited for what comes next.”

Garber will remain MLS commissioner through the end of the 2026 season before taking over as chairman of the league. MLS has grown tremendously during Garber’s tenure, and hopes to capitalize on the momentum of the 2026 World Cup.

“Having worked closely with Larry over the past decade, I’ve seen firsthand the qualities that make him an exceptional leader, and I have complete confidence he is the right person to serve as Major League Soccer’s next commissioner,” Garber said in a statement. “His integrity, judgment, collaborative leadership, and unwavering commitment to building LAFC and the league have made him an invaluable partner. I look forward to working alongside Larry during this transition and supporting him as he leads MLS into its next chapter.”

Berg previously held ownership stakes in Serie A club AS Roma, as well as Swansea City AFC in Wales. Under Berg’s ownership, LAFC won the MLS Cup in 2022, and the Supporters’ Shield in 2019.

Before he came to MLS, Garber was head of NFL International. In 1999, NFL team owners Lamar Hunt and Robert Kraft approached Garber and asked if he might be interested in serving as commissioner of the league, which was launched in 1996.

At the time Garber took over, the league was in trouble. By 2001 MLS appeared on the verge of folding, but Garber steered the league out of the crisis.

Under his watch, the league has expanded from 12 to 30 teams with the addition of San Diego FC in 2025. He introduced the league’s marketing arm, Soccer United Marketing, encouraged the construction of soccer-specific stadiums and spurred the growth of an academy system to develop players in the United States.

Five clubs, Inter Miami, home of superstar Lionel Messi, LAFC, the LA Galaxy, Atlanta United and NYCFC are valued at over $1 billion, according to Forbes.

At the start, Berk will help guide the league as it shifts to a new calendar, with the season running from on a summer to spring schedule to more align with its international counterparts. Currently the league plays a late winter to late fall schedule.

Following the conclusion of the current season, MLS will play a shortened 14-game “sprint season” in early 2027 before the league switches to its new schedule, kicking off in July with the league championship to be played in May 2028.

Last week in an interview with The Associated Press, Garber said it in was important for his successor to share the collective vision for the league.

“The next commissioner, I hope and expect, is going to believe in the future opportunity for our league and our clubs, and what role we can play domestically and internationally to grow the game and be responsible stewards for the game, and drive value for every stakeholder, every group that cares about their local club,” Garber said.

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

Elections officials have advised voters in the affected areas to use a state website to verify whether the ballots they have cast have been received and how to obtain a replacement ballot if necessary. Voters have until 8 p.m. local time to have their ballots hand-postmarked at a U.S. Post Office or returned to a ballot drop box. One drop box in the evacuation zone will be closed once any remaining ballots are collected, according to a Spokane County advisory.

Roughly 67,000 people in the Spokane area are under evacuation orders. The state conducts elections almost entirely by mail with relatively little in-person voting.

A key U.S. House battleground this fall will be in the state's 3rd Congressional District in southwest Washington, bordering Oregon to the south and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Democratic U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is running for a third term in the seat she first won narrowly in 2022. She faces eight primary challengers, including Republican state Senate Minority Leader John Braun, who has a key endorsement from President Donald Trump.

Washington state has a top-two primary system in which all candidates compete on the same ballot and the two highest vote-getters regardless of party advance to the general election.

Trump received 50.3% of the vote from 3rd District voters in 2024, while Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris received 47%. Gluesenkamp Perez received 50.1% and 52% of the vote in the 2022 and 2024 general elections, respectively.

Incumbents are running for reelection in nine of the state’s 10 congressional districts. The exception is the 4th Congressional District, where Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse is retiring after six terms. Newhouse was among 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of his supporters.

Eleven candidates are running to replace him, including Yakima County Commissioner Amanda McKinney and entrepreneur and former NASCAR driver Jerrod Sessler, both Republicans. Trump endorsed McKinney in January on the five-year anniversary of the insurrection. He previously endorsed Sessler’s unsuccessful bid to unseat Newhouse in 2024. Trump received 59% of the 4th District vote in the presidential election that year.

About half of Washington’s 49 state Senate seats and all 98 state House seats are up in 2026. Democrats currently control about 60% of seats in each chamber.

Three of Washington’s nine state Supreme Court justices are on Tuesday’s ballot, including Chief Justice Debra Stephens. A fourth seat is open. Although state Supreme Court seats are nonpartisan, liberals hold a majority and the ideological balance of the court is not at stake.

Here are some of the key facts about the election and data points the AP Decision Team will monitor as the votes are tallied:

When do polls close?

In-person voting centers close at 8 p.m. PT, which is 11 p.m. ET.

What’s on the ballot?

The Associated Press will provide vote results and declare winners in contested primaries for U.S. House, state Senate, state House and state Supreme Court.

Who gets to vote?

Any eligible voter may participate in the state’s top-two primary system.

How many voters are there?

As of July 1, there were about 5.1 million registered voters in Washington.

How many people actually vote?

About 2 million votes were cast in the 2024 all-party primary for governor. That was slightly higher than the roughly 1.9 million votes cast in the 2022 all-party U.S. Senate primary.

How much of the vote is cast early or by absentee ballot?

Washington conducts its elections almost entirely by mail, and very few voters cast their votes in person. In the 2024 state primary, about 58.5% of voters delivered their ballots to a drop box, while about 41.3% sent their ballots through the mail.

As of Friday, about 780,000 ballots had already been cast in Tuesday’s election.

When are early and absentee votes released?

The first vote updates of the night tend to include mostly results from mail voting with relatively few results from early in-person or in-person Election Day voting. A handful of counties, including two of the more populous in the state, Spokane and Clark, often release the bulk of their absentee results in their first vote update, but most counties roll them out over the course of the night.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the 2024 state primary, the AP first reported results at 11:06 p.m. ET, or six minutes after polls closed. The last vote update of the night was at 11:43 p.m. ET, with about 51% of total votes counted. The vote count surpassed the 75% mark on the Thursday following the election at 7:56 p.m. ET and reached about 95% of the total vote six days after the election at 7:24 p.m. ET.

When will the AP declare a winner?

The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow a trailing candidate to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

How do recounts work?

Machine recounts in Washington state are automatic if the vote margin between the top two candidates is less than 2,000 votes and less than 0.5% of the total votes cast for both candidates. Manual recounts are required for statewide contests if the margin is less than 1,000 votes and less than 0.25% of the total votes cast for both candidates. For all other races, manual recounts are required when the margin is less than 150 votes and less than 0.25% of the total votes cast for both candidates. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

Are we there yet?

As of Tuesday, there will be 91 days until the 2026 midterm elections.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/.

The 30-year-old construction worker ended up curling up with other Cubans on the city's sea wall, the Malecón, in a desperate attempt to escape the suffocating summer heat during yet another islandwide blackout.

Sunday night marked the sixth islandwide blackout since Trump administration effectively cut Cuba off from oil — its main energy source — in January. The move plunged the endemically crisis-stricken country into free-fall. While authorities on Monday said they were working to get the power back on, much of the island still had no electricity.

The energy grid collapses have left people like Ríos García with fewer options to get by as the U.S. maintains its pressure campaign against the communist-led government.

"Things are only getting worse. Tomorrow it’ll collapse again ... and we’ll be back to sleeping on the Malecón,” said Ríos García, who used a piece of yellow foam as a pillow to cushion his head from the tough concrete.

The recurring power outages combined with the stifling heat have created collective insomnia on the island as residents struggle to get through the night. While some like Ríos García have slept on the boulevard, others struggle to get some rest on balconies and front porches.

The day of the latest blackout on Sunday, the temperature hit 93 degrees Fahrenheit (34 Celsius), but ended up feeling like 106 F when combined with the Caribbean's 80% humidity levels.

It marks just one of a growing number of struggles on the Caribbean island where day-to-day life has grown increasingly difficult since the U.S. threatened to impose a tariff on any goods from countries that sell or provide it with oil. That was a debilitating blow after decades of U.S. economic sanctions, with the island's infrastructure crumbling and a surge in migration.

Multiple outages since March

Sunday's latest total blackout confirmed by the state-run energy company came after sweeping outages across western Cuba, including the cities of Pinar del Río, Matanzas and Havana the day before.

Energy authorities reported two nationwide grid collapses in March and three in July, along with several partial outages.

Rolling blackouts now last more than 20 hours a day. Obtaining gas and basic goods have become daylong endeavors. Cubans worry about precious food like frozen chicken rotting in their fridges without power. The island’s once bustling tourism industry has bottomed out, leaving even fewer with a source of income allowing them to get by. With little fuel, public transportation in Havana has effectively collapsed. Hospitals have been left reeling and have sought to install solar panels to keep the lights on.

Cubans have long displayed a characteristic resilience to hardship, adapting to twists and turns and unexpected shortages after decades of living under a U.S. trade embargo. But in recent months and years, a sense of hopelessness has increasingly gripped those still remaining on the island.

Among them was 30-year-old physical education teacher Elaine Delis Ramos, who curled up next to loved ones on the boardwalk on top of a thick blanket in search of a breeze.

“Just when we start hoping (the energy grid) wouldn't collapse again, there it goes again," she said. “We don’t have any solution.”

The attack Saturday at a new In-N-Out Burger in Twin Falls ended when the gunman, identified by police as 24-year-old Chad Williams, shot and killed himself. On Monday, police were still trying to determine why Williams carried out the attack, which happened early in the afternoon in a busy shopping plaza in the southern Idaho city.

Many details about Williams' life were still unknown Monday, but an initial search of court records in Idaho and Arizona, where he used to live, didn't show any criminal cases matching his name and birth date.

Man who knew gunman says he was ‘pretty chill’

Elijah Moseley, who lived across the hall from Williams in a College of Southern Idaho dorm a few years ago, described him as “an introvert” and “a pretty chill guy.”

“I was never scared or weirded out by him,” he said.

Moseley said he considered Williams a relatively close friend, though they lost touch a couple of years ago.

“I’m shocked by this and sick to my stomach about this,” he said.

Detectives are confident that Williams acted alone, Police Chief Matthew Hicks said Sunday, noting that Williams’ family is cooperating fully with the investigation.

Two of the wounded victims were treated at a hospital and released, three were listed as stable, and two others were in critical condition, police said Sunday.

During the attack, an off-duty state trooper and a civilian fired on Williams and diverted him from the restaurant, the chief said. Police haven't disclosed their names or those of the victims, but some victims have been identified by friends and relatives. Twin Falls spokesperson Josh Palmer said Monday that police were still trying to identify next of kin.

A vigil is planned for Tuesday evening at Twin Falls City Park, Palmer said.

In-N-Out employee among those killed

The attack happened at an In-N-Out that opened late last month as part of the California chain’s Idaho expansion, and an employee at the burger joint was among those killed, the fast-food chain’s owner, Lynsi Snyder, said in a statement. She didn't identify the worker.

Kimberley Castaneda confirmed to The Associated Press that her brother, Christopher Claunch, was among those killed, but she declined to discuss him further.

Garren Taylor, one of Claunch's friends, said that two years ago, Claunch completed a rehab program for alcohol abuse at Renaissance Ranch Recovery Center in Rupert, Idaho, and was immediately hired there. Taylor said Claunch, known to those close to him as “Toph,” had since then dedicated his life to helping others get sober.

“He helped hundreds of people,” Taylor recalled Monday. “He was just a gift to anyone he came in contact with. It wasn’t about the paycheck, his attitude was: ‘I get to help someone today.’”

Renaissance Ranch declined to comment Monday.

Wounded man moved closer to gunfire to help

In a Facebook post, Marcus Scott said his son Austin “A.J.” Scott was critically wounded in the attack and faces a long recovery. He said his son was shot after he moved “toward the danger” when he heard gunfire in an effort to protect others.

“We are incredibly thankful that God spared his life and that his wife and friend were there to provide immediate care until he could get to the hospital," he wrote.

Marcus Scott said in a message to the AP on Monday that his son used to work as a law enforcement officer for the Twin Falls police and the Idaho State Police. He declined to comment further on his son’s actions, saying it is his son's story to tell.

Terry Dudley, a driver for North Star Taxi, was shot as he was charging one of the company’s Teslas in a parking lot next to the In-N-Out Burger, said James Palmer, who owns the taxi service and is Dudley’s friend.

Palmer said Dudley called him to tell him he was shot after he couldn’t get through to 911. He said Dudley was flown to a hospital in Boise and remained there Monday with serious injuries, he said.

“It’s a lot, man,” Palmer said. “It’s daunting, to say the least, to even try to gather the scope of all this. It’s been absolute chaos."

He said Dudley was “kind of like my right hand.”

Gunman left local college before graduating

Williams attended the College of Southern Idaho from August 2022 and December 2023, according to the school's president, L. Dean Fisher. He didn’t graduate or earn a certificate from the school, which has about 10,000 students.

Williams served in the student senate but was unanimously impeached by his fellow senators in February 2023. Moseley, who served as the senate pro-tempore at the time, said Williams was ousted because he wasn't very active or engaged in student government.

___

Associated Press reporters Christopher Weber and Jamie Stengle contributed to this report.

Incident reports released by the sheriff’s office identified the suspect as Uyleses Servin and the victims as Cecilia, 47, and Miguel Servin, 51. The reports say the violence began during an argument between Uyleses Servin and his father, when he “withdrew a black semi-automatic handgun from his waist and shot at his father.”

The report says Uyleses Servin also shot at his mother as she and his father ran. According to witnesses quoted in the report, they heard the mother tell Uyleses Servin, “Don’t do it,” before he fired a shot that struck her in the head. The report added that Uyleses Servin’s sister and uncle feared for their lives.

Authorities also say a 2-year-old child was involved. The report said Uyleses Servin picked up the child and exited the home; when confronted by law enforcement, he was holding the child while still holding the handgun.

A bullet hole was visible near the front door of the home, neighbors and News4JAX observed.

Neighbors described frequent disturbances at the property and said many people and children were often at the house.

“It would get so rough, I would come in the house because I didn’t want to hear them crying,” neighbor Henrietta Browning said.

Her husband, Gary Browning, said he was not surprised by the violence. Neighbors estimated more than a dozen people lived or stayed there at times, though Putnam County deputies said they could not comment on residency as the matter remains under investigation.

News4JAX went to the home on Monday, and no one was home as detectives continued to examine the property and piece together the events of the shooting.

The sheriff’s office said the case remains under investigation.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said both people had underlying health conditions that may have been impacted by the intestinal illness and dehydration. The department said it would not provide additional information about the deaths.

Cyclospora is a microscopic, spherical parasite that commonly causes watery diarrhea “with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Outbreaks tend to occur most often in the late spring and summer.

The CDC says the illness, called cyclosporiasis, is rarely deadly.

The heat-loving parasite infects the bowels and spreads through feces. In the past, people have been infected by consuming fruits or vegetables that were exposed to feces-contaminated irrigation water.

Dr. Joel Kammeyer, the division chief of infectious diseases at Wayne State University and the Detroit Medical Center, called the deaths a “tragedy” but noted that despite thousands of cyclosporiasis cases, only two people have died.

“For someone who comes into an urgent care and cyclosporiasis is their only issue, it’s relatively easy to treat,” Kammeyer said. But for people who are struggling with other illnesses, he said, “it stands to reason that there are some patients that might not be able to withstand the dehydration that can come with severe cyclosporiasis.”

Cyclosporiasis is less common than other foodborne illnesses, including salmonella and E. coli. Many cases are never linked to a specific food or other source and, for years, few U.S. cyclospora outbreaks were reported. But the number started rising about a decade ago, with a particularly notable spike in 2018 and 2019.

Previously, 2019 saw the most reported U.S. cyclosporiasis cases, with about 4,700.

The CDC said it is aware of more than 18,000 confirmed or suspected cases in the current surge. But CDC numbers can lag state reports, which suggest the number is more than 20,000 nationwide.

Federal health officials have identified lettuce from Mexico served at Taco Bell locations in nine states as a source of the widespread outbreak. As of late July, the number of cases linked to the lettuce was 1,947, including at least 98 people who had to be hospitalized, according to the CDC.

The agency has said other “brands, restaurants, retailers, or distribution channels” could be tied to the outbreak as the investigation continues.

___

Associated Press reporter Mike Stobbe in New York City contributed.

Nikolay Mladenov, the high representative for Gaza, held “constructive and detailed” talks with Netanyahu and his team, the Board of Peace said in a statement.

“The goal is clear and is not in question: the complete decommissioning of weapons in the Strip and the transition away from rule by the gun to civilian governance,” it said, referring to the embattled enclave.

Mladenov also pressed Netanyahu to halt Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip, according to two people familiar with the meeting. Mladenov and his team, including senior adviser Aryeh Lightstone, are pressuring Israel to stop striking Gaza as they push ahead with the agreement to decommission the weapons held by Hamas.

In a statement Monday, Hamas said the group and various other Palestinian factions “remain committed to what was agreed regarding the implementation of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, including all parties’ obligations.”

Hamas added it was awaiting “a clear and official response” from Mladenov and the mediators regarding what was agreed upon.

Meanwhile, in Washington, members of the Board of Peace met with U.S. congressional staff on Monday to detail their ongoing efforts and to work with Congress “to advance peace, security, governance, and reconstruction in Gaza,” according to a brief statement released by the board.

President Donald Trump had announced the agreement, which is part of a broader ceasefire deal reached last year, on Thursday. It calls for Israel to cease its military operations and for Hamas and its allies in Gaza to halt all militant activity. The agreement also laid out in general terms what the decommissioning process would look like.

After the text of the agreement was released, Israel said it had “serious security concerns” and that it shared those with the United States. It also ramped up its strikes in Gaza, killing 17 people overnight Saturday and into Sunday, according to local health officials. No airstrikes were reported in Gaza on Monday.

Israeli attacks have killed 1,250 people since the ceasefire deal was reached in October, an agreement that ended major fighting in the Israel-Hamas war that had raged for two years.

Egypt, Qatar and Turkey — mediators in the Gaza truce negotiations — denounced the latest Israeli strikes in a statement Monday, saying that the particular targeting of healthcare facilities, medical infrastructure and resulting civilian casualties constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law.

‏The mediators also called on the international community to continue to pressure Israel to fulfill its end of the deal.

The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage.

Israel's military offensive in Gaza has since killed 73,375 people, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Its figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants but they are considered generally reliable by the United Nations and other international organizations.

___

Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

Faggart was taken from the jail to the hospital on April 7, 2025, following an incident inside the facility. He died three days later.

Eight corrections officers and one sergeant involved in the incident were reassigned to positions in the courthouse, Records Unit, and Property and Evidence Unit as the investigation continues.

The lawsuit, filed against Sheriff T.K. Waters and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, seeks to compel the agency to comply with Florida’s Public Records Act.

According to the family’s attorney, JSO has failed to turn over records related to Faggart’s death — including surveillance video, incident reports, investigative records and other evidence — despite requests made more than a year ago.

JSO argued that those records should stay sealed because the FBI investigation is still active. On Monday, the judge said JSO didn’t have enough information to back up that claim.

“At some point I need some guidance on that, maybe it’s in camera, maybe it’s a closed-door hearing for that aspect of it, that’s something that’s sensitive, but at some point, what’s the court supposed to do without that information?” the judge said.

The judge also pointed out that neither the FBI nor the U.S. Attorney’s Office was in court to explain how releasing those records could hurt the investigation.

“Our position is that they don’t have standing to argue what the FBI or the Department of Justice is or is not doing,” Belkis Plata & James Slater, the family’s attorney, said. “They don’t know any of that information. The state attorney’s office has concluded their investigation; they handed it over to the FBI. The sheriff’s office has also concluded their investigation and were just sitting back waiting on the FBI, so the individuals who were present in the courtroom today have no active criminal investigation, and that’s what we were arguing. And the court found this case has been pending for over 16 months.”

They said that at the next hearing, they hope that the FBI could be at the next hearing to give the court more information so that the judge can decide.

“Their son was handed to them, chained to a bed, bloodied and beaten, and we have no answers, and it’s only just that they’d be able to have the information necessary to know what happened to their son,” the defense attorneys said.

Medical records obtained by News4JAX news partner The Florida Trib found that Faggart had multiple fractures on his face and ribs, bruises throughout his body, and serious damage to his kidneys and liver, along with a barb from a stun gun in his back, and had no fentanyl in his system, details that were not disclosed by JSO.

The judge did not decide on Monday; instead, he gave JSO more time to answer the court’s questions about the FBI’s investigation before deciding whether those records should be released.

Mother vows to keep fighting

Faggart’s mother, Tracey Karpas, has been vocal about the toll the unanswered questions have taken on her.

“I’m still waiting to hear anything about my son, so we’re just praying that we get the rest of the stuff,” Karpas said in April. “I will go to my grave fighting. I will. I don’t think there’s any harder fight.”

The Faggart family said it remains committed to pursuing every legal avenue available to uncover the truth about what happened to Charles and will continue seeking answers, transparency and accountability until justice is achieved.

“Do your job. Do your job. Tell the truth,” Karpas said. “That would be my only message: Tell the truth and do your job.”

U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard sentenced Michael Woulard, 50, to 14 years and 10 months in federal prison for robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime.

Woulard pleaded guilty on March 16.

According to court documents, Woulard carried out three robberies over a span of several months. On Oct. 10, 2023, he robbed a Value Pawn shop in Jacksonville, stealing goods valued at approximately $45,945.

On Nov. 25, 2023, Woulard robbed a Kay Jewelers store in Jacksonville, brandishing a semi-automatic pistol at employees and stealing jewelry valued at approximately $352,623.

Just months later, on Feb. 20, 2024, Woulard robbed a second Kay Jewelers location in Ocala, again brandishing a semi-automatic pistol at employees and stealing jewelry valued at about $364,752.

When Woulard was arrested on Feb. 21, 2024, authorities found him in possession of numerous stolen items from the Ocala robbery.

During a voluntary interview with investigators from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Ocala Police Department, he admitted to committing the jewelry store robberies, the State Attorney’s Office said.

Woulard was ordered to pay $442,582.59 in restitution to victims.

More Jaguars coverage

Monday’s notebook: Brian Thomas Jr. shines as the full pads come on

Photo gallery 1: Scenes from Monday’s training camp

Sights and sounds: Scenes from Monday’s training camp

Full interview: LB Foye Oluokun on first day in pads and young linebackers

Full interview: CB Christian Braswell on familiarity with defense and being a veteran

News4JAGs podcast: Reaction after Monday’s practice

News4JAX sent a questionnaire to each candidate asking about their background and their views on several issues. Scroll down to read the responses of those seeking your vote in their own words.

Note: Responses are sorted alphabetically by party and are presented exactly as submitted, with no editing by News4JAX staff.

REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES

Anna Jones

Occupation: Retired - Business Management, Casino Management, Hospitality.

Age: 63

Family: Bruce Jones, husband.

Education: Computer Science degree

Political experience: I’ve never filed to run. Campaigned for President Trump 3 times and others. Activist.

What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?

Out of control spending - Forensic audits

Over development - Limit rezoning, set limits.

Environmental Conservation- Require Larger Buffers.

How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?

I will fight for residents and not insiders

What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?

Controlled spending, controlled growth, fix infrastructure, and protect the character of Flagler County.

Campaign website: annaforflagler.com

Campaign social media: Facebook

Drew Moss

Occupation: Teacher

Age: 47

Family: Yes, with 3 children.

Education: B.S. in Public Administration from Flagler College

Political experience: 16 years helping others obtain office.

What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?

Ad Valorem - depends on the outcome

Growth - Needs to be responsible and intelligent. Infrastructure must be able to accommodate growth and we must ensure our budget is not outpacing population or inflation.

Taxes - Must be reasonable and limited. County government needs to stick to the priorities so the people can keep as much of their money in their pockets as they can.

Beach Re-Nourishment

How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?

Through increased transparency.

What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?

Serving the people of Flagler at the highest level, having them feel heard and seen, keeping as much of their hard earned money in their pockets as possible.

Campaign website: votedrewmoss.com

Campaign social media: Facebook

Leann Pennington

Campaign website: penningtonforflagler.com

Campaign social media: None found

The Republican incumbent has not responded to email and telephone invitations to complete the News4JAX candidate questionnaire. If responses are received, they will be promptly posted in this space.

More Jaguars coverage

Monday’s notebook: Brian Thomas Jr. shines as the full pads come on

Sights and sounds: Scenes from Monday’s training camp

Full interview: LB Foye Oluokun on first day in pads and young linebackers

Full interview: CB Christian Braswell on familiarity with defense and being a veteran

News4JAGs podcast: Reaction after Monday’s practice

County court judges oversee a wide range of cases, including criminal cases (misdemeanor, county and municipal ordinances, traffic), civil cases (disputes over $8,000 to $50,000), landlord-tenant cases, small claims cases (disputes up to $8,000), and non-criminal traffic cases.

Of note, judicial candidates in Florida are bound by Canon 7 of the Code of Judicial Conduct, which does place some limits on what they can say during a campaign, as compared to candidates for other offices.

News4JAX sent a questionnaire to each candidate asking about their background and their views on several issues. Scroll down to read the responses of those seeking your vote in their own words.

Note: Responses are sorted alphabetically and are presented exactly as submitted, with no editing by News4JAX staff.

NON-PARTISAN CANDIDATES

Matt Lufrano

Occupation: Presently I am an attorney licensed to practice by the Florida Bar. I have practiced law since I was sworn in as a member of the Bar on September 24, 2009. Since that time I worked for four and a half years at the Duval County Public Defender’s Office. During my time as a Public Defender I represented indigent clients in first appearance court, misdemeanor court, criminal traffic court, and repeat offender court. In 2014, I left the Public Defender’s Office and went into private practice, opening my own law firm. Since that time I have continued to practice criminal law and I have also expanded my practice to include civil matters, injunctions, administrative issues, traffic cases, as well as sealings and expungements.

Age: 42

Family: My wife Lauren and I were married in June of 2024. Lauren is a clinical health psychologist who works at the Mayo Clinic assisting patients with chronic conditions. I also happen to be the oldest of four siblings and the proud uncle to two nephews and a niece. My parents are wonderful people who taught all of us the importance of hard work and of service to our community. They still reside in Duval County.

Education: I graduated from High School in 2002 from Jacksonville Episcopal High School. Then in 2006 I graduated cum laude from the University of Florida with a BS in Psychology and a BA in Political Science. After graduation I continued my education enrolling in the University of Florida Levin College of Law. In 2009 I graduated cum laude from the University of Florida Levin College of Law.

Political experience: I am not a politician, but rather an attorney committed to serving our community. As such, I have never previously held public office. However, I firmly believe that as a result of my years of legal practice, my legal expertise recognized by the Florida Bar, and my temperament, I am qualified to serve as Duval County’s next County Court Judge.

What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?

While this is an intriguing question, the canons of judicial ethics do not allow candidates to establish platforms or offer personal opinions on issues. The rationale behind this is that neither judicial candidates nor elected judges decide policy. Rather it is incumbent on judicial candidates and judges to follow the law. As such, I remain duty bound to adhere to the canons of judicial ethics and cannot provide a more detailed answer.

How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?

As mentioned above, the canons of judicial ethics limit what answers judicial candidates can provide. As part of those limitations judicial candidates may not make campaign promises or pledges to potential voters. However, I can provide those interested in this race with my qualifications to serve as Duval County’s next County Court Judge. To begin, I have spent my entire career in the courtroom, observing our judges, learning the evidence code, and practicing law. To date I have represented thousands of clients and tried over 80 cases to verdict before juries. I have also been recognized by the Florida Bar as an expert in Criminal Trial Law by earning Board Certification. This is particularly noteworthy because County Court Judges practice criminal law when presiding over misdemeanor court, criminal traffic court, and first appearance court. I also happen to be the only candidate running for this seat who is Board Certified in an area of law by the Florida Bar. Beyond this, I was raised to believe that community service wasn’t an optional pursuit, but rather it was a responsibility. In college my primary extracurricular activities were focused on a co-ed community service organization. Today I continue to provide pro bono legal services and volunteer my time on the boards of various non-profits. But as noteworthy as those endeavors may be I also know that I could do even more to serve our community if elected as Duval County’s next County Court Judge. As a County Court Judge I would ensure that matters that come before me are decided fairly and impartially. Such a position would also afford me the ability to serve the community by mentoring the next generation of young attorneys who would come before me. Such mentoring was pivotal to my legal career and I am committed to pass on my legal knowledge to others within our community. Additionally, working as a member of the judiciary and serving the people of Duval County has been an aspiration of mine for years. Now here in the State of Florida there are two avenues through which someone can become a judge, and these avenues are election and judicial appointment. While in this specific instance I am seeking to become a judge through election, over the past five years or so I have previously applied for multiple judicial appointments and gone through the intense vetting of our local Judicial Nominating Commission. As such, I am also proud to report that on each of those prior instances when I applied, our local Judicial Nominating Commission advanced my name for possible judicial appointment. But ultimately I believe that my experience, expertise, temperament, and commitment to service make me an outstanding candidate to serve as Duval’s next County Court Judge and I would be honored to have your vote in August.

What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?

I should start by saying that I don’t aspire to this position for personal gain or notoriety. As any public servant, my primary goal would be to serve our community well in the areas over which I am tasked with presiding. This means ensuring that litigants before me are afforded a fair opportunity to be heard and that the laws of our state are followed. A secondary personal goal would be to endeavor to encourage professionalism and collegiality within our legal profession. I say this because I firmly believe that these two goals would not only be tremendous feats, but would also help ensure public confidence in our judicial system.

Campaign website: mattlufrano.com

Campaign social media: (None given)

Latoya Williams Shelton

Occupation: Attorney

Age: 42

Family: I was raised in Jacksonville by my mother and father who are both Jacksonville natives. I am a married and have one daughter.

Education: I earned my high school diploma from William M. Raines High School. I obtained my bachelor’s degree in legal studies from the University of West Florida and my law degree from Florida A&M University College of Law.

Political experience: I do not have any political experience as I am not a politician. However, I am Jacksonville-based attorney and founder of a law firm built on the belief that people deserve legal representation rooted in compassion, integrity, and excellence. My decade and half of legal experience in private practice has allowed me to become well versed in several different areas of law to include but not limited to criminal law, family law, guardianship, and personal injury. Outside the courtroom, I am deeply committed to service, mentorship, and leadership. I helped establish the Young Lawyers Division of the D.W. Perkins Bar Association and founded the “Future Lawyers and Leaders” program at Raines High School to inspire and mentor students. I am a past chair and have spent eight years serving on the Board of Directors for Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, where I also provide pro bono support. I’ve held several other leadership roles with one goal in mind; and that is to be of service. I will continue to do so if honored with the opportunity to serve on the Duval County Bench.

What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?

As this is a non-partisan race, it is not one that is issue based. Judges are trusted with the task of following and applying the law equally and fairly to all of those who come before the court.

How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?

As a judicial candidate, I can’t make promises to voters. However, my depth and variety of legal experience will be of assistance to attorneys and litigants coming before the county bench as legal matters often tend to overlap.

What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?

I would hope to be remembered for being a fair, impartial judge with a steady temperament who allowed litigants to be heard and treated each person with dignity and respect.

Campaign website: lwsheltonforjudge.com

Campaign social media: Facebook | Instagram

The brothers, longtime sport fishermen who live in Massachusetts, released a juvenile tiger shark in late July after catching it from a beach. The five-foot shark is far more common in warmer, southern waters such as the Caribbean Sea, and scientists said its appearance off Falmouth, Massachusetts, is an indicator of warming seas caused by climate change.

Nate and Nelson said the late-night catch was a thrill after hours of seeking far more common brown sharks.

“And I saw those horizontal lines, indicating it was a tiger shark, which was super cool,” said Nate, who is the social media manager for On The Water magazine. “Immediately I started yelling to my brother, ‘It’s a tiger, it's a tiger shark!' And he was in disbelief.”

The Rouette brothers caught a young specimen of a shark that can grow to more than 15 feet (4.6 meters) and 1,400 pounds (635 kilograms). Tiger sharks eat a wide array of other ocean life, including fish, crustaceans and birds, and are famous for sometimes eating man-made items such as old license plates and shoes that are later found in their stomachs. The adults are also more dangerous to humans than most shark species, though unprovoked fatal bites are rare.

Juvenile tiger sharks have been spotted more often in northern waters in recent years, said John Chisholm, adjunct scientist at the New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life in Boston. Rising temperatures of global seas appear to have made the Atlantic Ocean off New England more hospitable to them, he said.

Young tiger sharks are historically less common than adults in northern waters, which makes the brothers' discovery even more surprising, Chisholm said.

“Maybe they are coming up here because conditions are right. There's food, there's warm waters,” he said. “Maybe it's becoming a nursery -- that's one of the issues that we will investigate.”

Tiger sharks are among many kinds of sea life that have been trending north in recent years as seas have warmed, and other sharks have done the same, scientists have said. Sightings of great whites off Cape Cod have been increasingly frequent, and the big sharks have also been seen off of New Hampshire and Maine. Scientists have attributed the shift in great white sightings to factors including a higher abundance of seals, which the great whites prey on.

Other sea animals, including black sea bass, appear to be moving north because of the warming of the ocean.

For the Rouette brothers, the encounter with a tiger shark provided a thrill they won't forget. Nate said the discovery was a reminder of that warming.

“People are definitely seeing more species that indicate that,” Nate said.

St. Johns County Circuit Judge R. Lee Smith ruled in favor of master developer IT Land Associates LLC, upholding use restrictions on the property through 2046. That means the former home of the World Golf Hall of Fame cannot be freely sold or redeveloped — yet.

The Hall of Fame closed in 2023, and the property has sat largely dormant since.

“It is literally a ghost town,” said Kerry Naione, who lives in the area.

What the ruling means

The use restrictions limit the property to golf, entertainment and ancillary uses only — meaning no other type of redevelopment is permitted under the current covenant.

The court concluded the covenant continues to provide a substantial legal benefit to IT Land Associates, and that economic underperformance and the closure of the Hall of Fame do not constitute the type of changed circumstances required to invalidate a deed restriction.

World Golf Foundation CEO Greg McLaughlin said the community is paying the price.

“The Hall of Fame’s been closed for three years. PGA Tour Entertainment building’s closed two years,” McLaughlin said. “I think the real loss, sadly, out there is going to be what’s happening to the community.”

The foundation now has 15 days from the ruling to request a rehearing and 30 days to file an appeal. McLaughlin said the foundation is evaluating what makes sense for them.

What the county says

The county says there is still a possible path forward. St. Johns County released a statement outlining what the ruling means and what could come next:

“Now that the legal question appears to be resolved, the outstanding issue is what are the options for World Golf Foundation and the other parties which own property subject to the 50-year use restriction, including the county’s Hall of Fame and IMAX property. Administration has been advised that one of the affected property owners intends to acquire the remaining World Golf Village DRI development rights from IT Land Associates, which would include the right to terminate the deed restriction. If and when that occurs, the next step would be to negotiate with the other affected property owners to reach an agreement that would extinguish the deed restriction. Any proposed agreement including the county is subject to Board approval. Once the deed restriction is terminated, the properties can be sold free and clear of the use restriction. It is anticipated the timeline for this process will move quickly and, if successful, it’s possible the county could receive a redevelopment proposal soon — in the next 45 to 60 days.”

What could come next

McLaughlin isn’t convinced a deal is close.

“I think that’s fanciful. I mean, we’ve been in discussion with all of the parties, as I said, off and on for three or four years, and there’s been absolutely no substantive discussion,” he said.

In the meantime, taxpayers are footing the bill to maintain the property. St. Johns County owns the IMAX theater and Hall of Fame building, while the World Golf Foundation owns the remaining 36.7 acres, including the former PGA Tour Productions building.

Residents, meanwhile, say they’re ready for something new.

“This little path all the circle around, they should be able to do like arts and crafts and different kinds of food trucks and things like that,” said Maria Mullan, who lives in the area.

The county says if a deal comes together, residents could see a redevelopment proposal within the next 45 to 60 days.

The government says the company, which manages affiliated provider groups in Florida, Alabama and Colorado, pushed coders and doctors to add diagnosis codes for conditions in Hierarchical Condition Category 55 (drug and alcohol dependence) and HCC 59 (major depressive, bipolar and paranoid disorders) from 2020 to 2023.

Prosecutors allege many of those codes weren’t clinically valid, weren’t supported by medical records and weren’t part of the patients’ care.

The DOJ said Complete Health had contracts that let it receive a share of the money Medicare Advantage plans got from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. That “risk-sharing” setup gave the company a financial incentive to increase patients’ risk scores — and the payments tied to them — by adding diagnosis codes.

Here’s how Medicare Advantage payments work in plain terms: private plans get a fixed monthly amount for each enrollee, but that payment is adjusted based on a risk model that uses diagnoses reported by providers. Sicker patients typically generate higher payments. The government says the added codes raised risk scores and led to bigger payments, some of which were passed on to Complete Health.

U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe said the settlement shows the office remains focused on health care fraud enforcement.

“This settlement sends a strong message to our district, its residents, and medical providers doing business here, that our focus on this vital practice area has not wavered,” he said.

Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division said the agreement reflects the department’s commitment to protect taxpayer money and ensure Medicare payments are based on accurate information. A senior official at the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General added that companies that improperly boost profits by reporting bogus conditions will be held responsible.

The settlement resolves a whistleblower suit brought under the False Claims Act by a former risk-adjustment official at VIVA Health. Under that qui tam provision, a private party can sue on behalf of the government and receive a portion of any recovery.

The suit is captioned United States ex rel. Karen Bowers v. Complete Health Partners, Inc., et al., Civil Action No. 3:22-cv-463 (M.D. Fla.). Karen Bowers will receive about $2,467,500 as her share of the federal recovery, the Justice Department said.

“The decision to diagnose a patient with a medical condition should never be influenced by the provider’s own financial interests,” said Edward Arens, a partner and whistleblower attorney with Phillips & Cohen LLP.  “This settlement reinforces that diagnoses should be based on medicine, not money. We alleged that Complete Health’s improper diagnoses cost Medicare millions of dollars. “The government has made risk adjustment fraud a top priority and demonstrated that commitment by taking swift action to investigate our client’s allegations.”

News4JAX sent a questionnaire to each candidate asking about their background and their views on several issues. Scroll down to read the responses of those seeking your vote in their own words.

Note: Responses are sorted alphabetically by party and are presented exactly as submitted, with no editing by News4JAX staff.

REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES

Blake Iverson

Campaign website: None found

Campaign social media: Facebook

The Republican incumbent has not responded to email and telephone invitations to complete the News4JAX candidate questionnaire. If responses are received, they will be promptly posted in this space.

CJ Thompson

Occupation: Chief Operating Officer, Majority Strategies

Age: 44

Family: My wife, Jessica, and I live in Glen St. Mary with our two daughters, Kendall and Reagan.

Education: Baker County High School graduate.

Florida State University, Bachelor of Science in Finance.

Florida State University, Master of Business Administration.

Political experience: My background is in local government and public-sector leadership. I previously served as Chair of the Baker County Land Planning Agency, where I gained direct experience with land use, zoning, development, and growth-management issues before they reached the County Commission. I was later appointed County Manager for Baker County, where I managed county departments, public services, contracts, and long-term planning while working directly with commissioners, staff, and the public to deliver results.

I also served as Director of Intragovernmental Services for the City of Jacksonville, overseeing major public operations including information technology, procurement, fleet management, and 630-CITY.

That experience gives me a practical understanding of how local government works and how decisions made by elected officials affect residents, services, and taxpayers.

What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?

The top three issues are accountability in how taxpayer dollars are spent, roads and infrastructure, and responsible growth management.

First, county government must be transparent and accountable with public dollars. When millions in fund balances go untracked for years, that is not just an accounting problem. It is a failure of oversight. Taxpayers deserve to know how decisions are made, how money is spent, and whether they are getting value for their tax dollars. I will bring the experience and discipline needed to help restore that standard.

Second, Baker County residents have spoken clearly: roads need attention, and county government needs to respond with a real plan and real results. Roads, drainage, and infrastructure are basic services people depend on every day. That means disciplined budgeting, a transparent project list, and a long-term commitment to actually follow through.

Third, growth must be managed responsibly. Baker County can grow without losing the rural character that makes this community home, but that requires planning ahead rather than reacting to growth after it arrives. We need a strategic growth plan that aligns future development with infrastructure capacity, transportation needs, and long-term community goals. Growth should be directed to areas where roads, utilities, and public services can support it, while protecting agricultural and rural areas that define Baker County’s character. New development should pay its fair share and not create additional burdens for existing taxpayers.

How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?

My background in local government gives me a practical understanding of what county commissioners actually do, and what they do not do. Commissioners set policy, approve budgets, establish priorities, and provide oversight. They do not run the county’s day-to-day operations. Understanding that distinction matters because effective leadership requires both accountability and respect for the proper role of the office.

County commissioners make decisions that affect roads, infrastructure, growth, public safety, county employees, and taxpayer dollars. My experience gives me a practical understanding of how those decisions move from an agenda item to actual results for the people of Baker County.

I believe voters deserve a commissioner who understands the role, respects its limits, and knows how to turn priorities into results.

What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?

I would hope Baker County residents feel their county government worked better for them, communicated more clearly with them, and was more accountable to them. That means making meaningful progress on roads and infrastructure, strengthening accountability in county government, and putting a strategic growth plan in place so growth is managed responsibly rather than reactively.

I would also hope people remember that I listened, treated people fairly, respected the role of the office, and made decisions based on what I believed was best for Baker County.

Campaign website: cjthompson.com

Campaign social media: Facebook

Trump said a day earlier he’d called off major strikes against Iran at the urging of Gulf allies, the latest in a pattern of threats and subsequent backpedaling from the U.S. president.

Meanwhile, 25 states sued the Trump administration Monday over its latest tariffs, calling them a pretext for replacing import taxes the Supreme Court struck down in February. The U.S. last month imposed double-digit tariffs on 59 countries and the European Union just as the clock ran out on temporary tariffs Trump had turned to after the Supreme Court defeat.

Here is the latest:

Sen. Chuck Grassley invites former special counsel to testify about Trump investigation

Grassley says he has invited Jack Smith to testify before his panel on Sept. 22.

In a social media post announcing the invitation, Grassley, the chairman of the Republican-led committee, said that the American people “deserve nothing less than full transparency + accountability” related to the handling of the investigation into Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

Grassley wants to ask Smith about records showing that his team obtained phone records of some lawmakers on Capitol Hill, as well as the content of their text messages. Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, last month referred Smith to the Justice Department for a possible false statement investigation related to testimony about the records.

Lawyers for Smith say he testified truthfully and did nothing wrong.

Smith conducted two investigations into Trump, including related to his retention of classified records, that resulted in indictments. Both cases were abandoned after Trump won back the White House.

Trump Board of Peace officials meet congressional leaders as questions remain over Gaza peace plan

Members of President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace that is seeking and end to the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza met with U.S. officials and lawmakers in Washington on Monday.

The board members met with congressional staff and others to describe “current efforts to implement President Trump’s Comprehensive Peace Plan” and to work with Congress “to advance peace, security, governance, and reconstruction in Gaza.”

No details of the meeting were disclosed in a brief statement issued by the the Board of Peace.

The meeting took place as more senior officials from the Board of Peace met with top Israeli leaders in Israel.

25 states sue over Trump administration’s latest tariffs, citing Supreme Court ruling

Twenty-five states sued the Trump administration Monday over its latest tariffs, calling them a pretext for replacing import taxes the Supreme Court struck down in February.

The United States last month imposed double-digit tariffs on 59 countries and the European Union, charging that they had not done enough to crack down on imports produced by forced labor. The new tariffs took effect just as the clock ran out on temporary tariffs President Donald Trump had turned to after the Supreme Court defeat.

“After losing at the Supreme Court, the administration is once again trying to illegally raise taxes on families and businesses with a new round of tariffs,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James.

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Trump Washington surge opponents file complaint

A group of activists opposing the continued law enforcement and National Guard presence in Washington submitted a letter Monday to the D.C. Superior Court chief judge asking that he assess the seriousness and racial aspect of cases being brought by prosecutors during the surge.

Frankie Seabron, of CourtWatch DC, said 100 people a day were being taken into custody for minor crimes that would not have been pursued as vigorously before.

“Judges are not defenseless,” she said, “especially when they know prosecutors are abusing their powers.”

Seabron’s organization was one of several at a protest at Superior Court led by FreeDC. Ellen Hornstein with Lawyers Defending American Democracy also announced an ethics complaint had been filed last month against Jeanine Pirro with the Attorney Grievance Committee for the Supreme Court of the State of New York. The action cited her behavior in several cases, the reflecting pool vandalism case.

Trump says Pirro ‘folded like a cheap umbrella’

The president reiterated his disappointment with U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro for a court filing in which her office blamed a contractor’s shoddy work on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool rather than vandalism.

“I guess she choked. I don’t know what the hell happened,” Trump said, later adding that the former Fox News host “folded like a cheap umbrella” in moving to drop criminal charges against the former Olympian accused of deliberately damaging the pool.

Trump refused to say whether he’d move to fire Pirro. But he also acknowledged that the contractor was “rushing” to finish the project before July 4 — which didn’t ultimately happen.

And he suggested he “didn’t know” the contactor working on it, contradicting his own comments from April when he said he chose the company involved since it had performed work at his golf course in Virginia.

Trump avoids answering whether he supports MLB salary cap

Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement is set to expire Dec. 1 and there’s growing speculation that there could be a lockout that jeopardizes the 2027 season

The central point of contention is MLB owners push for a salary cap. Asked if he supported the owners push for a salary cap, Trump demurred.

“Well, we’re going to talk about that at a different time,” said Trump, a New York Yankees fan. “You know, it’s a complex situation, but not too complex for me.”

The president previously has suggested that he views salary caps in pro sports favorably. Trump in June told reporters that “if you don’t have a salary cap, you don’t have a sport” and suggested MLB “should have done it a long time ago.”

Trump says he looks forward to meeting DC’s new mayor

Trump said he’d welcome meeting with Janeese Lewis George, likely the next mayor of Washington, D.C., after he wrongly referred to her as a communist.

Lewis George is a self-described democratic socialist and a member of the D.C. Council who won the Democratic mayoral primary in June. In the overwhelmingly Democratic city, she is likely to take the top spot in November’s general election. She would succeed moderate Muriel Bowser, who decided to step down after three terms.

“I have not met her yet. I look forward to meeting her,” Trump said of Lewis George.

Trump says oil companies Chevron and Exxon Mobil made ‘too much money’

The U.S. president said major oil companies are earning excessive profits because of high oil prices.

“They made too much money, too much money, “ Trump said. “They ought to give some of that back to the public, and they better cut the retail price.”

Trump said he’s not happy with profits reported by Chevron and Exxon Mobil, even though the higher margins reflected energy prices that had increased after Trump launched a war with Iran and the Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed to oil and natural gas tankers.

Trump’s predecessor in the White House, Democrat Joe Biden, also attacked oil companies for their profits when inflation was a major problem with voters.

Trump says he doesn’t know what was agreed to on to advance Blanche’s nomination

The president said, “I understand there’s been a sign off” but that “I don’t know what they agreed” to.

“I think Todd Blanche agreed to reconfirm things that he’s already said. And what he said was OK,” Trump added.

Two Republican Senators who had blocked the confirmation of Blanche, the acting attorney general, to lead the Justice Department said they’d reached an agreement to end the impasse.

Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis said they struck a deal to formally rescind the $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” that could have been used to compensate Trump supporters who overran the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Despite saying he didn’t know the details of the deal to advance Blanche’s nomination, Trump defended the fund, saying his supporters had been “treated very unfairly.”

Trump defends his exemption from IRS audits because government was ‘weaponized’ against him

The U.S. president defended an agreement to exempt him, his sons and his business from tax audits.

The IRS had until Trump audited presidents since 1977, but the administration struck a deal to avoid audits of Trump as part of what was an initial agreement to end a lawsuit over the leaking of his tax records.

Trump said that before he ran for president in 2016 that an IRS audit of him had been settled. He said the audit was then reopened and he used it during the campaign a decade ago to justify not releasing his tax returns as other candidates have done.

“They went after me illegally and they did a lot of bad things to me like they did to other people,” Trump said. “It was weaponized against me.”

Trump says he’s leaving the Rep. Max Miller situation to the families involved

A day after telling reporters that he’d look into the allegations against the Ohio congressman, Trump said he’ll let the families “figure that out.”

“It’s a very sad thing,” Trump told reporters Monday in the Oval Office. “I know Max. He’s a good person.”

Miller is accused of domestic violence by his former wife, Emily Moreno, the daughter of Ohio Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno, who is close to Trump. Miller denies the allegations.

The senator said Sunday that his former son-in-law should not serve in Congress.

“You know, those families, I know they’re working on it. It’s a very sad thing,” Trump said. “Especially when you know somebody so well to be going through that. But it’s accusations, and I’m going to let them figure that out.”

Trump says new talks are ‘last chance’ for Iran to forge deal and avoid escalation of US strikes

President Donald Trump said Monday that newly planned talks with Tehran are the “last chance” for Iran to forge a deal and avoid an escalation of U.S. strikes on the country.

Trump, speaking at the Oval Office, said he expects negotiations that will reopen the Strait of Hormuz and create a pathway for Iran to address United States’ concerns about it’s nuclear program will begin in the next day or two.

The Republican president says, “The first phase is the opening of the straits. The second phase will be the denuclearization.” Trump says that ”will take a little while.”

While Trump has reveled in the U.S. military decimating layers of Tehran’s leadership and devastating its air force and navy, Iran is betting it can outlast Trump as he faces diminished stockpiles of munitions and the difficulty of executing a war that is unpopular with the American electorate ahead of November’s midterm election.

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Trump signs executive order on military spouses

The order creates the “Presidential Military Spouse Commission” to address issues facing troops and their families. Jennifer Hegseth, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s wife, will lead it, Trump said.

The president said the new commission would “develop suggestions to address particular challenges in housing, employment, health care, education, child childcare and just about everything else you can think of.”

Many of the issues have been tackled in various forms by multiple administrations.

Jennifer Hegseth’s role mirrors that of other defense secretary spouses who have advocated for families while their husbands ran the Pentagon. Charlene Austin, Lloyd Austin’s wife, sat on the advisory boards for the Purdue Military Family Research Institute, and Military Child Education Coalition.

Trump calls Iran ‘unbelievably duplicitous’ with regard to peace talks

Trump is venting about the status of peace talks with Iran.

He criticized Iran's leadership for claiming that its meetings with Oman on Monday were focused solely on establishing a temporary route for safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

The president previously said he held off on a massive weekend strike against Iran because there was another framework for a ceasefire and the full reopening of the strait to oil and natural gas tankers.

“Iranian Leadership is unbelievably duplicitous!” Trump posted on social media Monday. “They ask for a meeting, some would say “beg,” talks begin, with more scheduled in the immediate future, and they say, openly and proudly, that they’re not having any discussions, that nothing is being talked about, and they’re only dealing with ‘Oman.’”

Trump said whether “Iran wants to admit it or not, we are, in fact, talking” about preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

Breakneck pace in immigration courts is driving up deportation orders

The Trump administration is packing immigration courtrooms with speedier hearings to clear a decades-long backlog in asylum claims. New data shows a historic rise in missed court dates and immediate deportation orders as judges struggle to keep up the pace.

Hundreds of immigrants’ cases a day are being assigned to individual judges as the number of “mega” master hearings significantly increase. More than 1,300 were held in June alone, a nearly threefold jump from the previous June, according to Mobile Pathways, a nonprofit that tracks immigration court data.

The data also shows that courts have severely cut preparation time in complex immigration proceedings, so people are missing hearings and being told they’ve abandoned their asylum claims at unprecedented rates.

Those who favor limiting immigration see this as a course-correction for a longstanding problem. But the nonprofit’s chief operating officer says cases are being closed without being heard.

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GOP holdouts say they will vote to advance Blanche’s nomination for attorney general

Two Republican senators who threatened to block acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s bid to lead the Justice Department said Monday that they will vote to advance his nomination, ending an impasse over plans to create a fund to compensate the president’s allies.

The statement from Republican Sen. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis came after Blanche issued an order late Sunday formally rescinding the $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” to compensate people who believe they were unfairly prosecuted by the Justice Department.

Cornyn and Tillis had said they would not support Blanche’s nomination without written confirmation that the fund is dead.

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Trump stands to profit off US policy announcements by selling fast access to his social media posts

The president knows the world hangs on his every word. Now he wants you to pay for it.

Trump’s Truth Social business began selling sneak peeks of his social media posts on Saturday, offering early access to market-moving news to Wall Street traders willing to pay up. The move raises the prospect of big profits for Trump’s company, and big questions about insider trading and using public office for private gain.

Similar fast-speed feeds are sold by other social media firms and media providers, but Truth Social doesn’t just distribute the news, it makes it as Trump announces changes on everything from war to central bank leadership to tariffs.

“If this was the CEO of a public company, this would be jail time,” said Irene Aldridge, head of Able Alpha Trading.

Initial sales details may be disclosed when Truth Social’s parent company announces quarterly earnings.

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Democrats’ future is at stake as El-Sayed and Stevens make final push in Michigan

Tuesday’s Senate primary in Michigan between congresswoman Haley Stevens and public health official Abdul El-Sayed is one of the clearest tests yet of where Democratic voters want their party to go.

El-Sayed is a progressive backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders who’s run against much of the Democratic establishment. Stevens is backed by Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and has made electability and experience central to her case.

The winner faces Republican Mike Rogers in November for an open seat Democrats likely need to hold to take control of the Senate next year.

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Trump decries negative public polling and claims he’s never been more popular

The U.S. president said on social media that independent surveys showing low approval ratings are false — denying a clear trend of lower support for Trump because of inflation and the Iran war, among other issues.

“My REAL Polling Numbers, not those made up by the Fake News Media, are the best they have ever been,” Trump asserted, providing no data to back up his claim.

The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that just 33% of U.S. adults approve of Trump. That survey from late July also showed a drop since the start of Trump’s second term in adults who “strongly approve” of him.

Contrary to the evidence of multiple surveys, Trump said his popularity is based on his income tax cuts, his job numbers, his efforts to secure the U.S. border with Mexico and his use of American military force in Venezuela and Iran.

Trump going to Los Angeles on Tuesday and speak in Las Vegas on Wednesday

The White House said the president will go to California and Nevada to talk up the economy and border security and slam Democrats ahead of the November elections.

Trump on Tuesday will attend a Republican National Committee dinner at the Trump National Golf Club in Los Angeles.

On Wednesday, the president is slated to talk about the economy at Red Rock Casino in Las Vegas.

Falling oil prices help calm Wall Street’s inflation worries, while chip stocks get back to sinking

Oil prices are easing and helping to calm Wall Street’s worries that inflation could potentially get even worse. That has U.S. stock indexes rising early Monday, but several major chip stocks are falling again including Micron and AMD.

The S&P 500 rose 0.4%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 625 points, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.2%. The price of a barrel of Brent crude fell 5.1% to $83.42 after Trump said over the weekend he would hold off on ordering new strikes against Iran at the urging of allies in the region. Treasury yields fell.

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Trump overhaul could gut Head Start preschool quality standards

The Trump administration is planning a dramatic overhaul of Head Start that would gut its quality standards, two people familiar with the deliberations said.

Head Start, established in the 1960s to help fight poverty, has long been considered by experts to be a gold standard for early education. It has more than 100 pages of regulations that cover everything from child-to-teacher ratios and child health screenings to family engagement.

The Republicans would replace these with around a dozen pages of rules that leave most specifics to state and local law, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the information is not yet public and they feared reprisal.

The draft rules would require more documentation from homeless or unemployed parents, and an early version would have barred even the U.S. citizen children of parents who are in the United States illegally.

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News4JAX sent a questionnaire to each candidate asking about their background and their views on several issues. Scroll down to read the responses of those seeking your vote in their own words.

Note: Responses are sorted alphabetically and are presented exactly as submitted, with no editing by News4JAX staff.

MAYORAL CANDIDATES

Evan Morgan Moon

Occupation: I work in the Deli at Walmart

Age: 38

Family: Charmie (wife)

Education: Some college, Santa Fe, FGCU, Historiology

Political experience: Politics is my hobby

What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?

Establish a fairground the city as a whole can be proud of. If we are going to tax people, let’s give them something to show for it! This will help establish Community, and speed up our slow season which has been horrible for working people. The city funds other projects which are very nice. Here is a priority.

Housing that is ACTUALLY Affordable. Live Local, Strategic Restructuring, partnered by a cultural shift in leadership will assist in this. We need new housing, but an ounce of maintenance is worth a pound in restoration. We need both. Rising insurance costs paired with increasing taxes disrupt a delicate eco system.

Transportation that is reliable, effective, accessible. Providing basic services like this, going forward, will be doubly defined as essential. If we can support our working people, dignify ourselves, we can move then to our homeless. If we don’t, homelessness will increase, and funds for them will dry up further.

How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?

I am very powerful. If you care, you too will be empowered. Most people feel powerless. This doesn’t breed community. Look, most people don’t like politicians. Not all politicians are the same. You have a choice - this time.

What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?

I don’t think about that, but I will be known for going against state overreach very soon.

Campaign website: TBA

Campaign social media: Facebook

Harvey Ward, Jr.

Occupation: I am currently Mayor of Gainesville, but my previous career was in non-profit management and fundraising.

Age: 58

Family: My wife and I have three daughters.

Education: I’m a graduate of Eastside High, Santa Fe College and the University of Florida.

Political experience: I served two terms as a Gainesville City Commissioner and am currently serving in my first term as Mayor.

What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?

Public safety, both as it relates to crime and to traffic safety, and access to affordable homes. We have delivered less gun violence and fewer injuries and deaths on our streets, and we will keep doing what has worked and continue to listen to the community about how to our city even more safe. We have delivered more than 800 new affordable homes over the past four years, and we will continue to prioritize more affordable homes in the next term.

How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?

My experience at City Hall and a lifetime of living, working and raising a family in our community sets me apart in knowing where our issues and our opportunities lie, and my experience working with other mayors across the world through the Bloomberg Center for Cities, the US Conference of Mayors and the Democratic Mayors Association gives me a wealth of support and connections that benefits our neighbors here at home.

What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?

Gainesville has more than doubled in size since I was a child, and as a community of more than 150,000 neighbors, we are no longer a sleepy college town, but a mid-size university city. I hope to be remembered as having helped move our city through some growing pains in a way that helps everyone who chooses to call Gainesville home thrive.

Campaign website: wardformayor.com

Campaign social media: (None given)

DISTRICT 2 CANDIDATES

Nathan Crabbe

Occupation: I am a longtime journalist who is currently editor of The Invading Sea, a website with news and commentary on climate change and other environmental issues affecting Florida. I previously spent more than 17 years as an editor and reporter for The Gainesville Sun newspaper, including nearly 10 years as opinion editor.

Age: 50

Family: My wife Colleen is a nurse practitioner in Gainesville and we have two children, ages 14 and 11, who attend public schools here.

Education: I earned a master’s degree in journalism and mass communication from Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Pa., and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.

Political experience: I have no previous political experience. As a journalist, I kept out of politics to remain objective when writing about the major challenges facing Gainesville. I’m now running for office to play a greater part in helping to solve these problems.

What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?

1) Affordability: I support programs to improve energy efficiency in homes and reduce utility bills. I want to increase access to starter housing for young members of our workforce as well as housing for seniors who want to be able to age in place.

2) Environment: Gainesville needs to demand responsible development and protect green spaces in our neighborhoods that lower temperatures and improve our quality of life. I support having accessible parks, connected trails and walkable neighborhoods.

3) Infrastructure: Our community should have well-maintained roads that are safe for everyone. I support having resilient infrastructure and using nature-based solutions to reduce flooding and improve water quality.

How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?

I have spent my journalism career helping people better understand government, holding elected officials accountable and providing platforms for people to express a diversity of opinions. These experiences would inform my approach to being a city commissioner. I would help my constituents navigate local government and ensure that it is responsive to their needs. I would listen to the concerns of a wide range of residents when considering issues before the commission and then be transparent in explaining my decisions.

What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?

I want to be remembered as someone who protected what makes Gainesville special while better preparing our community for the future. We face fiscal, environmental and social challenges. Local government needs to spend wisely, plan responsibly and strengthen local institutions that help residents who struggle.

Campaign website: nathancrabbe.com

Campaign social media: Facebook | Instagram

Nelida Jean-Baptiste Pellot

Occupation: Public Housing Inspector

Age: 40

Family: I was never able to have children but I have a dog! She’s pretty cool and keeps me safe :)

Education: I achieved my Associates in Arts for Mass Media but I was completing my Bachelors which I am trying to get back to in Sociology. I’m not sure if that the track that I will continue when I return to school because it has sadly been gutted.

Political experience: I worked on many campaigns, including trying to restore voting rights for formerly incarcerated folks. Pushes to expand Medicaid in Florida, Planned Parenthood and voter outreach including voter outreach for the Joe Biden Campaign in South Florida.

What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?

First, housing. As someone who works in affordable housing every day, I see firsthand the challenges families face. Housing isn’t just about having a roof over your head. It is much more than that, it’s about stability, health, education, and opportunity. We need to increase the supply of housing across all income levels ensure that those income levels can afford it, preserve existing affordable homes, modernize our land use policies, and make sure growth benefits the people who already call Gainesville home.

Second, the affordability crisis. Too many Gainesville residents are being asked to do more with less. Rising property taxes, utility bills, insurance costs, and everyday expenses are making it harder for working families, seniors, students, and small business owners to stay in the city they love. We need to make every taxpayer dollar count, look for efficiencies before asking residents to pay more, and pursue economic growth that expands our tax base instead of placing a greater burden on the people who are already here.

Third, restoring trust in local government. Too many residents feel like decisions are made without them instead of with them. I believe Gainesville City Hall should be accessible, transparent, and responsive. That means meeting people where they are, communicating clearly, and making sure residents have meaningful opportunities to shape the decisions that affect their neighborhoods. This means making choices AFTER public input, not before and performatively placing meetings ”open to the public" despite scheduling it during the work day where the most affected are often unable to attend or speak up and speak out.

At the heart of all three issues is the same principle: government should work for everyone, we work for you. It’s not just those with the loudest voices or the deepest pockets. My campaign has always been about being boots on the ground, listening first, and bringing practical, community driven solutions to Gainesville City Hall.

How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?

What I bring to this role is a combination of lived experience and professional experience that is uncommon.

I don’t just talk about housing. I work in it every day. I inspect homes, work alongside residents, navigate HUD regulations, and see firsthand where government policies succeed and where they fall short. That means when we’re discussing housing, neighborhood investment, or quality of life, I’m bringing practical experience, not just theory.

I’m also not a career politician. My campaign has been built by knocking on doors, having conversations, and listening to people where they live. That’s why you’ve heard me say “”boots on the ground.“” I believe the best policies come from the people who experience our city every day, not just from those who attend meetings.

Finally, my life has taught me resilience. I’ve experienced housing insecurity, rebuilt after hardship, and dedicated my career to serving others. Those experiences have shaped how I lead. I lead with my heart, with empathy, accountability, and a deep understanding that every decision we make at City Hall affects a real person trying to build a better life.

I can’t promise to have every answer, but I can promise this: I will show up, I will listen, and I will make decisions based on what is best for the people of Gainesville not politics.

What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?

If I’m fortunate enough to serve my people, I hope I won’t be remembered for a single vote or a single project. I hope they’ll remember that Gainesville became a city where more people could afford to live, where residents felt heard, and where local government earned back their trust.

I want to be remembered for helping tackle our affordability crisis and exacting that change, expanding housing options especially for disenfranchised folks, being a careful steward of taxpayer dollars, and making it easier for working families, seniors, and young people to build a future here.

I also hope people will remember that I changed how we engage with our community. That I showed up, listened before making decisions, and made City Hall feel more accessible and accountable to the people it serves.

At the end of my time in office, if a resident can honestly say, ”My commissioner listened, cared, and left Gainesville better than they found it,“ then I’ll consider my service a roaring success.

Campaign website: www.nelida4gainesville.com

Campaign social media: Facebook

Wyatt Clark Zintiz

Occupation: Small Business Owner - All Electric Landscape Maintenance Company called Gruntscaper.

Age: 38

Family: Wife (Ashley), 2 Children (Leonidas: 2.5 Yrs & Zenaida 1.5 Yrs), & 2 Cats (Minny & Gordy)

Education: B.A. in Political Science from University of Central Florida

Political experience: None

What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?

Affordability: Inflation and the affordable housing crisis are national issues, but the decisions made by local elected leaders can either help or hurt the people they represent. One of the greatest impacts Commissioners can have on affordability for residents is through property tax rates, and after several years of raising them it’s past time to put a stop to any further increases. The people of Gainesville have been taxed enough, and as District 2 Commissioner I will aggressively fight against any further burdening of our community. Our government must strive to do more with less just like the people they serve are already doing in these difficult times. By eliminating administrative waste and redundancies, the City Commission can still provide core services like public safety and infrastructure maintenance without forcing working people to pay more. When so many of us are struggling to make ends meet, the last thing we need from our local government is another tax bill.

Mismanagement: The Gainesville City Commission has a history of poor decision making and mismanagement of public resources. As a former Public Works leader for the City of Gainesville I know where much of the waste, fraud, and abuse lies within our government. If elected I will work swiftly to build consensus on the removal of wasteful redundancies, realign executive salaries more closely with state averages, and identify ways to increase operational efficiency. I’ll advocate for the Commission to end expensive programs like the Downtown Ambassadors, which has done nothing but funnel 3 million dollars of Gainesville tax money to a private company from Kentucky. I will also push for a government spending transparency portal that shows the public in real time how their tax dollars are being spent, so that Gainesville can start to regain confidence in the City Commission. Because Gainesville deserves to know how their hard-earned money is being allocated, and that the people in charge are making sure it is spent efficiently.

GRU Authority: Tied to the City Commission’s history of mismanagement and their worsening of affordability for its citizens is the whole Gainesville Regional Utilities debacle. Currently, the State of Florida has preempted or taken over control of the utility, and the body created to oversee operations, the GRU Authority, will remain in place. While I personally believe local control and oversight is usually the best way to govern, the Gainesville City Commission holds much of the responsibility for getting us into this mess. Now that the GRUA’s control has been codified the best course of action for the City Commission is to find a way to collaborate and find common ground with the Authority rather than continuing to fight for control of a utility whose outcome has already been decided. As an independent commissioner and a GRU customer my focus will be entirely on stabilizing rates for consumers and getting them the best utility service at the lowest possible price.

How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?

My experience as a combat veteran of the United States Marine Corps and my years of service as a labor crew leader in the Public Works department have given me the knowledge and proficiency needed to hit the ground running once sworn in as District 2 Commissioner. The people of Gainesville deserve a commissioner who knows how to lead others and how large, complex governmental organizations operate. That’s exactly what I have done for over a decade. By contrast, my opponents lack the practical, inside knowledge of our city’s operational structure. We simply don’t have time for on-the-job-training at City Hall during these fiscally tenuous times.

Working families in the Northwest of Gainesville need one of their own to represent them on the City Commission. I was raised in Gainesville, grew up in the Northwest, and have now started my own family right here in this beautiful piece of Old Florida. I know first-hand how rising costs and increased taxes have brought those of us who work hard and play by the rules to the brink. Now the voters of District 2 have a chance to elect an independent candidate that shares in their struggles and can bring that perspective to their local government.

What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?

I hope to be remembered for helping the Gainesville City Commission to regain the trust of the people it serves after decades of mismanagement and poor decision making. By leading from the front and building a consensus with commissioners around transparency and fiscal responsibility, and refocusing on the essential duties of local government the Commission can build a brighter future for the people of Gainesville. Ultimately, I hope to be remembered for leaving Gainesville with a balanced budget, a fully transparent spending portal, and stabilized local tax rates that allow working families to thrive here for generations.

Campaign website: wyattzintiz.com

Campaign social media: Facebook

DISTRICT 3 CANDIDATES

DeJeon Cain

Campaign website: cainforgainesville.com

Campaign social media: Facebook

This candidate has not responded to email and telephone invitations to complete the News4JAX candidate questionnaire. If responses are received, they will be promptly posted in this space.

James Gardner

Campaign website: www.imforjamesgardneringnv.com

Campaign social media: None found

This candidate has not responded to email and telephone invitations to complete the News4JAX candidate questionnaire. If responses are received, they will be promptly posted in this space.

Casey Willits

Campaign website: caseyforcommission.com

Campaign social media: Facebook

The incumbent, first elected in 2022, has not responded to email and telephone invitations to complete the News4JAX candidate questionnaire. If responses are received, they will be promptly posted in this space.

The United States last month imposed double-digit tariffs on 59 countries and the European Union, charging that they had not done enough to crack down on imports produced by forced labor. The new tariffs took effect just as the clock ran out on temporary tariffs President Donald Trump had turned to after the Supreme Court defeat.

“After losing at the Supreme Court, the administration is once again trying to illegally raise taxes on families and businesses with a new round of tariffs,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Joining New York in the lawsuit announced Monday are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.

Trump, who argues that high tariffs will revive American manufacturing, last year overturned decades of U.S. policy that favored lower tariffs and ever-freer trade. Invoking the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, he imposed double-digit tariffs on imports from almost every country, saying America’s longstanding trade deficit amounted to a national emergency.

But the Supreme Court ruled that IEEPA did not authorize tariffs. The decision forced the administration to send refunds to importers who’d paid the tariffs. Eager to make up the lost revenue, Trump turned to temporary 10% worldwide tariffs. But they expired at midnight July 24.

Now he’s tapping more durable tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which permits the president to impose import taxes and other sanctions against countries found to engage in unfair trade practices. Trump used Section 301 to impose big tariffs on China in his first term, and they survived court challenges.

The administration invoked Section 301 to impose the forced-labor tariffs, which range from 10% to 12.5% and hit countries that provide 99% of American imports.

“The United States is using its lawful authority to obtain the elimination of unreasonable acts, policies, and practices that burden U.S. commerce,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said. “A foreign country’s failure to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labor is unreasonable and burdens U.S. commerce, including American workers, and must be addressed. Section 301 tariffs have proven to be a legally durable tool since the President’s first term, and they remain so now.”

The states’ lawsuit follows two other lawsuits filed in The Court of International Trade in July by small businesses that also challenged the 301 tariffs.

Both of those lawsuits argue that the government didn’t adequately establish its case against each specific economy or spell how the tariffs will eliminate the specified practice they are being levied for, as required by Section 301.

Barry Appleton, a law professor and co-director of New York Law School’s Center for International Law, said the challenges stem from the fact that the 301 tariffs are the third time the administration has tried to impose similar worldwide tariffs under different statutes, and their “nearly copy-pasted” nature could pose a challenge to defend in court.

However, he said while the statutes that the administration implemented tariffs under previously were novelties and hadn’t been used before for that purpose, Section 301 has been used before.

During Trump ’s first term, he cited Section 301 to impose tariffs on Chinese imports, which survived legal challenges.

“Presidents have used it for decades, and Congress built it with real guardrails: investigation, consultation, a public record,” Appleton said. "The government’s defense won’t be ‘I had no power to do this.' It will be, 'I stayed inside the lines Congress drew.' That is a real fight, not a formality, and it is the one that will decide this case.”

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Anderson reported from New York.

The S&P 500 jumped 1.5% and is just 0.1% below its record set earlier this summer. It was coming off a frenetic July, where it swung up and down as oil prices shot higher because of the war with Iran, before ultimately ending the month just about where it started.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average, which measures a narrower slice of the U.S. stock market, climbed 693 points, or 1.3%, to an all-time high, while the Nasdaq composite leaped 2.1%.

Stocks got a lift as the price for a barrel of Brent crude sank 4.7% to $83.77. It dropped after President Donald Trump said over the weekend that he decided to hold off on new strikes against Iran at the urging of allies in the region.

Brent’s price careened between $72 and $102 last month as worries rose and fell about when the war with Iran would allow oil tankers to freely exit the Persian Gulf again to deliver crude to customers worldwide. The latest acquiescence by Trump helped to ease worries about the global flow of crude, and Treasury yields correspondingly fell in the bond market.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury sank to 4.68% from 4.75% late Friday. It, though, remains well above its 3.97% level from before the war with Iran.

Higher yields threaten to undercut prices for stocks and other investments, while slowing the economy by making borrowing more expensive for U.S. households and businesses. The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate has already leaped to its highest level in a year.

Monday’s ease in oil prices helped airlines and other companies with big fuel bills lead the market. United Airlines flew 5.8% higher, while American Airlines climbed 5%. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings steamed 6.6% higher.

Boeing jumped 8% after U.S. regulators certified its 737 MAX-7 planes, clearing them for commercial service.

Tyson Foods rose 2.8% after the meat company reported a slightly stronger profit for the spring than analysts expected. CEO Donnie King said strength is continuing in the company’s chicken business and its prepared foods, which include brands like Jimmy Dean and Hillshire Farm.

It joined a lengthening list of big U.S. companies to deliver a bigger profit for the spring than analysts expected. That’s imperative for Wall Street because stock prices tend to follow the path of corporate earnings over the long term, and worries were rising that U.S. stock prices may have broadly already shot too high.

Companies in the S&P 500 are on track to deliver earnings per share for the spring that are 47% higher than a year before, according to FactSet, with more than half of the companies in the index having already reported. If that ends up being the case, it would be the strongest growth since the spring of 2021, when the economy was roaring out of the COVID pandemic.

Also offering encouragement for profits was a report on Monday showing that growth for U.S. manufacturing accelerated to its strongest level since 2022.

Keeping Wall Street unsettled, though, were swings for stocks of companies that make computer chips. They’ve been veering up and down for weeks on worries about whether their surging revenues because of the artificial-intelligence boom are sustainable.

If AI ends up producing less profit and productivity than hoped, Big Tech companies could curtail their spending sprees on data centers that have helped chip stocks soar to tremendous heights.

Micron Technology went from a drop of 6.4% to a gain of 1.7% through the day before ending with a gain of 0.8%, for example. It’s up roughly 190% for the year so far.

All told, the S&P 500 rose 110.78 points to 7,600.50 and finished just shy of its all-time closing high of 7,609.78. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 693.38 to 53,178.41, and the Nasdaq composite rallied 540.04 to 25,913.90.

The manic swings for AI stocks have been most dramatic in South Korea, where the Kospi index is dominated by just two tech titans, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.

Seoul’s Kospi fell 5.1% Monday, coming off Friday’s 17.9% surge that was its best day in history.

In neighboring Japan, Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.9% after the United States and Japan confirmed they had moved together to prop up the value of the Japanese yen against the dollar. A stronger yen would help to limit inflation in Japan, but it could also potentially hurt Japan’s exporters.

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AP Writers Matt Ott, Elaine Kurtenbach, Mayuko Ono and Mari Yamaguchi contributed to this report.

Somos Votantes has started a $2 million statewide voter education push centered on door-to-door conversations and voter registration. Its affiliated political committee, Somos PAC, is preparing a $4 million advertising campaign focused on three South Texas House districts, where they aim to channel voter angst about the economy into support for Democratic candidates in Republican-leaning districts.

“We’re really hoping that we can reconsolidate support for Democrats by presenting the positive economic vision that Democratic candidates in these House districts have,” said Melissa Morales, the founder of Somos Votantes.

Texas is at the crossroads of the fight for control of the U.S. House in the November midterms, and winning back Hispanics who were drawn to President Donald Trump in 2024 will be key to Democrats' chances there.

Last fall, Republicans in the Texas Legislature, acting on pressure from Trump, redrew district boundaries in the GOP’s favor, aiming to pick up as many as five Democratic House seats. They made a bet that the decade-long shift of working-class Hispanics toward the GOP was not an aberration, though that’s far from a foregone conclusion.

Somos PAC is targeting three districts where Trump won by double-digit margins in 2024: The 15th District, where Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz is facing Tejano music star Bobby Pulido; the 23rd, which is currently vacant after Republican Rep. Tony Gonzalez resigned after admitting an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide; and the 35th, a largely new district created in the recent redistricting.

Morales said Somos PAC is targeting harder-to-win districts rather than the top-tier battlegrounds getting a flood of national attention. Those districts would make the difference between Democrats eking out a small majority and running up the score with a 20-seat majority, she said.

“If we’re going to get to that 20, we’re going to have to start investing in some of these more reach districts, and we’re going to have to do it early,” Morales said.

In Texas, that means winning back Latinos.

While Trump gained with Hispanic voters in 2024, opinions of the president have fallen among Hispanics overall since he took office, according to AP-NORC polling. Only 29% of Hispanic adults nationally approved of his performance as president in a June AP-NORC poll, an apparent drop from 41% at the start of his second term.

Latino voters have historically been largely aligned with the Democratic Party but during the 2024 election, they shifted significantly toward Trump. A majority still supported Democrat Kamala Harris for president, but Trump made big gains: 43% of Latino voters nationally voted for him, compared with 35% in the 2020 presidential election, a change attributed in part to their concerns about the economy.

But it's not enough for former Trump voters to lose faith in the president, Morales said. They need a reason to vote for Democrats, and that's where the ads come in.

“We risk people staying home because they’re disillusioned about everything,” she said.

The order signed by Sotomayor comes after the high court ruled last year in favor of the victims and their families.

The Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority said in court documents that paying the hefty judgment now could destabilize government services in the West Bank. They asked the justices to pause payment as they appeal the reinstatement of the verdict.

The lawsuit was filed by victims of attacks in Jerusalem in the early 2000s that killed 33 people and wounded hundreds more. Families brought their lawsuit under the Anti-Terrorism Act, a law aimed at opening U.S. courts to victims of international terror attacks.

A federal court in New York tossed the original verdict on appeal and continued to rule in favor of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority as Congress revised the law to allow suits to go forward. The Supreme Court revived two cases in 2025.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed to reinstate the verdict in March. Attorneys for the plaintiffs said at the time that the families were pleased and relieved by the decision, saying it would allow “justice to be done” after a long legal process.

The schools announced Monday they have agreed to a four-game home-and-home series. Notre Dame will play in Los Angeles on Aug. 31, 2030, and the Trojans will visit South Bend, Indiana, on Aug. 30, 2031. The meetings in 2032 and 2033 will be played in the first three weeks of the season.

The teams met each non-pandemic season from 1946-2025, typically in October or November, in what became known as “the greatest intersectional rivalry in college football." The exception was the 2020 season when most schools played a conference-only schedule.

The 2030 date opened up when defending national champion Indiana canceled a home-and-home series with the Irish that was scheduled for 2030 and 2031, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no official announcement had been made.

Negotiations between Notre Dame and USC to continue the annual series became challenging after the Trojans joined the Big Ten in 2024. The Trojans expressed that they did not want to play nonconference games after September. Notre Dame beat the Trojans 34-24 in South Bend last Oct. 18, and the series officially went on hiatus in December when the Irish announced they had filled the last open spot on their 2026 schedule with a game at BYU.

Notre Dame and USC first played in 1926 and the Irish lead the series 53-38-5. The series also was put on hold from 1943-45, during World War II.

The two schools have combined to win 22 national championships and produce 15 Heisman Trophy winners, and the discontinuation prompted consternation on both sides. Navy is the only team Notre Dame has played more than USC, at 98 meetings.

Notre Dame and USC play for the Jeweled Shillelagh Trophy, a tradition which began in 1952. The Jeweled Shillelagh Trophy is presented by the Notre Dame Club of Los Angeles. Notre Dame victories are marked by green-jeweled shamrocks while USC victories are marked by ruby-jeweled Trojan heads.

“USC’s historic rivalry with Notre Dame holds a special place in the history of college football, and we are happy to resume a series that means so much to the entire Trojan Family,” USC athletic director Jen Cohen said. “It remains important for us to play this game early in the season, as it allows us to schedule competitively with our Big Ten peers and takes into account the health and best interests of our student-athletes and program. We are excited for our fans, and we look forward to more memorable matchups and unforgettable games between the Trojans and the Irish.”

The Hoosiers and Irish last met in the first CFP playoff to be held at a campus site in December 2024. Notre Dame won 27-17 in South Bend and reached the national championship game before losing to Ohio State 34-23.

In 2021, Indiana and Notre Dame agreed to what was supposed to be the first regular-season game between the two in-state schools since 1991. The Irish have won seven straight in the series with Indiana's last victory coming in 1950.

But since the arrival of coach Curt Cignetti in 2024, Indiana has not played any Power Four schools, or Notre Dame, outside the conference schedule or the playoffs. The Hoosiers drew some criticism last summer when they also canceled a scheduled home-and-home series with Virginia. Indiana responded by winning its first Big Ten title since 1967, the first national championship in school history and by becoming the first 16-0 team in major college football since the 1890s.

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AP Sports Writer Michael Marot in Indianapolis contributed to this report.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

The president on Monday said that new talks between Washington and Tehran are the “last chance” for Iran to forge a deal and avoid an escalation of U.S. strikes on the country.

Trump, speaking at the Oval Office, said he expects negotiations will focus on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and create a pathway for Iran to address the United States’ concerns about its nuclear program. He told reporters they would likely learn about the status of the negotiations “today or tomorrow.”

“The first phase is the opening of the straits. The second phase will be the denuclearization," the Republican president said. “And that will take a little while.”

While Trump has reveled in the U.S. military decimating layers of Tehran’s leadership and devastating its air force and navy, Iran is betting it can outlast Trump as he faces diminished stockpiles of munitions and the difficulty of executing a war that's unpopular with the American electorate ahead of November’s midterm election.

Trump said he decided to hold off on ordering American forces to carry out new massive strikes against Iran at the urging of Gulf allies Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

He said a plan was in place for U.S. forces to carry out “the biggest attack since World War II” on Sunday. But he decided to scrap the plan and give diplomacy more time to play out after hearing from key Gulf leaders — including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — as well as at the request of unnamed Iranian officials.

But Trump reiterated that he’s running out of patience with Iran.

“This the last chance for them to sign a good document,” Trump said.

Earlier Monday, Trump had criticized Iran on social media as being “unbelievably duplicitous.”

His ire was raised by Iran claiming that its meetings with Oman on Monday were focused solely on establishing a temporary route for safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for the global oil trade.

“They ask for a meeting, some would say ‘beg,’ talks begin, with more scheduled in the immediate future, and they say, openly and proudly, that they’re not having any discussions, that nothing is being talked about, and they’re only dealing with Oman,” Trump grumbled.

Trump said whether “Iran wants to admit it or not, we are, in fact, talking” about preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

Trump has threatened to escalate attacks on Iran only to edge away from his threats several times since the start of U.S. and Israel strikes on Feb. 28.

Asked by a reporter how Americans view him repeatedly making grim threats on Tehran before backing away, Trump responded that he’s showing patience out of a consideration for Iranian life.

“I want to give them every last chance before decapitation,” Trump said. He added, “Hopefully, they’ll come to their senses.”

Critics see Trump reaching for a reset button as a pattern

Trump may still come to the conclusion that a massive escalation in the conflict with Iran is necessary.

But critics say his hesitation also might reflect an unspoken understanding inside the administration that U.S. military might alone may not be enough to compel Iran to back down and bring an end to a now monthslong war that Trump had earlier downplayed as a weekslong excursion.

“I think what we’re seeing here is a president who has an approach that’s just rather erratic,” said Sen. Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, on CBS News' “Face the Nation.” “At this point, he's trying to get us back to February. And I think if he could — if he had a big reset button he could hit — he would certainly take that option.”

There have been several moments over the course of the conflict when Trump has demonstrated his proclivity for the bellicose only to back off at the last minute, while declaring his threats spurred progress:

— In early April, the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire in an announcement that came less than two hours before a deadline Trump had set for Tehran to capitulate or face attacks on bridges and power plants — strikes he said would mean “a whole civilization will die.”

— After days of dire threats against Iran, Trump announced on May 18 he was holding off on a major planned military strike because “serious negotiations” were underway, crediting Gulf allies for persuading him to show restraint.

— Then in June, Trump threatened on social media to hit Iran “VERY HARD” and seize Iran’s energy base on Kharg Island to "assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets,” only to call off the strikes in another post after claiming that peace negotiations had progressed with high-level Iranian leaders.

Call with Saudi crown prince affected Trump's decision

With this latest episode, Trump suggested that the Saudi crown prince played a particularly important role in him turning away from escalating the fight.

The U.S. president spoke by phone with the de facto leader of the kingdom on Saturday before announcing he was halting planned strikes.

The crown prince conveyed that an escalation in fighting could have a severe impact on the global economy if Tehran responded to a new U.S. bombardment by targeting some of the United States’ Gulf allies, according to a person briefed on the call who was not authorized to comment publicly and insisted on anonymity.

Saudi officials, the person added, have underscored in their engagements with the Trump administration that the kingdom is in a good position to defend itself against further potential Iranian strikes — as are fellow energy titans Qatar and the United Arab Emirates — but that Kuwait could be more vulnerable to attacks by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq.

As Trump threatens escalation, Republicans face tough polling

Trump has insisted that November’s midterm elections aren't shaping his approach to the conflict, which has spurred unease across the global economy.

But it's certainly on the minds of his fellow Republicans.

About two-thirds of U.S. adults say the war with Iran has not been worthwhile, according to polling from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research published last week. That includes the vast majority of Democrats and independents, as well as about 37% of Republicans.

One of Trump's most outspoken allies on Capitol Hill suggested on Sunday the administration needs to modulate its approach on Iran.

Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy said on NBC's “Meet the Press” that the debate in Washington has lost perspective on the devastation the U.S. military has inflicted on Iran since the start of the war.

Still, the Republican lawmaker acknowledged that further escalating the conflict could lead to another surge in already elevated energy prices and “a lot of inflation for the American people.”

Kennedy made the case that tightening sanctions and targeting Iran's nuclear program — rather than escalating the conflict — might be the best bet for the moment.

“They’re all hellish choices,” Kennedy said. “But for the moment I’d maintain the status quo.”

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AP writers Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Josh Boak in Washington contributed reporting.

As he battled an aggressive cancer that would eventually take his life last weekend, Thomas made it a point to tell his players at University Christian one very important thing.

“Make sure the team lived their life to the fullest,” said UC head coach David Penland III. “Everybody has an expiration date. We don’t know when it is or when it’s going to come. Coach Thomas wanted people to be good people and honor God.”

The popular and longtime assistant coach for the University Christian football team, died on Saturday after a battle with melanoma cancer.

Tributes to Thomas rolled in across social media and the family’s private Facebook group after his wife, Leanne, posted about his passing. Thomas was 50. He and Leanne celebrated their 28^th wedding anniversary on the day of his death.

Penland, now entering his 16^th season at his alma mater, had worked with Thomas from the moment he arrived to lead the program in 2011. Penland said that Thomas loved coaching his sons, Caleb and Luke, from youth football all the way through their UC days. After Luke graduated in 2024, Penland said Thomas elected to keep on coaching at UC because he loved the program. He was a certified gear head, and loved getting new sports hats and attire, and especially shoes.

“He’s been there in some way, shape or form ever since I’ve been there,” Penland said. “He just loved the program. And he was a gear guy. I knew I couldn’t give out gear until I got it to Matt first. When we saw him last week, all he wanted to talk about was football. He said, ‘you got my gear yet?’ I said ‘I’ll bring it to you, brother.’ He loved UC. He loved the kids. [I’ll miss] the non-football stuff, really. Football brought us close, but the friendship I’ll definitely miss the most.”

A 1994 graduate of University Christian, Thomas was a star in both baseball and football for the Christians. UC won football titles under legendary head coach Robby Pruitt in 1991 and ’92. Matt played alongside his twin brother, Jeremy, throughout his high school years.

UC retired Jeremy’s football jersey number (86) during a 2019 game against Bishop Kenny. Tragically, Jeremy died Oct. 22, 2020, after a 14-month battle with brain cancer. During that time, Matt and Jeremy were able to enjoy trips together and take advantage of the time that they had left. Matt said during Jeremy’s jersey retirement that he’d tried to make every memory he could during the face of such a challenging time. Matt wound up facing that challenging time of his own after being diagnosed with cancer last March.

UC will miss Matt, too.

Defensive lineman Julius LaRosa III said the team had missed his presence at camp as he battled the cancer, but he was never too far away from the squad. Thomas had coached LaRosa since his ninth grade season.

“Not only was he a coach he was also a great person off the field,” said LaRosa. “Coach Thomas loved us and we also love him. One thing that reached out to me that Coach Thomas said when we did our three-mile run to his house was ‘live each day and life to the fullest.’ Although it is a tough time right now we are still in high spirits to know he is in a great place now. We are playing this season for Coach Thomas.”

On July 15, News4JAX posted a video of the UC football team jogging from school to Matt and Leanne’s house roughly three miles away to encourage and pray for him. It was a special morning for both players, coaches and the Thomas family. The story about UC running to Coach Thomas’ house went viral and made it to NBC Nightly News.

Matt’s family said that visit gave him a much-needed boost in his fight. During treatment a week later, the family posted an update that the cancer had spread and that Matt would be entering palliative care but still continuing his fight.

The endorsement from GOP Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis paves the way for the Senate Judiciary Committee to advance Blanche's nomination on Tuesday after the Justice Department and lawmakers reached a deal to formally rescind the $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund" proposed to settle Trump's lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service.

Cornyn and Tillis had refused to back Blanche's bid for the permanent post without official confirmation killing the fund meant to compensate people who believe they were unfairly prosecuted by the Justice Department. Blanche's written order, issued late Sunday, came after the days of negotiations between the Justice Department and the Republican senators who are leaving Capitol Hill when their terms end in January.

“We want to express our gratitude to Mr. Blanche and his staff for working with us on this, and we look forward to voting to advance his nomination out of the Senate Judiciary Committee soon," Cornyn, of Texas, and Tillis, of North Carolina, said in a statement.

DOJ order says ‘beyond any doubt’ that fund is dead

Blanche has repeatedly said that the Justice Department was scrapping plans for the fund, which sparked bipartisan outcry over the possibility that violent rioters who attacked police at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, could be considered for payments. But skeptical lawmakers said they were concerned that could be revived without a commitment in writing, especially because Trump has continued to defend the idea.

In his order posted on social media late Sunday, Blanche wrote that the department was confirming "beyond any doubt, that there is no Fund.”

Since the settlement of the president's lawsuit against the IRS was announced, “No Members were appointed; no funds were transferred; no process for receiving claims was established; no claims were paid,” the order said. “This order establishes, beyond any doubt, that there is no Fund.”

Cornyn and Tillis had also pressed the Justice Department to limit the scope of a separate piece of the settlement that provided broad immunity for Trump and members of his family from tax audits.

Under the deal, the Justice Department clarified in writing that the tax audit immunity agreement “applies by its terms only retroactively” to claims open at the time of the settlement and does not protect the president from examination of future tax filings. It also makes clear that only the parties that brought the lawsuit — Trump, two of his sons, and the Trump Organization — are covered by the tax agreement.

Cornyn and Tillis said in their statement that they were “pleased” with the concessions made by Blanche.

“From the outset, we were clear that we needed a written document addressing our concerns on the IRS audit agreement and the anti-weaponization fund that included constraining the scope of audit protection by limiting it to the parties of the Settlement Agreement and legally ending the anti-weaponization fund," they wrote.

Democrats, however, noted that the order rescinding the fund doesn't stop the Trump administration from compensating Jan. 6 rioters through a previously established process that allows people to file claims for damages if they believed they were wronged by the government.

“This supposed ‘deal’ doesn’t prevent payouts to violent insurrectionists in the future,” Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff said in a social media post. Schiff added that it also “leaves in place a tax-immunity deal that could help Trump skip taxes on the $2.3 billion he made last year, and still leaves it vague who and what is covered.”

Cornyn, Tillis echo GOP colleagues' concerns as they b

locked Blanche nomination

Blanche’s nomination was thrown into doubt last week after the Judiciary Committee postponed a vote that had been scheduled for Thursday morning as Tillis and Cornyn said they needed more from the administration before they could provide the necessary votes.

After the Thursday vote was delayed, Trump said in a social media post that he might pull Blanche’s nomination and resubmit it after Cornyn and Tillis leave office next year. And on Saturday the president threatened to push forward with the fund if the two Republicans blocked Blanche's nomination.

On Sunday evening, Trump said that people who had faced charges from the Jan. 6, attack on the Capitol and could have benefited from the fund had “their lives destroyed.”

“This would be a reimbursement for the pain that they suffered,” Trump said. “A lot of people like it.”

Blanche, who served as Trump’s defense lawyer in his criminal cases, entered the Justice Department last year as deputy attorney general. He was elevated to the top post after Pam Bondi was fired in April by Trump, who was frustrated by her failure to successfully prosecute his political enemies.

Though Blanche insisted he wasn’t auditioning for the permanent job, he has moved quickly since taking the reins of the department to promote the Trump administration’s agenda and accelerate investigations into the president’s perceived foes.

If you take a walk along RiversEdge, you may wonder what’s currently under construction in Central Park.

The city of Jacksonville confirmed to News4JAX that the large structure currently being built will be a fully equipped outdoor entertainment amphitheater for public use. It will also include a restroom facility.

New renderings posted at the site showed a crowd of people sitting in the grass around a small covered stage.

The city said the amphitheater is expected to be finished by the end of the year and will be used for performances and other programming. City officials will also manage events, including reservations for groups interested in using the space.

As for capacity limits, attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs since the facility will not include fixed seating.

News4JAX also spoke with Preston Hollow Community Capital, which is developing the project with the Downtown Investment Authority.

Developers confirmed that the amphitheater marks the final public development at RiversEdge, and remaining vacant parcels are expected to be used for future vertical development, such as apartments or hotels, with public parking accessible to parkgoers.

The case is the latest legal action between states and the federal government over the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, which like other public programs have come under scrutiny from the Trump administration as sources of potential fraud.

The coalition of states sued in federal court in Washington to stop the agency that controls the program from moving ahead with a rule that would allow it to share recipients' immigration status, Social Security numbers and additional personal information with other parts of government or potentially with private entities, according to the lawsuit.

“Instead of helping families struggling with the rising cost of living, this administration is trying to turn antipoverty programs against the people they’re supposed to serve,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement.

Earlier this year, a judge prevented the Trump administration from withholding Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and other subsidy program funding from a handful of Democratic-controlled states, after the federal government said there was “reason to believe” the states were granting benefits to people in the country illegally. A federal government lawyer later said the move was largely in response to news reports about possible fraud.

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program provides more than $16 billion to states, D.C. and tribal governments in the form of grants that the local governments then have broad discretion to use to help low-income families through cash assistance, job training or other programs.

Along with New York and the District of Columbia, joining the lawsuit are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. The governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania have also signed onto the suit.

The federal Administration for Children and Families declined to comment Monday.

But a sweeping audit immunity plan conferred on the president, his sons and the Trump Organization remains in place — given new parameters to appease the senators but still with the potential to wipe away millions of dollars of Trump's back taxes.

In a document Blanche sent to the lawmakers Sunday, he said the audit immunity, struck as part of a deal to resolve the president's $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS, would not protect the president from the examination of future tax filings. Instead, he noted, it “applies by its terms only retroactively” to claims open at the time of the lawsuit's settlement.

For the holdout GOP lawmakers who opposed both the fund and the audit deal, those assurances were enough and are expected to clear the way for Blanche's confirmation to serve as attorney general.

But the political accommodation leaves in place a highly unusual agreement over the president's taxes that has spurred bipartisan outrage and tested confidence in the fairness of the tax system.

The original audit deal promised broad protections for Trump

Trump’s audit immunity came as part of the controversial settlement crafted to resolve Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit filed earlier this year against the IRS over his leaked tax returns. The deal drew furor from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, largely over the $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund.”

According to the initial outline of the audit deal, spelled out in a one-page document signed by Blanche, the U.S. was “forever barred and precluded” from examining or prosecuting any of the plaintiffs — Trump, his sons and the Trump Organization’s — current tax filings, as well as other “related or affiliated" individuals.

The document sent to Republican Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis Sunday limits both the time frame for investigations and the scope of people who would receive audit protection to Trump, his sons Eric Trump and Donald Jr. and the Trump Organization.

It's unclear how much Trump owes the federal government in back taxes, but the latest details of the deal could wipe away what could be more than $100 million in back taxes, according to previous New York Times and ProPublica reporting.

Lawmakers and legal experts questioned the lawfulness of such protections.

“The good news is that Todd Blanche confirmed in writing that the anti-weaponization slush fund is dead. The bad news is that tax immunity for the president, his sons, and his family business is still alive," said Dan Greenberg, a senior legal fellow at the Cato Institute, calling the immunity deal "the product of an illegal settlement.”

U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams ruled in July that Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS was filed for an “improper purpose.” Williams did not void the deal shielding Trump from tax scrutiny but said the government cannot claim in official proceedings that the agreement was the result of a legitimate legal process. Trump has appealed the ruling.

Representatives from the White House, IRS, Treasury and Trump’s personal attorneys did not immediately respond to Associated Press requests for comment.

Concerns that Blanche's assurances aren't enough to stop the fund

Some legal and tax experts say the immunity agreement could violate an IRS statute barring executive branch interference in taxpayer audits and investigations.

The statute says it’s against the law for the president or the president’s employees to start or stop an audit or some other investigation of a taxpayer. But the attorney general is allowed to do so, leaving the door open for Blanche to step in to halt an audit against the president, once he is confirmed. Whether he has legal authority to do so is a separate question not resolved by the statute itself.

The rule barring executive influence over directing tax audits comes after the Watergate scandal, when then-President Richard Nixon discussed using the IRS against political opponents and groups on the administration’s “enemies list.” Congress moved to tighten taxpayer privacy protections in 1976.

Nina Olson, founder of the Center for Taxpayer Rights, which has sued the Trump administration over IRS disclosures to immigration enforcement, called the settlement “the lowest point for the IRS since the 1970s."

Concerns over the future of government payouts to Trump allies have also not been entirely eased after Blanche's assurances.

Blanche has maintained under oath in Congress and in his latest writing to lawmakers that the Trump administration is not pursuing the fund.

However, Trump has been less clear about its demise. On Saturday he posted on his Truth Social platform that he would “push hard" for the fund if Blanche were not confirmed. "It will immediately be back on the table, and I will get it done," Trump wrote.

NYU Tax Law Center Policy Director Brandon DeBot questioned whether the fund was actually dead and said “it’s abundantly clear we need congressional action” to ensure it cannot be resurrected.

Democrats say Blanche’s order doesn’t go far enough to prevent the administration from reviving plans for the fund after the acting attorney general’s confirmation and have called for legislation to permanently bar it.

The order also doesn’t stop the administration from compensating Trump allies -- including people who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 -- through a previously established process that allows people to file claims for damages if they believed they were wronged by the government.

Greenberg said he believes Blanche's assurances are "a way for the senators to demonstrate that they’re driving a hard bargain.

“But once you become familiar with the particulars of this situation, it doesn’t really look like they’re driving much of a bargain at all,” he said.

The Jaguars need to run the ball better than they did at the end of last season and got a chance to see how Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez Jr. hit the hole and delivered contact on Monday.

Brian Thomas Jr. continued to stack good days, coming up with the catch of training camp on Monday morning. For the Jaguars, a consistent Trevor Lawrence and productive Thomas are the keys to unlocking the full potential of Jacksonville’s offense. The deep ball remains a work in progress, but Thomas has looked excellent in camp.

“When you can throw the ball over somebody’s head, it’s a threat, man. And it’s something that we need. We need not just him to be able to do that but win on some of the other reps,” said head coach Liam Coen. “He’s run a lot of routes out here that maybe weren’t getting targeted to him that he’s won as well that I’ve been pleased with. So, I think it brings everybody up. It elevates everybody’s game when BT is playing at his highest level.”

Thomas playing at his rookie level alongside Jakobi Meyers, Travis Hunter and Parker Washington would give Lawrence the best set of pass catching weapons in his NFL career. Washington has been rock solid and Meyers has started to click after dropping a few balls early in camp. Add in a healthy Brenton Strange and rookie tight ends Nate Boerkircher and Tanner Koziol, and the Jaguars are poised to make a huge leap.

“I thought we got some good quality work. Good to see some of those guys make some plays one-on-one in those situations,” Coen said. “Have to go back and look at the protection, but it felt somewhat clean. That’ll ramp up more. We’ll continue to get more of that good-on-good work, as we get the pads on and are in pads more consistently.”

QB tracker:

• Trevor Lawrence: 5 for 7.
• Nick Mullens: 3 for 4.
• Carter Bradley: 1 for 3.
• Joey Aguilar: 2 for 2.

RB tracker:

• Bhayshul Tuten: Three carries all with Trevor Lawrence.
• Chris Rodriguez: Three carries all with Lawrence.
• LeQuint Allen: One carry with Lawrence.
• DeeJay Dallas: Four carries all with Nick Mullens.
• Ameer Abdullah: Four carries all with Nick Mullens.
• J’Mari Taylor: Two carries. One with Carter Bradley and one with Joey Aguilar.

Player of the day: Brian Thomas Jr. Tuesday will henceforth be known as BTJ day because WOW. This is the type of practice that reminds people that the sky is the limit for BTJ. During the WR vs DB 1-on-1, he cooked Buster Brown. I mean, had him stumbling off the line. It was a little return route, so Brown had a chance to recover, but BTJ made him stumble again. Just absolutely nasty work in the best way from BTJ. Then a few reps later, he had Jourdan Lewis losing his footing on just a little hitch route. Doing it in 1-on-1’s is one thing, but he made by far the play of the day during 11-on-11. It was good on good. Brown had BTJ on the outside, and it was an absolutely beautiful throw from Trevor Lawrence, but an even better catch from BTJ. One hand was all he needed. The hype is real.

• Defensive Standout: Ruke Orhorhoro was a force on the D-line. He applied consistent pressure from the interior and had 1 clear sack on the day! Before camp, I was asked who could be a sleeper to explode this season, and I said Ruke, and seeing him with the pads on, I stand by that. The Jaguars’ D-line has needed some interior pass rush juice for years, and Ruke is going to be a big part of the solution.
• Maybe the running back battle isn’t as clear-cut as we thought it was. Chris Rodriguez had the same amount of carries as Tuten on Monday. C Rod shined with the pads going on; he ran over one defender and broke another tackle as the coaches let the guys get after it a little bit. Maybe we were sleeping on C Rod.
• Chandler Brayboy got loose during WR vs. DB 1-on-1s. It was a good rep from him. He spent last season on the Jaguars’ practice squad and is facing some stiff competition this year to keep that spot.
• Another day, another play from Zach Durfee. The late-round draft pick has a knack for getting to the QB. He just seems to keep stacking days where he got to the QB.
• Anton Harrison spent his third day in a row at left tackle. Liam Coen said this about it after practice: “I think he’s done a nice job. It’s part of what we’ve done, moving those guys around and seeing what sticks, and if that ends up sticking, hopefully, that’s a good thing for us.” I think this is passed experiment status now. Let’s call it what it is: Walker Little struggled through the early days of camp, where Harrison looked great. I’d bet when it is all said and done, Harrison is the left tackle, and Cole Van Lanen is the right tackle when he is healthy.
• Caleb Ransaw had a nice rep in S vs. TE 1-on-1s; he was matched against Tanner Koziol. It looked like Koziol had beaten him, but Ransaw was able to use his speed to recover and make a nice play on the football; it should have been an interception.

The Jaguars are thrilled to see Travis Hunter back on the field.

It’s been nine long months since Hunter, the unicorn of a football player who won the Heisman Trophy at Colorado in 2024, last saw the field as a fully-functioning Jaguars player.

“It’s been great to be back,” Hunter said.

Jacksonville made the biggest draft dray trade in franchise history last year when it moved up from No. 5 to No. 2 to select Hunter. The Jaguars envisioned Hunter possessing the skills on both sides of the ball to elevate the game itself.

The results were mixed. Hunter had flickers on offense, including a career-best 101 yards and a touchdown in a Week 7 game against the Rams. But he suffered a season-ending knee injury in practice the following week and missed the rest of the season. He was cleared to resume full speed practicing before training camp.

“Just get the rust off right now,” Hunter said. “I’ve been gone for nine months, not able to be out here with my teammates for nine months, so finally being able to hit the grass, knock the rust off and just continue to click with the quarterbacks and click with the defense.”

Jacksonville has said throughout the offseason that it expected to keep playing Hunter on both sides of the ball.

Hunter has gotten more work on the defensive side during the first three days of training camp. He’s expected to start opposite Buster Brown at cornerback. Jacksonville has continued to keep Hunter on a tight schedule as it tries to maximize his reps between corner and receiver. He flips from his white defensive jersey to his teal offensive jersey throughout camp days.

“They’re so crucial to have the time, and you have to be extremely intentional with that time when we have him because it is limited,” said head coach Liam Coen. “I mean, just per side of the ball, especially right now offensively, it’s just over here a little bit less when you’re doing some of the individual work, and it’s showing a little bit with some of the timing that we need to continue to work on, and that’s why those guys get some more extra work after practice.”

QB tracker:

Trevor Lawrence: 11 for 19, five TDs (BTJ 3, Meyers 1, Washington 1; 1 interception (Jarrian Jones)

Nick Mullens: 8 for 20, 3 TDs (Austin Trammell 2, Tanner Koziol 1); 2 interceptions (Jarrian Jones and Branson Combs)

Carter Bradley: 1 for 2.

Joey Aguilar: 1 for 2, TD (J’Mari Taylor).

RB tracker:

Bhayshul Tuten: Four carries all with Trevor Lawrence.

LeQuint Allen: Three carries all with Lawrence.

Ameer Abdullah: Five carries all with Nick Mullens.

DeeJay Dallas: Two carries. One with Lawrence and one with Mullens.

J’Mari Taylor: Two carries, TD.

Arik Armstead had a veterans day off.

Player of the day:

This one was a no-brainer. Jarrian Jones was on one! He wrecked shop! Jones came up with two interceptions but a nice PBU. One of his interceptions came off of Lawrence in the red zone. Lawrence was looking for Parker Washington on as little out route but Jones read it and jumped it. This may be the single most dominant defensive practice I have seen from a Jaguars player in my time covering the team.

The big note from this practice is that Anton Harrison spent the day at left tackle, and Walker Little spent the day at right tackle. The coaching staff loves versatility along the O-line and to try out different combos, so seeing this is a surprise. But this isn’t just a test-it-out type of look right now; the question is who should start at left tackle if Cole Van Lanen isn’t ready Week 1. It wouldn’t surprise me if that person ends up being Anton Harrison. He has spent his entire NFL career up until now at right tackle, but he played left tackle in college.

The linebacker battle between Branson Combs and Ventrell Miller is absolute cinema. These two have been throwing haymakers back and forth each day. Combs made a jumping interception off a pass from Nick Mullens. Miller responded by getting a diving pass breakup a few plays later. These two have both been making plays; this will be a tough battle to judge.

Police who responded to the shooting found the body of the suspected gunman in an area near the restaurant, Twin Falls city public information officer Josh Palmer said. He did not know if the suspect was included in the fatality count.

Officials were still working on notifying the family members of victims and so were not yet releasing the names, ages or other details about the people hurt in the shooting, Palmer said. Some of the people injured are in critical condition, Palmer said.

Police were still trying to determine the shooter's identity and motive, Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said in a news conference earlier Saturday.

“We believe the threat to the community is over,” Hicks said. “It was a very chaotic scene.”

Palmer said investigators were still interviewing witnesses to the shooting. The restaurant is in a busy shopping plaza, and hundreds of people were in the area when it happened around 2 p.m.

Lane Koehn, 34, said he was at a stoplight near the In-N-Out when he saw a person with an AR-style rifle emerge from the drive-thru. A man with a pistol started firing at the shooter.

He then saw someone in an In-N-Out uniform drag a person, also uniformed, bleeding from a gunshot wound in her chest across the parking lot. The employee, Koehn and the man with the pistol stayed until paramedics arrived for her.

“She was pretty bad off, but I don’t know. I hope she made it,” Koehn said.

Koehn said he was told by police to evacuate because the shooting was still active.

He also said the shooter fired at least three or four rounds and it was not clear whether or not anyone in particular was targeted.

Video taken by a driver from across the street captured a shooter, who appeared to be dressed in black, walking up to a white car carrying a long rifle, opening the driver-side door and popping the trunk. The person then walked to the trunk and reached inside. At that point the driver who shot the video left quickly, fearing that the man might be getting more weapons.

Twin Falls resident Haley Dodaro, 43, and her mother went to In-N-Out for lunch Saturday afternoon. While waiting in the drive-thru line, they saw people running across the road and workers bolting out of the restaurant. At first Dodaro thought there might have been a fire, but then a man directing traffic in a reflective vest said there was a shooter.

“So that’s when we knew there was a shooting. People were running out crying and screaming. It was very scary,” Dodaro said in a text message to The Associated Press.

Nayeli Rodriguez, 40, of Burley, was inside waiting for food with her daughters when she heard shots from the kitchen. An employee said it was a shooting and told people to get down. Rodriguez said an older man tried to protect her and her daughters, and they were among the last to run outside.

“We were trying to get as far as we could and some angels let us in their car,” Rodriguez said, also via text message. “I left my car there in the parking lot.”

The In-N-Out opened just about a week earlier, on July 24, as part of the company’s recent expansion to Idaho.

Police said multiple people were taken to St. Luke's Magic Valley Medical Center. Hospital spokesperson Taylor Marschner said in a statement that it was “working closely with law enforcement and emergency responders as they manage the situation.”

Twin Falls, a city of about 56,000 people, is about 130 miles (205 kilometers) southeast of Boise and about 40 miles (64 kilometers) north of the Nevada border.

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Bellisle reported from Seattle and Raza from Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

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This story was first published on Aug. 1. It was updated on Aug. 3 to correct that Twin Falls is about 40 miles, not 75 miles, north of the Nevada border.

Investigators are confident that the gunman, identified as 24-year-old Chad Williams, acted alone during the shooting Saturday at an In-N-Out location in Twin Falls, Police Chief Matthew Hicks said at a news conference.

In all, four people died, including Williams, and seven others were injured at the recently opened restaurant in the southern Idaho city of about 56,000 people. Authorities said Sunday that two of the injured were treated at a hospital and released, three were listed as stable, and two were in critical condition.

Hicks said an off-duty state trooper and an armed citizen — whose identities weren't immediately disclosed — both fired back and diverted the gunman from the restaurant.

“We believe their actions helped drive the suspect away from the scene, preventing further casualties,” the chief said. “We want to take a moment and commend the actions of the off-duty officer and the citizen, and their heroic action to stop this incident.”

Hicks said detectives are working to determine Williams' motives, and said the suspect's family was cooperating fully with law enforcement. Officials asked potential witnesses or anyone with information to contact police.

The chief also warned of misinformation spreading online identifying a different man as the shooter, saying that person had “no involvement in this incident whatsoever.”

In-N-Out worker among the victims

One of those killed was an employee, the fast-food chain’s owner said.

“My heart is broken, my chest is heavy, my eyes burn from the tears I've shed. We lost one of our beautiful Associates tonight,” In-N-Out owner Lynsi Snyder said in a statement released early Sunday on social media. “In-N-Out will be mourning with the families and praying for them as they tread through a very painful season.”

The FBI on Sunday encouraged the public to submit images and videos related to the shooting Saturday in Twin Falls that left seven other people wounded, some critically.

The In-N-Out had opened just about a week earlier, on July 24, as part of the California-based company’s recent expansion to Idaho.

Snyder did not identify the worker. Officials were still trying to notify relatives of victims and so were not yet releasing the names, ages or other details about the people hurt in the shooting, Twin Falls spokesperson Josh Palmer said Saturday.

Police who responded to the shooting found the body of the suspected gunman in an area near the restaurant, Palmer said.

Palmer said investigators were interviewing witnesses to the shooting. The restaurant is in a busy shopping plaza, and hundreds of people were in the area when it happened around 2 p.m.

Witnesses describe chaotic scene

Lane Koehn, 34, said he was at a stoplight near the In-N-Out when he saw a person with an AR-style rifle emerge from the drive-thru. A man with a pistol started firing at the shooter.

He then saw someone in an In-N-Out uniform drag a person, also wearing a uniform, bleeding from a gunshot wound to her chest across the parking lot. The employee, Koehn and the man with the pistol stayed until paramedics arrived for her.

“She was pretty bad off, but I don’t know. I hope she made it,” Koehn said.

He said the shooter fired at least three or four rounds and it was not clear whether or not anyone in particular was targeted.

Video taken by a driver from across the street captured a shooter, who appeared to be dressed in black, walking up to a white car carrying a long rifle, opening the driver-side door and popping the trunk. The person then walked to the trunk and reached inside. At that point the driver who shot the video left quickly, fearing that the man might be getting more weapons.

Twin Falls resident Haley Dodaro, 43, and her mother went to In-N-Out for lunch Saturday afternoon. While waiting in the drive-thru line, they saw people running across the road and workers bolting out of the restaurant. At first, Dodaro thought there might have been a fire, but then a man directing traffic in a reflective vest said there was a shooter.

“So that’s when we knew there was a shooting. People were running out crying and screaming. It was very scary,” Dodaro said in a text message to The Associated Press.

Employee told people to get down

Nayeli Rodriguez, 40, of Burley, was inside waiting for food with her daughters when she heard shots from the kitchen. An employee said it was a shooting and told people to get down. Rodriguez said an older man tried to protect her and her daughters, and they were among the last to run outside.

“We were trying to get as far as we could and some angels let us in their car,” Rodriguez said, also via text message. “I left my car there in the parking lot.”

Twin Falls is about 130 miles (205 kilometers) southeast of Boise and about 40 miles (64 kilometers) north of the Nevada border.

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This story was first published on Aug. 2. It was updated on Aug. 3 to correct that Twin Falls is about 40 miles, not 75 miles, north of the Nevada border.

Panthers executive vice president of football operations Brandt Tilis said Monday he felt Young “ascended” to a new level last season, while adding that the 25-year-old’s ceiling is still “unknown.”

After being benched early in his second season, the No. 1 overall pick in 2023 responded by throwing for 3,011 yards with 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions last year while going 8-8 as a starter and leading the Panthers to an NFC South championship.

Still, Young appears ready to enter the season without a long-term contract in place.

He is under contract this season for slightly more than $12 million. The team can pick up the fifth-year option on Young at anytime, which would mean paying him a projected $25.9 million in 2027.

But three years in, this is normally the time when NFL teams consider locking up a quarterback they drafted high — or one they consider a franchise-type player — with a long-term deal.

“I would say he ascended last year and there is still room for him to ascend," said Tilis, who was the lead negotiator for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020 when they locked up Patrick Mahomes with a 10-year, $477 million deal. “His ceiling is currently unknown and I think that is exciting for us. He's working hard to get himself there.”

When asked if the Panthers should have a better idea of where Young's ceiling is by now, Tilis responded, "not necessarily. The team is growing, too. He's going to ascend as the team ascends, and vice versa. The team is going to get better. So it's all good."

Tilis said Young is well-positioned to continue developing this season.

“The team is better, the coaches are good — Bryce is putting in the work, too. So it's all there,” Tilis said. "We will just see how the year plays out. I think we are all really excited for what Bryce is going to show and how the team is going to do."

When asked if that's an indication the team may wait until after the season to consider a contract extension for Young, Tilis remained coy, saying those a discussions that will remain inside the organization and be discussed privately among himself, general manager Dan Morgan, head coach Dave Canales and team owner David Tepper.

“I want what is best for the organization so that is not for me (solely) to decide,” Tilis said. “It's collaborative.”

Canales: Young is playing faster, making quicker decisions

Canales said he’s “really excited” to see what Young will do entering his third year in the current offensive system after watching him at training camp.

“The special plays still show up every day, moving up the spot, pushing up in the pocket, layering balls, all the accuracy — but the part that I’ve been really impressed with this camp is just his chemistry with our receivers," Canales said.

Canales added Young is “playing so much faster” and making quicker decisions.

“It just seems like he’s eliminating things before the snap,” Canales said. “On his drop, he’s starting to eliminate and evaluate things and throwing really anticipatory throws. ... So I love where he’s headed. I love that he’s all in. He seems to be really enjoying it and so we just keep taking it a day at a time and try to challenge ourselves that way.”

Kenny Pickett to start at QB in Hall of Fame game

Young is firmly entrenched as Carolina’s starting quarterback, but he won't play in Thursday night’s preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals in the Hall of Fame game, Canales said.

Canales said most of the team's starters will sit out.

Kenny Pickett will start under center with Haynes King also expected to see action.

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

Certification of the Boeing 737 Max 7 represents a milestone in the company's work to overcome years of safety, quality and production challenges. The long-delayed Max 7 is part of Boeing’s 737 family of commercial jets, which is the company's bestseller and has been at the center of its troubles.

The FAA said it cleared the new plane after years of additional testing, design changes and an extensive review of its design and safety systems. The certification was delayed as Boeing addressed technical issues and heightened regulatory scrutiny following two crashes involving the larger Max 8 that killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019.

Since the crashes off the coast of Indonesia and in Ethiopia, the FAA overhauled how it certifies Boeing aircraft. It said its oversight of the company would continue beyond the Max 7's approval.

Before signing off on the aircraft, the FAA said, it required Boeing to make several safety changes, including updating flight-control software, improving cockpit alerts for pilots and redesigning the engine anti-ice system to prevent overheating.

“Our team of dedicated engineers and test experts worked through challenges, an extended pandemic, and the transition to new certification processes,” said Stephanie Pope, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

Safety inspectors will remain at Boeing production facilities to monitor manufacturing, including observing the company’s Safety Management System and overall safety culture, the agency said.

The Max 7 is expected to be used primarily on short- and medium-haul routes. Several carriers, including Southwest Airlines, have outstanding orders for the plane.

Sáenz, who produced a story collection that won the PEN/Faulkner prize and a young adult novel that received acclaim from readers and reviewers and condemnation from censors, died last week in El Paso, Texas after a lengthy illness, according to a spokesperson for Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing. Additional details were not immediately available.

Sáenz, born in Old Picacho, New Mexico, was an ordained Catholic priest who eventually left the order and came out as gay. His “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe,” the story of two Mexican American boys falling in love, was published in 2012 and received a pair of citations for outstanding LGBTQ+ literature: a Stonewall Honors Book Award and the Lambda Literary Award.

“Hamilton” playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda, who narrated the audio edition and helped produce a 2023 film adaptation, wrote in an Instagram post that he was “heartbroken” over Sáenz's death.

“Rest easy, maestro,” Miranda wrote. The movie starred Max Pelayo and Reese Gonzales as the title characters and also featured Eva Longoria.

The novel's love story led to its being removed temporarily from a school district in Granbury, Texas, and to bans in Russia and in Belarus.

Saenz's other books included the sequel “Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World,” the poetry collection “The Book of What Remains” and such adult novels as “In Perfect Light” and “Names on a Map.”

He received the PEN/Faulkner award in 2013 for “Everything Begins & Ends at the Kentucky Club,” a story collection set in El Paso, and across the border in Juarez, Mexico. Starting in the 1990s, he taught for decades at the University of Texas at El Paso, where he had received a master's degree in creative writing. He served as chair of the school's creative writing department before retiring in 2016.

Next month, Simon & Schuster will publish “When the World Was Happy,” which draws in part upon the loss of his niece in 1990 in a Las Cruces, New Mexico, bowling alley shooting. He was reminded of that tragedy by the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

“That was when I decided that this was not gonna leave me alone until I wrote about it,” he wrote in an author’s note shared by the publisher. “I wanted to write a book about how people survive and live through something as senseless as this.”

Sony on Sunday projected that “Spider-Man” would net an estimated $355 million in its first weekend playing in 4,487 theaters, just barely missing the 2019 “Avengers: Endgame” record of $357 million. But the fourth Spider-Man movie starring Tom Holland had a stronger than expected Sunday and ultimately came in ahead.

Tom Rothman, the chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group said in a statement, “records are made to be broken, but we will take great pride in this one, for as long as we hold it.”

Before “Avengers: Endgame,” no movie had opened over $300 million domestically. The previous record holders were “Avengers: Infinity War,” which launched with $257 million in 2018, and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” ($247 million in 2015). In December 2021, during the pandemic, the third Holland Spider-Man movie “No Way Home,” earned a place on the list with a $260 million debut on its way to $1.9 billion globally.

The high-earning combination of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” and “The Odyssey,” which share actors Holland, Zendaya and Jon Bernthal, also propelled a record weekend overall for movie theaters in the U.S. and Canada.

According to Rentrak, the domestic box office overall is up over 15% from last year with over $6.2 billion in ticket sales to date.

Sheriff Staly says he was traveling south on I-95 in his agency vehicle just south of the State Road 100 exit shortly before 5 p.m. Friday when a white 2016 Dodge Challenger with black racing stripes blew past him at a high rate of speed.

Using his vehicle’s certified speedometer, Staly says he paced the Challenger between 115 and 125 mph for nearly six miles. During that stretch, the driver repeatedly weaved across all three lanes of traffic, passing within three to four feet of the rear bumpers of slower-moving vehicles.

Staly activated his lights and siren, and the 22-year-old driver eventually pulled over on I-95 just south of Old Dixie Highway — in neighboring Volusia County.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, the driver, who has no prior criminal history, told Sheriff Staly he had a final pilot’s exam scheduled for Saturday and hoped he would be released from jail in time.

“Driving 125 miles per hour and weaving through three lanes of traffic isn’t a mistake, it’s a decision to gamble with everyone else’s life, including the three passengers sitting in his own car,” Sheriff Staly said. “This wanna-be pilot was flying fast and low, but he wasn’t in an airplane and this wasn’t his final exam.”

The driver was arrested on charges of willful and wanton reckless driving and violation of Florida’s super speeder law.

Ordinance No. 2026-8239, introduced by City Attorney David Migut, would amend Chapter 20, Section 20-15 of the city’s Code of Ordinances — the section that governs Paws Dog Park — to add new language specifically targeting animal cruelty offenders.

How it started

The proposal came after an incident at an Atlantic Beach dog park was brought to the Jacksonville Beach City Council’s attention during an April council briefing.

Council Member Sandy Golding raised the issue after learning that an alleged animal cruelty offender’s membership at the Atlantic Beach park had been revoked. She then reviewed Jacksonville Beach’s own Code of Ordinances and found there was no provision allowing the city to do the same at Paws Dog Park.

The council reached a consensus directing Migut to draft updated language for the code.

What the ordinance would do

Under the proposed ordinance, the city manager — or a designee — would have the authority to immediately deny, suspend or revoke a person’s membership and park access if that person has been convicted of an animal cruelty offense or is being investigated for one.

The ordinance defines “animal cruelty offense” as any violation of Chapter 828 of Florida Statutes, or any substantially similar offense under the laws of another state or the United States federal government.

The ordinance also outlines a reinstatement process. Anyone whose membership is suspended or revoked could apply in writing to the city manager for reinstatement. If approved, reinstatement would require proof that the person completed an animal cruelty prevention and education course.

Consequences for violations

The proposed ordinance includes an enforcement provision. Any person who enters or remains at Paws Dog Park after their membership or access has been denied, suspended or revoked could be removed and may face arrest or prosecution for criminal trespass.

The Jacksonville Beach City Council is scheduled to hold a first reading of the ordinance on Aug. 3, with a second reading set for Aug. 17. The ordinance would take effect immediately upon adoption.

UPDATED INFORMATION: Clay County sheriff says couple lied about abused dog found at Middleburg boat ramp

“I keep asking why,” Belton said. “Why would you ever want to do something like that to this poor animal?”

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office said the incident happened May 17 at the Main Street boat dock in Middleburg. Investigators said a group of children — described only as between 9 and 13 years old — were seen throwing the dog and holding it underwater.

A family rescued the chihuahua and reached out to Belton, who took Ghost in and cared for him. The dog died a few days later.

Ghost showed signs of recovery before his condition declined

In the days after Belton took Ghost in, the dog appeared to bounce back.

“He slept for about two or three hours and then he caught up and played like a normal puppy,” Belton said. “That Monday and Tuesday, he was like nothing had ever happened.”

But Ghost’s condition worsened at the end of that Tuesday.

“You could hear a lot of breathing — water in his lungs — from where the children tried to drown this poor dog,” Belton said. “That was very traumatizing for me. Just listening to him and having him going through this.”

Belton and his wife took Ghost to the vet multiple times over two days. Despite their efforts, Ghost did not survive.

“I cried every single day for well over a week because of how this poor, poor animal was just treated,” Belton said. “We gave him as much love as we possibly could before he passed.”

Belton said Ghost left a lasting mark on his family despite the short time they had together.

“He was certainly very special to us, and we really wish we could have gotten to keep him,” he said. “Very, very smart dog, and we were having lots of fun with him.”

Crime Stoppers offering up to $5,000 reward

First Coast Crime Stoppers is offering up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest in the case. Tips have already started coming in since the reward was announced.

Chase Robinson, executive director of First Coast Crime Stoppers, said all types of information — even secondhand — could help investigators.

“What we’d like to tell people is if you overheard someone talking about something that they did, whether they were physically there when it happened or they’ve been speaking with someone, that information can be vital and give investigators a head start,” Robinson said.

Belton said he hopes those responsible are held accountable — and get help.

“If these kids do not get help now, they won’t make it,” Belton said. “They’re going to be juveniles, they’re going to be criminals for the rest of their lives. Someone needs to be held accountable.”

Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 866-845-TIPS.

It can play a part in helping America break the chokehold China has on processing critical minerals, but it will take up to a year and a half to build a new factory as the Trump administration pushes to expand domestic production. The company, Phoenix Tailings, recently got a $500 million loan from the Pentagon to ramp up its work, after starting out eight years ago as a backyard lab seeking a cleaner metal-refining method. It's just the latest critical minerals company the government has backed.

The task that workers carry out in heat-resistant suits and sealed face masks has become more urgent as the Iran conflict draws down key munitions such as Tomahawk cruise missiles and THAAD interceptors. While the White House is demanding military contractors speed up production, it’s also imposing stricter rules banning them from sourcing critical minerals from China.

“It will be a tall order and a challenge to replenish these stocks and scale up in the timeframe needed to meet defense demand and regulations,” said Anthony Balladon, chief commercial officer and a co-founder of Phoenix Tailings. He said the company is working hard to boost capacity.

Although the U.S. is quickening its pace to build domestic supplies of critical minerals free of control from its most formidable rival, it will likely take years for companies across the industry to build new mines and boost production of the high-powered magnets essential in many high-tech applications. Extracting some of the hard-to-pronounce elements from existing mine waste can help satisfy the growing demand in the meantime, but it will likely take several companies to do that.

Critical minerals industry has big plans, but it will take time to ramp up

Phoenix Tailings taps waste from traditional mining as well as recycled magnets and disk drives as raw materials, working to counter China in processing where it has the strongest hold on the supply chain.

The company based in the Boston-area city of Woburn, Massachusetts, plans to build a bigger facility to extract and produce critical metals needed in not only defense but also the aerospace and automotive industries.

“We call it the freedom facility because, ultimately, the purpose of this is to ensure that the entire Western Hemisphere, the United States and its allies are free of Chinese influence within the rare-earth space,” Balladon said.

On a recent afternoon, two technicians in heat-resistant hazmat suits were operating an apparatus of cylinders, tubes, funnels and control panels set up on a platform with bright yellow railings. A chemical process involving electricity removes oxygen and turns the material into a grayish metal that can be used to make the extremely strong permanent magnets used in fighter jets, missiles, radar systems and drones.

The metals that Phoenix Tailings refines and other critical minerals play “an outsized role” in defense systems, Balladon said. A $150 million weapons system won’t work if it's missing critical minerals that may be worth only $20,000 to $30,000, he said.

The defense sector is particularly reliant on the metal samarium and needs 50 to 100 tons each year, but U.S. capacity is very limited, he said.

Phoenix Tailings is among the few companies capable of producing the final metal, according to Balladon, but its capacity is only about 200 kilograms (440 pounds) a year. He said the company will scale up to about 5 tons in the next three months but that it will be next year or 2028 before it reaches its goal of 120-ton capacity.

Another US magnet maker looks to France for raw materials

Arnold Magnetic Technologies for years relied on China for samarium to produce the extremely strong, stable-in-high-temperatures magnet that goes into precision-guided missiles such as Tomahawks.

That doesn’t work anymore. For Arnold, the solution to getting the critical minerals it needs has come from a relic of Europe’s past rare-earth industry — abandoned mining dirt in the French city of La Rochelle.

Solvay, a Belgium-headquartered chemical company, stopped separating and processing rare earths from the mined dirt in the 2000s. That was when China was building up most of the world’s processing capacity with a determination to dominate the industry.

China weaponized that near-monopoly last year by choking off its flow of processed critical materials and forcing the U.S. government to back off during a trade war. Solvay then restarted work and has added other rare earths this year, including samarium.

“This ramp‑up is driven by several factors: rapidly growing demand for permanent magnets, increased geopolitical focus on supply chain security, and strong customer demand in Europe and the United States for more diversified, resilient and traceable sources of supply,” a Solvay spokesperson said.

For Arnold Magnetic Technologies, paying more to get its supply from Solvay instead of China has not been a deal-breaker, because the samarium-cobalt magnets it makes account for only a small cost in a weapon system, said Matt Blake, Arnold's CEO.

“They are not the absolute cost drivers,” he said.

Plus, the company says the surge in demand for magnets has worked in its favor.

Some concerns remain. The U.S. is dependent on imports of the critical mineral tungsten, with China controlling roughly 80% of the global mine supply and an even larger share of processing, according to Brodie Sutherland, CEO of Patriot Critical Minerals Corp.

Sutherland, whose company seeks to explore and mine tungsten in the U.S., is concerned that America will not be able to get by without China-sourced tungsten after a Pentagon-imposed deadline of Jan. 1, 2027.

Efforts to ramp up U.S. production will take years, he said, and in the meantime, the Pentagon and its defense contractors will need to rely on existing inventories, expanded recycling and limited non-China sources.

The Iran war and Trump's China order create pressure and opportunity

The need to increase production has become more urgent as renewed fighting with Iran digs into the U.S. military’s already diminished stockpiles of advanced missile interceptors, including Patriots and THAADs, according to a recent analysis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank.

It also has raised concerns that the military would have diminished firepower in any potential future conflict with China. CSIS warned in May that it could take at least three years to replenish stockpiles of Tomahawks, Patriots and THAADs, or Terminal High Altitude Area Defense interceptors.

At the same time, President Donald Trump has announced stricter controls on defense contractors sourcing critical materials from China.

“It is the policy of the United States that not only the finished equipment deployed by our military, but also the critical materials and components necessary to manufacture, maintain, sustain, and repair that equipment, are sourced domestically or from allied nations,” the July 20 executive order says.

Lockheed Martin, which makes THAADs and many other weapons systems, said “we continuously assess the global rare earth supply chain to ensure access to critical materials that support our customers’ missions.” Several other major U.S. defense contractors, including Raytheon Technologies and Northrop Grumman, didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Balladon, of Phoenix Tailings, was confident in U.S. companies.

“Ultimately, with the right support and partners across the industry, we think we can make it happen,” he said.

___

Funk reported from Omaha, Nebraska.

Frederick Hughes was found fatally shot around 4:30 a.m. Monday morning near the parking lot of a club on Soutel Drive near New Kings Road, his family said.

Hughes’ aunt, Maria Hughes, told News4JAX that she had a bad feeling last night about her nephew going out. She said he typically will call her to let her know he made it home safe.

“I got a call this morning. But it wasn’t a call from him,” said a distraught Maria Hughes, who helped raise her nephew after his mother was killed in 1999. She was also 38 when she died.

Maria said Frederick was parked near the club, where a large crowd was gathered early Monday morning. She said witnesses told them someone down the street just started shooting, and Frederick was hit.

She said people were telling her he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.

“He was a good boy. It’s just too much,” she said. “These young folks got to learn to put these guns down. It’s just too senseless. Life is precious.”

Police have not released any information about the shooter, and they’re asking the public for help to understand what happened Monday morning.

Anyone with information about the deadly shooting is asked to call JSO at 904-630-0500 or CrimeStoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.

In the meantime, Maria Hughes said she wants to see change in Florida’s gun laws.

“I walk the street, I see young folks toting guns like they’re babies, bigger than them under their clothes. It’s not right. It’s not good,” she said.

She and neighborhood Pastor Sheldon Creighton, who is also a relative of Frederick Hughes, said they’re tired of the ongoing violence in the area around Soutel Drive and New Kings Road.

“What can we do to clean up this corner, because if it was your child, you would try to find out how we can fix it,” Creighton said. “That’s my question to our City Council people: Where are you? Y’all are talking, but we don’t see nothing. We just hear you talking. … Anything can be fixed if we work at it."

Persistent drought and successive extreme heat waves have deprived one of Europe's largest rivers of water, pushing the Danube's levels in Hungary's capital Budapest to around 10 centimeters (4 inches) on Monday, well below the previous all-time low of 33 centimeters (13 inches) set in 2018.

Water levels are not expected to rise on the Danube in the coming days or even weeks as no significant rainfall is forecast, and as a renewed extreme heat wave bears down on the region with daytime highs topping 38 Celsius (100 Fahrenheit), electricity and water use are on the rise.

Hungary's Paks nuclear plant on brink of shutdown

The Danube's record low levels have pushed Hungary's only nuclear power plant, the Soviet-built, four-reactor plant at Paks, to the brink of powering down entirely for the first time in its 44 years in service.

The Paks plant, which uses water from the Danube to cool its reactors, on Monday was producing only 240 megawatts of power rather than the usual 2,000. In video posted to Facebook on Monday, Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar said engineers had managed to keep the plant’s final operating turbine temporarily running, averting an expected shutdown on the weekend.

“This is very good news, because the complete shutdown of the Paks power plant can still be avoided, at least temporarily, on one of the biggest consumption days,” he said, adding that a full power-down was likely on Tuesday or Wednesday.

The Paks plant, located around 90 kilometers (55 miles) south of Budapest, accounts for nearly half of Hungary’s electricity production and around a third of its consumption. Hungary has relied on regional electricity imports as well as renewable sources to try to make up for the deficit from the Paks plant.

Hungary’s government last week asked major industrial users to curb their electricity consumption and sought voluntary savings from households in order to conserve supply, particularly in peak demand hours between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m.

It also announced that electric-powered freight trains would not be permitted to run during peak hours beginning on Monday in order to conserve an estimated 70 to 90 megawatt-hours of electricity per day.

While conservation measures were initially voluntary, Magyar’s government on Saturday issued a decree allowing for them to be made mandatory for large industrial or commercial consumers.

He said Monday that the conservation push had resulted in 700 fewer megawatts of electricity being used the previous day, and thanked Hungarians for their efforts.

Serbia and Romania grapple with low Danube levels

Meanwhile, plants in neighboring countries have also seen dramatic drops in power generation, as well as disruptions to shipping and agriculture.

Romania’s military on Monday used 180 kilograms (397 pounds) of explosives to blast rock near the Danube’s Bala Canal in order to redirect water into the river’s main channel and toward the state-owned Cernavoda nuclear power plant.

The Danube's water flow has fallen to 1,500 cubic meters per second in Romania, less than a third of its July average. Authorities have already shut down one reactor unit at the Cernavoda plant, which is operating at about half its normal capacity.

Acting Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan announced a nationwide state of alert in the energy sector on Friday, and warned that the Danube’s low water levels threatened the shutdown of Cernavoda’s second reactor. He appealed to citizens to voluntarily limit electricity usage in peak evening hours.

After meeting with major industrial consumers on Monday, Bolojan said carmakers Dacia and Ford had gone into maintenance and halted auto production until Aug. 19, while other companies agreed to reduce their energy usage during peak hours.

In Serbia, record-low Danube levels have pushed the country’s key hydroelectric plant to operate with only 20% of its capacity, prompting Prime Minister Djuro Macut to preside over an emergency meeting on Monday focusing on energy problems.

Macut appealed to residents to “minimize the use of big consumers of electricity in their homes, such as air conditioners.” He described the situation in a statement late on Sunday as “serious and demanding.”

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Associated Press writers Jovana Gec in Belgrade, Serbia, and Stephen McGrath in Leamington Spa, England, contributed to this report.

Charley Hull of England easily earned one of the two automatic spots from the Ladies European Tour points list. The other went to Esther Henseleit of Germany, who surged to No. 2 in the final two events.

Henseleit finished fourth in the Women's Scottish Open and then lost in a playoff at the Women's British Open (points are double in a major) to narrowly beat Chiara Tamburlini of Switzerland for the second spot.

Henseleit's 40-foot birdie putt to force a playoff with AIG Women's Open winner Shiho Kuwaki wound up costing Tamburlini a spot. Even without making it on points, Henseleit would have made her second straight team as one of the leading six players in the world ranking.

Those six spots instead fell to Solheim rookie Lottie Woad of England, Maja Stark and Linn Grant of Sweden, Carlota Ciganda of Spain, Celine Boutier of France and Nanna Koertz Madsen of Denmark.

Nordqvist added Maguire and rookies Julia Lopez Ramirez of Spain, Nastasia Nadaud of France and Mimi Rhodes of England. Rhodes is No. 91 in the world ranking. Tamburlini is at No. 109.

Missing from Team Europe is Dewi Weber of The Netherlands, who is ranked ahead of three of the captain's picks. She was ineligible, however, because the Dutch player did not realize she had to be an LET member. Weber finished third at the KPMG Women's PGA.

The 31-year-old Maguire's record is 8-3-1 in her three Solheim Cup appearances but she missed the cut in four of the five majors this year and has not won in two years.

Europe will try to win back the Solheim Cup after a three-point loss in Virginia two years ago. Team USA, which has yet to fill out its team, hasn't won on European soil since 2015.

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

Licaj was found unresponsive in a retention pond at Coquina Bay Apartments off San Pablo Road on July 29. Bystanders pulled him from the water, but he did not survive.

On Saturday, his sister Blerta Gurguri and close family friend Tammy Wilson spoke with News4JAX at that same pond, throwing flowers into the water as they grieved.

“I had got a call from the homicide unit and they confirmed that was him, and it was terrible news,” Gurguri said, fighting back tears.

The family’s grief runs deep. Gurguri is mourning not only the loss of her brother, but also the loss of her father, who died from colon cancer less than six months ago.

Licaj had recently moved to the United States from Albania on a visa, in part to care for his father in his final months. His family says starting a new life here was his goal — a life they say was cut tragically short.

Those who knew him describe a man defined by his love for the people around him.

“He loved his nephews. He used to play basketball, swim in the pool, take them to the pool. Pick them up from school and from their bus. He always put others before himself,” Gurguri said.

“He was so polite, kind. He was an angel in our house,” she added.

According to the family, Licaj was at the complex that day to celebrate a friend’s birthday near the apartment pool. He later left the gathering because he was not feeling well. The family says he would typically call a relative or friend whenever he needed a ride. That call never came.

“We were looking for him. We looked,” Wilson said. “He’s not that type of person. He always lets you know where he was.”

Gurguri says the friend who was with Licaj that day never contacted the family to let them know he had left or that he was not feeling well.

“They said that he was going home and the pool is right there. Why would they walk this way?” Gurguri said. “Even when he decided to go home, they were supposed to let us know that he is coming home by himself.”

What makes the loss even harder to process is Licaj’s ability to swim, according to his family.

“We have so many questions. We still don’t know,” Gurguri said.

Wilson echoed that sentiment. “I mean, now that I see it, it doesn’t make sense,” she said.

As they wait for answers, the family is also asking the community for support as they prepare for funeral services and currently have a GoFundMe set up to help alleviate funeral costs

“Anyone that can help so we can give our brother the deserved funeral,” Gurguri said. “He will never be forgotten. We will always remember his memories.”

The family says they are in communication with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and are waiting for lab results. News4JAX has requested the full incident report from JSO and will update this story as more information becomes available.

Consumer Reports tested rotisserie chickens from 10 retailers, including Costco, Sam’s Club, Walmart, Whole Foods, Wegmans, and several other regional grocery stores.

CR evaluated the chickens for taste and nutrition, and also tested both the packaging and the meat for chemicals associated with plastics, including phthalates and bisphenol A.

In CR’s taste tests, Sam’s Club took the top spot for flavor. Consumer Reports nutritionist Amy Keating says the Sam’s Club chicken was consistent from bird to bird, with moist, juicy meat and a deep roasted flavor.

CONSUMER REPORTS: Is Rotisserie Chicken Healthy? CR Tested 10 Brands to Find the Best

Costco, Stop & Shop, Walmart, Wegmans, and Whole Foods also made Consumer Reports’ “best overall” list.

Consumer Reports also looked at potential chemical exposure from the packaging. Tests did not find PFAS in any of the chicken or packaging. However, CR did find phthalates in every chicken tested except ShopRite.

For most brands, the levels weren’t concerning. But Costco and Walmart had the highest levels, and CR’s experts say adults should have no more than 6 ounces and children no more than about 2 ounces a day of these chickens.

For food safety, Consumer Reports recommends eating rotisserie chicken within two hours of bringing it home or removing it from the plastic packaging and refrigerating it. Do not reheat the chicken in its original container.

Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to four days. After that, toss them—or freeze the chicken within four days and use it within four months for the best taste and texture.

A rotisserie chicken can still be a convenient dinner option, but Consumer Reports says choosing carefully and handling it safely can help you get the most out of this quick meal solution.

Sunday’s camp coverage

Full interview: Robert Hainsey on the ground game and OL continuity

Full interview: RB Bhayshul Tuten on his comfort in the system and his Madden rating

News4JAGs podcast: Travis Hunter with a huge day at practice

Training camp notebook: Travis Hunter shines on Sunday

According to the ballot question, the proposed changes would conform the charter with current law and present standards of municipal governance, and make changes to the organization, powers, and procedures of city government.

Ballot question:

Shall the Charter of the City of Starke, Florida be amended and restated in its entirety to update its provisions, to conform with current law and present standards of municipal governance, and to incorporate revisions relating to the organization, powers, and procedures of City government, as set forth in the proposed revised Charter available for public inspection?

Yes/No

As county’s sample ballot states the proposed revised charter has been made available for public inspection, we obtained a copy, which you can see below:

Expect numerous showers and thunderstorms today, with rain developing as early as the morning and becoming widespread through the afternoon.

Some locations could pick up between a quarter and a half inch of rain, with locally higher amounts where storms repeatedly move over the same areas.

Despite the clouds and rain, it will remain warm with highs in the upper 80s throughout the course of the afternoon. Southwest winds will be breezy at times, with gusts over 20 mph.

By Tuesday, sunshine returns for part of the day, allowing temperatures to climb back into the lower 90s with heat index values topping 100 degrees before scattered afternoon and evening thunderstorms develop.

The rest of the week follows a familiar August pattern, featuring partly sunny skies, highs in the lower 90s, and daily afternoon and evening storms.

Rain chances generally hover around 50 to 60 percent through the weekend, with the greatest coverage during the hottest part of the day before activity tapers off each evening.

Kuwaki closed with a 1-under 70 and looked like a winner as she waited nearly 30 minutes in the scoring room. Henseleit, in the final group, holed a 40-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole at Royal Lytham & St. Annes for a 70 to join Kuwaki at 5-under 279.

Henseleit then had the advantage in the playoff when the 23-year-old from Japan was in deep grass short of a bunker and had to lay up short of the green. Kuwaki hit wedge to 3 feet to save par and got another chance when Henseleit missed a 15-foot birdie putt for the win.

The tables turned on the second extra hole. Henseleit's tee shot on the 18th drifted far enough to the right that it was beneath a gorse bush. She did well to get that back to the fairway, and hit wedge to about 12 feet. But her par putt stayed left of the cup, and that left Kuwaki to tap in for par.

“Very happy with how I gave myself the opportunity to win today and how I handled myself. Just got a bit unlucky on the second playoff hole there,” Henseleit said. “I tried really hard and I guess it just wasn’t meant to be today.”

This is the second straight AIG Women's Open title for Japan, following Miyu Yamashita's victory last year at Royal Porthcawl. Kuwaki, often known for her fashion, becomes the fifth player from Japan to have won an LPGA major over the last three years.

“I can’t believe it,” Kuwaki said through a translator and the trophy presentation.

She had planned on going to the LPGA qualifying tournament this fall, but her victory gives her a five-year exemption.

“So I don't have to worry about that anymore,” Kuwaki said.

She had until midnight local time to accept LPGA membership. Because there are only four months left in the season, the LPGA said Kuwaki chose to defer her membership until 2027.

Tough round for Noh

The disappointment belonged to third-placed Yealimi Noh (74), the 25-year-old Californian who began the final round with a three-shot lead until it slowly went away with bogeys. She fell out of a share of the lead with a bogey on the 14th hole. Noh was one shot behind and had two reasonable looks at birdie — with Kuwaki already in the clubhouse at 279 — but failed to convert.

“It stings being one short,” said Noh, who had missed three straight cuts before this week. “I told myself this morning, no matter what happens I'm happy to be in this position again. A couple of weeks ago, I was losing a lot of motivation. This week has helped me feel so much better about my game.”

Haeran Ryu fell short in her bid to become the first player since Inbee Park to win three straight majors in one year. Ryu, who won the KPMG Women's PGA and Evian Championship, was still in the mix on the back nine. She needed birdies and instead closed with two straight bogeys for a 74 to tie for sixth.

Nelly Korda, the No. 1 player in women's golf and winner of the year's first two majors, started eight shots behind and closed with a 68. She was the leader in the clubhouse for the longest time at 2 under until Kuwaki finished.

Korda tied for fourth along with Jeeno Thitikul (73).

Eyes covered

Kuwaki, at No. 46 in the women's world ranking, played bogey-free over the last 13 holes as everyone around her made mistakes. She was in the scoring room after signing and stayed there, even as Henseleit and Noh had birdie chances on the final two holes to force a playoff.

Henseleit delivered with a most unlikely putt, 40 feet across the 18th green. The 27-year-old German raised her right arm as the golf ball still had a few feet to go and punched the air when it dropped for birdie.

It was only the second playoff since the Women’s British Open became a major in 2001.

Kuwaki covered her eyes when she watched the putt go in on TV, then broke into a smile. And moments later, she was in a cart and off to the 18th tee for a playoff and immediately in trouble. Her tee shot stayed short of a bunker but in the slope of thick grass. She smartly tried to get it back in play, and her wedge to 3 feet was as important a shot as any.

It gave her another chance, and the final mistake belonged to Henseleit with the tee shot on the 18th for the second playoff hole.

Kuwaki already has won twice this year and is fourth on the money list on the Japan LPGA, the tour that has produced five recent major champions, including Yamashita, Mao Saigo, Yuka Saso and Ayaka Furue. Kuwaki is now on that list.

“Just to be on a stage like this is just an honor, and every hole I was just focused shot-by-shot and just tried to enjoy it out there as much as I could,” she said.

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

Superintendent Dr. Brennan Asplen said during an interview on The Morning Show that the district operates 325 buses but currently has only about 275 drivers, forcing some drivers to run double — or even triple — pickups each morning and afternoon.

About 40 double runs are currently in place across the district’s roughly 3,600 bus stops. Asplen said families should expect some delays, particularly in the first couple of weeks.

“We have the students scheduled to be picked up at certain times, and then we come back to another neighborhood with the same bus and grab another 50, 70 kids, take them to the school as well, and try to get everybody there before school starts,” Asplen explained.

Tracking your bus, staying patient

To help families keep tabs on their bus, the district offers an app called Chipmunk that allows parents to track routes in real time.

Asplen encouraged families to use it and to remain flexible as routes and pick-up times are adjusted.

“Be patient with that,” he said. “That seems to change somewhat because we do change some of our routes to try to be as efficient as possible once we know what the routines look like over the next couple of weeks.”

Asplen said he expects things to settle down within two to three weeks as drivers and students get into a rhythm.

Recruiting drivers with bonuses

To attract new drivers, the district is offering a $5,000 signing bonus.

Asplen also pointed to a community-approved referendum that has helped the district retain current drivers — though ongoing growth continues to strain capacity.

“We have a great signing bonus of $5,000, and then we have the referendum that the community voted upon to retain our bus drivers,” he said. “We have retained them — we just continue growing.”

Enrollment growth slows

After years of roughly 4% to 4.5% annual growth, St. Johns County is seeing that pace ease. Asplen said growth this past year came in around 1.5% and is expected to hold at a similar rate going forward.

“This past year was right around one and a half percent growth, and it looks like we’re going to be right around that again,” he said. “So it would continue to grow, just not as quickly.”

The district opened two new schools this year — one in Silverleaf and one in Nocatee — both of which were planned based on earlier, faster growth projections.

With the slowdown, Asplen said the district does not anticipate building another K-8 or elementary-middle school in the near term, but a new high school in Silverleaf is in the pipeline.

“We are going to need a high school, and we’re going to build a high school in Silverleaf, and that’ll be open in about three years,” Asplen said.

Safety: E-bikes, deputies, emergency buttons

Asplen said the district is continuing to coordinate closely with the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office on school safety. Students who ride e-bikes or traditional bikes are required to dismount before entering school property.

“Our students know that they need to disembark from their bike before they actually enter onto school property,” he said.

Sheriff’s deputies assigned to each school have been educating middle schoolers on e-bike safety, a program that began last year. Asplen praised the partnership with Sheriff Rob Hardwick and the department.

“St. Johns County is really the safest county, I think, in the state,” Asplen said. “Sheriff Hardwick and the Sheriff’s Department does such a great job across the district, but also prioritizing our schools.”

The district also continues using an emergency alert button system introduced last year. Each employee carries a small device that, when clicked a certain number of times, immediately dispatches the Sheriff’s Office to the school.

“With everything raining down on the schools, within a minute it seems like they’re just all over the place everywhere,” Asplen said.

Deputies who are parked to write reports or make stops are also being asked to do so in school parking lots to increase visible presence throughout the day.

Asplen’s message to families

With more than 51,000 students returning to class, Asplen’s top ask for families is simple: patience.

“Just be patient with us on that, especially with our school buses over the next two to three weeks,” he said. “Once everybody gets their routines and we work things out, it becomes more efficient, and then we move forward.”

U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney responded to an NCAA request for clarity about her Friday ruling that granted a fifth year to athletes who graduated high school in 2022 and were not included in the new NCAA rule that allows five seasons of eligibility for Division I players.

She said the decision still stands. But the clarification said her ruling had no impact on other NCAA rules, which would include its prohibition on players signing pro contracts, then coming back to college.

The NCAA filed its intention to appeal the case later Sunday night.

The ruling, as first written, had the potential to upend the upcoming college football season, where teams are starting camp planning on the “five for five” rule to take effect beginning next fall.

Extending it to players this fall granted hundreds a chance to return to school. In the direct aftermath of the decision, some media reports were listing players on NFL and CFL rosters who were signaling they’d be open to returning to school.

But that appears to be off the table after Sweeney's clarification that said it was strictly about the players whose eligibility ended last school year. It did not extend beyond that — neither to rules regarding when athletes can enter the transfer portal nor to elements of the landmark House lawsuit settlement, which dictates how many players teams can put on rosters and how much schools can pay them.

The rulings out of U.S. District Court in Denver figures to impact sports differently. Football teams, for instance, have already started practice for this season, while baseball doesn't start for a while.

In making decisions, teams figure to factor the NCAA's appeal of Sweeney's order and whether to risk bringing back players who could then be declared ineligible if her decision is overturned.

NCAA President Charlie Baker issued a statement after Sweeney's initial ruling came out Friday, saying the ruling was potentially chaos-inducing and a reason Congress needs to pass the Protect College Sports Act. That bill, being considered in the Senate, includes lawsuit protection for the NCAA over eligibility rules, the likes of which they are defending in several courts around the country.

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AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports

Infantino’s secretive proposal to raise $4.2 billion from investors including the New York investment firm of Joshua Kushner was dropped early Saturday, days after the revelation in media reports provoked a global furor.

UEFA led the backlash and on Thursday its 55 member federations met to agree boycotting all FIFA events and competitions while the proposal was active.

Now lawyers for UEFA have informed FIFA that the European body is “actively considering legal action, arbitration, and/or regulatory complaints ... arising out of and in connection with the FFE (FIFA Forward Enterprise) plan proposed by FIFA and all related matters.”

The letter dated Friday from the legal firm Dechert in New York was seen Monday by The Associated Press.

The letter named 18 FIFA executives who it said should retain data, documents and electronic messages as potential evidence. They include Infantino, Zurich-based chief finance officer Thomas Peyer and Arsène Wenger, the coaching great who is FIFA's head of global soccer development.

“UEFA puts you on formal notice that any destruction, deletion, alteration, concealment, or loss of relevant materials following receipt of this notice — or following any earlier date on which you were, or reasonably should have been, aware that proceedings were anticipated — may constitute spoliation of evidence,” the letter said.

Europe seeks rival candidate to lead FIFA

The Swedish soccer federation confirmed Monday that UEFA is actively looking "to come up with an alternative candidate” as FIFA president. The next election is scheduled in March.

On Saturday, UEFA signaled it wants to end Infantino’s decade-long presidency, saying he had lost the confidence of world soccer and that “no option should be off the table.”

Hours earlier, Infantino had withdrawn the divisive proposal that offered FIFA’s 211 member federations one-off payments of $20 million each with a mid-September deadline to accept.

The FFE spin-off valued by FIFA at $20 billion would have taken control of the soccer body’s money-making commercial and tournament operations through at least 2038. It promised to more than double development money over that time for the 211 members who already effectively own the Zurich-based not-for-profit governing body.

It was the project of just one man, FIFA’s chief operating officer Kevin Lamour said in a stinging statement Friday to the AP which said staff felt deceived by their boss Infantino.

Legal proceedings are “reasonably anticipated,” UEFA’s lawyer Andrew J. Levander wrote, citing the belief of soccer stakeholders that the plan was “fundamentally incompatible with the proper governance of football.”

Opposition to Infantino

UEFA has been most outspoken against its former employee Infantino while the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF, the North and Central American and Caribbean soccer body, also have made strong statements to oppose Infantino’s plan.

Infantino has most support from his traditional base in Africa, while South America’s CONMEBOL is relying on him to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams from 48. That would give more hosting games to Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, the home country of CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez.

Infantino's path to stabilizing the presidency he has held for 10 1/2 years was unclear Monday which began in New York with a report he was seeking support from the administration of his close ally U.S. President Donald Trump, possibly in a call with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

“There are no plans for @SecRubio to speak with Infantino and there is no call this morning,” Dylan Johnson, assistant secretary of state for global public affairs, posted on social media.

A week is a long time in politics

The private equity plan has provoked a stunning turnaround in fortunes for Infantino since it was revealed last Tuesday by The Times of London.

The 56-year-old FIFA leader left New York after the World Cup final two weeks ago seemingly a lock to be re-elected unopposed next March for a fourth and final term in office through 2031.

The spin-off operation could have created a commissioner-like role for him beyond 2031 paying much more than his current $6 million annual salary and bonus deal as president.

FIFA briefed at the World Cup that Infantino had got pledged letters of support from about 200 of the 211 member federations.

Those letters are now likely being withdrawn across Europe with the Wales federation the first to announce its reversal.

The candidate deadline is Nov. 18 for an election exactly four months later in Morocco, one of Infantino's strongest allies and a co-host of the 2030 tournament with Spain and Portugal.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and AP World Cup coverage