"I couldn’t stand all the lies on the stations,″ she said, arguing that there wasn't enough attention being paid to Palestinian suffering. "I started going to Instagram to get my news.”

Berent is among many progressive-minded Americans who have sworn off legacy media institutions. They're turning to a widening mix of independent podcasts, social media accounts and digital news sites, part of an increasingly influential ecosystem that has boosted this year's wave of anti-establishment, left-leaning candidates who may not have gotten as much attention otherwise.

Liberals remain more likely than conservatives to trust mainstream outlets, but the splintering echoes how conservatives skeptical of their party created a collection of insurgent news sites years ago. The shift has elevated individual commentators with opinions on the news, some of whom have proven influential in driving people’s votes.

Ryan Grim, a co-founder of Drop Site News and a veteran of online political debates, said progressive politicians have sought out his platform to reach voters. In a change from previous election cycles, "they have ways to get covered even if the mainstream just basically ignores them,” he said.

One of those candidates is Abdul El-Sayed, who is running for U.S. Senate in Michigan and faces the more moderate U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens in the Aug 4. primary.

“I think in a lot of ways, where traditional media has been gatekeepers, we’re watching that gatekeeping function fall away,” El-Sayed said.

Anti-establishment media has exploded lately

These changes have been on display this year in places like New York City, where a slate of progressive congressional candidates endorsed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani defeated establishment-backed candidates.

Sara Hyler, a policy analyst in East Harlem, originally planned to support incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat in last month's Democratic primary. But then Hyler started learning about progressive outsider Darializa Avila Chevalier through YouTube videos and podcasts, including from the liberal media company MeidasTouch.

“My actual beliefs are to the left of Democrats. I don't want a moderate,” said Hyler, who ultimately voted for Avila Chevalier in hopes she could help nudge Congress toward progressive policies.

The rise of independent media has been part of a digital transformation that transcends politics, as chronically online Americans are turning toward news from social media and content creators. But it's not just the popularity of smartphones driving that change.

“There’s a complete lack of trust in any and all institutions now,” said Mike Nellis, a Democratic consultant who hosts a podcast, writes a Substack and posts political analysis on social media. “That has led people to turn to individuals, and so now you’re picking your flavor of person to listen to.”

Among conservatives, faith in mainstream media and in the more moderate wing of the Republican Party faltered years ago, with the rise of the Tea Party movement paving the way for an alternative right-wing media ecosystem, including sites like the Daily Caller, Breitbart and The Blaze. Trump also tapped into a loose constellation of podcasts, including "The Joe Rogan Experience," for his successful comeback campaign.

Reece Peck, a media culture professor at the College of Staten Island, said the left-wing version of that has happened slowly, beginning with the momentum of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ first presidential run in 2016. At the time, left-wing, anti-establishment YouTube accounts and podcasts like “The Young Turks” and “Chapo Trap House” were gaining attention but didn't reach the majority of Democratic voters.

Now Democrats have realized their faith in institutions didn't prevent Trump's return.

“The ground has been made fertile for an anti-establishment media politics, where it just wasn’t quite there with the voter base in those previous cycles,” Peck said. Even older, moderate liberals, he said, have started to ″throw their hands in the air and look for alternatives.”

YouTube accounts like ”Secular Talk" and “Breaking Points,” streamers like Hasan Piker and new digital journalism organizations like More Perfect Union and The Lever are among those that have seen their audiences multiply.

Grim said Drop Site has amassed 800,000 free and 60,000 paid subscribers since launching two years ago — more than he'd anticipated.

Saul Levin, a Michigan progressive organizer who recently started his own podcast about artificial intelligence data centers, said Trump’s attacks on the existing media landscape are part of the reason for that growth.

“The investigations and raids on numerous different journalists, the appointment of specifically aligned billionaires to lead various major news agencies, is very troubling,” he said. “Creators and new media outlets are stepping in and trying to fill gaps.”

Alternative media is prominent in the Michigan primary

The Michigan primary will be the latest test of the evolving media ecosystem, which El-Sayed, a longtime podcaster himself, has tried to harness. Various progressive outlets, creators and organizers have aggressively promoted his campaign.

El-Sayed said the rise of independent media has let voters compare news across different channels and notice biases, but he doesn't turn down opportunities on legacy media, either.

“I go on Fox News, I go on podcasts, I Twitch stream, we have a YouTube channel,” he said.

Stevens, who received endorsements from outgoing incumbent Sen. Gary Peters, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, has a more traditional approach. She's also backed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, and its affiliated groups, which have spent close to $30 million on the race.

Stevens' campaign declined to comment for this story.

Reporting from progressive outlets has influenced how the race has unfolded. For example, Stevens parted ways with a campaign consultant when Drop Site revealed that she had also worked for tech company Palantir, which is controversial in liberal circles because of its government contracts involving immigration enforcement.

Democratic officials said Trump's return to the White House has also revived interest in the party's official channels. The Democratic National Committee's relatively new digital media offering, a rapid-response clipping and messaging account with the handle @FactPostNews, has amassed more than 2 billion impressions on Threads, X, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky in 2026 alone.

“I remember thinking to myself, there’s a chance that this flops and doesn’t get any traction,” said DNC Deputy Chief Mobilization Officer Paulina Mangubat. “It's been really, really successful.”

At times, the mix of new voices on the left has erupted in public tensions.

Grim recently faced criticism for boosting failed Democratic candidate Graham Platner in Maine, and he was accused of trying to undermine the credibility of the sexual assault allegation that torpedoed Platner's campaign. Grim said while he recognized people were angry, his reporting on the allegation was meant to share additional context.

“If we’re going to litigate allegations in the court of public opinion, we can’t pick and choose what details we want to share with the public out of a fear of how they’ll be received,” he said.

More recently, when Drop Site interviewed progressive U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna of California, one of its journalists pressed Khanna on whether Hamas was justified to attack Israeli soldiers on Oct. 7, 2023. Khanna refused to agree.

But Grim said those are the kinds of tough questions independent media are there to ask — and that American voters increasingly want to see their representatives in Congress answer.

“People want to see you being accountable to questions, and if they don't agree with you, sometimes that's fine,” he said. “I think the smarter politicians are starting to recognize that.”

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Associated Press writer Joey Cappelletti in Grand Rapids, Mich., contributed to this report.

At this hospital though, it's not your vitals that will be examined, but your feelings.

The “Hospital of Emotions” is an immersive art experience that explores different facets of being human inside the long-shuttered St. Vincent Medical Center near downtown Los Angeles.

The former hospital was founded in 1856 by the Daughters of Charity religious order to treat poor people before it went bankrupt in 2020 and was bought by private investors. The site will be redeveloped into a homeless shelter and mental health and drug treatment facility, with the first phase opening later this year.

But until the end of September, the hospital rooms are filled with 80 installations by 70 artists. Each artist received around $14,000 to transform four floors of clinical space into explorations of feelings around everything from medical and family trauma to grief over climate change and immigration detention centers.

Sterile hospital spaces are turned into colorful art installations

The project was created in the spirit of Meow Wolf and other for-profit amusement centers that approach art as entertainment.

As in Pixar's “Inside Out,” color-coded creatures sprinkled throughout the show personify a range of emotions from joy and hope to anger and sadness. A fuzzy orange monster winks from behind a nurse’s station, while dueling green giants symbolizing jealousy face off in an otherwise normal exam room, their faces decorated with absurd, clownlike expressions.

IV bags are full of rainbow-colored liquids, overhead exam lights are festooned with a canopy of artificial flowers, and crutches are draped with campy, cartoonish wigs.

Enter the “Resilience Department” and you’ll find a prismatic, glass butterfly that refracts light, accompanied by an unsettling interactive audio piece about an artist’s experience having an epileptic seizure. The sound of grunts and labored breathing in headphones contrasts with screams, recorded and replayed in the room to create a surreal, out-of-body effect.

In the neighboring room, a thousand sunny-side up eggs are splayed all over the bed, walls and floor, which the artist, Melan Allen, said represent the eggs she was forced to eat during her childhood despite hating them. The room especially resonated with Sharon Maxwell, who drove from San Diego to see the show.

“I have lots of egg stories,” she said. “I’m in recovery from an eating disorder, so I’ve been in treatment, I’ve been in hospitals. It’s all very sterile.”

While going to the hospital can be an isolating experience, Maxwell said visiting an art show in one made her feel a renewed sense of connection. There aren't nurses, surgeons or patients here, and everyone is on equal footing as viewers.

“Being the person in the bed, being treated for mental health stuff, you’re kind of like a spectacle,” she said.

A sensitive look at anxiety, fear and trauma

In the “Fear Department,” a virtual character based off a real person gives a vulnerable speech about post-traumatic stress from serving in a combat zone and then reads a suicide note that combines multiple veterans' experiences using AI. The installation is titled “The Ward That Never Closed.”

Down the hall, another room is covered floor to ceiling in black-and-white portraits drawn with frenetic lines by an artist who spent 15 months at a U.S. immigration detention center.

“I left Russia in 2022 because of my political views and because I am gay. What I thought would be a search for safety became a prolonged encounter with fear,” Grisha Stepanian said.

His installation examines “how fear settles into the body, how it stays, even when there is no immediate danger. How safety, when it appears, feels temporary, almost unreal.”

The most successful rooms play with the visual language of a medical space without prescribing what to feel.

In another room in the “Fear Department,” artist Dongpu Ling created an eerie installation of transparent figurines — molded from packing tape — to bring a vision of her grandfather's to life. He died years ago in Shanghai, where he described seeing ghosts around his hospital bed just before dying.

Torqued into myriad positions, the blank-faced figures occupy gurneys and disappear into institutional-gray ceiling vents. The work was also informed by Ling's experience as a child spending 10 days in the hospital with a fever.

“I almost died. I couldn't eat,” she said. “I threw up blood three times a night.”

The process of creating the installation was intense, Ling said. When she tried to go to her studio room and accidentally went to the basement, where bodies are typically stored before going to funeral homes, she said she found something chilling: “It was freezing cold and dead silent.”

Recognizing a paradox of emotions

Ondrea Boggs, an ultrasound tech, said the installations reminded her of people’s tenacity and resilience even in the face of death — something she witnessed working in an intensive care unit and emergency room.

“I’m confronted with people struggling every day and getting through and being strong,” she said.

Boggs is moved when she sees a patient or their family able to stay hopeful during a difficult time.

“It’s encouraging for me to remember that that’s possible,” she said. “Even amongst moments of sadness you can still experience joy, it’s not like an isolated experience where you have to get through the sadness to experience joy, right? Both can be shared at the same time and both can be honored.”

For other visitors, the installations also reflected that paradox of emotions.

“There’s solace in someone else seeing our emotion — whether it’s joy and celebration or sorrow and pain. There’s something about the human experience where we need to be seen,” Maxwell said. “This art exhibit really shows that in a profound way. I think it put humanity on display in a really powerful way.”

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Tickets cost $58, open through Sept. 30, 2026.

Meeting in Washington Tuesday and Wednesday, the Fed is expected to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged. Members of the central bank’s rate-setting committee may not be so reluctant to act when they gather again next Sept. 15-16.

Inflation has been stuck above the Fed's 2% target for more than five years. New Fed Chair Kevin Warsh told Congress earlier this month that he had “no tolerance’’ for elevated inflation. Warsh is presiding over his second policy meeting this week.

Fed watchers Joseph Egelhof and Guneet Dhingra at BNP Paribas Securities say it’s possible Warsh’s central bank will “release the kraken’’ with a “shock rate hike’’ this week. More likely, they write, policymakers will hold off, reluctant to risk disrupting financial markets that aren’t expecting a rate increase yet.

Policymakers may also want to see more economic data: On Thursday, the Commerce Department delivers the first look at April-June economic growth and it will also publish the Fed’s preferred inflation measure – the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index – for June.

Overall, only 29% of Wall Street traders predict that the Fed will raise rates this week. But 76% foresee a rate hike in September. A month ago, only 59% of traders expected a September rate increase, according to the CME FedWatch tool.

“Policymakers’ patience with high and persistent inflation is broadly exhausted, meaning there is a significant risk’’ of a rate hike in September, Egelhof and Dhingra wrote.

Casting uncertainty over the Fed’s decision-making is the rising violence in Iran. The price of oil briefly blasted past $100 a barrel last week on intensifying fighting. It’s since settled down on hopes the United States and Iran can find some way to reduce tensions.

Yet early Wednesday, Jordan intercepted missiles launched from Iran early just hours after the U.S. military said it knocked down another Iranian barrage launched against American forces in the Middle East, ending a brief pause in fighting.

After the U.S. and Israel attacks on Feb. 28, Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz – through which a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas pass. That caused the greatest disruption in oil supplies in history and sent energy prices surging. They’ve since bobbed up and down depending on the ever-changing state of the conflict and negotiations to de-escalate it, but the average cost for a barrel is $10 to $15 more today than it was at this point last year.

Now Iranian-backed Houthi rebels from Yemen are attacking shipping in the Red Sea, attempting to stop tankers carrying Saudi Arabian oil from passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The uncertainty puts the Fed’s inflation fighters in a bind.

“Sure, it is possible that the latest rise in prices is a transient blip that will reverse in a heartbeat. Then again, it seems equally that the war with Iran will get worse, that the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab will remain blockaded for months or longer, and that energy prices will continue to trend up,’’ wrote Carl Weinberg, chief economist at High Frequency Economics.

“Should the (Fed) set monetary conditions on a hope that oil prices will reverse course and stay low ... or should a central bank eschew wishful thinking and do its job of minimizing the probabilities that inflation will exceed target?’’

Inflation has exceeded the Fed’s 2% target since early 2021 when the U.S. economy overheated as it roared back from COVID-19 lockdowns. Inflation peaked at just over 9% in mid-2022 and began to drop in the face of 11 rate hikes by the Fed in 2022 and 2023. But progress has more or less stalled.

Besides the Iran war, other factors adding to inflation pressure are President Donald Trump’s tariffs on foreign goods and a surge of investment in data centers to power artificial intelligence, which is driving up the cost of computer chips and equipment and electricity.

So-called core inflation – which excludes volatile food and energy prices – cooled in June, partly because apartment rents aren’t rising as fast as they had been. And a temporary drop in gasoline prices last month also helped contain overall inflation.

But several Fed policymakers have been arguing that the Fed will have to raise rates to return inflation to the 2% target.

“Sternly staring at inflation until it melts before our withering gaze is not an option,’’ Christopher Waller, an influential member of the Fed’s governing board, said in a speech this month.

Infantino set out the “singular and unique funding opportunity” in a letter detailing why he wants to create a $20 billion FIFA subsidiary — 20% owned by private investors — that would run the soccer body’s competitions and events like World Cups and Club World Cups.

“It is my duty and responsibility as FIFA president to present such game-changing opportunities to you, our members,” Infantino wrote in the letter seen by The Associated Press.

The proposal revealed Tuesday and backed by Joshua Kushner's investment firm Thrive Capital was met with immediate fury by Infantino’s former colleagues at European soccer body UEFA, which said the World Cup “is not FIFA’s to sell.”

UEFA is expected to call its 55 member federations to an emergency online meeting, likely on Thursday.

Joshua Kushner’s brother Jared Kushner is a son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump.

FIFA’s private equity plan is the latest ambitious project proposed during Infantino’s 11-year presidency in which he has increasingly seemed to be an executive leader acting without consulting with soccer’s major stakeholders. Previous plans include creating a FIFA Peace Prize and trying to reorganize soccer's calendar with World Cups every two years instead of four.

Concerns about the previously secret plan were aired Wednesday by the continental soccer bodies for Asia and the North American region known as CONCACAF.

“We are deeply concerned by the lack of due process,” CONCACAF said in a statement.

The Kuala Lumpur-based Asian Football Confederation said it was “disappointed that a matter of such significance entered the public domain before the AFC family had been afforded the opportunity to examine and discuss it.”

Continental bodies that organize their own international club and national-team competitions — such as the Champions League, European Championship and Copa America — likely will see threats to those events from FIFA wanting to increase revenue and value for investors by playing World Cups and Club World Cups for men and women more often.

If the FIFA Forward Enterprise subsidiary is approved by a majority of the 211 members, they also each are promised $20 million in funding from the four-year commercial cycle tied to the men’s 2030 World Cup.

That would lead, Infantinto wrote, to “a pool of diverse international investors” joining Joshua Kushner's Thrive as the anchor investor: “This process will be led by J.P. Morgan.”

If Infantino’s plan is rejected, those members will get their previously promised $10 million over the next four years, his letter stated.

Resistance in Britain

FIFA’s plan met quick opposition from British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, whose government is preparing to support hosting the 2035 Women’s World Cup in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. FIFA is set to confirm that lone bid for 2035 at an online meeting in November.

“Football does not belong to investors,” Burnham, a longtime soccer fan, said in a video message on Instagram. “Once you have sold a piece of (the World Cup), you have sold out. Football belongs to the fans. It always has, and it always will.”

Resistance by British lawmakers — including threats of legislation by then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2021 — previously helped stop the divisive European Super League project that was an existential threat to UEFA's Champions League, and which Infantino had discreetly supported.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and AP World Cup coverage

The comedy troupe Broken Lizard, a group of college buddies who began performing together at Colgate University, broke through with 2001's “Super Troopers.” Made for less than $3 million, the movie cast Jay Chandrasekhar (who directed), Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter and Erik Stolhanske as a group of juvenile Vermont state troopers. A then-Emmy-less Brian Cox played their cantankerous chief.

The movie became an unlikely cult hit, making many times over what it made in theaters ($23 million) on VHS and DVD. Roger Ebert begrudgingly called it “the kind of movie that makes you want to like it.”

Not all movies look like they were fun to make, but “Super Troopers” did. For Broken Lizard, the difference between the movie and the blooper reel is almost nonexistent. It's like they're living out the dream of every group of funny college pals.

“We talk about that being almost like the special sauce in the movies. You can’t fake 30 years of friendship. Even the best actors can’t do it,” Soter says before his fellow members make him question that declaration.

“OK, maybe Al Pacino could fake it.”

Broken Lizard has kept at it, making half a dozen other movies. In the intervening years, big-screen comedy has grown all but dead, so it hasn't always been easy. They resorted to crowdfunding to help finance 2018's “Super Troopers 2.”

But with “Super Troopers 3,” which Searchlight Pictures will release Aug. 7, they're back again in aviator sunglasses, broad-brimmed hats and, of course, mustaches. Alongside big-budget blockbusters like “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” and “The Odyssey,” “Super Troopers 3” will try to hold onto its narrow stretch of highway.

“It’s kind of a show-business miracle to be able to make eight or nine movies with your friends from college,” says Chandrasekhar. “We certainly never thought it could get this far.”

A comedy franchise built on speeding tickets

“Super Troopers” wasn't the first movie Broken Lizard made. In 1996, they released “Puddle Cruiser,” a comedy shot entirely on Colgate's campus. It didn't get distribution, so their only real hope for “Super Troopers” was that it play somewhere, anywhere. Around then, the quintet was performing in New York and touring college campuses. Road trips inspired the movie.

“We were getting pulled over a lot. You talk a lot of smack when you see the cops,” Lemme says. “But the second they pull up to the car, you’re immediately in butt-kissing mode. We always wondered what the cops were thinking, if they knew how much power they had over us and how much they could screw with us.”

One of the movie's most famous scenes featured two patrolmen (Lemme and Soter) pulling over a then-little-known Jim Gaffigan. During the course of giving him a ticket, they play a game where one has to say “meow” 10 times in place of “now.” Over the years, they've heard countless stories of everyone from police officers to pilots doing the same.

“My friend is a pilot for United Airlines and he said the aviation radio communication system is just drowning in meows,” Chandrasekhar says.

“Super Troopers,” the group has come to realize, has filtered into culture as much through traffic stops as streaming services. Sometimes, it's been to their benefit.

“I once got pulled over doing 120 miles per hour. The cop looked in the window. He said, ‘Mister, do you have any idea how fast you … Super Troopers?!’” recalls Lemme, laughing. “At the end, he brought over his ticket book and asked me for a photo and an autograph. His hands were trembling. I signed the ticket book, and made sure I didn’t sign on the dotted line. We took selfies by the side of the road.”

Maple syrup and mustaches

The guys of Broken Lizard are all now in their late 50s, but little of their dynamic has changed. In character, they playfully rag on each other — especially Heffernan's loud-mouthed Rodney Farva — but with an affection immediately recognizable to a certain kind of acerbic friend group.

That was true, too, over a recent interview by Zoom. Broken Lizard was in the middle of a cross-country promotional tour. (One stop included interrupting a Limp Bizkit concert, to register a noise complaint.)

“We have families and our own lives and stuff, and when we come together it’s like summer camp,” Heffernan says.

Twenty-five years of “Super Troopers” has meant a lot of months in mustaches. They usually shave them right away but have to grow them back for marketing the release. “The studio,” says Heffernan, “thinks the mustaches are the stars of the movie.”

Living with “Super Troopers” has other, stranger legacies. The first film memorably included a maple syrup chugging race. That, they all agree, they're too old for now.

“We’ve only done it once since,” says Chandrasekhar, shaking his head. “It’s not a good idea. It’s not a healthy choice.”

“We’ll go and do things like interviews or talk shows,” Lemme adds. “You walk in the room and every now and then you see a few bottles of maple syrup and your heart starts to sink.”

Turning a cult hit into a trilogy

In “Super Troopers 3,” times have also changed. The station gets their first electric police car, a development that figures surprisingly centrally to the plot. Capt. John O’Hagen (Cox) is struggling with retirement. Cox is returning to “Super Troopers” — one of his most randomly delightful screen credits — after his acclaimed run on HBO's “Succession.”

“He brings gravitas, and what’s great about that is it makes us more absurd and silly because we’ve got a real actor in the room,” says Soter. “We feel like idiots because we can barely hit our marks, and he’s super professional. It makes us end up being like goofy kids.”

But the main storyline is, for Chandrasekhar's Arcot “Thorny” Ramathorn, a diabolical development: His sister, Sarita (Hannah Simone), falls in love with Farva. As the two begin to plan a wedding, Thorny does whatever he can to sabotage the relationship.

“There’s love all over this movie,” says Lemme. “This is the most loving movie we’ve ever made.”

But it remains endlessly surprising to the Broken Lizard gang that “Super Troopers” has had the kind of life it has.

“George Lucas didn’t conceive of making a trilogy when he made ‘Star Wars,’ but it did very well, as did ‘Super Troopers,’” Lemme says. “So here we are making a trilogy.”

“We’re trying to bring back good old-fashioned R-rated American theatrical comedy. That’s sort of the mission here,” Chandrasekhar says.

Broken Lizard has sometimes mocked Hollywood's sequel baiting. At the end of 2006's “Beerfest,” they teased a fake follow-up, “Potfest,” that fans have continually asked about. Similarly, “Super Troopers 3" ends with a tag for a fourth movie.

“We're kind of kidding, but maybe we're not?” Lemme says.

“‘NYPD Blue’ made 250 episodes of their show, so we can do at least four or five of these little cop shows,” says Chandrasekhar, smiling.

“Yeah, and the ‘One Piece’ manga, they’ve done a thousand episodes,” Lemme says. “We’re going to do a thousand ‘Super Troopers’ movies.”

The U.S. also said it worked with Saudi Arabia to fire on Iran-backed militias in Iraq that have targeted the kingdom in recent days. The militias said at least 20 of their fighters had been killed.

The fighting came after days in which mediators said some progress had been made in negotiations to end the war, which began Feb. 28 with American and Israeli attacks on Iran.

Though the two sides signed an interim deal in June, intense bombing resumed this month over disagreements on how to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway crucial for the world’s energy supplies that Iran effectively shut during the war.

The attacks again highlight how difficult it has been for U.S. President Donald Trump to end the war, which has caused the price of fuel and other basics to skyrocket far beyond the region and is deeply unpopular at home. In recent weeks, four U.S. troops died during the fighting, while the Pentagon asked an increasingly skeptical Congress for money to cover the conflict’s ballooning costs.

The renewed hostilities sent oil prices spiking. Brent crude, the international standard, jumped 3.1% to $84.58 a barrel.

Jordan intercepts missiles and US strikes militias in Iraq

The Jordanian military said five missiles had been “intercepted and destroyed.” Iran's state-run IRNA news agency carried a statement from the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard saying the Guard’s Aerospace Force fired ballistic missiles at the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base and the headquarters of the U.S. military’s Central Command in Jordan.

Hours earlier, the U.S. Central Command said its forces “remain vigilant and at a high state of readiness.”

In announcing the strikes against militias in Iraq, the U.S. warned that further attacks on American troops or Saudi Arabia ’s energy infrastructure risked additional action.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi called an emergency meeting of the country’s National Security Council Wednesday to discuss the strikes.

Two Iraqi government officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly said a visit to Saudi by al-Zaidi that had been scheduled for Thursday had been postponed, without another date being set.

Saudi Arabia says it shot down drones

Saudi Arabia said Tuesday that it shot down drones fired by Iran-backed militias in Iraq for a second day, while Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed to have forced a Saudi oil tanker to turn around as part of their announced blockade of the kingdom.

On Monday, the Houthis said they had launched drones targeting oil facilities used to transport oil from Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Region to the Red Sea port city of Yanbu, a key bypass for Saudi exports blocked by Iran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz. The rebels said their attack was in response to a Saudi drone that they said breached Yemen’s airspace.

Planet Labs satellite imagery from Monday analyzed by The Associated Press showed damage to Saudi Aramco’s Abqaiq oil processing facility in the kingdom’s east. The facility, the world’s largest crude stabilization plant, is a cornerstone of Aramco’s operations, with the capacity of processing approximately 7 million barrels of crude oil per day.

Attacks on Abqaiq claimed by Houthi rebels in September 2019 disrupted production of 5.7 million barrels per day, spiking global oil prices and providing an initial demonstration of the vulnerability of Saudi oil facilities to missile and drone attacks.

Separately, a regional official said an Aramco oil company refinery in Jazan, on Saudi's Red Sea coast, has temporarily shut down due to damage sustained from a Houthi attack on Saturday. The official described the damage as “relatively significant,” saying it would take several days to be repaired. The refinery produces 400,000 barrels per day.

The Texas-based IIR Energy consultancy agency said the Jazan oil processing facility shut down on Monday after initially operating at reduced rates since the attack two days earlier. Repairs and a tentative restart of the refinery were expected for Aug. 15, IIR Energy said.

Iran rejects Oman proposal for managing Strait of Hormuz

The Strait of Hormuz has been a major flashpoint in the conflict. Iran's deputy foreign minister said his country rejected a proposal by Oman, which lies on the other side of the strait, for jointly managing ship traffic through the critical waterway.

In an interview with Iran’s state-run television that aired Tuesday night, Kazem Gharibabadi said the Omani proposal included dividing the strait into two routes, each allowing the transit of 50% of shipping passing through the waterway.

The proposal failed to address Tehran’s concerns and Iran offered a counterproposal with a temporary plan for transit of vessels through Iran’s territorial waters, he said, adding that Iran’s policy is for the strait “never to return to its prewar situation.” Before the conflict, ships transited freely through the waterway.

Saudi Arabia and US strike Iran-backed militias in Iraq

“U.S. and Saudi fighter aircraft struck multiple terrorist logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq in a strong response to over 30 IRGC-directed aerial drone attacks in the last 72 hours,” U.S. Central Command said, using an acronym for Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

The Saudi Defense Ministry acknowledged the strikes in a post on social media, warning that the country “does not seek escalation but will respond to any aggression it faces.”

The Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of primarily Shiite, Iran-backed armed groups that is officially under the command of the Iraqi military, said at least 20 fighters were killed and 32 others wounded in the overnight strikes.

The groups making up the PMF joined in the fight against the Islamic State group after it seized large sections of Iraq in 2014. In 2016, the Iraqi government designated PMF as an “independent military formation” within the Iraqi armed forces, but in practice the member militias operate with significant autonomy. Some have launched attacks on U.S. facilities.

The Iraqi military said the country is committed to “preventing Iraqi territory from being used as a route or launching point for any attack targeting brotherly or friendly countries.”

The Iraqi militias have denied any role in the drone attacks. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed armed groups, called the Saudi claims “fabrications” and implied that Monday’s attacks were carried out by the Houthis, who had themselves claimed to have attacked Saudi oil facilities.

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Becatoros reported from Athens, Greece. Associated Press writers Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad, Iraq, Abby Sewell in Beirut and Konstantin Toropin in Washington contributed to this report.

Authorities in the Gironde region said the blaze had not spread overnight, but rising heat and afternoon winds could revive smoldering hot spots, carry embers across firebreaks and open new fronts beyond crews’ reach.

At the command center in Lège, firefighters bent over maps spread across a car hood, tracking three danger zones: northern Cap-Ferret; the wooded corridor around Marcheprime, Cestas and Saint-Jean-d’Illac; and a military site near Martignas, where a major outbreak forced a large deployment.

More than 2,200 firefighters and over 20 aircraft remained mobilized, backed by crews from across France and European partners.

“We strike quickly and strike hard at any new smoke emissions,” Gironde fire commander Matthieu Jomain said.

The advance of major fires in the Landes and Var regions have been halted. That left Gironde as France’s biggest remaining wildfire battle, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said.

The Gironde fire forced 220,000 people to flee at the peak of the crisis. Tens of thousands have since been allowed home, but authorities warned that the danger had not passed.

Extreme heat strips moisture from vegetation and drives down humidity, turning grasses, brush and forest litter into faster-burning fuel. Wind can carry embers over firebreaks and ignite new fronts beyond crews’ reach.

Météo-France said Wednesday would be the hottest and driest day of the week, with elevated wildfire danger across every region of France. Drought now covers mainland France and Corsica, with soils nearing the record dryness reached in August 2022.

Smoke from the Gironde and Landes fires also pushed particulate pollution higher across both departments, regional air-quality monitors said.

Gironde authorities ordered 4,000 more people out of tourist sites along the Atlantic coast on Tuesday, widening what may be France’s largest peacetime evacuation.

“The situation remains complicated. That’s clear. We’re not out of the woods,” said Gironde prefect Sophie Brocas, who also authorized 60,000 evacuees to return to three Bordeaux suburbs untouched by fire.

The opposing movements — thousands ordered out of coastal resorts as others returned with mobile phones on and emergency bags packed — captured how precarious the situation remains.

The disruption was spreading beyond the burn zone into Bordeaux’s peak tourism season.

Edouard le Grix de la Salle, who runs Château du Grand Verdus with his brother, said official appeals to avoid the region threatened its wine-tourism trade. “How did they not think about protecting that sector?” he told The Associated Press.

At the height of the crisis, roughly 330,000 people were driven from homes and vacation sites across France and Spain.

Tens of thousands of people began returning home in central Spain after firefighters made progress around Madrid and Ávila. Evacuation orders were lifted for about 20,000 people in the Madrid region, while stay-at-home restrictions ended for another 14,000.

But 10,000 people remain under evacuation orders in Castellón, where a fire was still out of control as Spain braced for its fourth heat wave of the summer.

At one point the Gironde blaze created a black thundercloud, electrified and lit from within, that generated lightning, violent winds and new fires beyond the original front. The pyrocumulonimbus was the first recorded in France.

More than 1,160 square kilometers (448 square miles) have burned across France this year, according to the Interior Ministry.

Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, warming at more than twice the global average, according to the European Union’s Copernicus climate service. Western Europe recorded its hottest June on record, with extreme heat and widespread dryness contributing to the spread and intensification of fires in France and Spain, Copernicus said.

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Adamson reported from Paris. Suman Naishadham in Madrid and John Leicester and Masha Macpherson in Paris contributed

The charges against Durov, who was born and began his career in Russia but later moved abroad, came as Russian authorities restrict Telegram, one of the most popular messaging apps in the country. It is part of a long-term effort to bring the internet under the Kremlin’s control that has intensified since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The Federal Security Service, also known as the FSB, accused Telegram’s administration in a statement of failing to remove “numerous channels, chats and bots” allegedly used by "Ukrainian intelligence agencies, terrorist and extremist organizations to prepare and coordinate acts of sabotage and terrorism, mass murder, and cyberfraud" in Russia, which resulted in “numerous human casualties.”

The agency accused Ukrainian security services of using a popular dating chatbot on Telegram to lure and recruit Russians for “sabotage and terrorist activities,” and said 46 users of the chatbot, from 12 to 22 years old, have been detained across Russia since July 2025 for assaulting law enforcement officers, arson and other acts.

Durov earlier this year announced that Russian authorities opened a criminal investigation against him and accused them of fabricating pretexts to restrict access to Telegram as part of an attempt to “suppress the right to privacy and free speech.”

If convicted, the entrepreneur could face up to life in prison in Russia.

Telegram did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Its official website says that the company is based in Dubai and that Durov, who holds dual citizenship of France and the United Arab Emirates, lives there, too.

Russia restricted Telegram as part of unrelenting internet censorship

Under President Vladimir Putin, Russian authorities have engaged in multipronged efforts to rein in the internet. They have adopted restrictive laws and banned websites and platforms that don’t comply and focused on improving technology to monitor and manipulate online traffic.

Multiple popular social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram and X, have been banned in Russia; YouTube has been throttled; popular messaging apps, such as Signal and Viber, have been blocked, and the most popular ones — WhatsApp and Telegram — have been restricted.

Russia’s popular Facebook-like social media platform VK, founded by Durov long before he launched the Telegram messaging app, had come under the control of Kremlin-friendly companies. Russia tried to block Telegram between 2018-20 but failed.

While it’s still possible to circumvent some of the restrictions by using virtual private network services, many of them are routinely blocked, too.

At the same time, Russia actively promotes what it calls a “national” messaging app known as MAX, which critics say could be used for surveillance. The platform is touted by developers and officials as a one-stop shop for messaging, online government services, making payments and more. It openly declares it will share user data with authorities upon request, and experts also say it doesn’t use end-to-end encryption.

The move to restrict Telegram elicited widespread discontent in Russia, and this year activists in multiple Russian regions tried to organize protests against it, but authorities quashed nearly all their attempts.

Military bloggers have also lambasted the crackdown, arguing the app is an indispensable communications tool for Russian troops in Ukraine and for activists running crowdfunding campaigns to help Moscow’s forces.

The government initially promised not to restrict Telegram on the battlefield, but a different signal later came from the Kremlin.

At a meeting with Putin for International Women’s Day, a servicewoman called Telegram “an adversarial communications tool” and agreed with him when he said that “the use of communications systems that are not ours, not under our control, poses a danger to personnel” in battle.

Durov was arrested in France in 2024

Durov has faced criminal investigations elsewhere.

In 2024, he was arrested in Paris over allegations that his platform was being used for illicit activity, including drug trafficking and the distribution of child sexual abuse images.

French authorities handed him preliminary charges for allegedly allowing criminal activity on the platform. The Kremlin at the time criticized the French authorities for their move against Durov as “selective.”

In March 2025, the Telegram CEO said that he returned to Dubai after spending “several months” in France.

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This story has been corrected to show the potential penalty is life in prison, not 15 years.

President Donald Trump is seeking greater control over mail balloting through an executive order while a change to how the agency processes mail is leading to criticism that it's failing to deliver ballots on time.

Democratic officials have raised concerns over the past week about how quickly the Postal Service will process ballots after tens of thousands of them in California and hundreds in Wisconsin arrived at local election offices too late to be counted in elections earlier this year. The top election offices in Kansas and Michigan are urging voters who want to cast their ballots early to avoid the mail and instead drop them off in person.

The Postal Service replied to those concerns Tuesday by saying it remains “committed to fulfilling our role in the electoral process.”

“We provide a secure, efficient, and effective way for citizens to participate when policymakers decide to use mail as part of their elections,” it said in a statement.

Trump's order puts more focus on mail ballots

The Postal Service faced similar questions about mail delivery in 2024, but the scrutiny this year is heightened because of an executive order Trump issued in March that seeks to create a national voter list to guide the Postal Service in deciding who gets a mail ballot.

The order has sparked multiple lawsuits and federal court orders, leading to a case now before the U.S. Supreme Court in which the administration is asking the justices to allow it to impose its restrictions on mail balloting.

Trump has lied for years about voter fraud to try to explain away his loss to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020, and mail balloting is a favorite target, even though he has used the method himself. During a recent stop in Michigan, he falsely characterized mail balloting as “inherently corrupt” and added, “Hopefully there will be no mail-in ballots."

A 2025 report from the research group Brookings identified about four cases of fraud for every 10 million mail ballots cast.

Despite Trump's attacks, the method remains popular with voters of both major parties. In 2024, nearly 30% of U.S. voters cast their ballots by mail, according to federal data. In Michigan, where competitive U.S. House and Senate races could help determine the balance of power in Congress, the state said it has sent out more than 2 million absentee ballots for the state's Aug. 4 primary.

“We want to keep vote by mail. We want to protect it. We want to expand it,” said Jonathan Smith, president of the 200,000-member American Postal Workers Union, which launched a campaign in April promoting it and is opposed to turning the Postal Service into an election administrator. “Why? Because it works.”

Legal battles intensify over Trump's order

The Postal Service proposed a rule in June in line with Trump's executive order that would create a national list of eligible voters, based on databases kept by other federal agencies. Only those on the list would be eligible to receive mail ballots.

Democratic officials in nearly two dozen states filed a federal lawsuit in Massachusetts. A federal judge there blocked Trump's order last month, and an appeals court upheld that ruling, prompting Trump's appeal to the Supreme Court. But the appeals court for the District of Columbia refused Tuesday to block the order in a separate case, calling a legal challenge premature.

Democratic senators and governors have written to the Postal Service urging it to abandon efforts to implement Trump's order.

“Donald Trump has shown he’ll stop at nothing to meddle in our upcoming elections," Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin said in a statement to The Associated Press. "At best, this new push will exacerbate already severe delays for mail-in voters and at worst, it will stop eligible Americans from casting their ballots.”

Sophia Lin Lakin, ACLU Voting Rights Project director, said she doesn’t believe the Postal Service has begun implementing anything related to Trump’s executive order while the legal challenges are playing out. But Smith, of the postal workers union, told the AP on Tuesday that USPS information technology staffers who are union members are working on a planned portal for the list of eligible voters “behind the scenes.”

The Postal Service declined to respond to Smith's statements and said it could not comment about whether it's moving forward with work related to Trump's order because of the litigation.

The postal workers' union opposes the plan for a portal, a national list of eligible voters and using that list to determine who can receive a mail ballot. Smith said it shouldn't be postal workers' responsibility “to decide who can vote and who can’t vote.”

A plan to consolidate mail processing centers upsets officials

The Postal Service has been under financial stress for years and has been consolidating mail processing into fewer regional centers. Mail travels an average of 139 miles (224 kilometers) to reach one and sometimes 500 miles (805 kilometers), according to a recent Brookings report.

In January, a group of mostly Democratic senators said it was concerned about a decision to end twice-daily mail dispatches from local post offices to regional processing centers. The result is that mail arriving after the only daily dispatch would go out the next day.

California officials said the change was a factor in the state rejecting more than 148,000 ballots from its June primary, with 63% of them arriving too late despite a seven-day grace period. Officials worried that some ballots were postmarked at processing facilities the day after they were dropped off at a post office, possibly invalidating them. Wisconsin officials also said hundreds of ballots from an election in April arrived late.

The Postal Service said postmarks generally are being applied with automated equipment at processing centers, “in the same manner and to the same extent as before.” It said someone who wants to make sure their ballot envelope gets a timely postmark can get a free one applied by a postal worker.

A report on the 2024 election by the USPS Office of Inspector General said the Postal Service handled more than 59 million pieces of ballot mail from Sept. 1 to Nov. 15 that year and that 97.3% arrived on time.

Some state election officials advise voters to avoid the mail

The Michigan secretary of state’s office is advising voters to hand-deliver ballots to their local clerk’s office or a drop box.

“We’ve seen these issues over a number of election cycles now — they’re always concerning, and that’s why we’ve put out that guidance,” said Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie.

The Postal Service said its Michigan centers are not seeing processing delays.

In Kansas, concerns about late ballot deliveries in the state's 2024 primary election prompted a quip on the social platform X from Secretary of State Scott Schwab, a Republican: “The Pony Express is more efficient at this point.” Asked his view now, spokesperson Whitney Tempel said Schwab still believes “keeping your ballot out of the hands of the federal government is best.”

Jamie Shew, a Democrat elected to oversee elections in Douglas County, home to the main University of Kansas campus, said his office is trying to change voters' perceptions.

“I think voters are used to, you can drop it off on Friday and we’re going to receive it by Election Day," Shew said Tuesday. “That’s just not the reality.”

California's state budget includes $10 million for social media campaigns and other efforts to discourage last-minute ballot mailings.

And the Postal Service said it hasn't changed its own longstanding advice for voters: They should get their ballots in the mail at least a week before their state's deadline for receiving them.

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Associated Press writers Scott Bauer in Madison, Wis., Michael R. Blood in Los Angeles, Michael Casey in Boston, and Jacqueline GaNun in Lansing, Mich., contributed to this report.

Experts say these seemingly opposite trends are happening at the same time because of what humanity is doing to the planet.

“It does seem like a paradox because we’re talking increases in fires, yet the global numbers have been going down and down. But they’re both true,” said fire scientist Mike Flannigan of Thompson Rivers University in Canada.

Spain's wildfire is that country's largest on record at more than 193 square miles (500 square kilometers) while wildfires in Europe have burned just a bit under 2025's all-time high. In Canada and the United States this summer, land burned by wildfires is at least 25% higher than the 10-year average and more than double what it was decades ago, according to national wildfire centers. Entire chunks of the continent were choked by smoke, causing unhealthy air quality.

Fires are worsening in terms of size, intensity, speed and frequency, especially in the U.S., Canada and Europe, said University of Colorado fire scientist Jennifer Balch.

“Extreme wildfires are on the rise globally in different parts of the world. And that’s the piece that you know has us shaking in our boots,'' Balch said.

Fires decrease in Africa, Asia

And yet the world went into July this year with record low global emissions from burning fires, a key measure of their prevalence, the European climate center Copernicus reported. That is because fires in Africa and Asia are way down due to changing agricultural practices, fire management and where people are moving to, said Mark Parrington, a senior scientist at Copernicus. Copernicus calculated that this year's carbon emissions from burning are the lowest since satellites first measured nearly 25 years ago — about half what they were in the early 2000s.

“Africa dominates the global fire activity,” said UCLA water and fire scientist Park Williams. “So if there’s a trend in Africa, then that’s going to be the trend in the global fire activity. In sub-Saharan Africa, fire activity over the last 25 years has gone down pretty dramatically.”

On average, more than three-quarters of the global emissions from the burning of plant material comes from Africa and Asia, Copernicus statistics show. Less than one-eighth comes from North America and Europe.

Traditionally, huge grassland fires on the African savanna burned each year, compared to more intermittent forest fires in other regions, influencing worldwide fire totals, said John Abatzaglou, a fire scientist at the University of California Merced. But with more land being used for housing and farming, humans are limiting savanna fires, while also creating barriers to prevent fires from spreading, he said.

In Asia and the Amazon fires are often used to clear land for agriculture, experts said. So, Williams said, “it really is all driven by human demographic change.”

Human fingerprints on North American and European fire trends

In North America and Europe there are also “human fingerprints” on the more extreme fires dominating the news, but that is from climate change Abatzaglou said. Climate change from the burning of coal, oil and gas is making it hotter and drier — ideal fire weather — five different experts told The Associated Press.

Hotter temperatures mean humans “have our foot on the gas pedal” for bigger fires, “but we also have lost the brakes on fire” because warmer and wetter nights don't give forests — or firefighters — time to recover during darkness like they used to, Balch said.

When it gets hotter, the atmosphere sucks more moisture out of the ground, making it drier and easier to burn, Flannigan said. Climate change also increases the length of the burning season across North America and especially in northern forests where there used to be only a few days when the weather was conducive to wildfires, but now there are a lot more, he said.

And when climate change makes fire more extreme in places with larger populations, it tends to have a greater impact by burning more valuable property, Flannigan said.

Abatzaglou said that North America has long done a good job of fire suppression. But with climate change making fires more intense and frequent, “we're losing our ability to do that,” he said.

El Nino will add to fires

Fire activity is likely to get worse in the coming months because of the developing super strong El Nino. The weather pattern usually triggers more dangerous fires in the tropics, less so in the United States because of more rain, experts said. South American governments are already getting prepared.

“The most predictable outcome of El Nino is going to be more tropical fire, specifically tropical forests,” Williams said.

Williams said El Nino could increase fires in the Amazon region, Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific.

While El Nino means more rain and fewer forest fires in the U.S. West, it can also mean more grass growth in deserts that adds fuel for eventual grass fires, Abatzaglou said. Examples of devastating grass fires include Los Angeles in 2025 and Hawaii in 2023.

Regardless of El Nino, scientists said areas in North America and Europe will have to improve planning and adaptation for worsening wildfires, including prescribed burns to thin excess trees and grasses.

“It’s not a question of whether our landscapes are going to burn, it’s the question of when they’re going to burn,” Balch said.

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

These were not Syrian militants attempting to breach Israel's border, but religious Jews who had slipped into Syria and were on their way back.

The episode, first reported last week by Israel's public broadcaster and confirmed to The Associated Press by the Israeli military, has helped raise the profile of a fringe group of Israeli settlers that has staged numerous incursions into Syria, where they hope to establish Jewish settlements.

Israel's military has occupied the area in southern Syria for more than a year, but forays by civilian settler groups into the region have only recently became a regular occurrence.

The groups, with members numbering in the dozens, have attempted to cross from Israel to Syria every few days in recent weeks. The military is tasked with reining them in and, while most Israelis regard them as fringe, the wider settlement movement in Israel has strong backers in the country's far-right government.

The most prominent of the groups behind the incursions in Syria is known as “Pioneers of Bashan.”

Pioneers of Bashan are named after a biblical region

Formed early last year, the Pioneers of Bashan are a group of right-wing Israeli activists aiming to establish Jewish settlements inside Syria. They are named after the biblical region of Bashan, which includes part of modern-day Syria and neighboring Jordan.

They have their sights set on an area of southwestern Syria that includes the provinces of Quneitra, Daraa and Sweida.

Part of this area, including the summit of Mount Hermon, is a “buffer zone” Israel declared in December 2024, soon after the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in an insurgent offensive.

The region was known in Scripture for its fertile land and came to be associated with strength and divine providence. In the Bible, the Israelites under Moses conquered the Bashan from the mythical King Og and it was then handed to some of the Israelite tribes.

Members of the group claim a historical right to these lands and argue that their presence there will help Israel defend the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria during the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed — a move not recognized by most of the international community.

Some claim that Israeli settlement of the areas would protect members of the Druze religious minority after violence erupted last year between Druze groups and Sunni Bedouin tribes and Syrian government security forces. Hundreds of civilians — mostly Druze — were killed in sectarian revenge attacks.

Amos Azaria, a Pioneers of Bashan leader, said the group aims to establish a “humanitarian corridor” from Israel to the Druze enclave of Sweida by depopulating adjacent Sunni-majority areas.

“The entire Daraa district ... must be cleared of the enemies seeking our destruction and instead be filled with Jewish settlement,” said Azaria, a computer science professor at Ariel University in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Aim to establish a Jewish outpost inside Syria

The group seeks first to establish a Jewish outpost in southern Syria next to the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights. Outposts, which settlers often call “young settlements,” describe rustic footholds in territory they desire.

Settlers normally establish outposts in the hope that one day Israel's government will legalize them. That's how many Jewish settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank — which rights groups say are major drivers of settler violence and displacement of Palestinians — got their start.

So far their incursions into Syria have been brief. The military has removed the activists before they have been able to build anything.

Videos on the group's X account from July 5 show a group of religious teens seated on the ground with their arms linked together, as soldiers try to pry them apart.

A second video shows soldiers shoving several of the activists and zip tying their hands behind their backs.

A video posted by the group in April shows several dozen activists waving Israeli flags and chanting on the roof of a house said to be on the outskirts of the Syrian village of Hader, in Quneitra, as Israeli soldiers look on.

Israeli military says the group compromises its operations

Israel's military says it takes a firm hand with the border-crossers. It has repeatedly condemned the group for diverting troops' attention from military operations and compromising their security. It says it detains civilians caught crossing the border and hands them over to police, saying it “expects law enforcement authorities to bring those involved to justice.”

Israel’s Channel 12 reported last week that no indictments have been filed so far.

The border-crossers say they have cozy relationships with members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Several government ministers have expressed support for their cause, and the group’s social media platforms document meetings it has held with at least two cabinet ministers, Amihai Eliyahu and Shlomo Karhi.

“We have support from friends in the government and many members of the Knesset,” Azaria said.

Syria and Lebanon are more concerned about military occupation

Syrian officials have not commented publicly on the attempts by Israeli settler groups to enter Syria.

The Syrian government has condemned Israel’s occupation of southern Syria and frequently calls for Israeli forces to withdraw and for the international community to intervene. Israeli troops have carried out incursions and raids in areas of Syria outside the buffer zone, sometimes clashing with local residents, who have increasingly attempted to block roads to keep them out.

Since Oct. 7, 2023, a similar movement has stages occasional marches along the Gaza border calling to reestablish settlements in the Gaza Strip. Israel removed its 21 settlements as part of its 2005 withdrawal from Gaza.

The Lebanese government has also paid little attention to a fringe Israeli settler group — “Uri Tzafon,” or “Awaken, O North” — that has staged incursions into southern Lebanon. Like Syrian officials, the Lebanese government has focused on calling for withdrawal of the Israeli army from southern Lebanon.

Still, some have warned against entirely discounting the settler groups.

Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri wrote on X of the attempts by the Uri Tzafon group to enter the country, “It is true that they are a small and fringe group and they withdrew under orders from the Israeli army.”

But he pointed out that the movement to settle the West Bank began with an embattled band of right-wing religious activists, known as Gush Emunim, “which in its early days was a small group that faced some obstacles and difficulties.”

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Sewell reported from Beirut. Frankel reported from Jerusalem. AP videojournalist Alon Bernstein contributed to this report from the Golan Heights.

A Heat Advisory and Extreme Heat Watch are in place for today. Scattered showers with thunderstorms will develop ahead of a slow-moving cold front, arriving during the afternoon and lingering late Wednesday night. The heat indices will reach 104 - 112 degrees.

Strong to isolated severe storms will be possible in the afternoon and evening.

The main hazards will be damaging wind, possible flooding due to heavy rainfall and frequent lightning. The current tornado risk for Wednesday is less than 2% areawide.

The potential for strong or damaging wind is 5% to 15%.

The unsettled pattern continues Thursday through the weekend. The increasing cloud cover will help return our temperatures to near normal, maybe even a couple of degrees below normal. The rainfall deficit since January 1 is around 8 inches.

Today: Weather Alert Day starts at 12 p.m. Heat Advisory and an Extreme Heat Watch 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will develop ahead of an approaching cold front. Strong to severe storms will be possible. Lows in the upper 70s to low 80s. Afternoon highs in the mid to upper 90s. Feels Like temperatures 104 - 112 degrees.

Thursday: Not as hot with scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly across NE FL, 50-70 percent. Southeast Georgia will see partly cloudy skies with a 20 percent chance of showers. Lows in the 70s to low 80s. Highs in the 90s.

Looking ahead: Rain chances Friday and this weekend. The heat will return to near normal as the waves of showers and storms move through.

Tropics: It’s quiet across the Atlantic basin.

On Friday, the Florida Department of Health issued guidance for psychotropic pharmacotherapy in children 5 to 17, recommending against the use of drugs to treat mental health conditions like depression, anxiety or attention-deficit-related disorders in most cases.

Two months earlier, at a Make America Healthy Again summit in Washington, D.C., Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said the agency would address the overuse of psychiatric medications among children.

Florida’s guidance follows suit.

“As more families seek support for conditions such as anxiety, depression, and attention-deficit disorders, treatment should be guided by a thorough understanding of each child’s unique circumstances and needs,” State Surgeon General Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo said in Orange County on Friday. “Parents deserve access to clear information about the benefits, risks, and available alternatives so they can make informed decisions regarding their children’s health.”

It’s the latest instance of Florida channeling Kennedy’s MAHA agenda.

In the last year, First Lady Casey DeSantis and Ladapo have toured the state promoting the Healthy Florida First initiative, which tests for toxins and heavy metals in food.

A more controversial proposal was Ladapo’s call for the Legislature to repeal all vaccine mandates, and DeSantis’ push for pediatricians to accept all patients regardless of vaccination status. Lawmakers didn’t pass either plan in the legislative session earlier this year.

In the state’s new guidance statement, the DOH “cautions” health care providers in prescribing psychotropic medications for anxiety, depression, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and behavioral disorders.

Instead, the state recommends employing other strategies, including psychotherapy, evidence-based behavior management and deprescribing medications.

“Psychotropic medications can play an important role in treatment when they are clinically appropriate and medically necessary, but they should never be used as a substitute for individual therapy and other psychosocial care options,” said Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Shevaun Harris in a released statement.

In response to HHS in May, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) said the agency’s statement “broadly and imprecisely challenges established psychiatric diagnoses and evidence‑based treatments,” creating risk for children and families.

“AACAP urges policymakers to ensure that decisions affecting access to psychiatric medications and mental health services are grounded in evidence and informed by child and adolescent psychiatrists and other qualified clinicians,” said Dr. John Walkup, AACAP president.

The Florida chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the AACAP could not be reached for comment.

A spokesperson for DOH said the state’s guidelines do not contradict the AACAP’s recommendation and are intended to raise awareness.

“The Department’s guidance emphasizes the importance of comprehensive assessment before psychotropic medications are prescribed, including evaluating underlying risk factors and ensuring appropriate clinical oversight,” said Nathalia Medina, deputy director of communications.

Ukraine’s almost daily long-range drone and missile strikes using domestically developed weapons have battered Russian oil facilities and brought a fuel crisis that is embarrassing the Kremlin more than four years after Russia’s all-out invasion of its neighbor.

The overnight attack started a fire at the Ryazan refinery, which has a capacity of about 17 million tons of oil per year, producing gasoline, diesel fuel, aviation fuel and other petroleum products, according to Ukraine’s General Staff. The refinery is about 400 kilometers (180 miles) from Ukraine.

The attack came hours after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Washington on Tuesday for talks with President Donald Trump in another step in recruiting more vital U.S. help for Ukraine’s fight against its much bigger enemy.

Ryazan Gov. Pavel Malkov said six people were taken to hospital after a drone attack. He said drone debris caused fires at unidentified “industrial sites.”

“Russia must feel that every day of this war will only come at a higher cost for it. We need to weaken the aggressor and keep up the pressure to bring an end to this war closer,” Zelenskyy said in a post on social media.

Ukraine’s recent high-profile successes against Russia have impressed Washington and helped restore U.S. goodwill after Trump’s reluctance at the start of his second term to continue to support Kyiv. That stance had raised the specter of Ukraine and Europe having to stand up to Russian aggression alone.

Zelenskyy says he had a good meeting with Trump

Zelenskyy said he had a “good meeting” with the American president, and Trump described the meeting as a “Great Honor.” The talks took place behind closed doors.

“Many things were discussed. The meeting went very well!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Zelenskyy said he also had a meeting in Washington with representatives of both parties in the U.S. Senate, with more than 60 senators in attendance, as Ukraine pushes for more sanctions on Russia. He also met with representatives of Lockheed Martin, days after he welcomed a delegation from Raytheon to Kyiv.

The U.S. weapons manufacturers are a crucial source of sophisticated weaponry, such as Patriot air defense systems, that Ukraine hopes to make itself. Trump said earlier this month he would grant Ukraine licenses to manufacture the Patriots it needs to counter Russia’s ballistic missiles.

Zelenskyy says Ukraine is discussing joint production and technology exchange with both Lockheed Martin and Raytheon.

Ukraine is ready to share its cutting-edge — and battle-tested — drone technology. Its swift technical innovation has paid dividends as it helps pin down Russia’s bigger army on the front line and denies it supplies by hitting rear areas.

That has impressed countries around the world. Matthew Whitaker, the U.S. Ambassador to NATO, said during a visit to Ukraine earlier this week: “From reconnaissance and logistics to precision strikes, Ukraine has shown the world how unmanned systems can give smaller forces a decisive edge.”

Prospects for a settlement to stop the fighting appear dim, despite a yearlong diplomatic push by the Trump administration.

But U.S. officials also agreed that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the president’s main envoys, would make a trip to Kyiv sometime in the future, according to a person familiar with the talks who was granted anonymity to discuss the closed-door meeting.

Maj. Gen. Mykhailo Drapatyi, the new commander-in-chief of Ukraine's military, said in a social media post on Wednesday that he had held his first phone conversation with Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe and Commander of U.S. European Command.

“I outlined my vision of Ukraine’s victory and the capabilities required to achieve it,” said Drapatyi, who was appointed last week as part of a government reshuffle.

“At this stage of the war, we must strengthen operations across multiple domains, prevent enemy infiltration into our defensive lines, and expand both long-range and medium-range precision strikes against the enemy,” he added.

Ukraine says it hit a Russian naval base

Ukrainian forces also struck a naval base used Russia’s Black Sea, according to the General Staff.

It reported other strikes on a radar station in Russia’s Bryansk region on the border and on a drone launch site and a road bridge in the occupied part of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported Wednesday that its air defenses shot down 295 Ukrainian drones overnight above a number of Russian regions and occupied Crimea.

A 67-year-old person was killed in a Russian aerial attack on Ukraine's southern Kherson region, and Russian drones wounded three men in a residential neighborhood in Kherson city, the regional capital, according to Oleksandr Prokudin, the head of the Kherson regional military administration.

Russian glide bombs struck the northeastern city of Kharkiv and 17 other places in the region of the same name over the previous 24 hours, wounding 11 people, the head of the regional military administration, Oleh Syniehubov, said.

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Hatton reported from Lisbon, Portugal.

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

For fans, it’s one of the first chances to get up close with the team as it looks to build on last season’s AFC South title and 13-win campaign.

What to expect at camp

Fans attending Wednesday’s session can look forward to autograph signings, photo opportunities, and on-site concessions. Gates open at 7:45 a.m., with the event kicking off at 8:30 a.m.

RELATED | Training camp primer: All you need to know as season ramps up for Jaguars

Training camp runs July 29 through Aug. 26, featuring a total of 10 open practices — each with its own theme.

From Women’s Day to Military Appreciation Day, the Jaguars have built a schedule designed to engage a wide range of fans and give them the chance to see some of the team’s biggest stars in action.

A team on the rise

The Jaguars are riding a wave of momentum heading into the 2026 season.

Coming off a 13-win regular season, an AFC South title and a playoff appearance, expectations are high as the team looks to prove it can compete with the AFC’s elite — including the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens.

The energy and excitement surrounding this year’s camp reflect just how far the organization has come in recent years.

For many fans, Wednesday is more than just a practice — it’s a statement about where this franchise is headed.

Tickets and more information can be found at 2026 Training Camp | Jacksonville Jaguars Account Manager

The magnitude 7.1 earthquake that hit a day earlier in the Kumamoto area on the southern main island of Kyushu also left at least 62 people injured, six of them seriously, the prefectural government said. The tally has been steadily growing, fanning fears it may continue to rise.

The sweltering weather heightened worries about the survivors as rescuers braved the heat. It remained unclear how many people might still be missing.

Some of the most serious damage was at the Aeon Mall shopping center in Kashima city, which was bustling with thousands of people when the quake happened. The company said some 3,000 customers were evacuated to a parking lot before a gas explosion happened in another part of the mall, where some people were still working.

The mall’s second floor collapsed, trapping people. Witnesses said the explosion shook the area as much as the quake.

Three people remained missing, while four deaths were confirmed at the mall site, according to Aeon President Akio Yoshida.

“We take it seriously that an explosion happened and precious lives were lost,” Yoshida told a news conference in Kumamoto, where he bowed deeply along with two other executives.

Japanese media footage of the mall showed that part of the ceiling had caved in, and metal pieces and other debris were scattered about as helmeted and masked rescue workers searched the area.

Kiyoshi Matsunaga, 74, who lives in the mall's neighborhood and was at a supermarket just a few blocks away, said he thought he was going to die.

He stopped in his tracks when the shaking began while he was pushing his cart toward a cash register. Things scattered from the shelves. He could not move, he recalled.

“I was frightened," he said.

In nearby Yatsushino, a chimney collapse at a Nippon Paper Industries factory killed five people while seven others were rescued from the debris, according to the Kumamoto prefectural government disaster team.

Four people were still believed to be trapped there, it said.

In the first reported death of a foreign national, a Vietnamese technical intern was killed after a crane fell on him at a factory where he worked, according to the Vietnamese government. He had arrived in Japan in January. Seven other Vietnamese technical interns at the factory evacuated safely

Separately, a Vietnamese woman married to one of the workers was injured when a wall collapsed and was being treated at a hospital.

Nearly 34,900 homes were still without electricity and some 15,000 homes without running water, Kumamoto officials said. More than 8,800 people left their homes to stay in over 400 shelters, where power sources were being added to provide air conditioning.

Aerial police footage showed some homes in residential areas were completely flattened, including a few that crumbled into a nearby river.

Japan's Self Defense Forces joined rescue workers in the search and rescue operations. Hundreds of professionals were helping with the effort, including firefighters from Taiwan.

“There are people who are still waiting to be rescued, and it’s a race against time,” Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said. “We will go all out to find and rescue as many people as we can.”

Takaichi said the federal government was preparing to deliver food and other necessities to hard-hit areas. She also offered her condolences to the victims and sympathy to their relatives, while urging those affected by the quake to take care of themselves under the hot weather.

Bullet train services remained suspended. Although operations at Aso Kumamoto Airport resumed Wednesday, some airlines canceled flights as a precautionary measure.

Kumamoto was hit with a deadly quake in 2016 that killed at least 50 people. Japan is one of the most quake-prone nations in the world.

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Associated Press writers Yuri Kageyama in Tokyo and Aniruddha Ghosal in Hanoi, Vietnam contributed to this report.

This tool, known as an epigenetic clock, was developed for the zebra shark (Stegostoma tigrinum) and could soon be expanded to more species, aiding in conservation efforts while also offering new clues about how aging works across the animal kingdom.

“Sharks and rays are a really imperiled group,” said Samantha Bock, who conducted the study as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Georgia and is now an assistant professor at Oklahoma State University. “A critical piece of understanding how a wild population is doing is knowing its age distribution, but we don’t have a reliable way to determine that for most sharks.”

The International Union for Conservation of Nature has estimated that 37% of all shark species are threatened with extinction, and overfishing is among the greatest threats.

Overfished populations tend to have different age structures than sustainably managed ones.

So, monitoring the age distribution of wild shark populations can help wildlife managers assess whether pressure from fisheries in a given region is sustainable.

Unfortunately, the traditional aging methods used for sharks are unreliable.

Using the shark’s size as a proxy is a common tactic, but this only works up to a certain age.

Counting the rings on its vertebrae, just like counting the rings on a tree stump, is potentially more accurate, but this method is imprecise and doesn’t work for all species.

It is also lethal, so scientists are limited to measuring sharks that wash up on shore or are snagged as bycatch.

Instead, scientists are looking toward a noninvasive method: epigenetic clocks.

These models, which predict an animal’s age based on its DNA, have been used across over 185 species of mammals, as well as a few birds, a reptile and several bony fish.

“If you dial it back to a 30,000-foot view, we know that all vertebrate organisms age. And that aging seems to follow similar patterns in different organisms, which suggests that maybe these are actually shared processes that can be detected in the genome,” said Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research at the Florida Museum of Natural History.

Epigenetic clocks work by using chemical marks that show up on certain sections of an organism’s DNA.

Chemicals known as methyl groups (a carbon group bonded to three hydrogen atoms) attach to cytosine bases in the DNA strand.

If this happens in just the right way, it can flip some genes on and off, instructing the cells how to behave without changing the underlying DNA.

Organisms typically lose methyl tags across their genome as they age, but some specific regions gain these tags over time.

Sharks remain a missing and critical addition to the development of epigenetic clocks across the animal kingdom.

A previous study on lemon sharks provided evidence of methylation patterns, but in order to calibrate an epigenetic clock, scientists must be able to map the sites onto a reference genome, which the lemon shark lacks.

In this study, scientists sequenced the genome of a zebra shark and identified a group of animals with known ages to develop the model.

Given the drawbacks of existing aging methods, researchers instead relied on aquariums, where resident sharks are often accompanied by a documented birth date and life history.

The zebra shark was both a charismatic and practical choice for the study. While young, these sharks sport black and white stripes, giving them a “zebralike” appearance.

They gain long ridges along their backs as they grow up to 8 to 10 feet in length. In the process, their stripes divide into dark spots speckling their yellow-brown skin, more akin to a leopard.

In the wild, these spots serve as camouflage for adults as they prowl the floor of the Indo-Pacific Ocean, squirming through reefs and sucking up mollusks, small bony fish, sea snakes and other prey hiding in crevices.

Researchers collected blood samples from 51 zebra sharks of varying ages that were born and raised in aquariums. Using a known zebra shark genome as a reference, the scientists aligned the DNA sequences from their samples to see the sites where chemical tags were accumulating on the DNA.

By sampling sharks of different ages, scientists could see how the patterns of chemical tagging increased or decreased over a shark’s lifetime.

Scientists needed the shark’s genome to create the epigenetic clock, but looking for patterns across the zebra shark’s roughly 3.7 billion base pairs would have been cost-prohibitive.

Fortunately, that’s unnecessary, as long as scientists pick a few sites that have reliable patterns of methylation over time.

“We were sequencing the entire genome-wide epigenetic patterns, but that’s pretty expensive,” Bock said. “Accuracy and number of sites have this push-and-pull trade-off. The more sites that you put into the model, the more accurate it is and the more it costs. Our goal was to make this feasible for others to use it.”

Scientists were able to narrow their scope to a subset of less than 100 sites that displayed the strongest trends with aging. From these sites, they developed a model that allows them to plug in a sample of zebra shark DNA and predict its age to an accuracy of within two years.

The model worked across age groups, although it was more accurate for younger animals whose methylation changes tend to be more pronounced.

Ultimately, scientists hope fellow researchers and conservation managers can use the model on wild zebra sharks, but comparing aquarium animals with wildlife does pose a challenge.

An epigenetic clock tells a deeper story than simple chronological time. The model can reveal the underlying biological age, which can be sped up due to stress, disease or environmental pressures.

Two organisms born in the same year might have very different biological ages depending on their lifestyles.

An aquarium animal accustomed to free meals and a lack of predators might display a different age on the cellular level compared with a wild-born shark facing a lack of food, habitat loss or other pressures.

To test the extent to which this might be a problem, the researchers also sequenced DNA from 19 zebra sharks that were born in the wild but live in aquariums today.

Because they don’t know the birth date of these sharks, scientists used size and the number of years since the animal was brought to the aquarium to determine its minimum age.

When using these ages as a comparison, the epigenetic clock was able to predict the shark’s age to an accuracy of three to four years. The model was still effective, but it was not quite as accurate as when looking at aquarium-born animals alone.

“I’m cautiously optimistic we’re able to predict ages of wild individuals,” Bock said. “There are ways that we can improve our model with more research, but overall, this study shows that these animals do display these patterns.”

Now that they’ve found the sites and genetic markers related to aging in zebra sharks, researchers can repeat their study and the resulting patterns with other shark species commonly found in aquariums. If these patterns match up across different species, scientists may eventually uncover a set of “universal markers” that work across all sharks.

“Scientists have already identified sites in mammalian genomes that predict age. These same sites apply to many different species of mammals, whether you’re looking at a mouse, a human or a monkey. The idea is that if you can do that in mammals, you could also do that in other groups,” Bock said.

This research also has scientists looking beyond sharks to a universal understanding of aging in large swaths of life on Earth. Sharks occupy an essential evolutionary position, having diverged from the rest of vertebrates some 400 million years ago. If similar aging patterns exist across all sharks, it would suggest that this way of aging is potentially an ancestral process in all vertebrates.

“This becomes about more than just sharks,” Naylor said. “We are breaking biology down into its simplest parts and putting it back together to understand how it works. If we understand how things work at a basic level, we can start to ask bigger questions.”

Counties are required to offer early voting Aug. 8-15 but can offer additional days before and after that window (see the schedule by county below). Some counties will offer an additional day of early voting on Sunday, Aug. 16.

Voters can also vote by mail, if they request a mail-in ballot by 5 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 6.

Florida is a closed primary state, meaning that in most cases, you must already be registered with a specific party to vote in one of that party’s primary contests.

However, the primary also includes numerous races that will be open to all voters, regardless of party affiliation. That includes school board and judicial contests, as well as races for certain local offices.

In addition, in races where all of the candidates are of one party, with no unaffiliated or write-in candidates, the party primary will be open to all voters, since the primary will decide the office-holder.

To find your sample ballot so you can see what races you’re eligible to vote in, go to your county’s supervisor of elections page (linked below).

Eligible voters can vote at any early voting location within their county. You must bring one or two forms of valid and current identification that include your signature and photo.

Acceptable forms of ID include:

• Florida Driver License
• Florida ID Card (issued by DHSMV)
• U.S. Passport
• Debit or Credit Card
• Military ID
• Student ID
• Retirement Center ID
• Neighborhood Association ID
• Public Assistance ID
• Veteran Health ID (issued by the US Department of Veterans Affairs)
• Concealed Weapon License (issued pursuant to F.S. 790.06)
• Employee ID card issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the Federal Government, the state, a county, or a municipality.

If you show up without an ID, you can cast a “provisional” ballot, which is then evaluated by a canvassing board that decides if the ballot is eligible.

Each county’s planned early voting dates are listed below. For locations and hours, click the link for each county, or use the map below.

• Alachua County: August 7-15
• Baker County: August 8-15
• Bradford County: August 3-16
• Clay County: August 8-15
• Columbia County: August 8-15
• Duval County: August 7-16
• Flagler County: August 8-15
• Nassau County: August 6-15
• Putnam County: August 3-15
• St. Johns County: August 8-15
• Union County: August 8-15

In early European trading, Germany's DAX lost 0.4% to 25,357.69, while the CAC 40 in Paris skidded 0.8% to 8,395.21. Britain's FTSE 100 edged 0.1% lower to 10,865.48.

The future for the S&P 500 gained 0.2% while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average was little changed.

The latest rout in Seoul was led by a plunge in shares in chipmaker SK Hynix after its operating profit in the last quarter fell short of analysts’ forecasts even though it soared nearly sixfold.

The Kospi fell more than 8% earlier in the day, but closed 6% lower, at 5,663.24. The benchmark only recently had topped 9,000 before bouncing back down to its lowest level since early April.

SK Hynix sank 9.4% while shares in Samsung Electronics dropped 4.8%.

Markets have been stricken by spates of selling of AI-related stocks as investors react to various developments including progress in China toward cheaper, advanced AI models.

Elsewhere in Asia, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 lost 1.5% to 61,434.19, giving up early gains. Shares in chipmaking equipment maker Tokyo Electron sank 10.6% and chip measuring and inspection systems maker Lasertec Corp. fell 8.3%.

Japanese stocks were mixed in their reaction to a major earthquake that rattled the southern Kyushu region a day earlier. A previous earthquake in the region caused severe damage and disruptions for automakers and other manufacturers.

Shares in Nippon Paper, owner of a mill in the disaster zone that was severely damaged by Tuesday’s quake, fell 2.1%.

Taiwan’s Taiex shed 3.8%.

The Shanghai Composite index reversed early losses to pick up 0.4%. It closed at 3,830.02.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 2% to 25,807.92.

In Australia the S&P/ASX 200 added 1% to 9,038.60 after the government reported that inflation has remained moderate, relieving pressure on the central bank to raise interest rates.

India's Sensex added 1.1%.

In other trading, oil prices that had eased from the two-month high that they hit last week rebounded as a brief pause in fighting in the Iran war was shattered. Jordan’s air defenses intercepted five missiles launched from Iran early Wednesday, the country’s military said, hours after the U.S. military said it had knocked down an Iranian missile barrage launched against American forces in the Middle East.

The calm persisted for about three days following weeks of escalation over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf waterway and narrow chokepoint through which 20% of the world’s traded oil normally flows.

Brent crude, the international standard, jumped 3.3% to $84.77 a barrel.

Benchmark U.S. crude gained 3.4% to $81.93 a barrel.

On Tuesday, shares were mixed on Wall Street.

The S&P 500 added 0.2% and the Dow industrials jumped 1%. The Nasdaq composite slipped 0.2%.

The majority of U.S. stocks rose after more companies delivered stronger profits for the spring than analysts expected. Coca-Cola climbed 5% after its revenue rose 7%.

Expectations for stellar earnings reports are weighing particularly heavily on stocks of chipmakers and other companies that have been huge winners from the boom in artificial-intelligence technology.

Micron Technology’s stock came into the day having more than tripled for the year following gangbuster growth, but its shares sank 8.9%.

Other tech companies helping to keep the market in check were Advanced Micro Devices, down 8.1%, and Applied Materials, down 7.8%.

In currency trading early Wednesday, the U.S. dollar slipped to 163.54 Japanese yen from 163.81 yen. The euro cost $1.1395, up from $1.1391.

Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky subpoenaed Fauci to appear before a Senate committee Wednesday. It’s part of Paul’s yearslong accusations that the now-retired infectious disease expert had lied about the pandemic, something Fauci has called “preposterous.”

Leading up to the hearing, Paul released more than a thousand pages of Fauci’s personal diary covering the pandemic years. Pointing to some notes about early efforts at understanding how the virus emerged, Paul wrote on the social media platform X that what Fauci “wrote privately and what he told the country are two different stories.”

Some of the diary entries — including his uncertainty in the pandemic’s earliest days as scientists around the world raced to understand the new virus and how best to curb it before vaccines could be created — already were reflected in Fauci’s 2024 memoir and in interviews at the time.

But they’re likely to further inflame a partisan divide that, years after the pandemic, still makes Fauci a target of vitriol from people who blame him for mask mandates and other policies they believe infringed on their rights as hundreds of thousands of people were dying.

In an earlier letter to Paul, Fauci’s attorneys called his allegations “absolutely baseless” and part of an “obsessive and groundless vendetta.”

Scientists scrambled to Fauci’s defense ahead of the unusual hearing — the second time the longtime National Institutes of Health scientist has been back before Congress to discuss pandemic origins since leaving the government in 2022. While the COVID-19 pandemic introduced him to millions of Americans, he talked the nation through numerous outbreaks over decades, including HIV, Ebola and the 2001 anthrax attacks, while advising seven presidents.

In a public letter, more than 150 infectious disease experts and other scientists wrote that “no credible evidence has been produced to support these absurd charges” and that they are “urging our elected representatives in Congress stop these witch-hunts.”

The expected crux of Wednesday’s hearing: whether NIH-funded research in China may have played any role in how the pandemic started.

Many scientists believe the virus most likely emerged in nature and jumped from animals to people, coming to light when it spread at a wildlife market in the Chinese city of Wuhan. There’s no new scientific information supporting that the virus might instead have leaked from a laboratory, a theory Paul champions. A GOP-led subcommittee that studied the question in 2024 did not find any evidence linking Fauci to wrongdoing.

Fauci has long said publicly that he was open to both theories, but that there’s more evidence supporting COVID-19’s natural origins, the way other deadly viruses including coronavirus cousins SARS and MERS jumped into people.

Republicans also have accused Fauci of lying about whether his agency funded “gain of function” research — the practice of enhancing a virus in a lab to study its potential real-world impact — at a lab in Wuhan.

NIH for years gave grants to a New York nonprofit called EcoHealth Alliance that used some of the funds to work with a Chinese lab studying coronaviruses commonly carried by bats. But the definition of “gain of function” covers both general research and especially risky experiments to “enhance” the ability of potentially pandemic pathogens to spread or cause severe disease in humans. Fauci has previously stressed he was using the risky experiment definition and that "it would be molecularly impossible” for those bat virus experiments to have turned into the pandemic virus.

The Trump administration last year paused some federally funded gain-of-function research and on Tuesday announced new rules to tighten oversight.

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

The measures are likely to test relations with Beijing ahead of a planned U.S. visit by Chinese leader Xi Jinping to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in September. China dominates the global market for humanoid robots with an estimated market share of roughly 85%.

The FCC’s ban also includes new imports of quadruped robots – often referred to as four-legged robot dogs. The agency said imports of advanced robots pose cybersecurity and other national security risks. Offshore production of such equipment also leaves U.S. supply chains vulnerable to disruptions.

The ban on power inverters, which are used to convert direct current (DC) electricity into alternating current (AC) electricity and are used in renewable energy systems, data centers and household appliances, could have sweeping ramifications.

FCC chairperson Brendan Carr said Tuesday that the move was to “secure America’s critical supply chains.” He said the bans apply to “new versions” of such imports.

The FCC’s bans follow a slew of U.S. restrictions on imports of Chinese products, including drones, and on exports of U.S. advanced technology to China.

The U.S. is also weighing controls on use of Chinese open-source artificial intelligence models at a time when Chinese AI is rapidly gaining ground.

“It’s a steady drumbeat of potential flashpoints heading into (the) Trump-Xi summit planned for September,” said Samm Sacks, a senior fellow at the New America think tank focused on Chinese technology policies.

China has been rapidly expanding use of robots, with policies supporting its technology sector. Morgan Stanley analysts forecast its market for humanoids could reach $15 billion by 2030.

“Chinese manufacturers have been scaling production and reducing costs faster than most overseas competitors,” said analyst Kangyuxiao Li at Morningstar.

“Restricting their access to the U.S. removes an important future market and protects U.S. developers from potential price competition,” he said. “However, it will not materially slow China’s overall humanoid development, given the size of its domestic manufacturing base and opportunities in other export markets.”

Of the around 15,000 humanoid robots shipped globally in 2025, Unitree and AGIBOT, two of China’s largest advanced robotics companies, each shipped more than 5,000. Their U.S. counterparts, like Tesla and Figure AI, each shipped a few hundred or less, according to the technology research and advisory group Omdia.

China's Foreign Ministry hit back at the U.S. move, accusing Washington of overstretching the concept of national security to suppress Chinese companies.

China will take “all measures necessary” to defend the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese businesses, it said.

“Protectionism does not make the U.S. more competitive, and it will only hurt the interests of U.S. companies and consumers,” Mao Ning, a ministry spokesperson, told reporters at a regular press conference Wednesday in Beijing.

The new bans could also potentially interfere with collaborations between U.S. and Chinese technology companies, said Lian Jye Su, a chief analyst at Omdia.

Nvidia, for example, in June revealed a humanoid robot reference design which uses the humanoid chassis of China's Unitree.

The Pentagon recently included Unitree and several other major Chinese technology companies on its list of firms that it said have ties to or aid the Chinese military. Beijing has rejected that claim.

The couple fled north shortly after the start of the latest Israel-Hezbollah war, in early March. Now, their home in Zawtar al-Gharbieh — one of three zones where Israel agreed to turn over control to the Lebanese army — is among homes so damaged that they're unlivable. But Faqih said they've vowed to stay, settling inside the large grocery shop that they own in the village as they wait to have their home demolished and rebuilt.

“Zawtar is our small homeland, and we are very happy,” Faqih, 58, said. “We will sleep here to tell the Israelis that we will stay in our land and will not leave it, no matter what happens.”

A week after the Lebanese army took control, only about 15 families have returned, according to Mayor Abed Ezzeldine, who says nearly half the village’s 500 homes have been destroyed and many others damaged.

Hezbollah is strongly opposed to the initial deal reached between Israel and Lebanon — which remain technically in a state of war since Israel’s establishment in 1948 — and to the direct talks between the nations, ongoing for nearly three months.

The latest Israel-Hezbollah war began March 2, when the Lebanese militant group fired rockets into Israel two days after Israel and the U.S. launched their war on Iran. Israel has since invaded Lebanon and occupied dozens of villages in the south along its border.

Under the deal, Israeli forces are supposed to withdraw from some occupied areas of southern Lebanon. But the location of the initial pilot zones generated some controversy in Lebanon. Israeli troops weren't present in most of the areas, raising questions about how a withdrawal could happen. In Zawtar al-Gharbieh, it's unclear whether troops were on the ground. But they were in adjacent areas, and the village was under heavy fire, preventing civilian residents and the Lebanese army from entering until last week.

The Israeli military has destroyed 24 centuries-old villages and 15,000 to 20,000 houses in Lebanon, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz told a TV station Tuesday. He said Israeli troops control 700 square kilometers (270 square miles) of southern Lebanon and “are preventing raids on the communities.”

Residents return to damaged or destroyed homes in Zawtar al-Gharbieh

On Tuesday, as Faqih sifted through debris, she was able to recover only nine plates from the kitchen. That room and the main sitting room were knocked out, with the ceiling partially collapsed. On the home's other side, an Israeli strike left a hole in the main bedroom's ceiling.

“We are gathering what remains of what we have collected over 45 years,” Faqih said, noting that she'd already sold $20,000 in jewelry to repair the home from damage in the 2024 Israel-Hezbollah war — something she can no longer afford. She hopes the government will help them rebuild.

Mayor Ezzeldine said Zawtar al-Gharbieh is "disaster-stricken.”

“You can see some homes standing, but they are not suitable for living and cannot be renovated,” he said. The municipality is doing its best to bring water by tanker trucks to residents who return, he said, and he hopes about 100 families will be in the village by week's end.

Lebanese army bulldozers were clearing debris from the village's streets. In the main square, trucks with mounted machine guns were parked near a partially destroyed blue-domed mosque. About 100 meters (109 yards) away, an armored personnel carrier blocked a road leading to the adjacent village of Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, which is fully occupied by Israeli troops.

During The Associated Press team's visit Tuesday to Zawtar al-Gharbieh, three strong explosions occurred in occupied areas, and brown smoke billowed.

More Lebanon-Israel talks are scheduled next month

In his comments Tuesday to Channel 14, an ultranationalist station in Israel, Defense Minister Katz said that in the 24 villages destroyed in Lebanon, “there were Shiites who acted as enemies on behalf of Hezbollah and threatened our borders, our residents, and constantly carried out provocations.”

“Not house by house, not incrimination — all these villages, their destruction has been completed,” he said.

His comments and the return of some residents to the pilot zone come as technical teams from Lebanon and Israel are scheduled to hold another round of talks in Rome over three days starting Aug. 4.

In Beirut, a Lebanese foreign ministry official said the talks will focus on finding other pilot zones to be handed over by Israel's military to the Lebanese side. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

But in Zawtar al-Gharbieh, mayor Ezzeldine said he wouldn't call the pilot zone successful so far. Israeli troops are still stationed nearby, with drones continuously flying over the village, he said, adding that only the Lebanese army's presence is reassuring residents.

Faqih said that her family does not feel secure and that if Israel expands the pilot zones by a village every couple of months, it will take years “for it to withdraw and for the south to be liberated.”

“We don’t have safety, not even 1%,” she said. “I am not happy with the situation at all.”

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Associated Press writer Natalie Melzer in Nahariya, Israel, contributed to this report.

The four-time MVP hasn't pitched in a game since July 3 but has continued to play regularly as the designated hitter for Los Angeles.

“My biceps is not 100%,” Ohtani said through a translator Tuesday night while speaking with media for the first time since before the All-Star break. "Just similar issue with the knee. Do we consider pushing this? It is still July. So I think the conversation would be a little different if we’re in August or September.”

Ohtani hit his 10th leadoff home run of the season in a 7-6 loss to the Seattle Mariners. It was his 28th leadoff shot as a Dodger, tying him with the late Davey Lopes for second all-time. Ohtani finished 3 for 4 with a walk, a double, three RBIs and a run.

"I do think that the road trip was exhausting for everyone. I do think that with the day off, he came in fresh and looked more like himself," manager Dave Roberts said. “Certainly the way he swung the bat, the way he’s running, he’s not compromised. Until I hear otherwise, he’s going to be in the lineup.”

Ohtani had a lubricant injection in his knee just before the All-Star break and he skipped the game in Philadelphia to rest.

“I really took the All-Star break as that opportunity to really stay off my knees,” he said. “It’s really something that I have to just deal with over the course of the season.”

Ohtani said in Japanese that the injection wasn't a cure-all and he mentioned “a decision that I'm going to ultimately make after the season's over” without clarifying what he was referring to.

He explained the lingering knee soreness was caused by pitching.

“In terms of running, I’m not exactly at 100% capacity,” he said. "When I know it’s not, then it’s always a little harder to be aggressive on the basepath.”

Ohtani said his knee is getting better, which is a priority.

“I don’t think the team has really come to a place exactly where, do I pitch through it or not?” he said. "That’s still really up in the air.”

If Ohtani's health issues don't improve, Roberts was asked whether it's possible the right-hander wouldn't pitch in the postseason for the two-time defending World Series champions.

“I guess anything’s possible, but for me, it’s highly unlikely,” Roberts said. “Given where we’re at in the calendar, if the knee continues to get better, the arm continues to feel better, I would expect him to pitch. All I know is that we’re trying to, I’m trying to, give him the best opportunity to be as healthy as possible, so he can help us on both ends of the baseball.”

Roberts said when Ohtani is cleared to pitch again, he'll need to go through a buildup process.

“I don’t think anyone can kind of foresee what that looks like,” the manager said.

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

A crowd of a few dozen gathered outside Climate Pledge Arena to both support Cunningham and promote statewide Initiatives 638 and 011, which would bar transgender students from participating in girls’ athletics at Washington schools.

Cunningham voiced support for barring transgender girls and women from girls’ and women’s sports in an ESPN article published last week. Cunningham was booed by Storm fans when she checked into Tuesday’s game, as well as when attempting her first free throws of the night.

Media members asked to speak to Cunningham and Clark postgame, but neither player was made available. Kelsey Mitchell and Monique Billings addressed the media instead, alongside head coach Stephanie White.

When White was asked about the rally and Cunningham’s recent comments, a Fever public relations representative intervened with the following statement:

“Neither our organization nor Sophie had any knowledge of this demonstration and no contact with its organizers,” the statement said. “Our only goal as a team, whether at home or away, is to win basketball games and make Fever fans for life, and we are united in that mission.”

Storm head coach Sonia Raman answered a question about the pregame protest following her team’s seventh consecutive loss.

“Seattle and this organization and Climate Pledge, we always want to be an area where people feel welcome coming into this building,” Raman said. “I think we’ve always done a really good job with that. So, I know our organization was working closely with Climate Pledge and the security just to make sure that everybody feels safe and included and welcome when they walk in this door.

“From what I understand, that was successful.”

Heather Weiner, a spokesperson for No Hate in Washington State, a coalition of doctors, nurses, anti-domestic violence groups and other community organizations opposing statewide Initiatives 638 and 011, found it to be a positive experience on the whole outside Climate Pledge Arena.

“Washington State is a very caring, inclusive place,” Weiner said. “We don’t always agree, but we do agree against hate, and we will come together about that.”

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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

“Evacuate now,” it said.

Suddenly awake, Morgane Bonichot scrambled. She grabbed her 9-year-old daughter, their rabbit and their dog but didn't think to pack underwear.

The 40-year-old childcare worker found herself swept up in one of the biggest evacuations Europe has seen since World War II, forced with more than 220,000 other people to flee a monster wildfire in southwest France that has consumed an area four times the size of Paris and is defying a massive effort, involving a dozen countries, to bring it under control.

In hindsight, Bonichot thinks maybe she should have seen it coming.

Her daughter was in the blaze's epicenter when it ignited last week, staying with an uncle in the midst of the pine forests, scrub and farmland being consumed by an inferno so virulent that it has morphed at times into a self-feeding firestorm, spitting lightning bolts that have sparked yet more flames.

Among the fire's first evacuees, the daughter came home Friday. But with the flames spreading closer to her mother's house west of Bordeaux, the daughter began preparing to flee again.

“She packed a suitcase with a lot of things, telling me, 'Mum, you need to pack your suitcase because we’re going to have to be evacuated,'” Bonichot said.

Just hours later, at 2:47 a.m., she got the evacuation order for their town, Saint-Jean-d’Illac, on her phone.

“Forest fire underway,” it said.

All told, regional authorities have emptied two dozen towns and villages, some ravaged by fire. Others between the blaze and Bordeaux, including Saint-Jean-d’Illac, were evacuated as a precaution by government officials who say their priority is making sure that no lives are lost.

After a pause in evacuations Monday, when the fire's spread stopped, they resumed Tuesday as flames flared again. An additional 4,000 people were moved from camping sites and holiday homes on the blaze's northern edge, increasing the number of people forced to flee: more than 220,000 in the Gironde region alone. In Spain, historic wildfires have also forced tens of thousands of evacuations, bringing the number displaced in southwest Europe to roughly a third of a million.

“We left just like that,” Bonichot said. “My car had broken down, so neighbors had to drive me, along with my little girl and the animals. But one of the neighbors had a cat, and with the smell of the rabbit it became very complicated. So she had to drop me off.”

After a few days staying with Bonichot's mother, they moved again, this time to a huge exhibition center in Bordeaux that city authorities have converted into a temporary shelter. It has camp beds, food, medical and veterinary services, clothes and volunteers doing what they can to make people comfortable.

The rabbit stays in a cage between the mother and daughter’s beds and the dog curls up in a large bowl. After a couple of days in the makeshift conditions, “I’m starting to become really exhausted,” Bonichot said.

But she doesn't want to go home until she's sure they won't be evacuated again.

“I just can’t put my animals through another journey. The only trip they should have to make now is the one back home. Otherwise, for the rabbit, the stress could be fatal.”

“And my dog was dehydrated,” she said. “Here, there’s air conditioning and everything, so for the moment he’s doing a little better.”

Gironde authorities have said evacuees won’t be allowed back until the fire is contained, although on Tuesday they gave the go-ahead for returns to three suburbs of Bordeaux that haven’t had fires. It's unknown when others might be allowed home. Fire trucks are still racing from one flare-up to the next, as aircraft drop water and retardant. Smoke clouds could be seen from kilometers away Tuesday.

Even when this inferno is beaten, the next one may not be far behind. Successive heat waves this year have turned European forests tinder-dry. They have also served as sobering reminders that human-caused climate change makes such extreme events increasingly likely.

“What really drives me crazy is that it makes me very worried about the future, because year after year it’s getting worse,” Bonichot said.

“It’s going to be a catastrophe.”

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Leicester reported from Paris.

Prosecutors say Lindsay Clancy strangled her children — Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months — on Jan. 24, 2023, after sending her then-husband, Patrick, out for some errands. She then used multiple methods to try to end her own life and was paralyzed from the waist down after jumping from the home’s second-story window.

Whether Clancy killed the children is not in dispute. But her attorney argues that she was driven by postpartum psychosis, a rare mental illness linked to the stress, sleep deprivation and hormonal changes that follow childbirth. Prosecutors contend that she acted intentionally and bears full responsibility for the deaths.

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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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Patrick Clancy has said in interviews that he forgives his ex-wife, whom he viewed as ill rather than evil.

He was the first witness to take the stand Monday, when he testified about his former wife's deteriorating mental health in the months before the killings, including describing intrusive thoughts of harming the children and of suicide. But he said she appeared to be doing better as recently as two weeks before the murders.

Patrick Clancy closed out that testimony by going through the day of the deaths, which he said started as one of her “best days.” Lindsay Clancy took Cora to a doctor’s appointment and then returned home to build a snowman with her children and work on art projects.

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.

The trial took a break Tuesday before resuming Wednesday.

Tropical Storm Fausto was expected to pass just north of the Hawaiian islands starting Tuesday night, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Fausto had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph) and was expected to weaken from tropical storm strength early Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Fausto was about 310 miles (500 kilometers) east-northeast of Honolulu and moving west-northwest near 12 mph (19 kph). Forecasters said strong currents from the tropical storm could create dangerous conditions on some Hawaii beaches.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Genevieve strengthened to a Category 4, the hurricane center said. Maximum sustained winds were 130 mph (215 kph) for the major hurricane, which was about 590 miles (950 kilometers) west-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.

Swells from Genevieve were reaching Baja California and coastal southwestern Mexico. Forecasters warned of life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

On the forecast track, Genevieve was expected to fluctuate in intensity for about a day before consistently weakening.

The former Cy Young Award winner issued walks to six of the nine batters he faced — including three with the bases loaded — before departing after two-thirds of an inning Tuesday night in the Blue Jays' 8-6 loss. In his previous 149 pitching appearances, the 31-year-old right-hander's high for walks was five.

According to Stathead/Baseball Reference, Bieber is the 11th pitcher in major league history to walk at least six while recording two outs or less, and the first to do so since Florida’s Ryan Dempster on Oct. 5, 2001, at Atlanta.

Bieber said he had difficulty gripping the ball and struggled with his command as a result. Bieber didn't walk anyone in his previous start Thursday, when he allowed one run in seven innings against Tampa Bay.

“You have to find a way to get through it, right, and I wasn't able to do that tonight,” Bieber said. “Ultimately, I follow up what was maybe my best start as a Blue Jay with what was definitely my worst.”

Bieber is the first Cy Young winner to have such an outing, although Hall of Famers Bob Feller and Christy Mathewson did, too. Bieber won the AL Cy Young in 2020.

Bieber threw 42 pitches, with only 15 strikes. He is the second player this season to throw that many pitches with so few strikes. Kansas City’s Eric Cerantola threw 14 strikes in a 42-pitch relief outing against Tampa Bay on June 30.

“I have no excuses,” Bieber said. “I have to find a way to get out of that first inning. Dry my hands off and change shirts and eat up innings after that. That's what I was trying to do and unfortunately I wasn't able to. I don't think I've ever had anything like that happen.”

Washington’s James Wood led off the first with a walk, and Luis García Jr. followed with a grounder to second. Dylan Crews then earned a free pass, and CJ Abrams followed with a well-placed infield single.

The typically free-swinging Keibert Ruiz followed with a four-pitch walk that scored the first run, and Daylen Lile drew another walk that pushed in another run. Nasim Nuñez hit a sacrifice fly before Jorbit Vivas loaded the bases again with the inning's fifth walk, prompting a mound visit from Toronto pitching coach Pete Walker.

Jacob Young then took six pitches --- three balls and then two called strikes followed by a slider well outside the zone --- to force in a fourth run. That prompted manager John Schneider to head to the mound and end Bieber’s outing.

It was Bieber's seventh start of the season after missing almost three months with elbow inflammation. He was limited to a combined nine regular-season starts over the previous two seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April 2024.

“Kind of just the last thing we thought was going to happen with him right there,” Schneider said. “When you get up to that pitch count in the first, with him, with his history and everything, just didn't want to push it.”

Reliever Brendon Little got Wood to ground out to end the inning.

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

Fresh flames erupted later Tuesday near Grand Crohot, a popular Atlantic beach on the Lège-Cap-Ferret peninsula, local authorities said. A fleet of 23 planes and helicopters — up from 18 — dropped water and fire retardant as crews fought to keep the renewed flames from spreading.

“The situation remains complicated. That’s clear. We’re not out of the woods,” Gironde prefect Sophie Brocas said.

She said that about 60,000 residents who were evacuated as a precaution from Le Haillan and parts of Mérignac and Eysines outside Bordeaux’s ring road could return on Tuesday. No fires had broken out in the three areas, but residents were told to keep their mobile phones on and emergency bags packed.

The opposing movements — thousands ordered out of coastal resorts while those returning told to be on the alert — underscored how precarious the fire’s hold remained.

Across France and Spain, roughly 330,000 people have been driven from homes and vacation sites by huge wildfires. Spain braced for its fourth heat wave of the summer, with several blazes still burning out of control, including the largest in its recorded history.

Even so, Spanish authorities began lifting evacuation and stay-at-home orders for thousands of people after firefighters made progress overnight.

The Gironde fire has burned an area four times the size of Paris and forced 220,000 people to evacuate. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez has said it is “very likely” the largest civilian evacuation operation carried out in the country outside war.

Evacuations don't deter some vacationers

The precautionary evacuation order covered campsites, holiday villages, tourist residences and leisure parks around the resort of Lacanau, Gironde regional authorities said.

“We are at a point of fragility,” Eric Brocardi, spokesperson for France’s national firefighters federation, told the BFMTV broadcast network Tuesday. “We will continue attacking this fire despite the forecast rise in temperatures.”

Even as nearby homes burned and authorities urged tourists to stay away, one family told Le Parisien newspaper it had gone ahead with its trip rather than forfeit a 4,000-euro ($4,558) holiday, while another group debated abandoning a vacation that had cost 650 euros ($741) each.

A fire making its own weather

At its most violent, the Gironde blaze created a gargantuan black thundercloud, electrified and lit from within. It generated lightning, violent winds and new fires beyond the original front. The phenomenon, known as a pyrocumulonimbus cloud, was the first recorded in France.

France’s national weather service placed Gironde under a yellow heat warning beginning at midday Tuesday, forecasting inland temperatures of 33 to 35 C (91 to 95 F).

More than 1,160 square kilometers (448 square miles) have burned across France this year, according to the Interior Ministry.

Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, heating at more than twice the global average, according to the European Union’s Copernicus climate service. Western Europe recorded its hottest June on record, with extreme heat and widespread dryness contributing to the spread and intensification of fires in France and Spain, Copernicus said.

Crews defend homes and cut firebreaks

In Le Porge alone, west of Bordeaux, the municipal government said about 150 homes were destroyed.

Officials warned that smoldering vegetation, rising temperatures and falling humidity could produce fresh outbreaks along the fire's vast perimeter.

Military engineers and forest-fire prevention crews resumed cutting firebreaks early Tuesday. Authorities said crews had completed 103 kilometers (64 miles) of firebreaks.

At least 110 firefighters have been injured, the prefecture said.

Thousands return as second fire stops advancing

In Landes, about 15,000 evacuees — roughly half of those displaced here — were allowed home after a separate wildfire stopped advancing.

“The fire is fixed, which is good news in the Landes,” French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday evening. Regional authorities said that meant its advance had stopped and no new outbreaks had been reported.

Those allowed back included residents of Sanguinet, Parentis-en-Born, Biscarrosse’s aviation village and a large campground. Several other neighborhoods remained inaccessible.

Authorities warned that the Landes fire was not extinguished. Residual hot spots, wind and drought could cause flare-ups, and surveillance and damping-down operations were expected to continue for days or weeks.

Thousands begin returning in Spain

Spanish firefighters made progress Tuesday, and authorities began lifting evacuation orders for at least 20,000 of the 79,000 people forced to flee over the weekend.

Francisco Martín, the central government’s representative in the Madrid region, said orders would be lifted in 10 towns, allowing about 20,000 evacuees to return home and ending stay-at-home orders for another 14,000 people.

Residents of some villages in Ávila were also being allowed home, though authorities did not specify how many. Another 6,000 people could return after a smaller fire near Toledo was brought under control, while several thousand more went home in Castellón.

Hundreds of firefighters backed by military emergency brigades and water-dropping aircraft continued battling several major wildfires.

Smoke from the fires reached Madrid in recent days. Emergency services said residents in central and eastern districts could smell smoke and ash.

Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said Tuesday that nonstop work through the night left him “reasonably positive,” though officials warned that crews had only a brief window before extreme heat returned.

Spain’s national weather service said the country was bracing for its fourth heat wave of the summer, with temperatures expected to exceed 40 C (104 F) in some areas.

The government declared a national emergency over the fires.

At least 13 people have died in wildfires in Spain this year, making 2026 one of the country’s deadliest fire seasons in decades.

“I’ve been living in San Martín de Valdeiglesias for 20 years and I never thought I would see this,” said Estella Costales, an evacuated resident staying at a temporary shelter in Brunete, near Madrid. “It’s unfortunate, but I never thought I would see such destruction.”

Surroundings of Madrid remain at risk

The greatest concern was two large fires that had at times come close to merging into a single blaze in wooded hills about an hour’s drive west of Madrid.

A fire in hilly, rural terrain in Ávila, west of Madrid, has become Spain’s largest on record, scorching more than 500 square kilometers (193 square miles), the government said.

Local weather services in Ávila also shared images Tuesday of what they described as a pyrocumulonimbus cloud over the blaze. Spain has seen these fire-generated thunderstorms form at least twice during wildfires in recent years.

“Look at how the valley is burned. Look at the houses, the people,” said David Gonzalez, a 48-year-old gardener who used his van to deliver supplies to firefighters in Ávila.

“We are feeling a lot of anger and helplessness. It’s something inhuman,” he said.

Fires have burned 1,530 square kilometers (590 square miles) this year in Spain, Ecology Minister Sara Aagesen said.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called for a national pact to fight wildfires, saying climate change is making them worse.

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Adamson reported from Paris. Associated Press journalists Joseph Wilson in Barcelona, Spain, and Iain Sullivan in Brunete, Spain, also contributed to this report.

The sit-down in the Oval Office, which was closed to the media, followed a consequential meeting at the NATO summit earlier this month in Ankara, Turkey, where Trump announced that the U.S. will give Ukraine a license to make Patriot defense systems — a long-running request from Kyiv to counter Russian missile attacks.

Taken together, those meetings underscore how much the U.S. president, once a major skeptic of continued assistance to Kyiv, has warmed to Zelenskyy as Ukraine continues to withstand the Russian barrage more than four years after Moscow's invasion in 2022. The Ukrainian leader, whose relationship with Trump in his second term was marked by a raucous White House visit in which he was denigrated for being ungracious, has worked to court the Republican administration while relying on both likely and unlikely allies in Trump's orbit to exert their influence with the president.

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has consumed much of the Trump administration's focus this year, has also become gradually entwined with Ukraine, with Ukraine firing on at least one Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea over the weekend while Zelenskyy asserts that Russia has been offering satellite imagery of U.S. bases in the Persian Gulf to Iran.

In a post on social media after the meeting, Zelenskyy thanked Trump for the “good meeting” and the Republican administration's efforts to aid Kyiv in the long-running war. Officials also agreed that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the president's main envoys, would make a trip to Kyiv sometime in the future, according to a person familiar with the talks who was granted anonymity to discuss the closed-door meeting.

“The President and I discussed licenses for Patriot interceptor production and several other ideas that could help,” said Zelenskyy, who also noted that he offered condolences to Trump for the death of Graham, a close ally. “We also spoke about diplomacy — it’s important that the diplomatic process be reinvigorated.”

Trump on Tuesday night weighed in on his meeting with Zelenskyy, calling it a “Great Honor” to meet with him. “Many things were discussed. The meeting went very well!” he wrote on Truth Social.

Zelenskyy wants to bolster Ukraine's defense production

Later during his whirlwind, one-day visit to Washington, Zelenskyy posted that he met with officials from Lockheed Martin for further cooperation in both defense production and exchanging of technologies, saying, “Ukraine has a lot to share with those who help us protect lives.”

Later, in a meeting with senators at the Capitol, Zelensky again made his case for why Ukraine needs Patriot interceptors, as well as a sweeping sanctions bill to impact morale and increase pressure on Russia, according to two people with direct knowledge of the private discussion. They were granted anonymity to disclose details of a closed-door meeting.

While Ukraine remains grateful to Trump for agreeing to issue a license to manufacture the Patriots, Zelenskyy emphasized to senators that that is a longer-term solution. This year, Zelenskyy said, Ukraine will need the U.S. to provide missiles that Kyiv would pay for with European funds, said one of the people with knowledge of the meeting.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who like Zelenskyy was in Washington for Graham's funeral, also spoke to senators, saying Ukraine retains strong support from NATO and the European Union in terms of providing and paying for weaponry, as well as imposing sanctions on Russia.

Luke Coffey, a senior fellow at the conservative-leaning Hudson Institute, said expanding production capacity for Patriot interceptors is not only vital for Ukraine, but also for the U.S. and its Gulf allies, particularly as supply runs low during the war in Iran.

“Ukraine has shown that its defense industry is capable, innovative and creative,” Coffey said. “I have no doubt that when they’re granted the license, they will be able to produce these missiles which will hopefully mean there will be more available for the U.S.”

Trump welcomed Zelenskyy to the White House as the Ukrainian leader traveled to Washington to honor Graham, whose final act as a public official was visiting Kyiv and securing an agreement on a package of sanctions that seek to punish countries that purchase Russian oil, gas and other exports.

In a Fox News interview Tuesday, Trump recalled Graham's hawkishness and said the South Carolina senator's support for Ukraine never wavered. Trump said Graham had suggested it was time to make a deal with Iran but had no similar suggestion for the Russia-Ukraine war.

“Ukraine, he's very militant about,” Trump said on “Fox & Friends." "I mean, Lindsey liked war, to be honest with you."

The Trump administration's embrace of Zelenskyy also comes as Laura Loomer, a far-right activist with the U.S. president’s ear had a recent, widely publicized change of heart on Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Ukraine highlights ties between Iran and Russia

Ahead of the meeting, Zelenskyy also warned that Russia has been aiding Iran as the war persists by capturing satellite imagery of U.S. bases in the Gulf region that later appear in Iran. The Ukrainian president also asserted that there was a “clear correlation” between Russia’s images and subsequent Iranian strikes.

Iran is a key ally of Russia in its war against Ukraine and has helped Moscow build up its drone expertise.

But on Monday, Trump downplayed any impact of potential Russian assistance for Iran.

“I don’t think they’ve been doing it, certainly not at a high level,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he traveled to Michigan. “And if they have, it has been very un-impactful.”

On the Caspian Sea attack, the foreign ministers of Iran and Ukraine spoke about the matter, according to statements posted on social media Tuesday. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called the conversation “frank” and said Ukraine’s focus is “solely at defending our country from Russian aggression" and not on targeting civilians.

Iran has said at least one sailor was killed in the attack. For his part, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran is also not seeking escalation but “made clear any attack on our citizens or interests is unacceptable."

Pro-Ukraine backers pushing to advance sanctions bill

Zelenskyy had a busy itinerary during his latest visit to Washington. During his meeting at the Capitol, which was held just before a key vote on the Russia sanctions bill and after Graham's funeral, the Ukrainian leader argued that they have a window to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table, according to one of the people with direct knowledge of the meeting.

In a bipartisan 86-12 vote, the Senate took the first steps toward passage of legislation to penalize countries that continue to buy Russian oil, gas and other exports after more than a year of negotiations.

The bill has dozens of backers from both major political parties and is seen as the main policy tribute to Graham, who died unexpectedly this month from a tear in his aorta. It imposes tariffs on goods from the world’s top five purchasers of Russia oil or natural gas, including China and India.

The legislation also includes sanctions against Putin; senior Russian political and military leaders; and Russian financial institutions and energy projects.

With the ceremony, Fujimori, a four-time presidential candidate and leader of Peru's largest political party, takes office as the country's ninth president in a decade. The 51-year-old is hoping to stabilize Peru's turbulent politics, reduce crime and boost economic growth.

Over the past decade, only three of Peru’s presidents have been elected by popular vote. The rest have come into office after their predecessors resigned or were removed by congress amid protests or corruption scandals.

Fujimori’s Popular Force party and its main ally, Popular Renovation, will hold half the Senate seats once the new legislature is installed, making it harder for opposing legislators to attempt to remove her as president.

An incoming president with a political past and promises for the future

Fujimori centered her campaign around promises to improve security in a nation where extortion rackets have become a significant problem. She has also promised to develop infrastructure by making it easier for government agencies to form partnerships with private investors.

She is the daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, who led the country in the 1990s and stabilized its economy while defeating terror groups, but was later imprisoned for human rights abuses committed under his rule by the Peruvian military as his government took an authoritarian turn. He was pardoned in December 2023 and died in September the following year.

During her campaign, Keiko Fujimori pledged to fight crime with an “iron fist,” implementing some policies adopted by Salvadorean President Nayib Bukele, and also build a megaprison modeled after the notorious Cecot penitentiary in El Salvador.

To guarantee judges their safety, she has said she will implement reforms to enable them to hide their identities as they oversee criminal trials.

She also said on Tuesday she would reorganize social services to fight malnutrition in rural communities and announced a 15% increase in the nation's minimum wage.

Fujimori said that the nation's military will “temporarily” lead security operations in crime afflicted areas. And she also said she will focus on preparing the South American nation for the latest onset of El Niño, a weather pattern that warms ocean temperatures and often leads to flooding along Peru's coast.

“My goal is not only to administer the state,” Fujimori said. “My main objective is to narrow the enormous social deficit that affects millions of Peruvians.”

Opposition leaders remember those killed in protests

Opposition leaders have asked Fujimori’s incoming government to reverse a series of laws approved by Peru’s last legislature, which critics say weaken efforts to fight organized crime.

The laws eliminate preventive arrests and stop prosecutors from processing political parties involved in corruption under the same statutes as criminal groups. The laws also make it harder for police to confiscate the goods of criminal groups.

Opposition leaders are also asking the incoming government to create a commission to investigate the deaths of 50 civilians during anti-government protests in late 2022 and early 2023 following the removal of former President Pedro Castillo.

During Fujimori’s swearing-in ceremony, some opposition lawmakers protested outside the parliament in Lima, Peru's capital, holding photos of people killed during the protests. Relatives of the dead have said they do not recognize Fujimori as president and that they are protesting her inauguration.

Fujimori will lead a deeply polarized country

Fujimori was widely backed by voters in Peru’s capital and along the Pacific coast, but voters in the highlands, where there is a larger Indigenous population, overwhelmingly supported left-wing candidate Roberto Sanchez, an ally of Castillo.

Sanchez challenged the election results, arguing there were irregularities in how votes were counted at Peruvian consulates abroad, but electoral authorities dismissed his complaints.

Despite the political friction, Peru continues to be one of the most stable economies in Latin America. Its central bank has long kept the benchmark interest rate below 5%, and the government is known for a conservative approach toward public spending.

But critics point out a growing gap in living standards between coastal areas and communities in the Andean highlands.

Fujimori's June election victory, along with those of Abelardo de la Espriella in Colombia and José Antonio Kast in Chile, underscored South America's shift toward the conservative wing, a stark contrast from the panorama of a few decades ago when left-wing leaders such as Hugo Chávez in Venezuela or the current Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva emerged.

Conservatives have won seven major presidential elections in Latin America in the past few years, most of them since the January 2025 inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump, in a winning streak propelled by concerns over crime, immigration and slow economic growth.

India's capital city is in dire need of more charging facilities, EV drivers say, to implement an ambitious plan to phase out gas vehicles in one of the world’s most polluted cities.

“Charging facilities are not up to the mark yet,” said Shyam Singh, a marketing executive who owns a two-wheel electric scooter, adding that it is hard for long-distance drivers to switch to EVs because the current battery range is not enough.

Delhi uses a bold approach to mainstream EVs

Delhi adopted a new policy on July 1 that aims to make the vast majority of newly registered vehicles electric by 2027. While existing gas-powered vehicles won't be banned, their numbers are expected to dwindle in the coming years.

Energy experts say the plan is one of the country’s most ambitious electric-vehicle policies and a significant step toward improving the city's air quality and reducing pollution.

The policy provides EV buyers with subsidies and waivers on registration fees and some road taxes, incentives to scrap gas vehicles, and it offers plans to expand the charging infrastructure. It also targets two- and three-wheelers that make up nearly 70% of vehicles in the city: Starting in 2027, any newly registered three-wheeled vehicles and small trucks must be electric, with two-wheelers the following year.

Currently, only about 5% of the 8.7 million vehicles registered in Delhi are electric. But EV registrations have been increasing, with over 100,000 in the past year, most of them two- and three-wheelers. Registrations for new gas-powered cars and bigger trucks will still be allowed for the time being.

The plan, which is expected to cost the local government 150 billion rupees ($1.5 billion), will offer cash amounts of up to 50,000 rupees ($522) for residents who purchase EVs and up to 100,000 rupees ($1,044) for those who scrap their old gasoline-powered vehicles.

“Delhi’s EV policy is one of the most ambitious policies that I have seen in India,” said Jaideep Saraswat, who leads work on clean power and electric mobility at the Vasudha Foundation. The deadlines, he added, send a signal to automakers and consumers that change is “inevitable.”

While states including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Tamil Nadu have offered incentives for electric vehicle owners and manufacturers, cut taxes and pumped money into setting up charging stations, Delhi is the first to phase out gas-powered vehicles.

Going electric can reduce pollution

Severe air pollution in Delhi frequently forces school closures, construction bans and emergency public health measures, especially during the winter months. Vehicles cause about a quarter of air pollution in the National Capital Region surrounding Delhi, and two- and three-wheelers are responsible for nearly half of vehicular pollution in the city.

Ruchita Shah, an energy analyst for the global energy think tank Ember, said the city has long been a clean energy pioneer, including its earlier shift toward compressed natural gas vehicles to cut pollution. She said electric vehicles accounted for about 12.7% of Delhi’s new vehicle sales in the 2026 financial year, compared with 8.3% nationally.

The new policy’s most forward-looking feature, she said, is linking subsidies to tight deadlines after which some internal combustion engine vehicles can no longer be newly registered.

Sunil Dahiya, founder of environmental research organization Envirocatalyst, said cleaner vehicles could significantly reduce public exposure to roadside emissions. Still, he cautioned that the benefits will take time to fully materialize because existing gasoline, diesel, and CNG vehicles will continue to operate for years.

Charging infrastructure is a key hurdle

Some owners of gasoline-powered two-wheelers say this isn't the right time to go electric.

Siddhant Jha, a 22-year-old software engineer and northern Delhi resident, is worried about the longevity of EVs compared with his traditional two-wheeler, and the annual street flooding damaging a vehicle’s electrical components.

“I'd like to wait for a few years for better models and the 150,000 rupees ($1,566) I'll spend (on an EV) will make more sense then.”

Jha is also concerned about EV charging accessibility.

Shah, the energy analyst, said the policy’s success hinges on Delhi building sufficient charging infrastructure and sourcing more supplied power from renewable resources rather than fossil fuel plants. Most vehicle charging now happens at night, when solar power is unavailable, forcing the dependence on thermal power plants to meet demand.

Delhi must also upgrade its electricity grid — especially fast chargers needed by buses, cargo vehicles and cars — to meet the surge in demand and avoid grid failures, said Dahiya, the environmentalist.

Dahiya recommended installing battery storage at charging stations and adopting time-of-day pricing to incentivize charging when renewable power is more abundant.

Delhi's next challenges will be coordinating with surrounding states to decarbonize the electricity grid and public transport electrification, said Saraswat of the Vasudha Foundation.

“As a resident of Delhi, I’m sure each and every one will be extremely thrilled to have this policy. To see that winter where there is no smog, no pollution.”

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Arasu reported from Bengaluru, India, and can be followed on X at @sibi123. Reach him at sarasu@ap.org.

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

TOTE Services LLC, which stands for Totem Ocean Trailer Express, was selected by the U.S. Navy and awarded the Landing Ship Medium (LSM) contract. The award covers up to eight Medium Landing Ships and names TOTE Services as the vessel construction manager (VCM). A separate company will handle the physical construction of the ships in Philadelphia.

From Alaska to Jacksonville — and now the Navy

TOTE started in Seattle, Washington and Alaska before expanding its footprint to Jacksonville, Puerto Rico and the military sector. Today, the company also operates TOTE Logistics and TOTE Terminals at JAXPORT.

Beyond the new Navy contract, TOTE already moves 3.6 billion pounds of goods between Puerto Rico and Jacksonville every year — a round-trip operation that keeps supply chains running around the clock.

A ‘pretty exciting week’ seven years in the making

Jeff Dixon, President of TOTE Services LLC and a former U.S. Coast Guard captain, said the back-to-back contract wins were the result of years of preparation.

“Last week was a pretty exciting week,” Dixon said.

Dixon described the company’s culture as a key ingredient in its growth. “I think TOTE is an employer of choice — a company of integrity that genuinely cares about its people,” he said.

A Florida native, Dixon said working in the maritime industry while supporting the military branch he once served gives him a unique sense of purpose.

Jacksonville’s role in a growing U.S. maritime industry

Dixon said the contracts are more than a business milestone — they reflect a broader national trend.

“The U.S. maritime industry is growing leaps and bounds, and that’s an amazing story. Tremendous opportunity,” Dixon said.

Giving back to the Jacksonville community

TOTE’s impact stretches beyond the waterfront. The company supports several local organizations, including Hugs St. Johns, Blessings in a Backpack, Lend a Wing at UNF and school supply drives for students at Pickett Elementary.

The proposal, Ordinance 2026-574, is titled the “Stand for Service Act.” It’s being brought forward by City Council Pres. Nick Howland.

Under the ordinance, companies receiving a Recapture Enhanced Value (REV) Grant incentive would be required to make a “good faith effort” to hire qualified veterans and/or active-duty military spouses for a minimum of 10% of new jobs created, according to the bill.

Howland said the idea is to connect city-backed job growth with Jacksonville’s large military and veteran community.

“We’re a city of about a million and growing and we have over 100 000 veterans here,” Howland said. “So 10% of our workforce should be veterans ... Veterans earn more than non-veterans. Veterans volunteer more than non-veterans and veterans vote more than non-veterans. So if we can grow and better our workforce, we’re growing a community contingent that gives back to the city of Jacksonville.”

Howland described the 10% threshold as a target rather than a strict quota. He said it is meant to be “aspirational,” adding that falling short could affect whether a company receives incentives in the future.

The ordinance also includes a separate economic development provision involving Cecil Airport. The bill updates the city’s policy to acknowledge Cecil Airport as a primary engine for economic and workforce development and says projects benefiting Cecil Airport should receive additional positive consideration when the city evaluates potential public investments.

Howland also defended the bill when asked how it fits into broader debates about hiring practices or DEI, arguing the policy is focused on veterans and military families.

“Veterans are the best candidates,” he said. “They are not DEI hires. Veterans have written blank checks up to and including their lives for our nation, the least we can do is make sure that they have a productive and enjoyable post-service life.”

The bill was introduced Tuesday and will now move through the standard committee and review process before it comes back to the full City Council for a vote.

Haynes died Thursday after being stabbed outside the Leyu Food Store on Kings Road. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office arrested 36-year-old Brittany McLean the following day. McLean faces a charge of murder.

Haynes’ sister, Tonya Anderson, said the conflict allegedly began when McLean asked Haynes to borrow money.

RELATED | Woman arrested, charged with murder after fatally stabbing another woman outside Jacksonville store

“They said that she asked my sister to borrow some money and my sister said no, so she slapped her and that’s how the fight began,” Anderson said. “And that was on the day before — she came back that day and stabbed her in the heart.”

Haynes’ mother, Judy Yawson, said she saw her daughter the morning she was killed.

“I saw her the morning of the day she was killed, and those words would last with me forever,” Yawson said. “She said, ‘Mom, where are you going?’ And that’s the last thing that I heard my daughter say.”

Anderson said the call came just minutes after she last saw her sister walking from their mother’s house.

“I saw her walking from my mom’s house and like 40 minutes later, that’s when I got the phone call,” Anderson said.

Community members who knew Haynes gathered at the vigil, and Anderson said their presence spoke to the kind of person her sister was.

“When I came around here to find out what was going on, everybody talked good about her,” Anderson said. “That explains why she loved to be around here in this environment because they loved her. She loved them.”

Yawson said the outpouring of support from neighbors and church members meant everything to her family.

“It means a lot for the community to come together to support my family at this time,” Yawson said. “A lot of people didn’t know Yolanda, but the people that did know her, they showed up.”

Anderson said one memory from the days before her sister’s death brings her comfort.

“She went to my mom’s house and had a conversation about God that day before, and she went to church that same day on Wednesday,” Anderson said. “So that’s a big step for me to know that she accepted Christ.”

Both her mother and sister remembered Haynes as someone who put others first.

“She was just a loving, giving person,” Anderson said. “And that’s just who she was.”

“She would do anything to help you,” Yawson added. “I will remember her by the kindness that she showed towards me.”

Yawson said she has chosen to forgive McLean, but she will never stop thinking about the day her daughter was killed.

“I truly forgive her because I am a Christian and I can’t hate her,” Yawson said. “But I will always remember the 23rd of July that she took my daughter’s life.”

Anderson echoed that sentiment, saying she plans to be present for every step of the legal process.

“I want the young lady to know that I forgive her, but I will never forget,” Anderson said. “I will be to every court date. The trial. I’ll be to everything. Because she didn’t deserve this. She had a loving family that loves her.”

Yawson said she wishes things had ended differently.

“My thing is, I would have given her the money to keep my daughter alive,” Yawson said. “No amount of money is worth taking someone’s life.”

All Iranian missiles launched against American forces in the Middle East were intercepted, U.S. Central Command said, adding that they “remain vigilant and at a high state of readiness.” In announcing the strikes in Iraq, the U.S. warned that further attacks on American troops or Saudi Arabia’s energy infrastructure risked additional action.

The United States and Iran had experienced a period of calm, during which neither announced attacks for days following weeks of escalation over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf waterway and narrow chokepoint through which 20% of the world’s traded oil normally flows.

There was no immediate comment from Tehran on the U.S. military statement or the strikes.

The fighting flared at the end of a month packed with multiple pressure points on President Donald Trump. In recent weeks, four U.S. troops died during the fighting, while the Pentagon asked an increasingly skeptical Congress for money to cover the conflict’s ballooning costs.

High gasoline prices tied to the choked-off Strait of Hormuz are contributing to fears that Republicans are vulnerable in November’s midterm elections. The U.S. House narrowly passed a resolution to halt military action in Iran last week, sending another warning to Trump that reflects the war’s unpopularity with many Americans.

Trump has repeatedly retreated from threats to knock out bridges, power plants and other infrastructure but he told Fox News Channel earlier Tuesday that Iran knows he’ll “finish the job” if its leaders don’t make a deal to end the war.

Saudi Arabia and US strike Iran-backed militias in Iraq

Iran launched its ballistic missile attack before American and Saudi forces carried out strikes in Iraq, according to a U.S. official, who stressed that the two attacks were not connected. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to detail sensitive military operations.

“U.S. and Saudi fighter aircraft struck multiple terrorist logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq in a strong response to over 30 IRGC-directed aerial drone attacks in the last 72 hours,” U.S. Central Command said, using an acronym for Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

It said the Revolutionary Guard “and its terrorist proxies must cease these attacks to avoid further U.S. military response.”

The Saudi Defense Ministry acknowledged the strikes in a post on social media, warning that “the Kingdom emphasizes that it does not seek escalation but will respond to any aggression it faces.”

Saudi Arabia said Tuesday that it shot down drones fired by Iran-backed militias in Iraq for a second day, while Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed to have forced a Saudi oil tanker to turn around as part of their self-styled blockade of the kingdom.

The kingdom's Defense Ministry said air defenses intercepted and destroyed several drones that had tried to target petroleum facilities in the nation's eastern region.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered security agencies to investigate after the Saudis alleged a similar attack on Monday. The Iraqi military said the country is committed to “preventing Iraqi territory from being used as a route or launching point for any attack targeting brotherly or friendly countries.”

The Iraqi militias have denied any role in the drone attacks. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed armed groups, called the Saudi claims “fabrications" and implied that Monday's attacks were carried out by the Houthis, who had themselves claimed to have attacked Saudi oil facilities.

A Saudi oil tanker is targeted

The Houthis claimed to have fired missiles at the Saudi oil tanker NCC Ghazal, forcing it to turn back. Last week, they announced a blockade of Saudi shipping, putting another key Middle Eastern waterway — through the Bab el-Mandeb strait leading to the Red Sea — at risk.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center said a tanker reported hearing explosions while traveling in the southern Red Sea. It did not name the tanker but said the crew and vessel were safe.

The rebels fired on at least one Saudi tanker in the Red Sea last week.

Iran and the U.S. had paused their fighting over the weekend, though tensions remained high even as officials said mediators achieved progress in getting the two sides back to negotiations.

Iran said earlier Tuesday that U.S. strikes during an earlier period of escalation destroyed an airport and a marine control tower, and caused damage to 12 bridges and two tunnels, among other infrastructure.

Iran had effectively closed the strait when the war began by firing at freighters and tankers off its coast or threatening them. Following the signing of an interim ceasefire deal in June, a battle for control over the strait erupted.

Iran demanded that ships use a route near its coastline and said it can potentially charge fees. Ships were increasingly navigating a southern route along the coast of Oman under a U.S. overwatch operation when Iran attacked some vessels.

Trump sits down with Netanyahu in Washington

The new strikes came on the same day Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Trump at the White House for the first time since the two launched the war against Iran on Feb. 28. Israel has been notably absent from the recent fighting with the Islamic Republic.

Netanyahu said it was an “excellent” meeting, and Trump called it “very good,” noting that “many important subjects were discussed.”

Meanwhile, the U.S. ability to intercept Iran’s incoming strikes has become an increasingly salient issue as lawmakers, members of the military and experts raise concerns over the nation’s diminishing stockpiles of missile interceptors.

Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesperson, pushed back on those concerns, saying the military “has everything it needs to execute at the time and place of the president’s choosing.”

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Associated Press writers Darlene Superville in Washington and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

This story originally published at GatorsBreakdown.com

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Graham's flag-draped casket arrived for a tribute at the U.S. Capitol, where the Republican served for more than 30 years as an indefatigable dealmaker who talked and laughed and badgered his colleagues into action. Later, President Donald Trump joined foreign leaders for a funeral at Washington National Cathedral, a testament to Graham's stature on the global stage.

Trump called Graham “a giant of the United States Senate, a true American original who left us much too soon.”

In mostly prepared remarks, Trump described his onetime presidential rival turned ally as “the first person to make you laugh and one of the last people that you've really ever wanted to fight.”

Trump told the story of how he had publicly disclosed Graham's cellphone number on the campaign trail, reciting the number in the cathedral, but said the senator had the last laugh because "Lindsey did not stop calling me for the next 10 years.”

Among those gathered were Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy, leaders of two countries fighting separate wars, a nod to Graham's role as a foremost believer in the power of the U.S. and its military to intervene in the world's problems. Fox News' Sean Hannity said in his remarks that Graham would have been moved.

Trump Cabinet officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and current and former senators and lawmakers joined in the pews, as did Graham’s sister, now- Sen. Darline Graham, who was appointed by the state’s governor to fill the remainder of her brother’s term.

It was the start of two days of services, with burial Wednesday in Graham's home state of South Carolina. Joint Base Charleston will be renamed in his honor, an Air Force official said. Graham died suddenly on July 11 of a likely aortic tear, according to preliminary findings. He had just returned from a whirlwind trip to a NATO summit in Turkey, where he celebrated his birthday, and a visit to Ukraine. He was 71.

Graham had spent his final days negotiating punishing Russia sanctions intended to help Ukraine, and senators worked quickly voting to advance the package late Tuesday evening, a final gesture for their colleague.

A place of honor for a ‘swashbuckling’ senator

During the morning service in the Capitol Rotunda, Vice President JD Vance described Graham as a “swashbuckling” man — "who swashbuckled into the Senate” with his suit jacket open — and was impossible not to like.

“Lindsey was a towering figure,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said, choking back tears during his remarks.

First elected to Congress in the 1994 Republican revolt that swept the GOP to power, Graham was part of a new era of conservatives in the House — and among the first Republicans from his Southern state since Reconstruction.

He quickly rose to prominence as a manager in Democrat Bill Clinton's presidential impeachment, and he was elected to the Senate in 2002. There, he formed an alliance with Sen. John McCain, a Republican from Arizona, and Sen. Joe Lieberman, an independent from Connecticut, in what would become the “three amigos,” globe-trotting the world focused on national security issues.

Vance recalled how he argued with Graham over the senator's staunch support for aid to Ukraine, but praised his legacy, saying Kavanaugh “would not be on the Supreme Court” were it not for Graham’s “fierce advocacy.”

For decades, Graham had been at the center of the action — a member of virtually every bipartisan gang in Congress — with a relentless ability to adapt to political realities, particularly when it came to Trump.

One by one, many of Graham’s colleagues said their goodbyes in the Rotunda. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala, placed both hands on his casket and then put her hand on her heart. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., saluted from her wheelchair. Former Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., bowed and delivered a brief kiss and Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., gave a fist bump.

The ‘Trump whisperer’ had one last mission: Russia sanctions

Perhaps nowhere was Graham's political dexterity on display more as when he navigated his on-again, off-again relationship with Trump.

Graham had denounced Trump as “unfit for office” during the 2016 presidential campaign, but over time he had become what colleagues called the “Trump whisperer,” someone even world leaders relied on to understand the president.

Days before his death, Graham had won Trump's support for the long-fought bipartisan proposal to impose sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine, in what would be one of the strongest U.S. efforts to hamper Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ability to prolong the conflict.

Senators said they wanted to move on the sanctions package as a tribute to Graham. After the funeral Zelenskyy, who had met with Trump earlier at the White House, arrived at the Capitol to talk with lawmakers ahead of voting. He then watched the roll call from the visitors' gallery inside the Senate chamber.

Graham's champions and potential successors

At the Washington cathedral, a roster of socially conservative and anti-abortion leaders gave readings, including Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, Marjorie Jones Dannenfelser of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and the Reverend William Franklin Graham III.

When Hannity said how important Darline Graham and her family had been to the senator, she put her hand over her heart in response.

Lindsey Graham never married, but the Air Force veteran helped support his younger sister after both of his parents died while he was at college and then starting law school. He became the guardian for Darline, who was then 13.

Darline Graham is now running in a potentially crowded primary field for the fall election. The filing period for the special primary election closes Tuesday, with voting set for Aug. 11.

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Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Collin Binkley and Michelle L. Price contributed to this story.

The bipartisan 86-12 procedural vote came hours after a funeral for Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, the bill’s chief negotiator. Zelenskyy, who was in Washington to attend the service for Graham, met with senators beforehand and told them Ukraine is making gains in its war with Russia, but still needs more help from the U.S.

Zelenskyy then went to the Senate gallery to watch the vote, waving in support at the senators down below.

At the meeting, Zelenskyy told senators that the sanctions legislation "is important as a moral signal to a country that is weary and tired, though holding its own and then some against Russia," Republican Sen. Todd Young of Indiana said as he left the meeting.

In a post on X, Zelenskyy wrote, “We discussed many issues, first and foremost, anti-ballistic defense.”

“It was an honor to be present as the votes were counted," he said, adding, "This is the first step toward implementing Lindsey’s plans, and certainly a step toward peace.”

Graham and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., announced a deal with the White House on the sanctions legislation on July 10, a day before his sudden death, likely from an aortic tear. Graham had just returned from a trip to Ukraine, where he met with Zelenskyy.

Blumenthal said Graham told him that the deal they had struck was a “big effing deal” in the last conversation they had just before he died.

“It’s a significant part of his legacy,” Blumenthal said.

He said the bill has momentum partly because Ukraine is turning the tide in the war, because the bill was carefully negotiated and “there's feeling about Senator Graham.”

Zelenskyy's presence also helps, Blumenthal said, and “watching his face when he was in the gallery as we were voting was truly a moment of joy.”

Zelenskyy visits the Capitol

In Zelenskyy's latest visit to the Capitol, his message was “positive," Young said, and he talked about how the Ukrainians are making good progress against Russia in different areas of the war.

The bill is a “keystone in that overall effort” to handicap the Russian economy and drive Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table, Young said.

Zelenskyy told them that “they are winning the war now," said Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va.

“In the first year it was survival. The next three years was getting your feet under you. But now they are winning,” Justice said.

Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., said Zelenskyy told the senators that “Putin would think a little bit more about trying to negotiate a settlement if the sanctions were in place and actually creating more irritation.”

The bill will “send Putin a bipartisan message in a language he understands,” said New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat. “This is our best opportunity to support Ukraine. We are defending not just their country but the rest of Europe from an increasingly aggressive Russia.”

Zelenskyy met with President Donald Trump earlier in the day, and the two discussed ways that the U.S. could help in its war with Russia.

A long-sought deal on Russian sanctions

Graham, Blumenthal and other supporters of Ukraine had been working for more than a year to negotiate legislation that would win approval from both the White House and a majority of senators.

The bill allows the president to impose tariffs on the world’s top five purchasers of Russia oil or natural gas — with China and India at the top of that list. It provides exceptions for countries that import less than 15% of their natural gas from Russia and are taking steps to reduce those imports.

The legislation also includes sanctions on Putin, senior Russian political and military leaders, Russian financial institutions and Russian energy projects. It would expand U.S. sanctions to target older, reflagged oil tankers that Russia uses to circumvent existing U.S. sanctions on Russian oil and energy revenues.

The negotiated bill also includes waiver authority for the president, allowing the White House to waive sanctions or restrictions if the president certifies to Congress that the waiver is in the national interest.

Negotiators also added an extension of certain sanctions on Iran after Trump asked the Senate to add Iran to the bill.

Some Democrats are skeptical about tariff authority

While the president's authority was narrowed in the final negotiations, the latest version still met with some skepticism from Democrats who did not want to give Trump additional powers to impose tariffs.

“It is extremely dangerous to give Trump massive new tariff powers, particularly after we’ve seen the disastrous impacts of his corrupt, chaotic, and inflationary tariff spree," said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., in a statement with Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass.

Wyden said he plans to offer an amendment to change some of the tariff provisions in the bill as the Senate debates the measure this week.

Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego, a Democrat, said before the meeting he was still undecided on his final vote because of the tariff issue. He said he would listen to Zelenskyy's appeal and then make “a game-time decision.”

Hours earlier, the state executed a former police officer convicted of killing a young girl.

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has made Florida's death chamber the nation’s busiest at the end of his final term, saying too many families have waited too long to see justice. The lethal injections several hours apart were the first nearly back-to-back executions since Arkansas put two men to death three hours apart in 2017.

DeSantis, who has the authority under Florida law to set execution dates, decided earlier this month to carry out both executions on the same day.

Nationwide, the use of the death penalty had been declining for two decades, but that number has ticked up behind the increased pace in Florida.

Man, 80, apologizes for killing his ex-girlfriend's parents

Dominick Anthony Occhicone, the octogenarian, was pronounced dead at 6:13 p.m. at Florida State Prison near Starke after a three-drug injection. His execution came nearly five hours after the former police officer, James Aren Duckett, 68, received a lethal dose in the same death chamber.

The chamber's curtain went up promptly at Occhicone's 6 p.m. scheduled execution hour. He lay strapped to a gurney with an IV in his arm, a spiritual adviser near his feet.

Asked if he had any final words, Occhicone said he thanked all of his Christian brothers for visiting him over the years. He also apologized to the family of the victims and to his own family for what he had put them through.

“Sorry for all the hurt I caused,” he said.

“I know it don’t mean much, but I’m sorry,” Occhicone added. “I never meant to do what I did."

The injection began at 6:02 p.m. followed by several minutes of deep breathing. When the breathing slowed, a warden shook him and yelled his name without response.

Occhicone, who was convicted of fatally shooting his ex-girlfriend’s parents in June 1986, is the oldest known prisoner executed in Florida since it began modern record-keeping a century ago.

Nationwide, an older inmate, 83-year-old Walter Moody Jr., received a lethal injection in Alabama in 2018 for a wave of mail bombs in 1989 that killed a federal judge and wounded a Black civil rights attorney.

Afterward, the children of victims Raymond and Martha Artzner released a statement saying their family had come to “the end of a long and painful journey.”

“The years since June 10, 1986, have been filled with sleepless nights, empty chairs at family gatherings, and those one-on-one conversations that were lost,” it read in part. “Today does not erase that pain and it does not undo the harm, but it does close a door and end a chapter in our lives that has just lingered on far too long.”

A former police officer was executed in the afternoon

Earlier Tuesday afternoon, Duckett became the 11th Florida inmate executed this year. He was convicted of raping and drowning 11-year-old Teresa McAbee while he was working as a police officer in central Florida in 1987.

Duckett declined to make a final statement and showed no response several minutes into the execution when the prison warden shook him and shouted his name. He was pronounced dead at 1:19 p.m.

Afterward, the girl's relatives spoke of decades of suffering.

“I waited nearly 40 years to have him dead,” Dorthy Tula, the victim's mother, said before breaking down.

“This man took advantage of his badge,” said Tracy Mcfall-Buskirk, the girl's cousin.

Record execution numbers for governor’s final two years

Nationwide, a total of 19 executions including Tuesday's have been carried out this year. Florida leads with 12 executions to date in 2026 — more than all other states combined.

DeSantis, who leaves office in January, oversaw a record 19 executions last year, more in a single year than any other Florida governor since the U.S. reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976.

Another execution in Florida is set for August.

Many on Florida's death row have been there decades

DeSantis hasn’t said why he scheduled two executions hours apart. And he's rarely commented on the pace of executions, previously noting some on death row had committed crimes as far back as the 1980s.

“Justice delayed is justice denied. I felt I owed it to them to make sure this ran very smoothly," the governor said last year.

Florida Department of Corrections records show multiple executions on a single day were more common in the past, the last being in 1964.

The U.S. Supreme Court denied last appeals from both men Tuesday.

All Florida executions are by injection of a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the Department of Corrections.

____

Associated Press reporter John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed.

Around 5:15 p.m., a 51-year-old Ocala woman was driving a sedan north on U.S. 41 while the 68-year-old man was on a motorcycle driving behind the sedan in the same lane, according to FHP.

Troopers said that when the sedan slowed down to make a left turn onto SW 25th Place, the motorcyclist failed to stop and ran into the back of the vehicle.

Both drivers were taken to the hospital. The 68-year-old died from his injuries, and the woman suffered serious injuries, the report said.

A video, which claims to show a fielder clicking his fingers to imitate the sound of a bat connecting with the ball before a player is called out, has been viewed millions of times on X.

The person who posted the video described it as “about the worst case of cheating I’ve ever seen in cricket.”

The video of a match involving North Yorkshire and South Durham Cricket League team Saltburn, has been greeted with outrage online and generated headlines around the world.

TV presenter Piers Morgan weighed in, describing the player involved as the “biggest cheat in cricket history” and wondered how many batsmen’s days “has he ruined?”

Cricket has had its share of scandals, ranging from the so-called “Sandpapergate” ball-tampering episode in 2018 that led to suspensions for three Australian international players, to spot fixing scandals that have led to lengthy bans.

But at the amateur levels of the game, such as this so-called village cricket competition in England, umpires have no access to video replays to make decisions and there's a level of trust required from players when claiming catches.

A cricket umpire could be fooled into calling a player out if they believed they heard the sound of the ball clipping the edge of a bat before being caught.

The league said in a statement on X that it had received a formal complaint regarding a game on Saturday, but did not reveal which teams were involved.

“A full investigation has been initiated and until such time as the formal processes are complete no further comment will be made,” it said.

There was no immediate response when The Associated Press contacted the league and Saltburn for comment.

___

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

The closed-door meeting lasted nearly an hour and a half and was “positive and productive," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. Trump, in a social media posting several hours after the talks, called it a “very good meeting” where “many important subjects were discussed” but offered no further details.

The face-to-face talks come as both leaders face growing pressures at home. Netanyahu is up for reelection and is embattled in part because of his deteriorating relationship with Trump. Trump is under pressure to end an unpopular war that has wreaked economic havoc and driven prices higher ahead of midterm elections this November.

Later on Tuesday, Iran shattered a brief period of calm in the war by launching multiple ballistic missiles at U.S. forces in the Middle East, the U.S. military said, adding that all of the Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted.

An Israeli official briefed on the White House meeting said Netanyahu made it clear to Trump and his Cabinet that if Iran were to attack Israel, they would respond, but that beyond that, they would trust the judgment of the president regarding next steps. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to share details of a private meeting.

Despite signs of tension between the two before the meeting, Netanyahu was effusive afterward in a post on Instagram, noting that the meeting included Trump's “entire senior team.”

Vice President JD Vance, who has had critical words for Israel and in June warned Israeli officials that Trump was their only friend among world leaders, was among those in the meeting.

“When I say excellent, I don’t mean it in a superficial way,” Netanyahu said in Hebrew. “A conversation with full partnership, with mutual support, with an understanding of the common goal of ensuring that Iran does not have nuclear weapons, and other goals as well.”

Netanyahu later joined Vance and Trump at a funeral for Sen. Lindsey Graham, where the Israeli leader was seen speaking to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who met with Trump earlier in the day.

Trump expresses some frustration with Netanyahu before sitdown

Trump revealed some tension with Netanyahu ahead of their meeting, complaining about reports that the Israeli leader planned to discuss intelligence on Iranian activities at Pickaxe Mountain, a potential nuclear site that the U.S. president has threatened repeatedly to bomb.

“I know exactly what’s going on at Pickaxe,” Trump told “Fox & Friends.” He insisted that whatever Iran is doing is “not a big problem” and that “Bibi’s telling me that because he wants me to stay involved.”

“Why do you have to announce to the world?” Trump added, flashing his frustrations with his ally.

The Israeli official said that Netanyahu reiterated to Trump during the meeting that Israel will always share its intelligence with the U.S. but that it also understands that Washington has its own timeline and considerations to factor in, including other allied countries in the region that would be affected if Washington were to escalate militarily.

Trump has had a hot-and-cold history with Netanyahu over the years, but upon his return to the White House last year, their alliance seemed stronger than ever. When they started the war together in February, it was with a united front, touting their respective militaries as acting in lockstep to take out Iran’s leadership and pave the way for a government more friendly to the West.

But as Iran fought back — sending drones and missiles slamming into U.S. bases and high-rises in cities in the Gulf, and choking off the Strait of Hormuz — Trump came under immense pressure both at home and by allies in the region to end the conflict.

Netanyahu has been deferential to Trump on next steps with Iran

Since then, Netanyahu, who wanted to continue the fighting in Iran and against its ally, Hezbollah, in Lebanon, has been sidelined as Trump sought a deal with Tehran. Disagreements with Trump and Vance have burst into the open over the war in Iran and more.

“The Americans are making it clear to the Israelis they are the ones who are running the war,” Israeli journalist and political analyst Amit Segal wrote Monday in the daily newspaper Israel Hayom. “It is clear to everyone that Israel has been put in the back seat.”

Of Trump, Netanyahu said Sunday that “many ways, it’s his decision” on how to move forward. “If he can do so without returning to intense military fighting, that’s fine. Why not?”

“But one way or the other, they have to end their nuclear program,” Netanyahu told Maria Bartiromo on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures” about Iran.

The Israeli official said the two leaders also discussed the framework agreement that the U.S. and Israel signed with Lebanon over the Israel-Hezbollah war and the expansion of the Abraham Accords, which have Arab and Muslim-majority nations normalize ties with Israel.

Steps to allow other forces in Gaza and in Lebanon

Netanyahu also needed to persuade Trump that he won’t play spoiler to U.S. diplomatic and reconstruction efforts in Gaza and Lebanon, where the president has previously complained that “too many people are being killed” by Israeli strikes.

In Lebanon, where the Israeli military occupies much of the south, Israel agreed to allow the Lebanese army to deploy to some villages as part of a “pilot program” testing its ability to secure areas where Hezbollah once operated. The U.S. State Department says the next round of talks between Israel and Lebanon will take place next week in Rome with a focus on expanding the program.

On Gaza, Israel’s security cabinet green-lit on Sunday a measure that would, in theory, grant entry to the first members of an international stabilization force outlined last year in a U.S.-backed ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.

Few countries have pledged troops, however, and Israel would approve their entry into Gaza on a case-by-case basis. The troops — including from Morocco and Uganda — would only be allowed to operate in a small, desolate area in Rafah in the south, where the plan is to vet and house some displaced Palestinians.

The Israeli military continues to carry out strikes it says target militants but that have also killed civilians.

Israel has lost a significant amount of bipartisan support in the United States, particularly over Gaza. An AP-NORC poll published this month found a dramatic erosion of support among American adults for Israel.

Near the White House, a small group of protesters chanted, “Netanyahu, you’re a tyrant” and “Bibi, you’re not welcome here,” referencing the prime minister’s nickname.

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Cunningham reported from Jerusalem and Amiri reported from New York. Associated Press writers Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, Darlene Superville and Seung Min Kim in Washington, Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report. Cunningham reported from Jerusalem.

After debate, the override vote failed 11-7 — one vote short of the 12 votes (two-thirds) needed to override the veto.

Because the override failed, the mayor’s veto stands, and the ordinance does not take effect.

Mayor Donna Deegan issued a statement after the vote failed.

We thank the City Council members who voted to preserve the separation of powers that underpin our consolidated government. For decades, Jacksonville has operated under a straightforward and transparent appointment structure: the Executive Branch nominates, and the Legislative Branch confirms. That is how checks and balances are supposed to work. They are not obstacles to be overpowered.

This ordinance was another effort to erode the balance of power between co-equal branches of government. Jacksonville deserves a government where each branch respects one another’s roles, where accountability remains clear, and where institutional norms are not discarded simply because a temporary political majority sees advantage in doing so.

Mayor Deegan said in a statement

What the ordinance would have changed

The legislation would have split appointments to the Kids Hope Alliance (KHA) Board and the Jacksonville Public Library Board of Trustees, splitting appointment authority between the mayor and the council president — with all appointments still requiring City Council confirmation.

Currently, the appointments all rest with the mayor and council approval.

If it were to become law:

Kids Hope Alliance Board (7 members)

• 4 members appointed by the mayor, confirmed by City Council
• 3 members appointed by the council president, confirmed by City Council

Jacksonville Public Library Board of Trustees (12 members)

• The mayor appoints 7 members (one from each of the five at-large groups, plus two at-large seats)
• The council president appoints 5 members (one from each of the five at-large groups)
• All appointments would still be subject to City Council confirmation.

Why it raised questions: separation of powers

Supporters argued the change would formalize council’s role as a co-equal branch of local government and give council leadership more direct input on boards that oversee major public services and budgets.

Opponents countered that the mayor already makes appointments subject to council confirmation, and questioned why council should restructure the process at all.

Council member Ron Salem, who introduced the bill, said the change was not unprecedented and would not disrupt the city’s “strong mayor” system.

“This is nothing new and I want to emphasize that point,” Salem said. “This bill isn’t just for the next year. This bill goes on past that.”

Council member Michael Boylan pushed back, arguing the current system already gives council leverage through confirmations.

“If it ain’t broke why are we trying to fix it,” Boylan said. “This is inside baseball… we have all the power we need to make sure these boards are properly populated.”

In a statement, Council Member Rahman Johnson said he planned to change his prior vote and uphold the mayor’s veto.

Johnson said a deeper review led him to believe the ordinance is “well-intentioned,” but needs more work before becoming law.

“Leadership is not about defending yesterday’s vote. Leadership is about making today’s best decision,” Johnson said.

He added that institutions like Kids Hope Alliance and the library board “deserve thoughtful transitions that protect continuity and public confidence.”

With the override failing, the mayor’s veto remains in place and the appointment structure stays unchanged.

Council members signaled the broader debate over shared governance and board oversight could continue, but any future changes would require new legislation.

Judge Carli Kierny found that the interview is admissible in Duane “Keffe D” Davis' trial, which is scheduled to start Aug. 10.

Davis, 63, is charged with murder in Shakur's 1996 killing and faces life in prison without parole if convicted. Prosecutors allege Davis orchestrated the killing.

Shakur’s death is considered one of the most notorious unsolved murders in the United States. The case went cold until Davis began making public statements about it, including in a book he co-wrote in which he said he was in the Cadillac and provided the weapon used to shoot Shakur.

Defense attorney Michael Sanft argued that a 2008 interview Davis gave law enforcement was supposed to be confidential, and that detectives explicitly told him the interview was not supposed to be used against him.

“I sang because they promised I would not be prosecuted,” Davis wrote in his book “Compton Street Legend.”

Prosecutors argued there was no basis to exclude the interview from the trial, which is expected to take about four weeks. They argued the interview was no longer inadmissible when Davis chose to write his book and speak publicly about what happened.

Davis’ attorney unsuccessfully tried to block the use of the book in the upcoming trial, arguing that it was fictionalized to make a profit and impossible to determine which parts, if any, he wrote. Kierny determined Davis adopted the book as his own, citing an interview in which he described the book as the “real truth.”

The 2008 interview was used in former Los Angeles Police Department Detective Greg Kading’s book “Murder Rap: The Untold Story of the Biggie Smalls & Tupac Shakur Murder Investigations.” Portions of the recording were also played in documentaries, including the recent documentary “Sean Combs: The Reckoning.”

Shakur was killed Sept. 7, 1996, in Las Vegas. He and Death Row Records founder Marion “Suge” Knight were sitting at a red light when a white Cadillac pulled up beside them near the Las Vegas Strip, and gunfire erupted. Shakur was shot multiple times and died six days later. Knight survived with minor injuries.

Three others were with Davis in the Cadillac, including his nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, but Davis is the only person still alive. None of the others faced charges in Shakur's killing before they died.

In his memoir, Davis said he obtained a handgun from an associate and tossed it into the back seat of the Cadillac but did not say who fired the fatal shots.

In the 2008 interview, Davis described how he and his crew saw Shakur that night and pulled up beside them, and said that Anderson “popped them.” Anderson denied involvement in Shakur’s killing at the time. He died two years later in an unrelated gang shooting in Compton, California.

A witness testified to the grand jury that Anderson didn't have a “clear shot,” so Deandrae “Freaky” Smith took the gun and fired.

Davis wrote in his book that investigators were “clearly shocked and surprised” when he began answering questions about Tupac's death.

He also expressed regrets about talking to them.

“It kills me on the inside to know that I told them anything,” he wrote.

“She's exactly the burst of energy we need,” Anderson said after voting early in the liberal stronghold of Madison.

But 80 miles down the road in Milwaukee, Democratic voter Steve Wiesner said if Hong wins the Aug. 11 primary he will vote Republican for the first time in his life.

“I would never support her or any DSA candidate at this point,” Wiesner said, using the acronym for Democratic Socialists of America. He voted for longshot candidate Joel Brennan.

Their views demonstrate the dilemma for Democrats in Wisconsin as they hope to win the governor's race against a Republican endorsed by President Donald Trump in a year that should favor Democrats.

But a chaotic primary, and the rise of Hong, has amplified angst among voters and party insiders that Democrats may be squandering their chances to retain control of the governor’s office and flip both chambers of the Legislature to earn full control of Wisconsin state government for the first time since 2010.

Democratic socialist Hong divides early Wisconsin voters

The insurgent Hong has garnered strong support among the most liberal wing of the party. Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who narrowly lost a 2022 U.S. Senate race, is hoping that voters in his hometown of Milwaukee help him overcome Hong, whose base is in Madison. Those two cities hold the largest number of Democratic voters in Wisconsin.

Also in the race is Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who is running with the endorsement of Gov. Tony Evers. Crowley had dropped out of the race on July 8, but got back in on July 17, the day after Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez dropped out amid a campaign finance scandal.

Anderson, who was among voters who cast in-person early ballots on the first day Tuesday, said he was “very frustrated” by Evers' late endorsement in the race.

“It's the latest example of the Democratic Party meddling,” said Anderson, who works for the state Department of Natural Resources.

Nicole Santos, 45, said Hong was the only primary candidate with the “fortitude” to stand up to Trump.

“To get back on track we need to go a little further left,” she said.

Some Democratic voters make choice based on electability

Crowley voters on Tuesday said they backed him because they believed he had a better shot at beating Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in November. Tiffany, who is running with the backing of Trump in a state Trump won in 2016 and 2024, faces only nominal opposition in the primary.

It would be “tough” for Hong to beat Tiffany, said retired attorney John Hawley, 68, of Madison.

“I’d like to think I’m wrong, but north of Madison and Milwaukee I don’t think she’ll come across that well,” he said in reference to more rural parts of the state.

Erica and Mario Johnson, a married couple who are both Black and from Milwaukee, both voted for Crowley, because they see him as best positioned to beat Tiffany. Crowley and Barnes are each seeking to become the state’s first Black governor. Hong is seeking to become Wisconsin's first female governor and first Asian American governor.

Crowley has the “most executive experience,” said Mario Johnson, 63, who retired from a career in the federal government.

He worries that Hong won’t be able to defeat Tiffany, but if Hong wins the primary, “I’ll bite the bullet and vote for her.”

As of Tuesday, nearly 108,000 ballots had already been returned by mail ahead of the Aug. 11 election.

Democratic c

andidates play nice in only debate before election

The Democratic candidates tried to differentiate themselves Tuesday night in the only debate before the primary, but abstained from going after Hong, who has led in polls.

Hong, who has run as an insurgent candidate, tried to cast herself as the one who could bring together Republicans, Democrats, independents and democratic socialists.

“This is a movement moment,” Hong said.

Hong also tried to distance herself from the national democratic socialist movement. Hong said she did not support the entire national DSA platform and backed off her earlier support for defunding the police.

“The governor cannot defund police and I’m not here to govern by slogan," she said.

Crowley, who has the governor's endorsement, and Barnes, who served as Evers' lieutenant governor in his first term, also tried to portray themselves as outsiders.

“I’m not here to protect the establishment,” Crowley said.

And while Barnes said no other candidate had united Democrats like he did in his 2022 Senate race, “I have zero interest in being the establishment candidate.”

___

Mayes-Osterman 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. She reported for this story from Milwaukee.

The probes will determine whether the Bethel School District, about an hour south of Seattle, and Denver Public Schools violated a federal law that gives parents the right to opt out of school evaluations on topics including sex behavior or attitudes, the department said.

“Parents must be the decision-makers in matters impacting the most intimate parts of their children’s lives,” Frank Miller, director of the Student Privacy Policy Office at the Education Department, said in a statement.

Denver schools spokesman Scott Pribble said in a statement the district put the teacher on administrative leave and completed an investigation after students raised concerns in March 2025. The statement did not specify what prompted students' concerns.

The Board of Education fired the teacher in May, he said.

“The safety, emotional well-being, and dignity of our students are the absolute highest priorities of DPS,” the statement said. “Our actions to date have been wholly consistent with those priorities.”

Bethel School District said in a statement that the vials in a display at Graham-Kapowsin High School in June were not authorized by school administrators and were immediately removed and turned over to the Pierce County Sheriff's Office. Some vials had a “small amount of unknown liquid,” the district said.

Testosterone is prescribed for gender-affirming care. The district added that it will cooperate fully with the Education Department's investigation.

The two districts are in states headed by Democrats. President Donald Trump is a Republican.

The Trump administration has opened dozens of investigations into schools that make accommodations for transgender and LGBTQ+ students, often taking aim at districts that allow students to use bathrooms or locker rooms that align with their gender identities. It accused Denver schools last year of violating Title IX protections against sex-based discrimination over such a bathroom policy.

Trump officials have also pushed against schools accused of keeping information about students’ gender identities confidential from their parents, which the department says is a violation of federal privacy laws.

The Education Department tied the new investigations to National Parents’ Day on Sunday. The agency said it will be announcing “significant actions” involving the enforcement of parental rights laws through the week.

Pierce County Sheriff's Deputy Carly Cappetto said Bethel school administrators identified the student who brought the vials to campus. No charges were filed, and the juvenile student was referred to a drug and alcohol diversion program, Adam Faber, a spokesman for the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, said in an email. He said the vials were not tested for testosterone, which is a controlled substance.

The district said in its statement it is reviewing its protocols for overseeing displays to “ensure all school materials strictly align with our educational standards and community expectations.”

“Our primary focus remains on maintaining a safe, respectful, and focused learning environment for all of our students,” it added.

___

Associated Press writer Collin Binkley in Washington contributed to this report.

The Fox Cities region, which is home to more than 100,000 people in the cities of Appleton, Menasha and Neenah, was left in shambles by Monday's twister, with homes leveled, cars flipped, and power lines and trees toppled.

Despite widespread damage, the timing of the storm could be why there have been no reported deaths. The tornado arrived in the early afternoon, authorities noted, when most people were awake and after warnings had been issued.

“Everybody was at work. It was the middle of the day,” Menasha Police Chief Matt Albrecht said. “Most people were not at home and at their place of employment.”

Dozens of people were injured, and officers were still going door-to-door a day later in search of possible victims.

David Chew, 55, said a tree smashed through his roof in Menasha, and he still hadn't located an outdoor patio lounger swept away by the storm. But he's better off than a neighbor: A portion of her roof was ripped clean, with furniture and drywall “sucked out.”

“It was just a shocker,” said Chew, who had rushed to the basement with his wife and son.

The tornado touched down around 1 p.m. and remained on the ground for more than 20 minutes, cutting a roughly 12-mile (19.3-kilometer) path of destruction, the National Weather Service reported. The area is about 100 miles (160 kilometers) northwest of Milwaukee.

It was classified as an EF3 tornado — the strongest to strike Outagamie and Winnebago counties since an EF4 touched down in April 1984, the weather service said.

“The depth of the tornado and its impact is incredible, devastating. We’re really still at the assessment stage,” Winnebago County Executive Gordon Hintz said at a news conference Tuesday.

A relatively powerful twister

Gov. Tony Evers declared a state of emergency for the affected areas. Shelters were opened for displaced residents.

As chain saws roared in the background, Appleton Mayor Jake Woodford said a number of neighborhoods were “truly devastated.” Like elsewhere in the region, electricity lines were tangled around broken trees, making power restoration a slow, risky process.

More than 10,000 customers in Winnebago and Outagamie counties were still without power, according to utilities that serve them. It could be several days before power is fully restored.

The twister was spun off by a large storm system that moved through the Great Lakes and was fueled by a buildup of heat and humidity, the weather service said.

“What we are seeing this summer is significant heat leading to significant severe weather,” said Chad Merrill, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather. “We had an EF3 tornado in Wisconsin. People need to take these warnings seriously. It can happen just about anywhere.”

Residents describe terrifying moments

ThedaCare Regional Medical Centers in Appleton and Neenah said it treated 40 people, mostly for minor storm-related injuries. Ascension St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton said it saw about 30 patients, all with minor injuries.

Rachel Bernhardt, 56, said she grabbed her dog and dashed to her basement in the village of Fox Crossing after she saw a steel swing spinning in the yard. When the storm passed, her second-floor bedroom was covered in glass and a tree branch was resting on her bed. The carpet was soaked.

“We can’t be in there anymore,” said Bernhardt, who is sleeping on the first floor and using a generator to keep the refrigerator going. “In fact, I’m going to caution-tape that off.”

At Manderfield’s Home Bakery, a decades-old landmark in Menasha, the brick frame around the door still stood, but not much more.

“This can be replaced,” owner Jerry Manderfield told WISN-TV. “We had people in the building that could possibly have died in there.”

Luigi’s Pizza in Menasha set up a food trailer to distribute hygiene packs and free slices after donors kicked in enough money to make at least 125 pizzas Tuesday.

“Sometimes a hot pizza, a taco, and a reminder that your community cares can mean more than words,” said Duncan’s Window & Door, which chipped in for 50 pizzas.

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Collins reported from Hartford, Connecticut, White reported from Detroit, and Turbay reported from Little Rock, Arkansas; Associated Press reporters Christopher Keller in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin, contributed to this story.

The violence erupted when armed, masked protesters at a sit-in opened fire on police and security personnel deployed to secure polling, the regional government and police said. There were unconfirmed reports that several protesters were killed or wounded, but officials did not immediately confirm any civilian casualties.

Voting in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, which is divided between India and Pakistan and claimed in its entirety by both countries, began Monday and is being held in phases through Aug. 10.

The now weeks-old protest encampment has overshadowed the election, with residents reporting low voter turnout in Monday’s first phase, when polling was held for several assembly seats in the city of Mirpur.

At a news conference in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, government spokesman Mohammad Rashid Hanif alleged that the outlawed Joint Awami Action Committee, or JAAC, sought to derail the elections. He said a “significant number” of Fitna al-Khawarij, the term Islamabad uses for members of the Pakistani Taliban, were also among the protesters.

Later on Tuesday at a news conference in Islamabad, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Deputy Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry said the ongoing sit-in was no longer a peaceful protest, alleging that armed militants had joined the demonstrators and posed a threat to public order. They said authorities would soon take action to restore order and ensure conditions for a free, fair and peaceful vote.

The ministers urged residents to stay away from the protest, alleging that some demonstrators were armed with sophisticated weapons and were using them against security forces. They said security forces were responding in self-defense while exercising maximum restraint.

The regional government banned the JAAC recently, citing concerns over public order and security, and arrested dozens of its followers. The group, formed in 2023, demands greater political rights for the people of Kashmir and the abolition of refugee seats in the assembly on the grounds that the refugees have disproportionate influence. It is notorious for violent protests. The dispute escalated in early June after the region’s Supreme Court ruled the refugee seats are constitutionally protected and cannot be abolished without a constitutional amendment.

Hanif, the government spokesman, urged residents to distance themselves from the protesters, alleging that armed militants had infiltrated the demonstrations and were using civilians as shields. He said authorities would continue operations to disperse the protest camps and restore law and order.

Hanif showed what he said was video footage of masked gunmen firing from the roof of a building.

Sitting alongside Hanif, regional deputy Police Chief Irfan Masood Kashfi said armed men involved in the unrest were carrying weapons including Kalashnikov assault rifles and that authorities had received intelligence that snipers were also being used. He said one paramilitary officer was killed and five other security personnel, including a police officer, were wounded. He said security forces exercised restraint and responded only in self-defense.

Kashfi also said authorities arrested an armed suspect in Rawalakot and seized what he described as an assault rifle, alleging the suspect had recently arrived from abroad and received sniper training.

Officials also played video recordings of two detained men who appeared to confess to taking part in the violence. One said he had been paid and instructed to attack troops and police, while the other claimed to belong to an armed faction linked to the JAAC and described firing on security forces with an M-16 rifle.

The group did not immediately respond to the latest allegations.

The Red Sox acquired Mead on Saturday in a trade that sent left-hander Connelly Early to Washington. Mead was injured in his second at-bat with Boston on Monday when he was hit on the wrist by Athletics starter Jack Perkins.

Red Sox manager Chad Tracy said on Monday that X-rays were negative, but further tests on Tuesday showed an injury that will knock Mead out of the lineup.

“Super disappointing. It doesn’t feel real happening in first game," Mead told reporters before the Red Sox faced the A's on Tuesday. “There will be a break in between the next one.”

Mead is hitting .253 with 17 home runs and 48 RBIs this season.

The Red Sox recalled infielder Nick Sogard from Triple-A Worcester to fill Mead's roster spot.

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

The National Weather Service has issued an Extreme Heat Watch for Duval County from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Weather Alert Day: Severe storms possible Wednesday amid extreme heat alert

Cooling centers open across Jacksonville

When the plan is activated Monday through Saturday, cooling centers will be available at City of Jacksonville facilities during normal hours of operation — regardless of whether activation thresholds are met.

Available locations include:

• 21 COJ Public Libraries: Accessible, air-conditioned spaces throughout the city
• 20 COJ Community Centers: Available across multiple neighborhoods
• 31 COJ Pools and 18 Splash Pads: Offering immediate cooling relief

Free JTA rides to cooling centers

The Jacksonville Transportation Authority will provide free transportation to cooling centers on designated activation days. Riders must tell their bus driver they are traveling to a cooling center to receive the free fare.

Tips for staying safe in the heat

Health officials recommend the following precautions during extreme heat:

Stay cool

• Minimize outdoor activities during the hottest part of the day, typically between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. If time outside is unavoidable, seek shade and take frequent breaks in cooler areas.
• Wear lightweight, loose-fitting, light-colored clothing made from breathable fabrics such as cotton to help the body stay cool.
• Spend time in air-conditioned places — such as malls, libraries or community centers — to escape the heat.
• Never leave children or pets unattended in vehicles. Temperatures inside parked cars can rise to dangerously high — and potentially fatal — levels quickly.

Stay hydrated

• Drink water throughout the day, even without feeling thirsty. Dehydration can occur rapidly in hot weather.
• Limit alcohol and caffeinated beverages, as both can accelerate dehydration. Remind family members and friends to drink water regularly.

Ohio State announced a multiyear sponsorship deal with JPMorgan Chase on Tuesday. Terms were not released, but multiple outlets reported it at $17 million annually.

Also Tuesday, Notre Dame announced a jersey patch deal with financial services company SoFi Technologies worth $18 million to $20 million, according to multiple outlets.

A sprawling $2.8 billion House antitrust settlement approved by a federal judge last month cleared the way for schools to directly pay players through licensing deals — and they're already cashing in.

Notre Dame will feature patches on uniforms for every sport and SoFi will establish an annual $1.4 million fund to support Notre Dame’s “4 for Forever” campaign, funding scholarships in 26 sports and supporting student-athletes through financial education, career development and other opportunities.

"Our ‘4 for Forever’ promise at Notre Dame is paramount to providing the best student-athlete experience in the country,” Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua said in a statement. “SoFi shares in this commitment to developing strong, ambitious leaders who are set up for success at Notre Dame and beyond. Together, our relationship will create lasting value for our student-athletes and their families for generations to come.”

Ohio State jerseys and uniforms will feature a jersey patch of the Chase Bank logo in a deal that spans the department's 36 varsity sports.

“This relationship creates meaningful opportunities for our student-athletes that support the sustained excellence and competitiveness of our athletic programs, while honoring the tradition and values of Ohio State," Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork said in a statement.

Multiple other schools have already announced jersey patch sponsorships.

___

AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

President Donald Trump vowed to seek a rehearing shortly after the opinion handed him a loss on a signature issue, but by Tuesday the 25-day window had elapsed with no new activity.

A petition would face long odds: The court has not agreed to rehear an argued case in more than 50 years.

The high court’s 6-3 decision in June struck down Trump’s executive order that would have denied automatic citizenship to children born in the United States whose parents are in the U.S. illegally or temporarily.

The Republican president’s restrictions on birthright citizenship had been blocked by several lower courts before reaching the justices, and they did not take effect anywhere in the U.S.

Still, three justices — Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas – would have upheld them. A fourth justice, Brett Kavanaugh, found the Constitution wouldn't block the president's plan, though he found it did violate a federal law.

A week after the decision came down, Trump said in a social media post he would “be asking for a Rehearing by the United States Supreme Court, IMMEDIATELY.”

The White House and Justice Department did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

The last time the Supreme Court granted any petition to change an opinion was in 1965, and the last time it reversed a decision was almost a decade earlier, in a case from 1956, said Aaron-Andrew Bruhl, a law professor at William & Mary Law School.

The bar to grant a petition for rehearing is high. It would require at least one justice who ruled against Trump to change their mind and a majority of the court would have to agree, Bruhl said.

Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and a former Securities and Exchange Commission chairman, was confirmed 51-47 along party lines. Republicans had initially hoped to confirm Clayton in June, but Trump delayed his hearing in order to allow his temporary pick for the job, Bill Pulte, to take over for several weeks after former director Tulsi Gabbard resigned.

Senators from both parties have expressed concerns about Pulte, a former housing regulator who had no intelligence experience. Pulte was in charge when Trump delivered a speech from the White House earlier this month doubling down on his false claims about the 2020 election, which he lost, and released classified documents that he said were relevant to his arguments.

Democrats have also expressed concerns about Clayton, who lost bipartisan support after a contentious hearing two weeks ago in which he repeatedly refused to say that former President Joe Biden won the 2020 election.

Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said at the end of the hearing that he was “bitterly disappointed” in Clayton after initially praising his nomination.

Warner said he would oppose Clayton’s nomination but acknowledged that Democrats are “between a rock and a hard place” with Pulte in the job.

Trump praised Clayton after the vote, writing on social media: “Jay is outstanding in every way, and will do a spectacular job as Director!”

Trump revisits false claims about 2020 election

The Democratic pushback on Clayton comes as Trump has made revisiting 2020 a primary focus, repeatedly trying to cast doubt on that election and amplifying debunked theories about Biden’s win. Clayton said repeatedly at the hearing that the election was “certified” for Biden, declining to say outright that the Democrat won.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said he thought Clayton’s performance was “abysmal,” and that “makes it much less likely that he will get Democratic votes.”

Hours before the scheduled Senate vote on Clayton, Pulte released intelligence community documents from 2020 that described China’s capacity to interfere in the American political process as well as vulnerabilities in the election system.

The substance of the material was largely recycled and already known, but its disclosure is part of the broader Trump administration effort to raise concerns about the integrity of U.S. elections.

Clayton emphasized his experience

Pulte has also said he has presided over a downsizing of the national intelligence office, which functions as a coordinating hub for the U.S. government’s intelligence agencies. He boasted on social media that with the latest round of job cuts, the office is carrying out about a 30% staff reduction from weeks ago. He has not offered details about those cuts, making it hard to immediately corroborate the extent of any reductions.

Clayton did not mention Pulte in the confirmation hearing. But he emphasized his own government and national security experience, attempting to assuage senators in both parties.

“I saw firsthand how a strong national security apparatus depends on decisive judgment, discipline, integrity, and effective communication and cooperation across different branches of the government,” Clayton said. “If confirmed as Director of National Intelligence, I will commit to upholding these principles every day.”

Clayton also told senators that he had no involvement in Trump's speech about the 2020 election.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton, R-Ark., who expressed frustration last month when the hearing was delayed, said that Clayton has a reputation for operating with “morality, decency and integrity” in his previous positions.

“Jay Clayton is a highly qualified nominee with a deep experience combating a wide range of national security threats,” Cotton said.

The Defense Casualty Analysis System, or DCAS, has removed the four soldiers killed and dozens of troops wounded in the latest exchange of fire from its official Iran war tally and placed them in a new category called “Overseas Operations.”

The overall total of wounded from the conflict now stands at 642 troops, between the figures listed under Operation Epic Fury and those listed in the new category in the Pentagon’s online system.

A Pentagon official said Tuesday that because Operation Epic Fury has concluded, the military has decided to classify casualties tied to the latest strikes in the new category. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters, would not offer a date for the formal end of the operation.

That characterization raises questions about properly counting the impact to U.S. service members after the U.S. military carried out nearly two weeks of consecutive strikes against Iran in a bid to gain control of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded by striking neighboring countries in the Middle East that host U.S. forces.

After a few days of paused hostilities and efforts by mediators to get both sides back to negotiations, U.S. Central Command said Tuesday that it intercepted multiple ballistic missiles fired at American troops in the region. The U.S. and Iran had agreed to a tenuous ceasefire in April and signed an interim deal to end the war in mid-June before strikes began again this month when Iran attacked ships in the crucial shipping route.

After the four soldiers who were killed this month were removed from the Iran war death toll in the online system, Pentagon spokespeople said last week on social media that it was not an effort to hide the growing human cost of the conflict but rather the result of “anomalies” and “temporary data disruptions” that were being resolved “imminently.”

On Sunday, those troops appeared by name in the new “Overseas Operations” category. Three soldiers were killed after a base in Jordan was struck July 17 by Iranian ballistic missiles and drones, and one died in Iraq a day later during a controlled detonation of an Iranian drone.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters at a White House briefing in May that the operation had “concluded,” saying that “we achieved the objectives of that operation.”

When Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified before Congress last week, he didn’t argue that the Iran war had concluded and even offered lawmakers some cost estimates for the conflict that ran through Sept. 30.

Earlier in the day, President Donald Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — the first meeting since the two leaders launched a joint war against Iran and a chance for Netanyahu to smooth out strains in their relationship.

Trump also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday ahead of Sen. Lindsey Graham’s funeral, which was their second sit-down this month.

Later, Trump joined guests and foreign leaders at Washington National Cathedral to eulogize Sen. Lindsey Graham, who rose to become one of his generation’s more influential U.S. politicians at home and abroad.

Here's the latest:

Zelenskyy in Capitol for vote on Russian sanctions

The Ukrainian president is watching the Senate vote on Russian sanctions from the chamber’s gallery, waving at the voting senators from above.

Zelenskyy met with senators from both parties before the vote.

The bipartisan sanctions bill would penalize countries that continue to buy Russian oil, gas and other exports after more than a year of negotiations.

Recent fighting with Iran further draws down key US air defense stockpiles, analysis says

Recent fighting with Iran used up more of the U.S. military’s already diminished stockpiles of advanced missile interceptors, potentially putting American troops at more risk if hostilities resume, a new analysis says.

Shrunken inventories of Patriot and THAAD interceptors may force the U.S. and its Middle East allies to take more risks to conserve those air defenses, according to the analysis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank.

For example American forces may launch fewer missiles against incoming Iranian drones and missiles, raising the chance of one getting through.

The nation’s advanced weapons stockpiles have become a flashpoint in the five-month-long conflict, along with the threat to the lives of American service members, heightened gasoline prices and increasing costs to taxpayers.

Senate confirms Jay Clayton as Trump’s national intelligence director

The vote Tuesday puts a permanent director in the job weeks after Trump sought to delay his nomination.

Clayton is the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and a former Securities and Exchange Commission chair.

Republicans had initially hoped to confirm Clayton in June, but Trump delayed his hearing in order to allow his temporary pick for the job, Bill Pulte, to take over for several weeks.

The last director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, resigned in May.

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Trump looks to drum up support for Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles in primary fight

Ogles, who is looking to win a third term, is facing a challenge in the 5th District’s Republican primary from Charlie Hatcher, a dairy farmer and former Tennessee commissioner of agriculture.

Trump sought to give Ogles a boost with a tele-rally, reminding Tennessee Republicans that he gave the incumbent an early endorsement. Tennessee’s primary is Aug. 6, and early voting is underway.

“He’s been a friend of mine. He’s been a terrific guy,” Trump said of Ogles.

US military thwarts an Iranian missile attack on troops

The U.S. military says Iran has launched multiple ballistic missiles at American forces in the Middle East, shattering a brief pause in fighting as mediators tried to get both sides back to negotiations.

All Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted on Tuesday, according to the U.S. Central Command on social media. It says U.S. forces “remain vigilant and at a high state of readiness.”

Pentagon ties new casualty category to end of ‘Operation Epic Fury’

The Pentagon says a new, separate category was created in its official casualty tally for those killed and wounded in the renewed U.S.-Iran fighting because “Operation Epic Fury” has ended.

That’s the military’s official name for combat operations in Iran. The Defense Casualty Analysis System has removed the four soldiers killed and dozens of troops wounded in the latest exchange of fire from its Iran war tally and placed them in a new category called “Overseas Operations.”

A Pentagon official said Tuesday that since Operation Epic Fury has concluded, the military has decided to classify casualties tied to the latest strikes in the new category.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters, wouldn’t offer a date for the formal end of the operation.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters at a White House briefing in May that the operation had “concluded,” saying that “we achieved the objectives of that operation.”

Trump teleprompter operator accused of using inside information for prediction market bets no longer in post

A White House teleprompter operator who was put on unpaid leave after new reports stated he had used inside knowledge to make bets about Trump’s speeches on the online prediction market Kalshi is no longer in his post, according to a White House official familiar with the matter.

The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly about the personnel matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity, confirmed on Tuesday that the teleprompter operator, Gabriel Perez, “no longer works in the federal government.” The official did say whether Perez had resigned or was fired.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed earlier this month that Perez had been placed on unpaid leave after ABC News reported the teleprompter operator had used his inside knowledge to win more than $100,000 betting on what the president would say in big speeches, including the State of the Union address earlier this year.

— Aamer Madhani

Air Force begins process to rename base after Sen. Lindsey Graham

The U.S. Air Force has begun taking steps to rename Joint Base Charleston in honor of the late South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, an Air Force official says.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal military matters, said Air Force Secretary Troy Meink signed a memo Monday to begin the process of renaming the base to Joint Base Lindsey Graham.

The official said there was no immediate timeline on how long the process would take to rename the base, which is adjacent to Charleston International Airport. The renaming was reported earlier by the Post and Courier.

Graham served in the Air Force, the Air Force Reserves and the Air National Guard for more than 30 years as a lawyer before retiring at the rank of colonel, according to his Senate website.

He was honored at a memorial service Tuesday after he died suddenly on July 11.

—- Konstantin Toropin

Trump reflects on Graham’s loss in rare display of emotion

Speaking at the lectern during his tribute to Graham, Trump paused to note the difficulty of the moment.

“I will say, this memorial service — it’s so hard to say: memorial service for Lindsey,” Trump said before continuing.

Toward the end of his roughly 12-minute tribute, Trump looked upward and suggested Graham was “watching us” now.

“Our nation needs more men and women like that great person sitting, laying — wherever he may be,” Trump said. “I think I know where he is, and I think he’s up there. I think he’s watching us. I’m pretty sure of it.”

Trump highlights defense of Kavanaugh as perhaps Graham’s ‘finest hour’

Trump recalled the passionate defense Graham issued during the confirmation hearing in 2018 for now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, during Trump's first term as president.

Christine Blasey Ford had come forward and accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her at a party when they were in high school, an allegation he denied.

Graham, who was a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee considering the nomination, passionately defended Kavanaugh, who later was confirmed to the high court.

“His impassioned defense of a wonderful person, a great gentleman, Justice Kavanaugh, ended a disgraceful attack on this very good man and gave us one of the greatest moments the Senate has ever seen,” Trump said. “It was a truly monumental moment in Senate history. I believe it was Lindsey’s perhaps finest hour.”

Kavanaugh was among the mourners at Washington National Cathedral.

Trump eulogizes Graham, says ‘he left us much too soon’

Trump remembered Graham as someone who became a “constant fixture of American politics at the highest level, and a force to be reckoned with all over the world.”

“For more than 30 years, nothing of consequence happened in this capital without Lindsey Graham knowing about it. Nothing of significance happened anywhere in the world without Lindsey Graham having a view on it,” Trump said. “And no bill became law in the most exceptional Republican human history without Lindsey Graham having a say in it.”

“He was a man who gave America the full measure of his good and mighty heart until that heart itself just gave out,” Trump said.

Trump said Graham “went out at the peak of his career and the top of his game.”

Netanyahu says his talk with Trump was ‘one of the best’

In a video posted on his Instagram account, Netanyahu described his meeting with Trump on Tuesday as “excellent.”

He added that it was “a conversation with full partnership, with mutual support, with an understanding of the common goal of ensuring that Iran does not have nuclear weapons, and other goals as well. One of the best conversations I’ve had with the President of the United States, our friend Donald Trump.”

The Israeli Prime Minister met with Trump in the White House for about 90 minutes of talks, in a meeting that was closed to press coverage. He said that Trump’s “entire senior team” was present at the meeting, as well as “our senior team,” and that it was “an opportunity to exchange ideas and to coordinate arrangements that are important for the security and future of the State of Israel.”

Netanyahu departs White House after meeting Trump

The Israeli prime minister departed after about 90 minutes of talks.

As he was leaving, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt released a statement on X noting that Trump had concluded his meetings with Netanyahu and Zelenskyy.

She said: “Both meetings were positive and productive!”

They were closed to press coverage.

Netanyahu attended a memorial dinner for Graham, calling him a ‘dear friend’

The event was held in Washington on Monday evening and was also attended by Graham’s sister and replacement in the Senate, Darlene Graham, as well as other relatives, friends of the late senator, “senior administration officials and members of Congress,” according to a statement by Netanyahu’s office.

Speaking at the event, the Israeli leader praised Graham as “deeply committed to the security of the United States, to the security of Israel, and to the ongoing fight against anti-Semitism,“ the statement said.

Netanyahu, who is meeting with Trump at the White House, is among several foreign leaders who are expected to attend Graham’s Washington funeral held later on Tuesday.

“America has lost a great patriot. Israel has lost one of its greatest friends and supporters. And I have lost a dear friend,” Netanyahu said at the memorial dinner.

Zelenskyy reports having a ‘good meeting’ with Trump

In a social media post afterward, the Ukrainian leader said his first act was to offer his condolences to Trump on the death of Graham, who was close to Trump and a strong supporter of Ukraine.

Zelenskyy says he and Trump discussed licenses for Ukraine to produce Patriot interceptors and “several other ideas that could help.” They also discussed diplomacy.

Zelenskyy said he expressed gratitude to the United States for “its firm support” and said their teams will arrange future communication.

The White House closed the meeting to independent journalists. Zelenskyy released photos showing him posing with Trump and that U.S. secretaries Rubio, Bessent and Hegseth attended the Oval Office meeting.

Iran’s government details damage from recent escalation

Iran says recent U.S. strikes destroyed an airport and a marine control tower, and caused damage to 12 bridges and two tunnels, among other infrastructure.

Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani provided the details Tuesday in an announcement carried by the state-run IRNA news agency.

The U.S. military said it struck numerous military targets this month in response to Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on Arab countries hosting U.S. forces.

Both sides paused their attacks over the weekend, though tensions remain high.

Mohajerani said Bushehr International Airport, on the Persian Gulf, has been “rendered inoperable.” Both tunnels have been reopened and alternate routes have been established around the damaged bridges, she said.

She said other civilian infrastructure had also been destroyed, including a meteorological center and fishing boats. The U.S. says it targeted small boats used by Iranian forces to harass ships in the strait.

Former colleagues of Graham offer personal goodbyes as they walk up to his flag-draped casket

Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., placed both hands on his casket and then placed her hand on her heart. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., saluted from her wheelchair. And Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., gave a fist bump.

Scores of former senators also traveled to the Capitol to pay their respects, including former Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., who bowed and then briefly kissed the casket.

Others stood briefly before his casket and offered a short prayer and a sign of the cross.

Netanyahu now at White House for Trump meeting

The black SUV carrying the Israeli prime minister arrived on West Executive Avenue minutes after Zelenskyy departed after his own meeting with Trump.

Israel’s UN envoy says `number one’ on Trump-Netanyahu agenda will be scaling down Iran war

Ambassador Danny Danon told U.N. reporters Tuesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu definitely wants to hear from Trump what he wants to see in the coming days or weeks.

“I cannot tell you which direction it will go. There are different options,” he said. “We are prepared for all scenarios, and we will discuss it with the president.”

Danon was responding to a question on whether Israel expects the two leaders to talk about specifics of scaling down or ending the war in Iran.

“Well, I’m sure that will be number one on the agenda in the meeting today between the prime minister and the president,” he replied.

Amid somewhat strained U.S.-Israeli relations, Danon stressed, “We fought shoulder-to-shoulder against Iran, and we are prepared to continue supporting the U.S. in pursuing peace and stability in the region.” He added that Gaza will also be on the Trump-Netanyahu agenda.

Thune hails Graham as a towering figure in the Senate and the international stage

“I traveled with Lindsey all over the world as part of the congressional delegations and I saw firsthand just how much he was respected by our allies and just how well he was able to connect with foreign leaders around the world,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said.

Thune and others are honoring Graham at a tribute Tuesday in the Capitol Rotunda.

Thune and others also cited Graham’s sense of humor. He said that when lawmakers would gather for dinners in Washington, Graham was always the first call. He said no one was more capable of cracking up a room.

Choking up, he closed by telling Graham to “rest in peace my friend.”

“I look forward to the days when you make us all laugh again,” Thune said.

Americans’ confidence in US economy fell this month as Iran conflict sent gas prices back up

The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index fell to 90.8 in July from 92.2 in June.

Consumers’ view of current business and labor market conditions fell by 3.6 points to 114.9, the third straight monthly decline.

Views about their near-term futures held steady from last month with a reading of 74.7.

Consumer attitudes had improved modestly in June as gas prices came down to around $3.70 a gallon from more than $4.50 a gallon in late April and early May. But as fighting in the Middle East escalated, the average price for a gallon of gas in the U.S. started to rise again. On Tuesday it was $4.10, according to the auto club AAA.

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Trump and Zelenskyy are meeting

The White House says the meeting started at 9:47 a.m. It is “closed press,” meaning journalists at aren’t likely to see the leaders together in the Oval Office.

Graham’s casket arrives at the Capitol

The remains of the Republican senator have arrived at the U.S. Capitol, his flag-draped casket carried inside by an armed forces team, in recognition of his military service.

He’s being honored at a tribute in the Rotunda, the start of two days of services for the South Carolina senator.

Vice President JD Vance is expected to speak and several Cabinet officials, including former Sen. Markwayne Mullin, the Homeland Security secretary, were in attendance, as was acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who faces a rocky Senate confirmation for the job.

Iran says anyone tapping its frozen assets will be barred from the Strait of Hormuz

The threat came in response to Trump’s post on social media last week, in which he threatened to use Iranian assets frozen abroad to pay for damage to ships from Iranian attacks in the strait.

Ebrahim Zolfaghari, the spokesperson for Iran’s joint military command, said Tuesday that any countries or companies that join in Trump’s “unlawful action” will be barred from using the strait. The critical waterway carried a fifth of the world’s traded oil and gas before the war. His video message was carried by Iranian state TV.

Trump had said damage to ships would be “paid for by Iranian Money that the United States has in its possession, and controls.” It was unclear what legal mechanisms Trump would use to seize and spend the funds.

Acting national intelligence chief announces more job cuts

Bill Pulte, the acting director of national intelligence, has sought to leave his mark during his interim status in the job.

With the Senate poised to confirm Jay Clayton for the role, Pulte released Tuesday on X a series of intelligence community documents from 2020 that described China’s capacity to interfere in the American political process as well as vulnerabilities in the election system.

The substance of the material was largely recycled and already known, but its disclosure is part of a broader Trump administration effort to raise concerns about the integrity of U.S. elections — most especially the 2020 presidential race he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.

Pulte has also presided over a downsizing of the national intelligence office, which functions as a coordinating hub for the U.S. government’s intelligence agencies.

He boasted on X that with a latest round of job cuts, the office is carrying out about a 30% staff reduction from weeks ago.

Trump urges Iran to make a deal so he won’t have to hurt the people

Trump has repeatedly retreated from threats to knock out bridges, power plants and other infrastructure but he told Fox News Channel in an interview that Iran knows he’ll “finish the job” if its leaders don’t make a deal to end the war.

He says millions of people would then struggle to get by.

Trump claimed he would need less than an hour to “take out” most of Iran’s bridges and said he could blow up their power plants “within one day” and then target desalinization plants.

“You know, if I can avoid doing that, I’d like to do that,” he said.

Trump says he doesn’t need Netanyahu’s advice on Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain

The president says he’s not worried about construction activities at Iran’s potential nuclear site at Pickaxe Mountain, a complex Trump has threatened to bomb.

And Trump criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for publicly expressing concerns about the site ahead of the two leaders’ meeting Tuesday at the White House.

“I know exactly what’s going on at Pickaxe,” Trump told “Fox & Friends,” adding that whatever Iran is doing is “not a big problem.”

On Netanyahu’s statements ahead of his visit to Washington, Trump said, “Why don’t you just tell it to me? Why do you have to announce to the world.”

The bilateral huddle, on the same day that both men are attending the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s funeral, is the first since Netanyahu and Trump launched their war in Iran five months ago.

Trump remembers Sen. Lindsey Graham both for his kindness and his hawkishness

Speaking fondly about his friend and ally, Trump said he admired Graham as a nice person who was quick to call for military action.

“He was a guy that liked war,” Trump said Tuesday in a Fox News interview. “I jokingly say, and there’s nothing funny about it, but he’s never seen a war that he didn’t like.”

Trump added that Graham was “very much a hawk on Iran” but had also told Trump it was time to make a deal to end the war. That sentiment did not extend to the Russia-Ukraine war, Trump said.

“Ukraine he’s very militant about,” Trump said. “Lindsey liked war, to be honest with you.”

Senate expected to confirm Jay Clayton as next intelligence director on Tuesday

It will ensure that a permanent director is in place as the midterm elections approach.

Clayton is expected to be confirmed along party lines after a contentious hearing two weeks ago in which he repeatedly refused to say that former President Joe Biden won the 2020 election. Still, Democrats have said they have more confidence in Clayton than they do in Trump’s temporary pick for the job, Bill Pulte, who has no known intelligence experience and investigated the president’s perceived enemies in his previous post as a federal housing regulator.

Senators from both parties have expressed concerns about Pulte, who took over on an interim basis last month after Tulsi Gabbard resigned. Pulte was in charge when Trump delivered a speech from the White House earlier this month doubling down on his false claims about the 2020 election, which he lost, and released classified documents he said were relevant to his arguments.

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Security around the White House is tight due to Zelenskyy and Netanyahu visits

Only foot traffic is allowed on streets surrounding the complex. Vehicular traffic is blocked by city police cars and dump trucks at key intersections, like Pennsylvania Avenue and 17th St and near Lafayette Park.

Netanyahu is staying at Blair House, the U.S. government’s guest house across from the White House.

Zelenskyy has the first meeting with Trump, scheduled for 9:30 a.m., followed by Netanyahu at 11 a.m.

Zelenskyy will visit Trump at the White House before Sen. Graham’s funeral

Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet Tuesday ahead of Sen. Lindsey Graham’s funeral, their second sit-down this month and after a far-right activist with the U.S. president’s ear had a widely publicized change of heart on Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Trump is set to welcome Zelenskyy to the White House as the Ukrainian leader travels to Washington to honor Graham, whose final act as a public official was visiting Kyiv and securing an agreement on a package of sanctions that seek to punish countries that purchase Russian oil, gas and other exports.

Zelenskyy posted on X early Tuesday that he had arrived in the U.S. and listed the goals for his visit.

“Our schedule includes meetings with President Trump, his team, and those who can support our defense,” the Ukrainian leader said. “Our number one priority is anti-ballistic defense and strategic cooperation with America. Peace needs to be brought closer.”

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Netanyahu’s first meeting with Trump since the Iran war began is a chance to smooth over strains

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with Trump on Tuesday is the first since the two leaders launched a joint war against Iran and a chance for Netanyahu to smooth out strains in their relationship.

The meeting comes as both face growing pressures at home. Netanyahu is up for reelection and is embattled in part because of his deteriorating relationship with Trump. Trump is under pressure to end an unpopular war that has wreaked economic havoc and driven prices higher ahead of midterm elections this November.

The two leaders also plan to discuss the framework agreement the U.S. and Israel signed with Lebanon over the Israel-Hezbollah war and the expansion of the Abraham Accords, according to a White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to preview the meeting.

“We have a little difference,” Trump said Monday when asked by reporters if he and the Israeli prime minister were on the same page with Iran. “But pretty close, yeah.”

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The show's new executive producer, Nick Bilton, announced the news in a staff memo Tuesday, shared on X. Joining Douthat and O'Donnell will be author Sebastian Junger, Trevor Phillips and Gianna Toboni. All will be contributors to the show.

The new journalists join current correspondents Lesley Stahl, Jon Wertheim and Bill Whitaker. Their hirings come two months after a shakeup at the storied program, led by the network's new editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss.

Weiss installed Bilton, who has little substantive broadcast news experience, as executive producer, replacing Tanya Simon, who was let go after a 30-plus year tenure with the show. Also let go were correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega — and soon after, Scott Pelley, after a tense confrontation with his bosses over the changes.

In addition to the three dismissed, Anderson Cooper — whose primary job is at CNN — said earlier this year he was leaving of his own accord after two decades.

CBS News leaders enthused about the hires

Weiss and Tom Cibrowski, the CBS News president, praised the new hires in an internal memo. “We couldn’t be more excited about this news,” the two said, welcoming the new additions. “Onward!”

Bilton called Douthat “one of the preeminent public intellectuals in America today, a thinker of uncommon rigor and a journalist of deep empathy.” The columnist has spent nearly two decades at the Times and is an author of numerous books.

The producer called O’Donnell “a powerhouse.”

“You’ve seen her all over the network. She’s launched a new podcast. And you’ll see much more of her in our halls because Norah will be a correspondent on 60 Minutes."

Bilton praised Junger for his nonfiction work “The Perfect Storm,” about a catastrophic 1991 storm. The book “landed with an electric charge in the world of reported nonfiction, defining an intense and intimate form of storytelling and establishing Sebastian as a generational talent,” Bilton said.

Toboni joins“60 Minutes” as a contributor and CBS News as a national correspondent. Previously a senior correspondent with VICE News and VICE on HBO, she comes to the program from CNN.

Calling her a journalist of “extraordinary range,” Bilton noted that Toboni has interviewed members of ISIS, investigated cartel violence in Mexico and has written a book on the death penalty.

Also serving as contributor will be Trevor Phillips, announced last month as the news division's senior global affairs correspondent. Based in London, he is “one of the most respected and trusted voices in the United Kingdom for his ability to ask the toughest questions and hold anyone in power to account,” Bilton wrote in his memo.

‘60 Minutes’ has faced upheaval for a while

Turmoil had raged at “60 Minutes” for more than a year before the May shakeup. Much of it came after President Donald Trump sued the show over its editing of a 2024 interview with then-Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.

That became part of a broader shakeup at CBS News after Weiss was named to the new role of editor-in-chief by parent company Paramount late last year following David Ellison’s arrival as the network’s corporate leader.

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Jocelyn Noveck covers the intersection of media and entertainment for The Associated Press.

The lawsuit filed in federal court in California on Tuesday alleges that Penske Media and owner Jay Penske colluded with holding company Eldridge Industries and its CEO Todd Boehly to fuel a backlash and boycott against the Globes to devalue it and acquire it, and to deceive the HFPA about a sale they were pressured into accepting.

“This case arises from a clandestine scheme to fraudulently acquire the prestigious and valuable 80-year-old Golden Globe Awards,” the lawsuit says, “and exert monopolistic control over the Hollywood trades, awards, and advertising markets, all in violation of state and federal unfair competition and antitrust laws.”

It alleges Boehly and Eldridge hid the involvement of Penske in the 2023 deal from the HFPA board, which never would have approved it if they had known of it. Penske Media's assets include Variety, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, Rolling Stone, Billboard and Dick Clark Productions, which owns or produces several awards shows including the American Music Awards and is now part owner of the Globes.

The lawsuit says the HFPA members were promised lifetime Golden Globes tickets and voting privileges, along with other perks, which Penske reneged on by attaching unworkable conditions. And it says the buyers infiltrated the HFPA leadership to push through the deal.

A representative of the Golden Globes’ current owners said in a statement that the lawsuit “continues the absurdity and irrationality that the industry has come to expect from the defunct organization formerly known as the HFPA.”

The Golden Globes, long treasured as a glitzy, champagne-soaked opening of Hollywood's awards season, has had a turbulent 2020s full of lawsuits and public controversies. In 2021, a Los Angeles Times investigation revealed the group had only one Black member.

That brought a public outcry and boycott that led to NBC refusing to air the awards in 2022. The lawsuit claims that Boehly and Penske “surreptitiously instigated” the boycott and used Penske's publications to fuel it.

After the 2023 acquisition and reorganization of the Globes, the show got a new broadcast home on CBS.

Boehly, who is also part owner of sports franchises including Chelsea FC and the Los Angeles Dodgers, was not named as a defendant, nor was his Eldridge Industries. The reasons weren't immediately clear, and the plaintiffs declined to comment. There was also no immediate reply to an email seeking comment from Boehly and his company.

The lawsuit also alleges that Penske and Boehly manipulated and misused California's nonprofit laws. It says the Golden Globe Foundation, established as the successor to the HFPA's philanthropic arm, was used to drive down the price of the acquisition, and that it functions a de facto extension of the for-profit entity established by Penske and Boehly, Globes LLC.

“This latest act of duplicity is a new low, even for the HFPA,” the Golden Globes statement said in response. “The attempt by former HFPA members to leverage the Golden Globe Foundation, an independent nonprofit, simply to secure Golden Globes tickets is an unfortunate distraction that inappropriately diverts resources from legitimate charitable causes.”

The statement adds, “We remain troubled that the HFPA, an organization so widely criticized for ethical failures, non-inclusivity, racism, and misconduct involving talent, continues to find attorneys willing to push such illegitimate claims.”

The lawsuit seeks at least $150 million in damages and asks the court to cancel the agreement to dissolve the HFPA.

The five-time Pro Brown cornerback will sign a two-year extension worth $62.2 million — including $52.3 million guaranteed, the person told the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been publicly announced.

The $31.1 million average surpasses the $31 million average when Trent McDuffie signed a four-year, $124 million contract with the Los Angeles Rams after being traded by Kansas City in March.

The 29-year old Ward had two years remaining on a five-year, $100 million contract he signed in 2022.

Ward — who grew up less than an hour from Cleveland in Macedonia — is Cleveland's longest-tenured player after the franchise traded reigning AP Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett to the Rams in June. Ward was the fourth overall pick in the 2018 draft out of Ohio State.

Since entering the league in 2018, he leads the NFL with 104 passes defensed, and his 18 interceptions are tied for 19th. Ward had 39 tackles and picked off one pass in 15 games last season.

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

The Salamanca City Central School District's board approved the nearly $60,000 purchase from Realbotix with visions that “Sally,” as the stationary robot with long dark hair has already been nicknamed, would enhance the education of high school students studying robotics and technology fields.

“Having a difficult time programming an Arduino board? Don’t even know what an Arduino board is? Ask Sally and she can explain it,” Superintendent Mark Beehler, said Tuesday. “The robot also provides opportunities for students to learn how the robot is maintained, how it is updated with new approved content, and how to troubleshoot issues.”

But as news spread in the small community located on the Seneca Nation of Indians reservation, parents and teachers worried about how students' personal information would be used. Unionized teachers took aim at Realbotix's sex doll sister company, even as district officials and the company itself stressed the two manufacturers operate independently.

“A robot built by a company associated with sex dolls has no business in our classrooms,” said Melinda Person, president of the labor union New York State United Teachers.

For now, the robot pilot remains on hold as the district works through “enhanced student data privacy agreements” with the state education officials and continues outreach to the community, according to a statement the district posted Friday on its Facebook page.

State officials and teacher voice concerns

State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa said she remained concerned about the robot’s role in the classroom even after her staff met with district officials.

“Although you confirmed that the robot would not have any role delivering classroom instruction, a recent presentation to the board characterized the robot as a ‘tutoring platform,' ” Rosa wrote in a letter to the district Friday.

She also echoed residents’ concerns about what data privacy and security protections would be in place.

Unionized teachers, meanwhile, suggested the effort was a first step toward replacing, flesh-and-bone educators. “Sally” will be able to move her arms and hands but have nonworking legs.

“Our students don’t need robots," Person said. "They need real relationships with caring adults.”

District officials defend robot purchase

Beehler stressed the pilot, which also includes rollout of a virtual, AI-powered teacher’s assistant and at-home tutoring program, is not about replacing staff.

“There is no possible way a robot can replace a human in a school,” he said Tuesday. “Even if it were possible, it would in no way be in the best interest of students. Teaching is a human-to-human process.”

Beehler, who was connected to Realbotix through a former colleague, said the Las Vegas-based company was a natural fit because its robots are already programmed with WozEd, a curriculum from Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak that the district uses.

Last year, a San Diego charter school rolled out two AI-powered robots purchased from Engineered Arts, a robotics company based in the United Kingdom, for $500,000.

Salamanca Schools, in social media posts, stressed that “Sally” won’t be collecting students’ personal information, recording audio or video of its interactions or sending data back to Realbotix.

The robot also has been programmed to steer clear of inappropriate topics such as sex, violence and gambling, and it won’t be able to search the public internet or draw answers from unvetted generative AI services.

Instead, all information on “Sally” will be stored locally, with the life-sized robot consuming roughly the same amount of energy as a laptop, according to the district.

Robot maker responds to criticism

Realbotix added Tuesday that student authentication would be handled through the district’s existing systems, and any student-linked information would remain encrypted and under the district’s control.

The company also pushed back at suggestions that “Sally” was simply a repurposed sex doll, saying it was a “newly manufactured, purpose-built educational unit” with no modified hardware.

The school’s robot comes from Realbotix LLC, which focuses on healthcare, education and other nonadult commercial applications. A sister company, Intima LLC, holds an ownership stake in RealDoll, a longtime maker of sex dolls, including a line of AI-powered models billed as the “world’s most advanced sex robot.”

“Realbotix LLC and Intima LLC have different product offerings with no crossover,” the company said in a statement last week. “The two subsidiaries maintain their own management, personnel, payroll, facilities, manufacturing operations, product development, and market strategies.”

Some residents remain wary

Beehler argued that it is crucial for isolated districts like Salamanca, which is located along the Allegheny River near the Pennsylvania state line, to find new ways to introduce cutting-edge products into classrooms.

“In most cases, our students need to travel 1-2 hours to have opportunities to see emergent technology,” he said Tuesday. “One of the intents of the robot is to help level the playing field and motivate students to continue studying robotics, AI, and STEAM related career pathways.”

Some Salamanca residents, though, remain unconvinced.

Joplin Ficek, who graduated from Salamanca High School in 2024 and now works at a daycare, said she doesn’t see any reason to have robots or AI take such a prominent role at her alma mater at all.

“They just need to hire more people who are willing to put in the effort for the children,” Ficek said. “They need more interaction with the children than having some robot raise our kids.”

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Follow Philip Marcelo at https://x.com/philmarcelo

The New Orleans-born brand is taking over two adjacent spaces on Park Street, bringing frozen drinks, a full kitchen and a late-night social lounge to the city’s Five Points neighborhood.

Two spaces, one experience

Fat Tuesday Kitchen & Bar, a 2,300-square-foot venue at 1043 Park St., will operate seven days a week with a full bar, kitchen menu and the brand’s signature frozen cocktails.

Next door, Fat Tuesday Social Lounge, a 2,700-square-foot space at 1045 Park St., will be open Thursday through Sunday with a curated cocktail menu, limited-time frozen flavors and small-bite options tailored for a late-night crowd.

The lounge shifts into a nightlife destination after dark, with DJs, live music and themed event nights rounding out the experience.

What’s on the menu

Guests can expect Fat Tuesday’s frozen daiquiris, including options from the 190 Octane line such as the Original and Blue Razz, along with other favorites like the Cat 5 Hurricane, Piña Colada, Mango and Strawberry. All served in a variety of sizes, including the souvenir Yard Dog.

The cocktail menu also features a variety of daiquiri-based drinks on the rocks as well as frozen combos.

A full bar will stock tequila, vodka, rum, whiskey, gin and cognac from top-shelf brands, with beer, seltzers, hard iced tea and specialty shots rounding out the offerings.

The kitchen menu includes crispy wings, loaded nachos, smash burgers, seafood baskets and tacos, with combo deals available for guests.

A new model for the brand

The Jacksonville opening marks the eleventh location in Fat Tuesday’s “new wave of experience-led, full-service flagships, part of a broader national expansion” the company says is generating buzz and social media traction.

“Downtown Jacksonville has exactly the kind of energy we build Fat Tuesday around — watch parties, live music, and people out looking for a good time,” said Alex Monahan, CEO of Fat Tuesday. “This is a city that knows how to have fun, and we’re excited to be part of it.”

Five Points was selected for its walkable layout and active entertainment scene. The dual-concept format represents a shift away from the brand’s traditional grab-and-go daiquiri window model seen on boardwalks and tourist strips.

No official opening date has been announced.

Kubiak made clear Tuesday that when Las Vegas takes the field early Wednesday for its first training camp practice that Cousins will run the first-team offense.

But there also will be plenty of focus on Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner who led Indiana to the national championship last season and whom so many fans have placed their hope that he is the long-awaited franchise quarterback. Mendoza operated the third-team offense in offseason practices behind Cousins and Aidan O'Connell, so the Raiders initially eased him into the lineup.

Now it comes down to performance.

“It’s important for me to be fair to the players and to put the best player out there,” Kubiak said. "When we go out to practice tomorrow, Kirk Cousins is the starting quarterback. He’s the guy, and he’s going to get a ton of reps. He deserves them because he has played really good football, but I want Fernando and I want Aidan to push him.”

Kubiak and his coaches enter camp with a plan for how to navigate the quarterbacks' competition early, but they are ready to make adjustments depending on how it plays out.

“We have a starting point on where those reps want to be for the guys," Kubiak said. "We’re really thoughtful about how many reps each guy’s getting up against what defense. There’s going to be times where it moves and certain guys are with the twos, certain guys are with the threes. We’ll get the second guy with the ones. We have an early-on plan, but it’s always a moving target.”

Crosby is back with the starters

Kubiak had said he expected star pass rusher Maxx Crosby, who underwent knee surgery in January, to be ready to go once camp begins.

That is indeed the case.

“He’s ready to practice,” Kubiak said. "As practice unfolds and we’re watching our players, it’s always a moving target. But as of right now, tomorrow is a pretty short workday, hour and 30 minutes. So, we’re expecting (Crosby) to be ready to take all those reps.”

Crosby's surgery was to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee that caused him to miss the final two games last season.

He was traded to Baltimore in March only to have the Ravens nix the deal four days later over a failed physical, someone with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press at the time.

Crosby said in June he had moved on and was focused on playing for the Raiders.

McCoy gets his chance

The Raiders traded up a spot into the first selection of the fourth round of this year's draft to take cornerback Jermod McCoy.

He was thought to be a first-round talent before a torn ACL forced McCoy to miss all of last season at Tennessee.

Now McCoy will begin to show whether the Raiders' risk was a good one.

“The plan is to get him reps early and see how he responds in his recovery," Kubiak said. "It is a moving target with him. He’s a guy that’s worked extremely hard and has been dedicated to the program that we’ve put in front of him. Jermod hasn’t played football in a year, and we’re aware of that, but he’s ready to go practice tomorrow. We’re also going to be really smart with him and develop him the right way.”

First training camp in charge for new coach

Kubiak was hired in February after serving as offensive coordinator of Seattle's Super Bowl champions, and the 39-year-old hired some veteran assistants who can help his transition to running his own team.

He specifically mentioned Mike McCoy, Joe DeCamillis and Rick Dennison as coaches he could rely on.

“Those are guys that I lean on every day,” Kubiak said.

Few questions about health

All the players, Kubiak said, are set to practice when camp opens.

He also said the conditioning tests were encouraging.

“Guys did a great job there, but playing football is a whole lot different than running 60 yards,” Kubiak said. “So we’ll find out who the most self-motivated people were.”

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

Shrunken inventories of Patriot and THAAD interceptors may force the U.S. and its Middle Eastern allies to take more risks to conserve those air defenses, according to the analysis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank. For example, it said, American forces may launch fewer missiles against incoming Iranian drones and missiles, raising the chance of one getting through.

“That percentage may not go up a lot, but it goes up a little,” said Mark Cancian, a retired Marine colonel and now senior adviser at CSIS who co-authored Monday's report with research associate Chris H. Park.

The issue came into sharp relief when the U.S. military announced Tuesday that it had intercepted “multiple ballistic missiles from Iran in an attempted surprise attack on U.S. forces based in the Middle East."

The nation’s advanced weapons stockpiles have become a flashpoint in the five-month-long conflict, along with the threat to the lives of American service members, heightened gasoline prices and increasing costs to taxpayers. The war has been unpopular with many Americans and is posing political problems for President Donald Trump and Republicans ahead of November's midterm congressional elections.

Recent fighting adds to anxieties over weapons stockpiles

Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has told Trump that the state of the country’s munitions stockpile could have an impact on military operations in Iran, a U.S. official said.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive conversations, said the message was delivered as part of Caine’s regular duties of providing military advice and options to Trump.

The Pentagon, however, pushed back against concerns that its capabilities have diminished.

“America’s military is the most powerful in the world and has everything it needs to execute at the time and place of the President’s choosing,” Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman, said in a statement Tuesday. “We have executed multiple successful operations across combatant commands while ensuring the U.S. military possesses a deep arsenal of capabilities to protect our people and our interests.”

While renewed hostilities between the U.S. and Iran had been paused in recent days before Tuesday's attempted strikes, the Islamic Republic is capable of launching deadly attacks. It fired missiles and drones at a base in Jordan on July 17, killing three U.S. troops. Another American soldier was killed a day later in Iraq during a controlled detonation of an Iranian drone, bringing the war’s toll to 18 U.S. service members.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers last week that the war has cost an estimated $37.5 billion. The Pentagon is asking Congress for $67 billion to replenish the military in the wake of the war, which would include funding for more high-end munitions, such as Patriots and THAADs, or Terminal High Altitude Area Defense interceptors.

Democrats in Congress often cite the use of such finite weapons as a damning metric against the war, which Trump launched without congressional approval alongside Israel on Feb. 28.

It also has raised concerns that the U.S. 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 Patriots, THAADs and Tomahawk cruise missiles.

Saving missiles reduces chances of interception

The latest estimates from CSIS for Patriot and THAAD interceptors are based on budget documents and other publicly released information.

The number of Patriot interceptors fell from 2,330 before the war to 1,030 when the April ceasefire took effect, CSIS estimated. Following the recent fighting, the stockpile is now estimated to be between 759 and 827, a decrease of at least 65% since before the conflict began.

The number of THAAD interceptors fell from 452 before the war to between 232 and 262 at the start of the April ceasefire, CSIS said. The U.S. was able to replenish some of the inventory to between 234 and 278 interceptors. But the stockpile is still at least 38% smaller than it was before the conflict.

Cancian said the concern is that lower inventories could influence the U.S. military's doctrine for shooting down incoming drones and missiles. The specifics are typically classified. But as an example, Cancian said American forces could start firing off two interceptors instead of three.

“It reduces the chances of interception, but you save a missile," Cancian said.

Another possibility is that American forces hold off firing any interceptors if an Iranian missile is expected to miss its target and strike an area free of people and infrastructure.

“They may just let it go and accept the fact that there might be some small amount of damage,” Cancian said.

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Associated Press writer Konstantin Toropin contributed to this report.

During a back-to-school media briefing Tuesday, Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier highlighted the district’s second consecutive A grade from the state, improvements in teacher retention and several new safety initiatives, while acknowledging there is still work to do.

“This A confirms that excellence is becoming a standard in Duval County,” Bernier said. “An A rating is not a finish line. It’s a standard we must continue to explore for every student in every classroom every day.”

Watch the full news conference:

Teacher retention improves

Bernier credited 2022 voter-approved funding through the district’s one-mill property tax referendum with helping increase teacher pay and reduce vacancies.

According to the district:

• Teacher retention increased from 87% to 91%.
• Teacher vacancies dropped from 6% to 4.4%.
• Teachers received an average of $8,600 in additional compensation.

The district is asking voters to renew the one-mill referendum this November. Bernier said state law prohibits him from telling residents how to vote but said his role is to educate the public on how the funding supports schools and educators.

Despite the improvements, Chief Human Resources Officer Jacqueline Watkins said the district still has about 203 vacancies heading into the school year and continues recruiting teachers and staff.

New safety initiatives

School safety was another major focus of the briefing.

Bernier said the district will expand weapons detection systems into elementary schools after previously deploying the technology at middle and high schools. Officials also announced school buses will now be equipped with stop-arm cameras to identify motorists who illegally pass stopped buses.

The superintendent also emphasized continued training for employees on mandatory child abuse reporting, known within the district as “Know the Line.”

“If you see something, know something ... your next action is to pick up and call,” Bernier said, referring to Florida’s child abuse hotline.

When asked about several educator arrests in recent months, Bernier said employees accused of violating district policies are immediately removed from contact with students while investigations are conducted.

“If the investigation concludes that they have violated those policies, they will no longer be employed with DCPS,” he said.

Another initiative the district is doubling down on is “See Something, Say Something” protocol, encouraging the community to be proactive and report potential threats or issues.

School threats made online and incidents like the shooting near Raines High School last year is where the district hopes “See Something, Say Something” can help.

All students will receive training during the first week of school on the Fortify FL app, a statewide tool that lets students and parents anonymously report suspicious activity, threats, or safety concerns directly to school officials and law enforcement.

Transportation upgrades

District leaders acknowledged transportation remains one of the school system’s biggest challenges.

Bernier said DCPS has added its own GPS tracking devices to every school bus rather than relying solely on data from transportation contractors. This will allow the district to track problem routes and respond faster in the event of a school bus crash.

DCPS now has an improved parent hotline, which is where parents can call and report transportation issues with a dedicated group of people whose responsibility is to answer the phone, get answers about transportation issues, and get back to a parent.

That number is: (904) 858-6200

The district expects the first few weeks of school to provide the best indication of how the new system performs under heavy call volume.

DCPS is also continuing their efforts to increase pedestrian and bicycle safety through their “Be Safe. Be Seen.” campaign.

Chief of Police Jackson Short also said incidents dropped from 43 to 26 over the past two years, a roughly 40% decrease.

Enrollment and school choice

Bernier said the district won’t know final enrollment numbers until after classes begin but acknowledged families have more education options than ever.

He said the district plans to focus on customer service, expanding academic and career education opportunities and marketing successful schools to encourage families to choose public education.

“Our focus has to be on outworking the alternative options every day,” Bernier said.

The district is also preparing for future school closures, including Long Branch and Anchor Academy Elementary at the end of the school year. Bernier said the School Board is adopting a revised community engagement process that includes additional public meetings and outreach before boundary changes are finalized.

Looking ahead, Bernier said district leaders are setting an ambitious long-term goal of reaching a 90% literacy rate while working to maintain the district’s A grade as state accountability standards become more demanding.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Capt. Robert Lentz has spent years identifying derelict vessels on the St. Johns River and other state waters.

On a recent trip through the Arlington area of Jacksonville, he and a News4JAX crew spotted several in quick succession.

“This vessel has fallen into a derelict vessel category,” Lentz said, pointing to one of the boats.

What makes a boat ‘derelict’?

Under Florida law, a vessel is classified as derelict if it is sinking or run aground, stripped or junked, or if two of its three core systems — steering, propulsion, or hull integrity — are broken or non-functional.

Once FWC agents identify a derelict vessel, they attach a bright red sticker and begin the process of tracking down the legal owner. That process alone can stretch on for months — or longer.

“The longest I’ve heard of is years,” Lentz said. “It can take years.”

Boaters fed up with the wait

At the San Juan boat ramp on Jacksonville’s Westside, fisherman Joe Turner said an abandoned vessel had been sitting there for more than two years, blocking access.

“It makes me mad, because I can’t get over to my fishing spot,” Turner said.

A second boat at the same ramp, which Turner and fellow fisherman Scott Miller said had been there since January, was leaking oil into the water.

“It’s hideous, hideous looking just sitting there,” Miller said. “I mean, you’d think after a year or so they would do something.”

Miller added: “I mean it’s just kind of sad that it’s still there. They say they want to clean up Jacksonville, but they sure ain’t been down here from what I see.”

The tab for taxpayers

By law, FWC must locate the legal owner of a derelict vessel before removing it, and that owner is responsible for paying removal costs. When owners refuse, cannot be found, or cannot pay, the state covers the bill.

Florida removes about 400 derelict vessels from its waterways each year at a cost of approximately $6 million-$7 million. During major hurricane seasons, that figure spikes dramatically. After Hurricane Irma in 2017, the state recovered and disposed of 1,000 boats at a cost of $52 million.

Removal costs cover retrieving the vessel, towing it, breaking it apart, and disposing of it in a landfill. Additional funds flow to local jurisdictions to assist with removal — but officials say the money and the pace of cleanup are not keeping up with the problem.

Criminal charges

Lentz said FWC does have legal recourse against owners who abandon their vessels.

“It is a crime to leave your boat on the waters of the state in a derelict vessel condition,” he said. “They can be arrested and ordered to pay restitution.”

FWC does offer a voluntary turn-in program, where the state will dispose of a derelict boat for free.

Every year, they get a limited amount of money, so it’s first come, first served. You can learn more at https://myfwc.com/boating/waterway/vtip/

The service, known as X Money, is not a new bank. X Money is using technology and banking services provided by Cross River Bank, and branding that backbone as X Money. It is common for new financial companies to use a traditional bank's backbone to launch its services, as chartering a new bank is a timely and costly process.

Currently X Money is invite only, and users will receive a “X”-branded Visa debit card that is useable at any ATM. Users of X will be able to send money to other X users in real-time, the company said. Invitations are only available to X's paying members presently.

In order to attract customers, X Money is offering a 6% yield on deposits and 3% cashback on eligible purchases. In order to earn the 6% yield, a customer would need to deposit at least $1,000 into an account. Customers would also have to be signed up for X's premium services, which is at least $8 a month. It would require at least a deposit of $1,600 in order to cover X's premium services cost.

Musk has long talked about turning X into an “everything app” that would include financial services. Musk has his origins in financial services, creating one of the first online banks under the brand X.com. That company was later bought and merged into what is now known as PayPal.

It's still early for X Money, but the company is entering into a competitive market, dominated by PayPal's Venmo money transfer service and other peer-to-peer money transfer services like Zelle and Cash App.

The child was found Monday night on Bacall Road and rushed to a hospital, where he died, JSO said. Detectives said the wound appeared to be self-inflicted after the child gained access to a firearm inside the home. Investigators are continuing to probe the case and said it was unclear whether charges would be filed.

“It’s kind of shocking with it being real close and it being a neighbor and then it being a kid. You know, that’s also very shocking and unfortunate,” Gary Mays, a neighbor, said. He added, “We have to be more vigilant when we’re teaching gun safety, especially when it comes to having firearms within a vicinity of kids.”

Another neighbor said she heard a loud pop about 10:30 to 11 p.m. and initially thought it was fireworks. She said she noticed a police presence about 15 minutes later.

The sheriff’s office noted this is at least the fourth shooting involving a child in the past two months that investigators say appears accidental.

Investigators are also trying to obtain any nearby video surveillance and are asking anyone who may have witnessed what happened — or who has relevant video — to contact JSO at 904-630-0500, email jsocrimetips@jaxsheriff.org, or call CrimeStoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.

Florida law

Under Florida law, it is illegal to knowingly leave a loaded firearm accessible to a child under 16 when the child could gain access without permission.

If a child accesses an unsecured firearm and causes injury or death, the gun owner may face criminal charges — in addition to what the sheriff’s office described as “devastating consequences for the child, family, and community.”

Safe storage

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is urging gun owners to take immediate steps to secure their firearms. Officials say responsible gun ownership starts with safe storage:

• If a firearm isn’t on you, it should be secured.
• Keep firearms locked and out of reach of children.
• Use a gun safe, lockbox or trigger lock to prevent unauthorized access.
• Never leave a firearm unsecured in your home or vehicle.

Talking to your kids

JSO is also encouraging parents and guardians to have direct conversations with their children about firearm safety:

• Teach children that real guns are not toys and can seriously hurt or kill someone.
• If a child ever finds a gun, they should Stop. Don’t Touch. Leave the Area. Tell an Adult.
• Ask family members, babysitters and the parents of your children’s friends how firearms are stored in their homes.

Free gun locks available

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has free gun locks available at its District 1 substation, located at 5258 Norwood Ave., and its District 2 substation, located at 9119 Merrill Road. The agency says it is actively working to restock locks at its other four substations.

Hinch confirmed Tuesday that Skubal is still scheduled to start on Wednesday against the Baltimore Orioles.

With the Tigers at 50-57 and the Aug. 3 trade deadline quickly approaching, it seemed possible that the Tigers would rest Skubal to avoid a possible injury heading into the trade deadline.

“We’re trying to win the series to put us in a better position to be a playoff team,” Hinch said. “The information I have is, win the series. We obviously need to win tonight to get to that position. But I fully expect him to start.”

The two-time defending American League Cy Young Award winner is 4-3 with a 2.70 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 46 2/3 innings since returning from experimental elbow surgery in just six weeks.

Skubal has made it clear he wants to finish the season with the Tigers and lead them to a third straight postseason berth. But, the decision is out of his hands. He's a free agent at the end of the season, and with Scott Boras as his agent, the odds are high that he's going to make it to the open market.

That's a tough spot for a franchise that doesn't normally compete with the Dodgers, Yankees and other big-city teams for top free agents. That means Scott Harris, Detroit's president of baseball operations, has to focus on the balance between winning this season and making sure Skubal doesn't leave for nothing.

Skubal is obviously tired of talking about the trade possibilities, and is staying focused on facing the Orioles.

“I'm pitching tomorrow and I've got something cool that I want to accomplish at home,” he said Tuesday, referring to the one strikeout he needs to reach 1,000 for his career. “That hasn't changed.”

Skubal is still around, but the Tigers did say goodbye to the player who was his exclusive catcher early in his career.

Catcher Jake Rogers was designated for assignment to make room for Javier Báez, who has been out since April 28 with an ankle injury.

Ironically, the Tigers acquired Rogers the last time they dealt away their ace — he was part of the return when Justin Verlander was traded to the Houston Astros at the 2017 trade deadline.

Rogers was considered one of the game's best defensive catchers from the day he made his debut in 2019, but his bat kept him from having a better career in Detroit. He spent 2020 on Detroit's taxi squad, then missed the 2022 season due to Tommy John surgery.

He's hitting .161 in 34 games this year, bringing his career average to .197, and lost his job as Skubal's personal catcher to All-Star Dillon Dingler.

None of that made it easier for his teammates when they found out Monday night.

“We were all holding back tears,” first baseman Spencer Torkelson said. “Jake was a big piece of this team for a long time. He helped create our identity. Talk about a guy who showed up each and every day as the same guy.

"It hurts.”

Hinch agreed.

“It's tough,” he said. “I love Jake. He's been here as long as I have.”

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

Beshear made the demand in a letter after McConnell’s office said Monday that the 84-year-old senator had not yet been medically cleared to leave the rehabilitation facility where he has been undergoing physical therapy. The office said he would miss a major Kentucky political event and upcoming Senate votes. McConnell was hospitalized June 14 and disclosed weeks later that it was the result of a fall.

Beshear, who is widely viewed as a potential presidential candidate in 2028, first urged McConnell in early July to release more information about his condition after weeks of public silence. His letter Tuesday marked a significant escalation.

“I am calling on you to directly and verbally address the people of Kentucky and provide proof of your capacity to serve, or resign,” Beshear wrote to McConnell.

Beshear also sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, urging him to investigate McConnell’s condition if the senator does not demonstrate that he is capable of continuing to serve.

McConnell and Thune’s offices did not provide comment on the letter.

McConnell, who led Senate Republicans for nearly two decades, has long guarded his personal life. Since he was hospitalized last month, his office has issued major updates on July 12 and July 27, each accompanied by a single photograph.

But public scrutiny of aging elected officials has intensified after several recent health episodes and deaths in office, including the deaths of California Sen. Dianne Feinstein in 2023 and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham earlier this month, as well as President Joe Biden’s decision not to seek reelection after concerns about his age and health became a dominant political issue.

In the absence of regular public updates from McConnell himself, speculation about his condition has grown online.

“All of this speculation and even this letter could have been avoided with a minimal amount of transparency,” Beshear wrote to Thune.

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Associated Press reporter Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report from Washington.

Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti said Tuesday at his conference's football media days that he was waiting to review the new language in the Protect College Sports Act, and the hope is that the new version of the bill “provides a lot more help than not.”

Among the key changes would be up to $25 million devoted to a “retention” pool that would allow schools to pay athletes already on their rosters to stay. That would be in addition to the $21.3 million schools are allowed to spend this season. Some $5 million of the new money would be devoted to women's sports.

“That’s all very specific language that has to work together with the (House) settlement, so we need to see the language on all of that,” Petitti said.

The House settlement, which dictates the terms of revenue sharing, calls for 22% of certain revenues to be shared with the athletes. The retention pool figures to drastically change that math. Also uncertain is how it would impact name, image and likeness compensation from third parties, which allows schools to blow past the cap and many agree is the reason costs of assembling football and basketball rosters are spiraling out of control.

Jeffrey Kessler, the plaintiffs' attorney in the House case, told The Associated Press: “I would have to see the specific provisions of the entire bill to evaluate any issues with the settlement.”

An outline of the changes made to the bill, a copy of which the AP obtained, also included changes the conferences sought over Olympic and women's sports; avoiding creation of so-called super leagues; language that would prohibit colleges from paying high schoolers until they enroll; and making sure conferences won't be required to participate in a media rights pooling arrangement the bill would allow.

Two other key points the conferences seek are refined language about limiting lawsuits over eligibility issues and preempting state statutes that guide NIL payments in favor of one uniform national law.

In speaking about the ramifications of the bill, Tennessee athletic director Danny White told AP this week that the best way to deal with the lawsuit issues is to let players collectively bargain.

“Even if they do act, there’s still a lot of issues that they won’t address and they probably can’t address legally,” White said.

There have been conflicting reports about how likely the bill is to reach the Senate floor, where it will need 60 votes to pass and move on to the House. Last week, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, said it was unlikely the bill would reach a vote before the Senate's begins its recess Aug. 7.

The recent action might have changed the calendar.

“There’s a long list of areas where we’d like to see some improvements, but like the commissioner said, we also recognize that we’re not going to get everything that we’d like," said Josh Whitman, the athletic director at Illinois who was chair of the NCAA board of directors through June. "And so ultimately, we’d like to see something put together in a package where the benefits outweigh some of the potential negatives.”

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AP Sports Writers Steve Megargee in Chicago and Teresa M. Walker in Nashville, Tenn., contributed.

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AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports

What is being recalled

Twelve separate product lines are included in the recall, spanning seven dosage strengths — 25 mcg, 50 mcg, 75 mcg, 88 mcg, 112 mcg, 125 mcg and 150 mcg. All products are packaged in unit dose blister cartons and were packaged and distributed by Major Pharmaceuticals out of Indianapolis.

Why subpotency matters for thyroid patients

Levothyroxine sodium is a synthetic thyroid hormone commonly prescribed to treat hypothyroidism — a condition in which the thyroid gland does not produce enough hormone on its own. Because the medication works by directly replacing or supplementing natural thyroid hormone levels, even small reductions in potency can affect how well a patient’s condition is managed.

Subpotent thyroid medication could leave patients under-treated, potentially allowing hypothyroid symptoms — such as fatigue, weight gain, cold sensitivity and cognitive difficulties — to persist or worsen. Patients who believe they may have received affected product are encouraged to contact their healthcare provider.

What patients, pharmacists should do

The recall is ongoing and no press release has been issued by the firm. Notification to consignees and the public was made by letter. Patients who have questions about whether their prescription is affected should check the lot number on their medication packaging and consult their pharmacist or physician.

Healthcare providers and pharmacies that have distributed the affected lots should follow standard recall procedures and quarantine any remaining inventory.

About the recall classification

The FDA uses a tiered classification system for drug recalls. A Class I recall is the most serious, involving products that could cause serious injury or death. A Class II recall, as assigned here, applies to products where use may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences, but where the probability of serious harm is remote. A Class III recall involves products unlikely to cause any adverse health consequences.

Colt Gray, 16, had pleaded guilty Friday to 55 counts, including murder, in the Sept. 4, 2024, shooting at the school about 45 miles (73 kilometers) northeast of Atlanta.

Barrow County Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm handed down the sentence after hearing from family members of those killed and victims, as well as investigators, Gray’s grandmother and a forensic psychologist who had evaluated Gray.

Murder carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison in Georgia, so the only decision Barrow County Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm had to make was whether Gray should ever be eligible for parole. He decided the teen should never be allowed out.

“You do not seem to be tormented by what you did. You seem to relish following in the footsteps of the murderers you idolize. You aren’t wracked with guilt. You’re proud of yourself," Primm said.

“We’ve seen no evidence he has any ability to develop a conscience or any ability ever to fully value human life,” District Attorney Brad Smith had said during his closing argument, insisting that Gray “cannot be in society.”

Defense attorney W. Charlton Allen told the judge his client was “not irretrievably broken.” Allowing him the possibility of parole would give him “an opportunity of hope," Allen said, adding that a lack of hope “takes away the ability for him to change.”

The victims got the sentence they asked for

“This is not a happy day. This is a relief day, I would say,” Smith told reporters after the sentencing, adding that he hoped his team had “done honor” to the victims and their loved ones.

Teachers Richard “Ricky” Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, and students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, died in the shooting. Another teacher and eight more students were wounded, seven of them hit by gunfire.

Victims of the shooting and family members of those killed conveyed their anger and grief to Primm on Friday, almost all of them asking him not to allow the possibility of parole.

Shayna Aspinwall, the wife of math teacher and football coach Richard Aspinwall, described “a life sentence of grief and trauma for those left behind.”

Investigators say Gray aspired to be a mass shooter

Investigators testified during the three-day sentencing hearing that Gray idolized mass shooters, talking about them online with other members of the “true crime community,” a group of young people online who are fascinated with such attacks. Gray had chatted online about gaining notoriety through a school shooting.

Prosecutors played recordings of phone conversations Gray had with his mother, Marcee Gray, from a youth detention center in the months after the shooting. During those calls, he directed his mother to look up what people were saying about him online. He was excited when she described “fan art” drawings depicting him or comments people made about him and the attention he was getting online.

Gray had the “mental wherewithal” to mimic details of other mass killings on the day of the shooting, Smith said. He placed those “Easter eggs,” anticipating that they would be mentioned in court one day and would perpetuate his fame, the prosecutor said.

“The shooting was not the culmination of the plan. The shooting was just one of the steps of the plan. The plan was ultimate and lifelong fame inside of the TCC,” Smith said, referencing the “true crime community.”

Gray's grandmother says he needed help

“Colt got less stability than he needed, which made him even more vulnerable,” Allen, the defense attorney, argued. He said his client got wrapped up in an online community where he found the acceptance he craved but wasn’t getting at home.

Gray’s maternal grandmother, Debbie Polhamus, testified that the teen had a troubled childhood and that his parents failed him. Her grandson had grown “highly agitated and aggressive” in the weeks before the shooting, she said, adding that she had urged his parents to get him some help but they didn’t follow through.

“I tried to help Colt because nobody else was helping him,” she said.

Polhamus said she visits her grandson once a week at a youth detention center and that he has improved enormously with treatment and medication. She said her grandson has been doing a lot of reading and wants to study to get a GED diploma.

“I’d like to see him have a chance at some point to prove himself,” Polhamus said.

Gray was put in foster care while in detention because his father was in prison and there were concerns about his mother's contact with him. Candice Broce, director of the state Division of Family & Children Services and commissioner of the Georgia Department of Human Services, managed his case.

Broce testified that Gray appeared to show improvement. After Marcee Gray was barred from speaking with her son by a July 2025 no-contact order and he started taking medication, staff at the youth detention center told Broce it “changed him essentially into a different child,” she said.

The judge acknowledged that Gray had been failed by his parents, his extended family and, to a certain extent, society.

“But that failure does not absolve you from who you chose to idolize, worship and become,” Primm told Gray.

The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly about the personnel matter and spoke on condition of anonymity, said on Tuesday that teleprompter operator, Gabriel Perez, “no longer works in the federal government." The official would not say whether he resigned or was fired.

The White House confirmed earlier this month that Perez had been placed on unpaid leave after ABC News reported he had used his inside knowledge to win more than $100,000 betting on what the president would say in big speeches, including the State of the Union address earlier this year.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt had described the reports of the insider trading as “deeply unfortunate and, frankly, a disgrace.”

Robert Denault, Kalshi’s lawyer and head of enforcement, said on X following the ABC News report that the “Kalshi surveillance team promptly flagged, investigated and referred these trades” to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission that has regulatory authority over such matters.

His statement did not name Perez.

The ABC report described suspicious activity on Kalshi’s “Mentions” market, in which users can place bets on what phrases and specific words might be used in public speeches. Kalshi recently began requiring users to disclose their place of employment, and the platform’s policy prohibits betting based on information that users gain because of their job.

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Associated Press writer Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report.

Shanahan crashed into a 21-year-old woman driving in the other direction in Palo Alto on July 14 and was left with a concussion, broken ribs, a broken nose and broken left hand and stitches for a large cut above his right eye. Shanahan was briefly hospitalized following the crash and hasn't been able to coach the team at the start of training camp. The other driver suffered minor injuries and did not need to be hospitalized.

Shanahan spoke to a small group of reporters on Tuesday for the first time since the crash to explain what happened from his vantage point and to make clear the crash was his fault.

“I was going 20 miles an hour,” Shanahan said. “I was not on my phone, but I dropped my phone, and it was stuck in my seats. It was on my lap, and it slid off, and I went down to look for it, and took my eyes off the road for two seconds, and as I was coming up, the air bags hit me in my face.”

Police filed no charges in the crash.

Palo Alto police Lt. Nicholas Martinez confirmed Shanahan's version of the crash was correct and that a mistake in a report transmitted to a state database incorrectly blamed the crash on the other driver.

“I can confirm that Kyle Shanahan’s statement that he provided is correct and that he was found at fault for the collision,” Martinez said in a statement Tuesday. “There was a clerical error in the preparation of the report that was transmitted to the state database. We are in the process of correcting that error. It is the officer’s discretion at the scene of the collision as to whether they issue a citation to either party. It is not uncommon for officers to elect to not issue a citation to either party involved in a collision. Neither party in this situation was provided preferential treatment."

Shanahan has been unable to run the team or practice since training camp started on Saturday with assistant Chris Foerster in charge with assistance from coordinators Raheem Morris, Klay Kubiak and Brant Boyer.

Shanahan has come out for portions of the first two practices to watch alongside general manager John Lynch. He said he is not bothered by the sunlight but loud noises like the music at practice are still an issue.

Shanahan said he has made considerable progress and expects to make a full recovery. The 49ers have said that Shanahan is going through a similar protocol to the one used for players after a concussion and will resume coaching when he is recovered.

Shanahan is entering his 10th season as 49ers coach and is one of the most highly regarded coaches in the game for his offensive acumen. San Francisco has made two trips to the Super Bowl under his watch following the 2019 and 2023 seasons and made two additional appearances in the NFC title game in the 2021 and ’22 seasons.

Shanahan has a 91-72 record in the regular season and playoffs for the 49ers, ranking third in franchise history in wins behind George Seifert (108) and Bill Walsh (102).

The team overcame significant injuries last season to finish 12-5 in the regular season and win a playoff game as Shanahan finished fifth in voting for the AP NFL Coach of the Year.

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

The commission approved the amendment to the Neighborhood Grant Program at its July 27 meeting.

Why HOAs, CDDs were cut

The change targets organizations established under two Florida statutes — Chapter 720, which governs homeowners’ associations, and Chapter 190, which governs community development districts.

According to city staff, those organizations already have the legal authority to assess fees and collect revenues from their members to pay for neighborhood improvements, amenities, maintenance, and community activities — including entrance features, landscaping, recreational facilities, fencing, and special events.

“The Neighborhood Grant Program is intended to support projects that provide a broader public benefit,” Community Services Director Jaime D. Perkins wrote in a staff memo ahead of the vote. “This amendment will help ensure that limited grant funds continue to be directed toward organizations and initiatives that have the greatest need and the greatest potential to advance community-wide objectives.”

Who still qualifies

The Neighborhood Grant Program — re-established in 2024 — provides grants of up to $3,000 to formally and informally organized nonprofit neighborhood groups for projects that beautify, enrich, and improve communities across St. Augustine.

To qualify, an organization must have at least three active members and must have been active for at least 365 calendar days before applying. Solely family-based organizations are not eligible, and grants are not awarded to individuals.

Applications are accepted four times a year — between the 1st and 15th of January, April, July, and October. For more information or to apply, contact Neighborhood Services at NGP@CityStAug.com or 904.209.4254.

Katalyst Space Technologies said Tuesday that its Link satellite is experiencing thruster problems and has gone into an uncontrollable spin that is disrupting communication.

The trouble struck over the weekend, three weeks after the three-armed robotic spacecraft blasted into orbit.

The startup company said it's working nonstop to get Link back in action so it can capture Swift and boost the telescope to a higher orbit. Swift will crash back to Earth this fall without help. NASA is paying $30 million for the rescue effort, which was thrown together in under a year.

Launched in 2004, Swift is descending faster than expected because of recent solar activity. It needs a lift as soon as possible in order to continue scanning the universe for some of the biggest explosions, including gamma ray bursts and exploded stars. Scientific observations are on hold until then.

Neither Katalyst nor NASA is giving up hope. All of Link's other major subsystems appear to be doing fine, according to the company.

"The mission remains active and we continue to believe that with these changes, Link has a viable path to rendezvous with Swift," Katalyst said in a statement.

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

Police Chief Shon Barnes told a news conference that the weapon was a 9 mm gun from Polymer80 — a now-defunct company that was once a leading manufacturer of ghost gun parts.

Investigators also recovered two other weapons and 14 shell casings that had been fired by weapons of two different calibers, he said.

The festival shooting killed 3 people and injured 4, including a toddler

The shooting in the waning hours of the three-day Bite of Seattle festival left three people dead, including a 19-year-old gunman, and at least four people injured, including a toddler. Authorities say they believe the violence was gang-related, and they are reviewing any available surveillance video and interviewing victims and witnesses in an effort to identify others who may have been involved.

An eighth person with a possible gunshot wound checked themself into a Seattle hospital after the shooting, but checked out before investigators could conduct an interview, Barnes said. Legal obstacles have prevented detectives from obtaining the patient’s identity, he added. It's unclear if the injury was related to the festival shooting or whether the person might have been involved in it, but Barnes asked for the person to come forward and speak with investigators.

Ghost guns lack serial numbers law enforcement can use to trace them

Ghost guns are privately made — often homemade — firearms that lack serial numbers used to trace them. They have often been purchased without a background check. Law enforcement officials say ghost guns, including those made with 3D printers, have been used in violent crimes across the U.S.

Lawsuits and state-level bans eventually pushed Polymer80 out of business in 2024, and last year, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a rule adopted under former President Joe Biden requiring companies to treat gun kits like other firearms by adding serial numbers, running background checks, and verifying that buyers are 21 or older.

The weapon the 15-year-old had been shooting when he surrendered to police was equipped with an extended 33-round magazine, Barnes said. The magazine still had 19 rounds in it.

At the scene Sunday night, police also recovered a 9 mm handgun that they do not believe was used in the shooting.

And on Monday, as food vendors were allowed to return to the area to clean up and collect their equipment, a third weapon was discovered: a Glock 45 model 9 mm with a switch allowing it to fire fully automatically, Barnes said. Police believe that gun was fired during the shooting. It had an extended 40-round magazine, with 21 rounds remaining in it.

Police believe there were at least 3 shooters

In a document filed in juvenile court in Seattle on Monday, police said they believed there were at least three shooters: the 15-year-old, an acquaintance who died at the scene and “at least one other unknown suspect.” Authorities had earlier said they believed there were two.

A judge on Monday ordered the 15-year-old to be held in juvenile detention for investigation of assault and firearms charges pending further hearings. The King County prosecutor's office said it expected to receive the case from police on Wednesday for a charging decision. Hong Tran, a public defender assigned to the teen's case, declined to comment in an email to The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The King County Medical Examiner’s Office on Monday identified the dead as Carlos Israel Sanchez Villalba, 44; Ashley Whitehead, 56; and Junior Cee Niko Semo, 19.

Victims remembered as kind, willing to help others and a ‘free spirit’

Villalba was a husband and father of three known for his kindness and willingness to help others, according to a GoFundMe campaign launched Monday to help his family with funeral expenses. He died from a gunshot wound to his torso, while Whitehead died from a gunshot to her pelvis and Semo died from multiple gunshot wounds, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Whitehead had just moved to Washington from Alabama a year ago and was enjoying the festival with one of her adult daughters when she was shot, her cousin Michelle Whitehead told The Associated Press. She was taken to the hospital and died in surgery, she said.

Ashley Whitehead adored her two adult daughters, and also loved nature and arts and crafts, her cousin said.

“I would consider her just a free spirit. She had the best sense of humor, the best gorgeous smile,” she said.

During a vigil Monday night at the center, Michelle Whitehead stood among dozens of others with a sign that said “Whitehead Strong” as the group held a moment of silence and raised up flashlights on their phones to honor those that had been killed. Candles and flowers were arranged around them.

The four wounded included a 2-year-old boy, two men, ages 23 and 27, and a woman, 39, all of whom were discharged, a hospital spokesperson said.

One of the victims was walking a bicycle when struck, the court document said. The toddler was with his mother.

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Rush reported from Portland, Oregon. Associated Press writer Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed.

The S&P 500 added 0.2%, but the modest move masked big swings underneath the surface. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 537 points, or 1%, while the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.2% after briefly dropping 9.3% below its record set last month.

The majority of the U.S. market rose after more companies delivered stronger profits for the spring than analysts expected. Coca-Cola climbed 5% after its revenue rose 7% despite what CEO Henrique Braun called “a dynamic consumer landscape.”

Sherwin-Williams rallied 8.3%, and Illinois Tool Works rose 3.6% after both likewise reported stronger earnings for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Stock prices generally follow the trend of corporate profits over the long term, and expectations are high for this most recent round of reports with the U.S. stock market still near its all-time high.

Such expectations are weighing particularly heavily on stocks of chipmakers and other companies that have been huge winners from the boom in artificial-intelligence technology.

Micron Technology’s stock came into the day having more than tripled for the year following gangbuster growth, for example. During the three months through May 28, its revenue more than quadrupled from a year earlier.

But worries are rising about whether such growth is sustainable. Big spenders on computer memory could pull back on investments if AI does not produce as much profit or productivity as promised. Lower-cost AI models from China could also mean less demand for memory and computing power than earlier expected.

Micron dropped 8.9% and was the heaviest weight on the S&P 500. Others also helping to keep the market in check were Advanced Micro Devices, down 8.1%, and Applied Materials, down 7.8%.

All told, the S&P 500 rose 15.60 points to 7,428.78. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 537.24 to 52,747.32, and the Nasdaq composite fell 55.17 to 24,876.91.

The losses for chip stocks were even worse earlier in the day in other markets worldwide.

Sharp drops for SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics dragged South Korea’s Kospi index down 10.8%. The market’s losses were so big that trading was temporarily halted at times in Seoul.

“We believe the market was likely spooked by the progress of China’s chipmaking equipment capabilities, and was worried that this progress would threaten the competitive position of global chipmaking and chip equipment leaders,” said equity analyst Jing Jie Yu of Morningstar.

“That said, we believe the sell-off today is largely a knee-jerk reaction and overdone,” he said. The dominant position of global chipmaking leaders is unlikely to be threatened meaningfully, he said.

Several huge spenders on AI chips and data centers are scheduled to report their latest quarterly results this week, which could offer updates on how much they’re planning to invest. Meta Platforms and Microsoft are reporting on Wednesday, while Amazon is due on Thursday.

Because AI superstar stocks have grown so big, their movements carry more weight on the S&P 500 and other indexes than many other companies. But the broad U.S. market could hold up despite their swings if other, less-loved areas are able to keep rising. It’s a rotation that some strategists have suggested could be healthy for the overall stock market.

In the oil market, the price for a barrel of Brent crude to be delivered in October fell 4.4% to settle at $82.08.

It’s been falling since late last week, when the price for a barrel to be delivered in September briefly shot as high as $102.

Pushing up on prices have been worries that worsening fighting in the Middle East could slow the global flow of oil. On the other side, though, are hopes that the United States and Iran could still negotiate something to allow oil tankers to use the Strait of Hormuz to move crude.

Lower oil prices helped to ease Treasury yields in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.60% from 4.65% late Monday.

A weaker-than-expected reading on confidence among U.S. consumers also weighed on yields. Fewer consumers are saying they feel good about current business conditions, according to the latest survey released by the Conference Board Tuesday.

The drop in oil prices helped push traders to trim their bets that the Federal Reserve could announce a hike to interest rates following its latest meeting on Wednesday. They’re forecasting a 31.5% probability, down from more than 36% a day before, according to data from CME Group.

Higher rates could keep a lid on inflation, but they would also slow the economy by making it more expensive for U.S. households and businesses to borrow. Long-term mortgage rates have already hit their highest level in nearly a year, chilling the housing industry.

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AP Business Writers Chan Ho-him, Elaine Kurtenbach and Matt Ott contributed.

The parties reported reaching a tentative settlement in February as the case was headed to trial, but they were unable to finalize it. David and Ina Steiner asked a federal judge in June to restore the case to the trial calendar and reached a new settlement this month.

The agreement with the Steiners, founders of EcommerceBytes, a newsletter covering the e-commerce industry, includes an additional $7 million in charitable donations, including to organizations supporting First Amendment rights. The settlement contains no confidentiality provision, allowing the Steiners to discuss the case publicly.

“David and I were on the same page that this settlement should and must be made public — as victims who want to prevent something like this from ever happening to anyone else, and as reporters who believe in transparency,” Ina Steiner said Tuesday in an email response to questions from The Associated Press. “We hope that this case will serve as a deterrent.”

The settlement resolves more than six years of criminal and civil proceedings stemming from the harassment campaign. In their 2021 lawsuit filed in Boston federal court, the Steiners said that the company engaged in a conspiracy to “intimidate, threaten to kill, torture, terrorize, stalk and silence them” in order to “stifle their reporting on eBay.” The Natick residents, who report on the e-commerce industry in their newsletter, said they were subjected to cyberstalking, death threats and in-person surveillance by former eBay workers.

Escalating pressure

Ina Steiner said the campaign began with threatening direct messages on social media before escalating into anonymous deliveries of live cockroaches and spiders, a funeral wreath, a bloody pig Halloween mask and a book about surviving the death of a spouse. The employees also sent pornographic magazines with David Steiner’s name to a neighbor’s home and planned to install a GPS device on the couple’s car.

She said she did not initially know who was behind it or why.

“I could not conceive that a company I had been covering for the past two decades had tried to terrorize us into stopping our reporting,” she said.

When the lawsuit was filed, the company said “the misconduct of these former employees was wrong,” and that it would “do what is fair and appropriate to try to address what the Steiners went through.”

eBay reiterated its apology Tuesday, saying, “What the Steiners were subjected to by former eBay employees in 2019 was wrong, reprehensible and should never have happened.” The company also acknowledged “the unprofessional tone in internal communications” by former CEO Devin Wenig, former Chief Communications Officer Steve Wymer and former Senior Vice President Wendy Jones.

The company said the conduct “is not representative of eBay’s culture” and said it has since changed leadership and strengthened its policies, procedures and ethics training.

In 2020, federal prosecutors charged seven former eBay employees, alleging they carried out a coordinated harassment campaign against the couple after becoming angered by coverage in the couple’s online newsletter. Most of the defendants pleaded guilty to charges including conspiracy and cyberstalking and were later sentenced to prison terms or home confinement.

In 2024, eBay Inc. agreed to pay a $3 million criminal penalty under a deferred prosecution agreement with federal authorities.

A ‘painful, life-changing experience’

Under the settlement, the Steiners will receive $48.7 million in compensation, including $46.15 million from eBay, $2 million from former CEO Wenig, $500,000 from former executive Jones and $50,000 from former executive Wymer.

The company will fund $6 million in charitable contributions to various nonprofit organizations, with Wenig contributing an additional $1 million to a charity dedicated to protecting First Amendment rights in Ina Steiner's name.

In a statement, Steiner attorney Christopher Murphy cited the recovery amount, personal payments by former executives, a commitment for $7 million to go to nonprofits and the absence of a confidentiality provision in a system where “wrongdoers too often hide their misdeeds by dangling compensation in front of those they victimized and trading that compensation for confidentiality or an NDA.”

Protecting journalists and publishers and deterring corporate misconduct were goals from the beginning, he said. “We believe this resolution sends a clear message that corporations and their executives cannot engage in this type of misconduct without facing significant consequences," said Murphy, of Massachusetts-based Scalli Murphy Law.

Ina Steiner said she and her husband hoped that “some good will come out of this painful, life-changing experience.”

Keana Johnson is one of them.

The 17-year-old was looking forward to starting classes next month at Howard University as the next step on her educational journey and a way out of the New York City shelter where she lives. She told The Associated Press Tuesday that she may consider the University of the District of Columbia in Washington, which is extending its undergraduate application deadline to Aug. 7. She’s also looking into historically Black colleges and universities in the South, but realizes her options are limited and time is running short.

“I will still love to go to Howard,” Johnson said. “I’ve invested too much into going to that university to give up now.”

Howard, one of about 100 historically Black colleges and universities in the United States, said Friday that it notified 502 first-time-in-college students that their spots for the upcoming semester were no longer being held. The school said the students had not met deadlines for enrollment and financial obligations.

Howard also said students who believe their accounts did not reflect their financial standing should contact its financial aid office and that “each case will be reviewed individually to determine whether adjustments or reinstatement are appropriate.”

Howard University has not responded to an AP request for the number of unenrolled students reinstated or the status of cases being reviewed.

Johnson said she has emailed the school multiple times for answers she's yet to receive. “I called every single office there is a number for,” she added.

The Howard staff on the other end of the calls were of no help, Johnson said.

The University of the District of Columbia, like Howard, is an HBCU and located in Washington. The public university has committed to offering a hand to students who especially need one right now, said Hasanna Tyus, the vice president of enrollment services.

“We understand that college plans can change unexpectedly, and we want students to know that they still have options,” Tyus said.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Monday that the State University of New York and City University of New York also are expediting late admissions reviews at some schools for state residents unenrolled by Howard.

Participating campuses also will provide an $800 credit per student to offset enrollment deposits paid to Howard that have not been refunded.

“New York is home to the nation’s finest systems of public higher education, and we are ready to welcome these talented students with the opportunity they deserve,” Hochul said.

Johnson, who is Black and uses “Star” as her preferred name, was notified in December of her admittance to Howard's nursing program for the fall 2026 semester.

She said she doesn’t live with either parent and has been staying at a homeless shelter for teens and young adults since early June while attending the Charter School of Educational Excellence in Yonkers.

She still hopes to land at an HBCU.

“The main thing that kept me going was knowing I was going to end up at Howard,” Johnson said. “It's a community of peers that look like you and struggle like you.”

———

Williams is a member of AP's Race & Ethnicity team.

The Sheriff’s office tells News4JAX on July 23, information came forward to the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office regarding a sworn employee, prompting a criminal investigation by the agency’s Special Victims Unit.

The following day, SJCSO says Sgt. Michael Clark, of the corrections division, was issued a temporary injunction for protection and placed on emergency suspension pending the legal process.

The Sheriff’s Office says Clark was arrested July 25, after authorities reported he violated the injunction. The SJSO Special Victims Unit took Clark into custody, and he was booked into the SJSO Detention Center before being transferred to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office. Clark has since bonded out with GPS monitoring.

The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office says it has terminated Clark following the alleged criminal act.

Officials say no further details will be released, citing the sensitive and active nature of the investigation.

The states — Tennessee, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Utah and Idaho — all have Republican governors who say they welcome the chance to help America reclaim its leadership in civilian nuclear energy.

If built, the storage sites would represent significant progress in a multi-decade effort to store more than 95,000 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste. Plans for a permanent underground storage facility at Nevada's Yucca Mountain have long been stalled because of staunch opposition from most residents and officials.

Spent fuel is currently stored at nuclear plants and former nuclear sites nationwide and is piling up. New storage sites would move the radioactive material away from population centers, fault lines and flood plains. Experts say the plan also should help officials gain consent from communities that will host the repositories.

Under the non-binding agreements, the states could host Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses that would include waste sites as well as uranium enrichment, spent-fuel reprocessing and fuel fabrication. The campuses may also host advanced reactor deployment, power generation and data centers, the Energy Department said.

Nuclear campuses could boost state economies

The campuses have the potential to attract up to $50 billion in private investment and generate as much as $10 billion in state and local tax revenues, the Energy Department said in a statement. Eligible projects could access federal loans worth billions of dollars, the department said.

“These campuses will be massive generators of economic growth ... and be crucial to unleashing America’s nuclear renaissance,'' Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in a statement. He called the proposed campuses an “innovative concept” that will "get America’s nuclear industry growing again.''

Tennessee is home to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which enriched uranium during World War II as part of the Manhattan Project, while Idaho hosts the Idaho National Laboratory, a key research site for nuclear energy and national security. Utah was a source of raw uranium for the Manhattan Project and a training site for crews that dropped atomic bombs on Japan in 1945.

“As the global epicenter of nuclear energy, Tennessee is honored to be selected as a potential host for a Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus,” said Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee. "As our state answered the call during the Manhattan Project and helped shape the course of history, Tennessee stands ready once again to advance the safe, reliable energy solutions our nation depends on.”

Solution for storing waste needed to expand nuclear power

The announcement comes as President Donald Trump attempts to quadruple domestic nuclear energy production because of surging electricity demand due to a data center and artificial intelligence boom. Trump also has moved to reshape the independent Nuclear Regulatory Commission to speed up nuclear reactor development. Under Trump’s direction, the commission has proposed eliminating a foundational safety principle that for 50 years minimized the radiation people in the United States are exposed to.

The NRC proposal would abandon a philosophy to keep radiation exposure “as low as reasonably achievable,” instead setting a separate standard on maximum radiation exposure that includes several actions facilities must take depending on the potential dose of radiation to workers.

California Rep. Mike Levin said the nuclear fuel announcement was a long time coming and required bipartisan collaboration to fix difficult nuclear waste challenges. Levin, a Democrat, has pushed to allocate funding to safely remove and dispose of spent nuclear fuel from decommissioned nuclear plants, including the closed San Onofre nuclear power plant in Southern California.

“Today’s selection of states is a monumental step in the right direction,” Levin said in a statement. “For the first time in decades, states are raising their hands” to accept nuclear waste.

Scott Roecker, a former official at the National Nuclear Security Administration who now advises the Nuclear Scaling Initiative, a pro-nuclear group, said the campuses are a good idea, though he cautions that spent nuclear fuel should not be reprocessed there to be recycled for new fuel because of the cost and security issues.

“Getting a community to accept a long-term repository for nuclear waste has been a big challenge in the United States politically. It’s been a hard pill to swallow for certain communities,” he said in a recent interview. “The fact that they’re talking about sort of the whole fuel cycle at these centers is a positive thing. Basically, you’re getting the consent of that community for that long-term repository.”

Congress now must work to authorize the campuses and establish clear oversight, Levin said.

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McDermott reported from Providence, R.I.

The lawsuit was filed in January 2026 in St. Johns County against Epic Theatres of St. Augustine, Inc. and Epic Properties of St. Augustine, LLC.

The complaint alleges negligence stemming from an incident at the theater located in St. Augustine.

‘Butter-soaked’ carpet allegation

According to the complaint, the plaintiff visited the theater on or about June 4, 2025, to watch a movie with a friend. The lawsuit states she was walking through the lobby concessions area when she “suddenly and without warning slipped and fell due to a butter-soaked portion of carpet.”

The plaintiff’s attorneys, with the Morgan & Morgan law firm, allege the defendants failed to maintain the premises in a reasonably safe condition, failed to adequately inspect the lobby and concession area, failed to warn the plaintiff of the dangerous condition and failed to correct it.

The complaint claims the defendants knew — or should have known — about the hazardous condition. It seeks damages exceeding $50,000, citing bodily injuries, pain and suffering, disability, mental anguish, lost earnings and what it describes as permanent or continuing harm.

Theater’s property owner responds

Epic Properties of St. Augustine, LLC, the entity that owns the building, filed its answer and affirmative defenses in June 2026. The property owner denied most of the complaint’s allegations.

In a key legal argument, the defense contends that Florida’s negligent mode of operation theory — which the plaintiff’s complaint leans on — was effectively eliminated by Section 768.0755 of the Florida Statutes. The defense argues those allegations should be stricken from the complaint.

The property owner also argued that Epic Theatres of St. Augustine, Inc. — the separate operating entity — did not own the land or building and did not manage the theater business, and therefore owed no duty to the plaintiff.

Shared responsibility at issue

The defense also raised the issue of comparative fault, alleging the plaintiff was herself negligent and that her own actions contributed to the incident. Under Florida law, if a plaintiff is found to be more than 50% at fault, they are barred from recovering damages.

Additionally, the defense cited Florida’s sweeping 2023 tort reform law — commonly referred to as HB 837, signed by the governor on March 24, 2023 — as controlling law in this case. That law made significant changes to how personal injury cases are handled in Florida, including limits on medical damages and changes to comparative fault thresholds.

The case remains pending in St. Johns County.

Just before 1:30 p.m., a deputy responded to a home on Rolland Lane after a DoorDash driver called to report a two-level cage inside the garage with the door halfway open.

The driver told deputies an adult American Bully occupied the lower level and a litter of puppies was in the upper level; neither had visible food and the animals were panting.

Deputies said the eight puppies, about 4 1/2 weeks old, were piled on top of one another in the upper cage, sharing a single bowl with only a little water. Their mother, a 2-year-old nursing dog named Envy, was in the lower cage next to an empty bowl. Outside temperature measured about 97 degrees.

Shafaira Johnson, 36, of Palatka, came out of the home and told the deputy she had expected the DoorDash driver to call law enforcement. She refused to let the deputy into the garage and said she could not move the dogs because she was waiting for someone to return with her vehicle, deputies said.

At 1:40 p.m., with Envy still panting heavily, the deputy told Johnson to give the dog water. She refused, saying Envy had been watered earlier and “throws up when she drinks too much.” Deputies say it took a second order, nine minutes later, before she filled the bowl.

As Animal Control was en route, Johnson began closing the garage door and was directed to reopen it. Deputies say she instead began placing the puppies into a cardboard box and cited a text message telling her law enforcement could not enter the garage.

Because of the dogs’ immediate risk in the heat, the deputy ordered her multiple times to open the door; she refused and stood by a pickup truck, blocking access to the animals.

Just before 2:45 p.m., a man arrived and handed over a cardboard box containing the eight panting puppies, whose fur was warm to the touch. An Animal Control investigator placed the puppies in an air-conditioned vehicle. Envy, still lactating and panting, was then surrendered.

“Eight puppies and their mother barked for help as they baked in a 97-degree garage,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “Thankfully, a DoorDash driver ‘saw something and said something,’ and now all nine dogs are safe, cool, and being cared for. If you can’t take care of your animals, surrender them. Lately we have arrested far too many people who don’t care about their animals’ well-being. Don’t lock your pets in conditions you wouldn’t want to live in yourself.”

Deputies arrested Johnson on charges of animal cruelty, confinement of animals without sufficient food or water and resisting without violence. She was taken to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility and later released on a $1,500 bond.

Near Nocatee in northern St. Johns County, more than 4,000 acres sit behind Mickler’s Wharf — land that could soon be developed for housing. It is one of six properties in St. Johns County on the list for agricultural enclave certification under SB 686, which took effect July 1.

“It’s almost like what we call entitlements in the development world — before, if you can imagine an agricultural property, it could do farming, silviculture, but it couldn’t put single family on there. Now they have rights to do so,” Roberson said.

Prior to the law, a development of this scale would typically require changes to zoning or possible amendments to the comprehensive plan — a lengthy process that could include land use and zoning changes. Under the new statute, if a property gets certified, the county cannot reject it based on land use, zoning or even traffic. St. Johns County Growth Management Director Mike Roberson acknowledged the shift.

“This is a less authority. This is a removal of authority,” Roberson said. “I think there’s just been a general trend from the state producing laws that have given, as you say, a little more leeway or more flexibility for developers to maybe get entitlements.”

Once certified, Roberson said the rights are secured.

“Once they achieve those rights or those entitlements, they’ll get them in perpetuity,” Roberson said.

Roberson said county staff has 30 days to review each application before it heads to a public hearing before the Board of County Commissioners for a final decision.

Not everyone is on board. Commissioners Krista Joseph and Ann Taylor are pushing back hard, with Joseph calling for outside legal help to stop the law.

“At the next meeting I’m going to bring up that we need an attorney, an outside attorney, immediately to put in an injunction against this new law,” Joseph said.

Taylor echoed that sentiment.

“I don’t believe that we can be a doormat. We need to fight back,” Taylor said.

Residents are also alarmed. At a recent county commission meeting, one community member urged the board to act, while another pointed to traffic as a top concern.

“When Governor DeSantis comes back to Ponte Vedra Beach and wants to go to his favorite restaurant, he’ll notice that it will take 30 minutes to go four miles. That’s the traffic we have now in the beach. It’s overdeveloped as it is already,” the resident said.

“We’re right in the middle of that review,” Roberson said of the six pending applications. Once complete, they head to a public hearing before the Board of County Commissioners, where the final certification decision will be made.

The investigation, requested in December by Mayor Muriel Bowser, reviewed MPD crime data from 2015 through 2025. While the report did not indicate any fraud or intentionality in the flaws in the crime stats collection, it recommended a series of steps meant to ensure accuracy in the data gathering going forward.

“We found that MPD’s crime reporting controls broke down significantly during the period we examined,” it said.

The police force’s crime statistics collection faced increasing scrutiny after President Donald Trump issued a monthlong emergency order last summer that federalized the police force and launched a law enforcement operation in the nation’s capital that his Republican administration said was meant to fight crime.

Local officials maintained that crime was already dropping when Trump took the action. Critics said the problematic statistics erroneously downplayed the true impact of Trump’s initiative.

The report made five recommendations to the department, including establishing a permanent, independent crime report review function with personnel who are appropriately trained with the authority to return reports to officers for correction.

It highlighted the 2013 dissolution of an independent unit that reviewed the statistics gathering process, which the report said led to crime classification errors and meant that incomplete explanations could pass through the approval process, uncorrected.

“Crime data is the informational foundation on which MPD makes operational decisions, the District allocates resources, and the public evaluates the safety of its community,” the report concluded. When that data is unreliable “the consequences extend beyond inaccurate statistics.”

The report did not weigh in more broadly on Trump's law enforcement efforts in Washington.

The report noted that in recent months the department has taken steps to address concerns in crime classification and reporting.

An emailed response from MPD said a number of steps the department is taking, including increased training, as well as the creation of the Data Quality and Compliance Branch to “enforce objective reporting, and conduct systematic reviews of police reports.”

A Republican-led House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform accused Washington's former police chief of pressuring subordinates to manipulate department data to artificially lower the city’s crime rates.

A separate investigation by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office also found that a significant number of MPD reports had been misclassified to make crime rates appear lower than they are.

Pirro’s office began its investigation in August at the height of a political showdown between Trump’s administration and the city over control of the police department. Trump claimed violent crime in Washington was getting worse as he ordered a federal takeover of the police department.

Neither investigation found grounds for charging anybody with a crime.

In May, Washington interim Police Chief Jeffery Carroll announced that 13 officers had been placed on administrative leave in connection with an internal investigation into how the department keeps crime statistics.

Eleven are still on administrative leave and two have “separated from services,” the department said in an email.

Commissioner Tony Petitti says that’s a worthwhile sacrifice to get his preferred postseason format.

“When we make this decision as a league – are we going to support 24 – that’s where you start the conversation,” Petitti said Tuesday as the Big Ten opened its football media days. “Are you willing to give up your championship game to have the expanded playoff?”

Pettiti mentioned this possibility back in May as he stepped up his push to double the 12-team playoff. He conceded a 24-team College Football Playoff would mean no Big Ten championship game, which has been held annually in Indianapolis since 2011.

“Yeah, I think it’s pretty much we won’t be playing a championship game if we go to 24,” he said.

The bid to expand the playoff to 24 teams also has the support of the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big 12 and Notre Dame. The Southeastern Conference remains a holdout.

During the SEC’s media days event last week, commissioner Greg Sankey cited the risk to conference championship games as one potential drawback of a 24-team format. The SEC was the first major conference to adopt a league championship game and held its first one in 1992.

Petitti noted the potential drawbacks a team would face when it enters the playoff after competing in a championship game.

“There’s a lot of conflicting incentives,” Petitti said. “It’s still very powerful to win a Big Ten championship, and teams play hard. They want to win that game. But you’re talking about a pretty tough journey to go all the way through and where you are playing next, and what happens if a team loses that game, they don’t get a bye, and they have to go play relatively quickly.”

Petitti also outlined his reasons for wanting a 24-team playoff rather than merely expanding to 16. He said it would assure that more late-season games carried postseason implications.

“The format creates all kinds of incentives,” Petitti said. “If you think about a 24-team playoff, right, a bunch of teams are going to be ranked between 16 and 24 that are just trying to make sure they’re in. You’re going to have teams playing until the very end to see if they’re in. You’re going to have teams playing to see if they can get a home game. So every game is going to matter because your seeding is always going to be determined by somebody else.”

While some SEC coaches such as Georgia's Kirby Smart and Tennessee’s Josh Heupel have countered Sankey’s position by saying they’re intrigued by a 24-team playoff, Big Ten coaches seem universally behind Petitti.

“When you get a room of 50 coaches or whatever we have in this conference together, it’s hard to get everybody to be unanimous on something,” Southern California's Lincoln Riley said. “This is something that our room has been unanimous on.”

Riley said the lack of a conference championship game would make this more like the NFL model, where people simply pay more attention to the national championship than anything else.

“I know obviously those (conference championship games) are huge revenue drivers for these conferences, which matters in this day and ae maybe a little bit more than it used to,” Riley said. “But to think that that could not be made up when you start adding in some of those playoff games…. I have a hard time believing that couldn’t be recouped, that these conferences can’t just decide the regular-season champion, have your tiebreaker structure or whatever and let’s get into the playoffs.”

The standoff between the Big Ten and the SEC represented the latest disagreement between college football’s two heavyweight conferences, but Petitti downplayed their off-field disagreements. He pointed out that he and Sankey had spoken over five separate times Tuesday morning while awaiting proposed changes to Congress’ Protect College Sports Act.

Petitti even said he’d like to see more SEC-Big Ten matchups similar to Ohio State’s trip to Texas and Oklahoma’s visit to Michigan this season.

But that couldn’t stop the Big Ten from crowing a bit about getting the upper hand the last few years.

As Petitti spoke to reporters, the last three College Football Playoff trophies were to his right, representing the national titles won by Big Ten members Michigan in 2023, Ohio State in 2024 and Indiana in 2025. Petitti noted the Big Ten also has the reigning champions in men’s basketball ( Michigan ) and women’s basketball ( UCLA ).

Illinois coach Bret Bielema, who coached in the SEC at Arkansas from 2013-17, offered the line of the day by saying SEC schools “kind of want to live in 2005 forever.”

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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 lawsuit claims that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has ordered an indefinite suspension of federal-sector class complaints pending before the agency's administrative judges, who handle discrimination complaints from federal workers in a process that is different than for private sector workers.

The two women, who are correctional officers at a Louisiana federal prison, have a pending certified class complaint against the Federal Bureau of Prisons, claiming that prison management failed to prevent and correct widespread sexual harassment by inmates against female workers, including rape threats, unwanted touching and nudity. The women, Deanna Chelette and Alexzandria Boyd, were joined in their lawsuit by the American Federation of Government Employees, the largest union representing federal workers.

It is not clear why the EEOC gave the suspension directive, which the agency had not publicly disclosed, or how many other cases are affected. The EEOC referred all questions to the Department of Justice, which declined to comment.

Under President Donald Trump, the EEOC has drastically overhauled its civil rights enforcement priorities, including prioritizing cases aimed at stamping out diversity and inclusion policies, dropping cases on behalf of transgender workers and abandoning longstanding tools for investigating systemic discrimination. The changes have prompted several lawsuits against EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas, who says she is pursuing an “even-handed” and “colorblind” vision of workplace civil rights.

But it's not apparent how the order to suspend federal-sector class claims fits into the EEOC's new priorities. In the court filing, attorneys for the plaintiffs said the EEOC had provided “no reasoned explanation for a blanket policy that halts an entire category of discrimination cases.” The lawsuit seeks to have the suspension directive vacated.

“Without an explanation, it's hard to infer what the EEOC’s intentions behind this were, but it’s hard to ignore that this is part of a broader campaign at the EEOC to undermine the ability of employees to protect rights that Congress has provided to them under the civil rights laws,” said Joseph Sellers, co-chair of Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll’s civil rights and employment practice and one of the attorneys for the plaintiffs.

The pending class complaint claimed that management at Louisiana's Federal Correctional Complex at Pollock failed to stop inmates from subjecting female workers to sexual harassment. The complaint included declarations from eight other women who also described the harassment and management's response, and estimated that the class complaint would include least 182 women. The Federal Bureau of Prisons did not respond to requests for comment.

According the lawsuit against the EEOC, Administrative Judge Erania Ebron had certified the class in March 2025. But in December, Ebron issued a notice that case had been paused until further notice.

Attorneys in the case argued that the suspension violates the EEOC's own regulations governing complaints filed by federal workers requiring the agency to handle complaints promptly.

The lawsuit said that during the seven months the case has been halted, Chelette, Boyd and other women “have been subjected to, or are at risk of, ongoing and escalating sexual harassment that continues to go unremedied. They have no information about when, if ever, their case will continue.”

“Management is just sort of emboldened and taking even less corrective action, sending the message to the inmates that you can sexually harass and abuse these female staff and get away with it because we’re not going to do anything to do you,” said Heidi Burakiewicz, an attorney for the plaintiffs and founding partner at Burakiewicz & DePriest.

While it remains unclear how many cases the EEOC has paused, the attorneys who filed the lawsuit said they are representing federal workers in at least five other class complaints that are stalled, including cases against the FBI and the Department of Defense.

While the plaintiffs have the legal right to opt out of the EEOC process and bring their case to federal court, attorney said it would require them to essentially build their case anew, including securing class status from scratch in a process that could take years.

_______ The Associated Press’ women in the workforce coverage receives financial support from Pivotal Ventures. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

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AP Business Writer Claire Savage contributed to this story from Chicago.

Ill-timed injuries to Daniel Jones, Patrick Mahomes and Bo Nix left their teams in the lurch. Joe Burrow, Jayden Daniels and Lamar Jackson had trouble staying healthy. Others once targeted and trained as franchise players were either sidetracked or discarded, as J.J. McCarthy, Kyler Murray, Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa found themselves on insecure ground.

Training camps always present a fresh start. Jones, Mahomes and Nix have been cleared for full activity, stabilizing or energizing the huddle in Indianapolis, Kansas City and Denver. Cincinnati, Washington and Baltimore are plenty happy to turn anew to Burrow, Daniels and Jackson. Murray (Minnesota) and Tagovailoa (Atlanta) flew to new places for welcomed scenery changes.

After all 32 reset buttons have been pushed, though, a handful of teams have reported with varying levels of intrigue and scrutiny surrounding the most important position on the field. Here's a closer look at the camps where there's either a legitimate competition for the season-opening starter or a measure of uncertainty:

The Browns, naturally, are auditioning QBs once again

Since Cleveland got its NFL team back in 1999, the Browns have made the playoffs just three times — and won only one postseason game. There's no arguing the connection to the perpetually shuffling depth chart at quarterback, with 42 different starters over those first 27 years.

The latest was Shedeur Sanders, who fell to the Browns in the fifth round of the 2025 draft after they'd selected Dillon Gabriel in the third round. Sanders is now competing for the job with Deshaun Watson, the fallen star whose health problems and off-the-field trouble have limited him to just 19 games over the last five seasons. Watson last played on Oct. 20, 2024, before an Achilles tendon rupture and reinjury kept him sidelined in 2025. Rookie head coach Todd Monken had hoped to name a starter by the start of training camp, but the competition will last at least a few more weeks.

Falcons bring Tagovailoa into the fold with Penix recovering from knee surgery

Atlanta had a hot seat on the offseason quarterback carousel, cutting Kirk Cousins to clear salary cap space after two unfulfilling seasons and signing Tua Tagovailoa after Miami dumped him and ate a record $99 million in dead money against the cap. Cousins' status immediately got complicated when the Falcons drafted Penix eighth overall in 2024, and the situation grew murkier yet last year when Penix tore the ACL in his left knee.

Penix had not yet been cleared for full-team work when the Falcons were last on the field at minicamp, so health and experience make Tagovailoa the front-runner for the job, though new head coach Kevin Stefanski has publicly declared this an open competition.

Murray lands in a favorable spot with the Vikings after McCarthy's rocky debut

J.J. McCarthy struggled with consistency and injuries that further hindered his opportunities to learn and improve in his debut with the Vikings last season, so the club reopened the search this year and found Murray available for the veteran minimum salary.

The Vikings have not given up on McCarthy, the 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft, and they'll split turns with the first team offense at least for the early stage of training camp. But if Murray is healthy, after spraining his foot last season and missing time between 2022-23 to recover from knee surgery, he's the clear favorite.

Willis gets big money from the Dolphins for his potential

The Dolphins didn't give $45 million guaranteed to Malik Willis for him to take turns. Their new leadership from Green Bay — general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley — became enamored with the 27-year-old over his two seasons as backup for the Packers.

With only three starts over the last three years, plus three more as a rookie with Tennessee in 2022, however, Willis is unquestionably unproven. Quinn Ewers took over for a struggling Tagovailoa and made three starts late last season, and the 2025 seventh-round draft pick performed well during spring practice sessions to present a potential alternative should the Dolphins need to consider one.

Cardinals give Brissett a pay bump and a public backing for the job

After moving on from Murray, the Cardinals landed on this short list of quarterback uncertainty — until satisfying veteran front-runner Jacoby Brissett with a new contract and formalizing his place atop the depth chart on Sunday. Fellow journeyman Gardner Minshew and third-round draft pick Carson Beck are waiting behind him in case a significant injury or costly interceptions were to give new head coach Mike LaFleur pause at some point this season.

Brissett, who's in his 11th year in the NFL, started 12 games last season after Murray's injury. He passed for a career-high 3,366 yards, but Arizona finished 3-14. After switching teams five times in five years, Brissett has stayed put for the first time since a four-season stint with Indianapolis. He was the starter for the Colts in 2017 and 2019. Minshew, who's on his sixth team in eight years in the league, was the primary starter for the Colts in 2023 after replacing then-rookie Anthony Richardson.

Raiders soft launch the Mendoza era with the comfort of Cousins

The best long-term outlook of the group clearly belongs to Las Vegas after taking Heisman Trophy and national championship winner Fernando Mendoza with the first pick in the draft. The Raiders under new head coach Klint Kubiak also brought in a sturdy bridge to that bright future by signing Cousins to help ease the rookie in.

Cousins is on top of the depth chart to start camp and the favorite to lead the Las Vegas offense in the opener, which would stop a streak of six straight quarterbacks drafted No. 1 overall starting their season opener — following Cam Ward, Caleb Williams, Bryce Young, Trevor Lawrence, Joe Burrow and Murray. Baker Mayfield in 2018 with the Browns was the last quarterback who didn’t start his first game as the first overall pick.

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

Joyce and District 4 board member Darryl Willie both hit their term limits, opening seats in Districts 4 and 6. District 2 will also have a new face. Early voting for the Florida primary begins Aug. 8.

Meet the District 6 Candidates

The candidates running for District 6 are Clarence James, Lindsey Denmark, Michelle Petty, Robert Stafford, and Tammyette Thomas.

News4Jax spoke with four of the five candidates about their priorities if elected.

Lindsey Denmark

Lindsey Denmark is a realtor and children’s ministry director at Restoration Baptist Church in the Dinsmore area of Jacksonville. An eighth-generation Floridian, she has lived on the city’s west side for nearly 20 years. Her church runs a reading volunteer program at Rutledge Pearson Elementary School. She also previously worked as a grant consultant across the state.

Denmark said restoring classroom order is her top priority if elected.

“My primary goal is to bring order back into our classrooms,” Denmark said. “We’re seeing so many disciplinary issues in the classroom between students and then also with our teachers and students, students just struggling with different things. I think we need to stand on our code of conduct that’s already in place and make sure that we are holding fast to that and we’re holding students and parents accountable for discipline issues.”

On literacy, Denmark said the district needs to move faster on early intervention — before children fall behind in third grade.

“Read USA is a fantastic program that already has tutor programs in our schools after school,” she said. “We really need to just expand those programs, make sure that we’re putting a focus on early intervention. Not just waiting until they’re in third grade and realizing that they cannot read.”

Denmark said she supports a fiscal audit of the district’s spending and believes teacher pay should be built into the base budget rather than dependent on recurring voter referendums.

“I will definitely be a proponent of a fiscal audit,” she said. “I believe that it should be paid out of the budget and they should be a very competitive wage.”

Denmark said her 15-year-old son has attended private, home, and public school, and that she is running partly because her own family’s trust in Duval’s public schools has eroded.

Clarence James

Clarence James is a fifth-generation west Jacksonville resident, a retired Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office lieutenant, and a current Duval County School Police sergeant. He said he sees the inside of Duval’s schools every day and that violence is his top concern.

“We can’t have over 1,000 fights a year in our schools,” James said. “We can’t [have] almost 400 teachers assaulted a year. We cannot continue on that path.”

James also said the district needs to address summer learning loss and ensure every school has a counselor.

“When the kids leave to go home for the summer, they’re not still getting that education,” he said. “We need to create programs and make sure that we inspire kids and parents, when they leave for the summer, to make sure they’re still actively involved in the academics.”

On the budget, James said student enrollment directly affects district funding and that keeping kids in public schools is critical.

“If you keep them in public school, you keep those dollars,” he said. “A lot of the kids have transferred out of the district [to] private schools and the money goes with them.”

James said he supports renewing the one-mill tax, which he said provides the average teacher $8,500 to $9,000 a year in additional pay.

“Our teachers pay about $1,100 a month for family health care,” James said. “On top of that, they’re one of the lowest paid in the state. So they need that extra $8,500 [to] $9,000 a year to help offset that health care cost.”

He pledged budget audits if the renewal passes. “We’re going to dissect that budget. We’re gonna do audits where needed. We’re going to make sure that we’re getting a good ROI on our money.”

James Addresses AI Controversy

James has also faced criticism on social media over the use of artificial intelligence in his campaign. The backlash centered on a photo that appeared to show AI-generated images of African-American supporters standing beside him. The photo has since been deleted. James addressed the controversy directly.

“AI is a new tool. We’re all learning,” James said. “I had one AI photo that I had no knowledge about. My campaign made a mistake, is what it is. I had no knowledge about it for three weeks.”

Michelle Petty

Michelle Petty is a Florida registered paralegal and an 11-year School Advisory Council member. She currently serves as SAC chair at Baldwin Middle Senior High School and has participated in the district’s Master Facility Plan focus groups and the Academic and Community Excellence Committee. She qualified for the ballot via petition.

Petty said her main goals are transparency, budget reform, and curriculum improvements.

“My goal is to, of course, work on the transparency issues,” Petty said. “I also want to work on a budget. I know that we are adding additional taxes to the taxpayers of Jacksonville. And I know we have a huge budget. It’s bigger than the city council budget. And I’m sure that those taxes can be absorbed into the Duval County budget. And we just need to look at what we’re spending it on.”

Petty also raised safety concerns tied to school consolidations, specifically the closure of Charger Academy and the transfer of its students to a newly built Chaffey Trail Middle School, which she said was constructed in one year instead of the typical two.

“They stopped bussing for kids that live less than two miles from this school,” Petty said. “So they were forcing these children to walk to school from nearby neighborhoods with no sidewalks, no crossing guards, no flashing yellow lights.”

On reading, Petty said the district is pushing students forward without ensuring they can read at grade level.

“We’re passing students that can’t read at grade level and it needs to be addressed,” she said. “We’re basically just making kids recognize words versus teaching them how to actually sound out things and be able to read.”

Despite concerns about additional taxes, Petty said she supports renewing the one-mill and plans to tell voters to approve it. She committed to working to absorb the cost into the district’s base budget within four years.

Robert Stafford

Robert Stafford is a Navy veteran and retired logistician with more than 38 years of professional experience in acquisitions and technical training. He serves as the NAACP’s representative on the Sales Surtax Oversight Committee and said he has worked with Duval County Public Schools informally for at least six years. His wife spent 43 years in the Duval County Public School System and is a three-time Teacher of the Year.

Stafford said he is running because he wants to see literacy rates rise and give students more opportunities to express themselves creatively.

“You can’t decouple reading from writing,” Stafford said. “If they can write, if they can express themselves, they’ll learn to read.”

Stafford said he also has concerns about school safety and the uneven way security upgrades are applied across schools.

“Take for instance, Rufus C. Payne. They’ve done nothing. They have no metal detectors. There’s no security fence,” he said. “But [another school] spent $662,000 on security upgrades. And then they demolished the building four months later. So it has to be uniform.”

He also called for better career development opportunities for teachers, saying programs that once operated at the Shope Center have disappeared.

Stafford said he supports the one-mill renewal, with accountability.

“Anytime you say safety or teacher’s salary, you have me,” he said. “But we can’t have a mistake where you misplace $61 million inadvertently. You have to have accountability and show the folks where the money was spent and how it was spent.”

On school closures, Stafford said many of the district’s current challenges stem from decisions made decades ago — including miscalculations about population mobility and declining birth rates — and that consolidating underenrolled schools is a financial reality.

“If we have a school with 200 students, basically it’s not viable,” he said. “You can’t support that if you want your tax dollars to go as far as they should go.”

Tammyette Thomas

News4Jax spoke with Tammyette Thomas Monday afternoon.

Thomas brings more than 20 years of experience in education, workforce development, healthcare training, college-level teaching, and running her own vocational school. She is also a mother of three Duval County public school graduates.

If elected, Thomas said her top priority would be ensuring teachers have the resources they need to succeed, while also improving student achievement and supporting parents. She said she would collaborate with principals and teachers to build on the district’s “A” rating, while addressing gaps in reading and math.

Thomas also voiced support for the one-mill tax renewal on the November ballot, saying it is critical funding for teachers, students, and parents. She pledged to make sure the dollars are properly allocated if voters choose to renew it.

You can see full interviews with the candidates below:

Learn more about the Florida Elections Reporting Partnership at floridaelections.org.

John Thomas Michael II, 48, was taken into custody Friday, July 24, on a local arrest warrant. He is being held at the Duval County jail on a combined bond of more than $800,000.

The death

On March 27, 2024, JSO deputies say they responded to Commonwealth Ave. following a report of an undetermined death. A man was found in his bedroom, where investigators say they also located multiple small baggies containing unknown purple-colored powders and small pieces of folded aluminum foil inside a pill bottle on his bedside table, along with his cell phone.

The District IV Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an inspection the following day. The Medical Examiner ruled the death an accident, citing acute combined drug intoxication from fentanyl, acetyl fentanyl, temazepam, doxylamine, dextrorphan/levorphanol, and dextro/levo methorphan.

In June 2025, according to the arrest report, the ME told investigators that, in his professional opinion, the fentanyl in the victim’s system was “a substantial factor” in his death.

The investigation

JSO’s Homeland Security Division Narcotics Overdose Death Investigation Task Force led the investigation. Investigators conducted a forensic examination of the victim’s cell phone, which revealed text message conversations with a contact saved as “Tom Melissa”.

JSO says a search of law enforcement databases connected that number to Michael II. Records also showed that between March 13, 2024, and March 24, 2024 — days before the victim’s death — there were 14 answered phone calls between the victim’s phone and Michael II’s number, according to his arrest report.

Investigators also noted that Michael II’s address sits directly in front of the victim’s residence.

A local arrest warrant was issued July 23, 2026, and Michael II was arrested the following evening.

Charges

Michael II faces four felony charges:

• Manslaughter — bond set at $700,003
• Sale or delivery of fentanyl — bond set at $50,003
• Solicitation to commit — bond set at $25,003
• Unlawful use of a two-way communications device — bond set at $25,003

Orange Park Woman arrested

A Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office narcotics investigation has led to the arrest of an Orange Park woman on manslaughter and drug-related charges in connection with the overdose death of a Jacksonville man earlier this year, according to police.

Whitney Lynn Wilhite, 38, of Orange Park, was arrested July 24 on charges of manslaughter, sale or delivery of a controlled substance, and unlawful use of a two-way communications device. She was transported from the Clay County Jail on a local arrest warrant. No bond has been set.

Victim found unresponsive in March

The case stems from the death of a man whose body was found unresponsive March 22, 2026, at a home on Margolyn Court in Jacksonville. Jacksonville Fire and Rescue responded to the scene, where the man was pronounced dead.

A JSO homicide detective responded to investigate. The man’s sister later located a bottle of methadone in his bedroom inside an open Amazon package on his nightstand. The District IV Medical Examiner determined Brown died of methadone toxicity.

Narcotics unit takes over investigation

Investigators reviewed a download of the victim’s cell phone, provided by a computer forensics investigator. The review confirmed his phone number and revealed a series of text message conversations with a contact saved in his phone as “Whitney White IOP”, according to the arrest report.

A law enforcement database query linked the phone number associated with that contact to Whitney Lynn Wilhite through multiple prior arrest records, including a Florida Highway Patrol report from December 2020 and a JSO report from August 2020.

Text messages tied to drug transaction

According to the arrest report, investigators reviewed text message exchanges between the victim and Wilhite in the days leading up to his death, including conversations on the morning of March 22, 2026 — the day he died. The arrest report states the content of those messages, along with cell site location data obtained through court-issued search warrants, supported the conclusion that Wilhite sold the victim the methadone that caused his death.

Charges, warrant details

Wilhite faces the following charges:

• Manslaughter 
• Sale, manufacture, or delivery of a controlled substance 
• Unlawful use of a two-way communications device

News4JAX has made an editorial decision to not name the 17-year-old due to her age.

Just after 1 p.m. Monday, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call reporting that someone had been shot multiple times at a home on Gwen Avenue. When deputies arrived, they say they found the victim in the driver’s seat of a vehicle suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The victim was transported to a local hospital in stable condition.

According to investigators, the victim and another adult had been arguing when the 17-year-old suspect was present. Witness and suspect statements indicate the victim reached for a firearm during the dispute before placing it back in a holster on a couch. As the victim walked away, the suspect allegedly retrieved the firearm and fired four rounds.

Following the shooting, deputies say the victim made it to the front of the property in an attempt to get help. Deputies say the suspect returned inside the home and called 911.

The teen was arrested and charged with attempted murder and booked into the Nassau County Jail before being transferred to the custody of the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.

“Domestic violence incidents are among the most difficult our deputies and detectives encounter,” said Sheriff Bill Leeper. “This is a tragic case that has left a family forever changed. We encourage anyone experiencing domestic violence or fearing for their safety to seek help before a situation turns tragic.”

The Sheriff’s Office says the investigation remains active and ongoing.

In response to questions about the bills, the independent authority confirmed the amount was $15.06 million and said it had taken steps to pay them in two months.

JTA has suffered a $13.28 million budget deficit in fiscal year 2026 and had a projected deficit of $17.5 million in fiscal year 2027. The unpaid bills also make up around 11.3% of JTA’s $132.97 million operating budget.

The delinquencies date back to 2014, according to records. Of the $15.06 million, $4.62 million is more than 60 days past due, $4.86 million is 31 to 60 days past due and $5.58 million is one to 30 days past due.

Of the $4.62 million that is more than 60 days past due, records show that $373,259.42 was overdue since July 1, 2025, and $2.95 million was overdue after April 1, 2026.

In a statement that verified the amount of the overdue bills, JTA spokesperson Lynn Opperman said that with a midyear budget amendment and cost-containing measures adopted by JTA, “we expect these outstanding invoices to be resolved in the next two months.”

Read more at the Jacksonville Daily Record.

Jacksonville Council Auditor Brian Parks presented the $75 million estimate to the Council Financial Audit and Oversight Committee, a figure based on a review of JEA’s capacity fee records dating back more than two decades.

The fees are a one-time charge required before a water meter is installed and utility service begins. Fee amounts are based on water meter size or projected daily consumption.

Parks told committee members nearly $20 million of the estimated missed payments came from multifamily units, noting those developments may not have seen enough growth over the years to require additional capacity fees, so it could be possible that $55 million was the maximum overall amount uncollected by JEA.

Read more at the Jacksonville Daily Record.

Year 2 for head coach Liam Coen comes equipped with high expectations and some momentum. The Jaguars are coming off a 13-4 season that not even the most teal-hearted optimist could have seen coming.

The Jaguars were content with their roster construction and didn’t make significant changes to their core since last year.

Among starters from last season, 10 return on offense (only Travis Etienne left). The bulk of the defensive guys return, too, but there will be new starters at linebacker (Devin Lloyd left in free agency) and cornerback (Travis Hunter in over Greg Newsome). After head coaching overtures, both coordinators are back for Coen. Defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile and offensive coordinator Grant Udinski interviewed for open jobs in the offseason but ultimately returned to Jacksonville.

That continuity is great for Coen, who brought much sought after stability to Jacksonville. He and Udinski also helped unlock quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s potential. Lawrence had constantly rotated between franchise player and frustratingly inconsistent during his time in Jacksonville. He produced 38 total touchdowns (29 passing) and reached 4,000 passing yards for the third time in his career.

Lawrence was an MVP finalist and should feel more comfortable in Coen’s system in his second season.

Travis Hunter is back

The first year of the Hunter experience was a bit muted. The two-way star whom the Jaguars traded up for in the 2025 draft, has been cleared to return to the practice field after missing all but seven games of his rookie season due to a knee injury.

Hunter had 298 yards receiving on 28 catches (one TD). On defense, Hunter had 15 total tackles. He’s expected to play a larger role at cornerback this year and enters camp as a projected starter opposite Montaric Brown. The team has said it still expects to play him on both sides of the ball.

Who are the backs?

The team’s biggest question mark entering training camp is in the backfield. Jacksonville lost Etienne in free agency and signed Chris Rodriguez in free agency. It drafted Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Alen Jr. in 2025.

Tuten had a solid rookie season and enters as perhaps the guy to earn the starting job. Rodrigeuz has been out of action after foot surgery but is expected to be a full go now. Deejay Dallas and Ameer Abdullah could also play a role if they make the 53. But there is certainly a dearth of experience among the top three backs. Rodriguez has just 198 career carries over three seasons. Tuten had 83 carries and five TDs last year. Allen had 23 carries as a rookie.

Respect? Come get it

Respect for the Jaguars has been fleeting in the national media. Coen made a point to drive that home last year, including the reference of being a “small market team” after going on the road and beating the Broncos late in the season.

Lawrence came in rated as the No. 62 player on the NFL’s Top 100 list. Edge Josh Hines-Allen, coming off an eight-sack season, disappointing from a statistical standpoint. But Hines-Allen had a whopping 80 quarterback pressures, a number that tied for the fourth-most in the league. With better play from the secondary, Hines-Allen should be able to turn more of those pressures into sacks.

Be prepared for a mess …

If you’re going to the stadium. Construction in and around EverBank Stadium has made the area a work in progress. Capacity for the stadium has been reduced to 42,507 in 2026, a total down from 68,300. The current capacity also includes 1,260 standing-room tickets. The majority of the reduced seating comes from the upper deck. No seating is available in the upper deck in 2026, with 22,000 seats removed.

When are practices open?

Jacksonville has opened 10 training camp sessions to fans this year: July 29-30, 31 (only season ticket holders), Aug. 2-3, 7, 9, 19 (joint practice with Panthers), 23 and 25 (joint practice with Buccaneers). Parking lots open at 7 a.m. and gates open at 7:45. Practice is expected to start at 8:30. The only changes are gate open at 8:45 on the joint practice days. There is free parking available in Lot Z. Free tickets for Aug. 2 and 9 dates have already been claimed. Tickets can be claimed here.

The schedule

Preseason 1, Aug. 15, at New Orleans Saints, 4 p.m.

Preseason 2, Aug. 21, vs. Carolina Panthers, 7:30 p.m.

Preseason 3, Aug. 28, vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 7:30 p.m.

Week 1, Sept. 13, vs. Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m.

Week 2, Sept. 20, at Denver Broncos, 4:05 p.m.

Week 3, Sept. 27, vs. New England Patriots, 1 p.m.

Week 4, Oct. 4, at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m.

Week 5, Oct. 11, vs. Philadelphia Eagles (at Tottenham Hotspur, London), 9:30 a.m.

Week 6, Oct. 18, vs. Houston Texans (at Wembley Stadium, London), 9:30 a.m.

Week 7, Oct. 25, OFF

Week 8, Nov. 1, vs. Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m.

Week 9, Nov. 5, at Baltimore Ravens, Thursday Night Football, 8:15 p.m.

Week 10, Nov. 15, at Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m.

Week 11, Nov. 22, at New York Giants, 1 p.m.

Week 12, Nov. 29, vs. Tennessee Titans, 4:05 p.m.

Week 13, Dec. 6, at Chicago Bears, 1 p.m.

Week 14, Dec. 14, vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, Monday Night Football, 8:15 p.m.

Week 15, Dec. 20, at Houston Texans, 1 p.m.

Week 16, Dec. 27, at Dallas Cowboys, Sunday Night Football, 8:20 p.m.

Week 17, TBD, vs. Washington Commanders, TBD

Week 18, TBD, at Indianapolis Colts, TBD

The four-time arena football champions will open their Indoor Football League postseason quest at home on Saturday at 7 p.m. against the Tulsa Oilers at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. Jacksonville (11-5) split its season series against Tulsa, winning 41-34 at home and losing on the road (58-49).

Six players with area ties are on Jacksonville’s roster this year.

WR/DB Marquel Wade (Jackson), RB Jimmie Robinson Jr. (Flagler Palm Coast), QB Sammy Edwards (St. Augustine), WR Jaedon Stoshak (University Christian), QB Matt Considine (St. Joseph) and WR Anthony Evelyn (Fletcher) are on the roster. Considine and Evelyn are on injured reserve. Stoshak and Wade have combined for 28 TD catches. Edwards has thrown 24 TD passes Robinson has paced the running game with 24 TD

The Sharks began play in 2010 as a member of the Arena Football League. They won their first AFL championship in 2011. Jacksonville jumped from the AFL to the National Arena League in 2017 and won the championship in its first season. They added titles in 2019 and 2023 before joining the IFL in 2024.

Lippman died at his home in Tucson on July 25, according to his brother, Glenn. He died from multiple system atrophy, a rare brain disease.

A gifted writer and editor, Lippman likely made his greatest contribution to journalism through the scores of young editors and reporters he recruited, mentored in his soft-spoken but enthusiastic manner and shepherded to accomplishments they would acknowledge later they hadn’t thought possible. He had the ability to become friends with practically everybody he met, including those he supervised.

He did so as chief of AP bureaus in Louisville, Indianapolis and Los Angeles.

During his time there, Lippman oversaw the so-called Trial of the Century, when football legend O.J. Simpson was charged with — and acquitted of — killing his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. He also supervised coverage of the 1994 Northridge earthquake that killed more than 70 people and caused $20 billion in damage. And in 1992, he led coverage of the deadly 1992 Los Angeles riots that destroyed a huge swath of the city after four white police officers were acquitted of charges in the videotaped beating of Black motorist Rodney King.

"If you were in a lab and charged with creating a model bureau chief, your model could well be Andy Lippman,” said retired AP President and CEO Louis D. Boccardi, who appointed Lippman to lead the Los Angeles bureau.

“He had it all," Boccardi said. "A sharp news sense, energy without limits, loyalty to, and appreciation for, his staff wherever we sent him, a passion to serve AP members that made the bond seem more like family than business, limitless enthusiasm, thoughtfulness in matters large and small. That was a hallmark of knowing Andy Lippman.”

Colleagues remembered him as a thoughtful boss

Particularly in Los Angeles, Lippman was remembered for his thoughtfulness. Even after his retirement he would surprise staffers stuck working on Thanksgiving by showing up with a full meal — turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, the works. And dessert.

“Andy was indeed like a brother to me, from the time we met in 1982 as fellow AP bureau chiefs in adjoining states — Andy in Louisville and I in Indianapolis,” said retired AP bureau chief and regional vice president Paul Stevens, who now edits AP’s Connecting newsletter for retired and former AP journalists.

“We became forever best friends," Stevens said. "One year, he invited our then-teenage daughters to join him as his guests for the Academy Awards program in Los Angeles. He came to family weddings. And we were there for each other in the tough times, including the deaths of our parents.”

Dozens of others shared similar sentiments in recent years at various gatherings, including AP’s annual dinner for retirees. At a recent farewell party in Los Angeles that Lippman was unable to attend because of illness, every one of the dozens of people in the room recorded video tributes.

He was a journalist since the early 1960s

Andy Lippman, born April 29, 1948, in Washington, D.C., to Miriam and Morton Lippman. He grew up in Bethesda, Maryland, and seemed destined to become a journalist. He worked for his middle school newspaper and was editor of Bethesda’s Walter Johnson High School newspaper, The Pitch, his senior year.

“Working on The Pitch really kept me focused, and particularly being an editor really gave me a sense of responsibility,” he told the newspaper in 2016.

Lippman started writing “for pay” at age 15 covering high school sports for the Washington Daily News on weekends. Later, when he arrived in Los Angeles in the late 1980s, he made sure every reporter or editor knew how to cover a sports event, just in case they got pressed into service during an emergency.

After graduating from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in 1970, Lippman landed a vacation relief job at the AP’s Phoenix bureau in 1971. A year later he became a permanent member of the Tucson, Arizona, staff before moving to AP’s sports desk in New York, then on to Cincinnati, where he was an AP correspondent. Then it was on to Louisville.

Sports-related coverage seemed to keep creeping back into his work life. In 1991, Lippman pressed his sports writers to confirm word, which they did, that Los Angeles Lakers superstar Magic Johnson was about to announce his retirement after contracting the AIDS virus. Lippman had reported on Johnson’s on-court rival and close friend Larry Bird during his time in Indianapolis.

He dealt with health issues but stayed in the game

In 2005, the AP honored him with the Oliver S. Gramling Spirit Award, given to staff members who display dedication, courage, and exceptional support for the news agency’s mission.

Plagued with various health issues in his later years, Lippman retired from the AP in 2009, but never lost touch with the company.

He continued to help others, teaching English to immigrants and helping about 75 holding Green Cards prepare for their tests to become U.S. citizens. In 2022, the Puente Learning Center in East Los Angeles named Lippman its Volunteer of the Year, an honor accompanied by a proclamation from the California Legislative Assembly.

Lippman never really quit journalism. For eight years, until last December, he wrote a weekly column for the South Pasadena Review, the local newspaper for the close-knit suburb just north of Los Angeles that in his final years Lippman had grown to love.

Lippman served in the U.S. Army Reserves for six years beginning in 1970. His family says he will be cremated and some of his ashes placed in Ravello, Italy; Colonial Williamsburg; Indiana; and South Pasadena, California. Survivors include his sister-in-law, Nancy Newberry, his brother Glenn and an extended family that, Glenn wrote, “was composed of his many friends, colleagues, students and community connections.” Lippman also is survived by his beloved rescue dog, Scout.

The future Hall of Fame quarterback's status beyond 2026 is seemingly one of the few certainties for the Pittsburgh Steelers, where the only thing familiar about their annual pilgrimage to Saint Vincent College for training camp might be the venue.

Having a new head coach for the first time in a generation will do that.

While native son Mike McCarthy's Pittsburgh roots run deep, he also brings a career full of experiences built coaching elsewhere to a franchise that has done certain things a certain way for a long, long time.

Times are changing. Right from the jump.

The quaint spectacle of players being swarmed by cameras and microphones as they lugged their bags and personal items into Rooney Hall is no more. Most of the roster arrived quietly late Monday. Nearly all of them were on the field for a post-breakfast conditioning test on Tuesday, a glorified jog that was typically done in the late afternoon during former coach Mike Tomlin's 19-year run.

No wonder linebacker T.J. Watt likened the beginning of his 10th year in the NFL to the first day of school.

“There’s just a lot of unknown,” he said.

The next three weeks in the western Pennsylvania hills are a feeling-out process of sorts for players and coaches alike. Watt insists he is embracing the new.

Good thing, because there's plenty to go around.

The afternoon practices in the midsummer heat that Tomlin leaned into, often clad in black sweatpants and a sweatshirt, will now be held earlier in the day. Team meetings will start at 7:30 a.m., with all practices scheduled to wrap up by 1:30 p.m. at the latest, around the same time Tomlin's practices usually began.

McCarthy said he'd be fine with practicing right after breakfast if he could. And tackling? Well, that's mostly out, too.

“You try to reduce risk," said McCarthy, who said the emphasis will be on trying to make sure players correctly do all the fundamental things required for good tackling form — like footwork — so they'll be ready when the games count.

Still, McCarthy is well aware that trying to prevent all injuries is a fool's errand. If he needed a reminder, he got one when veteran defensive back Jalen Ramsey tweaked a knee during minicamp, a setback that landed him on the physically unable to perform list, though McCarthy stressed the move was precautionary and that Ramsey is expected back in a couple of weeks.

A little more uncertain is the status of cornerback Joey Porter Jr. The club placed him on the PUP list on Tuesday but offered no details. The timing comes with Porter angling for a new contract as he enters the final year of the rookie deal he signed in 2023 after Pittsburgh selected him with the first pick of the second round.

Porter held himself out of certain team drills during minicamp in June in an effort to protect his health, saying at the time that he feels like he's one of the elite players at his position in the league.

While the Steelers have signed Porter's draft classmates tight end Darnell Washington and outside linebacker Nick Herbig to new contracts in recent months, general manager Omar Khan said there is nothing else “imminent.” Asked if he's concerned that the longer it takes to reach an agreement Porter, the more expensive it will get, Khan shrugged.

“It’s just the nature of the beast,” he said. “We understand where we are, and we have communication. We know how the process works. But at the end of the day, we can only go so far with certain negotiations and see where it goes.”

The one person Khan won't have to worry about negotiating with anymore is Rodgers. The four-time MVP said when he signed a one-year deal in May to return to Pittsburgh after leading the Steelers to an AFC North title last season that “this is it.”

Though wide receiver DK Metcalf tried to prop the door open for 2027 when he said he could see Rodgers running it back one more time if he had a great season, his QB quickly shut it.

“I thought last year might be it,” he said. “And then Mike got hired and I talked to the wife, and she said, ‘You can do one more year.’ So we'll see if it works out."

Rodgers likes the symmetry of ending his career with the coach he won a Super Bowl with during his long run in Green Bay. He's also one of the few people in the organization who have a sense of what — and more specifically how — McCarthy plans to build a team, though he pointed out that changes to the collective bargaining agreement that banned two-a-day practices add a bit of an unknown, even for someone who has seen just about everything.

“I’m not sure what the Mike McCarthy training camp practice will be like, but I know that the OTAs were crisp,” he said. “You guys saw them out there. It was crisp. Things were moving fast, in and out of team periods, and I expect more of the same.”

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

The Kenya Wildlife Service said 10 of the pachyderms showed signs of partial paralysis before dying within two days, while the remaining five were found dead, with their carcasses partially consumed by scavengers.

Most of those affected were female elephants and their calves, with only one male among the dead. The deaths happened in the Kimana Sanctuary and Kuku Ranch areas surrounding the park, the authority said.

Kenya has previously recorded incidents of elephants being poisoned as a result of poaching and human-wildlife conflict.

Preliminary tests on samples collected from the elephants by a laboratory at the University of Nairobi detected a “potential toxic substance,” while separate analyses by the Government Chemist were negative for the toxins tested. The authority said further tests are underway.

“Environmental investigations are also being undertaken, including the analysis of water sources and other potential environmental contaminants within the affected areas, to establish whether the elephants were exposed to a common source,” the authority said in a statement.

The authorities sought to reassure the public, saying there was no evidence the condition could be transmitted to humans.

Green will sign the contract that essentially matches the deal he opted out of last month before the Warriors made an unsuccessful bid to sign LeBron James, the person said.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal hadn’t been announced.

ESPN first reported the deal.

Green is now set to play his 15th season with the Warriors and if he plays in 51 games he will join Stephen Curry as the only players in franchise history to appear in at least 1,000 contests.

Green, Curry and coach Steve Kerr are the main remaining pieces of the team from the dynasty that delivered four championships. Golden State last won the title in 2022 and haven’t made it past the second round of the playoffs since then. The Warriors missed the playoffs this past season when they lost to Phoenix in the play-in tournament.

Golden State tried to add James earlier this offseason and Green waited to sign his deal until after James made his decision to sign with Philadelphia to give the Warriors more flexibility. Green, Curry and Jimmy Butler are all entering the final seasons of their current contracts, although Curry could sign an extension starting late next month.

Green has been one of the best defensive players in the NBA since being drafted in the second round in 2012. He has made nine all-defensive teams and was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2016-17.

He has averaged 8.7 points per game in his career, along with 6.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists. He averaged 8.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 68 games last season for Golden State.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba