As we head into the holiday weekend, the heat and humidity will stick around. We will see a mix of sun and clouds with temperatures in the 90s.

When you factor in the humidity, the heat index will approach if not exceed 105 degrees.

Showers and storms will develop in the afternoon and evening. Heavy rain, frequent lightning and gusty wind will be possible in any storm.

Make sure to keep an eye to the sky and storms could develop rapidly. Activity will eventually dissipate later in the evening.

Storm coverage will be more widespread on Sunday with highs in the low to mid 90s. The heat index will remain near 105 degrees.

Regarding the drought, the latest drought monitor reflects improvement across our area. Several areas have been downgraded to a moderate and severe drought which reflects the rainfall we saw over the past week.

While we are still in a deficit, rainfall will once again lead to more improvement in the next outlook.

TONIGHT: Partly Cloudy. An Isolated Storm Early. Low 77.

SATURDAY: Sun & Clouds. Scattered Rain & Storms. High 95, Low 76.

SUNDAY: Sun & Clouds. Scattered Rain & Storms. High 96, Low 77.

MONDAY: Sun & Clouds. Scattered Rain & Storms. High 95, Low 77.

TUESDAY: Sun & Clouds. Isolated Rain & Storms. High 96, Low 76.

WEDNESDAY: Partly Cloudy. Scattered Rain & Storms. High 97, Low 76.

A thrilling, unforgettable World Cup match with underdog Cape Verde was over — and the defending champions survived after being pushed to the brink.

Cape Verde equalized in regulation and again in extra time, but the Blue Sharks could not respond to Argentina's third goal, and La Albiceleste advanced to the Round of 16 with a 3-2 victory on Friday.

Even in defeat, the performance by Cape Verde — a tiny island nation off the western coast of Africa — will stand as one of the most remarkable stories of this, or any, World Cup.

“I have to give credit to our opponents,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said. “The truth is, when people say there’s no such thing as an easy opponent, today (Cape Verde) proved they’re a great team.”

The go-ahead score for Argentina was credited as an own-goal after Cristian Romero's header deflected off Cape Verde's Diney Borges in the 111th minute. Messi scored early in regulation, his record-extending 20th career World Cup goal. Lisandro Martinez scored in the 92nd to put Argentina ahead 2-1.

Sidny Lopes Cabral and Deroy Duarte scored for Cape Verde — both equalizers that stunned the pro-Argentina crowd in South Florida. Cabral's goal — a curling, right-footed strike past goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez in the 103rd minute — made an already wild game even more incredible, tying it at 2-all and raising the possibility of Messi facing standout Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha in a penalty shootout.

Argentina pushed back in front eight minutes later, held on from there and advanced to face Egypt — which beat Australia in a shootout earlier Friday — in Atlanta on Tuesday.

“As this team has demonstrated many times, and as I’ve said many times, it competes,” Messi said in Spanish. “And we competed to the end.”

Cape Verde’s memorable World Cup debut had been a stunning run that few outside the country of 525,000 could have predicted. Behind the stellar play of the 40-year-old Vozinha, Cape Verde became the smallest country to reach the knockout round, securing surprising draws against former champions Spain and Uruguay and another against Saudi Arabia.

Vozinha had 10 saves against Argentina, including five against Messi.

“We dignify what our country is. We drew twice against the world champions, we took it to extra time,” Cape Verde coach Bubista said. “More than anything, it’s being proud of our players who were dignified in the World Cup. We showed our identity.”

Messi added another brilliant goal to his resume, sneaking behind the Cape Verde defense on a well-timed run as Martinez lofted a pass toward him, taking a quick touch and hammering a finish into the roof of the net for a 1-0 lead in the 29th minute.

The Argentina captain has seven goals in this tournament — one more France’s Kylian Mbappé in the Golden Boot race as the top scorer in this year’s World Cup — and extended his World cup record, moving two goals ahead of Mbappé on the career list. He has 12 goals during his record eight-match scoring streak.

Messi had the game's first chance that he sent skidding across the goal mouth but outside of the right post in the 15th minute. After getting taken down, he had a 25-yard free kick three minutes later that was easily gobbled up by Vozinha, who came up with a marvelous save nearly every time his team needed one.

“We came so close, we pushed them right to the end,” Cape Verde defender Pico Lopes said. “But in the end, it wasn’t to be. Disappointed ... but I think we showed great character today, a great quality to get back into the game twice. They’re the world champions for a reason.”

Bubista and players remained on the pitch well after the final whistle. Some sat with their heads nestled in their chests. Other shared tearful embraces before waving to their small crowd of supporters, reality sinking in at the end of a ride that almost no one outside of their fearless island could have predicted.

“We showed that we may be a small country,” Bubista said, “but we can play against some of the best teams in the world.”

___

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

State Rep. Wyman Duggan (R-Jacksonville), who sponsored the bill, said the change was prompted by cases tied to Douglas Anderson School of the Arts.

“Silence is no longer a legal strategy,” Duggan told News4JAX.

What the new law changes

Under Florida law, failure to report suspected child abuse is a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison.

Duggan said the issue was how the three-year statute of limitations was triggered.

Duggan said previously it started when the incident occurred.

“Now it will not start until law enforcement learns of the failure to report,” he said.

The release notes the law does not revive cases in which the statute of limitations had already expired on or before July 1, 2026.

Duggan said the idea came from the State Attorney’s Office after it encountered what he described as a recurring pattern during the Douglas Anderson investigation.

He said prosecutors found evidence not only of alleged sex crimes, but also evidence of alleged failures by mandatory reporters — and in some instances, he said, the statute of limitations had already expired by the time the allegations were investigated.

“It’s outrage,” he said. “Parents drop their child off and they expect the school to take the place of a parent and that child should be able to count on the school administrators and the school leadership to look out for their interests.”

Douglas Anderson backstory

Former Douglas Anderson choral director Jeffrey Clayton is serving a 10-year prison sentence for sex crimes involving a 16-year-old student.

In recent years, the investigation has led to additional allegations involving staff at the school. Duval County Public Schools has paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in civil settlements to former students tied to those cases.

Attorney: The change reflects how these cases emerge

Civil rights attorney Christina Lawrence-Moser, who has represented students in cases involving Douglas Anderson, said the law recognizes how child abuse cases and reporting failures often surface.

“Children often do not disclose abuse right away, and sometimes the failure by an adult or an institution to report suspected abuse is not discovered until many years later,” Lawrence-Moser said in a statement provided to News4JAX. “That is why the change in the law matters: it recognizes that the clock should not run out before law enforcement even knows that a mandatory-reporting violation may have happened.”

She added that adults in school settings should not “investigate it themselves, manage it quietly, or wait to see what happens,” but should report suspected abuse.

Why the law is drawing attention right now

The law is taking effect as Duval County schools face renewed scrutiny in a separate case.

Baldwin Middle-Senior High principal Michael Townsend was arrested June 29 and accused of failure to report child abuse.

A more detailed affidavit obtained by News4JAX alleges investigators believe Townsend had prior knowledge tied to allegations involving teacher James Mulvey, who was arrested in May on a felony charge of “Offenses Against Students by Authority Figures,” involving a student.

Duggan said he believes the new law will strengthen accountability when mandatory reporters fail to act.

“I’m grateful that now there is a law in the books where somebody failed to report when they should have,” he said. “Now they’re going to be fully subject to accountability being held accountable by a justice system.”

“Silence is no longer a legal strategy,” he said.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it into law on May 22. The law went into effect July 1.

The two-way superstar has primarily been starting on the mound every Wednesday, but the team pushed him back to Friday this week to manage his workload.

Asked if that meant Ohtani was unlikely to pitch in the All-Star Game, manager Dave Roberts said Friday: “I haven't formally said it, but if you just kind of do the math, it would be hard to imagine. But I don’t have to make that decision quite yet.”

Roberts will manage the National League All-Stars in Philadelphia.

Ohtani is already penciled into the starting lineup as the designated hitter because he was the overall leader with 3,341,257 votes after the first phase of fan balloting.

The right-hander is a strong candidate to be selected to the NL pitching staff as well, but Philadelphia left-hander Cristopher Sánchez seems most likely to start in his home ballpark. Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski leads the majors with a 1.45 ERA but is on turn to pitch for the Brewers two days before the All-Star Game, which would make him unavailable against the American League.

Ohtani was second with a 1.58 ERA going into Friday night's start against San Diego.

The Dodgers wanted Ohtani to get additional rest during a stretch of 13 games in 13 days. After his outing Friday, he's scheduled to make one more start before the All-Star Game on July 10 against Arizona at home. That would give his arm only three days of rest prior to the Midsummer Showcase.

“Shohei hasn’t had his best stuff recently and that’s the truth,” Roberts said. “The fastball command hasn’t been what it was earlier in the season, the sweeper hasn’t been the same.”

Ohtani has been bothered by left knee soreness and has a blister on the middle finger of his right hand.

“He feels good, the body feels good,” Roberts said before Friday's game. “The knee feels as good as it’s felt in quite some time, so that’s encouraging.”

___

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

President Donald Trump was on his way to South Dakota to deliver a speech and watch fireworks at Mount Rushmore, where storms swept through before his arrival. And in a novel twist, there will be a ball drop in New York City's Times Square at midnight to usher in the July Fourth holiday with much the same revelry that is typically reserved for New Year’s Eve.

The sound of fighter jets on military flyovers shook the nation's capital. In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani delivered his own address on the country’s 250th anniversary that cast America as a nation of contradictions “working each day towards the perfection in which it was conceived.”

By early afternoon in Washington, hundreds of people were roaming the grounds of the National Mall, home to The Great American State Fair. They snapped photos of the flyovers and tried to cool off inside tents that offered $9 lemonades and $23 turkey legs. Many were dressed in patriotic colors, their faces glistening with sweat.

Glenn Brooks, who was pardoned by Trump for his participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, said he was “thankful to be participating in this grand event.”

The activity culminates in the main event Saturday, when fireworks will erupt in communities across the U.S., along with backyard cookouts and block parties. Trump will deliver another speech at the National Mall in Washington before what is being billed as a historically massive fireworks show.

But for all the celebrations, there are also serious safety considerations as potentially record heat grips much of the Midwest and East Coast. Officials have warned those celebrating the holiday to stay hydrated and take air-conditioned breaks as needed.

Sky-high temperatures lead to cancellations and adjustments to the festivities

Philadelphia canceled its Salute to Independence parade Friday. The Great American State Fair in Washington shut down in the early afternoon before reopening at 5 p.m. The Capitol Fourth concert, a mainstay of the holiday in Washington, opened its gates a little later than normal but ultimately moved forward featuring appearances from Patti LaBelle, Trace Adkins, members of the Artemis II space mission and fireworks over George Washington's Mount Vernon.

The National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat warning for much of the Midwest, mid-Atlantic and Northeast from eastern Kansas to southern Maine, including the cities of St. Louis, Indianapolis, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York and Boston. The weather service said peak heat indexes, which combine air temperature with humidity, of up to 115 Fahrenheit (46.11 Celsius) are possible.

As the rest of the country struggled under stifling heat, the Pacific Northwest enjoyed temperatures in the 60s with even a few light showers.

World Cup soccer fans in Seattle were staying cool Friday as they got psyched up for Monday’s big game between the U.S. and Belgium. In the nearby suburb of Issaquah, Megan Kurowski, 31, brought her two dogs to the dog park so they could get some exercise before she went to work.

Kurowski said she was feeling positive about America’s 250th anniversary and was planning a possible paddleboard to watch the fireworks.

“Everyone’s just, from what it seems, been pretty excited about celebrating 250 years,” she said.

The holiday is unfolding at a unique time in the U.S. The anniversary has served as an opportunity for the country to reflect on its history while also reminding it of the political polarization of the moment.

On a holiday of unity, there is an undercurrent of division

In New York, Mamdani, a Democrat, did not mention Trump by name, but parts of his speech appeared aimed at the president’s divisive rhetoric.

“For generation after generation, we have been told that when the world has sent its people to our shores, it has not sent its best,” Mamdani said in an apparent reference to an a common criticism from Trump. “Those ideals upon which our nation was built — they are strong enough to endure any authoritarian regime, but only if we reach for them."

Freedom 250, an organization aligned with the White House, has come to rival America250, a bipartisan group founded by Congress a decade ago. Freedom 250 has organized much of the activity in Washington, including the Great American State Fair. America250 is behind the ball drops unfolding in many cities, including New York, and will host a concert in Los Angeles on Saturday.

About 4 in 10 U.S. adults feel “proud” about the country’s 250th anniversary, according to an April survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Roughly 3 in 10 said “excited” describes their emotions.

Ahead of the holiday, auto technician Joe Fuqua-Bejarano, in Topeka, Kansas, sized up “what makes us awesome” as a people. It is clearly not the politics, in his view, but rather resilience.

“We’ve just all got to find unity somewhere, whether that’s in laughter or perseverance, and keep everybody cool,” he said from the fireworks stand where he is doing a booming business as a side hustle.

Christina Zhou, a 25-year-old research assistant from Cambridge, Massachusetts, said she would aim to “think about just things that are happening locally.”

“It feels a little bit more like within our own personal control," she said.

Jerry Chin of Newcastle, Washington, said he wasn’t aware that the U.S. was celebrating its 250th anniversary and planned to stay low-key around the holiday. He and his wife generally skip the fireworks and instead stay home with their fearful dogs to keep them calm.

“America’s a great place, but there are some concerns,” he said. Chin, 55, and his wife worry about healthcare and issues around staying healthy, but they also stress about politics.

“We’re Democrats, so kind of given up hope,” he said. “Just feel that it is the way it is. I don’t know if there could be change.”

At the National Archives in Washington, visitors made their way through the Rotunda to look at the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights -- and to escape the heat outside.

Michael Dresdner, 60, traveled from West Orange, New Jersey, with his wife, Cindi, 57, and about two dozen other people to be part of the America 250 celebrations. He said their group of travelers included people on both sides of the political aisle -- and that is what gave him hope for the future of American democracy.

“We are all here, and we all love America,” he said.

___

Peoples reported from New York. Associated Press writers Martha Bellisle in Seattle, Anthony Izaguirre in New York, John Hanna in Topeka, Kan., Michael Casey in Cambridge, Mass., and Calvin Woodward, Didi Tang, Gary Fields and Nathan Ellgren in Washington contributed to this report.

Trout has been out since June 17, when he strained his right hamstring while running the bases against Arizona. He performed his normal pregame routine Friday before the Angels opened a series against the Boston Red Sox, and he expects to hit on the field this weekend.

Trout said he is optimistic about playing early next week, and manager Kurt Suzuki didn't disagree.

“He looks good," Suzuki said. “I saw him today when I first came in. He was working out. He was obviously on the road trip, doing his thing. He’s getting really close. Really, really close.”

The 34-year-old Trout hasn't been officially selected for the All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park, but the two-time All-Star Game MVP is expected to be elected to the AL's starting outfield in what would be his 12th All-Star nod.

The honor would be particularly special this year for Trout, who grew up 40 miles from Philadelphia in Millville, New Jersey.

The three-time AL MVP hasn't participated in the All-Star festivities since 2019. He wasn't able to play due to injury after being selected from 2021-23, and he injured his knee early in the 2024 season before not being selected last year.

Trout has bounced back and stayed mostly healthy for the last-place Angels this season, posting a team-leading .866 OPS with 17 homers and 36 RBIs in 74 games.

He said last week that he probably wouldn't participate in the Home Run Derby as he tries to stay healthy.

___

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

The couple did not have bridesmaids or groomsmen, instead opting for Swift’s brother Austin Swift to serve as her man of honor and Kelce’s brother and podcast co-host Jason Kelce serving as his best man, Swift's publicist Tree Paine said in an email.

The bride and groom’s outfits came from Christian Dior Haute Couture and its designer Jonathan Anderson with shoes custom-made by Christian Louboutin. She wore Cartier jewelry.

An almost-royal wedding

The long anticipated union of sports and song brought hype to new heights at a venue made more for historic NBA games and bucket-list concerts. The Kansas City Chiefs' superstar tight end and the music megastar married as fans and spectators gathered outside in blistering heat, eager to be part of the occasion, even though the event was almost entirely hidden.

Singer Camila Cabello, actors Hugh Grant, Ethan Hawke and Jason Sudeikis, and model Karlie Kloss were among the guests. Running back Kareem Hunt was among Kelce's Chiefs teammates in attendance. Seattle Seahawks receiver and recent Super Bowl champ Cooper Kupp, New York Giants receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, NFL announcer Joe Buck and Jenny Han, author of the “The Summer I Turned Pretty” series were also seen entering the arena.

In a culture obsessed with famous couplings it may be the apex celebrity wedding, with perhaps only royal unions getting more attention. Holding such a ceremony in a huge, iconic space that sits at the center of the U.S. media universe while keeping all the details secret made for a surreal scene, but it was a mix of hype and hush that is not out of character for Swift.

A shrouded ceremony headed by Happy Gilmore

An Associated Press camera outside the arena showed a long line of black SUVs dropping off wedding-goers in tuxedos and evening gowns, surrounded by New Yorkers in shorts and Swifties amassing for the occasion.

Celebrities, athletes and friends were posting on social media about getting ready or about to leave for a black-tie event, including Brandon Borders, producer of the New Heights podcast starring Kelce and his brother Jason Kelce; Beau Allen, retired defensive lineman for the Philadelphia Eagles; and Jessica Chastain.

There was a notable lack of social media posts from guests once they had entered the arena, after reports that phones would not be allowed. Rain began falling soon after the marriage was announced.

Weddings have been a constant subject in Swift’s songs since she was a teenager, and her actually walking the aisle for the first time at age 36 adds to the drama. It would also be a first marriage for the 36-year-old three-time Super Bowl champ Kelce, who could have been one of the jock characters in Swift's early hits.

Sandler, star of “The Wedding Singer” and many other hit comedies, can’t have been high on anyone’s betting list for who would marry the couple, though he’s become an increasingly warm and paternal cultural figure with age. The email announcing the marriage described him as “a friend” of the couple. Kelce was one of the many athletes who appeared in “Happy Gilmore 2,” Sandler's 2025 sequel to one of his earlier hits.

Welcome to New York — hot and hectic edition

The relationship of the pop star and the football player has thrilled and fascinated millions around the world — particularly the Swifties, the pop star’s enormous and ardent fan base — ever since the pair first started dating in 2023.

Outside the arena, some frazzled tourists mixed with happy fans.

Lori Powers, who lives an hour north of Manhattan and rode the train in to be near the nuptials, said Swift's "music is the soundtrack behind so many amazing moments in my life. Relationships, friends, like my husband and my kids.”

She stood outside the arena before the marriage was announced with her friend Cecily Hall.

“Just being here and witnessing all the energy and the excitement, it’s so much fun,” Hall said. “The combination of sports and music makes perfect sense as to why they’re at Madison Square Garden today.”

Questions remain about who may perform and what it looked like inside the affair that could go well into the night.

___

Dalton reported from Los Angeles. AP Sports Writer Stephen Whyno and AP Associated Press video journalist Emily Wang Fujiyama contributed from New York.

The acts of clemency come as Trump has issued a slew of pardons in his second term, particularly for allies, public figures and those seen as politically aligned.

His use of the presidency’s sweeping ability to unilaterally grant pardons and commute sentences is among the ways the Republican’s return to office has featured an expansive use of executive power.

Trump earlier on Friday announced some of the pardons on social media, without identifying any of the recipients by name.

“It is my Great Honor to have just signed Pardons for six people who were persecuted by the Biden Administration, and were in, or being sent to, prison, for ‘fixing their car,’” Trump wrote on his Truth Social media network.

“I AM SETTING THEM ALL FREE, RIGHT NOW!” he said.

In a list provided Friday evening by the White House, Trump pardoned 11 people, including nine who faced charges related to violations of the Clean Air Act by disabling emissions monitoring systems on vehicles or selling devices that enabled emissions systems to be bypassed.

The pardons come after Trump on Monday signed a memo telling the Environmental Protection Agency that Americans can fix their own vehicles as they see fit. As he signed the memo, Trump referenced a diesel mechanic he pardoned last year who disabled emissions monitoring systems.

The memo also addressed aftermarket auto parts and would supersede the ability of the California Air Resources Board to evaluate parts that affect vehicle emissions.

The White House, in releasing the list of those pardoned, described Trump having “relieved consumers from these regulatory burdens.”

Beyond the emissions-related pardons, Trump on Friday also issued a pardon for Adam Kidan, a former business partner of Abramoff.

Kidan pleaded guilty in 2005 to fraud and conspiracy related to the purchase of a fleet of gambling boats, and in 2006 he was sentenced to nearly six years in prison.

The case was part of a broader investigation of the early 2000s lobbying scandal involving Abramoff, Capitol Hill, the Interior Department and members of President George W. Bush’s administration.

After leaving prison in 2009, Kidan began working at a staffing agency, went on to found a staffing business, Chartwell Staffing Solutions, and now serves as president of Empire Workforce Solutions, the White House said.

In March, the newspaper Newsday reported that Kidan was among the hosts of a fundraiser at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort for a Long Island Republican congressional candidate.

A message sent to Kidan’s business seeking comment was not immediately returned Friday evening.

Trump on Friday also pardoned ranch owner Jack Harvard, citing an “upstanding record” post-conviction and praising him for allowing the U.S. military and NATO troops to train on his land free of charge.

The White House did not immediately release additional details about Harvard, including his conviction.

He got that — and so much more.

Cape Verde didn’t win a single match at this year's World Cup, and somehow, that didn’t seem to matter. The African team's debut on this stage was unforgettable, thanks largely to the 40-year-old goalkeeper who nearly engineered a soccer story that would have been counted among the greatest upsets in sports history.

Cape Verde’s magical ride ended Friday in the round of 32, with the Blue Sharks falling to Lionel Messi and defending World Cup champion Argentina — as most likely expected. Final score: Champions 3, Cinderella 2, in extra time — as probably very few expected.

And with that, the journey ended. There was a scoreless draw against Spain to open the tournament, with Vozinha leading the way, which led to the captivating tale surrounding the global collaborative effort it took to get his mother to the U.S. to watch matches in the group stage. There were two more dramatic draws that were good enough for Cape Verde to get out of the group stage and into the knockout round.

But it took a goal and an assist off a corner kick from Messi to save mighty Argentina, which got the game-winner midway through the second half of extra time, 2½ hours in real time after the David vs. Goliath showdown started. Goliath was pushed to the absolute brink, with Vozinha standing tall against the world’s top-ranked team – and the world’s best player – time and time again.

There were no fewer than four elite saves by Vozinha against Messi alone in the final 60 minutes of the match.

— A point-blank stop in the 63rd minute after Messi tried to power a right-footed shot past the keeper, who came off his line to cut down the angle and absorbed the shot with his body.

— A free kick from Messi in the 73rd seemed destined to curl into the right side of the net; Vozinha got just enough of an outstretched gloved hand on that one to knock it away to preserve what was then a 1-1 score.

— Messi went low with a free kick in injury time; Vozinha managed to see the ball through a wall of bodies and dropped to his knees to make a save.

— Late in the first 15-minute extra time period, Messi collected a deflected ball at the top of the penalty area and fired. Vozinha dove to his left, punching that one aside as well.

Cape Verde, the smallest nation in terms of land mass to make the World Cup and a nation with a population about 1% the size of Argentina's, will get $11 million from FIFA for making it this far in the tournament.

Of course, the Blue Sharks got a lot more than money. They became known on soccer's biggest stage.

___

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

A suspect was in custody.

Officials said there was no threat or safety concern to the public, and no injuries were reported.

No further information was provided.

Messi’s goal in the 29th minute was the 20th of his World Cup career, extending his record and moving him two ahead of France’s Kylian Mbappé on the all-time list. It was the opener of what became a wild night, with Argentina escaping with a 3-2 win in extra time against a huge underdog.

Messi has seven goals in this World Cup — one more than Mbappé in the race for the Golden Boot as the top scorer of the tournament — and has scored 12 times in his last eight World Cup matches.

“For me, it represents a lot to be friends with him,” said Rodrigo De Paul, Messi’s teammate with Argentina and Inter Miami. “For me, friendship is one of the most important things that we all have and I consider myself fortunate to be there, to share these moments with him.”

And there has been no shortage of moments.

Messi had the game's first good chance Friday, his all-world left foot sending a shot skidding across the goal mouth but outside of the right post in the 15th minute. After getting taken down, he had a 25-yard free kick three minutes later that was easily gobbled up by Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha.

But the momentum was shifting, and before long, Messi broke through for a 1-0 lead. He timed his run perfectly on a ball played into the box by defender Lisandro Martinez to stay onside, controlled the pass and then lifted a shot over Vozinha's left shoulder from close range for his 124th international goal. Only Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, with 146, has more.

Messi stretched his arms and pointed to Martinez, saluting the pass, before teammates mobbed him in celebration.

Messi and Mbappé are far from the only contenders in the Golden Boot race: Norway’s Erling Haaland and England’s Harry Kane each had five goals entering Friday, while four players — France’s Ousmane Dembele, Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal, Brazil’s Vinícius Júnior and Senegal’s Ismaila Sarr — had four. Sarr is out of the running since Senegal has been eliminated.

Norway, England and France have advanced to the Round of 16; Argentina and Messi, the Inter Miami star who is widely considered the greatest player ever, now join them — barely, after needing a second extra-time goal to finally top Cape Verde.

Messi has never won the Golden Boot. He finished second with seven goals — one behind Mbappé — while leading Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title, and he tied for third with four goals in 2014.

If there’s a tie atop the goal list when the tournament ends, FIFA will use assists as the first tiebreaker and fewest minutes played as the second tiebreaker. Entering Friday, that meant Mbappé would have had the edge over Messi based on his 2-0 lead in assists.

___

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

FIFA had been looking at the possibility of starting the round of 16 game at the Azteca Stadium earlier than the scheduled 6 p.m. local time (8 p.m. EDT), a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

But a Mexican federation official told the AP that after deliberation FIFA decided the match would remain unchanged.

That person also spoke on condition on anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.

Among the reasons for exploring the change was because of possible disruption caused by flooding.

Mexico coach Javier Aguirre criticized the proposed change earlier Friday.

“It’s a kick in the gut; now we must change everything. It’s not that all the work goes down the drain — though it’s close — because you’re having to scrap six hours of scheduled planning. I don’t like it at all,” Aguirre told Radio Formula. “Obviously, we’ll abide by what FIFA says, but neither my players nor I are happy about it.”

Rescheduling the match also could have affected England’s preparations. The Three Lions are scheduled to arrive late Friday and will hold their Saturday training session at the grounds of UNAM Pumas in the southern part of the capital, leaving them with significantly less time to acclimate to Mexico City’s high elevation.

The Azteca Stadium sits at more than 7,300 feet (2,200 meters) above sea level. For elite athletes to perform at their peak at high altitude, a period of adaption is required to reduce fatigue caused by lower atmospheric pressure and reduced oxygen availability, experts say. Sports scientists generally recommend an extended acclimation period of at least two weeks, or the “fly-in, fly-out” method of arriving as close to game time as possible before acute symptoms set in.

England coach Thomas Tuchel has already spoken about the difficulties his team faces in Mexico City.

“My understanding is that we cannot adapt to the altitude. That is just a huge advantage that Mexico will have,” Tuchel said this week. “It just takes too much time.”

The game will be Mexico City's fifth and final match of this year's World Cup.

___

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

Larson has a successful history on the bumpy asphalt of Chicagoland, a D-shaped oval circuit. He has four top-five finishes in six Cup Series starts at the speedway about 50 miles southwest of downtown Chicago. His 6.17 average finish is tops in track history among drivers with multiple starts.

Sunday's eero 400 is the first Cup Series race at Chicagoland since 2019, but Larson participated in two days of testing at the track in April. He had one of the fastest cars in practice on Friday.

“I felt like we learned a lot about our race car at the test that has benefited the four of us as we’ve moved on from it,” Larson said, referring to fellow Hendrick drivers Chase Elliott, William Byron and Alex Bowman. “So yeah, I think just extra laps here gives some confidence, but everybody’s so good, they’re going to get the speed fast.”

The 33-year-old Larson is looking to stop a 42-race drought dating to his win at Kansas in May 2025. It looks as if the two-time Cup Series champion is rounding into form midway through the season, posting top-five finishes in five of his last six races, including fourth at Sonoma last weekend.

Larson was second in the previous two Cup races at Chicagoland, losing to Bowman in 2019 and Kyle Busch in a memorable finish in 2018. When it comes to NASCAR’s top series, he remains in search of his first win at the speedway.

Larson rewatched his last-lap duel with Busch before he tested at the track in April, and he watched the highlights again ahead of his return this weekend.

Busch died in May at age 41, and Larson said watching the end of the race has a different meaning for him now.

“It was a really neat battle and it’s always fun to be a part of battles that still to this day get replayed, and I’ve been a part of a few,” Larson said. “So yeah, just wish he was here for obvious reasons and we could have another battle.”

Larson is taking on Byron this weekend in one of the most intriguing matchups for the second round of NASCAR's In-Season Challenge. The winner of the five-race, bracket-style tournament receives $1 million.

There were no signs of any awkwardness as Larson and Byron discussed their own duel within the race on Friday.

“It would be fun to go heads up with William but it’s really not something that you’re too focused on in the race,” Larson said. “I think you’re always just kind of focused on winning and if you win, I mean that takes care of it. Yeah, as it gets closer to the race, I think you pay a little bit of attention to it, but I'm just trying to do a good job."

___

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Hossam Abdelmaguid scored the deciding goal in a shootout, and Egypt won its debut in the elimination round of the World Cup by beating Australia 4-2 on penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw Friday.

Australia goalkeeper Mathew Ryan didn't stop any of Egypt's four shots after replacing starter Patrick Beach late in extra time.

The victory comes in Egypt's fourth World Cup, the first one with an expanded field of 48. Australia is now 0-3 in the knockout round.

Egypt will next face either defending champion Argentina or Cape Verde in the round of 16 on Tuesday in Atlanta.

“Me feeling today is that it's incredible,” said Salah, the 34-year-old former Liverpool player who is one behind national team coach Hossam Hassan's Egyptian record of 69 international goals. “I always like seeing the boys happy and enjoying the moment. Nothing can match that. So today was one of the best days of my life.”

Harry Souttar opened the shootout by missing high for Australia, and 18-year-old Lucas Herrington hit the crossbar with the fourth attempt to set up Abdelmaguid’s clincher for the Pharoahs.

The 25-year-old Abdelmaguid, who doesn't have an international goal in 15 appearances, went low left as Ryan dived to the defender's right, setting off a raucous celebration among 70,244 fans at the sold-out home of the Dallas Cowboys, plenty of them wearing Egyptian red.

Egypt didn't even have a victory in the World Cup before beating New Zealand 3-1 in the group stage less than two weeks ago.

“I was only thinking about the Egyptian fans,” Hassan said through a translator. “During the entire time and during the penalty shootout, I was just praying, ‘God, please make the Egyptian people happy.’ Even before the penalty shootout, to be honest.”

Egypt’s other penalty shootout scorers were Mahmoud Saber, Ramy Rabia and Salah, who started and played every minute of regulation and extra time despite a hamstring injury sustained in the team's group finale.

Jackson Irvine and Awer Mabil scored in the shootout for Australia.

“When I went to the players and talked to them, I wanted to take some pressure off,” Hassan said. “Do not look at the pressure. Just let everything out, don’t think about anything. Think about your penalty kick. Don’t even think about the goalkeeper. Just think about your kick.”

Emam Ashour gave Egypt the lead in regulation by scoring in the 13th minute with a header that beat Beach just inside the near post. Australia evened the match in the 55th when Egypt defender Mohamed Hany became the first player to score two own-goals in the same World Cup.

The own-goal came when Aiden O’Neill took a free kick from left of the penalty area and Hany headed the ball past goalkeeper Mostafa Shoubir for a spot in World Cup infamy. His other own-goal came in a 1-1 draw with Belgium in the group stage.

Less than 10 minutes earlier, Hany was down near the same spot after colliding with Connor Metcalfe on the Australia midfielder’s header attempt. Medical personnel tended to Hany with a stretcher waiting nearby, but he was helped up and stayed on after what appeared to be a concussion check.

Australia’s only scoring in World Cup knockout rounds has been two own-goals. The Socceroos lost to Italy 1-0 in 2006 and lost to Argentina 2-1 four years ago in Qatar. The goal against Argentina was an own-goal.

“It hurts when you get that close,” Australia coach Tony Popovic said. “Unfortunately, we bow out in a penalty shootout, so it’s difficult to take right now.”

Omar Marmoush had a great chance to give Egypt a two-goal lead in the opening seconds of the second half, but he sent a shot wide.

The late goalkeeper switch to the 34-year-old Ryan, for his 105th international appearance, came despite several strong saves from the 22-year-old Beach, who was playing in only his sixth game for the Socceroos.

Beach made a sprawling save on a header from Rabia in the waning moments of regulation, and seconds later had a much easier stop on Salah’s shot.

Egypt had one more chance before the end of regulation, but Haissem Hassan was turned away by Souttar, who deflected the shot with his knee.

___

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

The Aspen Acres fire is one of about 40 uncontained large blazes burning mostly in the West, fueled by months of dry weather and a record lack of snow this past winter in some places.

Fire personnel were scooping water from the Pueblo Reservoir to fight the Aspen Acres fire, which had expanded to about 115 square miles (297 square kilometers) by Friday afternoon with zero containment.

All of Colorado City, an unincorporated community of about 2,200, was ordered evacuated as well as the towns of Beulah, Rye and San Isabel, according to the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office.

About 50 National Guard soldiers were being sent in Friday to help with staffing checkpoints on roads in Custer and Pueblo counties.

Guard members would also help State Park Rangers as they bring on additional boats to keep boaters clear of water-scooping operations.

Fire crews on the western side of the Rocky Mountains had contained about 65% of the Snyder Fire on the Colorado/Utah border, where three members of a helitack team were killed and two others injured last weekend when they were overcome by flames.

The Cottonwood fire in southwestern Utah had grown to about 147 square miles (380 square kilometers) by Friday while the Babylon fire in the southeast corner of the state was up to 133 square miles (344 square kilometers).

According to the Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District, crews arrived on scene to find one person unresponsive and three others requiring transport for their injuries. A bystander had already deployed an automated external defibrillator, known as an AED, and was performing CPR before crews arrived.

“Due to the injuries sustained, efforts were not successful,” officials said.

First responders were asking residents and visitors to avoid the area until further notice.

Officials are also reminding the public about lightning safety, urging people to seek shelter immediately when they hear thunder or see lightning.

This is a developing story.

John Goodman, of Jacksonville, faces multiple charges stemming from a joint operation called “Bad Habits,” including using a computer to solicit a parent or guardian for consent to engage in sexual activity with a minor, traveling to meet a minor after using a computer to solicit a guardian, unlawful use of a two-way communications device to facilitate a crime, and evidence tampering.

Investigators allege Goodman attempted to arrange a meeting with someone he believed was willing to allow him to have sex with a 7-year-old child.

Luis and Larissa Peña, former youth leaders at Oceanway Church, told News4Jax they were not surprised by the arrest.

“It was sad, it was really sad. It was not surprising,” Luis Peña said.

The Peñas say Goodman was consistently involved in youth ministry long before any investigation or arrest.

“It was the norm that the Goodmans were part of everything in the ministry. Whenever it came to anything, it’s always worship team, they’re involved. When it came to outreaches, they were there,” Luis Peña said. “I think it’s been a cover up. I think, like I was saying earlier, I don’t think any church is going to want to say he was part of the kids.”

Another former youth leader, who was not identified by name, also described Goodman’s involvement with minors.

“We have something called Fine Arts and he would coach, and so he would coach kids on singing, playing piano. He would also do Vacation Bible School from what I remember being with kids,” the former leader said.

Initially, Oceanway Church told News4Jax that Goodman was an adult volunteer and not on staff and did not volunteer with youth. After News4Jax sent the church photos appearing to show Goodman around youth and shared that former members were disputing the original statement, an attorney provided an updated statement from a church spokesperson.

“We have reviewed our records and can confirm that Mr. Goodman volunteered in our adult music ministry. No complaints, concerns, or suspicions about Mr. Goodman were brought to us during his time as a volunteer.

Four of the photos you provided are from congregation-wide services, outreaches, or productions, not from a role in which he supervised minors. Our records do not reflect a role in which he volunteered as a coach, mentor, or instructor of students.

One of the photos you provided is from a youth event where Mr. Goodman accompanied his children as a caregiving parent.

The church once again brought up a previous incident that News4Jax is working to get more information on. We are told nothing was alleged that involved being on church property.

The alleged abuse was discovered and reported directly to the Florida Department of Children and Families by a concerned adult, and we were notified after that report was made. Upon learning about the allegations, Mr. Goodman was dismissed from serving at Oceanway and is no longer part of our church.

Our child safety policies require that volunteers remain visible at all times and are never alone with a minor out of sight of others. We reinforce this with cameras in our ministry spaces, open-door and clear-visibility rules, and a Life Safety Team present throughout our campus.

The safety of every person on our campus is a responsibility we take seriously, and we remain committed to the policies and practices that protect the children and families in our care.”

“He had claimed that John Goodman wasn’t involved in the kids department or the youth department in any capacity when in fact he was,” Larissa Pena said.

Following his arrest, News4Jax received multiple tips that Goodman was attending Northside Church of God. When asked about his involvement there, a church representative said:

“He walks in and has coffee and worships and hears about Jesus and leaves just like everyone else. There were prior discussions about him joining the worship team but that is not happening. I cannot tell you what is happening in the future. We are waiting to see what happens with the allegations and are going to pray about it and seek the Lord and what He would have us do.”

Oceanway Church also referenced a previous investigation connected to Goodman that they say was reported to the Florida Department of Children and Families. The church said it asked Goodman to leave following that inquiry but has not provided further details. It is also not related to anything that occurred on church property. It is also important to mention that prior to that inquiry, years ago, no one has told News4Jax that anything suspicious happened during their time at church with Goodman. News4Jax is working to learn more about that inquiry and has reached out to law enforcement for additional information.

Goodman did not respond to a voicemail left by News4Jax requesting comment.

The group said it received 3,035 anonymous tips between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026 — the most since 2021 — and approved $124,900 in cash rewards for tipsters, the most since 2012.

Information from anonymous tips led to 213 arrests, the most since 2014, and the clearing of 615 criminal cases, the highest total since 2009. The organization credited tips with helping solve three homicides, bringing its lifetime total to 140 homicides solved.

On April 30, 2026, the group announced it received an anonymous tip that led to the arrest of a former youth pastor and local business owner, Joshua Trent, who is accused of sexually abusing an underage girl for years.

In April 2025, a tip led to the arrest of two men in the shooting death of 7-year-old Breon Allen.

For years, fear of being labeled a “snitch” kept many people from picking up the phone. Community leaders say that mindset is changing.

“We’re definitely seeing that change because people want a safe environment,” Mad Dads spokesman A.J. Jordan said. “We want our kids to be able to enjoy the city. We want senior saints to be able to be here to enjoy this city.”

Jordan says his group often hears the same question from people with information: How can they get it to authorities without being identified?

“They say they got information. How can we get it to the proper authority without being revealed? And we just share the information … because we see the numbers.”

First Coast Crime Stoppers reported $1.92 million in property, cash and narcotics seized during the fiscal year — the highest total since 2011.

Compared with the prior fiscal year, FCCS said it recorded growth across key measures: anonymous tips were up 7%, value of rewards approved rose 34%, arrests increased 29%, narcotics seized jumped 266%, criminal cases cleared grew 48% and the number of individual rewards approved rose 18%.

“Our community continues to prove that anonymous reporting saves lives and makes neighborhoods safer,” Chase Robinson, executive director of First Coast Crime Stoppers, said in the group’s community impact report. “These historic results are a direct reflection of citizens choosing to speak up without fear. Every anonymous tip has the potential to stop violence, recover stolen property, remove dangerous drugs from our streets, and deliver justice to victims.”

Robinson added that behind each number is a person or family affected by crime.

“Behind every arrest is a victim seeking justice,” he said. “Behind every case cleared is a family receiving answers. Behind every anonymous tip is a community member who chose courage over silence.”

Since its founding in 2002, FCCS said it has received 67,244 anonymous tips, approved more than $2.08 million in cash rewards, helped generate about 4,801 arrests and contributed to the clearance of 9,810 cases.

The organization said more than $21.4 million in narcotics, property and cash has been seized as a result of tip-driven investigations.

Tips can be submitted through the FCCS call center, its website and mobile app.

Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said JSO is also receiving a surge in tips to its cold case line.

“We get tips all the time…that just shows for minor crimes that people are willing to get involved, and it’s the same thing for violent crimes. People want to get involved. They want to live peacefully,” Waters said.

Balogun was sent off Wednesday for stepping on the right ankle of Tarik Muharemovic.

Before practice at Husky Soccer Stadium, Balogun said a yellow card for the illegal tackle would have been fairer.

“There’s nowhere else to put your leg. It’s going to be unavoidable,” Balogun said. “So, I’ve seen many different opinions and takes. But, for me personally, I think a yellow card would have been fair. It’s something that’s happened, so we have to move forward and I have to accept it.”

Balogun has to serve an automatic one-game suspension and will miss Monday’s Round of 16 game against Belgium. There is no appeal process for a red-card suspension unless FIFA assesses a penalty of more than one game, which was not the case with Balogun. He will be eligible to return for the quarterfinals should the Americans advance.

Balogun has three goals in the tournament, including one to give the U.S. the lead against Bosnia. He has matched Landon Donovan in 2010 for the second-most goals by an American in a World Cup, behind only Bert Patenaude’s four in the initial tournament in 1930.

The 25-year-old striker celebrated his goal against Bosnia with the “Silencer” move used by the NBA’s LeBron James, which the league’s career scoring leader also celebrated on social media. Balogun, who became the first U.S. player to score two goals in a World Cup match since 1930, said he has experienced a “roller coaster” of emotions as of late.

“Been upset, I’ve been happy. It’s been surreal, to be honest,” Balogun said. “But for me, I think it was just important to stay calm. I never want to react out of anger and out of emotion. There’s still lots of people who are inspiring little kids, boys and girls who are watching. We have to show them the correct way to handle things, even when you think it’s unjust.”

It's not yet clear who U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino will select to replace Balogun in the starting lineup. Ricardo Pepi and Haji Wright are the most likely candidates.

When Christian Pulisic sat out the 2-0 win against Australia in group play because of a calf injury, Pepi started in his place.

“When you miss a player like Balo, things change a little bit, but we’ve been flexible,” teammate Tyler Adams said. “Guys have shown that they’re ready to play. If it’s Pepi, if it’s Haji, we go a different direction. It should be an exciting opportunity for whoever has to step up.”

Belgium is aware of the Americans' offensive capabilities outside of Balogun. Pulisic has 33 goals in 89 international appearances, fifth most in U.S. history. Five players other than Balogun have scored for the U.S. in the tournament.

“They have a lot of danger in the team,” Belgium defender Maxim De Cuyper said. “Lot of quality. I don’t want to say too much, which qualities are the best. But, I think they grew a lot in this tournament. You see they are in good flow. They play at home, I think it’s very dangerous for us. So, we will be prepared.”

To be without Balogun for one of the most significant matches in U.S. history is still a significant blow. A victory on home soil would secure a spot in the quarterfinals of the World Cup for only the second time for the Americans. The first was in 2002.

“I love seeing how engaged the country is in our journey and what they’re doing,” Balogun said. “So, my role is just to continue supporting everybody, to keep morale high. And, I’m sure for the game against Belgium we can really create a great atmosphere to win.”

Injury notes

Midfielder Cristian Roldan trained on his own again as he continues to rehab a quad injury. Defender Mark McKenzie trained in full after dealing with a foot injury that sidelined him for the Bosnia match.

___

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

Powell was one of scores of Taylor Swift fans and inquisitive passersby who braved the New York City heat Thursday to satiate their curiosity about what many are calling the wedding of the century and the American equivalent of royal nuptials.

The couple are "literally the king and queen of America,” said Kristen Donohue, who stopped by the area surrounding Madison Square Garden Thursday with a fellow Swiftie co-worker on their lunch break.

A law enforcement official briefed on the security plans confirmed to The Associated Press Wednesday that Swift and Kelce will have their wedding at Madison Square Garden on Friday night with a smaller rehearsal dinner planned for Thursday night.

The couple themselves have been mum on the wedding details. Neither has confirmed the festivities will happen on the bustling and hot weekend that coincides with World Cup matches and Fourth of July celebrations. A representative for Swift has not responded to multiple inquiries, including on Thursday.

About 100 guests began arriving at the famed venue at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday — when temperatures were still near the triple digits. The event was for a “pre party celebration,” according to a copy of a city permit obtained by The AP. Heavy security was in place as black sport utility vehicles drove into a large tent to drop off passengers, who then walked through a tented area into the arena.

Several fans stopped by in passing or even made trips to midtown Manhattan expressly to scope out the scene hours before those expected arrivals.

Crews have been seen unloading equipment from trucks this week — much of it covered or obscured — and barricades have been placed near the perimeter of the arena. The aesthetic details of what will happen beyond the loading docks have been shrouded in mystery.

Madison Square Garden sits next to New York Penn Station, one of the nation’s busiest transportation hubs, so it is naturally a lively area on any day. But Thursday afternoon, people lingered longer than usual as they passed through, and there was an increased police presence in the area.

Rachel Latchford and Linda Solano, nurses in a hospital in central Pennsylvania, made the trip to New York to see a Broadway show this weekend, but they said they had to go “see what all the buzz is about," Latchford said. “We’re going to the wedding, baby,” Solano joked on a FaceTime call with a friend.

Latchford acknowledged the heavy police presence, but she said she felt “very protected” and added that “there's been police all over the city this week with Fourth of July.”

A large tent was erected Thursday on 31st Street outside of an entrance to the arena. Tarps were hung to cover the walkway, so the couple and their guests will presumably be blocked from view as they enter and exit. In one spot where glass windows offered a peak inside, pink curtains were hung around 5 p.m., completely obscuring any of the exclusive happenings indoors.

By 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, 31st Street was completely closed off to pedestrians between 7th and 8th avenues. Some disappointed fans lingered near the barricades and boundaries police had set up and were enforcing. They were still hoping to see anything from their limited vantage point.

While many there earlier on Thursday were keeping their eyes peeled for any decor, florals or anything that could give them a sense of what and who might be inside the arena this weekend, much of the motivation to be there for fans was purely out of excitement for Swift herself.

“She's just so important in everyone's life,” said Alyssa Heinen, who was outside the arena Thursday afternoon. “We grew up with Taylor Swift, and just seeing her now find love — I feel like it's inspiring to so many women. It's so nice to see her so happy.”

“When they started dating, it was super exciting and cute and adorable,” said Brittany McCusker, who was with her colleague Donohue on their scouting mission. “It’s really amazing that they don’t have to broadcast anything, they can have it super private. I really respect that, but it’s a bummer that we don’t get to see it too.”

___

Associated Press journalist Ted Shaffrey contributed.

State television showed people rallying at night in various Iranian cities, chanting slogans in support of the country's theocracy and against America and Israel.

The government expects to see millions flood the streets of the capital beginning Saturday in scenes reminiscent of the burial of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989.

That could provide a boost for Iran's government, particularly as it tries to leverage its hold on the Strait of Hormuz in negotiations with the United States over a permanent end to the war, and as concern still lingers that Israel could attack yet again.

Despite that, a powerful general who leads Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard emerged publicly for the first time in months for the funeral. Other top government officials will also likely will be on hand alongside foreign dignitaries in a show of strength by Iran.

“As long as these people, who are chosen (by God), are on the field, we will definitely continue the same ‘no to humiliation’ policy that was founded by the Islamic Republic,” said Mohammad Hossein Rezaei, a volunteer preparing for the funeral Friday.

“We will continue our policy of pursuing independence, and decisions will be made inside the country, and the people will decide their own fate,” he said.

Caskets displayed in Tehran

Khamenei's flag-draped coffin sat at Tehran's Grand Mosalla alongside family members killed in the Israeli airstrike that came in the first moments of the war on Feb. 28.

The dead being honored include a son-in-law, his eldest daughter, a 14-month-old granddaughter and the wife of Iran's new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the previous leader who remains in hiding after reportedly being wounded in the attack.

Religious leaders and foreign dignitaries walked up to Khamenei’s casket as a military band played or a man sang prayers. Iran's Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and President Masoud Pezeshkian, key leaders in the country's civilian government, all paid their respects.

Video published by Iranian state media showed an earlier mourning ceremony Thursday night for Khamenei. The black-clad mourners, whom state media identified as coming from families of those who lost loved ones in the 12-day war in 2025 and the recent Iran war, threw scarves and other items for attendants to brush against the coffin, a common practice in Iran seen as a blessing.

Later, state media showed images of Khamenei’s casket draped by a red flag with white calligraphy reading “Ya Hussein,” a Shiite expression in remembrance of the 7th-century martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson. It had been flying over the Imam Hussein golden-domed shrine in Karbala, Iraq. The flag also traditionally symbolizes both the spilled blood of someone unjustly killed and a call for vengeance.

Top general appears for first time in months

Photos published online by Iranian state media showed Gen. Ahmad Vahidi attending a meeting Thursday about the funeral of Khamenei, then sitting alongside his casket as Iran's theocracy held a smaller service for him Thursday night near the supreme leader's former home in downtown Tehran.

“They must know that the pure blood of our martyred imam will mark another turning point in the victories of beloved Islam across the global arena,” Vahidi told state television in comments aired Friday. “They will take to their graves the wish to see this nation surrender. This nation will rise higher day by day through this pure blood.”

Vahidi has become a major player in formulating Iran’s tough stance in negotiating a possible permanent end to the war with the United States, experts say. He had not been seen publicly since Feb. 8, weeks before the Iran war began. Israel killed top leaders in Iran’s military and government during the war, and has threatened the life of the new supreme leader as well. Vahidi is believed to be part of a small clique in direct contact with the younger Khamenei.

It remains unclear whether Khamenei will appear at his father's funeral. His father appeared in 1989 at Khomeini's funeral, weeping visibly, as he began his journey to lead Iran for decades with an iron fist while confronting the West.

Israel's repeated threats to kill Khamenei drew a warning from Iran's joint military command Thursday, which told Israel and the U.S. “to avoid any miscalculation" over the coming days.

Funeral to go on for days

Beginning Saturday, Iran will hold the dayslong funeral for Khamenei and his body will be transported to cities in both Iran and neighboring Iraq. Authorities plan to shut down streets, airspace and daily life in Tehran as mourners commemorate the life of Khamenei.

In Tehran, images of the late Khamenei's fist could be seen in banners and in a giant statue in Enghelab Square, framed by what appeared to be ballistic missiles flying through the air. In his first message to the nation, read by a state television anchor, Mojtaba Khamenei said he saw his father’s body after his death with raised, clenched fist.

The banners read in Arabic, English and Farsi: “We must rise.”

“This fist is the clenched fist of all us Muslims,” taxi driver Jafar Javadi said. “The leader’s fist is a sign all our fists are clenched and they (the enemies) will be destroyed with these fists, God willing. We will continue chanting death to America and death to Israel with the same clenched fist.”

___

Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writer Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report.

The Flyers tendered the five-year, $90 million offer sheet to Carlsson on Friday, which would require four of the Flyers first-round draft picks in each of the next four seasons as compensation.

The Anaheim Ducks have seven days to exercise their right of first refusal on the player, per the NHL collective bargaining agreement.

The Ducks announced they would not make an immediate decision. General manager Pat Verbeek will not comment until the process is complete.

The offer sheet comes 14 years after the Flyers, under previous management, offer-sheeting Nashville defenseman Shea Weber for $110 million over 14 years, which the Predators matched.

The 21-year-old Carlsson had 29 goals, 38 assists for 67 points in 70 games last season with the Ducks. He added 11 points in 12 playoff games to help lead Anaheim to the second round.

A native of Karlstad, Sweden, Carlsson has 141 points (61 goals, 80 assists) in 201 regular-season games with the Ducks. The 6-foot-3, 208-pound center was selected by Anaheim second overall in the 2023 draft.

The Minnesota Wild in September signed Kirill Kaprizov to an eight-year, $136 million extension, giving him the richest contract in NHL history.

Kaprizov will count $17 million against the salary cap beginning next season, through 2034. That’s the highest annual average salary of any player since the league’s cap era began in 2005, surpassing Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl at $112 million over eight years, a $14 million annual average. Alex Ovechkin’s 13-year, $124 million contract signed with Washington in 2008 was previously the highest total value.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL

Lifeguard Max Ervanian said the basics can make all the difference.

“We have to remind all bathers and beachgoers to stay safe and be mindful of your surroundings,” Ervanian said. “Be mindful of where the closest lifeguard is, be mindful where the children you came to the beach with, and be mindful of the ocean conditions that are present for the day.”

Red flags up as conditions turn choppy

Red flags are posted along the beach this holiday weekend, warning swimmers about strong currents that can shift without warning.

Ervanian said conditions are worth watching closely heading into the weekend.

RELATED: Sun, surf, celebrations: How to avoid trouble in the water this July 4

“We do have some swells coming in. The shore break is a little powerful,” he said. “However, if we see the winds dying down or the conditions changing, we’re no stranger to changing the condition flag and alerting bathers and beachgoers through our online channels of the change in ocean conditions.”

Lifeguards say the three most important steps before entering the water are: check the flag conditions, swim near a lifeguard, and keep children within arm’s reach at all times.

Visitors and locals alike flock to the shore

The beach drew a mix of out-of-towners and longtime residents ahead of the holiday. Ian Tyler, a student visiting from the Gulf Coast for a summer internship, said the Atlantic side surprised him.

“This is my first time coming to the East Coast like this,” Tyler said. “It’s completely different than the Gulf where I normally go. It’s a way more chill environment. It’s like a community more than just a bunch of tourists.”

His sister Emma Tyler made the trip specifically for the holiday.

“I’m kind of just here to visit him for his summer internship,” she said. “I wanted to come see him and enjoy the Fourth at the beach for the first time.”

Resident Charles Hamilton brought his son and grandchildren out for the day. His grandson Hamilton Wilkes had his priorities set.

“Fireworks, we’re having a plan with fireworks and our neighbors — we are going to launch at the same time and it’s going to be a blast,” Wilkes said.

RELATED |America 250: Where you can watch fireworks, celebrate in your community

Families planning ahead for the heat

With temperatures nearing triple digits, beachgoers say they are also preparing for the heat on the sand. Hamilton summed up his family’s game plan simply:

“A lot of sunscreen, a lot of shade, and a lot of adult eyeballs to watch the little ones,” he said.

Fireworks are expected to draw large crowds back to the beach Friday night for the Fourth of July celebration.

NFL players and other prominent sports figures made up part of the star-studded crowd for Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift's wedding at Madison Square Garden on Friday.

Kareem Hunt was one of Kelce's many current or former Kansas City Chiefs teammates spotted in New York ahead of the wedding, which was expected to also be attended by Kelce's retired Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl-winning brother Jason, San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle and others from football, golf and beyond.

Soccer even had a presence, albeit in the form of “Ted Lasso” actor Jason Sudeikis, himself a big Chiefs fan.

The wedding is taking place at the home arena of the NBA’s New York Knicks and NHL’s Rangers. Swift attended Game 4 of the NBA Finals there, sitting courtside as the Knicks pulled off the biggest comeback at that stage of the playoffs in league history by rallying from down 29 to beat San Antonio.

MSG has been the site of some iconic sports moments since the current version opened at this location atop Penn Station in 1968.

The Knicks won their first NBA title there in 1970, when Willis Reed famously returned from injury to spark their Game 7 victory against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Joe Frazier beat Muhammad Ali there in the first of the legends' three boxing matches against each other, the “Fight of the Century,” in 1971. Ali won the rematch in '74.

The Rangers ended their 54-year championship drought at the Garden in 1994, defeating the Vancouver Canucks to win the Stanley Cup.

Kelce is a three-time Super Bowl champion with Kansas City and a four-time AP All-Pro selection at his position. Jason was a seven-time All-Pro center who helped Philadelphia win the Super Bowl in the 2017 season.

___

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

The four-time Grand Slam champion reached the fourth round at the All England Club for the first time Friday in a tidy 6-1, 6-3 victory over Daria Kasatkina on No. 1 Court.

An on-court interviewer then asked Osaka about her daughter Shai's third birthday on Thursday, as the Japanese player had said they would celebrate by going to a nearby park. But apparently that didn't work out as planned.

“I don’t think I should be telling you this, but she was kind of bad yesterday,” a smiling Osaka began. “We tried to take her to the park but then she needed to go to timeout, so we’re going to try to take her to the park again today.”

As fans chuckled, Osaka added: "It was an awesome birthday. She blew out her candles. She made a wish — I hope her wish is to behave better. Today’s a new day for her.”

Osaka will next face No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.

___

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

The signs would be in the same area where the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776. A message seeking comment was left Friday with the National Park Service.

The new educational panels were designed to replace ones put up in 2010 that told the story of how nine slaves lived in the home along with George and Martha Washington in the 1790s, when Philadelphia was briefly the nation's capital.

Their removal stemmed from Trump's 2025 executive order calling for federally owned or controlled historic sites not to display information to “disparage Americans past or living” and to focus on the “greatness of the achievements and progress of the American people.”

Friday's ruling from a three-judge panel of the U.S. 3rd Circuit of Appeals, which is based in a courthouse across an intersection from the President's House site, was a technical one to allow implementation of a ruling made last month.

That ruling — by one judge Trump nominated, one nominated by former President George W. Bush and one chosen by former President Barack Obama — said a lower court was wrong to force the federal government to take down its new panels.

The government asked Thursday for the go-ahead to put them back up, saying that the panels were ready to install and that they should go up “without further delay.” The administration has said in court filings that its information also discusses slavery.

Advocates, academics and officials have been concerned for months that the version that complies with Trump’s order could give a history that downplays the pain in the nation’s past in favor of a more triumphant view.

A government website with images of the new panels shows they would still have information on enslaved people who lived in the home, plus details on the abolitionist movement, how the Constitution treated slavery, the end of slavery in Pennsylvania and how Washington and his successor, John Adams, viewed and treated slavery, as well as information about the 20th century Civil Rights movement. The replacement panels do not include some of detail in the earlier ones, such as a map of slave trade routes and a timeline on slavery. They also avoid critical headlines such as “The Dirty Business of Slavery.”

The City of Philadelphia, which sued over removal of the previous information, is trying to put the brakes on the new installation. The city on Friday asked the appeals court to recall its order from earlier in the day — at least long enough to allow the city to respond to the request Trump's administration made on Thursday.

Philadelphia said in its filing that it would be hurt if the new panels go back up: “The President’s House is a site of exceptional importance to Philadelphia and the Nation, developed through years of federal-local collaboration to tell a historically significant and long-suppressed story.”

About half the previous panels were reinstalled earlier this year before a court ordered that work to stop.

He has shrugged off the setback for one of the world’s leading oil-producing nations as “not critical,” dismissed ceasefire proposals and insisted the war will continue until his goals are met.

Putin has described the attacks on Russian energy as an effort by Ukraine to distract attention from its losses on the battlefield, although analysts say the advance of Russian forces has been stymied in recent months. The Russian leader appears to believe his government can keep the fuel crisis from eroding his authority and support for the war he launched more than four years ago.

The Russian military unleashed a massive 11-hour barrage on the Ukrainian capital overnight into Thursday morning that killed at least 30 people. It was one of the deadliest attacks on Kyiv since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.

Here's a deeper look at the latest exchange of strikes and Putin’s refusal to halt the fighting:

Gas shortages worsen in Russia as more oil facilities are hit

There have been more than 50 reported Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries and other energy facilities in Russia and occupied Crimea since March — a barrage Ukrainian leaders have said is intended to pressure Moscow to end the war.

At the very least, the attacks have brought the war home even more poignantly for millions of Russians, shattering Putin’s narrative of the conflict as something that doesn’t affect the lives of ordinary people in his country.

An estimated one-third of Russia’s refining capacity has been cut off, according to Chris Weafer, CEO of the consultancy Macro-Advisory. The attacks have inflicted lasting damage that will be costly to fix.

Despite significant air defenses protecting Russia's capital, a top refinery in Moscow has been hit twice. The second strike on June 18 set it ablaze, damaging key equipment that will reportedly take until the end of the year to repair.

With gasoline production in Russia reduced by roughly 17% to 850,000 barrels a day, according to government statistics, rationing has been introduced in many regions, and motorists have had to wait in line for hours to refuel.

In an effort to ease the fuel deficit, the government has allowed production of lower quality gasoline with higher sulfur content through the year's end.

Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014, has faced the worst fuel shortages. Gasoline sales to individuals have been periodically halted there altogether.

Putin downplays the impact of Ukrainian strikes

Putin chaired a meeting of government officials last weekend to discuss the fuel shortages.

In televised statements, he acknowledged the country was going through a “difficult period.” He pledged to accelerate repairs of energy facilities and said Russia would consider importing gasoline to help make up for what he described as “temporary” shortages. He also said Russia's arms industry will boost production of air defense systems to fend off future Ukrainian attacks.

Putin portrayed the Ukrainian strikes as an attempt to divide Russian society, halt Moscow's offensive and try to force the Kremlin into negotiations on “terms advantageous to our adversary.”

“We will not give them that chance,” he said.

While Putin said Ukraine's long-range strikes on Russian oil facilities “have absolutely no effect on the situation at the front,” Western military analysts say midrange strikes on the Russian army in recent months have hampered military logistics and slowed the tempo of its advance, leaving the battlefield in a stalemate.

On Friday, Putin visited the Russian military headquarters directing the action in Ukraine to receive a report on the capture of the city of Kostyantynivka after weeks of intense street battles. He hailed it as a key step toward capturing the nearby cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, the key remaining strongholds in the so-called “forest belt” of heavily fortified cities in the Donetsk region that remain in Ukraine's hands.

The capture of Kostyantynivka, a big transport and industrial hub, is of “major strategic importance,” Putin, clad in military fatigues, said in televised comments.

There has been no immediate comment from Ukrainian officials on the Russian claim. Earlier Friday, the Ukrainian military's General Staff reported repelling 24 Russian assaults near Kostyantynivka and other settlements.

Putin also warned Friday that “the more strikes Kyiv launches on our civilian facilities ... the bigger security zone we will need to create” in Ukraine.

He issued another threat to Ukraine's Western allies, saying that Russia will look into the details of their “engagement in hostilities,” adding that "we will need this analysis for making possible responsible decisions in the future."

Putin dismisses Ukraine's ceasefire offers

The Russian president has responded to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's offer to meet by challenging him to come to Moscow, a non-starter to Ukraine.

Putin has rejected a truce that Kyiv and its Western allies have proposed. He says it would only give Ukrainian forces time to rest and regroup.

He has made any ceasefire conditional on Ukraine's withdrawal from the part of the Donetsk region it still controls, a demand rejected by Ukraine. Putin has said that a final peace deal must oblige Ukraine to abandon its bid to join NATO, reduce its military and protect Russian language and culture.

In last Sunday's interview, Putin claimed that Ukraine had offered to limit the fighting to the four regions that Russia annexed but never fully captured: Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. He said he rejected the proposal because it would free up Ukrainian forces from other areas where Russian troops have made inroads and let them focus on fending off the Russian attacks in the four southeastern regions.

“Faced with a catastrophic shortage of personnel, the armed forces of Ukraine apparently believe this could be their salvation,” Putin said. “Saving the Kyiv regime is not part of our plans.”

The Kremlin said the offer was made via confidential channels; Ukrainian officials have not publicly discussed any such proposal.

Putin also dismissed a Ukrainian proposal to mutually halt strikes deep into each other's territory. Russian attacks deep into Ukraine are “much more powerful, sensitive and, frankly speaking, destructive,” he said.

In Thursday's deadly barrage on Kyiv, Russia once again hit residential areas even as it claimed to be targeting military sites. By contrast, the vast majority of Ukrainian strikes in Russia have hit oil facilities, weapons factories and other military targets.

A United Nations tally says more than 16,000 Ukrainian civilians have died in the war.

___

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

Fujimori, 51, the daughter of a disgraced former president, was running for the presidency for the fourth time. She will be Peru’s ninth president in 10 years when she takes office later this month.

Fujimori’s victory, along with that of Abelardo de la Espriella in Colombia and José Antonio Kast in Chile, confirms a regional 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.

The election win was certified Friday by the country's top election authority. Figures released by election officials earlier in the week showed that with 100% of ballots tallied, Fujimori received 9,223,000 votes, or 50.135% of the total, while nationalist congressman Roberto Sánchez earned over 9,173,000 votes, or 49.865%.

Fujimori and Sánchez made it to the June 7 runoff election after defeating 33 other candidates in an April vote.

Voters were primarily concerned with increasing levels of crime, especially extortion by violent organized crime gangs, and Fujimori pledged to combat crime with an iron fist.

Fujimori said on social media Friday that “each day of this process of transition is an opportunity to listen, discuss and arrive prepared for the start of a new government.”

The winner is the daughter of the late Alberto Fujimori, the former president whose government in the 1990s defeated the Shining Path extremist rebel group but also took an authoritarian turn. He was convicted in 2009 of human rights abuses in the fight against the rebels, and later of corruption charges.

Keiko Fujimori promised to build four prisons and another similar to El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center known as the CECOT, and to force prisoners to work in the prisons. She also announced plans to militarize the borders to curb crime and deport undocumented migrants.

___

Follow AP’s Latin America coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

A day after Rodríguez angrily defended the competence of her government's relief effort at her first news conference since the June 24 disaster, her main rival, exiled Venezuelan Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado, issued her own appeal.

Machado on Friday argued that the government's quake response exposed its critical weaknesses and that she should return to Venezuela to help "the transition process, especially after the tragedy.”

"My presence stabilizes the situation; it is part of the organizing forces that the country needs at a time when the total absence of the state has become evident," Machado said, referring to widespread criticism of the government’s earthquake response as slow and disorganized. “The country needs figures it can trust.” She spoke to reporters from Panama.

The quakes have killed 2,645 people and injured over 12,500 others, according tallies released Friday by the government. Machado's opposition movement has set up an online database to locate the missing — a list of 36,000 people as of Friday. The party has mobilized volunteers to collect donations in Venezuela and solicited aid from the country's vast diaspora.

Machado was barred from running in a 2024 presidential election in which President Nicolás Maduro claimed victory. Vote tallies that the opposition collected from voting machines used in the election showed that the candidate Machado endorsed, Edmundo González, beat Maduro by a more than 2-to-1 margin.

The US praises Rodríguez, blocks Machado

When the earthquakes hit, Machado saw an opening to return home for the first time after fleeing in December to accept a Nobel Peace Prize in Norway. Ever since the United States captured Maduro in a brazen military operation in January, Machado has been seeking a comeback and calling for a democratic transition.

But the Trump administration has thrown its support behind Rodríguez since Maduro's ouster, praising her business-friendly reforms of the country’s lucrative oil sector.

Two senior U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to disclose private diplomatic discussions, told The Associated Press that the Trump administration has grown frustrated with Machado and dissuaded her from returning to Venezuela in the aftermath of the earthquakes.

One official said that Machado had sought assistance from Washington for ferrying her to Venezuela from the Caribbean island of Curaçao and also from Panama.

The second official said the U.S. suspected she wanted to return to lead protests against Rodríguez and push for political change at a time when the focus should be on quake recovery. This official added that the Trump administration could not prevent Machado's return but was not in a position to facilitate it.

Earthquake fallout becomes political

Upon learning of Machado’s plans, Rodríguez shut down commercial air traffic into Caracas, the U.S. official said. Those canceled flights were set to bring hundreds of relief workers to assist with earthquake recovery efforts, the official said.

Seemingly concerned that anger over the earthquake response could jeopardize her leadership, Rodríguez on Thursday blamed any criticism of the government on what she called “narratives manufactured in propaganda laboratories."

She claimed that rescue crews deployed immediately with adequate equipment to disaster zones — contrary to complaints by residents that they were left alone to search for their loved ones without official teams or heavy machinery for the first 48 hours.

“Those propaganda operations, driven by partisan political interests, are despicable,” she said. “We did not wait one day, two days or three days. We activated immediately.”

Rodríguez went on to say that thousands of civil and military rescue workers as well as 11 international field hospitals had been deployed to quake-affected areas, adding that the government had approved the creation of a fund to receive donations for reconstruction.

On Friday, state-run media broadcast her visiting Hernán Alberto Gil Flores, a 43-year-old security guard pried from a collapsed basement after surviving nearly eight days under the rubble, in his hospital bed. His dramatic rescue Thursday served as a rare bright spot in the days since the earthquakes.

Unclear what happens when mandate expires

Under Venezuela’s constitution, temporary absences are to be filled by the vice president — which was Rodríguez’s former role under Maduro — for up to 90 days, after which they can be extended by the national assembly for an additional 90 days.

On Friday, that 180-day interim period expired. There was no immediate comment from authorities on what, if anything, they would do in response to the expiration of Rodríguez’s mandate.

The National Assembly, controlled by Rodríguez’s party, can trigger a snap election if lawmakers declare the post permanently vacant.

A humanitarian crisis brews

International organizations and governments, including the U.S., have pledged hundreds of millions of dollars in emergency relief aid to stave off a full-blown humanitarian catastrophe in Venezuela. With infrastructure and sewer systems damaged, aid workers are scrambling to prevent the spread of disease through contaminated water.

But nine days after the quakes, the scale of human suffering is still coming into focus.

“We know that there are still dead bodies under the collapsed buildings, and it's difficult to give a number on this, but several thousands for sure,” said Andreas Spaett, the Venezuela country coordinator for international aid group Doctors Without Borders. “I do believe this is one of the major natural catastrophes in the history of humanity.”

___

DeBre reported from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Associated Press reporter Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

The Frenchman did — and 39-year-old Djokovic dove to hit a backhand volley winner on match point for a 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (4) record-equaling victory in the third round at Wimbledon on Friday.

Djokovic's 105th match win at the All England Club ties Roger Federer on the men's list for most singles match victories. Martina Navratilova won 120 singles matches at Wimbledon.

By next weekend, Djokovic would love to equal Federer's men's record of eight singles titles, but reaching the fourth round will have to suffice for now.

“Today, I was quite stressed out, more tension than usual,” Djokovic said in his on-court interview. “I knew it was going to be a very challenging match for me.”

The 24-time Grand Slam champion overcame a blip — dropping the third set in 18 minutes — and held his nerve in the fourth-set tiebreaker by hitting back-to-back aces before Rinderknech's forehand went wide to set up match point.

“I saw him slip and kind of fall down. And I was just like ‘please stay down’ for that last shot,” said Djokovic, who had repeatedly punched his left thigh after losing the third set.

Joining Federer on 105 singles match wins is “a huge honor and privilege,” Djokovic added. “I propose a matchup for me and Roger for 106.”

Djokovic will face Russian qualifier Roman Safiullin in the fourth round. Safiullin, a Wimbledon quarterfinalist in 2023, beat Brazilian rising star João Fonseca 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.

Sinner finds his groove

Defending champion Jannik Sinner beat Jenson Brooksby 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 on No. 1 Court to advance to the fourth round.

The Italian, hoping to put his French Open meltdown in the rearview mirror, finished off Brooksby in two-plus hours after his opening-round five-setter was followed by a second-round win over Nuno Borges in straight sets but with two tiebreakers.

“I'm trying to find my way in. Felt better today, which was my main goal,” the four-time Grand Slam champion said. “Trying to move better. Return today was a little bit better. All things considered, was a small step forward.”

Sinner will next face Japanese qualifier Shintaro Mochizuki, who stunned 23rd-seeded Rafael Jodar of Spain 1-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-4 to reach the fourth round at a Grand Slam for the first time. Mochizuki, ranked No. 151, won the Wimbledon boys' title in 2019.

Also, third-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime beat American qualifier Michael Zheng 7-6 (1), 6-2, 6-1 in the Canadian's Centre Court debut. Jan-Lennard Struff upended eighth-seeded Daniil Medvedev 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5), 7-5.

Sabalenka vs. Osaka in 4th round

No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and Naomi Osaka meet for a spot in the quarterfinals after both players won in straight sets.

Sabalenka beat Jelena Ostapenko 6-4, 6-4 on Centre Court and declared herself ready for the 14th-seeded Osaka in what will be a battle of four-time Grand Slam champions.

“She's (a) very aggressive player, serving well,” Sabalenka said. “I watched a couple of her matches. ... I’m ready to go out there and to bring the fight and to do anything it takes to get through this difficult match.”

Osaka eliminated Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 6-3 on No. 1 Court. Osaka is into the fourth round at the All England Club for the first time.

Coco Gauff got past fellow American Claire Liu 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-2 after having three match points at 5-4 in the second set. Gauff will next face 11th-seeded Belinda Bencic.

Other winners in the women’s draw included fourth-seeded Jessica Pegula, 10th-seeded Karolina Muchova, and 2024 Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova.

___

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

Signs posted across the state include messages like “Don’t drive star spangled hammered” and “You’re not a firework, don’t drive lit.”

The agency also took its message to social media, reminding drivers that safety is non-negotiable during the holiday.

“Our Founding Fathers would have wanted you to slow down. Drive safe this holiday weekend by obeying the posted speed limits and never getting behind the wheel under the influence of impairing substances,” FDOT wrote in the post.

The timing is significant. AAA projects 4.6 million Floridians will travel during the Independence Day holiday, making safe driving more important than ever.

All told, 321 diamonds, 56 sapphires, 13 emeralds and six rubies encrust the watch-sized gold ring presented this week to Bill White, the U.S. ambassador to Belgium, to give to U.S. President Donald Trump.

“A very special thank you to my friends from Antwerp for the magnificent Freedom 250 ring,” Trump said in a prerecorded video message during an event marking America’s 250th birthday in Brussels.

Isidore Mörsel, president of the Antwerp World Diamond Center, or AWDC, gifted the ring on behalf of the centuries-old diamond community in the Belgian port city, a central node in the worldwide trade of the precious stones that found itself struggling last year under the weight of Trump’s sweeping trade war.

“May this ring serve as a lasting reminder that true partnership, like the finest natural diamonds, are formed under pressure, endure the test of time, and shine brightest when built on trust,” Mörsel said. The ring's interior is engraved with the phrase “Crafted in Antwerp for Donald John Trump.”

In dollar terms, the ring’s value pales beside gifts like the $400 million plane donated by Qatar that Trump ordered converted into a new Air Force One. But it’s a glitzy window into the role that ostentatious – and almost always gilded — gifts are playing by those seeking to curry favor with the U.S. president.

A White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter, said Thursday that the ring has not been presented to Trump yet.

The ring is latest in Trump's historic break with White House custom

The gift comes months after Belgium’s diamond industry won the removal of U.S. tariffs on diamond imports. In September, AWDC said it had “succeeded in securing a zero percent import tariff” on Antwerp’s annual export of more than $2 billion of polished diamonds to the U.S. A spokesperson for the group said on Thursday that the AWDC provided “input” to the European Commission as it negotiated with Trump on a broad deal on tariffs in 2025, but did not itself lobby the administration.

U.S. presidents have considerable discretion to accept gifts from domestic and foreign sources and may determine themselves whether a gift was meant for them personally or the nation. The exception is those from foreign governments, which are prohibited by the foreign emoluments clause of the Constitution without congressional assent, though presidents could use personal funds to reimburse the Treasury for the full value of an official gift if they wish to retain it.

Personal gifts are also supposed to be registered on the president’s annual financial disclosure. Trump’s 2025 disclosure, released this week, revealed a $250,000 gift of a sculpture depicting his triumphal gesture after surviving a 2024 assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and tickets to 10 sporting events, including 10 to the upcoming World Cup final in New Jersey from FIFA’s Gianni Infantino, valued at a collective $15,000.

Four U.S. ethics experts told The Associated Press that Trump has broken with decades-old custom in the White House to avoid accepting such gifts.

The ring's value estimated at $25,000-$35,000

To forge the ring, the AWDC turned to David Gotlib, an Antwerp-based high-end jeweler whose cufflinks can sell for more than 15,000 euros ($17,000).

Neither AWDC nor Gotlib would provide a valuation of the ring, but two independent jewelers told AP they estimated the value at between $25,000 and $35,000.

Paris- and London-based jewelry consultant Alexander Levinson calculated the cost at $25,928, while David Saad, a third-generation luxury jeweler in Canada, priced the ring between $33,000 and $35,000. Both said half the cost was in materials, half in labor.

After the ring was presented on a star-spangled stage in Brussels, musician Alexis Wilkins, the girlfriend of FBI Director Kash Patel, sang the U.S. national anthem to more than 8,000 people drinking Budweiser and bourbon from Tennessee and Kentucky.

Ambassador White said he raised more than $5.5 million for the 250th anniversary event from corporate sponsors like defense industry titans Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, tech firms like Intel, Google and Meta, as well as the European chocolate companies Leonidas and Ferrero. AWDC said it contributed funds, too.

“The media was asking, ‘Why does it have to be so big?’” White said of the event. “Because we are the United States of America!”

The ambassador posted on social media Friday that after he gives the ring to Trump, it will be displayed in the Oval Office.

Ford, a nationally recognized transportation leader, said he plans to continue working on innovative mobility solutions but did not announce specific plans.

“The JTA is operationally strong and well-positioned for the future,” Ford said. “I have full confidence in the leadership team’s ability to continue advancing our mission. It has been the greatest professional honor of my career to serve this organization, this city, and this region.”

The JTA Board’s next scheduled meeting is July 29. Board Chair Aundra Wallace said the board plans to discuss next steps for the CEO position at that meeting.

Mayor Donna Deegan praised Ford’s tenure, saying his leadership helped make the authority a model for innovation and a catalyst for economic growth. “Nat has been a dedicated partner to the City of Jacksonville, and his vision and collaborative spirit helped move our community forward in meaningful ways,” she said.

Under Ford’s leadership, the JTA said, the agency reached several milestones that helped raise Jacksonville’s national profile in public transportation, including:

• developing the First Coast Flyer bus rapid transit system, the largest BRT network in the southeastern United States;
• constructing the Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center, an award-winning multimodal mobility hub;
• winning more than $400 million in federal discretionary grants and supporting a local option gas tax extension that generated $1 billion for regional infrastructure;
• completing JTAMobilityWorks, a 27-project road-building and complete streets initiative, two years ahead of schedule;
• implementing the Route Optimization Initiative, the first complete redesign of JTA’s transit system in 34 years;
• expanding JTA’s regional footprint across Baker, St. Johns, Clay and Nassau counties, including restoration of the St. Johns River Ferry;
• launching the Ultimate Urban Circulator, the nation’s first deployment of an autonomous vehicle service in public transit; and
• attracting HOLON’s first U.S. autonomous vehicle manufacturing facility, a $200 million investment projected to generate $87 million annually for Florida’s economy.

Wallace thanked Ford and JTA staff for advancing mobility solutions for Northeast Florida.

“Under the leadership of Nat, JTA has built a national reputation for innovating, particularly in the autonomous vehicle space at the same time the JTA team remains true to the core of what we do best — providing safe, reliable and affordable public transportation to our community,” she said.

Ford has served nationally as chairman of the American Public Transportation Association and chairman of the Transportation Research Board. His national honors include White House Champion of Change, APTA Outstanding Public Transportation Manager of the Year and the Outstanding Public Transportation System Achievement Award.

Ford will remain fully engaged with JTA through January 2027 to support a seamless transition and assist the board in preparing for the next CEO.

In Trump's appearance on Vance's “Storytime with the Second Lady,” podcast, which was posted online Friday, the president read “Presidents Play!” a children's book from the White House Historical Association that features illustrations of the presidents enjoying sports and using the White House and its grounds for recreation.

Trump pretaped the appearance in mid-June in the White House's Oval Office, where the abundant gold accents he added were supplemented for the occasion with a bald eagle stuffed animal, tables made up of stacks of oversized books and a globe made out of Legos.

When Vance asked Trump if he has much time to read for fun while serving as president, he replied that he ends up mostly reading newspapers.

“I usually read stories about myself,” Trump said.

As Trump turned through the children's book, he made observations about past presidents, cracked some jokes, and threw in a plug for the extensive ballroom he's building on the White House grounds.

He described Lyndon Johnson as a “tough cookie,” Ronald Reagan as a “high-quality person” and “like your father was president,” and John F. Kennedy as “the second-most good-looking president.” Left unsaid was who Trump felt was the best-looking president.

Richard Nixon, the only president to resign the office after he became embroiled in the Watergate scandal, “got himself into trouble, I guess.” Herbert Hoover, who was president during the Great Depression, was depicted in the book playing a game he made up called “Hoover Ball.”

“That worked out better for him than the economy,” Trump quipped.

Barack Obama, who has been a longtime object of Trump's derision, was illustrated playing basketball.

Trump, calling him “Barack Hussein Obama,” said he doubted Obama was a good basketball player. He then shared that Obama's favorite sport is golf, but added, “He won’t be in the Masters anytime soon," referring to the professional golf tournament.

When he reached a page with a drawing of Bill Clinton running on the jogging track the former president installed at the White House, Trump remarked, “I don’t think I’ll ever do that.”

But he added that he likes Clinton “a lot.”

Trump mused about riding a horse after seeing a picture of Abraham Lincoln riding one.

“That's great. I'd like to ride horses, too,” Trump said. “In fact, it gives me an idea, but when you fall off a horse... I've seen too many things happen. Falling off horses is not good.”

The solution he suggested was “A nice old horse that's extremely slow, lazy” and that he would “maybe ride it.”

A picture of John Quincy Adams swimming in what was then the Tiber Creek that ran past the South Lawn of the White House prompted Trump to remark, “I think we’re building a beautiful ballroom on top of it.”

Some of the other presidents' physical activity prompted some reflection on his own physique.

When he saw Gerald Ford swimming in a pool, Trump said: “I don’t know if I look good in a bathing suit. I haven’t had a bathing suit in a long time.”

William Howard Taft, who was known for his girth, “was our heaviest president,” Trump said.

“I have to be careful because I don’t want to supersede his record,” Trump said. “And a thing like that would be possible if I allowed it to happen. For all of you out there watching, keep yourself in good shape.”

In addition to encouraging young viewers to stay in shape, Trump offered a somewhat cloudy message when the second lady asked him for his advice to children on why they should celebrate the country on July 4th.

“We have a great country,” Trump said. “We have a country that, it’s on a little bit of a ledge right now. It can go one way or another, you understand that. But we’re going to make it go the other. And we're going to make America greater than ever before.”

Now Heliovaara, the No. 1 ranked doubles player in the world, is among those fearing for the future of the format.

Doubles players are up in arms after being told by the ATP Tour this week that prize money and tournament sizes will decrease significantly starting in 2028.

“There has been instances in the past where the future of doubles was very (uncertain),” Heliovaara, the 2024 Wimbledon doubles champion, told The Associated Press at the All England Club on Friday. "This is one of the key moments again.”

Leading doubles players issued a statement Friday condemning the ATP's plans, saying they are not “a carnival sideshow” and that it will be impossible for anyone outside the top 30 in the doubles rankings to make a living if the new proposals are adopted.

The statement came after doubles players met with ATP officials at Wimbledon this week to discuss the future of a format that is struggling to draw an audience.

“The ATP is proposing to slash doubles draws, gut doubles prize money, and hand Challenger entry to singles players ahead of specialists who have built their careers in this discipline,” the players' statement said.

They said the proposal would give doubles players just 10% of the prize money at ATP tournaments — down from 20% — while halving the size of the doubles fields.

At the premier Masters tournaments, that would cut the doubles draw to 16 teams, while at the smaller ATP 500 and 250 events it would consist of just eight teams.

“Do the math on what that means for anyone outside the top 30: it will be impossible to make a living,” the statement added.

“This is not a minor adjustment. It is a plan to end doubles as a viable profession, dressed up as a cost-saving measure — and it is being pushed through with almost no transparency and almost no consultation with the players whose careers and livelihoods are on the line.”

Asked about the statement, the ATP said it was “assessing the doubles product, draw sizes and player compensation distribution with the aim of creating a more sustainable long-term model while maintaining doubles’ important role on the tour.”

It added that changing the doubles model could help increase early round singles prize money, “helping more players at the highest level to better meet the costs of competing on tour and build sustainable professional careers.”

The proposal does not affect Grand Slam tournaments. At Wimbledon, there are 64 doubles teams in both the men's and women's draw and winning pairs split 760,000 pounds (about $1 million), compared to 3.6 million pounds ($4.8 million) for the singles champions.

Doubles has always taken a back seat to singles tournaments when it comes to popularity and TV audiences, and the format has already faced several changes in recent years. In 2023, Wimbledon joined the other Grand Slam tournaments in shortening matches from five to three sets.

The U.S. Open last year introduced a new mixed doubles format that was played before the singles tournament started, in order to draw top names like Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Iga Swiatek and Naomi Osaka. That was criticized by traditional doubles players, however, as it largely excluded them in favor of attracting more famous singles specialists.

Heliovaara said one of the problems for doubles is that most of the well-known singles players have almost completely abandoned the format.

“We are losing the singles stars from the doubles game, and we have not been very good at making the doubles stars known to a global audience,” the Finnish player said.

The women's doubles at Wimbledon received a boost when Serena and Venus Williams accepted a wild-card entry. They are set to play on Saturday after doubt caused by Serena tweaking her knee during her first-round singles in her first appearance at the All England Club in four years.

Heliovaara did not take part in the meetings with the ATP this week, but has previously been part of a player council that tried to find solutions to the problems facing doubles.

“It was very difficult to find answers," he acknowledged. "But I still believe someone might have them. But it’s a very money-driven world.”

The men's players said part of the problem in attracting an audience was due to the ATP's “lackluster marketing of doubles, failure to exploit broadcast and other commercial partnerships, and poor event staging and promotion.”

“Doubles is not an afterthought we fell into,” the players' statement said. “It has always been part of this sport’s identity, not a discount version of it.”

___

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

Exactly 22 years later, the 464004 SR-200 location will officially stop operations on Wednesday, July 8, to prepare for the grand opening of its new location at 463195 SR-200 in the Villages of Amelia shopping center.

RELATED | Chick-fil-A is no longer Florida’s top fast food chain. Here’s who took No. 1

The move comes after the original site near the Walmart Supercenter outgrew the space as Yulee’s population surged and demand for the chain’s signature chicken and waffle fries kept rising.

The newly built 5,201-square-foot restaurant will feature a dual drive-thru, 59 parking spaces and 94 indoor seats, according to a report from The Jacksonville Daily Record. It will also include a lane for mobile orders and an indoor playground for the kiddos.

Restaurant officials said the grand opening date would be announced soon, but until then, the community has until July 8 to enjoy building memories at the original site.

The alert system is designed to quickly notify the public when law enforcement believes a missing child with autism is in immediate danger. Unlike the statewide amber alert, the spectrum alert is sent to a 5-mile radius around the child’s last known location — a deliberate design choice rooted in how children with autism spectrum disorder typically go missing.

“When that goes out, it goes across statewide [for an amber alert]. We want everybody in the state looking for that child,” said Melissa Buheda, director of missing persons and offender enforcement with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). “However, with the spectrum alert, because the children are not — almost all the time — wandering on foot, that is going out to a 5-mile radius of where the child was last known to be seen.”

How the alert works

When a child with autism goes missing, the first step for families is straightforward: call 911.

“They need to contact their local law enforcement agency, who will initiate it with FDLE to get that alert initiated,” Bujeda said. “So their first step needs to be to call 9-1-1 and alert them that their child is missing and in danger.”

From there, FDLE coordinates the alert through the Wireless Emergency Alert system — the same platform used to deliver amber alerts to cell phones. Floridians can also visit FDLE’s website to sign up for alerts directly.

When residents receive a spectrum alert, Bujedas aid the ask is simple: use your eyes.

“If you get that spectrum alert on your phone, that is everybody go outside, look — if you have bodies of water in your area, go outside, check those retention ponds, check the lakes that you may see to see: is that child in my area?” she said.

What the community should — and shouldn’t — do

Bujeda emphasized that community members who spot a child should resist the urge to approach them directly and instead call 911 immediately.

“We don’t want the child to get excessively scared or have a tendency to run further away,” she said. “If that child is sitting down on the side of the road or sitting down wherever it may be, just call 9-1-1. Let law enforcement know they have eyes on the child and law enforcement can get to the scene immediately.”

Bodies of water are a key area of concern. Florida ranks fifth in the nation for autism-related drownings, according to Buheda, and children with autism are often drawn to water — making it among the first places residents should check.

“Right now in the United States, 1 in 31 children are now diagnosed with autism. So this isn’t going to be a rare scenario.”

Training first responders

A critical component of the new law is statewide training for law enforcement officers, aimed at helping them understand how to search for and safely approach children with autism.

“We created a training for all law enforcement across the state of Florida that talks about those particulars,” Bujeda said. “They may be calling the child’s name trying to find them, but the child is hiding instead.”

Bujeda noted the training benefits officers beyond missing person cases.

“The information is not just helpful for law enforcement for the missing person calls, but in their general just policing activities,” she said.

How to get more information

Residents can sign up to receive spectrum alerts through FDLE’s website at member.everbridge.net.

Families of children with autism are encouraged to contact local autism spectrum disorder organizations for additional resources on how the alert system works and how it can support their families.

Firefighters arrived to find the cab of a box truck fully involved in flames.

Crews quickly brought the fire under control and extinguished it without incident, according to St. Johns County Fire Rescue.

No injuries were reported.

The lawsuit was filed June 30, 2026, in the Circuit Court of the Seventh Judicial Circuit in St. Johns County, Florida. The case is seeking damages in excess of $50,001, not including attorney’s fees and court costs.

The allegations

According to the complaint, the incident occurred Nov. 14, 2025, at the Publix located on Front Street in Ponte Vedra Beach. The plaintiff was shopping at the store when a Publix employee pushing a shopping cart collided into him.

The lawsuit alleges Publix failed to use reasonable care while moving the cart in and around the store, failed to maintain the premises in a reasonably safe condition, and created a dangerous condition for customers.

Injuries claimed

The plaintiff claims he suffered a range of serious physical and financial setbacks as a result of the collision.

According to the complaint, his injuries include bodily harm, pain and suffering, disability, disfigurement, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, and medical expenses including hospitalization and nursing care. He is also seeking compensation for lost earnings and loss of ability to earn money in the future.

The complaint states the injuries are either permanent or continuing, and that he sustained permanent injuries “within a reasonable degree of medical probability.”

The lawsuit also claims the collision aggravated a previously existing condition, though the complaint does not specify what that condition is.

News4JAX reached out to Publix for comment. We will update this story once we receive a response.

The defending champion was asked why his mother and father weren't in attendance for his opening match on Centre Court on Monday, when last year's women's winner Iga Swiatek had her father and sister in the Royal Box the next day.

Turns out Sinner's parents were also invited, but that kind of fancy affair apparently isn't their thing.

“I know my parents. I asked them, but it was impossible,” Sinner said in Italian on Friday after reaching the fourth round with a straight-sets win over Jenson Brooksby on No. 1 Court.

Sinner grew up in a small Alpine village in northern Italy where his parents, Hanspeter and Siglinde, worked in a ski lodge. His father was a chef and his mother was a waitress.

“We hardly even discussed it,” Sinner said of the Royal Box invite, laughing. "They have other things to do and I understand that.”

His parents did come to last year's final and sat in the player's box to watch their son beat Carlos Alcaraz for the title.

There was a famous parent in the Royal Box to watch Sinner on Monday, though. David Beckham took his mother to the match.

___

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

The report issued Thursday by the National Transportation Safety Board also did not flag any other serious safety or mechanical failures that could have led to the crash, which happened just after takeoff on a clear day.

The NTSB released the findings based on initial inspections of the badly damaged wreckage and flight records. The report said there were no indications of any precrash mechanical malfunctions or failures in the engine that would have prevented the normal operation of the plane.

In fact, NTSB said it appeared that the engine of the single-engine turboprop plane had been producing power at the time of the crash.

“I was surprised that they had determined that the engine was producing power,” said Jeff Guzzetti, president of Guzzetti Aviation Risk Discovery, an aviation safety consultancy. “Initially I thought it smacked of a potential engine problem and that the pilot had been trying to return to the airport.”

The federal agency also said a post-accident sample from the fuel truck found the fuel to be free of sediment or debris, and a review of the skydiving business operators’ software showed that the airplane had met the weight and balance limitations for the flight.

The report raised no concerns about the weather or the pilot, who had accumulated over 4,100 total flight hours and was in his second consecutive jump season working for the operator, Skydive Kansas City.

The airplane was not equipped with a crashworthy voice or data recorder, like those that record flight data on commercial planes, nor was it required to be, investigators said. The NTSB report did note, however, that its investigators had recovered damaged GoPro cameras from the wreckage.

The federal agency's investigation into the accident was ongoing, and a final report often takes a year or more to complete.

The June 14 crash happened about an hour south of Kansas City, when the Pacific Aerospace 750XL carrying a pilot and 11 skydivers took off from Butler Memorial Airport at 11:25 a.m. on a clear day.

During the initial climb, the airplane began a gradual turn to the left, with both wings eventually becoming almost perpendicular to the ground before it slammed into a field, nose down, and burst into flames, investigators said.

The straight up-and-down position of the wings meant they could no longer produce enough aerodynamic lift to keep the plane in the air and the NTSB will have to figure out why that happened, Guzzetti said.

The fire inflicted significant damage to the aircraft's major structural components, as well as the cockpit, the cabin and the fuel system, investigators said.

Some family members of those who died were at the airport to watch the jump and witnessed the crash, authorities said. The United States Parachute Association, skydiving’s governing body, said its technology director, Jen Sharp, was among those killed.

Skydive Kansas City called the crash a “devastating loss."

Poor maintenance is often a factor when skydiving planes crash and the NTSB has previously raised concerns about the weak oversight for skydiving operators in past crash investigations. The agency said after a 2019 crash that killed 11 people in Hawaii that the FAA’s regulatory system isn’t strong enough to ensure the safety of skydiving flights.

The Federal Aviation Administration has yet to adopt the NTSB’s recommendations, but said it established a committee in April that will recommend ways to increase skydiving safety and will consider the safety board’s proposals.

The United States Parachute Association said that Skydive Kansas City adheres to the safety standards set by the largest skydiving organization in the world, including all FAA maintenance requirements. The skydiving industry says it has a strong safety record. The association said that last year nearly 3.5 million jumps were completed and that 16 civilians died, the majority from human error.

The plane that crashed was built in 2010, according to FAA records. It made two successful flights the morning of the crash, the NTSB said. It is popular for skydiving and certified to be operated by a single pilot.

___

Follow Marc Levy at http://twitter.com/timelywriter

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the voting. It's unclear why so many players didn't cast their votes. However, the Los Angeles Sparks were one of the teams that didn’t have all of its players vote due to some operational errors.

“Players were sent ballots via email,” the Sparks said in a statement. “Some players indicated that they didn’t receive the email or weren’t aware of it until after the voting period had closed. That’s something we take responsibility for as an organization, and we’ll have a more robust process going forward.”

Fan vote accounts for 50% of the overall vote while players and a media panel each are 25%. It's been that way since 2017.

New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu said her team has never had an issue getting players to submit their ballots.

“We always vote. But I do think especially if they’re weighed as much as they are, like teams should be making sure that their players are voting like it is important. There should never just be a team that like, doesn’t get the ballot. ...That’s something that every player should be getting the opportunity. And if the player doesn’t want to vote, then that’s on them.”

The league announced the All-Star starters on Thursday.

ESPN was the first to report the lack of ballots.

Like the media, each player is given a link to a voting site as well as an individual username and password. Those are supplied by the league to the teams who distribute them to the players.

Sparks guard Kelsey Plum was lower in the player balloting than she was from the media and fans. She is second in the WNBA in scoring, but has only played in a dozen games because of injuries. She was 12th among players votes after ranking sixth by the fans and fifth by media.

She finished seventh in the voting overall for the guards. Even if the Sparks had all voted, it wouldn't have been a guarantee that Plum moved up to the top four spots. In the past, players have said that they have either voted for their entire team on the ballot or for friends or college teammates which has led to some skewed results. Some do take it seriously and pick who they think are the best players.

All-Star starter Caitlin Clark was right in front of the player balloting finishing in 11th. She was picked as an All-Star starter as she was second in the fan vote and third in the media rankings.

___

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

But as of 2:30 p.m., the organizer of the vigil for the victims of the Northside domestic shooting, Ella Bedwell, said the family asked to call off the vigil that was scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in the Traci Lynn Drive neighborhood.

Bedwell asked that the community respect the family’s privacy and not come to the area as the candlelight vigil for the victims was canceled.

Police say the girls’ father shot all three, killing 4-year-old Harmoni Reed and critically injuring her mother and 2-year-old sister.

A GoFundMe to support the family identifies the mom as Brianna Johnson and the 2-year-old girl as Rhythm Reed.

A makeshift memorial has been set up on the lawn of the Traci Lynn Drive home, where police say Trudale Reed, 29, fired shots during a domestic dispute with the girls’ mother. He is charged with murder, two counts of attempted murder and other charges.

Neighbor Ella Bedwell told News4JAX she has lived in the area for two years and wanted to show support for the family.

“I just want to say that we’re here for you, and I feel as though we’re all wrapped up in our own little worlds that sometimes we forget that it’s OK to reach out. We’re not in this alone,” Bedwell said.

What happened

On Tuesday, officers responded to a home on Traci Lynn Drive and found Johnson and her two young girls suffering gunshot wounds.

Investigators said they learned that Trudale Reed, the girls’ father, was arguing outside the home with the girls’ mother and then fired multiple rounds, hitting her and their two daughters before driving off in a stolen SUV.

RELATED:‘It’s like time stopped’: Neighbor rushed in to help family after triple shooting that killed 4-year-old girl

According to GoFundMe, Johnson and her daughter Rhythm were still being treated for life-threatening injuries at the hospital.

“As Brianna focuses on healing and caring for herself and Rhythm while navigating this unimaginable loss, any support, prayers, or shares are deeply appreciated. Thank you for keeping our family in your thoughts and for the overwhelming love, compassion, and support you have shown during this incredibly difficult time,” the GoFundMe read.

Domestic violence resources:

Free, confidential support is available 24/7 through Hubbard House’s Hotline at 904-354-3114 and Text line at 904-210-3698.

If you or someone you know is or has been a victim of domestic violence or abuse, here’s a list of other resources available:

• The Florida Domestic Violence Hotline, which will direct you to the nearest shelter, is 1-800-500-1119.
• The National Domestic Violence Hotline is open 24 hours a day. The number is 1-800-799-SAFE.
• The Micah’s Place (Nassau County) Domestic Violence Help Hotline is 904-225-9979.
• The Quigley House (Clay County) hotline is 904-284-0061.
• The Betty Griffin Center (St. Johns County) can be reached at 904-824-1555.

“I would not have gone for most people,” Trump said last week. “But he called me up. He said: ‘Please, I have it in Turkey. You got to be there. The United States has to be in there.’ And so I’m going out of respect to President Erdogan.”

Leveraging that respect has helped Erdogan avoid the disarray that Trump's absence would cause the alliance, particularly at a time when the Republican president has been repeatedly threatening to pull U.S. forces from Europe and scale back America’s role in NATO, unsettling allies.

Trump, who has frequently praised Erdogan and has called him a “hell of a leader,” has long rebuked other NATO countries over their defense spending. He claimed last year’s pledge to collectively boost it as a major personal win. More recently, he has clashed with alliance members for failing to back his war against Iran.

But Trump has sweetened the deal for Erdogan by also hinting that he could make news during his visit related to jet engines and the potential sale of F-35 fighter jets barred for years because of Turkey’s closeness with Moscow.

Trump's affinity for strongmen leaders has long made him an admirer of Erdogan, who amassed power in Turkey first as its prime minister and now in his 13th year as president.

“His relationship with Erdogan, which is pretty strong, is consistent with what seems to be a pattern of his preference,” said Philip Gordon, who served as national security adviser for Vice President Kamala Harris. “It has often been pointed out he seems to have better relationships with adversaries and autocrats, and he certainly says nicer things about them than with allies.”

Gordon, now at the Brookings Institution, added, “Erdogan is taking full advantage of it.”

Erdogan snubbed Biden but bets on Trump

Trump, who is expected to have a bilateral meeting with Erdogan on the sidelines of the NATO summit, will be the first U.S. president to visit Turkey since Democrat Barack Obama in 2015. By contrast, Democratic President Joe Biden kept Erdogan at arm's length over Turkey’s democratic backsliding and close ties to Russia.

Opposition parties and human rights organizations have accused Erdogan of undermining democracy and curbing freedom of expression. They say baseless investigations and prosecutions of human rights activists, journalists, opposition politicians and others remain a persistent problem in Turkey.

Soner Cagaptay of the Washington Institute said Erdogan and Trump “clicked” personally during Trump’s first term. When Biden extended an invitation in 2024 for Erdogan to visit the U.S. after Turkey endorsed Finland and Sweden’s NATO membership, Erdogan decided not to go.

“That was Erdogan’s way of signaling to Trump, ‘Hey, you are going to probably win the elections,'” Cagaptay said. “I think Trump saw that as a giant gesture.”

Trump signals steps toward jet sales for Turkey

During a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte last week, a reporter asked Trump whether he was taking “a big gift bag for Erdogan” on the trip, noting that Ankara wants F-110 jet engines and F-35 fighter jets.

“Yeah, I think so,” Trump responded. “Yeah, I’m going to probably do something that’s going to make him very happy.” Trump had also suggested September that the U.S. could soon start selling F-35s to Turkey.

Turkey was barred from the program in 2019, after it purchased Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems. U.S. officials have feared that Turkey’s use of the Russian system could enable Moscow to gather information on the F-35’s capabilities.

At the Oval Office meeting, Vice President JD Vance said Washington was exploring ways to sell ⁠Turkey the jets, emphasizing that any sale would ensure Turkey has complied with U.S. law. There is significant bipartisan opposition on Capitol Hill, including from influential Republicans such as Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, to selling the F-35s to Turkey as long as Ankara is in possession of the Russian missile defense systems.

Meanwhile, the F-110 jet engines that Turkey is seeking to purchase would power its domestically produced KAAN fighter jets. The State Department last week took a step toward making those sales, sending key lawmakers a notice that it planned to bypass congressional opposition to more than $700 million of the jet engine sales to Ankara, according to two people granted anonymity to discuss details of a nonpublic notification.

“In this case, the State Department did not even attempt to justify its decision,” New York Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement last week. “It did not invoke any emergency authority, did not present a written rationale, and for months refused to make a good-faith effort to brief me on implications of the sale for the U.S.-Turkey relationship, Turkey’s continued possession of the Russian S-400 system, and other regional security concerns.”

The relationship between the U.S. and Turkey is thawing in other ways, too. Earlier this year, Trump's Department of Justice dropped a major case against Turkey’s state‑owned Halkbank, which had been accused of helping Iran evade U.S. sanctions.

Erdogan lauds Trump's friendship and phone calls

When he returned to the White House for his second term, Trump appointed a close friend as ambassador to Turkey: Tom Barrack, a longtime ally who also served as the chairman of his inaugural committee. “Barrack is playing a crucial role as a facilitator in the relationship,” said Ahmet Kasim Han, a professor of international relations at Ankara’s TED University.

Erdogan and Trump have frequently held telephone calls to discuss Syria, Gaza and the wider Middle East, and Turkey joined Trump’s Board of Peace aimed at overseeing the ceasefire in Gaza. Trump claimed this month that he asked Erdogan to stay out of the war in Iran and that the Turkish leader complied, though there is no indication that Turkey had ever intended to get involved.

Trump expressed admiration for Erdogan even while standing beside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a joint news conference last year. Netanyahu, whose government is at odds with Ankara, had hoped to win Trump’s support for pushing back on Turkish influence in Syria, but instead found himself watching as Trump showered praises on Erdogan and urged Netanyahu to be “reasonable.”

Last year, after meeting with Trump at the NATO summit in The Hague, Erdogan told reporters that the U.S. president is quick to return his calls, an anecdote that illustrated their close ties.

“With my friend Trump, we are opening the door to a new era in Turkish‑American relations,” Erdogan said. “The process of telephone diplomacy between us has never exceeded 24 hours so far. When we call, the other side responds within 24 hours.”

___

Fraser reported from Ankara.

Justice Patricia Smyth regretted that her verdict would bring “little if any comfort or relief” to McKee’s family, but said the circumstantial evidence was insufficient for a conviction, following a nonjury trial held intermittently over the past two years in Belfast Crown Court.

“Lyra McKee’s murder was an act of senseless violence," Smyth said. “The gunman has never been brought to the court and the evidence against those accused of assisting or encouraging has fallen short of that required for conviction."

McKee, 29, was shot while standing near law enforcement officers observing an anti-police riot in Londonderry, also known as Derry, on April 18, 2019. Protesters had tossed fire bombs at police and torched a car before four shots rang out and a bullet fired by a masked gunman struck McKee.

No one was ever charged with pulling the trigger, but three other men, Paul McIntyre, 58, Peter Cavanagh, 37, and Jordan Gareth Devine, 25, were charged with murder as accomplices for encouraging or assisting the shooter. The three denied the charges but none testified.

The New IRA, a small paramilitary group that opposes Northern Ireland’s peace process, said one of its members accidentally shot the reporter while aiming at police.

McKee wrote about the challenges faced by the generation of “ceasefire babies” raised after the 1998 Good Friday peace accord ended three decades of sectarian violence. She was becoming an influential voice chronicling the legacy of the years of paramilitary violence carried out by Irish nationalists and supporters of remaining part of the U.K.

The prime ministers of Britain and Ireland and political leaders from Northern Ireland’s Protestant and Catholic communities were among the hundreds who attended her funeral. Her death helped feuding politicians revive Northern Ireland’s power-sharing government, which had collapsed in 2017.

The judge found McKee was murdered by a gunman who acted with intent to kill or seriously injure police to “guarantee the oxygen of publicity” from the fiery riot.

McKee's sister said that the system had failed her family and vowed to relentlessly pursue justice. She railed against a culture of silence in Northern Ireland, saying that not one of the 150 people who witnessed the shooting spoke out.

“People are afraid to speak out, they are afraid to tell the truth, they are afraid to share information that they have,” Nichola Corner said. "That culture of silence needs to stop in Northern Ireland. It is unfair to victims and it completely allows people with blood on their hands to walk free.”

The National Union of Journalists, which McKee was a member of, and Reporters Without Borders expressed their sympathy with her family and friends and said they were concerned someone got away with the killing.

“The authorities must continue to pursue all legal avenues to establish accountability and ensure that those responsible for Lyra’s death are brought to justice,” Felicity Garvey of Reporters Without Borders said. "Journalists cannot work freely and safely if those who kill members of the press can do so with impunity.”

Six other men were also on trial for charges related to the riot, but not for having a role in the killing. Four were acquitted of rioting while one, Christopher Gillen, 45, was convicted of riot and tossing fire bombs. Kieran McCool, 57, was convicted of assaulting a community worker.

Hamilton coped best with adapting his driving style around Formula 1's new reliance on battery power to take pole position in qualifying for Saturday's sprint race.

Despite a slight wobble in the final corner, Hamilton held on to take pole by just 0.011 of a second at a track where he'd predicted he and Ferrari would struggle. The seven-time world champion stood atop his car and soaked in the applause as he waved to the crowd.

“I love this place, I love this crowd and I can’t express how big a dream it is,” he said.

Standings leader Kimi Antonelli was second fastest, with Max Verstappen third for Red Bull ahead of Hamilton's teammate Charles Leclerc.

George Russell was only fifth after winning last week's Austrian Grand Prix, while McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were sixth and seventh in a throwback green-and-white livery.

The battery challenge

Setting fast times at Silverstone is very different this year because of how the cars struggle to recharge their batteries around the high-speed circuit. Having only a single practice session on Friday, topped by Hamilton, made it crucial to adapt quickly.

With nine wins there, the most of any F1 driver at a single track, Hamilton knows his home circuit inside out.

Ahead of this weekend's race, he outlined how the 2026-specification F1 cars will struggle with Silverstone's long straights and fast corners.

The Ferrari star predicts cars running at reduced speed with empty batteries, because they need heavy braking zones to recharge the electrical power that's crucial to how they operate.

“This is going to be the most unprecedented weekend in terms of the power deployment," he said Thursday. “All of us drivers have been talking on the drivers’ chat just how poor the power is going to be through this track. We run out of battery power.”

The fastest way around Silverstone now involves easing off the power to recharge in what would normally be some of the most exciting corners, Hamilton predicted, adding it could be a setback for him and Ferrari.

“Normally the engine’s screaming as you’re going into Copse, and you’re holding on for dear life as you go through there flat out. This year, the engine will be coasting down,” he said. “Maggotts and Becketts is just not going to feel the same because I think you have to lift and coast or something through there for a period of time. It’s just a completely different track.”

Even before Friday practice, drivers spent plenty of time practicing for Silverstone on advanced simulators that mimic the behavior of the cars. Hamilton's comments line up with predictions by Verstappen, who said he “just started laughing” when he tried it out.

Despite the changes Norris, who won a thrilling British Grand Prix on his way to the title last year, says F1 can still put on a good show.

“I think Sunday will be exciting. On the outside I think it’ll be great," he said. "Certainly there’s going to be less challenges on the track itself comparing to what you’ve seen in the past few years.”

Home race curse

Racing at home has been bad luck in F1 recently. No driver has scored a point in his home race since Antonelli's ninth place at the Italian Grand Prix in September.

So far this year, Piastri failed to make the start in Australia and Leclerc crashed out in Monaco, leaving 12th for Carlos Sainz, Jr. the best by any driver on home soil.

Where better for that streak to end than Britain? Besides Hamilton's nine wins, Norris is the defending champion and Russell is coming off the victory in Austria last week.

To top it off, those three combined for the first all-British podium since 1968 at last month's Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.

___

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

“I’ve said up here and said before, the harassment, the hate, none of that is OK,” Clark said at practice Friday “That goes for the opposing team we play, that goes for my teammates, that goes for my coaches. There should never be question of character. None of that is OK, and I don’t want anybody to ever experience that.”

The WNBA has gotten a lot more attention the past few seasons with the addition of Clark and Angel Reese among others to the league. A multi-billion dollar media rights deal, million dollar salaries and higher attendance have been the positives. An increase of social media vitriol toward players and teams has been the negative.

Social media hatred is nothing new and isn't just directed toward the WNBA and its players. It's been going on for more than a decade toward the league and its players. However, it has gotten worse lately with players and coaches receiving threats for things that happen on the court.

Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas said Tuesday that she received death threats and had been called racial slurs in the aftermath of her one-game suspension after she made contact with her fist to Clark’s throat in last week’s matchup against Indiana.

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert issued a statement on Tuesday condemning “any and all forms of hate.”

The WNBA has been trying to do what it can to make the players feel more protected and combat its social media problem.

The league has made a major push with security over the past few seasons. Teams travel with more security on the road and there are enhanced protocols at arenas, hotels and when traveling. Franchises now take charter flights, which makes it easier on the teams.

The WNBA also has implemented initiatives that combat online hate and threats to players. Some of that includes artificial intelligence software to identify and respond more quickly to threats, harassment and hate directed at players and teams across social media platforms.

Unfortunately, nothing is foolproof in stopping online hate spewed by anonymous people who hide behind their keyboards.

“I think for the league as a whole, there’s been so much more toxicity, racism, homophobia — straight-up hateful nonsense, and it is absolutely unacceptable,” Fever coach Stephanie White said during a two-minute opening statement at practice Wednesday. “Most of it is coming from the online community. In my heart of hearts, I believe most of it is not coming from WNBA fans or Indiana Fever fans."

White coached Thomas in Connecticut two years ago and saw the social media vitriol there, as well.

“AT is exactly right: We get to play a basketball game,” White said. “Yes, that’s going to come with criticism and yes, that’s going to come with fans and the love-hate relationship they have with players and teams. But it’s not hard to not be a jerk. And if you’re one of the people who’s online doing this, do not call yourself a WNBA fan.”

Clark said she’s been hurt by all of the narratives created online and in the media about her and her Fever teammates.

“It can be really frustrating to me at times and it’s difficult,” Clark said. “A lot of people sometimes think I’m a robot. I’m not a robot. I have emotions, I have feelings. And it can be really difficult to go through a lot of that. I’m 24 years old, trying to navigate a lot ... there are times that it is hard, and there are times that, you know, it probably affects me a little bit more than I do put on."

To try and help the players deal with the hate they receive, the league also has expanded access to confidential mental health resources and support.

The union sent a letter to its players last week that was obtained by The Associated Press that included points on social media vitriol.

“We know spirited debate and passionate fandom are part of sports. Threats, harassment, and especially death threats directed at any player or members of her family are not. It is completely unacceptable and must be unequivocally, publicly and immediately condemned,” the letter said. “If you experience any threatening or concerning communications, please remember that both your team and the WNBPA have security resources available to support you. Your safety and the safety of your loved ones remain our highest priority.”

___

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

Giannis Antetokounmpo got traded to Miami for Tyler Herro. Jaylen Brown got traded to Philadelphia for Paul George. Kawhi Leonard got traded back to Toronto, Ja Morant got traded to Portland, LaMelo Ball got traded to Minnesota and Dusty May left NCAA champion Michigan to coach Dallas.

There have been some huge moves in the NBA in the past few days. But everybody, it seems, is waiting for James — again.

“He's still the face of the league,” James' agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul said.

If there was any question about whether the league's oldest active player and NBA's all-time points leader still moves the needle, that's been answered.

Soccer's World Cup is going on, the wedding of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce at Madison Square Garden — the home of the NBA champion New York Knicks — is commanding global attention, it's a holiday weekend in the U.S., and yet there's still all sorts of intrigue surrounding where James will decide to play next season.

This much is certain: James, who turns 42 in December, will play a 24th season and it won't be for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Officially, that's the full list of what is known. Paul dropped some clues on the “Game Over” podcast that he shares with Max Kellerman — indicating by showing a whiteboard filled with scrawled-out possibilities that James is looking at a slew of teams, including and probably not limited to Philadelphia, Cleveland, Miami, Minnesota, Denver, Golden State, San Antonio, Dallas, Boston and New York.

“If the Knicks hadn’t have won, there would be no board,” Paul said on the podcast. “He'd be going to the Knicks.”

When does LeBron have to decide?

The decision can come whenever he wants.

It can't be announced or commented upon by a team before Monday at 12:01 p.m. Eastern — unless James signs for the minimum salary, which in his case would be about $3.9 million.

Will he make his announcement Saturday, on July 4 amid a celebration of the nation's 250th birthday? Will he do it on July 8, the 16th anniversary of the famed “The Decision” broadcast?

Nobody knows. Nobody even knows if he knows. And nobody also knows if James intends for 2026-27 to be his final season.

“No one said this is going to be his last year,” Paul said. “Nobody said that.”

That raises the possibility of a 25th season — a quarter-century of LeBron, when nobody else in league history made it past a 22nd season.

What is LeBron looking for?

It's pretty clear that money won't be a huge factor here. James has earned nearly $600 million in gross salary on the court in his first 23 seasons, while his net worth is generally believed to exceed $1 billion.

Golf will matter. James is an avid — perhaps even rabid — golfer now, and Minnesota, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Denver, New York and Boston aren't exactly places known for great golf offerings in January and February. That said, they all surely have great indoor facilities. It won't be a deal-breaker.

He'll want to play for a team that can contend for a title, not present quality-of-life issues, and appeals to his wife and daughter. Every spot on his list will be able to make a good case on all those fronts.

So, who is the front-runner?

The podcast had a ton of news and a ton of insight. Paul laid out how James would fit into the lineup of most of those teams, how acquisitions such as Philadelphia acquiring Brown changes dynamics, then talked about some of the reasons why James might be leaning toward — or away from — certain clubs.

But in the end, he didn't provide any real hint.

"You can think whatever you think,” Paul said. “This is just my board. You decide what you want to think.”

And the wait continues.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba

It canceled Croatia's late equalizer deep in added time against Portugal by detecting a touch that was undetectable to the naked eye and even video replays late Thursday.

Portugal won 2-1 in Toronto and advanced to the round of 16, leaving Croatia players and fans devastated in the belief Josko Gvardiol's goal was wrongly called offside by the VAR and referee Espen Eskås.

FIFA is relying on a high-tech soccer ball fitted with “advanced sensors” and insisted it got it right when determining Croatia's Igor Mantanovic got the slightest of glances with his head, meaning Mario Palasic was in an offside position during the buildup to the goal.

The in-ball sensors were so finely tuned, FIFA said, they were “capable of determining any slight contact ... allowing officials an unprecedented level of data to make fast, accurate decisions.”

Here's the science bit

The official “Trionda” World Cup ball, manufactured by Adidas, is fitted with a “small inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor,” which FIFA says operates at around 500Hz and captures data 500 times per second.

FIFA says it can track ball acceleration and granular movements in three dimensions and can detect the exact moment a player makes contact.

The ball technology is combined with in-stadium cameras for tracking data that is transmitted in real time to video assistants.

As well as helping to determine offsides, the touch data can also be used for incidents such as handballs and penalties.

How reliable is it?

The reason the call was so contentious was because even slow motion replays from numerous angles were visually inconclusive that Mantanovic made contact with Ivan Perisic's in-swinging cross.

That is where reliance on the technology came in. Referee Eskås was instructed by the VAR to review the sideline monitor. Replays showed what FIFA calls a “heartbeat graphic” to indicate the moment the ball was touched and there was a clear spike as it apparently grazed Mantanovic's head.

“No matter how fast the ball is moving or the spin of the ball, you can track it really effectively,” The AP was told by professor Manos Tentzeris from Georgia Tech's school of electrical and computer engineering. "The position of the ball is 99.99% accurate ... you know exactly where the players are, even the tip of a shoe, which sometimes determines if someone is offside or onside."

FIFA also used connected ball technology at the 2022 World Cup, and it was deployed at the most recent men's European Championship in 2024.

Tests were carried out from 2020-22 and the technology trialed at tournaments such as the Arab Cup and the Club World Cup.

This is not the first time

The ball sensors also had a decisive impact at Euro 2024 by detecting Denmark's Joachim Andersen handled in the box against host Germany. After a VAR review a penalty was awarded and Kai Havertz scored and Germany won 2-0.

“In my opinion this is not how football is supposed to be,” Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand said after his team also had a goal ruled out by VAR.

Those sentiments were echoed by Croatia coach Zlatko Dalić after his team's painful exit.

“All these decisions take the joy out of football," he said.

___

AP sports writer Maura Carey in Atlanta contributed.

___

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

___

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

How to get the deal

The savings are made possible through BP’s fueling app, earnify. Creating an earnify account is free and automatically applies a 5¢ baseline discount per gallon. Prime members receive an additional 5¢ off, plus a special 40¢ promotional discount — bringing the total to 50¢ off per gallon during the July 2–5 window.

To unlock the offer, Prime members need to link their Amazon account to earnify through the activation landing page. Once linked, the discount can be applied at any participating station by entering a phone number at the pump or through the earnify app itself.

What is the earnify app?

The earnify app is BP’s dedicated fueling app, designed to help drivers locate nearby participating stations and maximize their savings. While the app is not required to redeem the gas discount, it does make the process easier — and it allows users to earn points that can be redeemed for fuel and convenience store discounts.

Savings beyond the holiday weekend

The 50¢ promotion doesn’t last forever, but the savings don’t stop on July 6. After the promotional period ends, Prime members will continue to receive a total of 10¢ off per gallon at participating BP, Amoco, ampm and Thorntons stations. That ongoing discount applies to all fuel grades with no minimum or maximum gallon requirement.

According to data sourced from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the 10¢ per gallon baseline savings — calculated using an average of 675 gallons used per year on light-duty economy cars averaging 21.5 miles per gallon — can add up to meaningful savings over time, though individual results will vary.

Fine print worth knowing

The 50¢ promotion is available to active U.S. Prime members only and is valid for one-time use between July 2–5, 2026. By linking Amazon and earnify accounts, members agree to allow Amazon to share Prime membership status, name and email with BP to enable the offer. In turn, BP may share discount redemption or cancellation information with Amazon.

Cancellation of a Prime membership will immediately end the offer. Amazon and BP reserve the right to cancel, suspend or modify any aspect of the offer at any time, with or without notice.

Need help?

For questions about Amazon, members can visit Amazon’s Customer Support Page. For questions related to bp brands or earnify, support is available at bp.com/Prime-Support.

Northrop Grumman launched Katalyst Space Technologies’ Link spacecraft from the Marshall Islands in the Pacific. The Pegasus rocket blasted off from the belly of a modified airplane, putting Link on course to reach and capture NASA’s Swift Observatory in about a month.

Launched in 2004, Swift is sinking faster than ever because of recent solar storms. NASA is paying $30 million for Katalyst to capture the telescope and boost its orbit so it can continue tracking some of the biggest explosions in the universe, like gamma ray bursts and exploding stars.

If all goes well, Swift could be back scanning the cosmos by September. Observations are currently on hold to preserve the telescope’s orbit as long as possible.

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope could be a candidate for a similar salvage operation in a few years. It’s also slipping in altitude because of increased atmospheric drag caused by the sun’s outbursts.

The 1.6-ton (1.4-metric ton) Swift currently is circling 224 miles (360 kilometers) above Earth. Katalyst aims to raise the telescope’s altitude by 150 miles (240 kilometers), back to where it all began. Link’s thrusters will fire to boost Swift slowly, so there's no heavy jostling.

Katalyst threw the mission together in just nine months. NASA insisted on a rush job because the telescope will be too low to recover by the fall. Without a boost, it’s predicted to plunge to its demise in October.

Bad weather and technical issues caused a series of last-minute launch delays.

“This is a high-risk, high-reward mission,” Katalyst Space CEO Ghonhee Lee said ahead of liftoff. “The biggest danger was always we don’t launch anything and we let Swift burn up in the atmosphere. So we were always trying to avoid that risk, and our team has done that.”

___

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 U.S. match against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday night was the most-watched soccer telecast in English language history with more than 24.4 million viewers, according to Fox Sports.

The peak audience was 31.8 million.

The United States won the game 2-0 in Santa Clara, California, to advance to the round of 16, marking its first knockout win since 2002.

The match topped the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup Final telecast in which 22.3 million viewers on English-language TV tuned in.

By comparison, the most-watched Super Bowl of all time came in 2025 when an average of 127.7 million viewers watched the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs across FOX, FOX Deportes, Telemundo, and Tubi. The peak average audience of 137.7 million viewers during the second quarter.

The most-watched combined U.S. audience during the World Cup so far was Mexico-Ecuador game with 29.3 million viewers overall.

___

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

The head of the Society of St. Pius X wrote to Leo a day after the Vatican excommunicated the group’s bishops and priests and warned its faithful they too could be excommunicated for participating in the schism, or rupture in church unity.

The society, known as SSPX, celebrates the ancient Latin Mass and opposes the modernizing reforms of the Catholic Church. On Wednesday, it consecrated four new bishops without papal consent during a massive ceremony at its seminary in Econe, Switzerland, committing one of the gravest crimes in church law.

Leo had begged the SSPX not go ahead with the ceremony, but the SSPX defied his will. Within 24 hours, the Vatican declared an exceptionally harsh punishment that surprised even the SSPX’s toughest critics.

In his letter to Leo, the SSPX superior, the Rev. Davide Pagliarani cast the SSPX as the defiant guardian of the church’s tradition and the victim of an unjust sanction by Rome.

“What the Society of Saint Pius X has done, and will continue to do, is nothing other than an extraordinary initiative for the salvation of souls, amidst the doctrinal and moral confusion into which the church is plunged,” he wrote.

Despite the “unjust and invalid” sanctions, the SSPX will love the church even more and “offers up the suffering caused by these new sanctions for the good of the universal church and of Your Holiness,” Pagliarani wrote.

French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre founded the SSPX in 1970 in opposition to the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, which revolutionized the church’s relations with other Christians, Jews and people of other faiths and allowed Mass to be celebrated in the vernacular rather than Latin.

While now a fringe movement on the Catholic right, the SSPX has been a thorn in the Vatican’s side for five decades because it claims to be even more Catholic than the Holy See. The harshness of Vatican’s response suggested that after trying to negotiate with the SSPX over three pontificates, the Vatican under Pope Leo XIV had had enough.

The Rev. Robert Gahl, an ethics expert at The Catholic University of America, said the speed and decisiveness with which the Vatican responded to the consecrations was significant in clearly alerting the SSPX faithful that they were participating in a schism. Doing so, he said, exposed how the SSPX falsely claims to be “more Catholic than the pope.”

The SSPX claimed it had to proceed with the consecrations, "that they had a case of necessity because of the need of the faithful to receive their sacramental care, while claiming that their sacramental care is somehow better than what the rest of the church offers,” Gahl said. The Vatican's decisive response "calls them out and says, 'If you want the salvation that the church offers, you have to belong to the church, and you stepped out of full communion by disobeying the pope’s explicit command.”

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Today, more than 47 million people living in the U.S. were born in another country. Behind that number are stories of risk, reinvention, and the hope of something better.

What does America mean to you? Three men from three countries share three very different stories of their journeys to America.

“America means to me the opportunity that I couldn’t get in my country,” said Marcelo Santo, who escaped Argentina’s economic collapse. “One people in three people have pain in your stomach because they don’t have anything to put on the table for the food.”

Rodrigo Alvarez left Chile with his wife and daughter, selling everything to build a future in America.

“The American dream for my kids,” said Alvarez.

Manuel Tabata, on the other hand, had to leave his family behind in Venezuela.

“When I got here, I found a beautiful country, beautiful people,” Tabata said. “The first two years was the worst part.”

While immigration remains one of America’s most divisive issues, a recent Gallup poll found a record-high 79% of Americans now say immigration is a good thing for the country.

But starting over isn’t easy for those who choose to come to America, and what Americans have grown up with and often take for grante, these immigrants cherish.

“The law is respect for all peoples,” said Alvarez.

“You have freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of association,” explained Santo.

And they’re honest about what still needs work …

“The access to the healthcare,” explained Santo.

And for all three men, the American dream turned out to be more than opportunity. It became home.

“I love pancakes,” said Tabata.

“I eat turkey every Thanksgiving,” said Santo.

“I love the Green Bay Packers,” said Alvarez.

At 250, America is still arguing over who belongs, who gets in, and what the dream really means. But for Alvarez, Santo and Tabata, the answer is simple.

“The American dream is still alive,” said Santo.

“America is the land of opportunities,” explained Tabata.

“It’s the best decision in my life,” said Alvarez.

Immigration is also a story of numbers.

Pew Research estimates about 14 million unauthorized immigrants live in the U.S. today.

For those coming legally, the road to citizenship can be long. Most immigrants must first become lawful permanent residents, then generally wait at least five years before applying for U.S. citizenship or three years if they’re married to a U.S. citizen.

And even then, the application process itself can take more than a year.

There are events all over the city and the surrounding area — some even starting Friday.

RELATED | America 250: Where you can watch fireworks, celebrate in your community

But for many Floridians, the plan is the same: going to the beach to enjoy the day, then watching the fireworks at night.

With crowds expected all across Florida’s beaches Friday through the weekend and lots of people getting into the water, safety is a big talking point.

To help you plan a fun, safe day, Maxwell Ervanian, Training and Operations Officer for Jacksonville Beach Ocean Rescue, joined us on The Morning Show to talk about what beachgoers should keep in mind before they hit the sand.

Be mindful of lifeguards, kids & conditions

Ervanian’s biggest advice is simple: be mindful of your surroundings.

That starts with knowing where the closest lifeguard is and choosing a spot where you can easily get help if needed.

It also means keeping a close eye on children in your group and paying attention to ocean conditions and weather.

“Please check your conditions before coming to the beach,” Ervanian said.

The ocean can change quickly

A holiday beach day can feel relaxing, but Ervanian said that’s exactly when people can let their guard down.

“The beach is a great place to enjoy your days off… but we have to be mindful that the ocean conditions are constantly changing,” he said.

Even if the water looks calm when you arrive, surf, wind and currents can shift throughout the day.

Swim with a buddy & near a lifeguard

Jacksonville Beach Ocean Rescue stations lifeguards up and down the shoreline, including a watchtower at headquarters near the end of Beach Boulevard.

If you plan to get into the water, Ervanian recommends two key habits:

• Swim near a lifeguard
• Swim with a buddy

If someone runs into trouble, having another person nearby can make a critical difference — whether that’s helping someone get attention or quickly alerting a lifeguard.

Talk to your kids before you hit the sand

Crowded holiday beaches can be overwhelming — especially for kids.

Ervanian says families should have a quick safety conversation before the first towel goes down.

His advice:

• Tell kids it’s OK to go to a lifeguard if they can’t find the adults they came with.
• Encourage families to introduce kids to the lifeguard when they arrive.

That quick introduction can help children feel more comfortable asking for help if they get separated.

Know what flags mean & don’t wave them off

Ocean conditions can change quickly, and flag warnings are one way rescue crews communicate risk to beachgoers.

Ervanian noted that Jacksonville Beach was flying a red flag on Friday, citing choppy conditions and a powerful shore break.

He said conditions and flags can change, and beachgoers should stay alert for updates. Never assume it is safe to swim if there’s no flag. Here’s what the different colors mean:

• Green Flag - Calm Ocean Conditions. Swim near a lifeguard.
• Yellow Flag - Moderate Ocean Conditions. Waves, long-shore currents, and rip currents are present; danger may increase greatly depending on tide and/or location. Check with your lifeguard before entering the water.
• Red Flag - Dangerous Ocean Conditions. Persistent large waves, strong long-shore current, strong rip currents.
• Double Red Flag - No water activity allowed. Water is closed.
• Purple Flag - Dangerous Marine Life Present. Although there is always dangerous marine life in the ocean, when the purple flag is seen flown, bathers should be alert that there is an influx of dangerous marine life at the time.

For more information on ocean condition flags, visit the Jacksonville Beach Safety Tips page.

If you hear a whistle, look — and follow directions

Lifeguards may use whistles and hand signals to get swimmers’ attention, especially if someone is drifting toward a dangerous area.

Ervanian’s advice:

• If a lifeguard is whistling and pointing toward you, follow the hand motion.
• If you’re not sure whether the lifeguard is signaling you, get out of the water and ask.

And before you enter the ocean, he says it’s always smart to ask:

• Where is the safest place to swim today?
• Are there any areas we should avoid?

“Ask the lifeguard where the best place to swim is, where the safest place to swim is,” Ervanian said.

Quick beach-safety checklist for July 4 weekend

Before you head out, consider this quick checklist:

• Pick a spot near a lifeguard
• Keep children within arm’s reach and set a clear family meeting point
• Check weather (heat, storms, wind) and plan water breaks
• Look for beach warning flags and posted advisories
• Swim with a buddy — and listen for whistles/hand signals

If you’re headed out to celebrate, rescue crews say the goal is simple: enjoy the beach — and make it home safe.

As Argentina rides World Cup fever and dreams of beating Cape Verde in the round of 32 on Friday, a dog walker has added his pack to the local fanbase.

Nahuel Meneghini, 33, walks the streets of the capital’s city center with the dogs wearing the team’s jerseys, leashes and collars in support of Lionel Messi ’s squad.

“I did it out of love for them and for Argentina. And for the World Cup,” said Meneghini— known as “Nano” — while speaking to The Associated Press on Thursday during a walk with the canine group.

The dog walker, also dressed head-to-toe like a fan, skilfully managed all the leashes, guiding the dogs along the narrow sidewalks of the capital’s San Cristóbal neighborhood.

As they passed, smiles lit up the faces of onlookers who pulled out their phones to snap pictures. “Let’s go, Argentina!” a woman shouted.

“These are the only joys we have because nothing ever goes our way, not for workers or retirees. Everything is against us,” said 80-year-old Edgardo Pérez, who was taking photos of the group known on social media as “La Perroneta.”

The name alludes to “La Scaloneta,” the nickname of the national team aiming to retain its title at the World Cup under coach Lionel Scaloni.

Scaloni is admired in Argentina following the team’s triumphs at the World Cup and the Finalissima in 2022, as well as the 2021 Copa América.

Meneghini developed the idea of ​​dressing the dogs in Argentina colors last week as it advanced from the group stage.

Two of the dogs he regularly walks, Sirio and Roberta, were wearing jerseys featuring Messi’s No. 10. Their owners bought them after catching World Cup fever.

Meneghini loved the idea and decided to dress the rest of the dogs the same way. He stopped by a pet store and picked up jerseys in various sizes. The owners readily accepted the outfits.

The same went for the collars and leashes he crafted in light blue and white. He added three rivets to the leashes — one for each of Argentina’s World Cup titles in 1978, 1986 and 2022 — while hanging tags reading “Los perros de Nano” (Nano’s Dogs) from the collars.

Meneghini offers the pet owners a good price for all the items. Other people in the neighborhood have started placing orders for their own pets.

The dogs and their walker cover around 60 blocks almost every day and have become local celebrities and social media stars.

“Now that is patriotism," the 73-year-old Dora Maisano said as she watched the group pass by. "Not just peeing and pooping. Everyone wearing the No. 10. Well done, congratulations — they look so cute!”

The pack will continue to wear the national colors “forever,” even if Argentina is eliminated from the competition, Meneghini said. “But I have faith that we’ll win a fourth cup. After the fourth one, I’ll add another rivet to the leashes.”

___

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

On Thursday, News4JAX reached out to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office for an update on the investigation. The department said it’s still an open and active investigation, and deputies are following any leads they get.

According to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the incident happened the morning of June 16. The woman said the man grabbed her arm, but she fought back, and her dog helped scare him off.

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

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

Sheriff urges caution

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

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

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

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

Protecting yourself

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

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

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

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

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

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

He's giving his harvest away rather than watching it rot as he's locked in a legal battle with a company that claims exclusive rights over the variety of white nectarine he grows. He's shared more than 100,000 pounds (45,359 kilograms) since Monday.

“It was really just a thought of not wasting a perfectly good product,” Mora said. “It does make a grower feel good, being able to share my fruit with people and see their immediate reaction that they love it. It’s a little bit of good in this tough situation that I’ve been dealing with.”

The legal dispute highlights the tension that can emerge between farmers and the plant breeders and large industrial food marketers that create new varieties of plants and obtain the exclusive rights to sell them.

Since 2023, the third-generation farmer in the agricultural community of Reedley in California's Central Valley has been fighting a lawsuit filed against him by Giumarra Brothers Fruit Co. The suit centers on the company’s claims of exclusivity over a variety of white nectarine and accusations that Mora broke their contract by selling the fruit to other packers. A trial has been scheduled for later this month.

“At its heart, this is a disagreement involving two written agreements, and it is being resolved the right way — in court and on the facts,” the company said in a statement emailed by one of its attorneys.

Mora has accused the company of unfair and fraudulent business practices.

Fruit patents are becoming more common

The fight centers on a white nectarine variety known as “Monalise,” which has a sweeter, less tart taste.

In its court filings, Giumarra says all rights to the Monalise variety are owned by Star Fruits Diffusion, a French company that works with plant breeding programs, while Giumarra holds the right to sublicense the variety for testing, production and sale. Star Fruits Diffusion did not respond to a request for comment.

Plant breeders, including universities, have long experimented with breeding new crop varieties, and some have become household names. Washington State University developed the Rainier cherry in the 1950s, while the University of Minnesota released the Honeycrisp apple in the 1990s. Both varieties are now in the public domain and can be grown and sold by anyone.

Fruit patents are becoming increasingly common, said Bradley Rickard, professor of food and agricultural economics at Cornell University. A patent allows a breeder to collect a royalty from the fruit trees it sells, the fruit that the trees produce, or both.

In 2010, more than a dozen apple growers sued the University of Minnesota for awarding exclusive rights to its SweeTango apple to an orchard that organized a cooperative of growers to market the variety. A settlement maintained the university's license agreement with the cooperative while also allowing more Minnesota orchards to lease the trees that bear the apple variety.

The white nectarine battle in California

California's Central Valley, stretching some 20,000 square miles (51,800 square kilometers), is an agricultural powerhouse that's estimated to produce 40% of the nation's fruits, nuts and other table foods, including most of its nectarines.

Court filings show Mora signed a sublicensing agreement with Giumarra in 2017 allowing him to grow and sell the Monalise. He entered a marketing agreement in 2019 requiring the fruit to be packed and sold through Giumarra. He said Giumarra recruited him to grow it.

Under the agreements, Mora was to pay Giumarra a royalty of $2.50 per tree and a 4% production royalty based off the gross sales of the fruit the trees produced, as well as a sales commission.

“They sold me hope and a big dream that I thought I could participate in with them," he said.

Mora alleges that up to half of the nectarines he provided to Giumarra in 2020 were thrown away, reducing his profits. The company disputes this, and the judge overseeing the case found that the statute of limitations for those claims had passed.

In 2022, Mora alleges the company sold his nectarines to Taiwan in violation of the contract, which states Giumarra will market and sell them in the U.S. and Canada. Giumarra also disputes that claim.

Mora later sought to terminate his relationship with Giumarra, and he sold his nectarines to another fruit packer in 2023. That's when Giumarra sued him for breach of contract, leading to his inability to sell the fruit at all while the court battle plays out.

Mora’s attorneys say Giumarra has not provided documents regarding its license to the nectarine variety. The company said in court filings the Monalise is not covered by a U.S. plant patent. Mora’s attorneys claim in court filings that “Giumarra promised and represented that the Nectarines were an ‘exclusive variety’ of fruit, and thus Giumarra held patents and related legal rights over these nectarines,” and that because it was exclusive, the fruit “would be sold for top dollar.”

Fresno County Superior Court Judge Jon Skiles in May ruled that Giumarra's breach of contract claim can go forward, saying that the agreement between Giumarra and Mora is valid whether there is a patent for the fruit or not.

“The sublicense agreement does not expressly state that its validity is dependent on the existence or issuance of a patent for the fruit,” he wrote.

He added that Giumarra “does not have to prove the existence of the underlying license agreement in order to prove that it has a valid contract with defendant regarding growing and selling the fruit."

Legal battles can discourage farmers

Mora said the yearslong litigation has left him feeling frustrated and defenseless. He also grows peaches and plums that are not subject to agreements with Giumarra, but he has lost a quarter of his income by not being able to sell his nectarine crop. Mora says he hopes his case results in more legal protections for growers, while Giumarra says it will let the evidence speak at trial.

“It's been discouraging to even want to go out and farm,” he said.

On Wednesday, locals wore T-shirts that read “No Nectarines Wasted” as they bagged up the free fruit, with some staying to help Mora serve the large crowds. He's raised more than $17,000 through a GoFundMe page.

“The only saving grace through all this is being able to share it with the public,” Mora said of his nectarines, “and having everybody enjoy it."

All of the southbound lanes were blocked after a dump trailer spilled its load onto the highway. The Florida Highway Patrol said the 24-year-old driver was seriously injured.

FHP spokesperson Sgt. Dylan Bryan explained that the dump truck was headed north on I-95 around 7:30 a.m. when it had a blowout and overturned in the median, spilling its load on the southbound lanes and taking out about 300 feet of the guardrail.

The “split load” in the dump trailer was half gravel and half powdery marcite, which is a traditional cement-based pool plaster, Bryan said.

Firefighters worked to clear the far right lane of the debris so that traffic could get by, and one lane reopened shortly before 8:30 a.m.

By 10 a.m., crews had the dump trailer righted, but traffic was being forced onto the right shoulder to get around the debris as crews continued the massive clean-up effort.

Bryan explained that the material hardens when it gets wet, and around the time the lane reopened, it started to rain. The lanes fully reopened, still visibly covered in a white substance, by 11:30 a.m.

A van headed north on I-95 was hit by debris from the truck’s tire after the blowout, but the man and two women inside were not hurt, FHP said. All three were wearing seat belts.

The first of those holidays is a back-to-school tax holiday that was actually made permanent last year.

While it was originally slated to run through the entire month of August, lawmakers bumped it up a bit. Now, it’s set to start on July 20 — giving families time to shop before school officially starts up again.

The tax holiday is set to run through Aug. 20. During this time, you can grab the following items sales-tax-free.

Meanwhile, the legislation also brings a new tax holiday — the “Hunting, Fishing and Camping” sales tax holiday, which will run from Sept. 1 - Dec. 31.

The items covered by this provision are as follows:

Meanwhile, the legislation also brings a new tax holiday — the “Hunting, Fishing and Camping” sales tax holiday, which will run from Sept. 1 - Dec. 31.

The items covered by this provision are as follows:

DeSantis said Monday he will vote for the ballot item regarding homestead property taxes, but “what the Legislature did wasn’t my proposal.”

“If someone asked me to do something, I’m not saying I wouldn’t, but in terms of leading the effort, in terms of me saying, ‘here we go, we’re going to do this, we’re going to do all that.’ You know, I’m not going to do it,” DeSantis said during a bill signing event in Tampa.

“I think it’ll likely pass,” DeSantis continued. “I mean, because if you read it, I think most people are going to be supportive of it. But I don’t know that. I know ours would have passed, because we did a lot of research on exactly how to structure it and how to do that, and so we’ll just see what happens.”

During an event in Bradenton on June 24, DeSantis pointed to his on-going rift with House leadership when saying, “I applaud that the Legislature was willing to put something on the ballot.”

When calling the special session on May 27, DeSantis recommended immediately raising the current exemption for homestead properties from $50,000 to $250,000, with the Legislature scheduling a further expansion after the measure passes that would eventually eliminate taxes completely for those properties.

Legislators tweaked the plan (HJR 1-F) the next week during the special session, carving out the impact on school districts.

Under the measure put on the ballot, the current $50,000 property tax exemption would increase to $150,000 in 2027 and to $250,000 in 2028, but it wouldn’t apply to school district levies. The annual 10-percent cap on increases to non-homestead property assessments would drop to 5 percent.

Future legislators would be allowed to further expand the exemption.

The joint resolution went straight to the ballot without needing DeSantis’ signature.

The “Save Our Homes From Excessive Property Taxes” proposal, set as Amendment 3 on the November ballot, has already drawn opposition in the form of a political committee called Vote No on 3 and Stop Unfair Tax Shifts.

Chaired by former Leon County Commissioner Bryan Desloge, the committee argues the proposal will result in dramatic cuts to essential local services and shift taxes to renters, commercial property and first-time home buyers.

“We know it’ll cost tens of billions. But the politicians haven’t told us how they’ll pay for it,” Vote No On 3 states on its website. “This amendment could eventually bleed $34 billion from local government budgets. The costs and consequences of this amendment will show up as higher rent, more expensive everyday purchases, costlier first homes, and in fewer small businesses that can’t absorb an increase in commercial property taxes.”

A legislative staff analysis of the resolution put the revenue impact on local governments at $4.95 billion in fiscal year 2027-2028, growing to $8.78 billion the following year and eventually $11.86 billion by fiscal year 2031-2032.

DeSantis has made increases in local government budgets since 2019 a key part of his pitch for the homestead change. During the recent Bradenton appearance, he called the referendum “a modest reduction” in revenue.

“I mean, they’re still way, way more than they were in 2019, local governments relative to inflation and population growth. Don’t let anyone tell you differently on that,” DeSantis asserted.

Paperwork submitted to the Division of Elections doesn’t show any direct tie to any local government and none of Vote No On 3’s initial contributions are from a city, municipal or county government.

Still, DeSantis on Monday called it “inappropriate” for local governments to spend money to oppose the ballot proposal that needs 60 percent voter support to pass.

“I don’t know the details of this political committee, but I think it’s totally inappropriate if local governments are spending, you know, spending a bunch of money saying that they need more money,” DeSantis said.

DeSantis on Tuesday filed an annual financial disclosure report putting his net worth at $2,073,549 as of Dec. 31, down from $2,087,550 at the end of 2024.

The report filed with the state Commission on Ethics is the first since 2022 in which his net worth isn’t bolstered by payments from HarperCollins Publishers LLC for his book, “The Courage to Be Free: Florida’s Blueprint for America’s Revival.”

It also comes as he and First Lady Casey DeSantis are reported to be seeking to buy a six-bedroom, six-bathroom home in the exclusive private community of Mountain Lake by Lake Wales in Polk County.

DeSantis is term-limited from running for reelection this year.

Asked about the house hunting during the budget signing event Monday in Tampa, DeSantis declined to confirm the media reports.

“People put out stuff, and that’s fine,” DeSantis replied. “But you know, I’m certainly not going to be commenting with you guys on that.”

State elected officials are required to file financial disclosure forms by July 1 each year that list income, assets and liabilities. Generally, the forms show financial information from the end of the previous year. Officials are not required to report the net worth or income of spouses.

As with most of his annual financial reports, DeSantis listed no real estate holdings among his assets. The governor, First Lady and their three children live at the Governor’s mansion.

At the end of 2025, DeSantis had $483,022 in USAA checking and savings accounts; $1.34 million in a savings account with Interactive Brokers; $104,239 in a thrift savings plan, a type of retirement savings and investment plan; and $161,775 in the Florida Retirement System.

His participation in the state retirement system grew from $116,859 a year earlier.

DeSantis’ only reported liability was $12,807 in student-loan debt, down from $15,095 a year earlier.

For income, DeSantis reported his state salary at $141,400 and $27,286 through Bastrop, Texas-based X Corp., the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

DeSantis received $625,500 in 2024 from HarperCollins Publishers LLC, the same amount as in 2023. The publishing company also paid $1.25 million to DeSantis in 2022.

Before the book deal, DeSantis posted a net worth of $318,986 in 2021. His net worth jumped to $1,174,331 in 2022, then $1,773,157 at the end of 2023.

He entered the statewide office in 2019 with a net worth of $283,605. His initial reports included a Ponte Vedra Beach home that was sold in 2019 for $460,000, according to St. Johns County property records.

The police organization named Anastasiia Berezovska, who remains at large, in a Red Notice seeking her arrest on charges of attempted murder, placing an explosive device in a public place with criminal intent, and criminal conspiracy.

Monaco authorities haven’t identified any of the three people wounded in Monday’s explosion at an apartment building entrance but said they are a family and that they appear to have been specifically targeted.

Media reports named Ukrainian construction tycoon Vadym Yermolaiev as being among the wounded. He has said he renounced his Ukrainian citizenship nearly a decade ago, and he was targeted by Ukrainian sanctions in 2023 for ties to Russia.

A woman and a child were also hurt. One of the victims is still in a life-threatening condition, prosecutors said Friday, also mentioning two other “collateral victims” who were slightly injured in the attack.

Investigators are also seeking to establish whether the suspect had accomplices or acted on behalf of someone else.

“The relative sophistication of the explosive device and the modus operandi suggest that the person who planted the device did not act alone,” Monaco’s deputy prosecutor, Morgan Raymond told a news conference.

He said the bomb was detonated from a distance, using a remote control, and its remains are being analyzed in neighboring France.

The attack shocked Monaco, a coastal playground for the rich and famous known for its tax-friendly incentives, royal family and Formula 1 Grand Prix. Its head of state, Prince Albert II, described the blast as “an odious act” and said all public services were mobilized to ensure security.

Prosecutors have not yet given a motive for the attack.

The Interpol notice says the suspect has a tattoo, possibly of a snake, on her right arm from the shoulder to the elbow. It says she was born in Ukraine, has dark hair, and speaks German.

Raymond said the suspect was initially identified as a heavily built person appearing to be male, wearing a dark long-sleeved top, light-colored shorts and a black bucket hat. A broader review of CCTV footage from previous days and testimony from a witness redirected the investigation toward a woman disguised as a man.

The Interpol Red Notice includes two photos of a woman wearing a white T-shirt with dark stripes, one of them in a street where she’s holding what appears to be some sort of electronic device, trailing a cable, in her left hand.

Two male individuals were taken into police custody as part of the investigation, but both were subsequently released.

Investigators also identified a rented vehicle fitted with German license plates used by the suspect in Monaco. The suspect’s escape route was traced, including the journey from France into Italy, and then across several European countries up to her country of residence. Raymond said that her last known address is in Germany, “a country with which judicial cooperation is particularly active.”

German police, including special forces, on Thursday searched the rented apartment near Frankfurt of a 39-year-old Ukrainian woman in connection with the investigation, police and prosecutors said in a statement Friday.

A vehicle used by the woman also was searched and secured, they added, and evidence will be handed over to authorities in Monaco. They said that the woman is on the run and they can’t give more details at present.

Ukraine is believed to have carried out attacks and targeted killings of Russian figures in the course of the war, although those attacks have largely been confined to Ukrainian or Russian territory.

In December 2024, Ukraine’s security service claimed responsibility for killing the head of nuclear, biological and chemical military protection forces for the Russian military.

Western intelligence officials have recently said that Russia has ramped up a campaign of targeted killings since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

___

Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.

The budget includes:

• $50 million for the Hometown Heroes Housing Program, which helps essential workers — including firefighters, paramedics and law enforcement officers — purchase their first home
• $165 million for the State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP), which helps residents afford housing
• $70.8 million for the State Apartment Incentive Loan (SAIL) program, which funds the construction of affordable housing

What’s fueling Florida’s housing crisis

Florida has been grappling with an affordability crisis driven by soaring home prices, rising insurance costs and years of rapid population growth.

Jon Brooks, a Housing Market Analyst and the Co-Founder of Momentum Realty says the state’s housing market was rocked by a surge in demand between 2020 and 2023 that sent prices skyrocketing. He welcomes the new state investments but says they can only go so far.

“The majority of the issue is that the builders have been building in what I call mid-level luxury, which is $500,000 to a million dollars, because their profit margins are higher there,” Brooks said. “But that’s caused us to have a lack of supply of starter homes, which is what we really need — more supply of inventory from $200,000 to $400,000 that the locals can actually afford.”

‘Payment shock’ pushing buyers to the sidelines

The affordability squeeze is also reshaping Florida’s image. Local realtors told News4JAX that more middle-class families are looking outside the state to buy a home.

One News4JAX Insider put it plainly: “Everything is extremely high right now — housing, groceries and gas. I’m working two jobs and barely scraping by.”

Brooks says many prospective buyers are experiencing what he calls “payment shock” — the moment they see a mortgage estimate and reconsider their plans altogether.

“They get payment shock. When they get the estimate from the lender and they see how much the payment would be, they start to pull back and say, ‘Wait a minute, maybe I should just rent for a couple more years,’” Brooks said. “Because sometimes renting is $1,000 to $1,500 less per month. So right now they’re frustrated.”

What state leaders are saying

State leaders say the budget investments are intended to expand housing opportunities across Florida and help more working families achieve homeownership, as they work alongside local initiatives to make living more affordable.

Fireworks hit dogs differently

Dr. Christian Broadhurst of the Clay County Humane Society says the sights and sounds of a fireworks show may be thrilling for people, but they can overwhelm even the most easy-going dog.

“We love fireworks. They are amazing… but they are loud and bright — and dogs are sensitive to both of those factors,” Broadhurst said.

That sensitivity can quickly escalate beyond whimpering or hiding. Broadhurst says some dogs enter full panic mode — with consequences that can be hard to believe.

“The sudden thunder crack of a firework is enough to really shock them and it can send dogs through windows. They can chew through doors,” he said.

ID your pet before the first boom

One of the biggest risks on the Fourth of July isn’t at a fireworks display — it’s what happens when a panicked dog escapes from home.

Broadhurst urges pet owners to make sure their animals are properly identified before the holiday begins, and not to rely solely on a collar.

“Make sure your dog has a collar with identification… The best way of identifying your animal is with a microchip,” Broadhurst said.

What to do if your dog gets out

If a pet does escape, acting quickly is critical. Pet owners should call their local animal shelter and nearby veterinary clinics immediately.

From there, spreading the word matters — posting flyers and reaching out on social media can speed up a reunion.

Experts also recommend having a current photo of your pet saved and ready to share before the holiday arrives.

Create a safe room

Beyond identification, Broadhurst says setting up a dedicated safe space inside the home is one of the best things owners can do to help dogs cope.

“When we talk about make a safe room for dogs. They are sensitive to loud noises they don’t like the flashing lights and frankly most of us have a lot of people over and they don’t like the crowds,” Broadhurst said.

A quiet interior room, away from windows and the noise of guests, can give anxious dogs a place to decompress while the celebration continues outside.

Watch the cookout spread

The fireworks aren’t the only hazard pet owners need to watch on the Fourth. Broadhurst warns that common cookout staples and trash can pose serious health risks to dogs.

Charcoal can make dogs severely ill if ingested, and corn on the cob can become a dangerous choking hazard.

Grapes and raisins — often found in fruit salads or as snack-table staples — are toxic to dogs altogether.

Broadhurst recommends keeping plates, leftovers, and trash cans well out of reach throughout the festivities.

It wasn’t some toxic jab from a volatile actor to his director and co-star after a difficult shoot; They really have found a kind of magic in screaming at each other on screen, first in the Chinatown-ish “Missing Reel” episode of “The Studio,” in which Wilde plays a satirical version of herself as the crazed director, and then as a couple on the rocks in the acerbic chamber dramedy “The Invite,” which expands nationwide on July 10.

“There’s nothing precious about either of us really,” Wilde said. “There was, like, a permission speak — permission to scream — freely.”

Rogen, 44, and Wilde, 42, came up in the same class of sorts, with memorable roles on television, in the late 90s and early-aughts, that blossomed into movie stardom and, eventually, directing. But until recently, they’d only ever really crossed paths meaningfully once: At a table read for Judd Apatow’s slacker pregnancy comedy “Knocked Up” over 20 years ago. Wilde did not get the role, and they went their separate ways.

And perhaps it was for the best. “Knocked Up” might not have been the right use of Wilde and Rogen together. They seem to excel not as a traditional romantic comedy duo, but in a realm that’s more prickly, more abrasive.

In “The Invite,” tensions are already simmering between Joe (Rogen) and Angela (Wilde) when their more liberated upstairs neighbors, neighbors Pína (Penélope Cruz) and Hawk (Edward Norton), arrive for dinner, and stir things up over one booze, and a revelation-filled night.

Wilde and Rogen spoke to The Associated Press about how the cast got Wilde to act in the movie, studio productions and not taking casting too personally. Remarks have been edited for clarity and brevity.

AP: You both have been in this business long enough that I’m sure if someone says they’re thinking about you for a role, it’s ultimately flattering, but is there a part of you that wonders “Oh, do you see me like this?”

WILDE: I loved the opportunity on “The Studio” to make fun of myself, like what a thrill, and to just make fun of this business in the most loving way. I loved getting to play in that world, but there was no part of me that was like, wait a minute, do you think I’m (expletive) insane?

ROGEN: Thank God.

WILDE: Did you feel offended that I wanted you to be a sexless dad?

ROGEN: A sexless sad man? No, I got it. I give that: Sexless sad dad.

WILDE: This role was like the best of Albert Brooks and a little bit of a ‘70s Richard Dreyfuss or maybe like ’80s Richard Dreyfuss. And I felt like there is a bit of Albert Brooks and Richard Dreyfuss in you, which is high praise.

ROGEN: Hey, I can only hope.

AP: Did the actors really gang up on Olivia to get her to act in this movie as well?

ROGEN: Very much so. We overtly pressured her to do it. We had a side text chain between us where we would strategize about how to do it and how to launch a multipronged attack on her to back her into doing it. Thank God it worked. And I just kept saying no to every other option she put on the table. I literally made it impossible to hire another person because everyone else you suggested I was like, “I don’t think they’d be good at this.”

WILDE: Meryl Streep?

ROGEN: Yeah, that wouldn’t work.

WILDE: It did take encouraging because I just for whatever reason had real impostor syndrome about it because I just revere them so much. I felt capable of directing this and holding it all in place and I really felt a strong connection to the story and everything that needed to happen to make it good but the idea of jumping in the ring was intimidating. I never would have suggested myself. I’d rather die than be like, “What if it was me, you guys?”

ROGEN: I’m the exact opposite, I’m always like, “We need a tighter shot of me, I don’t think we’re featuring me enough in all this.”

WILDE: It was the best experience of my career for every reason, but certainly as an actor. I’ve never had that much fun acting. And it made me think that maybe I don’t hate it.

AP: This was inspired by a Spanish movie that has been adapted in different languages too. Is there something uniquely American about this version?

WILDE: I think so. I think that there’s an attitude about marriage in American culture that is very much very reflective of our like, can do attitude, like you’re gonna do it and you’re just gonna stick to it and you’re going to grin and bear it. There’s an American energy to that that I think is part of what keeps people in really rough places and relationships for a long time and in this version of the story, in our version, these people, if they hadn’t been confronted with this evening that the movie’s about, would have just stayed in this kind of difficult conflict-ridden kind of passive-aggressive zone probably forever because they just aren’t people who like to give up. I also think there’s an American puritanical attitude toward sex in general that we are definitely dealing with in the movie, because it’s about people who haven’t talked about sex with each other in a way that they have desperately needed to for years.

ROGEN: Felt American to me, as a Canadian, the most sex-liberal people on the planet.

AP: Your last film (“Don’t Worry Darling”) was a studio production. What did you learn from that experience?

ROGEN: They would have been way more stressed out that the movie was completely rewritten in the weeks leading to shooting. They don't like that much.

WILDE: Working for a studio, you don’t get the opportunity to be as — this is like the most obvious statement on the planet — but typically, unless you’re Paul Thomas Anderson, I feel like you don’t get the opportunity to be as specific and, in some ways, hopefully a little bold. I think that we wouldn’t have had the same amount of creative ownership as a group and that was what made the experience so valuable. I’m very happy this wasn’t like a hundred billion dollar Sony movie.

ROGEN: We could have done it. We could find a way to spend it. You give me a budget, I will blow through it.

Deniz Goktas was detained Thursday for questioning at Istanbul’s main airport on his return from a trip abroad, days after prosecutors launched an investigation into his comedy show, which had been widely viewed online. He was formally arrested following questioning by prosecutors on Friday, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

The routine, recorded in Istanbul last month, drew some 9.5 million views after being uploaded to YouTube on June 24. The pro‑government newspaper Sabah said dozens of viewers were offended by jokes on religion and filed complaints, prompting the investigation.

During questioning, Goktas, 32, said he had no intention of degrading religious values or insulting the president, stressing that his approach was satirical.

Asked about a quip in which he described Erdogan as having evolved from a “shy dictator” to one “confident in his identity,” the comedian said the remark reflected a topic widely debated in Turkey, according to excerpts of his testimony published by the rights‑focused news portal Bianet.

Insulting the president is a criminal offense in Turkey, punishable by up to four years in prison.

Erdogan has consolidated power during more than two decades in office, and critics say he has steadily narrowed the space for free expression. Journalists and government critics frequently face investigation, detention or prosecution.

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, Erdogan’s main political rival, has been imprisoned since March last year and is on trial on corruption charges. Hundreds of mayors and other officials from the main opposition party are also under prosecution over corruption allegations while the party's leader was deposed by a court order — moves critics say are aimed at neutralizing the party ahead of the next elections.

Erdogan’s government insists that Turkey’s courts are impartial and act independently of political pressure.

Dozens of people gathered at the courthouse in solidarity with the comedian on Friday, chanting anti‑government slogans, according to the opposition‑leaning newspaper Cumhuriyet.

We’ve got a county-by-county list of events happening around Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia to celebrate July 4th.

FLORIDA

Alachua County

• Fanfares & Fireworks (Gainesville): Community Independence celebration with live music and a fireworks finale. 6–10 p.m., Friday, July 3 (fireworks ~9:30 p.m.) at the UF Bandshell at Flavet Field in Gainesville.

Bradford County

• Starke Spangled Splash Bash (Starke): City/community July 4 festivities including a parade. Parade starts at 9 a.m. on Saturday, July 4 (military flyover of vintage aircraft at 10 a.m.).

Clay County

• Independence Day Celebration (Keystone Heights): Full-day, family-friendly Independence Day activities honoring America 250 (community events + fireworks finale). 10 a.m.–9:30 p.m., Saturday, July 4 at Theme Park Tennis Courts, 555 S Lawrence Blvd., Keystone Heights.
• Food Truck Friday (Green Cove Springs): The event’s return will be from 5-9:30 p.m., Friday, July 3, at Spring Park in Green Cove Springs. This free family-friendly event will feature a delicious set of 17 diversified food trucks, more than 40 local vendors, and live entertainment. Food Truck Friday will take place at Spring Park on the first Friday of every month through November of this year.

Columbia County

• July 4 celebration (Lake City): Live music, food, hot air balloons, fireworks and more. 5 p.m.-11:55 p.m., Saturday, July 4, at the Columbia County Fairgrounds at 164 SW Mary Ethel Lane, Lake City.

Duval County

• Ice Cream Party (St. Johns Town Center): Join in a 250th birthday celebration and ice cream social between 2-4 p.m. at Park on The Green, Friday, July 3. Enjoy a complimentary ice cream, play a round of corn hole and take in the patriotic visual display installation along River City Drive.
• Red, White & DQ: Head to the Dairy Queen on 3rd Street in Jacksonville Beach for a full-on All-American birthday party from 12-9 p.m. Saturday, July 4, with games, prizes and giveaways, crafts for kids and, of course, ice cream!
• Freedom Fest (San Marco): Enjoy a patriotic light and music show with live bands, food trucks and free apple pies to the first 1,000 people! This event is free to attend. 5:30-10 p.m., Friday, July 3, at 1015 Museum Cir., Jacksonville, 32207.
• Fourth of July Celebration (Friendship Fountain): Enjoy an evening of live music from Scott Halls and Caribe Groove, plus a hot dog eating contest and cornhole tournament. Food and beverages will be available for purchase throughout the event. 3-9:30 p.m. Saturday, July 4, at 1015 Museum Cir., Jacksonville, 32207.
• Jacksonville Fourth of July Celebration (Downtown Jacksonville): Downtown riverfront festival-style celebration (live music, art, family activities, food vendors) + fireworks. 4–9:30 p.m., Saturday, July 4 (fireworks 9 p.m.) at Riverfront Plaza, Downtown. What you need to know
• USS Orleck 4th of July 250th American Celebration: Celebrate aboard the USS Orleck with live music from DJ Rantz, food trucks, drinks, fireworks and waterfront views during this festive celebration. 6:30-10 p.m. Saturday, July 4. Buy tickets here
• 4th of July Fireworks (Jacksonville Beach): Join in for an amazing free display of fireworks to celebrate the 4th of July!. 9 p.m., Saturday, July 4 at 504 1st St. N. Jacksonville Beach, 32250

Flagler County

• United Flagler Fourth / Fireworks Over the Runways (Palm Coast): Countywide July 4 celebration at the airport with live entertainment/activities + fireworks. 5–10 p.m., Saturday, July 4 (fireworks 9 p.m.) at Flagler Executive Airport in Palm Coast.

Nassau County

• Light Up Amelia / Hometown 4th of July Firework Show (Fernandina Beach): City-sponsored downtown/waterfront July 4 celebration + fireworks. 6–10 p.m., Saturday, July 4 (fireworks 9 p.m.) at Waterfront Park/Downtown in Fernandina Beach.

Putnam County

• July 4 celebration (Palatka): Free, family-friendly event includes live music, food trucks, vendors, a kids zone, face painting, puppet shows and more from 4-9:30 p.m., Saturday, July 4 at the Palatka Riverfront.

St. Johns County

• Fireworks Over the Matanzas (St. Augustine): City/visitor-bureau promoted concert + fireworks over the bayfront. 6–9:30 p.m., Saturday, July 4 (fireworks 9 p.m.) at St. Augustine bayfront/downtown waterfront area, St. Augustine.

Union County

• July 4 celebration (Lake Butler): Live music, waterslides, face paiting, food trucks and more, starting at 8 a.m., Saturday, July 4 at Lakeside Park in Lake Butler.

GEORGIA

Camden County

• St. Marys July 4 festival + fireworks (St. Marys): Festival-style celebration from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday, July 4, with a parade and fireworks over the St. Marys River at St. Marys waterfront.

Glynn County

• Beach Village carnival: Bounce houses, carnival rides, face painting and more from 2-7 p.m., Friday, July 3 a Beach Village.
• Jekyll Island concerts and fireworks (Jekyll Island): Live music on the Turtle Stage in Beach Village from 11 a.m.-5 p.m., followed by a fireworks display at 9 p.m., Saturday, July 4.

Ware County

• Waycross America 250: Field of Honor (Dedication Ceremony): America 250 commemorative dedication ceremony at 10 a.m., Saturday, July 4 at 2401 Knight Ave., Waycross.
• Waycross July 4th Celebration / 4th of July Spectacular (Waycross): Downtown celebration with live music, food/arts vendors, inflatables/family activities + fireworks finale. 12–10 p.m., Saturday, July 4 (fireworks at dusk) at Downtown Waycross (Pendleton Street).

If your city/county has an event that we do not have listed, please email the information to webteam@wjxt.com.

Dr. Purva Grover, MD, emergency medicine physician at Cleveland Clinic Children’s, said if your older children are going to use fireworks, they should be supervised by an adult.

“With fireworks, we see all sorts of injuries from sparklers, small first degree burns to more severe, larger degree burns, and other injuries as well. The most important thing about fireworks is they can be lots of fun, and they should be fun, but they should be done properly. They should not be handled by young children in any circumstances,” Purva said.

She also recommends making sure all fireworks are set off in an open area away from cars or houses.

A bucket of water or garden hose should be on hand as well, in case a firework malfunctions.

On a similar note, never try to re-light or examine a firework that doesn’t work the first time around.

It’s also important to handle fireworks with care and avoid throwing them around.

“Even if it’s not lit, there is a potential that can explode because of the force you’re throwing it with. So, I always encourage very gentle handling, very careful handling of fireworks and crackers and sparklers in general,” she said.

Dr. Grover said if your child suffers a minor burn, from a sparkler for example, you can run it under cool water for about 20 minutes.

After that, let the area dry out and use plastic wrap to protect it.

For more serious injuries, it’s best to seek medical attention.

"It’s greasy, it’s disgusting, but it’s absolutely glorious," Jack Goodwin, a soccer enthusiast from London, said about the American food he has tried in Dallas, Boston, New York and Atlanta.

“I don’t want to say this because it’s a little bit harsh, but the portions are a little bit larger — a lot more tastier — so I can understand the, um, obesity here. I don’t want to be harsh, but yes, the food is fantastic here.”

International visitors want to try popular fast-food chains and local gems

Many fans are making a point to try regional specialties or chains they can’t find where they live, like In-N-Out Burger or Buc-ee's convenience stores. Erling Haaland, a striker for Norway's World Cup team, posted a photo on X of himself outside Katz's Delicatessen in New York.

Harrison Murphy, who was traveling from London with his brother for the knockout rounds, had breakfast at a Chick-fil-A in Atlanta this week.

“Have you had Chick-fil-A? It was fantastic and so cheap. The sauces are free! It was remarkable,” Murphy said. "I said, ‘This is my first time, what should I try?’ The woman said, ‘You’ve got to try the Chick-fil-A sauce.’ My God, was it fantastic.”

Gary Bishop had never heard of poutine — often considered Canada's national dish — until he arrived in Toronto for the World Cup. But the Glasgow, Scotland, resident proclaimed it “absolutely delicious.”

“It was like chips with gravy, cheese. But it was a really thick gravy. Different from back home. Vinegar, there was lots of vinegar through it,” said Bishop, who was sporting a Scotland jersey on a recent stroll through Toronto’s FIFA Fan Festival. “Really nice.”

Others are looking for a taste of home. Texas beer distributor Andrews Distributing welcomed a bus full of Dutch fans to its Dallas warehouse for Heinekens and dancing.

Host city restaurants are eager to introduce new customers to old favorites

It’s a thrill for restaurant owners, from Cuban spots in Miami to barbecue joints in Kansas City and taco trucks in Mexico City.

“I have not seen anything like this ever in my life,” said Paul Barker, the principal and founder of Pauli’s, a Boston restaurant known for generously filled sandwiches and comfort foods. Fans from Scotland, Brazil, England and elsewhere have lined up for his famous lobster rolls and taken photos with staff members, Barker said.

“Food becomes a natural conversation starter,” he said. “It’s just been incredible for us to be part of this.”

Some chains are leaning into the World Cup. Waffle House, the all-day breakfast chain with 2,000 restaurants across the South, opened a pop-up shop in downtown Atlanta to sell branded soccer balls, jerseys and patriotic gear. In a statement, the chain said it was “honored by the enthusiasm and curiosity" shown by visiting fans.

For other restaurants, World Cup fever has been a delightful surprise. Whataburger, a Texas-based chain with 1,100 locations, found itself in the spotlight after fans from Japan and elsewhere posted on social media about their visits.

“The attention has been completely organic and honestly pretty entertaining,” Whataburger President and CEO Debbie Stroud said. “We knew the World Cup would bring the world to Texas and our footprint across 17 states. We just didn’t realize so many visitors would leave talking about a patty melt.”

Eating barbecue is high on the bucket lists of foreign foodies

Terry Black’s Barbecue, a small Texas chain, figured authentic barbecue would be on many fans’ must-try lists. It started sourcing extra meat more than a month ago for its locations in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, which are each about 20 minutes from the stadium where World Cup matches are played.

It takes Terry Black’s four days to season and prepare its beef brisket and 12 hours to barbecue it. The chain also smokes turkey, pork and sausages on its pits, which run 24 hours a day.

The crush of World Cup fans has meant a lot of extra planning, said Darien Kapture, the chain’s senior vice president of food and beverage operations. But it's also meant a lot of excitement, like the night Argentina supporters packed Terry Black's Dallas location to celebrate the team's victory over Austria, Kapture said.

“They were hooting and hollering and praising the brisket,” Kapture said. “It’s great to see that these folks are coming to America and getting to experience what we experience every day.”

Goodwin, the visitor from London who said he “blew his mortgage” on a U.S. World Cup tour with his dad, deemed Terry Black's barbecue “the most gorgeous food ever.”

“The best food we’ve had here is in Dallas," Goodwin said. “Texas barbecue. Unbelievable.”

TSA reminds ranch dressing converts not to pack bottles in carry-on bags

Not every review has been positive. Some fans have complained about the high price of food in World Cup stadiums, for example. A British fan told the BBC that the breakfast tea he bought from Dunkin' was “not great.”

But for the most part, there have been more thumbs up than thumbs down. So many World Cup visitors expressed love for ranch dressing, for example, that the Transportation Security Administration issued a light-hearted reminder that tourists should pack bottles of dressing in their checked bags.

___

AP Sports Writer Maura Carey contributed from Atlanta. AP Video Journalist Mike Householder contributed from Toronto.

U.S. Gen. Alex Grynkewich urged Europeans to make more equipment available after the U.S. signaled on June 3 that it would no longer supply an aircraft carrier and support ships, aerial refueling planes and dozens of fighter jets, among other assets, to the continent.

He also began weighing back up plans in case of an attack against Europe.

The so-called NATO Force Model is the alliance’s Plan A for making forces from the 32 member nations available in times of peace, crisis or war. It sets out the military assets that commanders can call on in phases over the first six months of any conflict.

“In a matter of weeks, European Allies have largely filled the gaps left by U.S. reductions to the NATO Force Model,” Grynkewich said, days before President Donald Trump and his counterparts gather for a July 7-8 summit in Turkey, where force planning will be high on the agenda.

“And in those few areas where they haven’t, where they do not currently have a like capability to replace, we are looking at alternate capabilities with matching effect,” Grynkewich said. He provided no details.

In a decision that took many allies by surprise, the Pentagon informed its NATO allies that it would no longer provide as much as it focuses on potential threats elsewhere, notably from China in the Indo-Pacific region.

European allies and Canada scoured their inventories to see what could be offered should one of them come under attack. Britain, for example, has put a second aircraft carrier and F35 fighter jets on a higher level of readiness for use in emergencies.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has played down the impact of the Trump administration’s decision. He believes the United States would shift more resources to Europe should conflict arise, just as it did for the war on Iran.

“This is not about where forces and assets are currently located,” Rutte said last month. “It’s about who would do what if our defense plans were activated. So, let’s say in case of an Article 5 situation.”

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

The free, family-friendly event will be headlined by Firewater Tent Revival of Atlantic Beach. Organizers encourage guests to bring lawn chairs or blankets. Coolers are allowed and attendees may bring beer or wine; no hard liquor is permitted.

New this month is a free cornhole tournament with prizes for top finishers. A watermelon-eating contest is scheduled for 7 p.m. Organizers will present a donation from the event’s new Community Cares Grant to a local nonprofit at 5:15 p.m. during the opening.

Food Truck Friday is supported by the City of Green Cove Springs, The Neighbor to Neighbor Newspaper, Garber Auto Mall and other community sponsors. The event will be held the first Friday of every month through November.

For more information, contact event organizer Michael Kerekes at (904) 923-4208.

A few scattered showers and thunderstorms will develop this afternoon, mainly before 4 p.m., but many neighborhoods will stay dry.

High temperatures climb to around 91 degrees, with the humidity making it feel closer to 102.

Winds will turn onshore out of the east around 8 to 13 mph, helping a bit along the beaches while inland areas stay hot and steamy.

Looking ahead to the holiday weekend, Independence Day is shaping up nicely.

Most of Saturday will be dry with plenty of sunshine and highs in the mid-90s, although a few isolated storms could pop up after 3 p.m.

If you’ve got cookouts, beach plans, or fireworks, the earlier part of the day looks to be your best bet.

Sunday through next week, expect more of the same—hot afternoons in the mid-90s, heat index values topping 100 degrees, and the daily chance for scattered afternoon and evening thunderstorms.

Stay hydrated, take breaks in the shade, and keep an eye on the radar if you’re spending time outdoors.

America is celebrating a big birthday, and who better to ask about its future than the kids who’ll help shape it.

When America declared independence in 1776, the entire population was just about 2.5 million, including roughly 1 million children.

Now, 250 years later, there are more than 73 million kids in the U.S.

They are called Generation Alpha, kids born from 2010 through the mid-2020s, and they are expected to be the largest generation in history, the ones who’ll help define America’s next 50 years.

And the kids waving flags today will be the first generation to grow up with AI tutors, self-driving cars and jobs that haven’t even been invented yet.

But no matter how things change. Some things stay the same. The flag. The fireworks. The idea of freedom.

And by America’s 300th birthday, these little voices may be leading the country.

They would like to expand their farm's reach beyond their farm stand, but it's challenging. Like many small food producers, the Spears have sought financial assistance through federal programs. Some have been cut or significantly scaled back under the Trump Administration, including U.S. Department of Agriculture programs that helped tribal farmers.

Tribes relied on these programs to grow and distribute culturally-significant foods locally.

“When we go into these federal programs, we’re hoping that they’ll last long enough,” Cassius Spears said. “They usually start out with a good song and dance. And they’re going to last a long time. And then something happens where they get cut.”

Programs help state and tribal governments purchase local food

The Biden administration started two programs during the pandemic to help states and tribes purchase local food from nearby farmers for food banks and schools: the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) and the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program (LFS). These programs offered farmers, including tribal farmers, reliable markets for their products. Tribal governments received assistance to purchase food from local producers to distribute to tribal members.

This allowed tribes to get federal dollars directly to small-scale producers, said Carly Griffith Hotvedt, executive director of the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative and a member of Cherokee Nation. The Spears' farm provided food for a tribal farm in nearby Connecticut that used LFPA funds, after an agreement was signed in August 2022.

In some instances, tribes used those dollars to source culturally-significant foods for tribal members such as bison meat, certain types of berries and wild rice that were included as part of a food box distribution. For some low-income tribal members, it was the best way to access these types of foods, Hotvedt said.

“It wasn’t just commodity foods in that box. It was highly local, traditionally relevant, culturally relevant foods that were included,” Hotvedt said.

In March 2025, under the Trump administration, the Agriculture Department ended the two programs that provided more than $1 billion for schools and food banks, saying that they no longer aligned with the agency's goals.

Congress considers new funding for farmers

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat, and Sen. Jim Justice, a West Virginia Republican, introduced a bill they say takes the best from the two programs and creates a permanent grant program. It would allow state and tribal governments to buy local foods from local and regional producers to distribute to nearby hunger relief programs and schools.

Reed said he feared that when the USDA programs were cut, families across the country would have a more difficult time getting access to food. And, he said, the access wouldn't be to nutritious, freshly grown produce.

Reed said he’s hoping to get the legislation passed as part of the Farm Bill, the massive, multi-year law that governs agricultural and food programs. The House passed its version of the bill in April, and a Senate committee released its draft in late June. The House version also includes a bipartisan proposal for a permanent program modeled after the Local Food Purchase Assistance program. It would allow states, through the USDA, to establish cooperative agreements connecting local farmers and producers with local food distribution organizations.

Both proposals would set aside 10% of the program’s funding for tribes.

For a new program to succeed, Congress must include mandatory funding in order to help farmers better plan, purchase supplies and hire staff because they know they’re going to sell products through those programs, said Hannah Quigley, a policy specialist with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. The House version would require Congress to agree on funding annually, she added.

Reed said he's advocating for mandatory funding in the Senate because without it very little is funded these days, and because farms are under so much pressure economically. An optional program wouldn't help them as much, he said.

“We really want to punch through the existing obstacles for small farmers and Native American farmers,” he said.

Teaching the next generation about where food comes from

Dawn and Cassius Spears would like to see Indigenous producers prioritized when tribal entities purchase food. And they said they think having dedicated programs that Indigenous producers can access outside of their tribal government would help more Indigenous producers.

Under the canopy of one of her farm’s high tunnels at the start of this year's planting season, Dawn Spears carefully organized her tomato crop, separating the tiny plants before moving them to a field outside. The name of the 6-acre farm is an homage to the Narragansett name of the river that flows through town. It started as a small community garden and food sovereignty project.

One of her grandsons, 9-year-old Giizhig, walked in to ask if she needed help.

“Only if you want to,” Spears replied. “It’s always good to know how to do it, right?”

Teaching the next generation about where food comes from and how to grow responsibly is key for her. But her culture isn’t just about cultivating crops. It’s also about gathering foods they eat from the wild and being able to preserve and access land where those foods are.

She's working to protect the land around their farm as development grows with the hope of introducing native plants into that area that can be foraged for food. Federal funding programs can also help with securing access to land, she said.

“If you take a person away from the land that they come from, then it’s like they’re not whole,” she said. “We have to eat the food that’s naturally from that space that we come from.”

___

McDermott reported from Providence, Rhode Island.

___

Follow Joshua A. Bickel on Instagram, Bluesky and X @joshuabickel.

___

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

The match, which was the 44-year-old Williams’ first singles contest in nearly four years, had a peak of 2.1 million viewers despite being played on a Tuesday afternoon in the U.S, the network said Friday.

Williams was beaten 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 by 20-year-old Maya Joint of Australia but showed she could be competitive with an opponent less than half her age after being away for so long.

The viewing figures were higher than for last year's men's semifinals, which averaged 1.3 million viewers on ESPN. Last year's men's final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz averaged nearly 2.9 million viewers.

Williams was given wild card invitations to play both singles and doubles at Wimbledon and it remains to be seen whether she will still play doubles with older sister Venus.

Serena announced on Wednesday that she tweaked her right knee toward the end of the first set against Joint.

For the entire day on Tuesday, ESPN’s Wimbledon coverage averaged 937,000 which was an increase of 55% compared to last year and the highest ever for a Day 2.

Overall, for Monday and Tuesday, it marked ESPN’s most-viewed first round for Wimbledon with an average of 734,000 viewers. Monday featured a five-set victory for defending champion Sinner and a four-set victory for seven-time champion Novak Djokovic.

___

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

On Friday, the city will host the Freedom Fest at Friendship Fountain from 5:30 - 10 p.m., including live music, food trucks and the debut of “America 250 Proof,” a new patriotic anthem to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary.

The live music will include:

• Bold City Brass Band - 5:30 p.m.
• Navy Pride Band - 6:30 p.m.
• Premier of “America 250 Proof,” written by Dave MacCutcheon, performed by Brian Iannucci
• Sal Gonzalez - 7:30 p.m.
• Emily Mikus - 8:30 p.m.
• Big Engine - 9 p.m.

The event will also feature free apple pies for the first 1,000 attendees, activations along the Riverwalk between the Fountain and Chart House, and food and drinks galore.

Saturday will feature three events that take place across Southbank and Northbank.

See the breakdown of events below:

Saturday, July 4: Fourth of July

Event 1

Where: Riverfront Plaza - 2 W. Independent Dr.

When: 4 - 9:30 p.m.

What to expect:

• Performances by
• • Sal Gonzalez - 4:30 p.m.
  • Tobacco Road - 5:15 p.m.
  • Bold City Classics - 7:10 p.m.
  • Lane Pittman 8:55 p.m.
• The largest Fourth of July Fireworks show in Jacksonville history will start at 9 p.m.
• Mayor Donna Deegan, Jacksonville City Council President Nick Howland and Wounded Warrior Project CEO (Ret.) Walter E. Piatt will give remarks at 8:45 p.m.
• Facepainting and balloon animals
• The River City Readers Bookmobile
• An art exhibition by JAMS students
• Food and beverages for purchase

Event 2 - Southbank

Where: Friendship Fountain

When: 3 - 9:30 p.m.

What to expect:

• Live music by
• • Scott Halls (3:45 p.m)
  • Caribe Groove (6:30 p.m.)
• Fireworks (same show, different vantage point)
• Hot dog eating contest at 6 p.m.
• Food and beverages for purchase

Event 3

Where: RiversEdge - 1915 RiversEdge Blvd

When: 6 - 9 p.m.

What to expect:

• Live music by
• • Jupiter’s Porch - 6 p.m.
• Fireworks (same show, different vantage point)
• Food and beverages for sale

Where to get the best fireworks views:

Northbank and Southbank have designated viewing areas, which are highlighted in red on the map below.

All about parking

• Public and private parking options will be available on a first-come, first-served basis
• It’s advised to arrive early to snag a spot
• Please be aware that parking availability is subject to change and may be limited based on demand and traffic conditions
• On-street meter parking is free on weekends

Northbank parking options:

• Water Street Garage: 541 Water St., Jacksonville, FL 32202
• Annex Garage: 21 E Bay St., Jacksonville, FL 32202
• Jax Center Garage:1 W. Bay St., Jacksonville, FL 32202
• Yates Garage: 200 E Adams St., Jacksonville, FL 32202
• VyStar Forsyth Garage: 26 W. Forsyth St., Jacksonville, FL 32202
• Chamber Lot Parking: 59 E. Bay St., Jacksonville, FL 32202

Southbank parking options:

• DCPS Parking Lot: 1701 Prudential Dr., Jacksonville, FL 32207
• Kings Ave Station: 1301 King Ave, Jacksonville, FL 32207

All about road closures

The following streets and bridges will be closed during the celebration:

• INDEPENDENT DR & LAURA ST

7:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. = Closure of W Independent Dr. from Hogan St. to Laura St

• ACOSTA BRIDGE

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.= Closure of Acosta Bridge Northbound Emergency Lane & Sidewalk ONLY

8:45 p.m. – 9:45 p.m.= Closure of all northbound lanes and sidewalk (during show)

• MAIN STREET BRIDGE

2:00 p.m. – 10:15 p.m.= Closure of Main Street Bridge southbound exterior lane and adjacent sidewalk ONLY. Closure of Main Street Bridge northbound exterior lane and adjacent sidewalk ONLY.

8:30 p.m. – 10:15 p.m.= Full Closure of Main Street Bridge all lanes and sidewalks (during show)

For more information, visit events.jacksonville.gov.

The auto and travel organization projects 72.2 million people will travel during the 4th of July holiday period — up slightly from 71.8 million last year. AAA noted the overall increase is smaller compared to gains seen in previous years.

Despite gas prices reaching four-year highs, 85% of Americans traveling for Independence Day are expected to drive. AAA projects about 61.4 million people will travel by car this year, compared to 61.3 million last year.

AAA has identified the best and worst times to be on the road over the next three days:

Friday, July 3

• Worst: 12–7 p.m.
• Best: Before 11 a.m.

Saturday, July 4

• Worst: 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
• Best: After 3 p.m.

Sunday, July 5

• Worst: 12–6 p.m.
• Best: Before 11 a.m.

For some travelers, the choice to drive comes down to convenience and cost. Abby Howard and Abi Scroggins, traveling from Auburn, Alabama, to Northeast Florida, said driving simply made more sense for their trip.

“Cheaper,” Scroggins said, “A little bit easier, too. Just like logistically, we can bring more stuff.”

The milestone nature of this year’s holiday is also a contributing factor — 2026 marks the nation’s 250th anniversary.

AAA says nearly 6 million people will fly domestically during the 4th of July travel week.

At Jacksonville International Airport on Friday morning, travelers were already in a festive mood — decked out in red, white and blue ahead of the holiday.

For Army veteran Jason Kirk, the trip carries special meaning. He is heading home to Chicago to celebrate with family.

“250 is quite a milestone for our country,” Kirk said. “I’m a veteran [and] served in the military for 26 years, so it really means a lot to join with family and mark this milestone for our country.”

But America’s connection to military service is shrinking.

Pew research says only about 1 in 10 Americans has served in the military, down from nearly 1 in 5 in the 1980s. So, as the country celebrates freedom, what does serving mean to them?

From the beaches of Normandy to the deserts of Iraq and Afghanistan, generations of Americans have served for one word: freedom.

But what does that word mean to the people who wore the uniform? For Army veteran Joseph Cote, it means sacrifice.

“They don’t understand how you miss Christmas, how you miss Thanksgiving, birthdays, child births,” said Cote.

Cote spent more than two decades serving. For Cote, freedom isn’t just something you have …

“It’s what we give to other people. You know, we empower other people to be free,” explained Cote.

A Pew study found 71% of veterans say the public doesn’t fully understand their sacrifices. Ric Banning does. He joined the Navy in 1971 and served for nearly 31 years.

“Being onboard a Navy combatant, nothing like it, can’t duplicate it,” said Banning.

But his service came in a very different era. No email. No texts. No FaceTime home.

“You’d go seven, six to seven, eight, nine months, and all you get is a letter,” explained Banning.

Now, as America prepares for 250 …

“You don’t wake up worrying about your freedom,” said Banning.

Len Habas served in the Air Force during the Vietnam War, and while America looks different now, he says its foundation hasn’t changed.

“Freedom is the opportunity to act, think, and speak without anybody’s intervention,” explained Habas

Does he still recognize the country he served?

“Pride, character, honor, I think it’s the same today as it was 60 years ago,” said Habas.

Three men. Three eras. One message.

“Freedom is not free,” said Cote.

“I think what they have to remember is that, again, it’s a great nation,” said Habas.

“You can’t ask for much more than that,” said Banning.

Less than 1% of Americans currently serve on active duty, meaning fewer and fewer families have a direct connection to military life. For many veterans, that growing civilian-military divide is exactly why these stories matter.

The Furka Pass, at an altitude of 2,431 meters (7,976 feet), is among Switzerland's highest Alpine passes and famous for its hairpin curves featured in the 1964 James Bond “Goldfinger” movie. But long before 007 actor Sean Connery filmed a harrowing car chase scene there, a steam train first traversed the steep and winding route in a continuous journey on July 3, 1926, kicking off a vital rail link between the regions of Uri and Valais in central Switzerland for decades.

In the early 1980s, a tunnel at the base of the Alps diverted rail traffic and prompted the closure of the historic mountain route until volunteers stepped in. Hundreds of them, nicknamed the railway's “pioneers,” have spent hours to restore, maintain and operate the historic tracks and trains so they run the same as a century ago.

The first section of the line reopened as a heritage railway in 1992, and the 18-kilometer (11-mile) track was ready for travel in 2010. The steam trains now operate exclusively as a tourist attraction in the summers between the stations of Realp and Oberwald, where visitors can hop aboard vintage carriages and marvel at the scenery of rivers, Alpine meadows and lush green pastures where patches of snow still linger.

Tourists last month enjoyed their trips through the German-speaking region aboard the “dampflokomotive.” Passenger Stephan Willareth called his journey “wonderful,” while Kurt Guldemann, a former employee of the Swiss railways, heralded the history of the machines.

Bernhard Lang, one of the many enthusiasts who volunteer to drive the vintage steam trains, said it can take years to master the skill.

“It’s something like a living machine, so you have to get kind of the feeling for it," he said. “To feel how it behaves, how it moves, how it smells, how it sounds.”

Jacob Kallert, a 21-year-old German transport engineering student and the youngest train manager, said it's important to listen to the locomotives.

“You hear every sound, you hear if everything is right," he said. “You can pretty much feel how it was then and how it is now.”

Volunteer Sergio Rovelli said anyone who has dedicated their time to the project gets hooked.

"We say, in German, that everyone who works here has the ‘Furka Virus, the Furka disease,’" he joked. “Once you come here, you like it, and you stay.”

A one-way ticket starts at 46 Swiss francs ($56.82) for a journey that lasts just under 2 1/2 hours. The anniversary celebration began Friday and continue through the weekend.

The future for the S&P 500 gained 0.3% while that for the Dow slipped 0.2%. U.S. markets will be closed Friday for the Independence Day holiday.

In European trading, Germany's DAX rose 0.4% to 25,667.73 and the CAC 40 in Paris edged 0.1% lower, to 8,471.19. Britain's FTSE 100 shed 0.4% to 10,613.55.

In Asia, South Korea's Kospi, which sank nearly 8% on Thursday, gained 5.8% to 8,088.34. Samsung Electronics, the country's biggest company and a major maker of computer chips, gained 8.2%, while its smaller rival SK Hynix jumped 10.9%.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 advanced 1.5% to 69,744.07. Chipmaker Tokyo Electron rose 0.4%, while memory maker Kioxia jumped 9.2%.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng climbed 1.3% to 23,350.03 and the Shanghai Composite index added 0.4% to 4,043.64.

Taiwan's Taiex edged 0.1% higher, while the Sensex in India rose 0.4%.

In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 picked up 1.4% to 8,844.40.

“Asian stocks found some footing after two bruising tech-led sessions, with the Korean market once again showing how quickly a stretched rubber band can snap back when everyone leans the same way,” Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary.

On Thursday, most U.S. stocks rose as the Dow snagged another record, gaining 1.1% to 52,900.07.

Drops for computer chip companies and other winners of the artificial-intelligence boom kept indexes mixed.

The S&P 500 finished the day virtually unchanged and edged up by less than 0.1%, even though seven out of every 10 stocks within the index rose. It closed at 7,483.24.

The Nasdaq composite dropped 0.8% to 25,382.67.

Stocks broadly got some help from a report showing U.S. employers added 57,000 jobs to their payrolls last month. That’s good for the economy, but it was also short of the 100,000 jobs that economists expected and a slowdown from May’s hiring pace.

The weaker-than-expected result could relieve pressure on inflation, which has been accelerating worldwide because of jumps in oil prices caused by the war with Iran. Now that oil prices are back below where they were before the war, if inflation slows in upcoming months, the Federal Reserve may feel less need to raise interest rates several times this year.

That would be a boon for investors, who tend to love lower interest rates because they make it less expensive for U.S. households and businesses to borrow money and spend. Lower rates also tend to push upward on prices for stocks and other investments.

Stocks of companies in the crypto industry were also strong after the price of bitcoin rose roughly 2%, a day after dropping near its lowest level since 2024. Robinhood Markets rose 3.8%, and Coinbase Global gained 3.9%. Bitcoin rose 0.9% early Friday.

Selling of computer chip companies' shares has weighed on indexes. They’ve come under pressure because of worries that their stock prices shot too high in the frenzy around AI and that all the spending on chips and data centers may not yield as much profit and productivity growth as hoped.

Memory maker Micron Technology erased an early gain to drop 5.5%, a day after plunging 10.6%. Nvidia fell 1.4%, and Lam Research sank 10.2%. They were some of the heaviest weights on the S&P 500 because they’ve grown so huge in size amid AI mania.

Nvidia has a total value of nearly $4.7 trillion, so its stock’s movements have more weight on the S&P 500 than any other.

In other trading early Friday, Brent crude, the international standard, shed less than 0.1% to $71.76 a barrel. U.S. benchmark crude gave up 0.2% to $68.48 a barrel.

The dollar rose to 161.14 Japanese yen from 161.11 yen. The euro rose to $1.1451 from $1.1431.

“We saw a lot of bodies that had not yet been identified,” López said.

The rush is on across La Guaira, the state on Venezuela’s northern coast hardest hit by the powerful back-to-back June 24 earthquakes, to identify loved ones before it’s too late. With at least 2,295 people killed, Venezuela is overwhelmed with bodies that officials are struggling to collect, identify and preserve for loved ones to claim. Thousands are still missing.

José Antonio Toledo, López's 25-year-old son-in-law, was found under the building where he was working as a security guard when the quakes struck. Crews took his body to a local hospital, where staff turned them away because there was no space. The body was sent to another facility and eventually transferred to an open parking lot.

A forensic doctor helped the family find him days later, on Saturday. But once they identified his body, they didn’t know what to do with it because they couldn’t afford the $450 that a funeral home was charging.

At almost midnight on Saturday, López got word that the mayor’s office was offering them a free space at a local cemetery, but they had to move quickly to not lose the spot. An hour later, López and her daughter trudged up a hill leading to the cemetery and buried Toledo.

“He was an exemplary person, a boy who liked helping people,” López said.

They saved him from a mass grave that many fear is coming as they search for the bodies of their loved ones.

The number of bodies found is expected to soar

Forensic technician Joel Mirabal has worked for seven days straight since the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes struck.

The 45-year-old estimates that in 60% to 70% of cases, there’s a relative or neighbor available to identify a body when he comes to pick it up. Even so, it’s a struggle, he said, with many relying on tattoos, scars or familiar clothing.

“They don’t look even 10% like what they were in real life,” he said of the victims.

If a body cannot be identified, it goes to forensic specialists working at La Guaira seaport. Private companies have donated large cooling containers to help preserve the bodies, but the number of dead keeps growing.

“Obviously, mass graves will have to be created,” Mirabal said. “The collapse is massive, and the bodies are buried under many layers of debris.”

Mirabal said he and other forensic technicians anticipate spending up to three months collecting bodies.

They drive around the affected areas every day, led by rescue crews and civilians who have recovered or spotted bodies.

“Many of the rescues are carried out by the people,” he said of the thousands of ordinary Venezuelans who have pitched in for the recovery effort.

A dog trainer by profession who once helped the government locate drugs and missing people, Mirabal finds solace in the 12 dogs waiting for him at home, not counting the puppies. One of his favorites is Mila, a young black Dutch Shepherd who lay by his side on Thursday as he rested.

“It’s not easy at all to witness the suffering and tragedy of your fellow human beings,” he said.

Venezuelans wait in line to try to identify loved ones

Over the weekend, crews took dozens of bodies recovered from flattened buildings to a government-run health care facility in the city of La Guaira. They were left on a sweltering parking lot until families identified them, with funeral home workers estimating that more than 200 bodies were kept there at one point.

On Thursday, those who lost loved ones waited outside La Guaira seaport to identify bodies that authorities continue to pick up across the coastal state. Cars, including trucks and vans from funeral homes, formed a line outside a makeshift morgue.

Among those waiting was Robert Rodríguez. He sat on a concrete block, crestfallen, his legs dangling, waiting for his daughter to identify the body of his son-in-law. Rafael Alvarado died trapped inside a grocery store where he worked at the deli counter.

“He was her best friend,” Rodríguez said, referring to the couple as tears soaked his blue face mask.

Rodríguez said the family found Alvarado in the rubble on Wednesday, his body freed and transported to the port on Thursday.

“I saw his shoes and knew it was him,” Rodríguez said, adding that he warned his daughter. “I told her, ‘Prepare yourself.’”

He said the family plans to cremate Alvarado and scatter his ashes on Isla de Margarita, the Venezuelan island that was his home.

___

Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Police say the girls’ father shot all three, killing 4-year-old Harmoni Reed and critically injuring her mother and 2-year-old sister.

The GoFundMe identified the 27-year-old mother as Brianna Johnson and the 2-year-old girl as Rhythm Reed.

On Tuesday, officers responded to a home on Traci Lynn Drive and found Johnson and her two young girls suffering gunshot wounds.

Investigators said they learned that Trudale Reed, the girls’ father, was arguing outside the home with the girls’ mother and then fired multiple rounds, hitting her and their two daughters before driving off in a stolen SUV.

RELATED:‘It’s like time stopped’: Neighbor rushed in to help family after triple shooting that killed 4-year-old girl

According to GoFundMe, Johnson and her daughter Rhythm were still being treated for life-threatening injuries at the hospital.

“As Brianna focuses on healing and caring for herself and Rhythm while navigating this unimaginable loss, any support, prayers, or shares are deeply appreciated. Thank you for keeping our family in your thoughts and for the overwhelming love, compassion, and support you have shown during this incredibly difficult time,” the GoFundMe read.

If you would like to donate to the fundraiser, click here.

Hoffman, who won the Academy Award for best actor for his role in “Kramer vs. Kramer” (1979) and “Rain Man” (1988), will be honored for his outstanding artistic contribution to world cinema on the opening night Friday.

On Saturday, Hoffman will present “The Graduate,” his big movie from 1967 that earned him his first Academy Award nomination.

Binoche, who won an Oscar for best supporting actress in “The English Patient” (1996) and a number of other prizes, will receive the same award as Hoffman at the closing ceremony on July 11.

The festival will screen three of her movies: “Certified Copy” (2010), “Three Colors: Blue” (1993) and In-I in Motion (2025).

American cinematographer Robert Richardson, who is known for his work for directors Oliver Stone, Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino, will be the third guest of the festival to receive the award.

Richardson, the three-time Oscar winner for best cinematography, will introduce his feature documentary portrait “Robert Richardson: The White Devil” on Saturday.

The grand jury of the festival, which takes place in the western Czech spa town of Karlovy Vary, will consider 12 movies for the top prize, the Crystal Globe.

As America prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday next month, historians are reflecting on the handful of moments that transformed Jacksonville from a small river town into one of the South’s most recognizable cities.

RELATED: Here’s what you need to know about Jacksonville’s downtown Fourth of July events to celebrate America 250

A fire that changed everything

The date was May 3, 1901. A fire broke out at a mattress factory in the La Villa neighborhood, and by the end of the afternoon, most of downtown Jacksonville was gone.

“Probably the most significant day in Jacksonville history was the day the town burned down,” said Dr. Wayne Wood, author and historian. “The great fire of Jacksonville was May 3rd, 1901, when a fire at a mattress factory over La Villa blazed up in the embers rained down on the city, and one afternoon, the city of Jacksonville burned.”

In just a few hours, 90% of the city’s downtown was destroyed — making it the third-largest city fire in the history of the United States. The flames were visible as far away as Savannah, Georgia.

“A captain of a ship in Miami looked up in the sky that evening and saw two sunsets, one in the west, and one in the north,” Wood said. “And the one in the north was Jacksonville. This was a huge fire.”

Instead of starting over somewhere else, Jacksonville rebuilt. Developers, architects and investors poured into the city, replacing wooden buildings with brick, steel and concrete structures that transformed the skyline and put Jacksonville on the map.

“Although it was a disaster, it was the kindling that made Jacksonville grow into the great city that it became,” Wood said.

A new form of government

The city’s second major turning point came decades later, with a sweeping change to how Jacksonville is governed.

“Probably the second most important day in Jacksonville’s history was the day that we inaugurated our consolidated government,” Wood said. “Consolidation was a new form of government that was revolutionary and allowed Jacksonville to become what was known as the bold new city of the South, with expressways and shopping halls and expansion of the city in all directions. Jacksonville was truly, once again, one of the most modern cities in the world.”

Writing the next chapter

More than half a century after consolidation, some believe Jacksonville is now writing its next chapter — and the downtown sports complex is at the center of it.

Jacksonville Jaguars President Mark Lamping said the stadium project will have a lasting impact that reaches well beyond game day.

“This stadium is going to touch the entire community by putting people to work, by doing business with local companies, by buying products locally,” Lamping said. “And one of the biggest things going to happen is that there’s so many small and emerging businesses out there where this stadium project is giving them the opportunity to be able to gain experience and to grow, which means hiring more people in the future.”

Lamping said he hopes the project will be remembered as a catalyst for broader downtown growth.

“As we look back, we’ll look at a very vibrant, growing downtown Jacksonville,” he said. “And I think we’ll look back at one of the root causes of making that happen was the activity that’s happening right now around the sports complex.”

Whether it’s rebuilding after a fire, reshaping government, or reimagining downtown — Jacksonville’s story continues to be one of transformation.

In June, the bellowing and blubbery 5-year-old mammal hauled himself onto land for his twice-yearly tour of beachside towns in southern Tasmania state after months of feeding at sea. That's posing problems now that he weighs as much as a small car and has a social media following more than double Tasmania’s human population.

His rampage through local infrastructure has claimed bent traffic bollards, a sign warning the public about seals and a fence that did not survive Neil’s attempt to vault it. The rest of the time he lies placidly any place he likes, which is sometimes the middle of the road, bringing towns he visits to a standstill.

But officials say their biggest concern is that Neil's popularity could lead to ill-advised human-seal encounters that are dangerous for both sides.

Neil is a bad boy with a long rap sheet

Neil, the only male elephant seal to visit Tasmania in years, has commanded an enthralled TikTok following of 1.4 million in part because he acts like kind of a jerk. During this visit to shore, his 12th, his crimes have included picking fights with parked cars and smashing through barriers erected to keep him off roads.

Those antics have prompted some online to hail Neil as a kind of anti-authoritarian hero. But experts say it's normal experimentation for a growing seal.

Juvenile male elephant seals need to practice for dominance battles in which adults rear up and crash their chests together as they compete for breeding opportunities, said Sophia Volzke, an elephant seal scientist based at the University of Tasmania in Hobart.

With no other juveniles to practice with, Neil can only rehearse on Toyotas.

Officials plead for fans to leave Neil alone

Local officials fear that Neil is the latest wild animal whose social media stardom has outgrown what’s good for him.

“Neil’s fame is a bit of a double-edged sword,” said Kris Carlyon from Tasmania’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment, at a news conference in Hobart on Thursday in which he asked the seal’s fans to give him privacy.

“We have had some pretty silly behavior, instances with people carrying their small babies up close to him and simply trying to get that shot for Instagram,” he said.

Officials have urged the public to refrain from identifying the town Neil is currently delighting or terrorizing, depending on who you speak to. They fear a disastrous encounter between the seal and an admirer could force rangers into a risky operation to move him elsewhere.

Carlyon also warned of worse. In a 2023 episode, a walrus known as Freya who drew huge crowds in Norway was euthanized after officials cited a growing risk to human safety.

“There is a risk here of essentially loving Neil to death,” Carlyon said.

Neil’s problems will get bigger as he does

It’s usual for seals to return biannually to the place they were born to rest, fast and shed fur. Many species roam inland during visits to shore, sometimes leading them into beachside towns.

What’s unusual about Neil is that he's the only male elephant seal hauling ashore in Tasmania.

Sub-Antarctic islands south of Tasmania are home to breeding populations of elephant seals and Neil’s mother would have arrived from one of them to give birth, Volzke said. Females have been spotted ashore in Tasmania before, but topping out at the size Neil reached when he was a year or two old, they don't cause the same kind of chaos, she added.

“Humans got rid of those animals and now maybe they are coming back and repopulating areas that they were previously seen in,” she said. “We do need to find a way to coexist.”

That could prove tricky for Neil, and for the rangers, police officers and security guards who follow in his wake. If he survives to adulthood, Neil could measure up to 5 meters (16 feet) in length and weigh triple what he does now.

However, about 90% of male elephant seals die before they reach a breeding age of around 10, Volzke said.

For now, Neil the seal is occupying a stretch of sidewalk, unmoving and unbothered. Sometimes he canoodles with an orange traffic cone, to the delight of his online followers. It isn't clear why he prefers that location, which he has returned to even after being ushered away by rangers.

“He’s obviously decided this puddle surrounded by bollards, which are horizontal at the moment, is his spot,” said Carlyon on Thursday.

His fans can relate. The locals have mixed feelings.

“He’s one of our biggest exports at the moment,” said Dale Creamer, a resident of the town that the seal is currently trashing, who has not been personally inconvenienced. “It’s Neil’s world and we’re just living in it.”

Belgium rallied from 2-0 down to secure a dramatic 3-2 win, with a goal deep into extra time, on Wednesday and next faces the United States on Monday in Seattle.

Senegal led 2-0 with five minutes remaining but late goals by Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans pushed the round of 32 match into extra time. Tielemans then scored a penalty in the 125th minute.

Garcia was interviewed on television moments after the game. He said: “We know those teams, they lose their tactical structure toward the end of the match."

He then added: "We also knew that at 2-0 (up) they would do everything to protect their goal, which in my opinion is a grave mistake. Remind me when we're leading 2-0 not to do that."

Garcia's comments were perceived by some observers to be aimed at shortcomings of African soccer. The 62-year-old Frenchman posted a message on Instagram on Thursday night to clarify his words and said they were in no way a criticism of African teams.

“When I spoke of ‘those teams,’ I was referring to teams unaccustomed to managing a lead in high-level World Cup matches. My comments were by no means aimed at African teams," Garcia said.

"They could just as easily have applied to Asian, South American or European teams unfamiliar with that kind of pressure. As a less experienced coach myself, I learned the hard way that stopping play to defend a result at all costs is counterproductive.”

Statisticians Opta reminded Garcia of that by posting a message on X saying that, when he was coaching in French soccer, he lost three Ligue 1 matches after leading 2-0.

Garcia coached Lille to the league and French Cup double in 2011. He went on to lead Marseille and Lyon, as well as Roma and Napoli in Italy, before taking charge of Belgium in January last year. ___

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

Here’s a breakdown of what to expect this Independence Day.

Grocery stores

Publix is open on the Fourth of July with regular store hours. The chain only closes for three holidays each year: Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.

Winn-Dixie stores are also open during regular operating hours on July 4th.

Aldi locations will be open but will close early at 4 p.m. Hours may vary, so shoppers should check the ALDI store locator before heading out.

Trader Joe’s locations will also operate on modified hours, closing early at 5 p.m. on the Fourth of July.

The Fresh Market will be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Independence Day.

Whole Foods Market locations in Jacksonville will operate on modified hours, open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on July 4th.

Big Box Stores

Target will be open July 4th from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Walmart stores will operate on their standard hours of 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Costco is the notable exception — all warehouse locations will be completely closed on July 4th in observance of Independence Day.

Pharmacies

CVS stores will be open regular hours from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on July 4th. However, CVS pharmacies inside those stores will operate on reduced hours, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Shoppers who need prescription services should plan accordingly.

Walgreens store hours will vary by location on the Fourth of July. Some Walgreens pharmacies will be open while others will be closed. Customers should check the Walgreens store locator ahead of time to confirm their local pharmacy’s holiday hours.

Coffee shops

Starbucks locations will be open on the Fourth of July, though hours may vary by location. Customers are encouraged to check their local store’s hours ahead of time.

Dunkin’ will also be open July 4th, with most locations operating under normal business hours. As with Starbucks, it’s a good idea to confirm hours at your nearest location before making the trip.

The states and federal government accused Cal-Maine Foods, Versova and Hickman’s Egg Ranch of a behind-the-scenes arrangement to “artificially inflate the daily price quotations for eggs" between June 2022 and March 2025. In particular, their investigation found that the companies coordinated on what bids they would submit to Urner Barry Publications, a company that runs an index key to determining how much grocery stores, restaurants and others pay for billions of eggs each year.

In turn, that meant “higher prices for eggs sold to consumers,” alleged the complaint, which was filed in Iowa on Monday, the day the settlement terms were announced.

“When powerful corporations collude behind the scenes to raise prices, working families suffer the costs,” New York Attorney General Letitia James, who helped lead the investigation, said in a statement. “These egg producers manipulated the market to squeeze even more profit out of consumers and businesses."

None of the companies admitted wrongdoing under the settlements. But to settle the states' claims, Cal-Maine, Versova and Hickman's will collectively be on the hook for $3.3 million and 53 million eggs, James and others said. Those eggs would be donated by the companies and make their ways to food banks and nonprofits. The money will be distributed to the states.

The Justice Department and the states also outlined actions the companies will need to take, including adopting antitrust compliance programs and banning communicating with competitors on pricing and bidding strategies.

The settlements would still need court approval. The Justice Department's Omeed A. Assefi said Tuesday that the proposed settlements “resolve years of conduct that dragged on Americans’ finances and their everyday lives.”

Average U.S. egg prices soared to a record high of about $6.23 per dozen in March 2025, amid a bird flu epidemic that forced farmers to slaughter millions of egg-laying chickens. Egg producers blamed price spike on the outbreak, but critics accused big companies of taking advantage of their market dominance and the government began its investigation.

Monday’s complaint notes that price quotations “dropped significantly” after Cal-Maine, Versova and Hickman’s learned of the Justice Department’s investigation and were instructed to preserve documents in March 2025. Consumer egg prices also later tumbled — to under $2.20 per dozen as of May 2026 — as replenished flocks caught up despite the ongoing outbreak.

Cal-Maine maintained Monday that allegations of price manipulation were “baseless” and that it believes its conduct has been legal. It also noted that while it was part of a cooperative with the other egg producers, it left the group in May 2024.

Still, Cal-Maine CEO Sherman Miller said the company's settlement agreement “enables us to move forward so we can devote our full attention to what matters most: delivering affordable, high-quality eggs and egg-based prepared foods to consumers nationwide.”

Miller added the period the Justice Department reviewed “was a particularly challenging time” — noting that, beyond avian flu, the COVID-19 pandemic, weather and other market conditions have contributed to temporary supply shocks and high prices in recent years. He said Cal-Maine “took numerous steps to protect and grow its hen flock” in that time.

Versova echoed a similar sentiment, particularly pointing to the toll the bird flu has had on its farmers, who it noted “don’t set the wholesale price of eggs.” Instead, Versova said the price of most of its eggs depends on cost fluctuations of grain used in hen feeds.

Meanwhile, Hickman's owner Mantiqueira USA, which acquired the egg producer in November, said the “conduct referenced in the complaint predates our acquisition," noting that it is committed to complying with the law.

Some advocacy groups say the proposed settlements aren't enough.

“Consumers paid record prices while dominant egg producers reported extraordinary profits, yet the result is another settlement that corporations can treat as the cost of doing business rather than meaningful accountability,” said Angela Huffman, president of Farm Action.

Cal-Maine — the only of the three companies that is public and reports quarterly financials — reported a profit of $1.22 billion for the 2025 fiscal year. Under its settlement agreement with the states, the company would pay $1.5 million and donate 30 million eggs.

Meanwhile, per court documents, Versova would provide 20 million eggs and $800,000, and Hickman's would be on the hook for 3.25 million eggs and $1 million.

In addition to New York, these states were party to the settlement agreements: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Wisconsin.

The news agency didn't give a cause of death but said the 70-year-old Lam had a cancer relapse last year and was admitted to MacKay Memorial Hospital in Taipei on Tuesday. He fell into a coma on Wednesday and died Thursday evening, according to the report.

Lam, who was the manager of Causeway Bay Books in Hong Kong, moved to Taipei in 2019 over fears of legal troubles and reopened the bookstore under the same name in the Taiwanese capital in 2020.

Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te offered his condolences in a Facebook post.

“The passing of Mr Lam Wing-kee is deeply saddening, but the courage he left behind would not fade,” Lai wrote. “Taiwan will remember that a Hong Kong bookstore worker once told us in the most ordinary yet most steadfast way how precious freedom is and reminded us that democracy requires the efforts of generation after generation to defend it.”

Lam was one of five people affiliated with Causeway Bay Books who disappeared in late 2015. The store sold books and magazines that were not available in mainland China, including some that purported to reveal secrets about the inside lives of Chinese leaders and the scandals surrounding them.

The disappearances raised concern about Beijing's growing reach into Hong Kong and the erosion of freedoms in the city, which is part of China but has its own legal system and laws.

One of the five, Gui Minhai, a publisher who was a part-owner of Causeway Bay Books, went missing from his holiday home in Thailand. He was sentenced in 2020 to 10 years in prison in China on a charge of illegally providing intelligence overseas.

In an act of defiance, Lam gave an explosive account of his experience in 2016 that contradicted official Chinese accounts of what happened to the five booksellers.

He said that he was seized by Chinese authorities in October 2015 after crossing the border from Hong Kong to the city of Shenzhen on China's mainland, and that he was blindfolded for a 13-hour train ride to the eastern city of Ningbo, where he was kept under 24-hour surveillance in a room for five months by rotating two-person teams.

Speaking to a packed news conference in Hong Kong, he said he was later forced to appear on Chinese television to confess to crimes.

Last month, Lam told the Central News Agency that he had temporarily closed the bookstore in Taipei because of his health and that he couldn't say when it might reopen. A man from Hong Kong, who did not give his name, left a white rose outside the entrance to the shop on Monday.

Chinese and Hong Kong authorities have further tightened control over the city, shutting down virtually all dissent, following massive anti-government protests in 2019.

Hong Kong police, acting under a 2024 national security law, arrested two people in June who reportedly own a bookstore. They are suspected of selling seditious publications and receiving funds from foreign political organizations, police said.

Yet the anti-migration nationalist party is as polarizing as ever. Its meeting is expected to draw tens of thousands of protesters to the eastern city of Erfurt.

An established political force

Alternative for Germany, or AfD, is meeting to elect its leaders, which German parties do every two years. It will aim to put on a show of unity as it extends the terms of Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, who have run the party together for four years.

In last year's national election, AfD achieved the best showing by a far-right party since World War II. Its second-place finish left it as the biggest opposition party nationally and the strongest political force in Germany's formerly communist east. Its support has since climbed above the 20.8% it won then, with recent assessments putting it in first place.

Weidel said recently that “2026 is a year of destiny for AfD.” Mainstream parties say they won’t work with it, a stance often known as a “firewall.”

But it hopes to win 40% of the vote or more in a state election Sept. 6 in the eastern region of Saxony-Anhalt. That could put it on course for an absolute majority or in a position where it might try to attract defectors, paving the way for its first state governor.

Another eastern state election follows two weeks later in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and AfD is optimistic there too.

A slice of power

“AfD is standing before the gates of power, to some extent,” said Albrecht von Lucke, a political expert who edits the magazine Blätter für deutsche und internationale Politik.

AfD's first head of a county administration was elected in 2023 in Thuringia, the state where Erfurt is located. No more have followed since, as enough voters rallied around mainstream candidates to prevent a repeat.

But leading a state administration would be a far bigger prize. Germany's 16 states have extensive powers, for example in running the education system and in overseeing security matters.

Opponents worry about the prospect of AfD replacing large numbers of civil servants if it governs Saxony-Anhalt, and about the possibility of confidential information ending up in far-right circles or even Russia. “An AfD interior minister would be a security risk,” Gregor Maier, Thuringia's center-left interior minister, told ARD television.

AfD rejects concerns about it running a state government. “We will prove that we can do it better, and that is exactly what the old parties are afraid of,” Chrupalla said this week at a rally in Berlin.

Von Lucke, however, said it would be “a huge challenge” for the party to show it can govern Saxony-Anhalt well, with internal conflicts likely. “A lot speaks for this not succeeding,” he said.

A government under pressure

AfD has been helped by the deep unpopularity of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's national coalition government, which took office 14 months ago with pledges to reform and turn around Germany’s economy, Europe’s biggest. It is now embarking on potentially painful change after a long period of economic stagnation, but has yet to persuade voters that it can produce results.

Merz has pleaded for patience.

“It is unrealistic always just to lament decline, mope and wait for a big bang,” he said at an industry meeting recently. “There isn't going to be one. We are in a reform process ... and we are moving forward in this process.”

“We want to show that solutions are possible from the political center of this country, that we also recognize the problems correctly,” he added.

But AfD has long become adept at harnessing discontent with issues well beyond its signature theme of curbing migration, which powered its rise in the mid-2010s.

It has been supportive of the Trump administration's general approach, while criticizing the war in Iran. It also has long called for lifting of sanctions against Russia and opposes weapons deliveries to Ukraine. Merz, Chrupalla said, “thinks he has to escalate against Russia, like in the Cold War. He should be building bridges.”

A party under scrutiny

AfD is locked in a battle with Germany's domestic intelligence agency over the latter's assessment of the party. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution announced last year that it was classifying AfD as a proven right-wing extremist group, but suspended the designation after a legal challenge. In February, a Cologne court said the agency can't use the designation while it considers the party's lawsuit in detail.

Some want to see the party banned, and protesters expected to turn out in force on Saturday and Sunday likely will underline those calls. But Germany's supreme court has set the bar for banning parties very high in the past.

Opponents of the idea are wary of handing AfD a victory by having a plea for a ban rejected after lengthy proceedings. Merz and conservative allies say the priority should be for the government to prove it can improve Germans' lives.

In a 2025 report issued on Tuesday, the intelligence agency said there were no indications that the party had backed off its problematic views.

“Many statements by the AfD and its representatives reflect an understanding of the nation that is based on ethnicity and ancestry and contradicts the understanding of the nation enshrined in Germany's constitution,” it said. It pointed to calls for the “remigration” of millions of people and to regular talk of an allegedly planned “great replacement” of the population.

AfD vehemently rejects accusations of extremism and argues the agency is being weaponized by mainstream parties.

___

Kerstin Sopke in Berlin contributed to this report.

A heat wave is expected to continue across the eastern and central U.S. through the end of the week, with peak heat indexes — which combine air temperature with humidity — between 100 F to 115 F (37.78 C to 46.11 C), according to the National Weather Service. High night temperatures will bring little relief and records could be broken.

Earlier this week, French players cooled off from temperatures that hit 90 F (32.22 C) with field sprinklers during their match against Sweden in New Jersey.

Concerns about extreme heat during the games in the U.S., Canada and Mexico have been growing for months, with some scientists saying that FIFA's heat safety guidelines are “inadequate” and “impossible to justify," even for heat acclimatized players. For spectators, that could mean games are slower and less intense.

The world has warmed roughly 1.26 F (0.7 C) in the last three decades since the U.S. last hosted the World Cup, according to the climate monitoring group Berkeley Earth. Global temperature increases intensify and make heat waves and other severe weather more common.

The humid heat engulfing the country, as well as parts of Canada, would've been “virtually impossible” without climate change, scientists with the World Weather Attribution said Friday.

The 2022 World Cup tournament in Qatar was moved from summer to winter because of the extreme heat threat, and last year, temperatures soared at the Club World Cup. The soccer players’ global union warned that extreme heat would likely be a bigger problem at this and the next World Cups.

One of the hottest World Cup games was in 1994 in Orlando, Florida, when temperatures hit 110 F (43.33 C).

Heat is a leading killer of athletes

Heat hits people from both their surroundings as well as while their bodies warm during exercise. That makes it harder to cool down when it's really hot and humid, said Bharat Venkat, director of the Heat Lab at the University of California, Los Angeles.

“So when you’re exerting yourself on a particularly hot day, the likelihood of experiencing heat related illness or even death is much higher,” he said.

Intense exercise on a sizzling day can lead to extreme fatigue, impaired performance, headache, irritability, nausea, dizziness, cramping and dehydration, all symptoms of exertional heat illness.

Exertional heat stroke requires immediate medical attention and is the third leading cause of death in athletes.

When the wet bulb globe temperature — which includes temperature, humidity, cloud cover and wind — reaches above about 95 F (35 C), people lose their ability to cool off quickly, said Ryan Calsbeek, professor of biological sciences at Dartmouth College, and "the physiological mechanisms just break down.”

Heat-induced confusion could also influence a player's decisions and could determine a match's outcome, he said.

Are FIFA's heat safety rules enough?

Mandatory three-minute hydration breaks midway through each half are to protect players, and referees, from extreme heat illness. But they've sparked criticism from different groups: some say they're interrupting the game’s flow and give coaches a chance to shift momentum in their team’s favor, while some scientists have said the breaks should be longer to allow players to meaningfully cool and rehydrate when heat is extreme.

Matches outdoors during peak heat hours have also been limited, and those expected in warmer windows are prioritized for covered stadiums, FIFA said.

FIFA's guidelines say a match could be postponed if the wet bulb globe temperature reaches 89.60 F (32 C). But that temperature is “so extreme that in the military, at our basic training facilities in America, if it reaches 32, it’s black flag and all training has to be canceled and stopped," said Douglas Casa, CEO of the University of Connecticut’s Korey Stringer Institute.

Temperatures are forecast over 100 F (37.78 C) during Saturday's game in Philadelphia. The player’s union FIFPRO, as well as the American College of Sports Medicine, has called for matches to be delayed at 82.40 F (28 C) for safety.

Players can train for heat stress during exercise

Guilherme Passos monitors and prepares Brazil’s national team for extreme heat as a sport scientist at the Brazilian Football Federation.

He's helped the team acclimate to the U.S. heat. “If you expose them straight to the hottest time of the day you can lose a bit of training quality," he said. They use saunas or hot baths as they heat train during the competition.

When Brazil hosted the World Cup in 2014, Passos said, players covered less distance and reduced high-speed running, and instead increased their technical and tactical precision.

“Soccer players are a really unique mix of athletic attributes," said Calsbeek. “They have to have extreme endurance and explosive speed. And then on top of that, they have to make really critical decisions. All of those different facets of the sport will be affected by the temperature."

But soccer players aren't the only ones at risk. Many soccer fans are drinking alcohol and watching the World Cup. In heat, doing that is risky. Cities and stadiums have increased access to shade, cooling areas and water, and medical personnel are stationed in FIFA Fan Festivals and around stadiums.

“People are going to be dehydrated, super excited, and not wanting to leave the match,” said Calsbeek. “We’re likely to see, in those extreme temperatures, spectators pay the price as well.”

___

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

The government this week introduced to Parliament amendments aimed at increasing powers of the eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, Australia’s online safety watchdog, to enforce the ban on Australian children younger than 16 from holding accounts on platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube that has been in place since December.

The amendments would have given Inman Grant power to demand documents as well as information from platforms about their efforts to exclude young children. She can currently only demand information.

But the conservative opposition Liberal Party and minor Australian Greens party referred the draft legislation Thursday to an eight-week Senate inquiry. The center-left Labor Party government does not hold a majority in the Senate.

“It is outrageous the delay because what the eSafety Commissioner has said very clearly is that that will allow the platforms to go and just delete a whole lot of material,” Albanese told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

“Whereas if it was passed yesterday, that would have been the date from which these demands could be made by the commissioner. So then fines can be issued,” he added.

The amendments would also give the commissioner power to demand information from third parties, including age assurance technology providers, to test claims made by platforms about how children continued to circumvent the ban.

The bill would double the maximum fine to 99 million Australian dollars ($68 million) for platforms that fail to take reasonable steps to exclude children.

Greens Sen. David Shoebridge, who has always opposed the social media ban, questioned why a fine that had never been issued needed to be doubled.

“Doubling penalties that they've never used doesn't seem to me to be a meaningful measure,” Shoebridge told Sky News Australia. “Is that really going to be the thing that keeps kids safe online?”

Opposition communications spokesperson Sen. Sarah Henderson said the amendments needed to be tougher.

“This is a social media ban which is failing; a half-baked law which is poorly designed, which was rushed, which is badly implemented and which is not working,” Henderson said.

“We will interrogate this bill properly and, frankly, I think the amendments before the Parliament need to be tougher,” she added.

Parliament passed the initial legislation with overwhelming support in 2024. The 10 targeted platforms were given more than a year to implement the ban.

Many countries who have implemented or are planning similar restrictions have been closely watching progress of Australia’s ban.

The government initially reported more than 5 million children had accounts removed, deactivated or restricted after the ban became law.

But eSafety reported in March that seven in 10 children who held accounts on restricted platforms on Dec. 10 when the ban took effect remained on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok.

Inman Grant said in April she was considering court action against those platforms and YouTube, alleging they were not taking reasonable steps to exclude children.

She had been satisfied with progress made by the remaining restricted platforms: X, Kick, Reddit, Threads and Twitch.

Communications Minister Anika Wells said this week she had received monthly updates from eSafety since March and “we are not seeing improvements.”

The right-hander struck out seven and walked none through six innings, throwing 50 of his 69 pitches for strikes. The only baserunner for the Angels had come when Denzer Guzmán reached second on a throwing error by Mariners third baseman J.P. Crawford with two outs in the fourth.

Guzmán followed Schanuel with a single of his own in the seventh, but Miller got through the inning with a 1-0 lead.

The 27-year-old Miller took a 3-2 record and 1.97 ERA into the game. His season debut was delayed by a strained left oblique muscle sustained in spring training, but he joined the rotation in mid-May.

Angels rookie Walbert Ureña also had a no-hitter going through five innings, before Crawford led off the sixth with a double.

James Paxton pitched the most recent no-hitter for Seattle in a game at Toronto on May 8, 2018. Paxton was born and raised in Canada.

The Angels haven’t been no-hit since Sept. 11, 1999 — the longest active streak in the majors. In that game, they lost 7-0 at Minnesota, shut down by Twins left-hander Eric Milton.

___

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

The 16-count indictment against Republican Liz Murrill, handed up by a New Orleans grand jury, charges Louisiana’s first female attorney general with intimidation and malfeasance. At the center of the case are deepening rifts between state leaders in Louisiana, which is heavily Republican, and Democrats who control the state’s most prominent city.

Republican Gov. Jeff Landry promised a swift pardon, saying Murrill would not have her reputation tarnished by an “Orleans Kangaroo court.” Mayor Helena Moreno, a Democrat, was among those who had accused the state’s top law enforcement official in May of making threats against public officials.

Murrill called the case against her “retaliatory, meritless, and unconstitutional." Late Thursday, Murrill said she had filed for an emergency stay with the Louisiana Supreme Court.

“I will not back down. I will continue enforcing the law, fighting corruption, and doing the job the people of Louisiana elected me to do,” she wrote on X.

For months, political tensions intensified between Louisiana Republicans and New Orleans officials over a new law that abolished a court clerk office won by an exoneree, Calvin Duncan, who spent nearly three decades in prison. The change consolidated that job with another clerk's office, which Republican supporters said would make the local judicial system more efficient.

The change was staunchly opposed by New Orleans leaders, and in May, the city council set a special election that would have given Duncan a chance to win the newly combined job. Murrill responded by warning local officials in letters that they could lose their offices for violating state “usurper” laws, which forbid support for an unauthorized officeholder.

“We’re very interested in elected officials in New Orleans not being intimidated or threatened by letter or any other way,” special prosecutor Laurie White told reporters.

Bond set for Louisiana attorney general

Bond for Murrill was set at $400,000 on Thursday, according to court records.

Landry said he was ordering state police to investigate what he called “alleged improprieties” of the grand jury and those who ran it.

“The criminal justice system is a circus at its finest in Orleans and we will not have any of that!” he wrote on X.

The Republican Attorneys General Association said that making statements to local officials — in writing — was simply “issuing a legal opinion and warning public officials about the law” as part of her official duties. It called the indictment “as outrageous as it is dangerous.”

Moreno, who was elected in January and was defiant after Murrill sent the letters, on Thursday called it a “matter for the courts” and did not directly address the allegations.

“My focus, as always, remains on fulfilling the responsibilities the people of New Orleans elected me to carry out,” Moreno said.

Elected clerk says state targeted him

Duncan has said he believes state officials were retaliating against him in eliminating the job he won with 68% of the vote. Murrill and Landry have long refused to acknowledge his innocence, though he’s listed on the National Registry of Exonerations.

Republicans have said the change was not personal and supporters have noted that the offices of criminal and civil clerks of courts are combined in other parishes.

Duncan was a jailhouse lawyer who later graduated from law school. He founded a nonprofit dedicated to expanding incarcerated people’s access to the court system and was the driving force behind a 2020 U.S. Supreme Court decision that ended nonunanimous jury convictions.

Duncan spent more than 28 years in prison over a fatal shooting during a robbery in 1981.

The night before a 2011 hearing to consider new evidence, prosecutors offered to reduce Duncan’s sentence to the time he’d already served in prison if he pleaded guilty to manslaughter and armed robbery. Duncan took the deal and was freed but didn’t give up on clearing his name.

In 2021, a judge agreed that Duncan had been unjustly convicted and vacated his sentence altogether. Landry and Murrill have pointed to the 2011 plea deal in objecting to Duncan calling himself exonerated.

___

Associated Press reporter Jack Brook in New Orleans contributed.

“The Tale of KAHO” is the Japanese author's first full-length novel featuring a lone woman protagonist, according to Shinchosha Publishing Co.

“Kaho, a picture book author, is just an average young woman. But truly bizarre things start happening around her,” Murakami said in a brief message posted on the publisher’s campaign website. “I wrote this novel as I put myself in her shoes.”

His statement drew the attention of many fans, because most of Murakami's protagonists are young or middle-aged men.

“I'm excited about finding out how the story evolves around a female main character,” said Naoyuki Yamano, the first customer to buy the new Murakami novel.

Initially, the novel started as a short story titled “Kaho,” which Murakami rehearsed at a book reading event two years ago at Waseda University, his alma mater in Tokyo, with Mieko Kawakami, a renowned female author and fan of his work. The story was published in the June 2024 edition of Shincho magazine.

Takumi Hashimoto, a 33-year old office worker who attended the launch event with three fellow members of a Murakami book reading club, said he hopes to read a story from a female protagonist’s perspective and find out how the story evolved from a series of magazine stories into a full-length novel.

His companion, Mizuki Shirota, 33, said she was struck by the way Murakami portrayed the female protagonist’s emotions in the magazine version.

“The story was written in a way that makes you very aware of lookism, or how I, as a woman, am perceived by men ... there were parts that I even felt startled a bit," Shirota said. “So I want to read that again in the book."

Beaming and in all smiles, the group headed to a coffee shop open all night to immediately start reading the book.

One day, 26-year-old Kaho goes on a blind date arranged by her book editor. Over dinner, her date tells her that, although he has dated a number of women, “I’ve never seen one as ugly as you.” Baffled rather than outraged, curious Kaho tries to uncover the meaning of his words. Soon, bizarre things begin happening to her, including encounters with other mysterious characters, such as an anteater and a jaguar.

Murakami has since released three subsequent “Kaho” stories in Shincho magazine, most recently in the March edition. He weaves the four stories into a 352-page new novel with four chapters: “Kaho and the Motorcycle Man,” “The Anteater of Musashi-sakai,” “Kaho and the Termite Queen” and “The Guardian Angel, Elephant Egg and Scarlett Johansson.”

The magazine version of the first “Kaho” story has been published in English in The New Yorker, but the novel for now is available only in Japanese. Translation plans have not been disclosed.

The new book comes out three years after his previous novel, “The City and Its Uncertain Walls,” which follows a male protagonist navigating love, loss and the boundaries between real and subconscious worlds.

The self-described socialist government of Rodríguez, striving for legitimacy months after the United States removed former President Nicolás Maduro from power in January, has come under fire for what residents have described as a sluggish and haphazard response to the quakes.

Residents of the hardest-hit state, La Guaira, have complained that the initial absence of a serious government search-and-rescue operation left them alone to scour for neighbors and loved ones with their bare hands. Rescuers have lamented the country's shortages of specialized equipment. Experts have warned that substandard construction of social housing projects — a hallmark policy of former President Hugo Chávez — left neighborhoods vulnerable to quakes.

At a press conference for foreign journalists in the capital of Caracas late Thursday, Rodríguez, wearing a black ribbon as a symbol of mourning, refused to accept the criticism.

“We did not wait one day, two days or three days. We activated immediately,” she said, lacing into media outlets that she accused of spreading misinformation. “To politicize a humanitarian tragedy like this — when the Venezuelan government and its authorities have spared no effort, public, private, national, or international — is disgraceful."

Authorities have counted at least 2,295 people killed by the earthquake as of Wednesday — a number that’s expected to rise. They did not offer an updated death toll on Thursday, and have maintained tight control over public communications and relief efforts.

A rare bright spot in the misery

The stench of decomposition hung heavy over streets of flattened buildings as rescue missions to find survivors of Venezuela’s devastating earthquakes increasingly turned to the recovery of corpses.

Desperate for good news, Venezuelan and international emergency workers celebrated the near-miraculous rescue of a 43-year-old security guard found alive after nearly eight days under the rubble — five days beyond the critical 72-hour mark following a quake when experts say finding survivors is most likely.

National broadcasters reran footage of the exuberant moment he was pried free from the collapsed mall and lifted onto a stretcher as crowds cheered. Trapped in an air pocket beneath the concrete, Hernán Alberto Gil Flores survived on the food and water that rescuers managed to pass him through crevices.

Elsewhere across La Guaira, an air of hopelessness was setting in. The port city of Catia La Mar teemed with officials carrying body bags and stacking wooden coffins.

More than 38,000 reports of missing people — many of them likely buried beneath the rubble — have been sent to a website set up by the Venezuelan opposition, as the government has not given official figures for those missing.

When one journalist asked Rodríguez about the true, still-unknown toll of the disaster, citing reports that the United Nations is procuring 10,000 body bags, Rodríguez defended the government's tally.

“We do not want to speculate," she said. “The numbers we provide are rigorously verified.”

In La Guaira, several of Chávez's signature social housing projects were razed by the earthquakes, prompting suspicions of flawed construction. Rodriguez deflected the accusations, claiming on Thursday that about 80% of the collapsed buildings were privately developed. She did not offer evidence.

Rodríguez’s denies a slow government response

Pressed on reports that residents were on their own in the first 48 hours after the quakes, with heavy machinery and official aid scarce, Rodríguez acknowledged that “naturally, at the sites where the building collapsed, the first people to arrive were survivors of the collapse itself, relatives and neighbors."

But she railed against what she called “narratives manufactured in propaganda laboratories" and claimed that a day after the quakes, “We had already mobilized the full capacity of the Venezuelan state together with the private sector.”

The disaster has evolved into the biggest test of competence yet for Rodríguez, who served as deputy to Maduro until his ouster and became interim leader with the backing of the Trump administration.

Her comments Thursday came a day before the extension of her 180-day mandate as acting leader was set to expire. It was unclear what would happen once the deadline passes Friday.

Under Venezuela’s constitution, temporary absences are to be filled by the vice president — which was Rodríguez’s former role — for up to 90 days. These interim appointments can be extended by the national assembly for an additional 90 days. The National Assembly, controlled by Rodríguez’s party, can trigger a snap election if lawmakers declare the post permanently vacant.

U.S. support of a government under fire

In contrast to the aftermath of Venezuela's catastrophic 1999 landslides, when then-President Chávez rejected offers of assistance from an adversarial U.S., Rodríguez has publicly welcomed aid and rescue teams from governments across the political spectrum — including the Trump administration and its regional allies.

In expressing thanks for the foreign help, Rodríguez singled out Israel, which has no diplomatic relations with Venezuela. She praised President Donald Trump and Secretary State of Marco Rubio, saying they “remained constantly attentive and offered support.”

Washington has thrown its support behind Rodríguez in its bid to open up Venezuela’s lucrative energy industry and largely turned its back on opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, who this week accused Rodríguez’s government of blocking her return to the country.

The U.S. has committed over $300 million and deployed some 900 military personnel to support rescue operations. On top of that, John M. Barrett, the U.S. chargé d’affaires to Venezuela, said the U.S. would make revenue from Venezuelan oil production, controlled by the U.S. Treasury since Maduro’s seizure, available for relief efforts. That promise has made demands for more transparency in U.S. management of Venezuelan oil sales all the more urgent, analysts say.

“Venezuelans really need that money to be used for the protection of Venezuelans,” said Laura Cristina Dib, Venezuela program director at the independent human rights organization Washington Office on Latin America.

___

DeBre reported from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Associated Press journalists Ben Finley in Washington, Gabriela Aoun Angueira in San Diego, Gisela Salomon in Miami and Megan Janetsky in Mexico City contributed to this report.

___

Corrects that the deadline for the acting president expires on Friday, not Thursday.

Portugal advanced to the round of 16 after a 2-1 win against Croatia at Toronto Stadium on Thursday.

That doesn't even begin to tell the story of the most dramatic of clashes that relentlessly swung back and forth and ended in the cruelest way for Croatia when Josko Gvardiol's would-be game-saving equalizer 13 minutes into added time was ruled out for offside after video review.

Croatia legend Luka Modrić, age 40 and likely playing for the last time at a World Cup, looked crestfallen at the final whistle.

The 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo lives to fight another day and couldn't hide his relief when just moments earlier he stood helplessly on the sidelines in anguish, believing Portugal had blown it.

Here's how it all happened:

The First Goal in Added Time

After 90 minutes of play, the electronic board signaled 10 minutes of added time, and it was difficult to imagine at that point just how much drama would be packed into the coming minutes.

At the 94-minute mark, Rafael Leao sends a curling cross, and substitute Gonçalo Ramos rises highest to meet it, powering a header beyond the dive of the Croatian goalkeeper.

Cue wild celebrations from Portugal’s players. They now had to just ride out the final minutes and advance to the next round.

Croatia Strikes Back

As the clock ticks into the 103rd minute, Croatia knows it is nearly out of time.

From the left wing, Ivan Perisic hits a right-footed, in-swinging cross into the box.

Igor Mantanovic makes the slightest of glances with his head — and this is crucial — to flick the ball on. It bounces off the thigh of Mario Palasic and rolls across the face of goal.

Gvardiol lunges and sends the ball crashing into the back of the net.

Now it’s time for Croatia’s players and fans to go crazy. Ronaldo, meanwhile, shakes his head in disbelief.

But wait ...

While celebrations are ongoing, replays show Palasic was in an offside position when the ball came to him. However, it hit Portugal defender Renato Veiga on the way, which raises the possibility of him being onside because a Portugal player made the last touch.

VAR quickly starts to review the footage. Croatia’s hopes lie in the hands of the video assistants.

Portugal’s staff, meanwhile, have seen replays on the sideline and are convinced it's offside.

The crucial question is whether Mantanovic actually made contact with the ball before it hit Veiga.

This is because Palasic was standing in an offside position when a Croatia player last played the ball forward.

Sensors inside the World Cup ball can detect the slightest of touches and Eskås was instructed to go to the sideline monitor where he confirmed contact by Mantanovic.

“Croatia player number 20 touched the ball ... final decision: offside,” he announced over the stadium speaker system.

Portugal’s players cheered as if they’d scored a goal. There were tears in the eyes of Croatia players. Perisic dropped to his knees. Modrić threw his hands in the air.

In fury, Croatia fans threw bottles onto the field, delaying the restart by a couple of minutes.

What happened up to that point ...

There was nothing to separate the teams after a first half that failed to catch fire, but that all changed after halftime with Perisic firing Croatia in front in the 53rd minute.

Leao almost leveled for Portugal with a long-range curling shot that came back off the bar. Ronaldo then thinks he has scored for the first time in a World Cup knockout game, but his is ruled out for marginal offside, something that would become a theme of the match.

Portugal makes lots of changes. Ronaldo stays on

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez makes four substitutions at once in an attempt to turn the game. Crucially, he keeps Ronaldo on despite the veteran forward's struggles to make an impact.

From a Portugal corner, giant defender Veiga tumbles to the ground under the challenge of Nikola Vlasic for a penalty. Ronaldo steps up to fire down the middle of the goal, level the game and finally score in the knockout round of the World Cup.

Heroic goalkeeping by Diogo Costa

Croatia, which reached the final and the semifinals of the last two World Cups, has a slew of chances. Portugal keeper Diogo Costa blocks Matteo Kovacic's long-range shot and then stops another effort from the same player. He then makes a sprawling save to block Igor Matanovic from close range.

Petar Sucic does beat Costa, but his celebrations are cut short by the offside flag.

In the 81st, Portugal made another change, taking off Ronaldo for what could have been the last appearance at the World Cup.

At some point after leaving the contest, Ronaldo donned a jersey of Diogo Jota, the former teammate who died in a car crash exactly one year ago. He and his teammates basked in the emotion of the win and thought of their dear friend.

Meanwhile, Croatian coach Zlatko Dalić was left wondering what could have been, and he had some harsh words for the video replay rules and decisions.

“All these decisions take the joy out of football. I’m not saying VAR can’t sometimes be of help, but it kills the emotion of the game. It kills everything within you. It kills what you are experiencing in the moment. Football should be fair. We’ve gone too far about VAR.”

___

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

___

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

With four months to go until November’s elections, it's still unclear how much MAGA Inc., the country's largest political war chest with $382 million in the bank as of last month, plans to spend on key races. The silence has persisted even as Senate Republican leaders have urged Trump’s team, both privately and publicly, to pick up the tab for the president’s decisions.

Front and center is Texas, where Trump successfully endorsed fiery conservative Ken Paxton over Sen. John Cornyn, a choice that some Republicans grumble has turned a safe election into a toss-up that will drain resources away from other battlegrounds. Democratic nominee James Talarico, a state lawmaker, has made Paxton's history of corruption allegations a central target of his campaign.

“The president picked Paxton, and he’s got $350 million dollars," Cornyn recently told Semafor. “I think he can spend his money.”

Another challenge has emerged in North Carolina, where Sen. Thom Tillis declined to run for reelection after feuding with Trump last year over healthcare spending. Trump backed Michael Whatley, his former handpicked chair of the Republican National Committee, to run instead, and Democrats hope to flip the seat with former Gov. Roy Cooper.

Some in Republican campaign leadership are expecting MAGA Inc. to pitch in for Whatley in North Carolina, where the state’s several metro media markets can be pricey.

Republicans will likely be able to count on generous support from well-funded official party committees, which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled earlier this week should be allowed to make unlimited direct contributions to candidates’ campaigns. But even that sum falls short of what Trump has stockpiled in MAGA Inc. Even though the president is constitutionally barred from running again, he began raising money shortly after winning a second term, and he's regularly held fundraisers at his resort properties where tickets cost $1 million per person.

James Blair, the former White House political director who left his government job to coordinate the president's midterm efforts, was evasive in an interview with Sean Spicer, a former Republican spokesman who hosts a podcast.

“The president is going to expend substantial resources to win the midterms,” said Blair. “He cares deeply about the party winning.”

As a super PAC, MAGA Inc. can raise unlimited money from individuals and corporations. However, it is barred from coordinating with individual campaigns or national Republican committees, which adds to the sense of mystery surrounding its plans.

It’s been more than two months since Blair, along with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, pollster Tony Fabrizio and political adviser Chris LaCivita huddled at Washington’s Waldorf Astoria to discuss MAGA Inc.'s strategy.

The huddle was focused on assembling teams of vendors, such as advertisers, canvassing providers and digital media company leaders who had worked with the Trump team in key states during previous elections and who would be dispatched once plans were in place.

The president has spent much of the year waging a war of retribution against Republicans who have crossed him. He viewed Cornyn as insufficiently loyal, held a grudge against Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana for voting to convict him in an impeachment trial and assailed Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky as the “worst Republican Congressman in history." All of them lost their primaries to Trump-backed challengers.

Cornyn's loss weighs heavily on Senate Republicans, who suggest that Paxton could cost the party an extra $100 million to defend the seat.

Senate Leadership Fund, the principal super PAC aligned with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, is still expected to spend money on advertising in Texas but not play a central role given its obligations elsewhere.

Democrats must net four seats to take the majority, and they see Alaska, Maine, North Carolina and Ohio as their best opportunities. The Senate Leadership Fund has already committed to spending $342 million across these four states, plus Iowa, Georgia, Michigan and New Hampshire.

When Paxton came to Washington after winning the nomination on May 26, he had a cordial meeting with Thune focused on moving forward together, according to people with knowledge of the conversation who were not authorized to speak publicly.

Later that day, Thune suggested that Trump should be putting up money for a candidate whom Senate Republicans hadn’t asked for.

“We will do what we need to do to make sure the state stays red," Thune told reporters. "But I’m certainly hopeful the president and the resources he can bring to bear will be engaged.”

“It’s going to be an expensive race,” he added.

___

Associated Press White House correspondent Seung Min Kim contributed from Washington. Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa.

Ramos headed in the winner as Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 in a wild finish that also included a Croatian goal disallowed for offside just before the final whistle in a World Cup round of 32 match on Thursday night.

The game featured a matchup of 40-somethings — Ronaldo, in his sixth World Cup, and Croatia's Luka Modrić, making his fifth bid for a tournament title.

Ronaldo tied things up in the 68th minute on a penalty kick that gave the megastar his first knockout stage goal at the World Cup before being subbed out in the 81st minute.

“I never felt any of that (fear),” he said. “Yes, nervous. But as always, you have to be very positive for things to go well.”

Still, it was Ramos who gave Portugal the victory and a berth in the round of 16.

“I love that type of moment, I love that type of games,” he said. “I want to play every game like that.”

Portugal moves on to face Spain on Monday.

“First half we dominated the game. In second half after the goal we get a little bit panic, but this is football,” Ronaldo said. “After the penalty, I think it was a little bit better for us. We created a few chances and I think at the end of the day we deserved to win the match.”

In a postgame interview with Fox, Ronaldo proudly turned around to show that he was wearing a Diogo Jota jersey and his No. 21, one year after his teammate died in a car crash. “We knew this before the game. It was a so special moment. We speak today to our group, the coincidence of life. It’s unbelievable.”

Things got weird after Ramos scored. With Portugal and its fans still enthralled with his goal, Croatia thought it had tied things up 2-2 in the very last moments. But after a 2 1/2-minute delay, Mario Pasalic was called offside as VAR ruled no goal. Croatia fans threw bottles on the field and whistled in protest.

Croatia midfielder Petar Sucic said, “the referee said he didn’t see (anyone) touch the ball, he said that he had a sensor in that ball,” that caused the offside ruling. “For me, it's a regular goal.”

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez said it was, indeed, the chip in the ball that triggered the decision.

“I need to tell them (Croatia fans) the message is very clear: The balls now have a chip, and it’s very clear that’s why the VAR intervened," he said. "It's not a subjective opinion."

Croatia opened the scoring in the 53rd minute when Ivan Perisic scored off a cross from Josip Sanisic.

Ronaldo, booed loudly by Croatia fans every time he touched the ball, got his chance from the spot after Nikola Vlasic was called for a holding foul inside the box. Portugal’s megastar hitched his step and converted down the middle as the goalkeeper went to his right.

Modrić led Croatia to second- and third-place finishes in 2018 and 2022, and the match carried the weight of the two aging stars each trying to realize the dream of winning the World Cup. Modrić is 40.

The men, who were teammates at Real Madrid, shared a few smiles and an embrace ahead of the coin toss before the match. The two met on the pitch after the match, hugged and exchanged a few words.

“I played with Luka so many years,” Ronaldo said. "We’re nearly the same age. I think he’s a legend of football. He’s still a legend of football.”

Croatia coach Zlatko Dalić said this was “probably” Modrić's last World Cup, but added, "only God knows what will happen in the next four years. We’ll see. We’ll talk about it in Croatia.”

__

Lexie Linderman is a student in John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State.

—-

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here