Starmer’s former chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, is due to testify to a group of legislators investigating how Mandelson, a scandal-tainted friend of Jeffrey Epstein, was given the key diplomatic job despite failing security checks.

The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee will quiz McSweeney on Tuesday morning, before the whole house debates a demand by the opposition Conservative Party for Parliament’s Privileges Committee to investigate Starmer’s explanations of how Mandelson came to be appointed.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said that Starmer had “misled the House of Commons repeatedly” when he said that “full due process” was followed over Mandelson’s appointment.

It's a potentially dangerous day for Starmer, who has spent weeks fending off calls to resign over the Mandelson saga. Starmer fired Mandelson in September after new details emerged about the ambassador's friendship with Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died in prison in 2019.

Police opened an investigation into Mandelson in February over allegations that he passed on sensitive government information to Epstein when he was a member of the U.K. government in 2009.

McSweeney, a protégé of Mandelson who served as Starmer’s top aide, resigned in February, saying he took responsibility for appointing him as ambassador. He's certain to be asked about allegations by Olly Robbins, the former top civil servant at the Foreign Office, that Starmer’s staff pressured officials to rush through the confirmation so that Mandelson could be in the post at the start of the second term of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Ian Collard, the senior security official who briefed Robbins on the security checks, also said that there was “pressure to deliver a rapid outcome,” though he said that it didn't affect his judgment.

Starmer has denied that anyone in his office put pressure on the civil service.

The prime minister fired Robbins earlier this month after the revelation that Mandelson was approved for the job against the recommendation of the government’s security vetting agency. Starmer has called it “staggering” that Foreign Office officials failed to tell him about the security concerns.

Critics say Starmer’s decision to appoint Mandelson in the first place is evidence of bad judgment by a prime minister who has made repeated missteps since he led the center-left Labour Party to a landslide election victory in July 2024.

Starmer already defused one potential crisis in February, when some Labour lawmakers urged him to quit over the Mandelson appointment. He could face a new challenge if, as expected, Labour takes a hammering in local and regional elections on May 7, which give voters a chance to pass a midterm verdict on the government.

It would require a large number of Labour lawmakers to vote with the opposition on Tuesday for Starmer to be referred to the Privileges Committee, which has the power to suspend lawmakers, including the prime minister, from Parliament, for breaches of the rules.

Starmer urged Labour lawmakers to “stick together” and vote against the motion, calling it a “stunt” timed to damage the government before the May elections.

Censure by the committee exerts considerable moral pressure on politicians to resign. Its investigation into lockdown-breaking gatherings in government offices during the COVID-19 pandemic helped end the political career of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Johnson quit as a lawmaker in 2023 after the committee found that he had repeatedly misled Parliament over the “Partygate” scandal.

The plot was thwarted, but Austrian authorities still canceled Swift's three performances in August 2024. The singer's fans, known as Swifties, who had flown to Austria from across the globe to attend a performance of her record-setting Eras Tour were devastated, but rallied to turn Vienna into a citywide trading post for friendship bracelets and singalongs.

The defendant, a 21-year-old Austrian citizen known only as Beran A. in line with Austrian privacy rules, faces charges including terrorist offenses and membership in a terrorist organization. He could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.

He is facing trial alongside Arda K., whose full name also has not been made public. They along, with a third man, planned to carry out simultaneous attacks in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates during Ramadan in 2024 in the name of the Islamic State group. Beran A. and Arda K. never carried out their attacks.

Beran A.'s defense attorney, Anna Mair, on Monday told The Associated Press that her client plans to plead guilty to most of the charges but she did not specify which ones. Only Beran A. is charged in connection with the Taylor Swift plot.

He allegedly planned to target onlookers gathered outside Ernst Happel Stadium — up to 30,000 each night, with another 65,000 inside the venue — with knives or homemade explosives. The suspect hoped to “kill as many people as possible,” authorities said in 2024. The U.S. provided intelligence that fed into the decision to cancel the concerts.

Beran A. also allegedly networked with other members of the Islamic State group ahead of the planned attack. Prosecutors say they discussed purchasing weapons and making bombs, and that the defendant also sought to illegally buy weapons in the days ahead of the performance. In addition, he swore allegiance to the militant group.

Authorities searched his apartment on Aug. 7, 2024 and found bomb-making materials. The concerts were scheduled to begin the next day.

“Having our Vienna shows cancelled was devastating,” Swift wrote in a statement posted to Instagram two weeks later. “The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows.”

The trial is being held in Wiener Neustadt, about an hour south of Vienna. The proceedings are set to continue May 12.

Three attacks planned in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and UAE

Prosecutors have also filed terrorism-related charges against Arda K. in the trial in connection with the plan for simultaneous attacks in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

The third man in that plot, Hasan E., allegedly stabbed a security guard with a knife at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on March 11, 2024. He was arrested and remains in pretrial detention in Saudi Arabia, Austrian prosecutors said.

Beran A. and Arda K. did not carry out their plans in Turkey and the UAE. Beran A. returned to Vienna and then allegedly began plotting to attack a Swift concert there.

The Vienna plot drew comparisons to a 2017 attack by a suicide bomber at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, that killed 22 people. The bomb detonated at the end of Grande’s concert as thousands of young fans were leaving, becoming the deadliest extremist attack in the United Kingdom in recent years.

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Dazio reported from Berlin.

The road should get at least a little tougher in the coming weeks — but there's little doubt the defending champions are well-equipped to defend their title.

The Thunder finished off a four-game sweep of the Phoenix Suns on Monday night, winning 131-122 after pulling away in the fourth quarter. Oklahoma City is 12-0 in the first round over the past three years.

“It's a really good feeling," guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said of the sweep. “Just for our confidence as a group, it's good to get the playoff run started the right way. You never know what can happen — and usually the later you go, the better the teams, and the series won't go like that. You want to give yourself as many days as possible to rest.”

The 27-year-old Gilgeous-Alexander looked every bit like the reigning Most Valuable Player against the Suns, averaging 33.8 points and shooting 55.1% from the field. He was at his best in Game 3, scoring 42 points on 15-of-18 shooting.

He was very good again in Game 4, scoring 31 points on 10-of-17 shooting. The Thunder's offense was at its best in the series finale, with Chet Holmgren scoring 24 and Ajay Mitchell adding 22.

Oklahoma City shot nearly 54% from the field and made 17 of 34 (50%) 3-pointers.

“We played the right way, nothing out of the usual,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Guys were out there making aggressive plays and playing for each other. We have a formula we try to play with and we try to impose it every night.”

The Thunder will face the winner of the Los Angeles Lakers-Houston Rockets series in the Western Conference semifinals. The Lakers have a 3-1 lead after the Rockets won Game 4.

Even though they swept the series, the Thunder were hit with some adversity when starter Jalen Williams went down with a hamstring injury in Game 2. Oklahoma City still had plenty of depth to get past the gritty but overmatched Suns, who barely qualified for the playoffs after beating the Golden State Warriors in the play-in tournament.

Mitchell stepped into the starting lineup for Williams and looked confident, particularly in Game 4. He finished with 22 points and six assists, showing he could handle the larger workload in the postseason.

A second-round draft pick out of Santa Barbara, the 6-foot-4 guard has quickly become a vital part of the rotation.

“Ajay is one of the toughest dudes in the league,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Mentally, he's never shaken. He's never afraid of the moment. Ajay can be having the worst day ever and you would never know because he's so solid.”

The Thunder's superior size was also on display against the Suns, who were without starting center Mark Williams because of a foot injury. The 7-foot-1 Holmgren and 7-foot Isaiah Hartenstein combined for 24 rebounds on Monday night, including nine on the offensive glass.

Holmgren said the Suns were a guard-heavy team that tried to go small. He figures others will take a different approach but believes the Thunder are ready for anything.

“We're going to see different teams match up in different ways,” Holmgren said. "Some are going to go big and some are going to go small and play with more pace and open the floor. But I think we've seen a lot of what we could see at this point. Now it's just about going out and executing.”

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

Despite a tenuous ceasefire, the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed. Much of Asia, including resource-poor Japan, relies on that route for its oil shipments.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 1% to 59,917.46 after the central bank opted to keep its key interest rate unchanged at 0.75%.

The Bank of Japan said that while the economy was still growing moderately it was expected to slow as the war pushes for crude oil and other products higher. The vote by its monetary policy board at 6-3 was not unanimous. Pressures have been growing for Japan to gradually raise interest rates after keeping them near or below zero for years to combat deflation.

“There are various risks to the outlook," it said in a statement. “For the time being it is necessary to pay particular attention to the impact of the future course of the situation in the Middle East.”

Elsewhere in Asia, South Korea's Kospi edged up 0.4% to 6,641.02.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng dipped 1.1% to 25,642.69, while the Shanghai Composite shed 0.3% to 4,074.47.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.6% to 8,710.70.

The price for a barrel of Brent crude to be delivered in June climbed $1.85 to $110.08. Brent to be delivered in July, which is where more of the trading is happening in the oil market, rose $2 to $103.69 per barrel.

Brent prices were at about $70 per barrel before the war and have briefly shot to nearly $120. Benchmark U.S. crude added $1.43 to $97.80 a barrel.

The U.S. Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, and Bank of England will also be announcing interest-rate decisions this week.

On Monday, the S&P 500 inched 0.1% higher to its latest all-time high, at 7,137.91, a downshift following weeks of big gains driven by strong corporate profit reports and hopes that the economy can avoid a worst-case scenario despite the war.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 0.1% to 49,167.79. The Nasdaq composite index edged 0.2% higher.

Investors are also looking ahead to earnings reports from some of Wall Street’s most influential stocks, including Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms, Microsoft and Apple.

In the bond market, Treasury yields ticked higher following the rise in oil prices. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 4.33% from 4.31% late Friday.

In currency trading early Tuesday, the U.S. dollar inched down to 159.04 Japanese yen from 159.42 yen. The euro cost $1.1702, down from $1.1720.

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

“We just didn’t quit,” Theodore said.

Game 5 in the best-of-seven series is Wednesday night in Las Vegas.

The Golden Knights appeared to have won the game earlier in OT when Pavel Dorofeyev tapped in a loose puck with 9:41 left, but the apparent score was waved off when it was determined Vegas was offside.

“It was good we never stopped,” Theodore said. “It sucks that one got called back, but it was good to get it done.”

Vegas’ Brett Howden scored his second goal of the game on a tip-in with 9:35 remaining in the third period, and that forced overtime after Utah had stormed back with four straight goals.

“I liked the way we responded in the third after they scored,” Howden said. “We stuck with it.”

The Golden Knights raced out to a 3-0 lead with two goals in the first and one early in the second by Dorofeyev, Howden and Cole Smith.

Utah countered with four straight scores, capped by Clayton Keller’s wrist shot off a deflection for a 4-3 lead at the 5:10 mark of the third period.

“I’m proud of the way our guys responded to adversity,” Utah coach Andre Tourigny said. “It was a hard-fought game. We know how good they can be and I think we responded well in the second half of the game.”

Utah’s Karel Vejmelka stopped 31 shots. Carter Hart made 29 saves for Vegas.

Facing a three-goal deficit, Utah’s Nick Schmaltz and Ian Cole scored 29 seconds apart in the second period to set the Mammoth’s comeback in motion. Schmaltz got Utah on the board at the 8:04 mark, and Cole followed with a 50-foot slap shot at 8:33 of the second.

Michael Carcone tied it on another slap shot at 1:44 of the third.

Dorofeyev flicked home a wrist shot to put the Golden Knights in front just 72 seconds into the first. Howden then threaded another wrist shot past Vejmelka’s skate for a short-handed goal with 1:22 left in the period.

Smith’s tip-in at 3:27 of the second gave the Golden Knights their third goal.

“We started really well, lost ourselves for a bit,” Vegas coach John Tortorella said. “Momentum swung to their side, but we hung in there.”

Utah fell behind early after struggling to create scoring chances during the first period. The Mammoth tallied three shots on goal over the first 20 minutes. Only one came outside of a power play.

Vegas allowed 30 shots on goal over the final two regulation periods and overtime.

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Nikola Jokic snapped out of his prolonged funk with a triple-double, Spencer Jones provided a spark while subbing for injured Aaron Gordon, and the Nuggets staved off elimination with a chippy 125-113 win over the injury-riddled Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of their playoff series Monday night.

“I think we're a multidimensional team that can win a variety of ways,” said Jones, who scored 20 points and keyed a third-quarter spurt that gave Denver its big cushion.

Jokic had 27 points, 16 assists and 12 rebounds for Denver, which trimmed its deficit to 3-2 in the best-of-seven series. Jamal Murray scored 24 points as the Nuggets, who led the NBA in scoring, enjoyed a breakout after being held under 100 points twice in Minneapolis.

Jokic posted his 23rd playoff triple-double, third on the career list, as the Nuggets stopped a three-game skid and played the way they did most of the regular season in securing the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.

Game 6 is Thursday night in Minneapolis.

“They’re a championship team. They have championship DNA," said Julius Randle, who led Minnesota with 27 points. "They’re going to come out and have a sense of pride on their home court. They did that tonight. So, credit to them. We get to go back to Minnesota and have a chance to close it out.”

The Timberwolves, who trailed by 27, were without their starting backcourt of Anthony Edwards (hyperextended knee) and Donte DiVincenzo (ruptured Achilles), both of whom got hurt in Game 4, and they briefly lost center Naz Reid to a rolled right ankle late in the third quarter Monday night.

DiVincenzo underwent surgery Sunday, and Edwards is out indefinitely — but an MRI confirmed the absence of structural damage, meaning he could return to action if the Timberwolves advance.

Game 4 star Ayo Dosunmu added 18 points for Minnesota, but Rudy Gobert was finally neutralized. He scored his only bucket with 20 seconds remaining in the third quarter with the Wolves trailing by 25.

The Nuggets need to win the next two games to become just the 14th of 299 teams facing a 3-1 deficit to come back to win an NBA playoff series. Denver was the last team to accomplish the feat, doing it twice in the bubble in 2020, against the Jazz and Lakers.

The Wolves started out sloppy with nine first-quarter turnovers and finished with 25. Jokic swished a 29-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Denver a 60-51 halftime lead.

“It’s just a good win and then you move on,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said. “Tomorrow we’ll sit down and talk with the guys, get them right, give us a chance to go through things on Wednesday and try to win on Thursday.”

Jones, who scored 11 points in the first four games of the series, had 11 in a six-minute stretch in the fourth quarter when the Nuggets pulled away. He sank a trio of 3-pointers and added a breakaway dunk after learning just before tipoff that he'd start in place of Gordon (calf).

Jaden McDaniels, whose meaningless layup in the final seconds of Game 4 drew the wrath of Jokic and led to a dustup that resulted in ejections and fines and only added more fuel to an already-heated playoff rivalry, got into early foul trouble and scored 13 points. He was razzed by the Ball Arena crowd every time he touched the ball.

“We just ended up losing the day,” McDaniels said, “but we’re going to win the next one.”

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

The proposal would postpone discussions on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, something that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared to rule out in a Fox News interview Monday.

“We have to ensure that any deal that is made, any agreement that is made, is one that definitively prevents them from sprinting towards a nuclear weapon at any point,” he said of the proposal, which was delivered to the U.S. by Pakistan.

The White House said U.S. President Donald Trump's national security team discussed the offer and Trump would address it later.

The offer emerged Monday as Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Russia, which has long been a key backer of Tehran. It was unclear what, if any, assistance Moscow might offer now.

Since the war began, at least 3,375 people have been killed in Iran and at least 2,521 people in Lebanon, where fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group resumed two days after the Iran war started. Another 23 people have been killed in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Sixteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon, 13 U.S. service members in the region and six U.N. peacekeepers in southern Lebanon have been killed.

Here is the latest:

Rubio says preventing Iranian nuclear weapon remains 'core issue’

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was asked in a Fox News interview about Iran’s latest proposal, which would postpone discussions on its nuclear program but end its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz if the U.S. lifts its blockade and ends the war.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that at some point in the future if this radical clerical regime remains in charge in Iran, they will decide they want a nuclear weapon,” Rubio said.

“That fundamental issue still has to be confronted,” he said. “That still remains the core issue here.”

Asked if he thinks the Iranians are serious about a deal, Rubio said they are skilled negotiators looking to buy time.

“We can’t let them get away with it,” Rubio said. “We have to ensure that any deal that is made, any agreement that is made, is one that definitively prevents them from sprinting towards a nuclear weapon at any point.”

The crash occurred Monday when a long-distance train crashed into the rear car of the stopped commuter train at Bekasi Timur Station outside Jakarta. The car was one designated for women only, a common accommodation to stop harassment.

A total of 84 injured people were taken to hospitals for treatment, said Bobby Rasyidin, CEO of state-owned railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia. The bodies of the dead were taken to a hospital for further identification.

Rescue teams completed the evacuation of all victims from inside the wreckage about midmorning. "There are no further casualties,” said Mohammad Syafii, the head of the National Search and Rescue Agency.

All 240 passengers on the Argo Bromo Anggrek long-distance train were safe, officials said.

Police were investigating the cause of the accident, Jakarta Police Chief Asep Edi Suheri told reporters at the scene.

The Indonesian Ministry of Transportation said in a written statement that authorities believe the incident began when another commuter train hit a stalled taxi near Bekasi Timur Station.

That led staff to stop a second commuter train at the station, where it was struck by a long-distance commuter train.

“As for the chronology of events, we are leaving it to the National Transportation Safety Committee to investigate the cause of tonight’s train accident in greater detail,” Rasyidin said.

Accidents are common on Indonesia’s aging railroad network. In January 2024, two trains collided in West Java province, killing at least four people.

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Associated Press writer Niniek Karmini in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report.

A jury had previously convicted him of 13 charges, mostly related to sexual assault of three women.

Accusers and their families told Judge Jessica Peterson they continue to suffer from the trauma caused by Chasing Horse, 49, and struggle with their faith after he exploited his position as a spiritual leader.

“There is no way to get back the youth, the childhood loss, my first time, my first kiss, the graduation I never got to have,” said Corena Leone-LaCroix, who was 14 when Chasing Horse assaulted her. “The life that little girl could have lived has been taken from me forever.”

The Associated Press typically does not use the name of alleged sexual assault victims unless they come forward publicly, as Leone-LaCroix has.

Chasing Horse, wearing his navy blue Clark County Detention Center uniform, stared straight ahead as victims read their statements and remained quiet as he was escorted out of the courtroom. He’ll be eligible for parole after serving for 37 years, and has continued to deny the charges against him.

“This is a miscarriage of justice,” he told the judge on Monday.

Peterson said she was struck by his continued denial of the charges despite the evidence shown in trial.

“You preyed on these women’s trusts and their spirituality, and you manipulated them for your own personal gratification," she said before she announced his sentence. When the hearing adjourned, more than a dozen people in the courtroom clapped.

Other charges in Canada are still pending

The sentencing wraps a yearslong effort to prosecute the former actor after he was first arrested and indicted in 2023. That initial arrest reverberated around Indian Country, with law enforcement in other states and Canada following up with more criminal charges. Those charges are still pending.

The British Columbia Prosecution Service said Chasing Horse was charged with sexual assault in February 2023, though the date of the alleged offense took place in September 2018 near Keremeos, a village about four hours east of Vancouver. In November 2023, the case paused due to Chasing Horse’s charges in the United States, but resumed the following year.

After all of Chasing Horse’s appeals have been exhausted, British Columbia prosecutors will assess next steps, Damienne Darby, communications counsel for the British Columbia Prosecution Service, said in an email.

A warrant against Chasing Horse remains outstanding in Alberta, the Tsuut’ina Nation Police Service in Alberta said in a statement following Chasing Horse’s conviction in January. The Tsuut’ina Nation Police Service said that it is in contact with the Alberta Crown Prosecutors Office regarding the warrant.

January trial focused on his role as spiritual leader

Chasing Horse was born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, which is home to the Sicangu Sioux, one of the seven tribes of the Lakota nation. Following his appearance as the young Sioux tribe member Smiles a Lot in Kevin Costner’s Oscar-winning film “Dances With Wolves,” Chasing Horse traveled across Indian Country to attend powwows and perform healing ceremonies.

During his trial, Nevada prosecutors said Chasing Horse used his reputation as a Lakota medicine man to prey on Indigenous women and girls.

Deputy District Attorney Bianca Pucci told the jury that for almost 20 years, Chasing Horse “spun a web of abuse” that ensnared many women.

Jurors heard from three women who said Chasing Horse sexually assaulted them. The jury returned guilty verdicts on some charges. He was acquitted on others.

Needing medical help

Multiple victims described how they participated in his ceremonies or went to Chasing Horse for medical help.

Chasing Horse allegedly told Leone-LaCroix when she was 14 that the spirits wanted her to give up her virginity to save her mother, who was diagnosed with cancer. He then sexually assaulted her and told her that if she told anyone, her mother would die, according to Pucci. The sexual assaults continued for years, Pucci said.

Chasing Horse denied the allegations and his attorney questioned the main accuser’s credibility, calling her a “scorned woman.” His attorney had filed a motion for a new trial, arguing that a witness was not qualified to talk about grooming and that the statute of limitations had expired. That motion was denied.

Victims and their family members testified that they struggle with their faith as a result of Chasing Horse’s actions. The mothers of the victims said Chasing Horse betrayed their trust and abused sacred traditions.

“Even to this day I struggle to regain my faith and spirituality,” said Lynnette Adams, the mother of Siera Begaye, one of the other victims.

The AP typically does not use the name of alleged sexual assault victims unless they come forward publicly or approved the use of their names, as Begaye has.

Begaye said she still faces complications after suffering an ectopic pregnancy as a result of the assault and being forced to undergo surgery.

“I am choosing to see this moment as a fresh start," Begaye said. "I will rebuild my life, reclaim my voice and continue fighting for the future I deserve."

The Associated Press spoke with people who fled to the swamp-encircled community of Nyatim in recent weeks. They described having little food and no clean water in a place so desolate that a Starlink connection was used to call for help.

When aid workers reached out to South Sudanese authorities with a request to deliver emergency relief, however, it was denied. Reports that dozens of people had died, including some of apparent starvation, made no difference.

"It was a ‘no’ from local and national authorities and from the military,” said Yashovardhan, the head of mission for Doctors Without Borders in South Sudan, who goes by one name. “Meanwhile, people are eating leaves and roots to survive.”

The U.N. World Food Program, usually reticent about an issue that has simmered for years in South Sudan, also told the AP it had been blocked despite “numerous engagements with both national and local authorities,” according to the agency’s country director, Adham Effendi.

People say aid has been weaponized for years

It has happened over and over in South Sudan, whose people fought for years for independence from Sudan and then turned on each other. Whatever side that controls aid is accused of withholding it from the other, and civilians suffer.

This time, fighting has surged since Riek Machar, a longtime rival of President Salva Kiir, was suspended as first vice president and put under house arrest for alleged subversion last year. The two led opposing forces in a civil war that killed an estimated 400,000 people before a 2018 peace agreement brought them into a fragile unity government.

In December, opposition forces backing Machar seized military outposts in Jonglei state. Government forces struck back the following month.

On Feb. 7, soldiers reached the outskirts of Lankien town, where an aerial attack days earlier struck a hospital operated by Doctors Without Borders. Residents described artillery fire before soldiers stormed the town in armored vehicles.

Thomas Nim was among those who fled. With his pregnant wife, three children and mother, they made their way through swampland, hoping soldiers wouldn't chase them.

They and many others soon filled Nyatim, about a day’s walk away.

“Some of the most vulnerable, like the elderly and children, ended up in Nyatim because they couldn’t make it any farther," said Nim, a 43-year-old pharmacist.

As days passed and people began to die without food or good water, he called for help. But none came.

Opposition and authorities blame each other

Gatkhor Dual, an opposition official coordinating aid in Jonglei state, blamed county commissioner James Bol Makuei for blocking humanitarian access. Makuei does not want aid to reach people who “support the opposition,” Dual said, especially when they are near government-held areas.

Makuei acknowledged that access to Nyatim had been restricted but added that estimates of its evacuee-swollen population — 30,000, according to Doctors Without Borders — were exaggerated. He accused South Sudan’s main opposition group, known by its initials SPLM-IO, of holding civilians in Nyatim to attract aid and secure a foothold near the county seat of government.

Nim, the pharmacist, said there were no opposition forces in the area.

Concerns about aid diversion are not without precedent. Armed groups in South Sudan, including the military, have a long history of diverting humanitarian supplies for military purposes. During recent fighting in Jonglei, fighters looted more than two dozen humanitarian-run health facilities, according to the U.N.

Doctors Without Borders said it first reached out for help to Nyatim on Feb. 22. It asked again on March 3 after hearing reports of deaths. At the end of March, the medical charity issued a statement drawing attention to its efforts.

Delivering aid in South Sudan is never easy. Infrastructure is poor. River traffic, where available, has been attacked. Clearance from authorities is required.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis has deepened. In March, over half of the more than 1,000 children screened by Doctors Without Borders in Chuil, a community where South Sudan's government has allowed humanitarian access to enter, were acutely malnourished.

Aid workers have been overwhelmed. In February, Doctors Without Borders began expanding a four-bed facility, first to 60 beds, then 80. It is now growing to 100.

Other people are giving up on remote Nyatim and going home to ruins.

“People are returning to their homes,” said one of them, Koang Pajok. “There was no food and shelter.”

The World Food Program turns to airdrops

Unable to reach the area by road or river, the World Food Program has airdropped 415 metric tons of food to Chuil since March, country director Effendi said.

But as civilians come seeking assistance, so do young men wielding Kalashnikovs. Some people worry that could make Chuil a target.

On a morning in April, a plane circling overhead drew anxious onlookers.

“It’s a surveillance plane,” said Gal Wai Tut, who had arrived days earlier with his wife and newborn child. He recalled seeing a similar plane over Lankien on the day he said a December airstrike killed at least 11 civilians.

Don't gather in one place, an older man advised, saying a crowd is more likely to be targeted.

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Together, the sluggers have now accomplished something for the New York Yankees with their powerful starts that only Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra had done before them.

Rice went 404 feet the opposite way for a two-run shot to left field in the Yankees' 4-2 win at Texas on Monday night, his 10th homer of the season. Judge immediately followed by driving a full-count curveball 414 feet to tie for the MLB lead with his 11th.

“After he hit his, he said, `I'm not going to let Benny catch me,'” Rice said with a smile. “Just trying to keep him honest, keep him motivated.”

They became the second pair of Yankees teammates to each have 10 or more homers in the first 29 games of a season, joining Mantle and Berra in 1956.

“I’m glad that I don’t have to face them, let’s just put it that way,” said Yankees starter Max Fried (4-1), who threw six scoreless innings for New York (19-10).

“Benny’s off to an amazing start. Judgie, ho-hum, 11 homers already,” manager Aaron Boone said. “It's a pretty good combo there.”

Rice, a 27-year-old first baseman, is hitting .322 with 23 RBIs. Judge is at .252 with 19 RBIs.

“Just consistent at-bat after consistent at-bat. Like it’s must-watch TV at this point,” Judge said of Rice. “He's going to put something in play hard or he’s going to take his walk and pass the baton. It's just impressive to watch, and I get a front-row seat. ... And, makes my job easier when he does that.”

Rice deposited a 95 mph first-pitch fastball from Jack Leiter into the Yankees bullpen in left-center field to make it 2-0 with two outs in the third inning. It was Rice's sixth homer in 11 games.

Judge then homered into the left-field seats, the ball landing not far from the spot he hit his AL season record 62nd homer on Oct. 4, 2022. He also had two doubles and was hit by a pitch in his other plate appearances.

“Maybe his best game of at-bats. ... On all four times, stings two doubles, smokes the homer where he just rides out the curveball,” Boone said.

And it came a day after Judge also went deep on his 34th birthday.

Judge has hit 260 of his 379 career homers since the start of the 2021 season and already has four 50-homer seasons.

Rice has 43 homers in 216 career games since his debut in June 2024.

After their fast starts in 1956, Mantle went on to hit a majors-best 52 homers and Berra finished with 30.

When Rice was asked if he could keep pace with Judge all season, he said he's relishing the moment now.

“Yeah, I don’t know how long this is going to last, but I’m enjoying it. I’m enjoying it right now being this close,” Rice said before reflecting on the history he now shares with a trio of three-time MVPs: Judge and two Hall of Fame players.

“It’s pretty cool. I definitely would not have anticipated something like that,” he said. “But obviously the three names I’m surrounded with there are pretty big ones, so definitely very humbling.”

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

U.S. President Donald Trump seems unlikely to accept the offer, which was passed to the Americans by Pakistan and would leave unresolved the disagreements that led the U.S. and Israel to go to war on Feb. 28. And U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared to rule out any deal that excludes Iran's nuclear program.

“We can’t let them get away with it,” Rubio said in a Fox News interview Monday. “We have to ensure that any deal that is made, any agreement that is made, is one that definitively prevents them from sprinting towards a nuclear weapon at any point.”

With a fragile ceasefire in place, the U.S. and Iran are locked in a standoff over the strait, through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil and gas passes in peacetime. The U.S blockade is designed to prevent Iran from selling its oil, depriving it of crucial revenue while also potentially creating a situation where Tehran has to shut off production because it has nowhere to store oil.

The strait’s closure, meanwhile, has put pressure on Trump, as oil and gasoline prices have skyrocketed ahead of crucial midterm elections, and it has pressured his Gulf allies, which use the waterway to export their oil and gas.

Renewed demands to end blockade

Frustration among many nations is mounting, with renewed demands Monday to end the blockade that has had far-reaching effects throughout the world economy, including raising the price of fertilizer, food and other basic goods.

The Iranian proposal would push negotiations on the country's nuclear program to a later date. Trump said one of the major reasons he went to war was to deny Iran the ability to develop nuclear weapons.

The two officials with knowledge of the proposal spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door negotiations between Iranian and Pakistani officials this weekend. Iran's proposal was first reported by the Axios news outlet.

The offer emerged as Iran’s foreign minister visited Russia, which has long been a key backer of Tehran. It’s unclear what, if any, assistance Moscow might offer now.

Iran’s ability to choke off traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, has proved one of its biggest strategic advantages in a war that has often boiled down to which side can take more pain.

Oil prices have risen steadily since the war began, and tankers full of crude became stranded in the Gulf, unable to safely pass through the strait to reach global distribution points.

On Monday, the spot price of Brent crude, the international standard, closed above $108 per barrel, about 50% higher than when the war began.

Dozens of nations push for reopening of strait

Dozens of nations repeated calls to open the critical waterway in a joint statement led by Bahrain.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council on Monday that the humanitarian toll is mounting.

“These pressures are cascading into empty fuel tanks, empty shelves — and empty plates,” he said.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized the U.S. for going into the war with what he said was no strategy. “The problem with conflicts like these is always the same: It’s not just about getting in. You also have to get out,” Merz said.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot blasted all sides. He said the crisis began after the U.S. and Israel struck Iran without clear goals "in a manner that flouts international law.”

But he said Iran is responsible for closing the passageway. “Straits are the arteries of the world. They are not the property of any individual," he said.

Top Iranian diplomat meets Putin in Russia

Trump last week indefinitely extended the ceasefire the U.S. and Iran agreed to on April 7 that has largely halted fighting. But a permanent settlement remains elusive.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, Russian state news agency Tass said. Putin praised the Iranian people as “bravely and heroically fighting for their sovereignty,” and he said Russia would do everything possible to bring peace to the Middle East, Tass reported.

Araghchi told a Russian state TV reporter that the U.S. and its leaders “have achieved none of their goals” in the war. “That’s why they ask for negotiation,” he said. “We are now considering it.”

The meeting came as Pakistan has been seeking to revive stalled talks between Iran and the U.S., and negotiations had been expected in Islamabad over the weekend. Instead, Trump called off a trip by his envoys and suggested the talks could take place by phone instead.

Iran wants to persuade Oman, which shares the strait with Iran, to support a mechanism to collect tolls from vessels passing through the strait, according to a regional official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter.

Oman’s response was not immediately clear.

The official, who is involved in mediation efforts, also said Iran insisted on ending the U.S. blockade before new talks and that Pakistan-led mediators are trying to bridge significant gaps between the countries.

Trump says Iran offered a ‘much better’ proposal

Trump told journalists Saturday that after he called off a trip by his envoys to Pakistan, Iran sent a “much better” proposal.

He did not elaborate but stressed that one of his conditions is that Iran “will not have a nuclear weapon.” Iran insists its program is peaceful, but the U.S. wants to remove Tehran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, which could be used to build a bomb, should Tehran choose to pursue one.

Since the war began, at least 3,375 people have been killed in Iran and at least 2,521 people in Lebanon, where fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group resumed two days after the Iran war started. Another 23 people have been killed in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon, 13 U.S. service members in the region and six U.N. peacekeepers in southern Lebanon have been killed.

The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah has been extended by three weeks. Despite the truce, both sides continue to strike each other.

Hezbollah has not participated in the Washington-brokered diplomacy.

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Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Becatoros reported from Athens, Greece. Associated Press writers Farnoush Amiri in New York, Munir Ahmed in Islamabad and Jonathan Cooper in Phoenix contributed to this report.

They’re one loss away from a rare elimination.

Only six No. 8 seeds have defeated a No. 1 in a playoff series in NBA history. It’s happened only four times since the postseason was expanded to a best-of-seven series for all rounds in 2003.

But the Pistons were sloppy with the ball and careless overall in a 94-88 loss to the Orlando Magic on Monday night, falling behind 3-1 in their first-round Eastern Conference series.

“We have to take care of the basketball. We have to win the rebound battle. We just have to be in the moment of what this is. This is playoff basketball,” said Tobias Harris, who scored 20 points. “We have to be more ready to just go out and there and scrap up. We are a little too casual. Everyone knows that in our locker room. We have to be better every single guy. All of us have to be better. We have to look ourselves in the mirror and be better.”

Harsh words from a veteran leader.

Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 25 points but had eight of the team’s 20 turnovers. Meanwhile, the Magic turned it over just 12 times.

“We did so many positive things but 20 turnovers and give up 16 offensive rebounds. That’s hard to overcome and that’s what it comes down to,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “They’re sending a lot of bodies to (Cunningham). We have to help him by giving him more space so he has room to operate, set screens, be more physical, get the guys off of him but, again, we have to do a better job taking care of it.”

The Pistons haven’t advanced to the second round since losing in the East finals in 2008. They had five straight losing seasons before Bickerstaff came in last season and led them to 44 wins before losing to the Knicks in six games.

This is no ordinary 1-vs.-8 series. The Magic played well before faltering down the stretch and had to win an elimination game in the play-in tournament.

The Pistons, meanwhile, rose to the top of the conference while the second-seeded Boston Celtics didn’t have Jayson Tatum for the first several months.

Detroit has struggled in this series not only with turnovers but with finding scoring options beyond Cunningham and Harris. The Pistons shot 6 of 30 (20%) from 3-point range in Game 4 and 31 of 82 (37.8%) overall.

“Back’s against the wall. Whatcha gonna do? You’re gonna fight,” Pistons forward Isaiah Stewart said. “You have to fight until the end so let’s get back to the crib, protect the crib and take it one game at a time. The series is not over. We’re gonna keep fighting.”

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

The Thunder — who have a 12-0 record in the first round over the last three seasons — will face the winner of the Los Angeles Lakers-Houston Rockets series in the Western Conference semifinals. The Lakers have a 3-1 lead, though the Rockets won Game 4.

Phoenix has a 10-game losing streak in the playoffs, dating to 2023.

The Thunder closed the series with an overwhelming offensive performance — making 17 of 34 (50%) 3-pointers — and their big men played particularly well. The 7-foot-1 Holmgren shot 9 of 16 from the field and grabbed 12 rebounds, while the 7-foot Isaiah Hartenstein added 18 points and 12 rebounds, including seven on the offensive end.

Ajay Mitchell added 22 points and made four 3-pointers. Alex Caruso finished with 14 points and hit three 3-pointers in the first quarter.

Gilgeous-Alexander was reliable as usual. Two days after scoring 42 points in Game 3, he had another efficient performance, shooting 10 of 17 from the field.

The Suns showed some fight in the second half, cutting a 15-point deficit to 106-98 entering the fourth. Devin Booker scored 12 points in the third quarter on 5-of-8 shooting.

But every time the Suns got within a few possessions, the Thunder responded. Cason Wallace hit a corner 3 with 5:54 left to extend the Oklahoma City lead to 120-106. Gilgeous-Alexander followed with a spectacular layup, somehow getting the shot to fall over three defenders.

Booker led the Suns with 24 points while Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green added 23. Collin Gillespie added 20 points while making six 3-pointers.

The Thunder pushed to a 75-67 lead by halftime after shooting 61.4% from the floor and 60% from 3-point range, hitting 12 of 20 behind the arc. Gilgeous-Alexander had 17 before the break, making a wide-open 3-pointer just before halftime.

That offset a hot shooting start for the Suns, who made 11 of 20 3-pointers. Gillespie scored 17 before the break, making all six of his shots, including five 3s.

The Thunder were without starter Jalen Williams, who missed his second straight game because of a left hamstring strain. Suns center Mark Williams (foot) and guard Jordan Goodwin (calf) were also out.

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

Now, more than two years after DeSantis ended his presidential campaign and endorsed Trump, the governor is returning to the national spotlight — at least for this week. He's pushing state lawmakers to redraw Florida's congressional map as part of a coast-to-coast redistricting battle ahead of November's midterm elections. His proposal would make it easier for Republicans to win four more seats, equivalent to Democrats' potential gains from last week's referendum in Virginia.

With DeSantis' second term coming to a close, the special legislative session that starts Tuesday is one of his final opportunities to remind Republicans that he could lead the party one day. But there are also plenty of risks ahead for the 47-year-old governor.

Some Republicans are worried that a new map will backfire and make it easier for Democrats to pick up seats. In addition, DeSantis wants lawmakers to increase regulations for artificial intelligence and loosen vaccine requirements, two proposals that have previously stalled in Tallahassee.

Trump may be constitutionally barred from running for a third term in 2028, but that doesn't mean there's a clear path for DeSantis, who would likely have Vice President JD Vance or Secretary of State Marco Rubio to contend with in a Republican primary.

“The window for Ron looks reasonably narrow at this point,” said Whit Ayres, who served as DeSantis' pollster in his first campaign for governor in 2018.

DeSantis, for his part, is embracing the national fight. When House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., last week dared Florida Republicans to go ahead with their special session, the governor punched back with the kind of aggressiveness he showed in the early days of his failed White House bid.

“I will pay for you to come down to Florida and campaign,” DeSantis said of Jeffries. “I’ll put you up in the Florida governor’s mansion. We’ll take you fishing.”

DeSantis wants four more Republican seats

DeSantis unveiled his proposed map to Fox News on Monday even before it had been widely circulated among lawmakers. He argued that the 2020 census shortchanged the state's population, making it necessary to redraw the lines.

The governor's map, if approved, would reshape districts in Democratic areas around Orlando and Tampa Bay, while also condensing Democratic voters into fewer South Florida districts. The changes could cost Reps. Jared Moskowitz and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, among others, their seats.

The current maps yielded a 20 to 8 Republican tilt in 2024. DeSantis' version would aim for an advantage of 24 to 4.

DeSantis first announced the special session back in January, months after Trump started pushing Republican-run states to redraw their congressional boundaries. What followed has been a tit-for-tat redistricting battle, with each party looking for an edge in the midterms.

There's no guarantee that new maps would play out the way parties hope. For example, Texas based its revised lines largely on Trump’s performance in 2024, theoretically redistributing the president's voters across more districts to pull them into the Republican column. But Trump's popularity has waned since his reelection, including among Latino voters that figure prominently in the state.

Florida could face a similar conundrum. If the state creates more majority-Republican districts but with thinner margins, it could dilute their advantage and give Democrats more opportunities to win seats, especially if there's an anti-Trump backlash at the polls this year.

“If Florida moves like it can, the Republicans will at least be even,” said Karl Rove, a former top political adviser to President George W. Bush. If Republicans get too aggressive, “they may lose a seat or two.”

Brian Ballard, an influential Florida lobbyist who has been DeSantis’ top fundraiser, said it’s worth remembering that DeSantis was the muscle behind the 2021 map that expanded Republicans’ advantage in the state to its current levels.

“He’s incredibly smart and capable,” Ballard said. “And he doesn’t get enough credit for that map. He’s done this before.”

Florida legislative leaders appear hesitant

Still, DeSantis will be testing his relationships with lawmakers, especially in a state House chamber that has grown more willing to buck the governor in recent sessions. House Speaker Daniel Perez and Senate President Ben Albritton made clear for weeks that they were not drawing their own proposals and would react only to what DeSantis put forward.

Albritton has sent multiple memos to senators reminding them of Florida’s state constitutional limits on redistricting and the requirement that it not be done as a blatantly partisan act. Perez, who convened a redistricting panel last year, has said in recent weeks that he expects something to get done, but he’s been circumspect in his public statements.

“We’re ready to have that conversation,” he recently told WPLG in South Florida, before DeSantis released his proposal.

Besides redistricting, other topics won't be much easier. DeSantis wants to require tech companies to ensure children cannot interact with chatbots without parental permission. He also wants to prevent AI from generating harmful material for minors. The proposal will put DeSantis at odds with Trump, who wants the federal government to be the regulatory arbitrator of AI technology.

On vaccines, DeSantis wants to add a conscience-based exemption to public school vaccine requirements, similar to the existing religious exemption. The push aligns him with the anti-vaccine portion of the Trump base that was instrumental in pushing the president to tap Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as his health secretary.

Versions of DeSantis' proposals have passed the state Senate previously but did not advance in the state House, where Perez has been skeptical.

Ballard downplayed concerns. What may seem to some as strained relations with certain Republican legislative leaders, he said, is simply measuring DeSantis against the opening years of his tenure.

“I mean, he went from batting a thousand to maybe batting .600,” Ballard said, using a baseball analogy for the governor who played the sport while attending Yale. “That isn’t failure.”

The White House is watching

It's hard to say how the session will affect DeSantis' relationship with Trump or the president's supporters.

Trump grew frustrated at DeSantis when they were competing for the Republican presidential nomination, calling him “Ron DeSanctimonious” on the campaign trail. The governor, at least initially, gave conservative establishment figures and key donors an option other than the then-former president.

But Trump seemingly forgave DeSantis when he dropped out of the race and endorsed Trump following his victory in the Iowa caucuses. He even promised to call DeSantis by his actual name.

There's more bad blood within the White House, though. Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, a Floridian, managed DeSantis’ razor-thin 2018 victory, only for the governor to have a falling out with her.

Wiles did not respond to a request for comment. But Ayres said he’s certain she’s paying attention.

“Donald Trump has a long memory, and Susie Wiles has a longer one,” he said. “And that doesn’t bode well for Gov. DeSantis to be Donald Trump’s Republican successor.”

He will become the first British monarch to address the U.S. Congress since his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1991. Her speech highlighted the shared history of both countries and the importance of their democratic values, themes Charles will likely reinforce on Tuesday.

Such addresses are an opportunity afforded to only the most prominent world leaders, including Pope Francis, Václav Havel and Winston Churchill. It will likely mark the most extensive public remarks Charles will deliver during a four-day visit to the U.S. that's intended to celebrate the country's 250th anniversary of independence from Britain.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., became the first sitting leader of his chamber to address the U.K. Parliament earlier this year. He attended a garden party with the king in Washington on Monday and said he told him he would be “well received” in Congress.

The king, accompanied by Queen Camilla, will begin his day with a meeting at the White House with President Donald Trump. The Oval Office encounter offers the potential for the freewheeling, sometimes controversial meetings with foreign leaders that have become routine during Trump's second term.

But given the expressly apolitical nature of the British monarch and Trump's fondness for the royal family, the likelihood of an awkward meeting may be reduced. Trump will host Charles on Tuesday evening for a state banquet at the White House.

The visit comes at a challenging moment for U.S.-U.K. relations. Trump’s up-and-down relationship with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has taken a particularly sour turn over the past several months as the president has sought to rally international support for the war in Iran. Trump criticized Starmer, who has largely resisted his overtures, by saying “this is not Winston Churchill that we're dealing with.”

Trump has also imposed tariffs on the U.K. and warned of additional levies despite a Supreme Court ruling earlier this year that has made such unilateral moves more challenging. Trump threatened just last week to slap a “big tariff” on the U.K. if it doesn't scrap a digital services tax on U.S. technology companies.

Trump has more broadly challenged the traditional transatlantic alliance with efforts to annex Greenland and threats to walk away from NATO. He has repeatedly imposed tariffs on and taunted Canada, a member of the British Commonwealth.

Meanwhile, Charles has faced some calls on Capitol Hill to meet with victims of Jeffrey Epstein while he is in the U.S. There's no indication that he will do so even as the scandal involving the convicted sex offender has ensnared his brother, who was arrested in February over misconduct allegations, which he denies.

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., urged the king over the weekend to at least address the issue during his congressional speech.

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries blamed Republican policies on Monday for straining the U.S.-U.K. relationship.

“Hopefully, the king's visit is going to go a long way toward repairing the damage that this administration has done to one of our most important allies in the world,” Jeffries said.

Charles and Camilla arrived at the nation's capital on Monday and held a tea with the president and first lady Melania Trump. The royal couple will continue their U.S. trip later this week with stops in New York City and Virginia.

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Associated Press writer Stephen Groves in Washington contributed to this report.

The remark about the president's wife was part of a routine on Thursday's “Jimmy Kimmel Live” where the host pretended to deliver a comedy routine at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner. That event two nights later was cut short when a man armed with guns and knives tried to enter the Washington ballroom where the Trumps and much of the nation's political leadership had gathered.

“People like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate,” Melania Trump said in a social media post later echoed by her husband.

Kimmel described the joke during his Monday night monologue as a light roast about the first couple's age difference and “not, by any stretch of the definition, a call to assassination."

He said he was sorry that the president and everyone at the event went through that traumatic and scary experience.

“I agree that hateful and violent rhetoric is something we should reject," Kimmel said. "I do, and I think a great place to start to dial that back would be to have a conversation with your husband about it.”

There was no comment Monday from ABC.

Trump has long been on receiving end of Kimmel's routines

Kimmel has long targeted the president in his comedy, and he doubled down after a run-in with the administration last fall. Kimmel was suspended by ABC and some of the network's affiliates said they would take him off the air following a comment made about assassinated conservative leader Charlie Kirk, moves encouraged by Trump's FCC chairman, Brendan Carr. ABC and the stations later brought Kimmel back.

Upon his return, Kimmel said that by saying that “many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk,” he was not trying to make light of Kirk's killing and didn't want to leave that impression. He did not apologize, however, and he criticized station owners who took him off the air before later relenting.

Shortly after the incident, ABC signed Kimmel to a one-year contract extension that is due to keep him on the air until May 2027. His show has aired on the network since January 2003.

His late-night competitor Stephen Colbert — another frequent Trump critic — is seeing his CBS show end next month.

Dressed in a tux and standing behind a podium Thursday, Kimmel pretended to deliver a comic routine for the WHCA dinner. His speech had false “cutaways” to the Trumps and others, taken from video clips.

He noted Melania in the “audience,” saying, “Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow.”

“I appreciate that so many people are incensed by Kimmel’s despicable call to violence, and normally would not be responsive to anything that he said but, this is something far beyond the pale,” the president said on his Truth Social platform. “Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired” by ABC and its parent Walt Disney Co., he said.

His wife said Kimmel's “hateful and violent rhetoric” is intended to divide the country. “A coward, Kimmel hides behind ABC because he knows the network will keep running cover to protect him," Melania Trump wrote. “Enough is enough. It is time for ABC to take a stand.”

White House press secretary also weighs in

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said it was part of a campaign of rhetoric from Democrats and some in the media that “has helped to legitimize this violence.”

“Who in their right mind says a wife would be glowing over the potential murder of her beloved husband?” Leavitt said. There was no indication that Kimmel was referring to violence.

The National Religious Broadcasters association filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission, asking the agency to investigate ABC.

“We're seeing a pattern of violence in this country that didn't appear overnight,” said Troy Miller, NRB's president and CEO. “When influential voices joke about death or treat political opponents as disposable, it contributes to a culture where violence feels thinkable to the already unstable.”

During his routine, Kimmel noted Melania Trump's birthday Sunday, saying, “She's planning to celebrate at home the same way she always does — looking out a window and whispering, ‘What have I done?’”

He also said: “Before we go any further, Melania, this is Donald. Donald, this is Melania. That was my impression of Jeffrey Epstein.”

Cole Tomas Allen, the California man arrested after attempting to rush into the correspondents' dinner on Saturday, was charged Monday with the attempted assassination of the president.

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Associated Press correspondent Jesse Bedayn in Austin, Texas, and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed to this report. David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social.

They're not celebrating yet.

Desmond Bane scored 22 points, Franz Wagner had 19 in three quarters and the Magic beat the Detroit Pistons 94-88 Monday night to take a 3-1 series lead, putting the East’s No. 1 seed on the brink of elimination.

Game 5 is Wednesday night in Detroit.

“We put our ourselves in position to try to get four, but right now it means nothing,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “We have the advantage and now we have to try and make sure we keep that advantage.”

Orlando, which had to win an elimination game at home in the play-in tournament, is on the verge of becoming just the seventh No. 8 seed to defeat a No. 1 in a series in league history. It's happened only four times since the playoffs were expanded to a best-of-seven series for all rounds in 2003.

“This is a team that won 60 games. I’m sure they’re not blinking an eye about not being able to win three games in a row,” Bane said. “They did it multiple times throughout the regular season.”

Paolo Banchero scored 18 points for the Magic on 4-of-18 shooting. Orlando shot just 32.6%, with Jalen Suggs going 1 for 13, including 1 for 11 from 3-point range.

The Magic overcame their shooting woes by protecting the ball. They had only 12 turnovers to 20 for Detroit.

Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 25 points and Tobias Harris had 20. Cunningham had eight turnovers.

“We went into the series saying we needed to win a possession game,” Harris said. “That came down to the rebounding battle and also taking care of the basketball and in all of our losses that’s what we haven’t been at our best at. Obviously, we need to limit them from going to the free-throw line. They’ve been able to get us in close-out situations and break us down, get to the lane.”

Wagner left with 1:34 left in the third quarter due to right calf soreness.

Jamal Cain replaced Wagner and electrified the crowd with a driving dunk over Jalen Duren early in the fourth quarter. He also had a one-handed tip-in dunk that made it 87-85 with 4:55 to go.

Suggs missed his first eight shots before nailing a 3-pointer from the corner for an 85-80 lead. But Ausar Thompson’s layup tied it before Cain’s putback.

With former Grizzlies teammates Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. cheering him on courtside, Bane banked in a 3-pointer to extend Orlando’s lead to 92-86 with 1:16 remaining.

“It’s special. Those are guys I spent five years with, started my career with, made a lot of memories with,” Bane said. “I’m super thankful that they came out to support. It’s a friendship that will last forever. Those are guys that mean a lot to me.”

The 45-win Magic haven’t won a playoff series since 2010, when they lost in the Eastern Conference finals. The 37-year-old franchise has never won an NBA title.

The Pistons, who won 60 games in the regular season, have an even longer series drought. They haven’t advanced to the second round since losing in the East finals in 2008

The teams traded double-digit leads in the first half and the Magic led 54-52 going into the third quarter.

Riding a wave of energy from a frenzied, blue-clad crowd, the Magic scored the first eight points and led 19-7 before missing 13 straight shots during a 20-5 run by Detroit.

The Pistons had a 40-30 lead midway through the second.

The Magic improved to 8-1 at home in the playoffs over the past three seasons.

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

Barring a last-minute change, Jones will become the first person to plead guilty in a gambling sweep that led to the arrests of more than 30 people, including reputed mobsters and other basketball figures.

None of the other defendants have shown a willingness to plead guilty. On Monday, prosecutors said they were seeking additional charges against a co-defendant in the betting case, former Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier.

Jones, 49, is scheduled to appear at back-to-back plea change hearings in Brooklyn federal court before Magistriate Judge Joseph Marutollo. Court records show he is expected to plead guilty to at least one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Jones previously pleaded not guilty in both cases to charges of wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. Both charges carry a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison. He remains free on bail.

Jones’ lawyer, Kenneth Montgomery, declined to comment.

Jones was arrested last October along with Rozier, Portland Trail Blazers head coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups, and others, including a sports bettor accused of cashing in on injury information.

Jones was one of three people charged in both the poker and sports betting schemes.

Jones, originally from Galveston, Texas, earned more than $20 million playing for 10 teams in 11 seasons from 1999 to 2009. He and James played together in Cleveland from 2005 to 2008, and Jones served as an unofficial assistant coach for James’ Los Angeles Lakers during the 2022-2023 season.

Prosecutors say Jones sold or attempted to sell nonpublic information to bettors that James and former Lakers forward Anthony Davis were injured and either wouldn’t be playing or would play less time in certain games.

In the poker scheme, prosecutors say Jones was among former NBA players used to lure unwitting players into poker games that were rigged using altered shuffling machines, hidden cameras, special sunglasses and even X-ray equipment built into the table.

According to the indictment, Jones was paid $2,500 for a game in the Hamptons where he was instructed to cheat by paying close attention to others involved in the scheme. When in doubt, Jones was told to fold his hand, prosecutors said.

In response, according to prosecutors, Jones texted: “Y’all know I know what I’m doing!!”

Also Wednesday, the Senate Banking Committee will vote on whether to confirm President Trump's nominee, Kevin Warsh, to succeed Fed Chair Jerome Powell. The committee is expected to approve Warsh, sending his nomination to the full Senate.

At a news conference later that afternoon, Powell may indicate whether he will remain on the Fed's board of governors after his term as chair ends May 15. Powell serves a separate term as a governor that lasts until January 2028. Chairs typically leave the board when their leadership terms end, but Powell has signaled he could stay on. It would be the first time a former chair remained on the board since 1948.

If Powell, who has made protecting Fed independence a key part of his legacy, chooses to stay, he would deprive Trump of the opportunity to pick his replacement and fill another seat on the Fed's seven-member board. Three of the seven current governors are Trump appointees. At the same time, it could worsen tensions with the Trump administration and would create what some analysts refer to as a “two Popes” scenario, with a chair and former chair both on the Fed's board, which could increase divisions among policymakers.

At the same time, it might not affect the trajectory of interest rates much. Powell has generally supported reducing interest rates and would likely do so again once a spike in inflation, stemming from the Iran war's increase in gas prices, fades.

Warsh argued for rate cuts last year, but is unlikely to be able to reduce rates anytime soon, given that most policymakers have signaled they would prefer to wait and evaluate the war's impact on the economy.

Warsh's path to the chair was cleared Sunday when Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, said he would support him. Tillis had said he would block Warsh's nomination until a Justice Department investigation into Powell was dropped. On Friday, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, said she was closing the investigation.

Powell said at a news conference in March that he wouldn’t leave the Fed’s board until the Trump administration’s investigation was dropped, “with transparency and finality.” Pirro said her office could reopen the investigation if “the facts warrant doing so.” In addition, the Justice Department has said it would appeal a court ruling that threw out subpoenas it issued in its Fed investigation.

But on Sunday, Tillis said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he had been assured the appeal was just to challenge the principle behind the ruling, rather than to continue the investigation. Justice Department officials also said the investigation would only reopen if an ongoing probe by the Fed’s inspector general found evidence of criminal conduct.

“We worked a lot over the weekend to make sure that we were very clear that we had the assurances from the DOJ that I needed to feel like they were not using the DOJ as a weapon to threaten the independence of the Fed,” Tillis said.

Tillis even suggested, however, that Powell could remain on the board for some time after May 15: “I suspect Mr. Powell wants to see what happens with the appeal and to make sure that it is fully settled,” Tillis said on Sunday.

On Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked if Trump would oppose Powell remaining on the Fed board. She responded, “I think the president will be satisfied once Kevin Warsh is confirmed as the Fed chair," suggesting he wouldn't seek to fire Powell, as he has previously threatened.

Powell, meanwhile, said last month that even if the investigation was dropped he wouldn’t necessarily leave the board.

“I will make that decision based on what I think is best for the institution and for the people we serve,” Powell said.

The leadership turmoil comes while the economy remains unusually murky, putting the Fed in an difficult spot. Inflation has jumped to 3.3%, a two-year high, as the Iran war has sharply raised gas prices. That makes it harder for the central bank to reduce rates. The Fed typically leaves rates unchanged, or even raises them, if inflation is worsening. Fed policymakers are nearly certain to leave their key rate unchanged at about 3.6% on Wednesday.

At the same time, the unemployment rate declined in March and the number of people seeking unemployment benefits remains low, evidence that the job market may be stabilizing after signs of weakness earlier this year. Stable hiring would lessen the urgency for any rate cuts, which the Fed usually implements to boost borrowing, spending and job gains.

In a notable shift earlier this month, Christopher Waller, a key member of the Fed's board, voiced concerns that rising inflation could mean the Fed would have to stand pat this week. He also suggested that with the unemployment rate a still-low 4.3%, rate cuts might not be necessary anytime soon. Waller had dissented in favor of a rate cut in January.

A key change economists will look for is whether the Fed alters the statement it issues after each meeting to signal that it is possible that their next move could be either a rate cut or a hike. Right now, the statement indicates that any change to its key rate would be a cut. According to minutes of its last meeting in March, many of the 19 participants on the Fed's rate-setting committee support considering a hike, but it's unlikely to be a majority.

Now the administration is scrambling to put more durable tariffs in place to keep revenue flowing into the U.S. Treasury and to shore up the president’s protectionist wall around the American economy.

Starting this week, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative will begin hearings in two investigations that are expected to lead to a new round of U.S. tariffs — taxes paid by importers in the United States and usually passed on via higher prices to consumers who are already fed up with the high cost of living.

Trump’s newest tariff push is sure to face more challenges in court but is likely to prove sturdier than the one the Supreme Court tossed out.

First up is a hearing Tuesday and Wednesday into whether 60 economies — from Nigeria to Norway and accounting for 99% of U.S. imports — do enough to prohibit the trade in products created by forced labor.

“For too long, American workers and firms have been forced to compete against foreign producers who may have an artificial cost advantage gained from the scourge of forced labor,” U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in March. The administration could punish scofflaws with new tariffs.

Then, next week, the administration will hold hearings on whether 16 U.S. trading partners — including China, the European Union and Japan — are overproducing goods, driving down prices and putting U.S. manufacturers at a disadvantage. The economies being investigated account for 70% of U.S. imports, according to Erica York of the Tax Foundation. Again, the probe could result in new tariffs.

Most major economies, including China, the EU and Japan, are on both lists.

Trump's top trade official insists he won't prejudge the investigations

The administration has brought the cases under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which authorizes tariffs and other sanctions against countries found to engage in “unjustifiable,” “unreasonable” or “discriminatory” trade practices.

U.S. Trade Representative Greer, who is overseeing the investigations, has insisted he won’t prejudge them.

But importers and foreign countries have doubts the process will be fair. After all, Trump’s Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, did not wait for the investigations to be completed to proclaim that the U.S. government will replace its original tariff revenues with new import taxes, including ones to be imposed under Section 301. The president himself has said that new tariffs “are going to get us more money.’’

“If you believe the Treasury secretary and the president, then the cake is already baked,” said Scott Lincicome of the libertarian Cato Institute’s Center for Trade Policy Studies. “These investigations will result in tariffs that approximate what the Supreme Court overruled in February.’’

On Feb. 20, the high court ruled that Trump had overstepped his authority by invoking the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose double-digit tariffs on almost every country on Earth. Trump had used the act to plaster taxes on imports with eager abandon. For example, he conjured up a new tariff on Canada (though he never actually imposed it) because he didn’t like a Canadian television ad criticizing his trade policies.

He used the threat of IEEPA tariffs to strong-arm top U.S. trading partners – including the EU, Japan and South Korea – into accepting lopsided trade agreements. The levies also brought in a lot of revenue -- $166 billion – before the Supreme Court shut them down, ruling that IEEPA couldn’t be used to impose tariffs. Now the federal government must refund money to importers who paid those tariffs.

Tariffs remain Trump's go-to

Trump had a handy way to quickly recoup some of the lost revenue — which had been expected to hit $1.6 trillion over the next decade – at least temporarily. Section of 122, also of Trade Act of 1974, allows the president to impose global tariffs as high as 15% for up to 150 days.

The administration wasted no time. Two days after the Supreme Court decision, it slapped 10% Section 122 tariffs on imports. Trump said he’d raise the levies to the maximum 15% but hasn’t.

The clock runs out on those tariffs July 24. Congress could extend them. But lawmakers have little enthusiasm for approving what amounts to a big tax as November’s midterm elections approach: American voters are already furious about the high prices, for which tariffs are at least partly to blame.

Section 301 offers another opportunity to replicate the the protectionist impact of the IEEPA tariffs. There are no limits on the size of Section 301 tariffs. They expire after four years but can be extended.

Perhaps best of all, from the Trump administration’s perspective after its Supreme Court defeat, Section 301 tariffs withstood legal challenges when the president used them in his first term to pound China in a dispute over Beijing’s sharp-elbowed policies to promote its own tech companies.

Any new 301 tariffs are sure to be challenged again in court. But judges might not throw them out.

“Even if it is a veiled — or less-than-veiled — attempt to reinitiate the IEEPA tariffs, he still has the cover of the process itself,’’ said trade lawyer Joyce Adetutu, a partner at law firm Vinson & Elkins.

Importer calls investigation a "sham''

Critics have latched onto the speed with which Trump’s latest investigations are proceeding. Imposing the Section 301 tariffs against China in the president’s first term took nearly a year of investigation and public comment. If the latest investigations produce new tariffs in time to replace the expiring Section 122 levies, the process will have taken less than half that long.

“It’s such a short timeframe,’’ said Kenya Davis, a partner at the law firm Boies Schiller Flexner who has done pro bono work on human trafficking and forced labor. “It’s so condensed that it doesn’t make a lot of sense that they can do it that quickly.’’

Importers bracing for the return of painful tariffs can take some comfort in knowing that Trump’s Section 301 tariffs likely won’t be as erratic as his IEEPA levies. He has to follow procedures before imposing them.

“One of the reasons Trump used IEEPA is because it was just a complete blank slate’’ — or seemed to be before the Supreme Court ruling, Cato’s Lincicome said, describing it as “a little tariff switch in the Oval Office that Trump could flip on and off anytime he wants; he wakes up in the morning and he doesn’t like a Canadian television commercial, he flips the switch ... You really can’t do that with 301.’’

Stanton exited Friday's series opener at Houston after experiencing calf stiffness while running the bases and missed the following three games, including Monday's series-opening 4-2 win over Texas.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone revealed the results of an MRI after the game.

“It doesn’t look too serious, but enough to not want to wait a couple of more days,” Boone said.

Asked if Stanton could return as soon as he's eligible to come off the 10-day IL, Boone said that's possible, but he didn't want to put a timetable on it.

The Yankees recalled outfielder Jasson Domínguez from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before Monday's game, and the switch-hitter went 1 for 4 with a strikeout as the designated hitter in his big league debut this season.

They had an open spot on their 26-man roster after right-hander Luis Gil dropped to 1-2 with a 6.05 ERA in four starts and was optioned to Triple-A after Sunday's loss to the Astros.

Stanton, a five-time All-Star, is hitting .256 this season with three home runs and 14 RBIs in 24 games.

He has been plagued by injuries and hasn’t played a full season since 2018, his first with the Yankees. He has been out of the lineup due to injuries to his elbows (2025), left hamstring (2020, 2023 and 2024), left quadriceps (2021), and right ankle and left Achilles (2022).

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

Despite the closures, Brantley County Schools set up eight meal distribution sites Monday afternoon, placing coolers filled with food in school parking lots for students and their families. Hundreds of families showed up to collect supplies.

Corey Lesseig, an eighth-grade middle school teacher, described what was inside the bags.

“We have a lunch, we have a snack, we have our breakfast snack,” Lesseig said. “For every kid in the household that’s in here in Brantley County, they’re getting basically till lunch tomorrow.”

Andie McDowell, a school counselor at Hoboken Elementary School, said the need among students runs deeper than just food.

“Our students, a lot of our students depend on school for support and nutrition and extra things that they’re not getting right now,” McDowell said. “So, we’re glad to be able to provide them with anything that we can.”

Lesseig said the fires have directly hit families in his own classroom. Of the 17 students on his homeroom roster, 10 have either been evacuated or lost their homes.

“It’s devastating. It’s devastating,” he said.

Tracy Hay came to Waynesville Primary School Monday with her grandchildren in tow. She said the wildfires have upended her family, with her uncle losing his home and another family member dealing with smoke damage.

“This is a big blessing right here, just everyone helping with the community and the kids that lost everything,” Hay said.

For Hay, the outpouring of support carried deep meaning.

“It means a lot that the community come together and help one another,” she said.

Lesseig echoed that sentiment, saying public school teachers and staff see themselves as part of the same community they serve.

“We’re exactly what you thought we were,” Lesseig said. “We’re your neighbors. We’re your uncles and aunts and your parents and so we’re here for you.”

Brantley County Schools will remain closed Tuesday. It is not yet known whether schools will hold another meal distribution. Updates will be provided when an announcement is made.

The Lawrences served as hosts to roughly 50 children from a Jacksonville-area Boys & Girls Club.

News4JAX had Amber Milton capture the day in this photo gallery. Click through the images above to check out scenes from the day.

There was Sidney Crosby, his left knee throbbing after absorbing a blistering shot from the point by teammate Ryan Shea, limping off the ice and disappearing down the tunnel in the second period of Game 5 on Monday night against Philadelphia.

A few minutes later, with the Penguins' longtime captain still out of sight, the Flyers tied it. Suddenly, a contest Pittsburgh had controlled for significant stretches was gone. The young Flyers, many of them experiencing the cauldron of playoff hockey for the first time, were surging. A quick playoff exit for a team that spent six months defying expectations loomed.

And just like that, Crosby's familiar No. 87 returned to the bench. And just like that, he was over the boards and on the ice. And just like that, he was finishing off a shift by flipping the puck to Pittsburgh defenseman Kris Letang at the top of the Flyers' zone.

Crosby's back was to the play when Letang's somewhat innocent shot from the point sailed wide of the Philadelphia net. Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar kept his eyes forward, expecting a big rebound. It never came.

The puck instead glanced off the back of Vladar's left leg, then his right and trickled across the goal line to provide the goal that turned out to be the game-winner as Pittsburgh fended off elimination and forced maybe more than a little doubt into the mind of the Flyers, whose once-comfortable 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series no longer feels quite so comfortable after Pittsburgh's 3-2 victory.

Game 6 is in Philadelphia on Wednesday, and the Penguins will head across the state not only with momentum, but also with their unquestioned leader starting to look like his old self after an uncommonly quiet start.

Save for his brief retreat to the trainer's room, Crosby was everywhere. He assisted on Connor Dewar's goal in the second period, got another primary assist on Letang's second goal in as many games and nearly added a goal himself when his diving flick toward the Flyers’ open net in the final minutes clanged off the left post.

So much for looking every bit of 38. Monday night was vintage Crosby.

“When things get hard and your back is against the wall, there is no doubt in my mind that he’s going to lead the charge in terms of elevating and finding a way to do everything possible to help us win this game," first-year Penguins coach Dan Muse said.

Crosby has 21 points in 24 games in his career when facing elimination. His 100th career playoff victory looked an awful lot like the 99 that came before it, with Crosby doing a little bit of everything, including taking a wallop off his left knee, then returning a few minutes later as if nothing happened.

“I feel good,” he said. “I mean, that’s stuff that happens sometimes and you try to go to the front of the net and it’s just one of those ones that found its way. Sometimes they hit you, sometimes they go by.”

Crosby absorbed a direct hit, albeit from friendly fire, and bounced back immediately. It's been that way all season for the Penguins, whose surprising season has been marked by righting themselves just when it looked like things were about to get sideways.

What they're trying to pull off now would trump everything that came before it by a wide margin. The odds remain slim — only four teams have ever rallied after losing the first three games of a series — but they're not as slim as they were when the puck dropped for Game 4.

Crosby will take it. So will his team.

“I think the last couple games we found our stride a bit,” he said. "We should feel good about that ... we’re playing good hockey and we’ve got to go in there and find a way to win again.”

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AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Rebel groups have staged 26 attacks with explosives and drones since Friday, including a deadly blast Saturday on a highway between the cities of Cali and Popayan, according to Colombia’s defense ministry. The death toll in that explosion rose to 21 people on Monday.

Violence in the region is nothing new. Illegal groups have sought to control the area for decades, deeming it strategic for illicit activities, such as illegal mining and drug trafficking, including the cultivation of coca leaf, the raw material for cocaine.

Authorities blamed a group known as the FARC-EMC for the lethal explosion, near a tunnel on the Pan-American Highway. The group is led by Nestor Vera — commonly known as Iván Mordisco — a former member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known by its Spanish acronym FARC, who refused to join a 2016 peace deal with the nation’s government.

Sergio Guzmán, a political risk analyst in Colombia's capital, Bogota, said that Mordisco’s group could be trying to demonstrate that it has the capabilities to do serious damage, and is seeking to “establish its credibility” with Colombia’s next government as it positions itself for future negotiations.

“Part of what they are doing is establishing leverage towards the future,” Guzmán said.

Under President Gustavo Petro, a former member of a guerrilla group, the Colombian government has attempted to stage peace talks with the nation’s remaining rebel groups through a strategy known as " total peace."

The government has offered ceasefires to various groups in an effort to promote peace negotiations, but analysts say the strategy has failed, because these groups used the ceasefires to regroup, rearm and strengthen their grip over communities.

Groups like the FARC-EMC have been known to tax residents in areas under their control, and also forcibly recruit youth into their ranks.

“The government’s peace policy has been naïve,” said Javier Garay, a political science professor at Colombia’s Externado University. “They thought that if they had a condescending attitude towards these groups they would receive a positive response.”

In late 2023, the FARC-EMC entered peace talks with the Colombian government. But a faction led by Mordisco abandoned the talks in April 2024, and has been fighting the Colombian government since then.

Elizabeth Dickinson, a Colombia analyst at the International Crisis Group, said that Mordisco’s group is particularly strong in the provinces of Cauca and Valle del Cauca, where it's fighting for control of drug trafficking routes and illegal gold mines.

For the past two years, Mordisco’s group has also used drone attacks and car bombs, to respond to an offensive from the Colombian military in the Micay Canyon, a remote area covered with coca fields that is under the FARC-EMC’s grip.

Dickinson said that the latest attacks in southwest Colombia are one way for the group to show that it can sustain its “asymmetrical war” against the government.

Colombia’s defense minister on Sunday said that kidnappings and lockdowns enforced by rebel groups on communities had decreased in Cauca over the past year because of the government's actions.

In a nationally televised address Monday night, Petro said his government has fought drug trafficking and slowed down the cultivation of coca crops in Colombia, where he said 258,000 hectares (638,000 acres) were planted with coca in late 2025.

But the government’s total peace strategy has come under fire from the opposition, whose candidates are hoping to benefit from the nation’s security woes, as they promise to take a tougher stance on crime.

Petro is barred by Colombia’s constitution from running for another term. But his party’s candidate, Iván Cepeda, has promised to continue peace talks with rebel groups.

Cepeda said on X that he rejected the recent attacks in southwest Colombia, and urged authorities to investigate whether they were part of an effort to interfere with the election.

The request was echoed Monday night by Petro, who asked security forces in Colombia to investigate whether the explosives used in Saturday's attacks came from Ecuador, whose conservative government recently started a trade war with Colombia over security issues along their border.

“They want to sabotage our elections so that the extreme right wins,” Petro said without specifying who might be trying to undermine the May election. “They are scared,” he said in his televised address.

Voters in Colombia will head to the polls on May 31 to choose from 14 different presidential candidates, including Cepeda, and conservatives Abelardo de la Espriella and Paloma Valencia.

While Cepeda favors the continuation of Petro’s “total peace” strategy, his conservative rivals have said that they favor confronting rebel groups and putting more military pressure on them before resuming peace talks.

Guzmán said that while this weekend’s attacks “deepen the discomfort” with the security situation in Colombia — where a presidential candidate was killed last year — both sides will try to profit from this new wave of violence.

“Government supporters will use the attacks as an opportunity to say that that this is exactly why we need to reach urgent agreements with (rebel) groups,” Guzmán said. “Detractors will say this is why we need to more aggressively attack them.”

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

On Monday, officials said residents would be allowed limited entry during a break in fire weather, cautioning anyone returning to be ready to evacuate again if conditions worsened.

As of Monday afternoon, the Highway 82 fire stood at 22,600 and remained at 6% contained.

The guidelines for reentry are as follows:

Highway 110 corridor:

• Residents must show proof of residence at either Satilla Grocery/HWY 259 or Highway 32/301 (open lot west of 301) to receive a placard for entry
• Residents only; no commercial vehicles.
• Children under 18 must be with an adult at all times in the voluntary evacuation area.

The previous mandatory evacuation zone and road closures from the eastern county line, extending north from Hwy 82 to Hwy 32 and across to Boots Harrison Road, are also being modified.

The following roads have reopened:

• Post Road (side roads off Post that are not through roads are open)
• Eastern portion of Albert Gibson (west of Boots Harrison remains closed)
• Eastern portion of Murphy Road to Mineral Springs

Deputies will remain in the area to direct residents and ensure everyone is safe.

As of Saturday, the fire had destroyed at least 87 homes, including some belonging to first responders who continue to work despite their personal loss.

“I’m just thrilled to be back,” Debra Brantley said. “We’ve tried four times, and we have six dogs, and we’ve traveled back and forth to Glennville to stay with my husband’s mother, and she had fencing, and it was very convenient, comfortable, but there’s no place like home.”

Brantley was one of many who lined up in the Satilla Grocery parking lot Monday afternoon to get a placard, giving her and her family permission to go back home. Her home was not damaged in the fire.

She said her family would be prepared to leave if conditions took a turn for the worse again.

John Huffman also got to go home, a refreshing change of pace from the last week.

“It’s just been tense,” he said. “My home is fine. So I am one of the lucky ones where there’s no damage. But like I said, there are a lot out there that have lost a lot, and so the extra protection for the area is wonderful.”

“So far, my family’s safe and their homes are safe,” Brantley said. “It’s just unbelievable. And I hope the best for everybody. Just keep praying, you know, to Jehovah our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and just stay together and love one another."

More than 56 million people in the Midwest and parts of the South were at risk of severe storms, with tornado warnings posted in southeastern Missouri, southern Illinois and northern Arkansas, the National Weather Service said.

A thunderstorm that whipped through Kent County, Michigan, with powerful winds caused a tree to fall and kill a 39-year-old man who had been outside with friends, the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

The friends said “the man warned them to move just before the tree came down, actions they believe likely prevented more of them from being struck,” according to the sheriff's office. The storm resulted in dozens of downed trees and wires.

Across Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan more than 250,000 people were without power Monday night.

We Energies in Wisconsin said it had restored power for more than 35,000 customers but thousands more remained without electricity. Milwaukee said it had nearly 100 emergency calls for downed trees and branches. Trees uprooted by strong winds blocked streets.

In Kansas City, Missouri, the fire department responded to 11 water rescues from vehicles starting at shortly before 6 a.m., Battalion Chief Riley Nolan said in an email.

He said most “were in our typical ‘high-water’ areas following heavy rains.” Nolan said no boats were required and no injuries were reported.

The weather service reported that 3.2 inches (8.1 centimeters) of rain fell in a six-hour period ending shortly before 7 a.m. at the Kansas City International Airport.

Hundreds of schools in the St. Louis area closed early, and many after-school activities were canceled.

Temperatures near 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26 degrees Celsius) and other factors were contributing to “atmospheric instability,” said Evan Bentley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma.

The storms followed rounds of violent weather over the weekend.

In northern Texas, a tornado-producing thunderstorm left at least two people dead and displaced at least 20 families, with many homes sustaining major damage, authorities said Sunday.

National Weather Service teams confirmed that an EF-2 tornado with peak winds of 135 mph (217 kph) touched down in the Runaway Bay area on Saturday. An EF-1 tornado with peak winds of 105 mph (169 kph) was confirmed in the Springtown area, the weather service said.

Sidney Crosby shook off a shot to his left knee to add two assists for the Penguins, who cut the Flyers’ lead in the best-of-seven series to 3-2.

Game 6 is Wednesday in Philadelphia, where the pressure will be on the Flyers to avoid putting themselves in danger of becoming just the fifth team in NHL history to blow a series after winning the first three games.

“We know it’s a big challenge going into there," Crosby said. "But I think we have a lot of belief in our group, and we’ve done it time and time again.”

Alex Bump scored in his playoff debut for Philadelphia, who rallied from a 2-0 deficit to tie it on Travis Sanheim's second goal of the series 15:06 into the second.

Crosby, who limped to the bench and then to the training room for treatment minutes earlier after a blast from the point by teammate Ryan Shea appeared to hit the top of his left knee, helped put the Penguins back in front just over two minutes later when he fed the puck to Letang at the top of the Philadelphia zone.

Letang sent a shot toward Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar that sailed wide of the net before bouncing back toward Vladar. The puck smacked off Vladar's left pad, then his right and across the goal line to give Pittsburgh the lead for good.

“Bounces are part of the game,” Penguins coach Dan Muse said. “But I think you earn them when you're working and you try to do the right things. That’s usually when the bounces go your way.”

After four games of mostly low-event hockey, Game 5 started with a frantic pace, a style that favors the Penguins, who finished as the NHL's third-highest-scoring team during the regular season.

That offense went largely missing while Pittsburgh fell into a 3-0 hole. Pushed to the brink, it has returned with a flourish, and this time it wasn't just Crosby, Letang and Evgeni Malkin shouldering the burden.

Soderblom's first goal of the playoffs and Dewar's second gave Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead in the second period. Philadelphia responded behind Bump and Sanheim, but Letang's fluky score late in the second was the difference.

Pittsburgh will take the ice on Wednesday, having all the momentum after two games in which they looked like the resilient, resourceful group that was among the NHL's biggest surprises.

The Flyers and their late playoff surge were one of the others, though Philadelphia and its talented young core will have the difficult task of finishing off a more experienced group with Hall of Famers scattered across the roster.

“They are a veteran team, they know what it takes to win,” Vladar said. "We are still a young team. We’ve got to learn that. We’ve got to bounce back. Still try to play our game, not their game.”

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AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

The Sandalwood High School band has been invited to march in the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C., next month. The band has raised just over $38,000 so far but needs to reach $60,000 to cover the cost of participating in the parade, travel, hotel and food.

Students say the opportunity means everything to them.

“It would just be such an honor because, at least in Jacksonville, there’s only so many schools that are able to go and do things like this,” said Sophia Peugnet, a senior at Sandalwood High School. “We have like some of our art schools, some of bigger schools in Florida that are able to go on all these fun trips, but us at little old Sandalwood here in Jacksonville, it would just such an awesome opportunity to go to D.C.”

Junior Jaida Nealey echoed that sentiment, emphasizing just how much the band means to her and her fellow students.

“I am at Sandalwood four or five out of the seven days of the week every day and it means so much to me,” Nealey said. “We’re working so hard. So, to be able to go out and show people our hard work and how much effort we put into this, it would just mean so much. So, help us out if you can.”

Those interested in donating to the Sandalwood High School band can find the link here.

Goldstar Adjusters offered steps homeowners should take now and cautioned that the claims process can be slow.

What to do now

• Contact your insurer immediately to start a claim.
• Document everything with photos and videos — inside and outside the home, including open drawers and overall room shots.
• Use existing images, such as family photos or real estate listings, to show what was in the house.
• Gather proof of ownership: credit card records, receipts and online purchase histories (Amazon, Walmart, etc.).
• Get your policy in writing and review coverage limits, including any additional living expenses you may be owed if displaced.
• Keep every receipt; insurers typically reimburse based on documentation.

“Images from your phone, family photos to see what was in each room … and then prove or establish as much of that stuff existed in your home through credit card, receipts, your Walmart account, your Amazon account,” Peter LaFramboise, a public insurance adjuster with Goldstar Adjusters.

“You should expect a long process,” Mark Goldwich said, president and CEO of Goldstar Adjusters. “These tend to not be over quickly.”

Goldwich urged homeowners to prioritize safety first, then compile long lists of damaged items, document conversations and collect repair quotes. Seek professional help if needed, he said.

Experts also warn homeowners not to accept rushed settlement offers. Initial offers can be low; policyholders are generally entitled to replacement cost, not the depreciated value of belongings.

If you choose to hire a public adjuster, confirm their credentials and understand their fees before signing any agreement.

The event, hosted by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes along with other organizations, brought volunteers and residents to the school’s track and field, where tents and tables were set up with donated supplies. A Christian band played as people organized and distributed items.

Donations included clothing, food, baby items, and pet supplies, and attendees left carrying bags filled with necessities.

Nicole and Kelly Herrin, Brantley County residents who had to evacuate due to the ongoing wildfires, said the gathering provided a place for people to connect and encourage one another.

“It’s so heartening to see how a community can come together in such a big tragedy,” they said.

The Herrins said they came not only for supplies, but to be around others going through the same experience.

“Since we are being impacted, we thought it would be good to just see others in our community going through the same thing and talk to people and try to uplift them and support them,” they said.

Prayer was also a central part of the rally, with volunteers surrounding families and praying with them.

For residents who have lost homes and possessions, the day served as both practical help and emotional support.

Amanda Mitchell, who said she lost everything in the wildfires, described the devastation and the uncertainty that follows.

“I’m lost of words. I pray to God that I can find a new home to go to. I lost all my animals, everything, my daddy’s ashes, everything’s gone,” Mitchell said.

She said she is currently staying in a hotel but is struggling to afford it.

“Right now we’re staying in a hotel and barely afford it and I don’t know what it was to do. I just hope to find a home soon,” Mitchell said.

Pastor Aaron Ellis of Hortense Holiness Church told affected families the community is standing with them as they work to recover.

“You have a community that’s here for you that loves and cares about you,” Ellis said. “But most importantly, that we have a savior who’ll wrap his arms around them, and with the community and him in the middle, we can overcome anything.”

The smoke created a thick haze across parts of Glynn County, and agencies including Glynn Rescue and Fire warned residents that shifting wind patterns could affect visibility and air quality.

As of Monday morning, the air quality shifted from moderate to good, according to Air Now.

At Selden Park in Brunswick (100 Genoa Martin Dr.), the American Red Cross opened a 24/7 shelter for evacuees and anyone needing a safe place to stay as conditions change.

As of Monday morning, 23 people were staying at the shelter, which has the capacity for 96 people.

“If anybody wants to come, I encourage them to bring just a few clothes that they need, not a whole lot of stuff. It’s usually what we ask is that you just bring enough stuff that will fit underneath the cot that we provide for you,” shelter manager Mike Bowie said.

If you’re driving in from New Castle Street, go over the railroad tracks, then follow the Red Cross signs all the way back to the gymnasium with the green roof.

“It was pretty smoky here this morning. But it’s cleared up most of today, but if you look at the sky, you can still see it,” Bowie said. “It looks like clouds, but it’s not clouds, it’s smoke.”

Bowie said some people arriving at the shelter were worried the fire was moving toward Brunswick.

“They were afraid that the fire was coming here, but of course we reassured them that it wasn’t,” he said.

The shelter has drawn displaced residents from Brantley County and surrounding areas as they wait for updates and to assess what they may be returning to.

MANDATORY EVACUATION:

• Old Post Road to Highway 32
• Highway 32 to Thalman Park Lane
• Thalman Park Lane to Bladen Road
• Bladen Road to Old Post Road

VOLUNTARY EVACUATION - PREPARE TO LEAVE:

• Alpine Road
• Gilley Road
• Boones Branch Road
• Sallie Cline Road
• Mauney Street
• Chelsea Circle
• Post Road north of Highway 82
• Old Post Road north of Highway 32

One evacuee, Rick Biehl, said the conditions he saw reminded him of combat.

“I’ve been in the war. This is a warzone out here,” Biehl said. “It’s nuts. And it’s a losing battle at, like, what is it, 7% to 10%. And it just gone wild. There’s nothing we can do except accept the fact that people are just going to have to rebuild.”

Biehl and Patty Corsones said they are still waiting to learn whether their home is still standing.

“We’re just trying to facilitate, you know, something to help us get started again,” Biehl said. “Until I find out whether my home is gone or not.”

For many evacuees, the waiting has been the hardest part while balancing uncertainty with the hope that they will have something to return to.

“I have faith that it’s still there. Now, I could be wrong, but it’s better to have hope,” Corsones said. “Better to do something than nothing at all,” Biehl said.

The American Red Cross said the shelter at Selden Park is also accepting donations and volunteers. The organization said it plans to remain on site through May 10.

If you need any further assistance, you can either download the free Red Cross App or call them at 1-800-733-2767.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the Guardians have not announced the roster move.

The 23-year-old second baseman is the top prospect in the Guardians' organization. He is batting .287 with two home runs and 10 RBIs in 24 games for Triple-A Columbus.

Juan Brito, who is expected to be sent down to make away for Bazzana, is batting only .176 in 15 games and has 17 strikeouts in 51 at-bats.

Brito was called up from Columbus on April 7 after Gabriel Arias was placed on the injured list due to a strained left hamstring.

Bazzana showed his potential during the recent World Baseball Classic, when he had two hits and a home run for Australia in its 3-0 win over Chinese Taipei.

Bazzana missed two months last season due to an oblique strain. He had a .239 batting average with nine home runs, 39 RBIs and 12 stolen bases with Double-A Akron and Columbus.

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

Rapid development has been shrinking the jungle habitat of the critically endangered species, and fatal conflicts with people have been increasing.

The fleeting scene, captured by a motion‑sensitive camera, showed a young Sumatran orangutan pause at the forest’s edge, grip a rope with deliberate care and step out into open air. Halfway across, it stopped, casting a glance down at the road below. Moments later, it crossed.

Conservationists said that it marks the first documented case of an Sumatra orangutan using an artificial canopy bridge to cross a public road that had divided its habitat.

“This was the moment we had been waiting for,” Erwin Alamsyah Siregar, executive director of Indonesian conservation group Tangguh Hutan Khatulistiwa, or TaHuKah, told The Associated Press. “We are very grateful that the canopy here provides benefits for orangutan conservation efforts.”

He said that the bridge spans the Lagan–Pagindar road in Pakpak Bharat district, a vital corridor connecting remote villages to schools, healthcare and government services. But the road also cuts directly through prime orangutan habitat, splitting an estimated 350 orangutans into two isolated forest areas: the Siranggas Wildlife Reserve and the Sikulaping Protection Forest.

When the road was upgraded in 2024, the gap in the forest canopy widened, eliminating natural crossings for tree‑dwelling wildlife.

“Development was necessary for people,” Siregar said. “But without intervention, it would have left orangutans trapped on either side.”

TaHuKah, working with the Sumatran Orangutan Society, or SOS, and local and national government agencies, proposed a simple solution: rope bridges suspended between trees, allowing arboreal animals to cross above traffic.

Five canopy bridges were installed each with a camera trap, carefully positioned after surveys of orangutan nests, forest cover and animal movement. The structures were designed to support the orangutan’s weight — no small feat for the world’s largest tree‑dwelling mammal.

The program is closely monitored, with camera traps on every bridge and regular patrols to prevent forest encroachment. Conservationists hope more orangutans will follow the first pioneer.

They waited two years for the first orangutan to cross the bridge. Before the accomplishment, only smaller animals used it. Camera traps recorded squirrels, langur monkeys and macaques, followed by gibbons — a promising sign.

The orangutan’s approach was slower, building nests near the bridge, lingering at its edges and testing the ropes over time.

“They observe,” Siregar said. “They don’t rush. They watch, they try, they retreat. Only when they’re certain it’s safe do they move.”

Then, one day, he crossed fully — a first not just for Sumatra, but for the species globally on a public road, conservations say.

Similar bridges have been used by orangutans elsewhere, but usually over rivers or on private industrial forest road. Conservationists say public roads — noisy, busy and unpredictable — pose a far greater challenge.

For orangutans, the stakes are high. Isolation leads to inbreeding, genetic weakening and eventual population collapse. Restoring connectivity gives them a chance to survive.

Once widespread across southern Asia, the animal now only survives on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. Fewer than 14,000 Sumatran orangutans remain in the wild, alongside just 800 Tapanuli orangutans and about 104,700 Bornean orangutans, according to conservation groups

“These bridges allow orangutans to move, to mix, to maintain healthy populations,” Siregar said. “It reduces the risk of extinction.”

It's no wonder they ended up in a tight Rookie of the Year race.

Flagg edged his former Duke teammate to win the award Monday night after becoming the first rookie since Michael Jordan in 1984-85 to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists and steals.

The 19-year-old Flagg and Knueppel were first and second in rookie scoring, the first former college teammates to do that since UConn stars Emeka Okafor and Ben Gordon in 2004-05. Philadelphia's VJ Edgecombe was the other finalist.

Flagg and Knueppel traded places as betting favorites during the season, but Flagg's 96-point outburst over two games on the second-to-last weekend might have tipped the scales. Flagg was the favorite going into the announcement.

The first of those games was Flagg's 51-point showing against Orlando, the first time a teenager has scored 50 in the NBA. He broke his own record for a teenager of 49, set against Knueppel and the Hornets in January.

“I see the games every night. I can check the box scores,” Flagg said when asked how close of an eye he kept on Knueppel. “I think also I was watching Kon just because that’s one of my brothers. We had such a good connection, and we’re gonna be there for each other for the rest of our lives. I was watching him as a fan as well, but there was obviously that competition at the same time.”

It was, as expected, one of the closest votes in Rookie of the Year history.

Only 26 points separated Flagg and Knueppel in a balloting where 100 reporters and broadcasters who cover the league ranked their top three rookies, with five points going to first place, three to second and one to third.

In 2002, Scottie Barnes edged Evan Mobley by 15 points.

There were three years where the award was shared because of a tie in the voting, and two of those included Duke players Elton Brand and Grant Hill. Brand and Steve Francis tied for the award in 2000, Hill and Jason Kidd — Flagg’s current coach — tied in 1995 and Dave Cowens and Geoff Petrie tied in 1971.

Knueppel, who was a one-and-done at Duke just like Flagg but turned 20 before his NBA career started, became the first rookie to lead the league in 3-pointers with 273.

He averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists, while shooting 42.5% from 3-point range to join Larry Bird and Paul Pierce as only the only NBA rookies to average 15 points and five rebounds per game while shooting better than 40% from beyond the arc.

Behind Knueppel, Charlotte won 44 games before being eliminated by Orlando in the final round of the play-in tournament.

Flagg thought he was joining a playoff contender after the Mavericks converted a 1.8% chance in the draft lottery and took him No. 1 overall. Knueppel was the fourth pick.

Oft-injured center Anthony Davis was sidelined again as Dallas started slowly, and was traded to Washington before Flagg's fellow Duke alum, Kyrie Irving, could return from a knee injury. The Mavericks eventually decided to keep Irving out the entire season.

Despite his team's steady slide in the standings, Flagg kept making history a year after leading Duke to the Final Four as just the fourth freshman to be named AP men’s basketball player of the year.

Flagg and Jordan are the only rookies to record multiple games of at least 45 points since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976-77.

Flagg was playing against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this month when he scored 45 points and passed the 41-year-old for the most 40-point games by a teenager with his fourth. That game was the capper to the big weekend that might have decided the rookie race.

The Mavericks ended up back in the lottery at 26-56, with Flagg having to carry a much heavier load than anticipated. He averaged 21.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals in 70 games.

“I think you talk about pressure and things like that, this season was a lot different going into it and what I was expecting and how the season ended up turning out,” Flagg said. “I think dealing with that and adjusting and kind of getting thrown in on the fly right away like that helped me long-term and throughout the season just getting really comfortable. I think I grew in a lot of different areas.”

The rookie award was the sixth to be announced by the NBA since the end of the regular season. The others:

— San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama was the unanimous Defensive Player of the Year.

— Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got 96 of a possible 100 first-place votes to win the Clutch Player of the Year award.

— San Antonio’s Keldon Johnson won Sixth Man of the Year.

— Boston’s Derrick White won the Sportsmanship Award. That award, unlike most others, is selected solely by active players.

— Atlanta’s Nickeil Alexander-Walker won Most Improved Player.

Other award announcements yet to be scheduled include MVP (either Gilgeous-Alexander, Wembanyama or Denver’s Nikola Jokic) and Coach of the Year (either Detroit’s J.B. Bickerstaff, San Antonio’s Mitch Johnson or Boston’s Joe Mazzulla).

The NBA will announce the Executive of the Year, the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year and the Hustle Award winner later this week.

___

AP Sports Writer Steve Reed in Charlotte, North Carolina, and AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds in Miami contributed to this report.

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

Edwards had an MRI that confirmed the absence of structural damage, a relief to the Timberwolves after he was injured in the second quarter of Saturday's Game 4 victory over the Nuggets.

“With Anthony, we dodged a bullet,” coach Chris Finch said. “That's a huge sigh of relief. I know he's frustrated because he's been dealing with the other knee and done all the things necessary to finally get himself off the injury report and as luck would have it, he takes that spill the other day.

“But if we can extend this playoff run for a bit then we'll be lucky enough to get him back, so I think for that he's excited. So, it gives him something to work toward.”

Edwards' availability for the second round if Minnesota advances would be in question. The team said he was week to week, suggesting that Edwards would likely miss at least the beginning of the next series before he's cleared to return.

“With the two injuries we had in one game, it was as positive as you can get it,” guard Mike Conley told reporters after the team's pregame shootaround. “Obviously we want him to get healthy. We want him to be recovered as quickly as he can, but his health is No. 1. He knows his body. When his body’s ready, he’s going to fight through it. We know if we can get out of the series, we’ll get him back.”

Minnesota, which led Denver 3-1 going into Game 5, lost its other starting guard, Donte DiVincenzo, for the rest of the postseason and much of next season with a ruptured right Achilles tendon he suffered in the opening minutes of Game 4.

Finch said he's had good conversations with both Edwards and DiVincenzo, who's already had surgery. Finch said he appreciated Boston star Jayson Tatum's kind words about being there for DiVincenzo after going through a similar injury a year ago.

“They're both in the best mental space that they can be, giving what they've been through,” Finch said of his sidelined guards. “I think Donte has kind of come to peace with what's happened, knows what's the next steps in the long road that's ahead. Things went really well for him in the surgery.

“So, Jayson Tatum's comments I thought were super classy, kind and compassionate, mean a lot. I know Donte's heard them and he's been such a great example of what's possible and of course a top-notch medical team and rehab team around him, it certainly provides inspiration. And that's what you need when you're coming back from an injury like that, is the confidence in all the steps to keep going.”

Edwards averaged 28.8 points this season, third best in the NBA behind Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers and reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder. He missed 21 games, by far the most of his career, mostly because of a right knee injury.

Out for Denver in Game 5 were starter Aaron Gordon (left calf) and fellow forward Peyton Watson (right hamstring), who's missed the entire series.

___

AP Sports Writer Dave Campbell in Minneapolis contributed to this report.

___

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

On social media Monday night, Hegseth posted photos of himself and Kid Rock at the base. “Kid Rock is a patriot and huge supporter of our troops,” Hegseth wrote.

Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s top spokesman, said the flights supported a “community relations event” for a White House-led initiative, called Freedom 250, that is coordinating events for America’s 250th anniversary commemoration.

“Robert ‘Kid Rock’ Ritchie participated in multiple troop touches with service members and filmed videos for Memorial Day, America’s 250th birthday, and for his Freedom 250 tour,” Parnell said in a statement.

Army aviators in March flew the same type of helicopters near the home of the musician, who is an outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump. The helicopters also flew over a “No Kings” protest against the Trump administration in Nashville, prompting questions about flight safety and whether either maneuver was authorized.

The Army initially said it would investigate the March flights, which involved crews from the 101st Airborne Division at nearby Fort Campbell, and suspended the pilots involved. However, Hegseth quickly intervened and shut down the inquiry.

Army officials said at the time that the helicopters were on a training mission when they stopped by Kid Rock’s house and that their presence had nothing to do with the protest.

Kid Rock's jet left Nashville early Monday and landed at Fort Belvoir in Virginia at 6:30 a.m., according to open source flight data.

Shortly after 1 p.m., a U.S. Army AH-64 Apache took off, did a few loops over the base and landed about 10 minutes later, according to the Military Air Tracking Alliance, a group of open source data analysts who track military flight activity across the world.

That same helicopter was part of a group of four Apaches, as well as two H-60 Blackhawk helicopters, that had arrived at the base Saturday from Fort Campbell, which sits on the Kentucky-Tennessee border.

Drop Site News was first to report Monday’s flights in Virginia.

An Army Apache helicopter costs about $7,000 per hour to fly, said an Army official who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details not authorized for public release.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office took to social media to criticize the flights, saying, “Why are taxpayers paying to fly Kid Rock around on $100 million helicopters?”

Newsom is a sharp critic of the Trump administration and is seen as a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate.

Democratic Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado, a former Army Ranger, posted on social media, “Why is Pete Hegseth spending your taxpayer dollars to give Kid Rock ‘joy rides’ on Apache helicopters?”

When asked about the costs associated with public events like flying celebrities or military flyovers, military officials typically argue that they help fulfill regular training requirements for pilots and so do not represent an additional cost for taxpayers.

Hegseth also posted a photo of Kid Rock speaking to a small group of servicemembers in the Pentagon’s press briefing room.

According to publicly available flight data, Kid Rock's jet landed back in Nashville shortly after 3 p.m. Monday.

Apaches typically have a two-person crew who can both fly the helicopter, though one typically focuses on managing the weapons system. A passenger would replace one of the crew members, meaning that Hegseth and Kid Rock would not have flown in the same aircraft at the same time.

Highway 82 in Brantley County is about 35 miles north of the state line with Florida, and the fire is mainly impacting the communities of Atkinson and Waynesville.

The Latest: Evacuations, road closures, shelters & more as battle to save homes from Highway 82 Fire continues

Emergency crews in Southeast Georgia have now been working for one week to contain the fires that have forced people out of their homes and closed major roads and highways.

The fire remains 6% contained. Officials pointed out that the entire state of Georgia is in a drought, with Brantley County being in an exceptional drought.

The drought conditions, along with hot and dry weather, are making firefighting efforts challenging.

In a Monday night update, officials said a break in the weather caused the containment line to be reinforced and strengthened around the fire perimeter along the Highway 110 corridor and Browntown Road.

Due to the present weather conditions, officials adjusted some road closures and evacuation orders to allow residents to return to their homes, and deputies issued placards to residents to get past the security checkpoint.

More information on those entry guidelines here.

RELATED: Full coverage of Brantley County fire

Officials have created a Facebook page to share updates on the ongoing firefight: www.facebook.com/Hwy82fire.

Emergency crews have set up a staging area at the local airport as they work around the clock to suppress the fires that have caused critical damage to homes and communities in Brantley County.

Marty and I were with those on the ground helping the victims of the South Georgia wildfires yesterday, thanking the volunteers, first responders, and listening to the community leaders who are showing the very best of what it means to be a Georgian. We’re so thankful for their…

— Governor Brian P. Kemp (@GovKemp) April 27, 2026

As of Saturday, the fire had destroyed at least 87 homes, including some belonging to first responders who continue to work despite their personal loss.

“It’s very important to understand, No. 1, we’ve got some heartbroken folks working this fire. They’ve been here almost a week. No. 2, you need to know we care,” Brantley County Manager Joey Cason said.

Updated figures on homes damaged or destroyed by the blaze were not immediately available Sunday afternoon, said Susie Heisey, spokeswoman with the Southern Area Incident Management Team.

“Our firefighters worked so hard and had so much success in protecting structures and private homes, but there also were losses,” Heisey said.

Due to the ongoing fire, investigators can’t be sent in yet to assess damages, she added.

More crews were expected to arrive Monday to help battle it, Cason said.

“There’s a ton of assets that are being poured into this fire to, hopefully, get it under control or get it out,” he said. “This whole situation is heartbreaking.”

Brantley County remains under a mandatory curfew from 8:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., and a burn ban is in place for all counties in south Georgia.

Shifting winds

Firefighters had battled valiantly to keep the fire west of Browntown Road, but wind shifts caused them to lose some containment, and the fire is now east of Browntown Road.

Firefighters will be continuing to improve and widen containment lines north of Highway 32, along Browntown Road and Hwy 110. Structure assessments north on Highway 110 will continue.

Along Browntown Road, firefighters are strengthening and widening containment lines and engines crews are extinguishing hot spots.

“The fire basically doubled last night in size,” Cason said Sunday in a Facebook post. “It is a dynamic fire event that will be impacted by the wind.”

Wind gusts in the 15-25 mph range are expected to stick around through Wednesday, according to The Weather Authority. No rain is expected through Wednesday but there should be good to excellent humidity recovery at night, officials said.

An isolated thunderstorm Sunday night moved across the entire fire area, giving the firefighters a much-needed break from the extreme fire behavior.

It will be cooler with highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s. Winds today will be from the northeast and out of the east tonight and Tuesday.

The wind shifting to the northeast will push on the western side of the fire along Hwy 110. This push will test some of the established lines and push the fire to the west on the northwest corner of the fire north of Fin Dig.

The Highway 82 fire was started by a foil balloon hitting live power lines. That created an electrical arc that ignited combustible material on the ground.

Evacuations

Cason and other county officials urge community members to take action and follow evacuation orders if they receive a warning.

“We had folks that did not evacuate, and they almost got caught by that fire,” Cason added. “It’s going to be another potential bad fire day as the winds pick up later in the day.”

All homes, roads and properties within the following boundaries in Brantley County are under mandatory evacuation:

• North: Highway 32
• South: Highway 82
• West: Highway 110
• East: Post Road

For information about evacuations and road closures in Brantley County, call the Sheriff’s Office at 912-674-5878 or 912-674-0195.

Glynn County (glynncounty.org/wildfires) evacuations include the following:

As of a Monday afternoon update, mandatory evacuations for the following areas were downgraded to voluntary:

• Old Post Road to Highway 32
• Highway 32 to Thalman Park Lane
• Thalman Park Lane to Bladen Road
• Bladen Road to Old Post Road

Voluntary Evacuation / Prepare to Leave

• Alpine Road
• Gilley Road
• Boones Branch Road
• Sallie Cline Road
• Mauney Street
• Chelsea Circle
• Post Road north of Highway 82
• Old Post Road north of Highway 32

Residents in voluntary evacuation areas should prepare essential items and be ready to leave if conditions worsen.

Road closures

These road closures remain in effect:

• Highway 110 W – from Highway 82 to Highway 32
• Highway 32 – from Highway 301 to Post Road
• Browntown Road – from Highway 82 to the Wayne County line

MORE: Latest road closures

Emergency personnel were conducting damage and safety assessments in these areas on Monday. The Sheriff’s Office said that until those assessments are completed, roads will remain closed to ensure the safety of both the public and first responders.

“Do not attempt to enter closed or restricted areas,” the Sheriff’s Office warned. “We understand the importance of access, and we will provide updates as soon as assessments are complete and it is safe to reopen roadways.”

These road closures are also active:

Glynn County

• Old Post Road at Highway 82 and Highway 32
• Thalman Park Lane closure at Highway 32
• Bladen Road closure at Highway 99
• Highway 32 closed between Highway 301 and Highway 99 (GDOT)
• Highway 110 closed between Highway 32 and Highway 82 (GDOT)

Brantley County

• Browntown Road from Wayne County Line to Highway 82
• Highway 32 from Post Road to Highway 301
• Post Road from Highway 82 to Highway 32
• Little Memorial Road from Highway 32 to Wayne County Line
• Highway 110W from Highway 82 to Highway 32
• Crandall Road
• Gallberry Road
• Shady Oaks Circle at Highway 259 (residence access escorted only)
• Hawthorne Road
• Brushy Creek Road
• Fendig Road
• Mumford Road
• Albert Gibson Road
• Murphy Road
• Boots Harrison Road
• Bladen Road at Post Road

Wayne County

• Manningtown Road at Ron Road
• Post Road at Ten Mile Road to Wayne-Brantley Line
• Wire Road to Brantley Line
• Mt. Pleasant Road at Browntown Road

The Georgia Department of Transportation and Georgia State Patrol are closely monitoring the smoke and fog conditions, which could cause intermittent closures of Highway 82 if visibility conditions deteriorate.

Schools

Brantley County Schools remain closed Monday and Tuesday, and officials will continue to provide updates as the conditions change.

Brantley County School Nutrition shared the following times and locations where student meals will be distributed from a bus on Monday:

Glynn County Schools will be open as normal on Monday, but if the smoke worsens, outdoor activities will be limited or suspended. Any students affected by mandatory evacuations will receive an excused absence.

Closures

There is a temporary flight restriction over the fire area to avoid conflict between personal aircraft and firefighting efforts.

This includes all recreational and professional unmanned aircraft (drones).

Polls will be open at the normal location: Elections Office, 10305 N Main St., Nahunta, Ga. 31553.

Shelters

Glynn County has coordinated with the American Red Cross to establish a 24/7 shelter at Selden Park to support individuals affected by the fires in Brantley County.

The address is 100 Genoa Martin Drive, Brunswick, Georgia.

RELATED: Brantley High impact rally brings donations and support for families affected by ongoing wildfires | ‘Love on everybody’: How Brantley County is showing up for neighbors displaced by the Highway 82 Fire

The shelter will also have an air-conditioned mobile unit to house small pets (dogs/cats) in crates. Bedding and crates can be provided.

The Georgia Department of Agriculture Facebook page has listed evacuation locations for large animals.

Day shelters are also available at:

• Nahunta Methodist Church, 107 E Cleveland St, Nahunta
• Southside Baptist Church, 550 School St, Nahunt

Pets are only allowed at the Red Cross Shelter in Brunswick.

Donations

For affected community members, the following locations are accepting donations:

• Brantley Gas, 114 Satilla Ave., Nahunta (new or gently used clothing, hangers, hygiene items, empty totes with lids)
• H&S Haulers, 125 Industrial Park, Nahunta (nonperishable items and pet food)
• Brantley County Family Connections, 10305 Main St., Nahunta (all donations)

The Brantley County Sheriff’s Office said donations can no longer be accepted at the command post at the airport.

“Moving forward, all donations will be coordinated through Brantley County Family Connection. They will serve as the central point for receiving and distributing donations to and from the Command Post to ensure everything is managed safely and efficiently‚” the Sheriff’s Office said.

Air quality concerns

Smoke conditions can change quickly as wildfire activity and wind patterns shift. Residents should monitor air quality and take precautions when smoke is present.

Current Air Quality Resources

• AirNowCheck current air quality and smoke conditions in your area. View AirNow 

Sensitive groups should take precautions

• People with asthma
• COPD / respiratory conditions
• Heart conditions
• Older adults
• Children

Recommended actions

• Stay indoors when possible
• Keep windows and doors closed
• Run filtered air / HVAC if available
• Limit outdoor activity during heavy smoke
• Follow your provider’s guidance if symptoms worsen

Winfrey's production company, Harpo Entertainment, struck a multiyear deal to give Amazon-owned Wondery exclusive distributing and advertising rights to “The Oprah Podcast,” the companies announced Monday. Under the agreement, Winfrey's podcast will expand to two new episodes a week starting this summer — and Wondery will distribute the show's audio and video across Amazon platforms.

Under the deal, Amazon has also obtained rights to the library of the widely-watched “The Oprah Winfrey Show” — which ran from 1986 to 2011 — as well as the talk show host's book club and “Favorite Things” franchises.

No financial terms of the agreement were immediately shared. In recent years, Winfrey also has had partnerships with Apple and Starbucks. Her new agreement could anger independent booksellers who regard Amazon as their primary competitor. A spokesperson for the trade group the American Booksellers Association did not immediately respond Monday to a request for comment.

A spokesperson for Harpo shared a statement with The Associated Press that “'Oprah’s Book Club' will continue to support books wherever they are sold.”

Winfrey's podcast joins a lineup of other celebrity-led shows now at Amazon. In 2024, for example, Wondery similarly reached an exclusive distribution and advertising deal for “New Heights” — a podcast from Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and his brother, former Eagles center Jason Kelce.

Winfrey launched “The Oprah Podcast” in December 2024. In a prepared statement Monday, Winfrey said that hosting the show “allows me to continue the work I feel called to do – opening the door for conversations that matter.” She added that expanding its reach “is an opportunity I embrace.”

Wondery will begin distributing “The Oprah Podcast” across Amazon services like Prime Video, Amazon Music, Fire TV Channels and Audible in July, according to Monday's announcement. Winfrey's podcast will also continue to be available on YouTube and other popular platforms.

The withdrawal of nominee Scott Socha comes as the park service has been shaken by widespread firings as part of the Trump administration's pledge to sharply reduce its size.

No reason was immediately given for Socha's withdrawal.

The park service is currently overseen by an acting director, agency comptroller Jessica Bowron. It did not have a Senate-confirmed director during Trump's first term, when it was led by a series of acting directors.

Socha is president for parks and resorts at Buffalo, New York-based Delaware North, which has service contracts with numerous parks and describes itself as one of the world's largest privately owned entertainment and hospitality companies. A White House spokesperson had said when he was nominated in February that Socah was “totally qualified” to execute Trump’s plans for the park system.

But some conservation groups had questioned if Socha's private sector work provided the experience he would need to oversee hundreds of national parks and monuments that range from the Statue of Liberty and other cultural sites, to remote sites in the Utah desert.

The Associated Press sent email messages to the White House and Interior Department seeking comment on Socha's withdrawal.

Thousands of employees have been fired or otherwise left the park service since Trump took office.

Emily Douce with the National Parks Conservation Association, an advocacy group, said Monday that the next director for the service needs to “undo the damage.”

“It’s very unfortunate that our parks have gone more than a year without a permanent director at a time when they need strong, steady leadership the most,” Douce said.

The Republican administration's proposed budget for next year would reduce staffing to 9,200 employees. That's down almost 30% compared to 2025 levels.

The park service's operating budget would be cut by more than $1 billion, to $2.2 billion, for the 2027 fiscal year that starts in October.

Similar cuts proposed for 2026 were blocked by lawmakers in Congress after park supporters and former employees warned the administration's proposal would have effectively gutted the agency.

The administration also has faced blowback for the removal or planned removal of national park exhibits about slavery, climate change and the destruction of Native American culture. In February, a federal judge said an exhibit about nine people enslaved by George Washington must be restored at his former home in Philadelphia after the Trump administration had taken it down.

Administration officials have said they are removing “disparaging” messages under an order last year from Trump. Critics accuse it of trying to whitewash the nation’s history.

Under Trump's interior secretary, Doug Burgum, the park service has started charging millions of international tourists who visit U.S. parks each year $100 each to visit sites including Yellowstone and Grand Canyon. The service also has put Trump's image onto its annual passes for U.S. citizens, drawing a lawsuit from environmentalists who said the move was illegal.

Although the rain helped the firefighting efforts, it wasn't “nearly enough to put the fires out" and crews responded to 10 new blazes throughout the drought-stricken state Sunday, the Georgia Forestry Commission said Monday.

Blackened trees and charred palmetto fronds lined the shoulders of U.S. 82 on Monday in Brantley County, where Georgia's second-largest blaze, the Highway 82 Fire, has been tearing through the forest. Smoke poured from the ground in several spots beside the highway — a sign that fire still smoldered beneath the dirt.

Residents like Anna Beaver, who had to evacuate her home in the small community of Atkinson, are doing what they can to help each other. Beaver has been spending her time accepting and sorting donated clothing at her church, Southside Baptist Church in Nahunta, a community of about 1,000 people that is the Brantley County seat. The church has been offering shelter, food, diapers and other supplies to people displaced by the fire.

“My heart hurts for everyone who has lost their homes, and I just want to help any way I can,” she said.

Danielle and David Grantham have been hunkering down at their home in the Atkinson area. They live in a neighborhood that was under an evacuation order Monday, so they wouldn't be allowed back in if they left, and have been accepting donations of pet food and other supplies from friends.

“We haven’t left just because we’re trying to help other people out,” Danielle Grantham said.

All across Brantley County on Monday, there was praise for the efforts of firefighters and other emergency responders.

In the small community of Waynesville, a charred cinderblock shed stood near a wood-sided home that appeared unscathed. The house has been vacant and is being sold. Larry Ferrell, a carpenter hired to perform maintenance and repairs on the home before the owner closes with a buyer, returned there to work Monday.

“The firefighters got in here and saved it,” Ferrell said.

Georgia's biggest blaze, the Pineland Road Fire, has scorched more than 50 square miles (130 square kilometers) and at least 35 homes in a sparsely populated and heavily wooded part of the state about 35 miles (56 kilometers) north of Florida, which is also dealing with wildfires. The area has been full of highly combustible dead trees and other vegetation since Hurricane Helene carved a destructive path northward in September of 2024.

About 60 miles (97 kilometers) to the northeast, the Highway 82 Fire has been burning since April 20. It has destroyed at least 87 homes and torched more than 35 square miles (90 square kilometers), according to figures released Monday. It is only 6% contained.

“The fire basically doubled last night in size,” Brantley County Manager Joey Cason said in a Facebook post Sunday. “It is a dynamic fire event that will be impacted by the wind.”

Authorities believe the Highway 82 blaze was sparked by a foil balloon hitting live power lines. That created an electrical arc that ignited combustible material on the ground. They think the Pineland Road fire was started by sparks from a welding operation.

Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock was in the area of the Highway 82 fire pm Monday. He said he assured residents that he's pushing to get federal resources “both to contain this fire and then to respond to the devastation that communities will continue to experience over the next few weeks."

Warnock said he's working closely with the governor's office on getting disaster relief funds. Gov. Brian Kemp is expected to survey damage from the Pineland Road Fire on Tuesday.

An unusually large number of wildfires are burning this spring across the Southeast. Firefighters have been battling more than 150 other wildfires in Georgia and Florida alone. Scientists say the threat of fire has been amplified by a combination of extreme drought, gusty winds, climate change and dead trees and other vegetation.

No fire deaths or injuries have been reported in Georgia. But in northern Florida, Nassau County Sheriff’s Office volunteer firefighter James “Kevin” Crews died Thursday evening after he suffered an unspecified medical emergency while suppressing a brush fire.

Florida's blazes are smaller than Georgia’s two biggest, but the 139 Fire has burned 10 square miles (26 square kilometers) of the Apalachicola National Forest in Liberty County, southwest of Tallahassee, since March 17. No structures have been lost in that fire, and no serious injuries have been reported, federal authorities said.

___

Martin reported from Atlanta.

Cloudy skies will slowly clear tonight, with partly cloudy skies and warmer temperatures tomorrow. The breeze will blow from the northeast at 10-15 mph. Warmer, drier weather continues through Wednesday, with increasing rain chances Thursday and Friday.

Elevated rain chances continue this weekend as temperatures cool to seasonal and below-seasonal averages.

Tonight: Slow clearing with lighter winds. Patchy to areas of smoke-enhanced fog will be possible tonight, Tuesday morning.

Tuesday: Warming under partly cloudy skies after patchy fog and smoke. Morning lows in the 50s and 60s. Afternoon highs in the 80s to low 90s inland, 70s along the beaches. Wind: NE 5-15 mph. Partly cloudy with fog and smoke overnight.

Wednesday: Near record highs under mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies. Morning lows in the upper 50s to 60s. Highs in the upper 80s to low 90s inland, 70s to low 80s along the beaches. Wind: SW 10-15 mph.

Looking ahead: Rain chances will increase on Thursday and again this weekend. After near-record highs on Wednesday, temperatures will cool this weekend.

Sunrise: 6:46 a.m.

Sunset: 8:03 p.m.

The new districts, which could net Democrats four additional seats, won narrow voter approval last week. But a Republican legal challenge contends the General Assembly violated procedural rules by placing the constitutional amendment before voters to authorize the mid-decade redistricting. If the court agrees that lawmakers broke the rules, it could invalidate the amendment and render last week's statewide vote meaningless.

The Virginia court proceedings mark the latest twist in a national redistricting battle between Republicans and Democrats seeking an advantage in a November midterm election that will determine whether Republicans maintain their narrow majority in the U.S. House.

President Donald Trump kicked off a tit-for-tat round of gerrymandering last summer when he urged Texas Republicans to redraw districts to their favor in an attempt to win several additional House seats. That set off a chain reaction of similar moves in other states, leading to the voter approval last week of Virginia's new map.

Next up is Florida, where Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has proposed a congressional redistricting plan that could essentially cancel out Virginia's changes by giving Republicans an improved chance of winning additional seats. The redistricting is on the agenda for a special session of the GOP-controlled Legislature beginning Tuesday.

Virginia arguments focus on what counts as an 'election'

During Monday's arguments, the Virginia Supreme Court focused on whether the new congressional districts should be invalidated because of the process used by lawmakers. The justices issued no immediate ruling.

Because the state’s redistricting commission was established by a voter-approved constitutional amendment, lawmakers had to propose an amendment to redraw the districts. That required approval of a resolution in two separate legislative sessions, with a state election sandwiched in between, to place the amendment on the ballot.

The legislature's first vote occurred last October — while early voting was underway but before it concluded on the day of the general election. Judicial questioning focused on whether that was too late, because early voting already had begun.

Attorney Matthew Seligman, who defended the legislature, argued that the “election” should be defined narrowly to mean the Tuesday of the general election. In that case, the legislature's first vote on the redistricting amendment occurred before the election and was constitutional, he told judges.

But an attorney arguing for the plaintiffs, Thomas McCarthy, said “election” means the entire period during which people can cast ballots, which lasts several weeks in Virginia. If that's the case, then the legislature's initial endorsement of the redistricting amendment came too late to comply with the state constitution, he said.

Attorneys argue over the rights of voters

The purpose of Virginia's two-step amendment process, with an intervening election, is so voters can know whether legislative candidates support or oppose a proposed constitutional amendment, McCarthy said.

He pointed to the case of Democratic voter Camilla Simon, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit alongside Republican state lawmakers, who cast an early vote last fall for Democratic Del. Rodney Willett. After she voted, Willett sponsored the Democratic redistricting amendment, and Simon wished she could have undone her vote, McCarthy said.

“None of these voters had any idea this was coming, and that’s not how this process is supposed to work,” McCarthy told the justices.

Those defending the Democratic redistricting plan also contend that the voters' will should be respected.

The people voted to ratify the constitutional amendment, “and the challengers are asking to overturn that democratic result,” Seligman told reporters after the arguments.

Nationwide redistricting battle has no clear winner so far

So far, the two major parties have battled to a near draw in the states that have redrawn their congressional maps for this year's midterms.

Republicans think they could win up to nine more seats under revised districts in Texas, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio. Democrats think they could win as many as 10 additional seats under new districts in California, Utah and Virginia. But legal challenges remain in both Virginia and Missouri.

Virginia currently is represented in the U.S. House by six Democrats and five Republicans who were elected from districts imposed by a court after a bipartisan redistricting commission failed to agree on a map after the 2020 census. The new districts, which won voter approval last Tuesday, could give Democrats an improved chance to win 10 districts.

Some candidates already have begun campaigning based on the new districts in advance of the state's Aug. 4 primary election.

More court battles could remain in Virginia

In January, a judge in rural Tazewell County, in southwestern Virginia, ruled that lawmakers failed to follow their own rules for adding the redistricting amendment to a special session last fall. Circuit Judge Jack Hurley Jr. also ruled that lawmakers failed to initially approve the amendment before the public began voting in last year’s general election and that the state had failed to publish the amendment three months before the election, as required by law. As a result, he said, the amendment is invalid and void.

The Virginia Supreme Court placed Hurley's order on hold and allowed the redistricting vote to proceed before hearing arguments on the case.

During Monday's arguments, justices also raised questions about the ability of lawmakers to expand the agenda for their special session and whether the three-month public notice requirement was important enough to thwart a voter-approved amendment.

Republicans have filed at least two additional legal challenges, which also are winding their way through the courts.

___

Lieb reported from Jefferson City, Missouri. Associated Press writers Allen G. Breed in Richmond and Nicholas Riccardi in Denver contributed to this report.

Cole Tomas Allen appeared in court to face federal charges after the chaotic encounter Saturday that resulted in shots being fired, Trump being hurried off the stage unharmed and guests ducking for cover underneath their tables. He was ordered to remain jailed pending additional court hearings, and faces up to life in prison if convicted of the assassination count alone.

An FBI affidavit filed in the case Monday revealed additional details about the planning behind the assault, with authorities alleging that Allen on April 6 reserved a room for himself at the Washington hotel where the event would be held weeks later under its typical tight security. He traveled by train cross-country from California last week, checking himself into the Washington Hilton one day before the dinner with a room reserved for the weekend.

The dinner had barely begun when officials say the 31-year-old Torrance, California, man tried to race past a security barricade near the cavernous ballroom holding hundreds of journalists and their guests, prompting an exchange of gunfire with Secret Service agents tasked with safeguarding the event. Allen carried with him a 12-gauge pump action shotgun he bought last year and a .38 caliber semi-automatic pistol he purchased in 2023, authorities said.

“Violence has no place in civic life," acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said at a news conference. "It cannot and will not be used to disrupt democratic institutions or intimidate those who serve them, and it certainly cannot continue to be used against the president of the United States.”

He added: “We are investigating this matter fully, we will apply the law fairly and we will ensure that accountability is swift and certain."

Allen was injured during the attack but was not shot. A Secret Service officer was shot but was wearing a bullet-resistant vest and survived, officials say.

Questions remain about how many shots Allen fired and how many officers discharged their weapons.

Blanche said investigators believe that a Secret Service agent fired five shots and that Allen discharged his shotgun at least once. But Blanche didn’t say whether authorities have confirmed it was Allen’s bullet that struck the agent in the vest, or whether any other officers used their weapons. Blanche said ballistics experts are still examining evidence to provide more clarity on those questions.

The Justice Department charged Allen with two additional firearms counts, including discharging a weapon during a crime of violence, but the affidavit does not allege that Allen was responsible for shooting the agent.

Suspect's email sheds light on motive

The shooting resulted in the cancellation of the dinner, the first Trump had attended as president.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday said the night was supposed to be one of joy but instead was “hijacked by a crazed anti-Trump individual who traveled across the country to assassinate the president and as many administration officials as possible.”

Allen invoked his constitutional right to remain silent after his arrest, but authorities say an email he sent to family members and a former employer just before the attack helps shed light on a motive.

In the message, a copy of which was included in the affidavit, Allen referred to himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin" and alluded obliquely to grievances over a range of Trump administration actions. The rambling text moves between confession, grievance and farewell, with Allen apologizing to family members, co-workers and even strangers he feared could be caught in the violence while at the same time seeking to explain the attack.

A magistrate judge granted a prosecutor's request to keep Allen locked up pending additional hearings. A detention hearing is set for Thursday.

Allen did not speak at length during the quick appearance, as is customary. One of his lawyers, Tezira Abe, noted that he has no criminal record.

“He also is presumed innocent at this time," she said.

Records reveal that Allen is a highly educated tutor and amateur video game developer. A social media profile for a man with the same name and a photo that appears to match that of the suspect show he worked part-time for the last six years at a company that offers admissions counseling and test preparation services to aspiring college students.

Voter registration records from California lists Allen’s home address as his parent’s house on a tree-lined street in one of the most historic neighborhoods in Torrance, a city within the Los Angeles metro area. No one answered the door Sunday when an Associated Press reporter knocked. By the afternoon, several people who appeared to be law enforcement agents were canvassing the neighborhood, with one wearing an FBI sweatshirt.

A yard sign displayed at the family home supported a local candidate for judge who was endorsed by the Los Angeles County Democratic Party. Federal campaign finance records show Cole Allen contributed $25 to a Democratic Party political action committee in support of Kamala Harris for president in 2024 and listed his employer as C2 Education, which said in a statement Monday that it was shocked to learn of the shooting and was cooperating with law enforcement.

Allen is registered to vote without a party affiliation in California and voted in the last three general elections, according to the Los Angeles County Registrar of Voters.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in 2017 in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, according to his profile on the social networking site LinkedIn. The small university is academically prestigious with a very low acceptance rate. He also listed his involvement there in a campus group that battled with Nerf guns and a Christian student fellowship.

Allen’s profile photo on LinkedIn shows him wearing a cap and gown when graduating with a master’s degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills. The photo appears to have been taken May 2025.

___

Associated Press writers Gary Fields and Collin Binkley in Washington, Michael R. Blood in Los Angeles and Amy Taxin in Torrance, California contributed to this report.

A new bill introduced by Republican senators would authorize $400 million — roughly the cost of the project — for construction and security infrastructure underneath. Trump has said that private money would pay for the ballroom, but Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, one of the sponsors, said Monday that he believes those private dollars should only pay for “buying china and stuff like that.”

Graham said at a news conference that some people may think the ballroom was Trump’s “vanity project,” but said it is necessary to allow the president to hold events safely and avoid much less secure venues like the Washington Hilton, where Saturday’s event was held. The man who authorities say tried to storm the dinner with guns and knives had reserved a room in the hotel, according to an FBI affidavit filed in the case.

“It would be insane” to hold the dinner there again, Graham said, adding that he would advise any president not to do it, even as Trump has said he would like the dinner to be rescheduled.

Cole Tomas Allen appeared in court Monday to face federal charges of attempting to assassinate Trump after the encounter Saturday in which shots were fired outside the ballroom. The president was evacuated off the stage as thousands of guests dived under tables and ducked for cover.

Other lawmakers said they would push their own measures to approve the ballroom, including Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., and Republican Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Tim Sheehy of Montana.

“It is an embarrassment to the strongest nation on earth that we cannot host gatherings in our nation’s capital, including ones attended by our president, without the threat of violence and attempted assassinations,” Sheehy posted on X.

It is unclear, though, whether the effort could get enough support. Democrats have opposed the ballroom’s construction since Trump demolished part of the White House to make way for it without permission from Congress, and as it has faced lawsuits. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters that the president should be focused on ending the war with Iran, healthcare and other measures to drive down living costs.

“These are the things that we should actually be focused on," Jeffries said.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday that Trump wants to seclude himself in a “walled palace, literally.”

He said Republicans should instead pass a spending bill that includes money for the U.S. Secret Service, which is part of the Homeland Security Department and has been shut down for more than two months. The House has yet to act on two spending bills for the department that were approved by the Senate.

“If Republicans truly want to improve security, they should join Democrats in funding the Secret Service, not Donald Trump’s luxury ballroom,” Schumer said.

Republicans also used the incident to call for the Homeland Security funding, blaming Democrats who have blocked money for immigration enforcement agencies since mid-February.

The chaos at the annual dinner came after Trump has faced two attempts on his life and as members of Congress in both parties have received an increasing number of death threats in recent years.

Graham said the times are unusual.

“I’ve been up here a while now, and I’ve never felt the sense of threat that exists today,” he said.

Alabama Sen. Katie Britt, who sponsored the legislation with Graham, said the bill is not just about Trump.

“This will not be done until the end of his term,” she said. “This is about future presidents. This is about our nation having a place to gather.”

___

Associated Press writer Stephen Groves contributed to this report.

Such is the promise sung by the artist known as Melanie C, or Mel C and Sporty Spice of the game-changing ‘90s girl group Spice Girls, in the lead single from her ninth album of the same name. Atop a sample of Diana Ross’ “Work That Body” and sleek house-pop production, it is equal parts club banger and workout anthem, something for the DJ booth and a runner's playlist.

Surprised? Don't be. Eight or so years ago, Melanie C began deejaying, reinvigorating her love of rave and dance music — early loves that predate her girl group days. “Deejaying is so much fun, and it’s brought so much joy into my life that it made it really important that this album, as an artist, was a lot closer to what I love to play as a DJ,” she told The Associated Press.

It might come as a surprise to some of her fans, but the truth is, this musical world has always held a special place in her heart. “Before I was part of the Spice Girls, I discovered rave culture,” she explains. “I was 19. I went into this nightclub. I was on holiday with some friends. I heard this music. I saw people dancing. It was like this utopia I’d never experienced.”

Then superstar fame happened, which makes “Sweat” an unusual release for her in at least one very specific way: “I feel like I brought some of my life pre-Spice Girls into this album,” she said. “Which is something I haven’t really done before.”

Dance floor therapy

Melanie C was hard at work on “Sweat” for two and a half years, writing and recording across London, Stockholm and Los Angeles, a period that proved to be uniquely transformative. “My life had twists and turns. You know? I had a long-term relationship that ended. I had a management change. I’m back with Virgin Records,” she lists. “I’m in a new relationship. So, there’s been difficult moments within it and there’s been great times. And all of that is reflected in the album.”

Appropriately, catharsis appears to be a major theme. Like on the song “Attitude” — with its sample of Inner Life's ’80s disco classic, “Moment Of My Life” — where she cheers, “Every night’s a Friday!”

Or, even more directly, the song “Pressure.”

“Under the pressure,” she sings on the explosive electronic track, before offering a one-word solution: “Release.”

“We’re under such incredible pressure and I think we put ourselves under it, too. And that’s why I’ve loved bringing in this joy of, you know, the club,” she said. “For me, as a human, that is the release.”

There has long been a connection between dance music, joy and resiliency — particularly in queer club culture. Melanie C says honoring her LGBTQ+ audience has always been key to her work.

“It’s a community that’s been important to myself and the Spice Girls for such a long time,” she said. “It's always going to be a big part of the music that I make.”

From Sporty Spice to Melanie C

If “Sweat” is an album about the freedom of a dance floor, it's a destination Melanie C has worked hard to arrive at— particularly considering her life now, three decades removed from the Spice Girls' heyday. For many, she is still Sporty Spice. And she understands that.

“I’m not Sporty Spice or Melanie C; I’m both of those things. And not just some of the time, but all of the time,” she said. “I think it’s really important to acknowledge that,” to embrace her legacy and build a new one.

“I want to make people feel good,” she says of this new musical era. “I want to empower them. I want to motivate people.”

But she also hopes they use “Sweat” as a break, an escape, some downtime.

“Recovery is a really important part of working out,” she laughs.

Spoken like Sporty Spice — and Melanie C.

Plans to upgrade refrigeration and change signs at the Winn-Dixie on Moncrief Road West are also under review by the city.

The store will stay open during the conversion. It is unclear when the conversion will be completed.

Back on March 16, Winn-Dixie announced the conversion of two Harveys into Winn-Dixie stores in Jacksonville and another in South Georgia. On March 28, the company announced the closure of the Harveys on Arlington Road in the Arlington neighborhood and W. 48th Street in the North Shore neighborhood. Both stores will close in mid-May.

The conversion and closure of stores are a part of a plan by The Winn-Dixie Company LLC to establish “a more unified grocery experience for customers across Florida and southern Georgia.”

Firefighter James “Kevin” Crews, who was assigned to Station 4 in Hilliard, was 59 years old when he died on April 23 after suffering a medical emergency while fighting the brush fire, just south of Henry Smith Road in Hilliard.

𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at the Nassau Funeral Home, 541720 US-1, Callahan, FL 32011.

𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:

Funeral services will take place on Thursday, April 30, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at West Church located at 550974 US-1, Hilliard, FL 32046.

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:

Prior to the service, a funeral procession will begin at the Nassau Funeral Home at 8:30 a.m. The route will travel north on US-1, turn left onto CR 108, then proceed left onto Pecan Street, past Fire Station 4, left onto W. 1st Street, and right onto US-1, concluding at West Church.

Community members are encouraged to join in honoring Firefighter Crews by safely lining the procession route. See map.

𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗚𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀:

Agency Honor Guard Units and Dignitaries are welcome to attend. To coordinate, please contact Nassau County Fire Rescue (NCFR), Battalion Chief Jeff Dodd at 904-710-2979.

𝗟𝗮𝘄 𝗘𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:

For coordination, please contact Sgt. Brandy Turman at 904-583-0411.

Nassau County Fire and Rescue Chief Brady Rigdon said Crews’ death hit Nassau County fire crews and the Hilliard Fire Department hard.

He was remembered by colleagues as a dedicated public servant, well respected by all firefighters, and loved by his community.

“Our department and our community have lost a hero,” said Hilliard Volunteer Fire Chief Jerry Johnson. “Kevin was the epitome of courage and dedication. His sacrifice will never be forgotten. We are focused on supporting his family and our personnel during this unimaginably difficult time.”

The Chilean-American actor arrived accompanied by the cute Grogu and director, cowriter and producer Jon Favreau, who received a huge ovation from the 2,500 attendees on the Thunder Stage when they exclusively presented a preview of the film Sunday night.

“We’ve been working in secret for years, but we wanted to show it to you and for us it’s a big treat too, it’s the first time we get to share this with the fans,” said Favreau.

A year ago, Pascal visited the convention to present “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” and now he said he was excited to be part of the Star Wars legacy and make the leap to the big screen after the television series “The Mandalorian," released in 2019.

“I always had a dream in my heart that would be on a big screen. Because that’s how I developed as a child. I went to the movie theater so much with my family. And I saw the Star Wars movies on the big screen,” said Pascal, who attributed the urge to cry to the fact that “I’m old, it happens very easily.”

“They are films ... that really fostered all my dreams,” he said. “So now to be a part of that and share it with you who see it on a big screen. ... It’s a dream I never imagined.”

Filmed in IMAX, the movie starring Pascal, Sigourney Weaver and Jeremy Allen White, opens on May 21 and is one of the most anticipated summer releases of 2026. It’s the first Star Wars film in seven years since “The Rise of Skywalker,” and Favreau highlighted the opportunity to attract new fans.

“We wanted to introduce these characters to a new audience,” the director said. “But for the fans who’ve been there forever, like these people, we wanted to evolve the relationship. So it’s no longer about the Mandalorian rescuing Grogu. Now Grogu has leveled up. He’s a Mandalorian apprentice.”

Favreau also shared his own experience as a Star Wars fan to an audience full of Grogu’s green ears and lightsabers.

“When I was in high school, I was a usher in the movie theater when ‘Empire Strikes Back’ went out. Then ‘Return of the Jedi’ came out, so I’ve been a fan since I was young, but never did I think I’d get to make Star Wars.”

The director took the opportunity to highlight that the film had a more in-depth treatment than the series, since they had a lot of pre-production time.

“We had three years to do this. The choreography, the creatures, the stop motion, the CGI, all of it,” said the director. “It’s just been a tremendous ride. I’m so super grateful that the fans are trusting me with Star Wars.”

Pascal, who was wearing a green Mexican national soccer team jersey in preparation for the World Cup to be held in Mexico, Canada, and the United States, noted that in the film the relationship between legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin and Grogu has evolved.

“They’ve always been like a very powerful team, but everyone sees that the Mandalorian is protecting a baby. And now, in this movie, they’re more like a couple, on the same level,” he said.

This story originally published at GatorsBreakdown.com

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It’s your favorite cousin Darrin that works in news, and I’ve got everything worth stepping out for this weekend. Whether you’re chasing live music, food festivals, outdoor markets, or just looking for a good excuse to get out of the house, there’s something happening that’ll fit your vibe.

Stick with me, and I’ll point you toward the spots, sounds, and scenes that’ll make your weekend feel like time well spent.

Got something happening that’s not on the guide? Add your event to our community calendar and let the city show up! Here’s how.

Now, let’s check out all the happenings around Jacksonville from May 1 - 3👇

(Emoji Key: 💰 = Paid/ticketed event 🆓 = Free event 🎶 = Live music 🔞 Event is 18 and up or 21 and up)

As always, be sure to check the organization’s website and social media accounts for any last-minute event changes or cancellations.

Events Happening This Week... 📅

Monthly Happenings:

📌 These are recurring events that happen within the month.

• 🆓 Zumba at Friendship Fountain every Tuesday from 6 to 7 p.m.
• 🆓 Riverside Arts Market every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• 🆓 Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) - Visitors receive free admission on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• 🆓 Yoga at Artist Square - Every Tuesday under the Fuller Warren Bridge for a weekly all-levels yoga class from 6 to 7 p.m.
• 🆓 Jacksonville Run Club meets every Saturday at 7 a.m. and Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Friendship Fountain
• 🆓 904 Walk Club meets every Wednesday at Friendship Fountain at 6:30 p.m.
• Friday Night at The Underground is weekly fun with delicious eats and fun for all
• 🆓 Silent Disco at Friendship Fountain is every last Saturday of the month from 6 to 9 p.m. Approximately 300 headphones will be given out at a time, first come, first served. This is a free, family-friendly event.

Friday, May 1

• 💰🎶Jax Symphony: Harry Potter & The Sorcerer’s Stone - This concert presents the first movie of the unforgettable series while a live orchestra performs John Williams’ enchanting score. Join us for an evening of music and magic. 📅Friday, May 1 - Saturday, May 2 ⏰7 p.m. 📍Performing Arts Center: 300 West Water Street
• 💰🎶Puttin’ on the Ritz Talent Competition - Live variety talent competition featuring the best new local talent in northeast Florida! 📅Friday, May 1 ⏰7:30 p.m.📍Ritz Theatre: 829 N Davis Street
• 🆓🎶Five Points Funky Fridays - Funky Fridays is a community-driven revitalization initiative designed to increase foot traffic, support local merchants, and re-energize public life in the historic Five Points neighborhood. Each month will feature themed events, live music, games, and merchant activations. 📅Friday, May 1 ⏰4:00 p.m.📍Riverside’s historic Five Points
• 🆓🎶First Fridays at Friendship Fountain - The special event will have a DJ, cash bar, food trucks, vendors, and lawn games all localized at the Fountain! 📅Friday, May 1 ⏰6:00 p.m.📍1015 Museum Cir. Jacksonville, Florida 32207
• 🆓🎶Country Courtyard Night at Legacy Ale - A Country Courtyard Party a night of live music, cold drinks, and good times. 📅Friday, May 1 ⏰6:00 p.m.📍14965 Old St Augustine Rd. Jacksonville, FL 32258
• 💰Jerry Seinfeld at Moran Theater - American entertainer Jerry Seinfeld is coming to Jacksonville. His work spans from stand-up comedy, acting, writing, filmmaking and television production, but he has a focus on observational humor. 📅Friday, May 1 ⏰7:00 p.m.📍300 Water St Jacksonville, FL 32202
• 💰Loud Luxury at Decca Live - Catch Loud Luxury lighting up Decca Live with high-energy drops, singalong moments, and nonstop party vibes. 📅Friday, May 1 ⏰10:00 p.m.📍323 E Bay St.Jacksonville, FL 32202

Saturday, May 2

• 💰 Jacksonville Sharks vs. New Mexico Chupacabras - Watch the Jacksonville Sharks take on the New Mexico Chupacabras at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena! 📅Saturday, May 2 ⏰7 p.m.📍VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena - 300 A Philip Randolph Blvd Jacksonville, FL 32202
• 💰Florida Avengers vs. Tennessee Trojans - Are you up for power, passion, and excitement? Well go check out the Florida Avengers women’s tackle football! Watch elite athletes compete at the highest level in an action-packed, family-friendly game-day environment. 📅Saturday, May 2 ⏰7:00 p.m.📍1658 Kings Rd. Jacksonville, FL 32209
• 💰Epic Game Nights: Back Yard Rodeo - Get ready for an unforgettable evening at Epic Game Nights! The Back Yard Rodeo, where fun meets friendly competition under the stars. Bring your A-game! Come by yourself or with a group of friends, the atmosphere is great for everyone. Don’t miss out on the laughs and epic moments! Yard games, board games and card game. Drinks and food are available. 📅Saturday, May 2 ⏰8:00 p.m.📍2404 Hubbard St. Jacksonville, FL 32206
• 💰Family Movie Night - The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp’s Publix Family Movie Night with Fun 4 First Coast Kids will show a screening of “Zootopia 2” on the high-definition video board, with admission set for just $1 per person at the gate. 📅Saturday, May 2 ⏰7:00 p.m.📍VyStar Ballpark 301 A Philip Randolph Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32202
• 💰Muddy Dash - Navigate a series of multiple challenging obstacles and get down and dirty along the way. Come face to face with the elements as you trudge through mud, climb rock formations, and be blasted by foam cannons that wash you clean as you cross the finish line. This world-class run that requires teamwork, courage, endurance, and will push you to your limits. 📅Saturday, May 2 ⏰8:00 a.m.📍13611 Normandy Blvd Jacksonville, FL 32221

Sunday, May 3

• 💰Chris Andrade at Comedy Zone - Look out Jacksonville Chris Andrade will be in town this weekend at Comedy Zone. The entire show will be in Spanish. 📅Sunday, May 3 ⏰6:00 p.m.📍3130 Hartley Road Jacksonville FL 32257

We’re constantly updating this page, so be sure to check it periodically throughout the week for any additions.

Upcoming Events... 📅

📌 These are future events that aren’t happening this week, but coming up soon

• COMING SOON

For more ideas for fun weekend activities, take a look at our Events Calendar 👇

U.S. President Donald Trump seems unlikely to accept the offer. The existing ceasefire keeps the U.S. and Iran in a fragile standoff over the strait.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was in Russia Monday for a meeting with President Vladimir Putin as part of a trip that included two stops in Pakistan, where leaders are scrambling to reignite stalled talks between Tehran and Washington.

Airlines worldwide have begun canceling flights as the war in the Middle East strains jet fuel supplies and pushes up oil prices. Here’s what to know if your flight is canceled.

Here is the latest:

Rubio says preventing Iran from a nuclear weapon ‘remains the core issue’

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was asked in a Fox News interview about Iran’s latest proposal, which would postpone discussions on its nuclear program but end its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz if the U.S. lifts its blockade and ends the war.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that at some point in the future if this radical clerical regime remains in charge in Iran, they will decide they want a nuclear weapon,” Rubio said.

“That fundamental issue still has to be confronted,” he said. “That still remains the core issue here.”

Asked whether he thinks the Iranians are serious about making a deal, Rubio said they’re skilled negotiators looking to buy time.

“We can’t let them get away with it,” Rubio said. “We have to ensure that any deal that is made, any agreement that is made, is one that definitively prevents them from sprinting towards a nuclear weapon at any point.”

Bessent says doing business with Iranian airlines risks exposure to sanctions

After Iran recently resumed commercial flights, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement that nations should not provide jet fuel, catering, landing fees or maintenance to Iranian commercial jets, otherwise Treasury “will not hesitate to act against any third parties that facilitate or conduct business with Iranian entities.”

“Iran’s creaking oil industry is starting to shut in production thanks to the U.S. BLOCKADE,” Bessent said. “Pumping will soon collapse. GASOLINE SHORTAGES NEXT!”

Netanyahu says Hezbollah is down to about 10% of its arsenal

Meeting with army commanders, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hezbollah’s ability to fire into Israel has been sharply degraded, estimating the group retains about 10% of its arsenal. He did not clarify whether that figure refers to the Lebanese militant group’s stockpile from before the current war, or since the Gaza war began back in 2023.

Iran-backed Hezbollah is believed to still have tens of thousands of rockets, missiles and drones despite decades of efforts by Israel, U.N. peacekeepers and Lebanon’s government to disarm it. Despite Israeli pressure, it’s unclear whether Lebanese authorities have the capacity or political will to disarm Hezbollah.

Netanyahu said Israeli forces’ occupation of parts of southern Lebanon — which he described as a “security zone” — has made northern Israel safer. He said deals brokered with the U.S. and Lebanon gave Israel a “freedom of action” to counter threats inside that country. Beirut has not acknowledged any such right, and Hezbollah says it will keep firing as long as Israel does.

Trump national security team met and discussed Iranian proposal on Strait of Hormuz

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump’s national security team met Monday and was discussing Iran’s proposal on reopening the key waterway. But she offered no detail on what came of the discussion and how the proposal was being received. She instead said that Trump would address it later.

Israel cancels major holiday gatherings over fears of a Hezbollah attack

Typically, around 100,000 mostly ultra-Orthodox Jews would gather next week on Mount Meron in northern Israel to celebrate the Lag BaOmer holiday.

However, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that the large festival will replaced with a smaller symbolic ceremony, citing concerns about the gathering being attacked by Hezbollah. Similar restrictions were imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic and previous wars.

Mount Meron is only about 4 miles (6 kilometers) from the border with Lebanon. People normally light bonfires, dance and have large meals there in honor Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, a 2nd-century sage and mystic who is believed to be buried on the mountain.

Across Israel, even in secular areas, people often celebrate Lag BaOmer with barbecues and bonfires in parks and forests.

US and Iranian officials clash during a UN nuclear weapons conference

Officials from the United States and Iran clashed over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear ambitions at the opening of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty review, a dispute almost certain to continue during the four-week meeting.

At issue was the election of Iran as one of 34 vice-presidents of the conference. Iran was a candidate of the Nonaligned Movement, comprising 121 mainly developing countries.

The United States was backed by Australia and the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom, France and Germany also expressed “concern.” Russia objected to singling out Iran.

The U.S. representative, whose name was not immediately available, said the Trump administration was “deeply shocked” that a country that has demonstrated “contempt” for the treaty is now a vice-president.

Iran’s Ambassador to the U.N. in Vienna, Reza Najafi, categorically rejected the U.S. statement, calling the allegations “baseless and politically motivated.”

Iran’s top diplomat says the US wants to negotiate because it failed to achieve its war aims

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told a Russian state TV reporter on Monday that despite the U.S. being a superpower, its leaders “have achieved none of their goals” in the war against his country.

“That’s why they ask for negotiation,” Iran’s top diplomat said. “We are now considering it.”

Araghchi was in St. Petersburg on Monday, meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other top officials.

Asked by another reporter about Russia’s support, the minister said only that “Iran and Russia are strategic partners,” and that the two counties “have always supported” each other. “Our cooperation would continue,” Araghchi said.

French FM says international waterways are ‘not for sale’ while blaming the US, Israel and Iran for Hormuz crisis

At a U.N. Security Council meeting on maritime security, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the energy and humanitarian crisis caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz began after “operations launched by the United States and Israel without a clearly set of goal, which were conducted in a manner that flouts international law.”

But Barrot added that Iran now holds responsibility for what it is doing with the critical waterway.

“Straits are the arteries of the world. They are not the property of any individual. They are not for sale, therefore, they cannot be impeded by any obstacles, tolls, nor bribery, neither by Iran, nor by any other party, and under no pretext,” he said.

UN officials and dozens of countries call for immediate action in releasing Iran’s hold over the Strait of Hormuz

In a joint statement led by Bahrain, dozens of countries reiterated their weekslong “call for the urgent and unimpeded opening” of the critical waterway as negotiations between the U.S. and Iran remain stalled.

Antonio Guterres, the U.N. secretary-general, told the Security Council on Monday that given the impasse in the negotiations, the world body should support an emergency framework in the meantime put forth by the International Maritime Organization.

The U.N. chief warned about the consequences of waiting to address the “worst supply chain disruption since COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine.”

“These pressures are cascading into empty fuel tanks, empty shelves — and empty plates,” he told the 15-member council. “The humanitarian toll is mounting.”

UK doesn’t support US blockade of Iranian ports, deputy minister says

Stephen Doughty, minister of state for Europe and North America, said that while the U.K. doesn’t support the U.S. blockade, it supports working with the United States and others to reopen the Strait of Hormuz — where he said the Iran is holding “the rest of the world to ransom.”

Maritime traffic must flow safely and unimpeded through the strait, he said, “and that includes no tolls, no security risk and, of course, adherence to the international laws on freedom of navigation.”

Diplomacy is crucial, Doughty told a small group of U.N. reporters ahead of a Security Council meeting Monday on the safety of navigation in the critical waterway, through which around 20% of the world’s crude oil normally passes.

He said de-escalation and a ceasefire are also crucial, stressing that Iran can’t be allowed to block the strait, attack its Gulf neighbors and civilian infrastructure, and develop nuclear weapons.

Rubio says a purported Iranian offer on the Strait of Hormuz is not acceptable

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says a purported offer from Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz under strict conditions is not acceptable to the United States or others.

Speaking in a Monday interview with Fox News, Rubio said Iran has a different view of the strategic waterway than most of the rest of the world.

“What they mean by opening the straits is, yes, the straits are open, as long as you coordinate with Iran, get our permission, or we’ll blow you up and you pay us,” Rubio said.

“That’s not opening the straits. Those are international waterways. They cannot normalize, nor can we tolerate them trying to normalize, a system in which the Iranians decide who gets to use

Lebanon’s Health Ministry raises death toll there to 2,521

The ministry added Monday that 7,804 people were wounded since the latest Israel-Hezbollah war started March 2.

Despite a ceasefire that’s been in place since April 17, there have been repeated violations by both sides.

Merz says the American nation ‘is being humiliated’ by the Iranian leadership

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday criticized the U.S. for going into the Iran war without any strategy, saying this also makes it harder to end the conflict.

“The problem with conflicts like these is always the same: it’s not just about getting in; you also have to get out. We saw that all too painfully in Afghanistan, for 20 years. We saw it in Iraq,” the chancellor said while speaking Monday to students in Marsberg in the Sauerland region of Germany.

The lack of U.S. strategy and the fact that the Iranians are stronger than previously thought made it hard to end the conflict now, he said.

“Especially since the Iranians are negotiating very skillfully — or rather, very skillfully not negotiating,” he added. “And then letting the Americans travel to Islamabad, only to send them back without any results. An entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership, especially by these so-called Revolutionary Guards.”

Germany, he said, maintains its offer to send minesweepers in order to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but only after the fighting is over.

Pakistan clears transit of third-country goods to Iran

Pakistan has cleared the way for Iran to import goods from third countries through its territory by opening new transit routes.

According to a government notification issued Saturday, six routes have been designated linking ports including Karachi, Port Qasim and Gwadar with key border crossings in southwestern Balochistan province.

The notification was issued during a visit to Islamabad by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who met Pakistani officials for talks amid tensions between the United States and Iran.

The order took immediate effect.

Analysts said Monday the new policy allows cargo bound for Iran to move across Pakistan swiftly without facing delays due to bureaucratic hurdles. They said it could also help Pakistan strengthen its role as a regional transit route and improve connectivity with Iran and beyond the region in future.

Iran turns to the Caspian Sea for food with Persian Gulf routes choked by the US blockade

With the United States trying to squeeze Iran by blockading goods from entering or exiting its ports, food suppliers are rerouting imports via the Caspian Sea to ensure food keeps getting into the country.

The head of the Association of Iran’s Food Industries said Monday that alternative import routes are being “incorporated into the supply chain for essential goods.”

“At present, there is no problem with the country’s food security, but maintaining this situation requires careful planning,” Mohammad Reza Mortazavi said, according to the state-owned Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting.

The Caspian is the world’s largest inland body of water and its southern coastline stretches more than 430 miles (700 kilometers) in northern Iran. Iran is a net importer of food staples like grain and cooking oil.

US stocks are mixed as their record-breaking rally slows, while oil prices rise

The U.S. stock market’s record-breaking rally is slowing Monday after uncertainty rose over the weekend about what will happen next in the Iran war, while oil prices are rising.

The S&P 500 edged down by less than 0.1%, coming off its latest all-time high driven by strong profit reports from U.S. companies and hopes that the United States and Iran can avoid a worst-case scenario for the economy because of their war. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 86 points, or 0.2%, as of 9:35 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq was 0.3% lower after setting its own record.

The moves were stronger in the oil market, where prices climbed more than 1.5% as tankers still find the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed. That’s keeping crude stuck in the Middle East and away from customers worldwide, including crude produced by Iran that’s being blockaded by the U.S. Navy.

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Israeli military videos show weapons discovered and homes leveled as fighting in Lebanon grinds on

It released videos Monday showing troops operating in Lebanon, including coordinated explosions in unnamed villages, toppling homes it said were infrastructure used by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

Footage also showed a brigade discovering a cache of rifles and missile launchers stashed in a children’s room, which it said were hidden beneath toys, beds and elsewhere in kids’ rooms.

Despite a ceasefire nominally in place in Lebanon, both Israel and Hezbollah continue to strike each other, while Israeli forces occupy a buffer zone in Lebanon and have been demolishing neighborhoods in towns and villages in that area.

The military says it destroys buildings that were used as outposts by the Iran-backed militant group, but the wide scale of destruction has Lebanese officials and residents increasingly worried that displaced people will have nowhere to return.

Bahrain strips 69 people of citizenship

The island kingdom’s interior ministry said it revoked citizenship rights “of those who expressed sympathy and praise for Iran’s hostile and criminal acts.” It noted the move also applied to the families of individuals accused.

Bahrain is among several countries in the region that tightly controlled information about Iranian strikes during the war, arresting residents and foreigners who filmed them. The Sunni-ruled monarchy, like Iran, has a majority Shiite population and saw pro-Iran demonstrations early in the conflict. Authorities arrested protesters and those who filmed demonstrations en masse, charging dozens with misusing social media, inciting hatred or treason, an offense that can carry the death penalty.

The country is also one of several in the Gulf with laws allowing courts to strip citizenship from people convicted of certain crimes, potentially rendering them stateless. Such measures in Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar have drawn criticism from rights groups, which say the laws are tools of repression, used to squash and punish dissent.

For ships stuck in the Gulf, crew changes are difficult

Fleet Management Limited usually communicates multiple times a day with dozens of stranded ships that are staffed by more than 400 seafarers, its CEO Capt. Rajalingam Subramaniam said.

Stock checks are regularly maintained for food supply, and pickups have been arranged to ensure availability by moving vessels to the nearest points where they can pick up fresh and dry provisions, he said.

Some crew changes were still happening, but in limited numbers. “Who wants to go on the ship?” Subramaniam said. “The inbound crew has the right to refuse and we respect (that).”

Most of the stranded mariners have been in the Gulf since the war began. “(For) mariners who did not sign up to be in warlike area, they also (need) to be respected so that they do not become the unintended collateral,” he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi

The meeting happened Monday in Saint Petersburg, Russian state news agency Tass said.

Putin praised the Iranian people as bravely fighting for their sovereignty and said Russia would do everything possible in the interest of Iran and other countries in the region to bring peace to the Middle East, Tass reported.

Tired and worried, seafarers have been stranded in the Persian Gulf for weeks

Around 20,000 seafarers on hundreds of vessels, including oil and gas tankers and cargo ships, have been stuck in the Gulf, unable to cross the Strait of Hormuz. Normally about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas transits the waterway.

Roughly 80 vessels passed through the strait in the week of April 13-19, according to the maritime data firm Lloyd’s List Intelligence, compared to approximately 130 or more transits per day before the war. Dozens of ships have come under attack since the war started, and the U.N. says at least 10 seafarers were killed.

Even as U.S. President Donald Trump last week extended the ceasefire indefinitely, the U.S. kept the blockade of Iranian ports. In response, Iran fired on ships in the strait and seized two.

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Israel and Iran spent less on defense in 2025 than 2024, tracker says

Military spending in the Middle East plateaued in 2025, even as it climbed in other parts of the world, according to a report released Monday by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The think tank, which goes by the acronym SIPRI, said regionwide spending increased 0.1% but actually fell in both Israel and Iran.

Israel’s military spending fell 4.9% to $48.3 billion, reflecting a less intense year of fighting than in 2024 after it entered ceasefires in Lebanon in November 2024 and in Gaza in October 2025. Even as large-scale combat subsided, Israel continued carrying out lethal strikes and maintained a ground presence in both. Spending remains sharply elevated — up 97% compared with 2022 — and the war has strained public finances, with Israel reporting wider deficits and increased borrowing since it began.

Iran’s spending fell 5.6% to $7.4 billion. SIPRI attributed that to inflation and broader economic strain, though researchers warned that government reports are likely understated.

“Iran also uses off-budget oil revenues to finance its military, including the production of missiles and drones,” SIPRI researcher Zubaida Karim said.

Lebanon president blasts Hezbollah for rejecting talks

Lebanon President Joseph Aoun blasted militant group Hezbollah on Monday over its rejection of direct talks with Israel.

Lebanon’s decision to hold negotiations with Israel is not “treason,” Aoun said in a statement, adding that treason is when “someone takes the country to war to achieve foreign interests.”

Harshly criticizing Hezbollah without naming it, Aoun asked whether there was a “national accord” when the Iran-backed group took Lebanon to war last month.

Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel on March 2, two days after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran. The fighting has killed over 2,500 people, wounded more than 7,000 and displaced over 1 million people.

Aoun asked how long people in south Lebanon will pay for the wars of other nations or groups, “the latest of which was the war for backing up Gaza and the war for backing up Iran.”

“I totally reject this war” when the goal is to benefit others, he said.

Aoun said he wants to end the state of war with Israel in the manner of the 1949 Armistice Agreements that brought calm along the border for years without normalizing relations.

“Was the armistice agreement humiliation? I will not accept reaching a humiliating deal,” Aoun said.

Skenes rented the inflatable kids' attraction as a part of a belated celebration for rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin, who turned 20 on Friday and celebrated by hitting his first major league home run in a win at Milwaukee.

“Unfortunately, I didn’t get to get in it, but I love it,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said of the bounce house. “Teammates, it’s good camaraderie and I know that Konnor’s a great sport about it. There are not too many guys that get to celebrate their 20th birthday in the big leagues. Really cool.”

Griffin made his debut on April 3 after being called up from Triple-A Indianapolis. He signed a $140 million, nine-year contract five days later.

The Minor League Player of the Year last season, Griffin is hitting .224 with one homer and six stolen bases in 22 games. He was the Pirates’ first-round pick in the 2024 amateur draft.

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

Joshua Trent, 42, was arrested April 12, at a local restaurant on Normandy Boulevard, according to court records. He is being held without bond on two counts of felony sexual battery.

According to his arrest report, the case began on Jan. 16, 2026, when JSO detectives received a First Coast Crime Stoppers tip alleging that Trent had sexually abused a victim over a period spanning 2016 to 2022. The alleged abuse is said to have begun when the female victim was a minor.

Detectives with JSO’s Special Assault Unit launched a formal investigation on Jan. 20, 2026. Through social media research, investigators were able to identify and contact a witness who provided them with the victim’s contact information.

On the same day investigators reached out, the victim came forward and agreed to be interviewed.

Church, software company named as key

According to the arrest report, Trent had served as a youth pastor at a Jacksonville-area church where the victim and her family were members. Investigators say Trent used his position of trust within the church to build a close personal relationship with the victim over time.

Trent was also employed as a vice president of a church software company located on Normandy Boulevard. Investigators say the alleged abuse occurred at multiple locations, including the company’s office and Trent’s home.

Trent was terminated from the software company in November 2021 — approximately two weeks after two detectives visited the business to investigate a separate matter tied to Trent involving a computer’s IP address. Police say the company’s owner confirmed that Trent and the victim were frequently seen alone together in Trent’s closed-door office.

Investigators point to a pattern of grooming

Investigators say Trent used his role within the church, combined with the victim’s family circumstances, to establish what the report describes as a “custodial relationship” — a key legal element of the charges filed against him.

Detectives say the pattern began with seemingly innocent contact, including text messages and physical interactions during church activities, before escalating over time. Court documents indicate the victim was a minor with no prior sexual experience when the alleged abuse began.

When the victim attempted to resist, investigators say Trent threatened self-harm to coerce her compliance, referencing a firearm he was said to carry with him regularly.

Recorded conversation, prior cyber tip bolster case

According to his arrest report, on Jan. 28, 2026, the victim participated in a recorded investigative call with Trent. During the conversation, Trent made statements that detectives say confirm his awareness of and participation in specific incidents described by the victim. According to the report, he told the victim, “I think about you 100% of everyday ... I still saved all the emails so I can go back and read them.”

Investigators also uncovered a prior CyberTipLine report, filed by Instagram on May 3, 2021, which flagged an account linked to Trent for child exploitation material. JSO records show the 2021 investigation was closed without criminal charges after Trent told detectives at the time that the recipient of the material was an adult with whom he had been having an affair. Investigators in the current case say a review of the victim’s birth date contradicts that claim.

Arrest made at local restaurant

Police say Trent was located on Sunday, April 12 by detectives with JSO’s Community Problem Response Unit, who had been actively searching for him on an active arrest warrant issued April 9. Investigators spotted Trent leaving Westside Baptist Church on Herlong Road and followed his black Ford Bronco to a Larry’s Giant Subs on Normandy Boulevard, where he was apprehended.

Trent told detectives he wanted his lawyer and declined to speak with investigators. He was transported to the Duval County Jail.

According to the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the student had a CO2-powered pellet handgun on campus, which caused fear among other students. When confronted, the student placed the handgun into another student’s backpack in an apparent attempt to conceal it from law enforcement and school staff.

Deputies secured the weapon and transported the student to the St. Johns County Jail. Sheriff’s officials said there is no ongoing danger to students or staff and no threats were made. The investigation is ongoing.

The ruling by a divided three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit isn't the final decision in the newspaper's lawsuit over a new Pentagon press credential policy. But the panel's majority opinion said the administration is likely to succeed in showing that the policy's escort requirement is legally valid.

The panel granted the government's request to suspend an April 9 decision by U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman, who ruled that the Defense Department was violating his earlier order to restore access to the Pentagon for reporters.

Circuit Judges Justin Walker, J. Michelle Childs and Bradley Garcia heard the case, with Childs dissenting from the 2-1 majority.

“Reporters can hardly verify sources, gather information, or speak candidly with Department personnel with an escort looming over their shoulders,” Childs wrote.

Friedman found that the Pentagon’s new credential policy violated journalists’ constitutional rights to free speech and due process. He said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s team had tried to evade his March 20 ruling by putting in new rules that expel all reporters from the building unless guided by escorts.

Defense Department spokesperson Sean Parnell said it welcomes the panel's decision and looks forward to arguing the merits of its “full case” before the same panel. In a statement posted on social media, Parnell said unescorted access to the Pentagon has led to the “regular unauthorized disclosure of sensitive and classified national defense information.”

“Since implementing the current access policy, the Department has seen a meaningful reduction in these unauthorized disclosures, which when they occur can endanger the lives of service members, intelligence personnel, and our allies,” he wrote.

Theodore Boutrous, an attorney for The Times, said the panel's ruling is “a narrow, preliminary one" and “casts no doubt” on the strength of the newspaper's constitutional arguments.

"We look forward to defending the full scope of the district court’s rulings in The Times’s favor in this appeal,” Boutrous said in a statement.

President Donald Trump, a Republican, nominated Walker. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, nominated Garcia and Childs. Friedman was nominated by Democratic President Bill Clinton.

Festival organizers announced the change after the required fireworks permit was withdrawn due to an active burn ban. In response, they have arranged a choreographed drone show set to light up the sky over the harbor.

“The safety of our community, visitors, and first responders will always come first,” organizers said in a statement.

The drone show is scheduled for Friday, May 1 at 9:30 p.m. Organizers are calling it a “one-of-a-kind visual experience” and say the new format allows the festival’s tradition of community celebration to continue in an innovative way.

More information about the show can be found at shrimpfestival.com.

The proposal, backed by the Service Employees International Union Healthcare Workers West, would impose a one-time, 5% tax on individuals whose net worth exceeds $1 billion and who were living in the state as of Jan. 1, 2026. The goal is to generate $100 billion in revenue, which would largely be used to offset federal funding cuts to healthcare for low-income people.

“California’s health is at stake,” said Liz Perlman, executive director of a chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, a major labor union. “Hospitals are closing and people will die. Why? So billionaires can get another tax cut that they don’t need.”

The California Secretary of State still has to verify the signatures and officially place the measure on the ballot. Backers say they collected more than 1.5 million signatures, well over the roughly 875,000 they needed. California allows ballot initiative campaigns to pay people per signature they gather. The cost of gathering petition signatures can vary widely, but it typically runs around $15 for each signature.

If the measure goes before voters in November, it could prompt one of the costliest ballot fights ever and will draw national attention as a litmus test for voter attitudes on raising taxes on the rich. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has campaigned in support of the idea. Meanwhile, Google founder Sergey Brin has already donated $57 million to a political committee called “Building a Better California” that’s backing a variety of initiatives designed to blunt the billionaires’ tax. It’s raised over $90 million, counting Brin’s contributions, from fewer than a dozen donors.

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and Silicon Valley tech moguls are adamantly opposed. They warn it will drive California's wealthiest residents out of the state. Nearly half of California's personal income tax revenue comes from the top 1% of earners. Some have already purchased properties out of state in case it passes.

“After playing with matches since October, the SEIU has succeeded in lighting a ‘Tax the Rich’ wildfire by getting enough signatures,” said David Lesperance, a tax consultant who's advised some of his wealthy clients who left California because of the proposal. “The many billionaire targets of their efforts have already responded by executing fire escape plans by relocating to other states.”

Brian Brokaw, a longtime Newsom adviser who is leading a political committee opposing the tax, said the measure was poorly constructed and would deal a huge blow to the state’s budget.

“Enacting a so-called wealth tax in just one state wouldn’t target a small group -- it would impact all 40 million Californians,” he said in a statement. “This proposal trades a short-term revenue bump for long-term losses.”

At least 25 billionaires listed among Forbes magazine’s 2025 rankings of the world’s 500 wealthiest people either lived in California or had some significant ties to the state, based on a review by The Associated Press. But determining whether they were full-time residents or just frequent visitors could turn into a matter of dispute, since many of them own property elsewhere.

The big tax and spending cuts law President Donald Trump signed last year will cut more than $1 trillion nationwide over a decade from Medicaid and federal food assistance.

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Associated Press writer Michael R. Blood in Los Angeles contributed.

Bluepoint Wind and Golden State Wind have agreed to end their offshore wind leases in exchange for reimbursements totaling nearly $900 million. Both companies have decided not to pursue any new offshore wind projects in the United States, the Interior Department announced Monday.

Bluepoint Wind is an offshore wind project in the early stages of development off the coasts of New Jersey and New York, while Golden State Wind is a floating offshore wind project proposed off California’s central coast.

Interior said it's following the model of its recent deal with the French energy company TotalEnergies, which is getting a $1 billion payout to walk away from projects off the coasts of North Carolina and New York. TotalEnergies agreed in March to what’s essentially a refund of its leases, and will invest the money in fossil fuel projects instead.

The deals come after the administration's efforts to block offshore wind have been thwarted by the courts. A federal judge vacated President Donald Trump’s executive order blocking wind energy projects in December, declaring it unlawful as she sided with state attorneys general from 17 states and Washington, D.C., who challenged the order.

Two weeks later, the administration ordered that construction stop on five major East Coast offshore wind projects, citing national security concerns. Developers and states sued, and federal judges allowed all five to resume construction, essentially concluding that the government didn’t show that the national security risk was so imminent that construction must halt.

Environmental groups and Democrats have questioned the legality of the TotalEnergies deal and said it could be harmful to the U.S. economy and environment. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., criticized the administration for stopping Bluepoint Wind, calling it “a reckless decision that hurts working families and the economy” and will likely increase electricity prices in New York.

“Once again, Donald Trump is attacking New York offshore wind at the behest of his fossil fuel donors with no justification,” he said in a statement Monday.

Both Bluepoint and Golden State are co-owned by Ocean Winds, a joint venture of EDP Renewables and French energy giant Engie. Bluepoint's lease cost $765 million, while Golden State Wind will be eligible to recover approximately $120 million in lease fees, Interior said.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said companies were sold a product that was only viable when propped up by massive taxpayer subsidies when they bid for these offshore wind leases in 2022, under former President Joe Biden.

“Now that hardworking Americans are no longer footing the bill for expensive, unreliable, intermittent energy projects, companies are once again investing in affordable, reliable, secure energy infrastructure,” Burgum said in a statement. “We welcome each of the projects’ willingness to actually support baseload power and lower utility bills for American families.”

Bluepoint Wind and Golden State Wind were slated to be major offshore wind projects, each capable of powering more than 1 million homes when complete and helping the states of New Jersey, New York and California meet their clean energy goals. If the projects were to ever move forward, a developer would have to buy new leases. But under the Trump administration, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has rescinded all designated wind energy areas in federal waters.

Bluepoint Wind is a partnership between Ocean Winds and Global Infrastructure Partners. Global Infrastructure Partners, a part of investment giant BlackRock, has committed to invest up to $765 million into a U.S.-based liquefied natural gas facility. Interior said it would cancel the offshore wind lease and reimburse the company for the amount invested in the LNG project.

Golden State Wind is a joint venture by Ocean Winds and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. Under its agreement, Golden State Wind can recover about $120 million in lease fees after the same amount is invested in oil and gas assets, infrastructure or projects along the Gulf Coast, Interior said.

The companies said they appreciated the constructive engagement with the administration.

Michael Brown, CEO of Ocean Winds North America, said the deal provided “clarity” for the company and its investors. "Our priority remains disciplined capital allocation and delivering reliable energy solutions that create long-term value for ratepayers, partners and shareholders,” he said.

In his second term, Trump has gone all in on fossil fuels, which he says will lower costs for families, increase reliability and help the U.S. maintain global leadership in artificial intelligence.

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McDermott reported from Providence, R.I.

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

A passenger on a Delta Air Lines flight from Atlanta gave birth to a healthy 5 1/2 pound (2.5 kg) girl just before the Boeing 737 landed at Portland International Airport in Oregon on Friday night. Two paramedics who happened to be on the flight assisted, borrowing blankets from other passengers and using a shoelace to tie off the umbilical cord.

Baby Brielle Renee Blair came in about two weeks ahead of schedule; the plane, about 20 minutes.

Her mom, Ashley Blair, who is from Tennessee, was flying to Oregon to be with her own mother for the birth, but didn't quite make it. She went into labor about half an hour from Portland.

One of the paramedics, Tina Fritz, told The Associated Press on Monday that she and the other paramedic, Kaarin Powell, were returning home after vacationing in the Dominican Republic. They had been helping a nurse attend to the medical needs of another passenger at the back of the plane when a flight attendant asked them to check on Blair.

They found Blair was indeed in labor and contractions were getting close. It was a full flight with 153 passengers on board — soon to be 154 — so they began moving the passengers next to Blair back to their seats to make room for the delivery.

They asked flight attendants for blankets and an obstetrical kit, a sterile set of medical tools used in emergency childbirth. Fritz said they had to improvise when neither was available.

They got blankets from other passengers and a shoestring from a flight attendant to tie off the umbilical cord. Powell tore out one of her own shoes laces to use as a tourniquet to start an IV.

Then, Fritz recalled, the mother yelled: “OK, it’s time. I got to push.”

As she was doing so, flight attendants told Fritz and Powell they needed to sit, because the plane was about to touch down.

“We’re like, ‘No! No!’” she said.

Blair gave three “super, really good pushes, and the baby came out really quickly,” Fritz said. “It was nice.”

Powell cut the umbilical cord and sat down while holding the baby. Fritz sat down next to her, and the wheels hit the runway.

“Baby pinked up right away," Fritz said. "She was gorgeous. Mom was a rock star.”

After the plane began taxiing to the jetway, they handed the baby to Blair, and everyone celebrated by taking photos.

A responding crew from Portland Airport Fire & Rescue “found the mother and baby healthy, and the new family was transported to a local hospital for observation,” Port of Portland spokesperson Molly Prescott said in an email to The Associated Press.

In a statement, Delta said a doctor and two nurses assisted flight attendants, but Fritz said there was no doctor and the only nurse stayed with the first ailing passenger. Delta didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking clarification.

“We extend our sincere thanks to the crew and medical volunteers on board who stepped in to provide care to a customer onboard prior to landing in Portland. The health and safety of our customers is always our top priority, and we wish the new family all the best,” Delta said in the statement.

Blair didn’t return messages from the AP. Fritz, who has been keeping in touch with Blair since the birth, said she's been a little overwhelmed by all the attention.

“I feel like we’re friends now forever,” Fritz said.

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Thiessen reported from Anchorage, Alaska.

The events — one in each of the city's five boroughs — will include watch parties for the matches and other festivities. They will be staged at Rockefeller Center in Manhattan, the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, Brooklyn Bridge Park in Brooklyn, a shopping center near Yankee Stadium in the Bronx and a minor league baseball stadium in Staten Island.

A separate fan event planned for Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, where the New York Red Bulls play, will cost $10.

World Cup matches will be played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where just getting to and from the matches on public transit could cost $150.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a noted soccer devotee, announced the free events alongside New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a fellow Democrat.

"Every fan should be able to watch the greatest tournament on earth without dipping into their savings," Mamdani said.

Similar fan events are being planned for other U.S. host cities.

Beat the Boston Bruins at home in Game 5 on Tuesday, and the Sabres will skate in the second round for the first time since 2007.

“You can expect this to be the hardest game that we’re going to have to play short-term here, because they're in the nothing-to-lose-and-everything-to-gain category,” said Sabres coach Lindy Ruff, whose first stint with the team was a 15-year run that included the most recent postseason appearance and series victory — plus four trips to the conference finals and one Stanley Cup finals berth.

The Bruins, behind first-year coach Marco Sturm, are reeling from a 6-1 drubbing they took on Sunday to fall behind 3-1.

“They know that if they don’t put whatever they can put into the game,” Ruff said, “they’re done.”

Across the Canadian border, and more than 2,000 miles away, another team that has far exceeded external expectations is on the verge of a clinch. The Anaheim Ducks must do so on the road against the Edmonton Oilers, but they're a fearless young group that's hungry to give the franchise its first series victory in nine years.

“We just believe in ourselves,” center Ryan Poehling said, reflecting on the overtime win in Game 4 for a 3-1 lead after facing a two-goal deficit on Sunday. “We’ve done it all year, and I think it just teaches you throughout a season that you’re never out of it. The belief on the bench is something that you truly feel when you go out there for offensive play. It’s a great way to play hockey for us.”

In Dallas, there will be a Game 5 on Tuesday night, too, but no clinching celebration after Minnesota evened the series on Saturday.

Boston Bruins at Buffalo Sabres

When/Where to Watch: Game 5, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. EDT (TNT).

Series: Sabres lead 3-1.

The Bruins lost their cool during their Game 4 meltdown. Defenseman Nikita Zadorov received a $5,000 fine from the league on Monday for cross-checking Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin. Goalie Jeremy Swayman shouted at his own bench as he skated off after being pulled from the game.

“We have an extremely high competitive group. We all have a standard that we all carry ourselves to, and it wasn’t met. So that was just emotion," Swayman told reporters. "It’s moved on now, and we have a job to do going into Buffalo.”

The Sabres can't wait to take the ice in front of a fired-up crowd.

“When I came in last season, there was lots of talk of, ‘This is a hockey city, not a football city,’ and that was pretty hard to believe as an outsider coming in. You can see the passion for the Bills and just everything around that,” Sabres left wing Beck Malenstyn said. “But then I think throughout this year, we’ve slowly grown to see just how supportive and passionate this fan base is.”

Minnesota Wild at Dallas Stars

When/Where to Watch: Game 5, Tuesday, 8 p.m. EDT (ESPN2).

Series: Tied 2-2.

The snapshot of this rugged series between these well-built teams that comfortably finished second and third in the Western Conference during the regular season varies sharply by how many men are on the ice. The Wild have had the upper hand in even-strength play, with a 10-3 scoring advantage. The Stars power play has been dominant, with eight goals in 19 opportunities, and their penalty kill has been scored on only three times in 19 situations.

As the Stars prepared on Monday for yet another pivotal game, they expressed confidence in their 5-on-5 performance by virtue of a steady shot volume. They lead the league this postseason with 141 attempts on target, including 102 during even-strength play, which ranks fifth-most among playoff teams.

“We just have to take the next step and get some loose pucks, get some tips,” Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said.

Only one Stars player has a plus-rating during even-strength situations in this series: defenseman Nils Lundqvist. Unfortunately, he won't play in Game 5 after taking an inadvertent skate to the face from a collision in Game 4. Gulutzan said he hoped Lundqvist would return in the series.

“Sometimes the puck goes in. Sometimes it doesn’t. It’s hockey,” Stars captain Jamie Benn said.

The Wild power play has clearly missed right wing Mats Zuccarello, who hasn't played since an upper-body injury suffered during Game 1, but his return to practice on Monday was an encouraging sign.

“We’ll see how he felt and what his response is from that,” coach John Hynes said. "But it is definitely a step in the right direction.”

Anaheim Ducks at Edmonton Oilers

When/Where to Watch: Game 5, Tuesday, 10 p.m. EDT (TNT).

Series: Ducks lead 3-1.

While both teams were on flights back to Canada, the hockey world was still rehashing the chaotic ending to Game 4 late Sunday and the unusual way in which the officials reached what was almost certainly the correct ruling on Ryan Poehling’s squeaker of an overtime goal for Anaheim.

But that wild finish didn’t alter the overall trajectory of this series: The aggressive Ducks appear to be capable of erasing any trouble caused by their mediocre defensive play, while the Oilers look ever wearier while they attempt to mount their fifth consecutive long playoff run.

“We just believe in each other, and kind of no matter the score, we just continue to compete,” said Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe, the top scorer in the entire Stanley Cup playoffs with eight points. “It’s something that’s been huge for us all year, and it’s something nice to have in your back pocket right now.”

Edmonton is down to its last chance after blowing two leads in Game 4 despite a solid performance by new goalie Tristan Jarry. Anaheim has made the most multi-goal comebacks in the sport this season under coach Joel Quenneville, who passed Al Arbour for the second-most postseason coaching victories in NHL history in Game 4.

The Ducks have won three straight in this series, and they’ve scored 20 goals in four games as they attempt to secure their team’s first playoff series victory since 2017. But this tired Oilers core has been in big postseason jams before. They played their best defensive game of the series on Sunday, so there’s no outward panic as they attempt to bring the series back to Southern California for Game 6.

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AP Sports Writers Greg Beacham in Anaheim, California, Stephen Hawkins in Dallas, and John Wawrow in Buffalo, New York, contributed to this report.

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AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

The attack took place late on Sunday in Guyaku, a village in the Gombi local government area in the country’s Adamawa state, according to the state governor.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack in a message on the Telegram messaging app.

Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri denounced the attack as tragic and unacceptable during a visit to the village on Monday.

Nigeria is facing myriad security challenges, especially in the north, where an insurgency has simmered for more than two decades. In February, the United States sent troops to the West African nation to help advise its military on the fight against insecurity.

There are two major IS-backed militant groups in Nigeria but it wasn't immediately clear which one was behind the attack in Guyaki.

The Islamic State West Africa Province, or ISWAP, is known to be operating in the northeast, including in Adamawa state, while another IS-linked group known locally as Lakurawa often attacks villages further away in the northcentral states of Sokoto and Kebbi.

The Guyaki attack occurred on the same day that gunmen raided an orphanage in north-central Nigeria and abducted 23 pupils. Fifteen were later rescued and the government said “intensive operations” were underway to "secure the safe return of the remaining eight victims and apprehend the perpetrators.”

Students’ kidnappings have come to define the insecurity in Nigeria, where analysts say armed gangs see schools and students as “strategic” targets to draw attention.

The attack took place in an “isolated area” of Lokoja, capital of Kogi State, according to a statement by the state’s commissioner, Kingsley Femi Fanwo. The facility, Dahallukitab Group of Schools, was operating illegally, he said.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in a region has seen an increase in kidnappings for ransom. The statement did not say how old the abducted children are, but the term “pupil” in Nigeria usually refers to someone in kindergarten or primary school, covering ages up to 12.

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Banchereau reported from Dakar, Senegal.

“I was confident that this combination, which would have been about adding and not subtracting, creating a truly great airline that customers love, could get regulatory approval,” Scott Kirby wrote in a statement released Monday. “I was hoping to pitch that story to American, but they declined to engage and instead responded by publicly closing the door.”

Kirby's confirmation comes after weeks of public speculation about a potential merger between two of the biggest U.S. airlines, amid rising jet fuel prices tied to the Iran war and reports that he had approached the White House about the idea. Kirby said Monday that he had approached American directly about a tie-up, but it's unclear whether that was before or after his White House meeting.

American publicly shot down the idea of a merger, saying in an April 17 statement that it “is not engaged with or interested in any discussions regarding a merger with United Airlines.” Additionally, a combination of the two carriers “would be negative for competition and for consumers” and possibly raise antitrust concerns, the company said.

Fort Worth, Texas-based American Airlines is itself the product of a 2013 merger with US Airways Group.

President Donald Trump also said last week that he was against a merger of the airlines.

In his statement Monday, Kirby, who previously served as president of American Airlines, argued that merging the carriers would expand service, create a more globally competitive airline and boost the U.S. economy by creating jobs and strengthening the aircraft manufacturing sector.

The rivalry between United and American has played out for years in pricing battles and disputes over gate access at major hubs like Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, where both airlines have fought to expand their footprint.

Amid that competition, the Federal Aviation Administration this month ordered about 300 daily flights cut from peak summer schedules at O'Hare, saying planned increases by both carriers risked overwhelming an airport already plagued by severe delays.

The order will take effect June 2, later than initially planned, after the FAA said last week it wanted to give airlines additional time to adjust their schedules.

Shares of Chicago-based United fell 1.2% on Monday, to $91.90. They are down about 18% this year amid the Iran war, which began in late February and has driven fuel prices sharply higher. American shares were down about 3.5% on Monday, to $11.68. American is down nearly 24% for the year.

Jet fuel is typically one of the largest expenses for airlines, leaving them especially vulnerable to price spikes and supply shocks.

In some markets, the price of jet fuel has more than doubled as fighting near the Strait of Hormuz squeezes global supplies, raising operating costs for airlines. In response, carriers around the world have raised fares and fees, with both United and American among the major U.S. airlines that have raised checked baggage fees.

A stomach virus or food poisoning has affected Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Marin Cilic and a few others, causing some concern.

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka avoided an upset by Naomi Osaka on the court on Monday and said she's trying to avoid illness by sticking to a simple diet of chicken breast, rice and salad.

The rumor among the players was bad shrimp tacos were to blame.

Sabalenka knocked on wood and said, “So far, so good. I heard that I have to avoid those tacos (laughing). I stick to the same food, same meal that I’ve been having since the very beginning of the tournament.”

Sabalenka said she was spending as little time as possible on site at the Caja Magica tennis complex.

"I try not to stay for too long," she said. “Extra vitamin C, I guess, extra IM8, and I’m good to go, hopefully."

Gauff vomited on the court on her way to a victory over Sorana Cirstea on Sunday. The American didn't show signs of illness on Monday in her 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (5) loss to Linda Noskova, last year's runner-up to Sabalenka.

“I’ve heard there is some virus going around,” six-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek said after withdrawing from her match in Madrid on Saturday. “I've been feeling terrible.”

Cilic couldn't play his match against João Fonseca on Friday.

“Unfortunately, I got food poisoning,” Cilic said. “After trying to recover all night my body is unfortunately exhausted and not at the proper level to get into the battle.”

Sabalenka rallies

Sabalenka rebounded from a set and a break down against Osaka in their fourth round contest.

She prevailed against No. 15 Osaka 6-7 (1), 6-3, 6-2 in 2 hours, 20 minutes to reach the quarterfinals and stay on track to defend her title.

“Oh my God, that was an incredible level,” Sabalenka said. “She played incredible tennis. I feel like I just got lucky in a couple of shots in the third set, that’s why it went that fast. I’m happy she brought that fight, I had to fight through to level up my game.”

Sabalenka won her 15th straight match and advanced to her 17th consecutive quarterfinal. She hasn't lost before that round since February 2025 in Dubai. The Belarusian said her team kept pushing her to “keep fighting, keep going.”

“I'm really happy that I didn't give up and I was pushing until the very last point,” Sabalenka said.

Longest tiebreaker since 2024

Sabalenka will next face American Hailey Baptiste, who defeated Belinda Bencic 6-1, 6-7 (14), 6-3 after losing the second set in the longest tour-level regular tiebreaker since 2024, according to the WTA.

Baptiste broke the racket on her leg in frustration after the loss in a set in which she wasted six match points, including five during the tiebreaker.

The 32nd-ranked American was able to rebound and clinch the victory in 2 hours, 42 minutes.

Rybakina's line-calling frustration

World No. 2 Elena Rybakina lost in straight sets to lucky loser Anastasia Potapova in a Monday night match.

Rybakina said on Sunday she had no trust in the electronic line-calling system in Madrid. She complained to the chair umpire after her opponent, Zheng Qinwen, was awarded an ace in the second set. Rybakina said the mark on the court was out. The umpire refused to inspect the mark and backed the system. Rybakina eventually won in three sets on Sunday.

“Well with this thing, I won’t trust it at all,” Rybakina said. “Because there was no mark even close to what the TV showed."

She felt it was a similar situation to what happened to men's player Alexander Zverev last year in Madrid, where he ended up grabbing his cell phone and taking a photo of a mark of an alleged wrong call. Zverev was warned for unsportsmanlike conduct.

“You can’t not see it,” Rybakina said. "It’s kind of a stolen point. I understand it was her serve and she was serving really well, but it’s really frustrating.”

Jódar only Spaniard left

Daniel Mérida lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-2 and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina lost to defending champion Casper Ruud 6-3, 6-1 on Monday, leaving 19-year-old Rafael Jódar as the only Spaniard left in the tournament.

Jódar, one of the promising stars on tour, needed three sets to get past Fonseca, another teen sensation.

World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, Spain's current top player, withdrew from the home tournament because of a right wrist injury.

Unusual rally

There was an unusually long rally in the Rudd vs. Davidovich Fokina match when the Spaniard resorted to 15 straight lob shots to the back of the court.

The high returns in the 32-shot rally kept Rudd from attacking until one shot came up a little short and allowed him to power a forehand and take the point.

In the match between Francisco Cerundolo and Luciano Darderi, Cerundolo won a point after reaching over the net to get to a high return that spun back into Darderi's side of the court. Cerundolo won the match 6-2, 6-3.

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

Trump and first lady Melania Trump greeted Charles and Queen Camilla as they arrived, posing for photos and exchanging small talk before they went inside for tea in the Green Room. Afterward, the couples went down to the south grounds to see a new beehive in the shape of the White House that the first lady had installed last week.

Charles and Camilla both support beekeeping. He keeps at least three beehives at his private residence in England as part of his support for the environment and sustainability.

After the White House visit, the royal couple attended a garden party at the British Embassy.

Trump praises the king but derides Starmer

A rift between the U.K. government and Trump over issues including the Iran war had already raised the political stakes for the British monarch's visit.

In recent weeks, Trump has lambasted Prime Minister Keir Starmer over his unwillingness to join U.S. military attacks on Iran, dismissing Britain’s leader as “not Winston Churchill,” the World War II prime minister who coined the phrase “special relationship” for the U.K.-U.S. bond.

It's part of a wider rift between Trump and the United States’ NATO allies, whom he has called “cowards” and “useless” for not joining action against Iran. A leaked Pentagon email suggested the U.S. could reassess support for the U.K.'s sovereignty over the Falkland Islands in the south Atlantic. Britain and Argentina fought a 1982 war over the islands, also known as the Islas Malvinas.

The president insists the political chill won’t affect the royal visit. Charles “has nothing to do with that,” Trump said in March, meaning NATO.

The president has spoken in glowing terms about Charles, repeatedly referring to the monarch as his “friend” and a “great guy.”

He also continues to mention his “amazing” trip to the U.K. in September with Melania Trump for an unprecedented second state visit. Starmer hand-delivered the invitation from the king in the Oval Office five weeks after Trump returned to office, in a very public attempt to woo the Republican president.

The U.K. royal family laid on pomp and pageantry for the Trumps, with scarlet-clad guardsmen, brass bands and a sumptuous banquet at Windsor Castle.

“President Trump has always had great respect for King Charles, and their relationship was further strengthened by the president’s historic visit to the United Kingdom last year,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told The Associated Press. “The president looks forward to a special visit by Their Majesties, which will include a beautiful state dinner and multiple events throughout the week.”

Trump, meanwhile, told the BBC that the king’s visit could “absolutely” help repair the trans-Atlantic relationship.

“He’s fantastic. He’s a fantastic man. Absolutely the answer is yes,” the president said.

Some called for the trip to be canceled

Kristofer Allerfeldt, a University of Exeter professor specializing in American history, said the two governments have very different objectives for the trip.

He said that for Charles, the trip is about “reinforcing long-term ties, showcasing the monarchy’s soft power and reminding the world that Britain still carries diplomatic weight.”

For Trump, it’s more about “a media event,” with emphasis on the optics of a visit that resembles a meeting of “two gilded monarchs.”

Some U.K. politicians worry that the trip is fraught with opportunities for embarrassment. Trump’s recent broadsides at Pope Leo XIV have heightened those concerns.

Ed Davey, leader of the U.K. centrist opposition Liberal Democrats party, earlier this month called Trump “a dangerous and corrupt gangster” and implored the government to cancel the trip.

“I really fear for what Trump might say or do while our king is forced to stand by his side,” Davey said in the House of Commons. “We cannot put His Majesty in that position.”

Starmer defended the visit, saying “the monarchy, through the bonds that it builds, is often able to reach through the decades” and bolster important relationships.

Andrew and Epstein cast a shadow

Raising the stakes is the shadow of the king’s younger brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who has been stripped of his royal title of Prince Andrew, exiled from public life and put under police investigation over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. He has denied committing any crimes.

Epstein victims have urged the king to meet with them and other sexual abuse survivors. It's unlikely he will do so.

Charles has visited the U.S. 19 times, but this is his first state visit to the country since becoming king in 2022. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, made four state visits to the U.S.

The king, who is 77 and was diagnosed in early 2024 with an undisclosed form of cancer, will spend four days in the U.S. accompanied by Queen Camilla.

In Washington on Tuesday, the king and queen will attend a formal White House state dinner.

The royal couple will also visit the Sept. 11 memorial in New York and attend a 250th birthday block party in Virginia, where Charles will also meet Indigenous leaders involved in nature conservation — a favorite cause of the environmentalist king.

Three centuries after Britain’s kings and queens gave up any real political power, the royals remain symbols of soft power, deployed by elected governments to smooth international relationships and send messages about what the U.K. considers important.

A key moment will be the king’s speech to the U.S. Congress on Tuesday. It’s only the second time, after Queen Elizabeth II in 1991, that a U.K. monarch has addressed a joint meeting of both houses.

Elizabeth praised liberalism on that trip, spoke against the idea that “power grows from the barrel of a gun” and praised the “rich ethnic and cultural diversity of both our societies.”

The king’s treasured causes, including the environment and harmony among religious faiths, are in contrast to Trump’s. He's unlikely to accentuate differences, but Allerfeldt said that, in the monarch’s subtle way, the king could use his speech to send a message.

“He does have an unorthodox way of looking at the world, and I think maybe he can actually have something valid to say when he addresses Congress,” Allerfeldt said.

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Jill Lawless reported from London.

Lawmakers heard an emotional and sweeping review of a camp “obedience” culture that paired poorly trained teenage counselors with the youngest campers; was complacent about flood warnings; had poor communications; and critically delayed evacuation efforts.

“There was never any real training, no drills of any kind,” for counselors or campers of what do to or where to go in a flood threat, said Casey Garrett, a special legislative committee's investigator. She was addressing the committee's first hearing on the July Fourth flood that swept through the all-girls Christian camp on the banks of the Guadalupe River.

Twenty-five campers and two teenage counselors were killed. Camp owner Richard Eastland was also killed as he desperately tried to evacuate girls to higher ground.

Training and an earlier evacuation call likely would have saved every girl, some of whom would have needed to walk just about 20 steps to get to a two-story building, Garrett said.

Garrett noted that most of the victims were under age 10, some attending camp for the first time, and that the counselors in the hardest hit cabins were among the youngest and most inexperienced at the camp.

Many of the grim details had already been made public through hearings, media reports and interviews, but the state report presentation — built on interviews with about 150 people including campers, counselors, the Eastland family and victims' families — presented them in a stark, streamlined review. A written report of findings is expected later this year.

“The fate of those girls was set before any drop of rain fell.” Sen. Charles Perry said during the hearing.

He continued: “The things that were common sense and the things that should have been done, didn’t get done.”

Families of the victims pack the hearing

Dozens of victim family members attended the hearing. Some sobbed or walked out when photos of their girls and the destroyed camp site were displayed, or when they heard their loved ones' names read aloud.

The report laid out almost a minute-by-minute account of flood warnings, communications among Eastland family members and calls for help. It also noted some harrowing survivor accounts, including of a girl who was swept more than 6 miles downriver. She told investigators she was sucked underwater several times before she washed up on a debris pile and fell asleep. She was rescued the next morning by two women who heard her cries for help.

One girl recalled how the floodwaters in her cabin rose so high that her chin touched the ceiling. Garret described another girl bear-hugging a column with her arms and legs to stay out of the water. One counselor told investigators she pushed girls underwater to get them through the door of a flooded cabin.

The committee saw video of water rushing into a building through cracks in the door. In cellphone video shot by a stranded camper, a girl can be heard yelling “Help!” in the dark, raging floodwaters.

Campers and counselors had no emergency training

Garrett, a Houston attorney who also helped with the Legislature's report on the 2022 Uvalde school shooting, several times noted the lack of emergency training for the teenage counselors and child campers.

There was no detailed evacuation plan, she said, and the only instruction for the girls in low-lying areas of the camp was a one-paragraph directive that told them to “stay in their cabins unless told otherwise by the office. All cabins are constructed on high, safe locations.” A state inspector approved that plan two days before the flood.

Eventually, some counselors took matters into their own hands and pushed girls through cabin windows to scramble up a hill.

“It wasn’t a plan. It wasn’t a safe plan, It was an option taken, thank God,” Garrett said. “It was very ad hoc.”

Some of the young counselors had told their parents before the flood they were concerned about a lack of training for emergencies, she said.

Camp Mystic’s owners want to reopen in late May and have said they will only use parts of the camp that didn’t flood. They expect nearly 900 girls on campus this summer. Those plans have angered victims’ families, and some prominent state officials have called for state regulators to deny or delay renewal of the camp's license, which is under review.

Last year, Texas lawmakers passed new measures to demand more detailed planning and training, and the installation of emergency warning systems. The Legislature doesn’t meet again until January 2027 and the panel does not control the review of Camp Mystic's license.

Investigator describes the camp's formidable owner

Some counselors told investigators they feared getting into trouble if they were to take children to higher ground or out into the storm without explicit instructions.

Garrett described the camp's “obedience-encouraged” culture dominated by Eastland, the campus patriarch. Some members of the Eastland family and camp staff referred to him as “The General” and “The Eagle.”

“He ruled,” his wife, Tweety, told investigators. Several Eastland family members attended the hearing and some are expected to speak to the panel on Tuesday.

“He was running the show over there. … You just really didn’t cross him,” Garrett said of Richard Eastland.

The camp relied almost exclusively on Eastland for how to act in a flood emergency. The owner's son, Edward Eastland, testified in a lawsuit last week that any detailed flood evacuation plan was simply inside his father's head. Family members told investigators Richard Eastland was “obsessed” with weather and monitored warnings.

Richard Eastland and several girls were was found dead in his vehicle after he tried to drive them to safety. Edward Eastland was swept by the floodwaters into a tree. Camp security officer Glenn Juenke survived although he was trapped in a flooded cabin with campers.

Garrett also described Richard Eastland as a popular camp leader who taught generations of girls how to fish. He also had a knack for comforting young campers who were nervous about their first time away from home.

“We do know Dick Eastland loved every little girl who came to Camp Mystic,” Garrett said.

Jay Bryant pleaded guilty to a federal murder charge, telling a judge that he helped other people get into a recording studio to ambush the DJ, born Jason Mizell.

“I knew a gun was going to be used to shoot Jason Mizell,” Bryant told a federal magistrate. “I knew that what I was doing was wrong and a crime.”

Bryant’s admission brings some closure — but also adds complexity — to a knotty case.

Bryant didn’t name the other people with whom he acted. But a jury in 2024 convicted two other men, Karl Jordan Jr. and Ronald Washington, yet a judge subsequently cleared Jordan.

Washington has also challenged his conviction. His lawyer, Susan Kellman, noted Monday that evidence against Bryant included his DNA on a hat at the crime scene and witness testimony that Bryant once claimed he fired the gun himself. Jordan's lawyers declined to comment.

Bryant, 52, is expected to face a sentence somewhere between 15 and 20 years in prison for the killing plus unrelated drug and gun charges, to which he pleaded guilty earlier. No sentencing date has been set.

He gave a thumbs-up to someone in the audience before leaving court. The person declined to comment afterward, as did Bryant's attorneys.

Prosecutors had no immediate comment.

Mizell handled the turntables in Run-DMC, a pathbreaking trio he formed with friends Darryl “DMC” McDaniels and Joseph Simmons, known as DJ Run and Rev. Run.

With such 1980s hits as “It’s Tricky,” “My Adidas,” and a version of Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way,” they helped rap climb the ladder from an urban genre into mainstream popularity. Run-DMC was the first rap group with gold- and platinum-selling albums, a Rolling Stone cover, and a video on MTV. The trio was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2009. Mizell also mentored other hip-hop artists, including a young 50 Cent.

At 37, Mizell was gunned down in his studio in the Queens neighborhood where he’d grown up. His October 2002 death followed the late 1990s killings of two other hip-hop greats, Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. Authorities struggled with all three cases for years.

Jordan and Washington — Mizell’s godson and old friend, respectively — were arrested in 2020. Prosecutors said the men were bitter about losing out on a piece of a failed cocaine deal that Mizell had tried to line up. Though Run-DMC was known for its anti-drug message, prosecutors and a trial witness said the DJ moonlighted in the cocaine trade in his later years to cover his bills and keep being generous to friends after music money dried up somewhat.

According to prosecutors and trial witnesses, Jordan shot Mizell while Washington blocked the door during the shooting and ordered one of Mizell’s aides to get on the ground. Both men denied the allegations. Jordan’s attorneys said he was at his girlfriend’s home when the DJ was shot, and Washington’s lawyers said he had no incentive to kill the famous friend who helped him financially.

Nearly three years after their arrests, prosecutors abruptly brought Bryant into their picture of the killing.

Saying that Bryant’s DNA had been found on a hat in the studio and that he’d been seen entering the building, prosecutors added him to the murder indictment. He was already jailed on the drug and gun case.

Bryant knew someone in common with Jordan and Washington, according to testimony at their trial. But unlike them, Bryant had little, if any, connection to Mizell.

Bryant said in court Monday that he was connected with people who were involved in a cocaine deal with the DJ and that he "helped them kill Jason Mizell by helping them gain entry to the recording studio.”

Bryant’s uncle has said his nephew told him he shot Mizell after the artist reached for a gun. But no one else testified that Bryant even entered the studio.

Instead, prosecutors contended that Bryant was enlisted to make his way into the studio building and open a back fire door, allowing Washington and Jordan to walk in without buzzing up and alerting Mizell they were coming.

While neither Jordan’s nor Washington’s DNA was on the cap, then-prosecutor Artie McConnell suggested one of them had accidentally left it behind, and that Bryant had simply touched it at some point beforehand.

The attack took place in an "isolated area" of Lokoja, capital of Kogi State, according to a statement by the state’s commissioner, Kingsley Femi Fanwo. The facility, Dahallukitab Group of Schools, was operating illegally, he said.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. The region has seen an increase in kidnappings for ransom.

The statement did not say how old the abducted children are, but the term “pupil” in Nigeria usually refers to someone in kindergarten or primary school, covering ages up to 12.

“Intensive operations are ongoing to secure the safe return of the remaining eight victims and apprehend the perpetrators," Fanwo said.

Students’ kidnappings have come to define the insecurity in Africa’s most populous nation. Analysts say armed gangs see schools and students as “strategic” targets to draw attention.

Nigeria is battling a complex security crisis, especially in the north, where an insurgency has simmered for more than a decade.

Among the most prominent Islamic militant groups are Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, known as ISWAP. There is also the IS-linked Lakurawa group operating in communities in the northwestern part of the country bordering Niger.

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This version corrects the spelling to Fanwo on second reference.

Click here for more Brantley Fire coverage.

The wildfire entered its seventh day Monday as authorities widened evacuation zones, sending people to donation sites and temporary shelters with little more than pets and a few essentials.

“It’s something you can’t process. Until you see it with your eyes, you’re just in disbelief,” Brantley County residents Victoria Holloway and Sherry Houston said.

Some residents said they had to leave with almost no time to pack. Holloway said she and her family have been out since Monday afternoon and were grateful they rescued their animals.

“It was crazy. You don’t think about everything — what you should have grabbed, what you could have grabbed, what you didn’t get. But just thankful that we got our animals and us,” Holloway said.

Houston said her home burned Tuesday afternoon.

“My mom and dad lived there 40 years, and to see it go is hard. That’s the only home my children have known,” she said.

At a local donation site, displaced families searched for clothing, toiletries and paperwork they will need to rebuild. Residents urged others facing evacuation to act quickly and prioritize safety.

“Get what you absolutely need. Everything else is replaceable — your family and your pets, you know. Follow orders. Even when it’s voluntary, go ahead and have everything ready. Make sure you have all documents, insurance papers, anything at all,” Holloway said.

As more families prepare to leave, those already displaced said the support from neighbors and volunteers is helping them through an uncertain time.

On Monday, the utility’s chief human resources officer, Diane Moser, faced questions from council members about workplace culture and how employee complaints are handled.

The controversy surrounding JEA intensified after Kevin Carrico, the council president, attempted to appoint his boss to the JEA board. Carrico later called for the formation of the special investigative committee.

During the hearing, council members Ron Salem, Ju’Coby Pittman and Rory Diamond questioned Moser about several issues, including the departure of former JEA Chief of Staff Kurt Wilson and the utility’s use of outside communications firms during periods of public scrutiny.

Council members also pressed for details on how employee concerns are documented and escalated, focusing on internal surveys, reporting chains and who has access to complaint records. Some expressed concern that employees may be reluctant to speak openly.

RELATED: News4JAX asked for public records related to council president’s JEA subpoena. Council said it would cost us nearly $4K

Pittman said she has heard from multiple workers and raised the possibility that some could come forward publicly if protections are in place.

“I’ve talked to them,” Pittman said. “I want to hear it from the horse’s mouth. If we can make sure they are protected. They’re afraid that if they come, they will be punished. It’s already toxic in some departments. It would not be a good look.”

Moser told the committee she was not aware of any complaints specifically involving JEA CEO Vickie Cavey.

The committee plans to seek interviews with Cavey and former JEA Chief of Staff Regina Ross at its next meeting, scheduled in two weeks.

The trial, which started Monday with jury selection, centers on the 2015 birth of ChatGPT maker OpenAI as a nonprofit startup primarily funded by Musk before evolving into a capitalistic venture now valued at $852 billion.

The trial's outcome could sway the balance of power in AI — breakthrough technology that is increasingly being feared as a potential job killer and an existential threat to humanity's survival.

Those perceived risks are among the reasons that Musk, the world's richest person, cites for filing an August 2024 lawsuit that will now be decided by a jury and U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, California.

The civil lawsuit accuses Altman, OpenAI's CEO, and his top lieutenant, Greg Brockman, of double-crossing Musk by straying from the San Francisco company's founding mission to be an altruistic steward of a revolutionary technology. The lawsuit alleges they shifted into a moneymaking mode behind his back.

OpenAI has brushed off Musk's allegations as an unfounded case of sour grapes that's aimed at undercutting its rapid growth and bolstering Musk's own xAI, which he launched in 2023 as a competitor.

Gonzalez Rogers questioned potential jurors Monday about their views on Musk, Altman and artificial intelligence. Some jurors said they had negative views of Musk, but most said they would still be able to treat him fairly and focus on the facts of the case.

Trial promises clashing testimony from two tech titans

Musk, who invested about $38 million in OpenAI from December 2015 through May 2017, initially was seeking more than $100 billion in damages.

But any damages now are likely to be much smaller after a series of pre-trial rulings that went against Musk. Musk has since abandoned a bid for damages for himself and instead is seeking an unspecified amount of money to be paid to fund the altruistic efforts of OpenAI's charitable arm. The money would be paid primarily by OpenAI's for-profit operations, and Microsoft, which became the company's biggest investor after Musk cut off his funding.

Musk's lawsuit also seeks Altman's ouster from OpenAI's board. Musk's decision to stop funding the company contributed to a bitter falling out between the former allies. Musk says he was responding to deceptive conduct that OpenAI's board picked up on when it fired Altman as CEO in 2023 before he got his job back days later.

But the trial also carries risks for Musk, who last month was held liable by another jury for defrauding investors during his $44 billion takeover of Twitter in 2022. Any damaging details about Musk and his business tactics could be particularly hurtful now because his rocket ship maker, SpaceX, plans to go public this summer in an initial public offering that could make him the world's first trillionaire.

However it turns out, the trial is expected to provide riveting theater, with contrasting testimony from two of technology's most influential and polarizing figures in the 54-year-old Musk and the 41-year-old Altman.

“Part of this is about whether a jury believes the people who will testify and whether they are credible,” Gonzalez Rogers said during a court hearing earlier this year while explaining why she believe the case merited a trial. The judge will make the final decision on the case, with the jury serving in an advisory role.

Evidence has included glimpses of the AI race's early days

Musk, whose estimated fortune stands at about $780 billion, has long been hailed as a visionary for his roles creating digital payment pioneer PayPal, electric automaker Tesla and rocket ship maker SpaceX. But he has also provoked backlashes with his social media commentary, unfulfilled promises about Tesla's self-driving technology and his cost-cutting role last year in President Donald Trump's administration.

Some of Musk's erratic behavior has been tied to allegations of taking hallucinogenic drugs, but Gonzalez Rogers ruled that he can't be asked during the trial about his suspected use of ketamine. But the judge is allowing Musk to be questioned about his attendance at the 2017 Burning Man festival in Nevada, a free-wheeling celebration known for widespread drug use. The judge is also allowing Musk to be questioned about his relationship with former OpenAI board member Shivon Zilis, the mother of several of his children.

Altman, currently sitting on a roughly $3 billion fortune, didn't emerge in the public consciousness until the late 2022 release of ChatGPT. The tech boom triggered by that conversational chatbot has led some to liken Altman to a 21st-century version of the nuclear bomb inventor, J. Robert Oppenheimer.

Although Altman was initially hailed as trailblazer he is now facing blowback amid worries about AI's potential dangers. Earlier this month, the New Yorker magazine published a profile that painted him as an unscrupulous executive. Days later, a 20-year-old man worried about AI's effect on humanity was arrested on attempted murder charges after throwing a Molotov cocktail at Altman's San Francisco home.

The dueling testimonies of Altman and Musk are expected to open a window into some of the thinking that helped trigger the AI race, as well as the unraveling of their friendship. The kinship was forged in 2015 when they agreed to build AI in a more responsible and safer way than the profit-driven companies controlled by Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, according to evidence submitted ahead of the trial.

Details of the bitter break between the two men were captured in a February 2023 email exchange that surfaced as part of the evidence leading up to the trial.

After letting Musk know “you're my hero,” Altman tells him: “I am tremendously thankful for everything you’ve done to help —I don't think OpenAI would have happened without you — and it really (expletive) hurts when you publicly attack OpenAI.”

Musk's response: “I hear you and it is certainly not my intention to be hurtful, for which I apologize, but the fate of civilization is at stake.”

She had spent three daystelling a jury that the ex-movie mogul raped her, explaining why she continued a relationship with him afterward and discussing other deeply personal aspects of her life, once sobbing so hard that court ended early. Weinstein had then been convicted, in a 2020 verdict seen as a victory for the #MeToo campaign against sexual misconduct.

Yet six years later, Mann again walked to a witness stand Monday, passed Weinstein in court and began — for a third time — to give a jury her account of what happened between them.

“One of the things he said is that ‘my friends go far — my enemies don’t step a foot in this town,’” she recalled while describing the early stages of a relationship that, by her account, started out with professional advice, abruptly turned sexual and descended into rape.

Weinstein denies sexually assaulting anyone. He watched from his wheelchair at the defense table as Mann testified, occasionally leaning over to talk with his lawyers. Mann looked at Weinstein only when asked to point him out.

Mann’s allegation of a 2013 rape in a Manhattan hotel is again up for consideration because of a series of legal switchbacks. First, Weinstein's 2020 conviction was overturned for reasons unrelated to her testimony. Then a jury failed to decide her part of a retrial that involved multiple accusers and allegations last year, leaving only her rape charge to be tried again.

“I am ready, willing and able to endure this as many times as it takes for justice and accountability to be served,” Mann said in a statement at the time.

That determination now stands to be tested.

Mann returns Tuesday to the witness stand, where she could face days of additional questioning by prosecutors and Weinstein's new lawyers. Like their predecessors, they have portrayed Mann as a canny wannabe who got involved consensually with a Hollywood heavy-hitter, enjoyed his connections and invitations, then turned on him after news reports about other women’s claims about Weinstein. The 2017 reporting catalyzed the #MeToo movement.

Mann, 40, grew up in a small town in Washington state and trained as a hairstylist, but she yearned to pursue acting and moved to Los Angeles in her 20s. She was sometimes so broke that she lived in her car, but she had done some commercial and film work before she met Weinstein at a party in early 2013. The Oscar-winning producer complimented her looks, she recalled Monday.

“I thought I just got discovered,” she told jurors.

Thrilled at the prospect of a breakthrough, Mann accepted invitations to a shopping trip for books about cinema, dinners and glitzy Oscars-season events, she testified. Soon, she said, Weinstein started making intimate overtures.

First, she said, there was an awkward request for a massage that she parried by unenthusiastically giving Weinstein a back rub instead. Then she and her then-roommate accompanied him to a Los Angeles-area hotel suite to see a movie script, and he pulled Mann into a bedroom and started aggressively kissing her, she said.

She told him, “whoa, whoa, whoa,” but he said he wouldn't let her leave until she let him “do something,” so she submitted to oral sex and pretended to enjoy it, she recalled. Mann said the experience left her feeling “confused and sick.”

Court ended for the day before she was asked about what happened next. In prior testimony, Mann has said she embarked, with jumbled feelings, on a relationship with the then-married mogul.

In March 2013, she arranged to meet Weinstein for breakfast with her pals in New York. She previously testified that he got her alone in a hotel room, slammed the door shut when she tried to leave and ultimately raped her, though she told him, “I don't want to do this” and “no.”

Afterward, Mann kept seeing and having what she has said were largely consensual sexual encounters with Weinstein. At points over the next roughly four years, she emailed him “miss you,” that no one “understands me quite like you” and “I love you, always do. But I hate feeling like a booty call.”

Weinstein's lawyers have argued that the messages show there was nothing but a caring relationship. Mann has said she was trying to manage a complicated dynamic with a volatile man.

The Associated Press does not identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted, unless they agree to be named, as Mann has done.

It happened near the intersection of 8th Street on the city’s Eastside.

Video from the scene showed the bus stopped next to a row of parked semi-trucks. A tow truck was also on site.

We reached out to JTA, which provided us with this statement:

“JTA bus #2124, which was not in service at the time, was undergoing post maintenance testing while traveling on Talleyrand Road near 8th Street when it was involved in an incident. There were no passengers onboard.

The Jacksonville Transportation Authority is cooperating fully with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office as they conduct their investigation."

United moved three points above its rivals and took a huge step toward ensuring it will play Champions League football next season for the first time since 2024.

Casemiro, just weeks before he departs the club, sneaked in at the back post to head United into the lead after 11 minutes. It was his 11th headed goal since he joined United in August 2022, a record bettered only by Erling Haaland (18), Ollie Watkins (16) and Chris Wood (13).

Although Brentford was equal to the host in an entertaining first half it was United which doubled its lead on the cusp of the break.

Benjamin Sesko took a simple pass from Bruno Fernandes to finish off a swift counterattack and assure the talismanic midfielder of his 19th assist of the season, a league high, and only one away from equalling the Premier League record.

“Me and Bruno Fernandes work a lot on the training pitch and it is paying off," Sesko said. “Knowing I have a teammate with this quality is a pleasure and I have to use it.”

Both sides had chances in a quieter second half but Brentford especially was profligate in front of goal.

Mathias Jensen’s long-range strike in the 87th minute gave it some hope but United held on to ensure another disappointing result for Keith Andrews' men.

“Bitterly disappointed," Andrews told the BBC. "Overall our performance was very good. As a collective we went toe to toe with a good side and controlled large parts of the game. They were more clinical than us.”

Brentford remained in ninth place, tied on points with Chelsea and Fulham, but it has not won in the league since February.

However, its hopes of clinching European football for the first time remain alive and Andrews was optimistic.

“There is absolute belief in everything we do," Andrews said. "We are not playing safe, I don’t want us to be that team. We set up in a brave fashion against a top team tonight and unfortunately we couldn’t quite get there’”

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

Texas Tech said it is “committed to supporting Brendan through his recovery process and to ensure his long-term health and well-being.” There was no immediate word on whether Sorsby will be available for the upcoming season and no potential timetable was provided for the treatment.

The 22-year-old Sorsby started his college career at Indiana in 2022 before a transfer to Cincinnati to play the past two seasons. ESPN, citing unidentified sources, reported that the QB allegedly made “thousands of online bets on a variety of sports via a gambling app,” which could impact his eligibility depending on the details.

NCAA rules were eased in 2023 to recognize the proliferation of legalized gamblilng but still call for a permanent ban for athletes who bet on their own games.

According to the outlet, Sorsby bet on Indiana football games in 2022 and only to win. He did not place a wager on the one game in which he appeared that season as a freshman, when he maintained that season of eligibility before playing 10 games for the Hoosiers in 2023. The NCAA is now investigating the case, ESPN reported.

“Due to confidentiality rules put in place by NCAA member schools, the NCAA will not comment on current, pending or potential investigations,” the NCAA said in a statement released to news organizations. “However, the NCAA takes sports betting very seriously and is committed to the protection of student-athlete well-being and the integrity of competition. The association works with integrity monitoring services, state regulators and other stakeholders to conduct appropriate due diligence whenever reports are received.”

Sorsby was one of the biggest names in this year’s transfer portal, and left Cincinnati for a reported $5 million from Texas Tech, which last season won its first Big 12 championship and made the playoff after being among the nation's biggest spenders putting together its roster.

“We love Brendan and support his decision to seek professional help,” Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire said in a statement released by the school. “Taking this step requires courage, and our primary focus is on him as a person. Our program is behind Brendan as he prioritizes his health.”

In the statement, Texas Tech said its “primary focus remains on fostering an environment where student-athletes feel empowered to prioritize their mental health and seek professional assistance.” The school said it would have no further comment on Sorsby’s status “to protect the integrity of the recovery process.”

Cincinnati, which announced Feb. 26 it would sue the quarterback for allegedly breaching his name, image and likeness contract, declined comment.

According to the lawsuit, Sorsby signed a NIL agreement in July 2025 covering the 2025 and ’26 seasons and that there would be a $1 million buyout if he transferred, payable within 30 days. Sorsby announced on Dec. 15 that he was entering the transfer portal and announced on Jan. 4 that he would play for Texas Tech.

The Red Raiders brought in Sorsby after Lubbock native Behren Morton completed his eligibility. Morton threw for 8,989 yards and 71 touchdowns in 45 games for the Red Raiders since 2021, and led them to a school-record 12 wins last season before a 23-0 loss to Oregon in the Orange Bowl.

In 35 career games, including 31 starts, Sorsby has passed for 7,208 yards and 60 touchdowns, along with 1,295 rushing yards and 22 TDs.

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Click here for more Brantley Fire coverage.

The wildfire has more than doubled in size in less than 48 hours, burning 22,614 acres.

Containment on the blaze stood at 6%, down from 15% earlier, and authorities said at least 90 homes or businesses and about 55 small structures have been destroyed. Hundreds of residents in Georgia have been displaced, and Brantley County schools will remain closed Tuesday, officials said.

Weekend rain offered some relief to firefighters but did little to halt the fire’s rapid growth, officials said.

A Red Cross shelter at Selden Park in Brunswick served as a hub for evacuees and relief operations. Mike Bowie, a Red Cross organizer, said 22 people stayed there overnight.

“This community has been fantastic about, providing, almost everything that we need. Snacks, crackers, that, toiletries and things like that. We just found a lady needed a heating pad. We found a heating pad within the stuff that they had provided. So, it’s been really good. the, company that came out here and was putting gas in people’s tanks,” Bowie said.

Velocifuel, the company that provided the fuel, is from Valdosta, Georgia, but was actually born out of a natural disaster of its own during Hurricane Helene. Co-owners Kindall McDermid and Josh Van said it was important to do what they could to give back.

“We decided we weren’t satisfied, like we weren’t satisfied sitting around here. So, we decided that we would go to the different shelters, starting in Eccles County, Clinch County, and we would donate fuel to those who had been displaced because we can’t do much. We can’t, you know, feed the world. We can’t give everybody a new home, but we can make them worry a little bit less about gas,” McDermid said.

Church groups from Nahunta, including members helping at Southside Baptist Church, have been coordinating rides, making phone calls and providing food and supplies.

“We just wanted to double-check on the families that have already come through our church and help connect them,” a church member said.

Volunteers hope to help people return home as soon as it is safe. Another volunteer said the community has come together across religious and political lines and that local groups are prepared for a prolonged response.

Officials urged residents in affected areas to follow evacuation orders and to check for updates from local emergency management as crews continue suppression and assessment efforts.

The 29-year-old Kenyan pulled off the feat that was long considered unthinkable when winning the London Marathon on Sunday in a time of 1 hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds.

There have been a slew of high-profile doping cases involving Kenyan runners in recent years, notably women’s marathon world record-holder Ruth Chepng’etich getting a three-year ban in October.

So, in agreement with his coaches and management team, Sawe said he volunteered to undergo “multiple” doping tests to dispel any suspicion around his own performances, including victories at last year’s marathons in Berlin and London.

“Doping has become a cancer in my country,” Sawe told reporters on Monday.

Sawe said he and his team decided to implement the stringent testing regime because the possibility of people looking at his results “with a lot of doubts was not good,” and he wanted to “show the world that we can run clean and also run fast.”

The BBC, which holds the broadcast rights for the London Marathon, reported that Adidas provided $50,000 to the Athletics Integrity Unit, track and field’s anti-doping body, to frequently test Sawe over a 12-month period, including 25 out-of-competition tests leading up to the Berlin Marathon in September and a similar number ahead of the London race.

The Athletics Integrity Unit didn't immediately respond to a request from The Associated Press for comment on Sawe's testing regime.

Sawe is urging other runners to volunteer for more doping tests.

“Everyone will feel comfortable running with his fellow athlete because there will be no doubt thinking (that) someone is using what he’s using," he said. “And so, it’s important to run clean and to show the world (that) talent, with hard work, discipline and patience,” can lead to big achievements.

Sawe also credited his footwear for helping him break the marathon record by an astonishing 65 seconds in Sunday’s race.

He wore an Adidas shoe that weighed less than half the weight of an average running shoe. After the race, he held up the shoe, which had his winning time written next to it.

“The shoe is very nice, very light, comfortable and so supportive,” he said, “and is pushing (me) forward.”

Sawe was already a superstar in marathon running but has suddenly become a global sensation, something the softly spoken Kenyan is going to have to get used to.

“Being in the history books is not something easy,” he said. “So it means a lot to me in my life and I’m so happy.”

Sawe said he kept things simple after his world-record run.

“I just celebrated in style — I just relaxed and slept well and woke up,” he said.

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Douglas reported from Sundsvall, Sweden.

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AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, also asked the artificial intelligence chatbot whether the vehicle identification number on his car could be changed and whether he could keep a gun at home without a license, according to the pretrial detention report filed Saturday. ChatGPT responded that Abugharbieh’s question sounded dangerous, according to the report.

An investigation that the office of Florida's attorney general launched last week over whether ChatGPT offered advice to a gunman who killed two people last year at Florida State University will be expanded to include the killings of the USF students, Attorney General James Uthmeier said Monday on social media.

The remains of Abugharbieh's roommate, Zamil Limon, were found on the Howard Frankland bridge Friday morning, but Hillsborough County Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer said later that day that they were still searching for Limon's girlfriend, Nahida Bristy. On Sunday, the sheriff’s office announced that a body had been found in a waterway near the bridge but had not been identified.

Abugharbieh, was charged with two counts of premeditated murder in the first degree with a weapon in the deaths of Limon and Bristy, the sheriff’s office announced Saturday. The former USF student was ordered held without bond. A hearing is set for Tuesday.

Limon and Bristy, both 27, were considering getting married, a relative said. They disappeared April 16. Limon was last seen at the off-campus apartment complex where he lived with Abugharbieh, and Bristy at a campus science building.

Limon was studying geography, environmental science and policy, and Bristy was studying chemical engineering. She was a graduate of Noakhali Science and Technology University. The school said in a statement Saturday that she was a Ph.D. candidate and described her as a talented and promising student.

A friend contacted police April 17 about being unable to reach both Bristy and Limon, despite repeated attempts by phone, according to the report. Police investigators searched Bristy's campus office the next day and found her purse, lunchbox, MacBook and iPad.

At Limon’s off-campus apartment, detectives questioned Limon’s two roommates and noticed that Abugharbieh’s left pinky finger was bandaged. When confronted by detectives, Abugharbieh denied any involvement with Limon’s disappearance.

The third roommate told detectives that Abugharbieh had used a cart overnight on April 16 and April 17 to move cardboard boxes from his room to the trash compactor. In the trash compactor, detectives found Limon’s wallet and campus ID badge, credit card, eyeglasses and clothes that appeared to have blood on them.

Detectives found blood leading from the kitchen to Abugharbieh’s bedroom and more blood in his bedroom. In Limon’s bedroom, they found Bristy’s campus ID and credit cards, suggesting she had been at the apartment before she disappeared, according to the report.

Using cellphone location and license plate reader data, detectives concluded that Abugharbieh’s car and Limon’s phone had both been on the bridge and on Clearwater Beach, the report said. Based on location data from Abugharbieh’s phone, detectives searched around the bridge and found a trash bag containing Limon’s body. The medical examiner concluded that Limon had numerous stab wounds.

Three days after Limon and Bristy's April 16 disappearance, Abugharbieh asked Chat GPT, “Has there been someone who survived a sniper bullet to the head" and “will my neighbors hear my gun,” according to the report. He also asked the chatbot four days after that, on April 23, “What does missing endangered adult mean.”

Abugharbieh, a native-born U.S. citizen, was initially arrested Friday at his family’s home on preliminary charges that include unlawfully moving a dead body, failure to report a death, tampering with evidence, false imprisonment and battery. Reached by email on Monday, Jennifer Spradley, an attorney in the public defender's office in Tampa, said the office wouldn't comment on Abugharbieh's case.

Officers encountered Abugharbieh as they responded to a report of domestic violence at his family’s home, just north of the campus, and were able to move his relatives to safety. But then he barricaded himself inside and refused to come out. A SWAT team responded — along with a drone, a robot and crisis negotiators — before Abugharbieh came out with his hands up, apparently wearing nothing but a blue towel.

Abugharbieh had been a USF student but was not currently enrolled. University records showed he had attended the school from spring 2021 through spring 2023 and had pursued a BS in management, a university spokesperson said. ___

Brumfield reported from Cockeysville, Maryland.

___

Follow Mike Schneider on the social platform Bluesky: @mikeysid.bsky.social.

During an emotional hearing in a Queens courtroom packed by uniformed police officers and Officer Jonathan Diller’s family, the judge said Guy Rivera “most certainly will” die in a prison cell.

“Your sentence to me was determined the second you pulled that trigger,” Judge Michael Aloise told Rivera. “It took me five minutes to calculate the numbers. It’s going to take you a lifetime to calculate the damage you caused.”

A jury found Rivera guilty earlier this month of aggravated manslaughter and other charges in Diller's killing, but acquitted the 36-year-old Queens resident of murder.

The shooting happened on March 25, 2024, when Diller and other officers were on patrol in the Far Rockaway section of Queens. Authorities say one of the officers spotted a suspicious object bulging from Rivera’s hoodie as he and another man walked to a parked car and got in.

Police say the officers were questioning the driver when Rivera, who was in the passenger’s seat, suddenly pulled out a gun and shot Diller. The bullet struck the officer below his bulletproof vest, mortally wounding him. Another officer then shot and wounded Rivera.

At the time, Diller was the first NYPD officer to be killed in the line of duty in two years. The 31-year-old’s wake and funeral in his hometown on Long Island drew thousands of people, including President Donald Trump, and the case briefly became a focal point during his 2024 campaign to reclaim the White House on a message of “law and order.”

The Republican president hailed Diller an “unbelievably wonderful person and a great officer” in a March 2025 speech to a joint session of Congress.

Prosecutors had argued that Rivera was deserving of life behind bars because he was a “persistent felon” with prior criminal convictions who had made a “calculated, deliberate and evil choice” to inflict violence.

“This was not an accident,” Assistant District Attorney Kenneth Zawistowski said. “We ask that you honor Jonathan’s life. We ask that you honor his sacrifice."

Rivera's lawyer, Jamal Johnson, argued, as he did during the three-week trial, that Rivera was “not a murderer” because he did not intend to kill Diller.

He maintained the gun accidentally discharged as officers pulled the firearm from Rivera’s pocket. He pleaded with the judge not to issue a “sensational” sentence and complained that Rivera did not receive a fair trial.

Johnson, in a statement after the court hearing, said he intended to appeal his client's conviction.

“The fact that the court stated it had already made up its mind about sentencing well before the trial was conducted reveals the bias and uphill battle the defense faced throughout this case,” he said.

The second suspect, Lindy Jones, is due back in court Tuesday as he awaits trial on weapons charges.

On Monday, Rivera declined to address the court but members of Diller's family delivered tearful remarks.

Stephanie Diller, the officer's wife, said she and the couple's young son had been given a life sentence without their husband and father, so Rivera should also be given one.

“You took my husband and the life we were building,” she said speaking directly to Rivera through tears. “In a single moment, everything that was my life was gone.”

Fran Diller, the officer's mother, said she is haunted by her son's death every day.

“He had a future so incredibly bright,” she said. “My world has been completely shattered. Everything feels empty without him. All I feel is unbearable ache."

Patrick Hendry, president of the police officers’ union, said after the hearing that the manslaughter verdict “did not send the right message” to police officers but that the sentence had.

“He should never ever walk the streets again, and he won't,” Hendry said of Rivera.

___

Follow Philip Marcelo at https://x.com/philmarcelo

Bryce Fiore stamped it at the very beginning.

Fiore, the Varsity 4 All-News4JAX boys wrestler of the year, had a season unlike any other. The St. Johns Country Day star stormed to a state championship in the 113-pound weight class, capping his season with a 4-2 decision in the final for a 38-0 mark.

Talk about putting a bow on things.

By the way, Fiore is a 14-year-old … seventh grader.

He’s just embarking on his varsity career. He should be grappling his way through middle school tournaments, not tearing through varsity like a seasoned upperclassman. But the wrestling prodigy has been working towards the podium for years, more than holding his own against older wrestlers. Fiore said getting the gold medal this season and doing it with friends was an unbelievable experience.

“Having super good teammates and being around all of them just helped me so much accomplish my goals,” he said. “And yeah, probably the podium and getting on the top.”

Varsity 4 All-News4JAX boys wrestlers of the year

That’s just how Fiore likes it. He’s been into wrestling most of his life and kicked the tires on other sports. But nothing moved the needle like the competition of wrestling did.

“I like it being an individual sport because it can’t just be your teammate’s fault,” he said. “If you lose, it’s your fault.”

There hasn’t been much losing at all for Fiore.

Fiore has been on the wrestling scene for years but surged into the spotlight over the last eight months. He won the Super 32 middle school division and went back-to-back in winning the Tulsa Kickoff national championship.

When did people start really paying attention to this surging middle schooler as a realistic threat to make noise on the mat at the varsity level?

“After I started winning at really big national tournaments, like Super 32 and stuff,” he said.

Fiore was born in town but spent his sixth-grade year in Cocoa Beach at Titusville Christian Preparatory School where he stacked those national championships. He returned to the area this year and ramped up that pace.

“They just said I have to work as hard as I have or I have to work even a little harder than how I did the first time I won a state title because they know [opponents] want to work harder than me to beat me next year,” Fiore said.

Varsity 4 All-News4JAX boys wrestling

Brant Parsons of Kabra Wrestling compiled the Varsity 4 All-News4JAX boys wrestling team.

First team

Weight, Wrestler, School, Class

106: Soren Bakkar, Bishop Kenny, Jr.

34-13, Sixth in Class 1A state, Region 1 runner-up, District 4 champion

113: Bryce Fiore, St. Johns Country Day, 7th

All-News4JAX wrestler of the year was 38-0, Class 1A state champion, Region 1 champion, District 4 champion

120: Kevin McLean, Flagler Palm Coast, So.

35-4, Third in Class 3A state, Region 1 champion, District 2 champion

126: Mario DiBella, Bartram Trail, Jr.

36-2, Third in Class 3A, Region 1 champion, District 1 champion

132: Robert Twilley, Flagler Palm Coast, Jr.

42-5, Third in Class 3A state, Region 1 runner-up, District 2 champion

138: Sebastian Bonachea, Oakleaf, Sr.

39-4, Sixth in Class 3A state, Region 1 champion, District 1 champion

144: John Antonucci, Tocoi Creek, Jr.

40-7, Sixth in Class 3A state, Region 1 runner-up, District 1 champion

150: Howard Hill, St. Johns Country Day, Fr.

51-8, Third in Class 1A state, Region 1 champion, District 4 champion

157: Daniel Raines, Middleburg, Sr.

62-13, Fifth in Class 2A state, Region 1 champion, District 2 champion

165: Joseph Foalima, Flagler Palm Coast, Fr.

39-8, Third in Class 3A state, Region 1 champion, District 2 champion

175: Vladislav Chechkovsky, Tocoi Creek, Jr.

43-4, Class 3A runner-up, Region 1 runner-up, District 1 champion

190: Theodore Brase, Fletcher, Sr.

37-8, Class 3A state runner-up, Region 1 champion, District 1 champion

215: Porter Loveland, Middleburg, Sr.

74-5, Class 2A state runner-up, Region 1 champion, District 2 champion

285: Jayshawn McLeod, Clay, Jr.

20-2, Fourth in Class 2A state, third in Region 1, District 3 champion

Second team

Weight, Wrestler, School, Class

106: Jacob Hald, Flagler Palm Coast, Fr.

36-7, State qualifier in Class 3A, Region 1 runner-up, District 2 champion

113: Walter Howard, Beachside, Jr.

36-9, Eighth place in Class 2A, Region 1 runner-up, District 3 champion

120: Easton Tapley, Providence School, Fr.

34-11, State qualifier in Class 1A, third in Region 1, District 4 champion

126: Connor Barnes, Oakleaf, Sr.

29-4, Class 3A runner-up, Region 1 runner-up, District 1 runner-up

132: Immanuel Gibbs, Tocoi Creek, Jr.

41-6, Fourth in Class 3A state, third in Region 1, District 1 champion

138: Mikah Ikeda, Episcopal of Jacksonville, Jr.

46-5, Seventh in Class 1A state, Region 1 runner-up, District 4 champion

144: Ryan Hancock, Bishop Kenny, Fr.

33-18, Eighth in Class 1A state, fourth in Region 1, District 4 runner-up

150: Micah Thomas, Middleburg, Sr.

57-10, Sixth in Class 2A state, Region 1 runner-up, District 2 champion

157: Luke Manghisi, Creekside, Jr.

44-10, Sixth in Class 3A state, Region 1 runner-up, District 1 champion

165: Drew Holmquist, Clay, Sr.

54-5, Fourth in Class 2A state, third in Region 1, District 3 champion

175: Desmond Valdes, Menendez, Sr.

22-8, State qualifier in Class 1A, third in Region 2, District 5 champion

190: Landon Martin, Clay, Jr.

22-4, Sixth in Class 2A state, Region 1 champion, District 3 champion

215: Brett Bearden, Bolles, So.

33-2, Fifth in Class 1A state, Region 1 champion, District 4 champion

285: Holden Corbin, Suwannee, Sr.

53-7, Fifth in Class 1A state, Region 1 champion, District 2 champion

Third team

Weight, Wrestler, School, Class

106: Jonathan Harp, Middleburg, So.

64-12, State qualifier in Class 2A, third in Region 1, District 2 champion

113: Luke Mims, Creekside, So.

36-9, State qualifier in Class 3A, Region 1 runner-up, District 1 runner-up

120: Zachary Lim, Nease, Sr.

27-7, Region 1 qualifier (reached blood round), District 1 runner-up

126: Leonardo Torres, Stanton Prep, Sr.

33-5, Sixth in Class 1A state, Region 1 runner-up, District 3 champion

132: Cash Trujillo, Ponte Vedra, Jr.

27-16, Eighth place in Class 2A, Region 1 runner-up, District 3 champion

138: Landon Caviness, Tocoi Creek, Jr.

36-7, State qualifier in Class 3A, third in Region 1, District 1 runner-up

144: Christopher McKeel, Middleburg, Sr.

57-18, State qualifier in Class 2A, third in Region 1, third in District 2

150: Michael Fries, Flagler Palm Coast, Sr.

32-11, State qualifier in Class 3A, Region 1 runner-up, District 2 runner-up

157: Calvyn St. Clair, Clay, Jr.

51-10, Seventh in Class 2A state, Region 1 runner-up, District 3 champion

165: Nikita Chechkovsky, Tocoi Creek, Jr.

39-9, State qualifier in Class 3A, third in Region 1, District 1 champion

175: Lucas Comora, Bolles, So.

40-16, State qualifier in Class 1A, fourth in Region 1, District 4 champion

190: Landon Slater, Suwannee, Sr.

33-10, State qualifier in Class 1A, Region 1 runner-up, District 2 champion

215: Markyle Bouie, Sandalwood, So.

40-6, Fifth in Class 3A state, Region 1 runner-up, District 1 champion

285: Taylor Davenport, Baldwin, Sr.

24-5, Third in Class 1A state, Region 1 runner-up, District 3 champion

Honorable mention

Baker County: Taz Kinghorn (150, Sr.); Jordan Perez (285, Jr.)

Bartram Trail: Rhett Durden (113, So.); Breckin Lukanich (150, Fr.); Malik Bousalham (175, Sr.)

Bishop Kenny: Dylan Lunsford (126, Sr.)

Bolles: Andrew Makeev (113, Fr.)

Clay: Liam Soto (106, Fr.)

Columbia: Xavier Williams (215, So.)

Cornerstone Classical: Ry Miller (150, Jr.)

Creekside: Michael Lenz (138, Sr.); Killian Lonergan (190, Jr.)

Flagler Palm Coast: Joseph Dailey (113, Jr.)

Fletcher: Jonathan Hipp (144, Sr.)

Menendez: Matthew Thorn (132, Sr.)

Middleburg: Nathan Harvey (126, Jr.); Keensdee Roseme (190, Sr.)

Oakleaf: Keenan Freeland (144, Sr.)

Orange Park: Elijah Grant (132, Sr.)

Ponte Vedra: Daniel De Almeida (150, Sr.); Michael Aker (165, So.)

Providence: Camden Garcia (157, Sr.)

Stanton Prep: Diego Torres (138, Sr.)

Suwannee: Rylan Milian (126, Jr.)

Tocoi Creek: Alec LaVoie (106, So.); Nikita Chechkovsky (165, Jr.)

Trinity Christian: Nicco Musso (165, Jr.)

Union County: Aiden Hancock (106, Sr.)

West Nassau: Bryce Mangum (215, Sr.)

Wolfson: Taylor Martinez (138, Sr.)

Yulee: Sloan Denison (113, Fr.); Lincoln Brehmer (132, Sr.)

“May the Lord bless from his height, the meal our belly will take with delight,” they chanted in unison before beginning their lunch, a ritual that takes place three times a week in the dining hall adjacent to the church.

Among the nearly 50 elderly people was Carmen Casado, an 84-year-old retired chemical engineer who attends without fail. Her monthly pension of 2,000 Cuban pesos is equivalent to $4 at the informal exchange rate that people use on a daily basis. She lives alone, has no children and does not receive remittances from relatives abroad.

She says the church meals are a needed supplement to the meager rations, such as bread, rice and beans, that she can obtain for free from state-run stores, or bodegas.

“This is a lifeline for us retirees with small pensions," said Casado, speaking in a rapid-fire tone. “What we get from the bodegas alone is not enough.”

The elderly are among the hardest hit by the severe economic crisis on the island, which has worsened dramatically since the beginning of the year following an oil embargo imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Most are former government employees — teachers, doctors, nurses, technicians, custodians, lawyers — whose pensions are usually less than $10 a month and who must face cuts to the basket of goods that have been subsidized for decades, as well as the loneliness brought on by the growing emigration of young people.

They were young when Fidel Castro entered Havana and lived through all the major events on the island, from the Bay of Pigs invasion to U.S. President Barack Obama shaking the hand of Raúl Castro in 2016.

Now, their revolutionary spirit is being tested in the latest crisis, which is forcing them to sell cigarettes on the streets, line up for a loaf of bread and seek free meals offered by churches and some state institutions.

An aging country

After lunch, Casado walked the four blocks home to tend to household chores she still performs without assistance. Her home is on the second and top floors of a 19th-century building that, like many in the capital, is falling apart.

Born in 1942, Casado was a teenager when the revolution led by Castro triumphed. Her life has spanned the island’s most defining moments, from the 1962 Missile Crisis to the so-called Special Period following the collapse of the Soviet Union. She also lived through the 1970s and 80s, when the island's economy was heavily subsidized by the Soviets and when the Cuban system seemed to promise a brighter future.

“This is our life; we were born and raised here,” she said.

Even before the economic crisis worsened and before the wave of emigration over the past five years, Cuba was already one of the countries with the oldest populations in Latin America, a trend nudged further by high life expectancy and low birth rates.

According to Cuba's National Bureau of Statistics, by the end of 2024, almost 26% of the population was aged 60 or older. That is almost twice the regional average of 14.2% in the same year, according to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, CEPAL.

The last five years have seen a population decline in Cuba of nearly 1.5 million, primarily due to migration. The number of Cubans residing on the island, which stood at 11.1 million, has fallen to just 9.7 million.

The impact of the crisis and the exodus of youth is visible at a glance. Elderly people walk the streets alone —some rummaging through trash, others standing in long lines for the bread and rice provided by the ration book, the basic subsidized foods the state guarantees to every Cuban.

The plight of the elderly is so critical that the government recently authorized private entrepreneurs to operate elder care services and residential facilities, a move marking a significant departure from the island’s traditional model of total state control.

Casado insists that she is still privileged. She is mentally sharp and has no physical impairments — she doesn’t even use a cane — and manages entirely on her own. Her only medication is half a tablet for blood pressure, which, “so far,” remains available at the state-run pharmacies.

Despite the poverty and loneliness, she continues to have faith in the government and blames the country’s woes on the United States.

“We’re doing everything we can here to move the country forward,” she said. “But the thing is, we have a very powerful enemy, and he’s right there, right on our doorstep."

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

The S&P 500 inched 0.1% higher to its latest all-time high, a downshift following weeks of big gains driven by strong corporate profit reports and hopes that the economy can avoid a worst-case scenario because of the war. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 62 points, or 0.1%, while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.2% to its own record.

The moves were stronger in the oil market, where prices climbed more than 2.5% as tankers find the Strait of Hormuz still effectively closed. That’s keeping crude stuck in the Middle East and away from customers worldwide, including oil produced by Iran that’s being blockaded by the U.S. Navy.

Iran has offered to reopen the strait if the United States ends its blockade, while proposing that discussions on the larger question of its nuclear program would come in a later phase. But U.S. President Donald Trump seems unlikely to accept the offer, which was passed to the Americans by Pakistan.

Over the weekend, Trump told U.S. envoys not to go to Pakistan, which has been playing a crucial mediating role. By saying the Iranians could call Washington with any proposal, Trump appeared to signal he’s content to try to continue to squeeze Iran with the blockade.

The price for a barrel of Brent crude to be delivered in June climbed 2.8% to settle at $108.23. Brent to be delivered in July, which is where more of the trading is happening in the oil market, rose 2.6% to $101.69 per barrel.

Brent prices were at only about $70 per barrel before the war and have briefly shot to nearly $120 a couple times when fears about the war have hit their heights.

Even with more expensive fuel bills, most big U.S. companies have nevertheless been reporting profit growth for the start of 2026 that’s even stronger than analysts expected. That in turn has helped the S&P 500 jump 13% since hitting a low in late March.

This upcoming week could be a blockbuster for the market, with several of Wall Street’s most influential stocks scheduled to deliver their profit reports. Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms and Microsoft are all scheduled to report on Wednesday alone. Apple will report on Thursday.

Verizon Communications joined the list of companies topping analysts’ expectations on Monday, and its stock rose 1.5% after the company said it added more postpaid phone customers than it lost during a first quarter for the first time since 2013. It also raised its forecast for profit growth this year, even though its revenue for the first quarter fell short of analysts’ expectations.

Domino’s Pizza helped drag on the market and fell 8.8% after it reported weaker profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected.

All told, the S&P 500 rose 8.83 points to 7,137.91. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 62.92 to 49,167.79, and the Nasdaq composite rose 50.50 to 24,887.10.

In the bond market, Treasury yields ticked higher following the rise in oil prices. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 4.33% from 4.31% late Friday.

The Federal Reserve will announce its latest move on short-term interest rates Wednesday, and the consensus expectation among traders is that it will hold the federal funds rate steady. Lower rates would give the economy a boost, but they would also threaten to worsen inflation when oil is more expensive and tariffs are threatening to raise prices for all kinds of other products.

Wednesday will likely be the final meeting where Chair Jerome Powell will lead the Fed. His term as chair is scheduled to expire next month, and Trump has already named a nominee to replace him, Kevin Warsh.

The European Central Bank, Bank of Japan and Bank of England will also be announcing their own interest-rate decisions this week.

In stock markets abroad, indexes slipped in Europe following a stronger finish in Asia. South Korea’s Kospi jumped 2.2%, and Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 1.4% for two of the world’s bigger moves.

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AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed to this report.

Members of the National Science Board received an email on Friday sent from the Presidential Personnel Office “on behalf of President Donald J. Trump" stating that their position was “terminated, effective immediately.”

“I wasn’t entirely surprised, to be honest,” said dismissed board member Keivan Stassun in an email. Stassun, who works at Vanderbilt University, added that the decision was “enormously disappointing.”

The National Science Board was created in 1950 to advise the president and Congress on science and engineering policy, approve major funding awards and guide NSF’s future.

It's typically made up of 25 members appointed by the president who serve staggered, six-year terms. The fired scientists hail from academia and industry and specialize in areas including astronomy, math, chemistry and aerospace engineering.

Every member of the current 22-person board was let go, according to terminated member Yolanda Gil. The board had planned to meet in person next week and was finalizing a report on the state of U.S. science, Gil said in an email.

“I think this is one more indication of the sweeping changes that the administration has in mind for the NSF,” said Gil, who works at the Information Sciences Institute of the University of Southern California.

Maria Cantwell, the top Democrat on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, said in a statement the move was “a dangerous attack on the institutions and expertise that drive American innovation and discovery."

The Trump administration tried to cut the science foundation's $9 billion budget by more than half last year. Congress maintained NSF's funding, but a similar slash is once again on the table for the coming year.

Without an advisory board in the way this time, Stassun said, such cuts may be easier to execute.

It could “eviscerate investments in fundamental research and in the training of the next generation of scientists and engineers for our nation," Stassun said.

The science foundation's headquarters was also relocated to a smaller building. Last year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced it would be moving into the NSF's former base in Alexandria, Virginia.

The National Science Foundation directed a request for comment to the White House. In an emailed statement, the White House said the powers given to the National Science Board when it was created may need to be updated. The science foundation's work “continues uninterrupted,” the statement said.

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

The case came before the justices after a tidal wave of litigation that included some multibillion-dollar verdicts against the global agrochemical manufacturer Bayer, which owns Roundup maker Monsanto.

Several justices seemed sympathetic to the company’s argument that it can’t be sued under state law because federal regulators have found Roundup likely doesn’t cause cancer. Others, though, grilled attorneys about whether that wrongly stops states from responding to changing research.

Roundup maker Monsanto is backed by the Trump administration, a legal position that's at odds with some allies in the Make America Healthy Again movement who want to rein in pesticide use.

The case before the court was filed by a Missouri man named John Durnell. His lawsuit said he developed a cancer called non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after more than 20 years of serving as the neighborhood association’s “spray guy,” using Roundup on parks in his historic St. Louis community.

A jury agreed that the company failed to warn him about possible cancer dangers and awarded him $1.25 million. It's one of thousands of similar cases, including some multibillion-dollar damage awards.

There's still fierce debate about cancer and Roundup’s key ingredient, glyphosate. The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer classified the chemical as “probably carcinogenic" in 2015, but the Environmental Protection Agency has determined that it's not likely to be carcinogenic to humans when used as directed.

The agency approved a label without a cancer warning, and Bayer argues that it’s required to follow those federal standards — not the state laws that Durnell and others have sued under.

EPA reviews its labeling determinations every 15 years, which can be a relatively long period in terms of scientific advancement, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said.

Chief Justice John Roberts questioned whether waiting for EPA review ties the hands of state courts. “Throughout that long process, in response to information that suggests there is a risk that’s not on the label, the states cannot do anything?” he questioned.

Durnell's lawyers, on the other hand, say that federal law doesn't stop Bayer from putting a warning about possible cancer risk on its products under state law.

But Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Elena Kagan both seemed concerned that facing liability under a thicket of different state laws could make it tough for companies and undermine the purpose of federal regulations. “Do you think it’s uniformity when each state can require different things?” Kavanaugh said.

Bayer disputes the cancer claims but has set aside $16 billion to settle cases, and proposed a major settlement earlier this year. At the same time, it has tried to persuade states to pass laws barring new cases, and a few have agreed.

The company has faced more than 100,000 Roundup claims, mostly from home users. It has stopped using glyphosate in Roundup sold in the U.S. residential lawn and garden market. The company has said it might have to consider pulling glyphosate from U.S. agricultural markets if the lawsuits persist.

American Farm Bureau Federation said in court documents that removing it from the market would have an "immediate, devastating risk to America's food supply" at time when the industry is already under pressure.

Environmental groups say Bayer wants to keep juries out of the lawsuits because of its state court losses.

Meanwhile, pesticides have created a rift between the administration and members of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy's MAHA movement, who were also frustrated with an executive order aimed at boosting glyphosate’s production.

Kennedy himself has said repeatedly that glyphosate causes cancer, even as he says he recognizes the executive order was necessary for food supply and national security reasons.

Dozens of MAHA activists and supporters on Monday gathered outside the Supreme Court for what they called a “People vs. Poison” rally to decry Monsanto’s efforts to shield itself from lawsuits.

The Supreme Court is expected to decide the case by the end of June.

__

Associated Press writer Ali Swenson in New York contributed to this report.

That’s according to Luminate, an industry data and analytics company that provides insight into changing behaviors across music listenership.

A blockbuster was the cause: “Michael,” the big-budget Michael Jackson biopic released Friday, earned $97 million in U.S. and Canada theaters its opening weekend, according to studio estimates. A few weeks prior, estimates for “Michael” were closer to $50 million. Last week, the studio estimated closer to $70 million.

As a result of the movie's incredible popularity, Jackson received 31.7 million streams on Friday, April 24 and Saturday, April 25 in the U.S. and 16.3 million streams the previous weekend, Friday, April 17 and Saturday, April 18. That's a 95% increase.

But before Michael Jackson was Michael Jackson, he was the youngest member of The Jackson 5. The classic boy group also received a huge jump in streams. The group earned 2.4 million streams on Friday, April 24 and Saturday, April 25 compared to 1.3 million streams the previous weekend, Friday, April 17 and Saturday, April 18. That’s an 85% increase.

Jackson also saw a boost in plays on Apple Music. According to the streaming giant, on Monday, Jackson had eight songs on Apple Music’s Daily Top 100 Global Chart. “Billie Jean” led the pack at number 11.

And Shazam found that Jackson streams were 140% higher in volume last weekend, April 24 through April 26, than the previous weekend. As a result, there are currently seven Jackson songs on Shazam’s global top 200.

“Michael” is a box office smash despite negative reviews from critics. In his review, The Associated Press' Jake Coyle awarded the film one-and-a-half stars out of four, describing it as “a kind of fantasy film, one that relives the extraordinary highs of Michael Jackson while turning a blind eye to the lows.”

A Cape Cod seafood company has donated a rare two-colored lobster to a science center, sparing the critter from the kettle because of its remarkable coloration. The lobster found is the typical brown color on one side and bright orange on the other, and the two-toned pattern goes all the way from its head to its tail.

Representatives for Wellfleet Shellfish Company in Eastham, Massachusetts, said Monday they have been fielding inquiries about the crustacean for days. The company gifted the lobster to Woods Hole Science Aquarium in Falmouth, Massachusetts, and it will be put on public display when the aquarium reopens, the company said.

“The lobster is now with Woods Hole Science Aquarium’s animals currently being housed in holding tanks at the Marine Biological Laboratory during the aquarium’s construction period. When the aquarium reopens, the lobster will be on display, offering visitors a rare look at one of the ocean’s most striking natural anomalies,” the shellfish company said in a statement.

Fishermen caught the lobster off Cape Cod on April 16. Oddly colored lobsters often make their way to New England's docks over the course of the spring and summer, but the two-colored specimen is rarer than most.

The American lobster is usually a mottled brown, but they can experience color abnormalities due to gene mutations that affect the proteins that bind to their pigments. Some are blue or orange, some are spotted calico and others are so brightly color they're called “cotton candy” lobsters.

A two-colored lobster can occur because two lobster eggs fused and grew as one animal, marine sciences professor Markus Frederich of the University of New England in Maine told The Associated Press in 2024. There are estimates about the rarity of different lobster colors, though Frederich has also cautioned that such figures are approximations.

On Cape Cod, Wellfleet Shellfish Company said it's treating the two-colored lobster as a “remarkable and exciting find.”

The shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner attended by President Donald Trump on Saturday night played out in front of some of the nation's most powerful reporters and editors who snapped into action in real time to provide detailed accounts from the scene.

What resulted was a steady stream of facts from myriad reputable media outlets — hardly an information vacuum. Despite this, unfounded conspiracy theories from both the left and the right proliferated, chief among them that the shooting was staged. Some spread in spite of the facts, while others used real information to create false narratives.

Jen Golbeck, a professor at the University of Maryland who studies conspiracy theories, said a lack of trust in institutions and an inability to sort fact from fiction create a “textbook recipe” for such rumors. But, she said, even when an abundance of information is available the entertainment value of conspiracy theories can still prevail.

“The thing about conspiracy theories that makes people enjoy them, even if they're not politically extreme, is that you get to go looking for breadcrumbs,” she said. “It's a way to feel smart and accepted when you come up with a nugget to contribute and people like it.”

Live reporting both helped and impeded

Some possible avenues of speculation were shut down before they could begin because of the live reporting being presented — and corroborated in real time — by hundreds of professional journalists at once. Plenty still made it through.

One prevailing (and unfounded) theory: The shooting was somehow staged, perhaps as a distraction from issues such as the Iran war, or as a push for the completion of Trump's White House ballroom. The latter has been tethered to the facts that Trump pointed to the incident as evidence his ballroom is needed and that the president's Justice Department is using it to try to pressure preservationists into dropping a lawsuit over the $400 million project.

Others speculated without credible evidence that the Israeli government or military played a role — an allegation often used as an antisemitic trope. And press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during an interview with Fox News before the dinner began that “there will be some shots fired tonight in the room" — a metaphorical reference to Trump’s planned speech that was used as evidence she had prior knowledge about the shooting.

Some connected it to Butler shooting

Many found parallels between what happened at the correspondents' dinner and during the attempted assassination of Trump in July 2024 during his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, such as the fact that after both shootings there was a delay before the president was removed from the scene. Some cited video of Vice President JD Vance being escorted out of the room first as evidence that Trump and the Secret Service knew the shooting was going to happen.

Emily Vraga, a professor at the University of Minnesota who studies political misinformation, said that sometimes more information is not necessarily better, especially in such a polarized time when people can pick and choose the facts they like and assemble their own narrative puzzles.

“We just can't process that much information,” she explained. “And so when there is just this flood of information and it's contradictory and ever-changing as new information comes in, that can actually reinforce this tendency to go to a simplified, understandable narrative. And that narrative can include conspiracy theories.”

She added, “Meaning doesn't have to be tied to reality."

Also among the streaming offerings worth your time this week, as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: a TV adaptation of Isabel Allende’s beloved novel “The House of the Spirits” on Prime Video, the anime hit “Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Reze Arc” on Crunchyroll and two Matthew Rhys projects — the movie thriller “Hallow Road” and the Apple TV horror comedy “Widow’s Bay.”

New movies to stream from April 27-May 3

— Emerald Fennell’s loose adaptation of Emily Brontë’s“Wuthering Heights” is on its way to heat up the small screen, streaming on HBO Max on May 1. Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi play Catherine and Heathcliff in the hyper stylized film which lets its tortured characters do something about all that pent up lust. In my review for The Associated Press, I wrote “There are myriad pleasures to be had in the bold, absurd pageantry and devilish scheming. Yet for all the big swings, Fennell’s ‘Wuthering Heights’ amounts to something oddly shallow and blunt: garish and stylized fan fiction with the scope and budget of an old-school Hollywood epic.”

— Newly minted Oscar winner Michael B. Jordan voices a tiny woodland creature who switches bodies with his sworn enemy, a majestic bird (voiced by Juno Temple) in “Swapped,” streaming on Netflix on Friday, May 1. “Tangled” filmmaker Nathan Greno directs the movie, which also features the voices of Cedric the Entertainer and Tracy Morgan. If it sounds a bit like “Hoppers,” remember, that was an “Avatar” situation. This is “Freaky Friday.”

— The anime hit “Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Reze Arc” will be streaming on Crunchyroll on Thursday. Tatsuya Yoshihara directed the film, based on the manga series by Tatsuki Fujimoto about a teenager who was murdered by the Yakuza and reborn with a unique ability: transforming body parts into chainsaws, which he uses to help fight devils now. It’s also a romance! And rated R.

— “Conbody vs Everybody,” about an ex-con attempting to rebuild his life in New York, might not technically be a movie (OK, it’s a five-part docuseries), but it’s from the great Debra Granik (“Winter’s Bone” and “Leave No Trace” ) and it’s debuting exclusive on the Criterion Channel on Friday, May 1. Filmed over eight years, Granik chronicles Coss Marte’s journey to building a New York gym that employs formerly incarcerated people.

—And finally, in the eerie “Hallow Road,” streaming on Hulu on Saturday, May 2, Rosamund Pike and Matthew Rhys play parents rushing to help their daughter after an accident late one night. I wrote in my review for The Associated Press that “it’s an effectively minimalistic thriller that leaves much room for interpretation and debate.”

— AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr

New music to stream from April 27-May 3

— Hold her beer, Sabrina Carpenter. It’s time. Kacey Musgraves has returned to corner the market on too-clever, comedic country-pop songs about arousal. Such is the case of Musgraves’ “Dry Spell,” the first single from her highly-anticipated seventh studio album, “Middle of Nowhere,” out Friday, May 1. But a one trick pony she is not. The release was inspired by her home state of Texas, as evidenced by a song she premiered at Coachella earlier this month: “Uncertain, TX,” which on the album features the patron saint of the Lone Star State, Willie Nelson. Yeehaw and carry on.

— Many might know the Irish-language, Belfast-based hip-hop trio Kneecap from the headlines they inspire: From criticism for their political statements, which previously saw them banned in Canada and Hungary — they’ve accused critics of trying to silence them because of their support for the Palestinian cause throughout the war in Gaza — to their BAFTA award-winning self-titled biopic. But Kneecap is a hip-hop group with a DIY ethos, and a hip-hop group with a DIY ethos they remain. On Friday, May 1, listeners will be able to form their own opinions: They’ll release another new album, titled “FENIAN,” a reference to the 19th-century Irish revolutionaries dedicated to independence from British colonial rule. It opens with “Éire go Deo,” a rallying cry for the protection of the Irish language, and builds in intensity from there.

— Even if you haven’t heard of them, you’ve heard them — or the results of their legacy. American Football, like the cult classic film version of a rock band, have been undeniably influential in independent music circles for the last three decades. That’s namely for their role as progenitors of a very distinct guitar sound often referred to as “twinkly,” or with the genre term “Midwest emo.” It is an immediately recognizable sound, defined by it's characteristics: An unusual, complex time signature, intricate fingerpicking and tapping but with a clean tone, no distortion, generous reverb and so on. If that’s too technical an explanation, just press play on their latest album, “LP4.” It’s not too late to become obsessed. And “No Feeling,” which features Brendan Yates of the Grammy-award winning Turnstile, is not a bad place to begin.

— A new high-concept album from Tori Amos? Why not! On Friday, May 1, she’ll release “In Times of Dragons,” a 17-track release that sees the singer performing an alternative universe version of herself as she “continues her flight from a dangerous and powerful billionaire husband,” according to the record’s official press materials. It’s allegorical and political, to be sure, and she’s not going it alone. She’s joined by the “Gasoline Girls” — there’s power in numbers — which is also a jaunty piano number about not giving up the good fight.

— AP Music Writer Maria Sherman

New series to stream from April 27-May 3

— Roku has a new program for younger first time home buyers. “This First House ” follows millennial and Gen Z families as they go through the daunting process of buying a home. They’re guided by renovation experts Zack and Camille Dettmore. The show is a spinoff of the PBS staple “This Old House.” It hits The Roku Channel on Monday.

— The TV adaptation of Isabel Allende’ s beloved novel “The House of the Spirits” debuts on Prime Video on Wednesday. The Spanish-language series follows the trials and tribulations of a multi-generational Latin family. The cast includes Alfonso Herrera, Dolores Fonzi and Nicole Wallace with Allende and Eva Longoria among executive producers.

— Matthew Rhys plays the mayor of a small coastal town that’s more creepy than charming in a new horror comedy for Apple TV called “Widow’s Bay.” He wants to make the island a tourist destination but the locals aren’t on board. The reason? They think it’s haunted. The series launches Wednesday.

— If you don’t scroll through real estate websites fantasizing about your dream home then what do you do with your downtime? HGTV’s “Zillow Gone Wild” is hosted by Jack McBrayer and takes you on a tour of some of these outrageous houses. A new season begins streaming Saturday, May 2 on HBO Max.

— Alicia Rancilio

New video games to play from April 27-May 3

— Artemis II made space travel look fun, but things get scarier the farther you get from Earth. Take Carcosa, the setting of Sony’s Saros. Not only is it filled with hostile life-forms, but the planet itself is a shape-shifter — meaning its geography changes with each new mission. Fortunately, you have an arsenal of high-tech weapons as well as a nifty shield that absorbs alien projectiles and sends them back as missiles. Housemarque, the Finnish studio that helped launch the PlayStation 5 with 2021’s Returnal, calls it “bullet ballet, evolved.” Start dancing Thursday on PS5.

— Aphelion hits a little closer to home. It takes place on Persephone, a frozen planet on the edge of our solar system. Two astronauts are separated after their spacecraft crashes, and they have to use their exploratory skills and sharp observation to figure out what went wrong and find each other. French developer Don’t Nod says it collaborated with the European Space Agency to create “a realistic depiction of near-future space exploration” — but don’t relax too much, because there’s a hostile life form on your trail here too. Break the ice Tuesday on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S or PC.

— Lou Kesten

With his last legal option exhausted, Householder will return to his efforts to seek a presidential pardon, his attorney said.

The high court's ruling leaves in place a unanimous decision by a three-judge panel of the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Cincinnati last May. Householder and Borges had appealed to justices after the lower court denied their requests for an en banc hearing before all active judges.

Householder's lawyer, Scott Pullins, said in a statement that it was “a sad day” for the Borges and Householder families and "even a sadder day for free speech and the rule of law.”

“Lower courts have asked for years for the Supreme Court to clarify its rulings and they have once again declined to do so,” Pullins said. "We will now return to our efforts to release Speaker Householder from his unjust, excessive incarnation via executive action.”

Pullins had floated the idea of Householder seeking a pardon earlier, then backed off.

The Department of Justice secured Householder's and Borges' convictions in March 2023 after a yearslong investigation and a more than six-week trial.

Householder, now 66, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for masterminding a scheme illicitly funded by Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp. to elect allies, secure power, pass a $1 billion bailout of two of its affiliated nuclear plants and then defend the bill, known as House Bill 6, from a repeal effort.

Borges, 53, got a five-year sentence for helping undermine the repeal effort. A former chair of the Ohio Republican Party, he was released to a halfway house in Cincinnati in October, from which he's to be released Nov. 12, according to the Bureau of Prisons.

The boundary-breaking Colombian singer and pop star has not commented on the death of the worker.

According to police, Gabriel de Jesus Firmino died on Sunday after being crushed by two stage elevators when the equipment was activated by another worker. Investigator Ângelo Lages told journalists that the Brazilian company that operates the stage is under investigation for alleged non-compliance with workplace safety regulations.

Shakira, who spent the last year on her first global tour since 2018, where she has made history, is to give a free concert on Saturday evening at the Copacabana. Last year, Lady Gaga gave a free concert in front of 2 million fans who poured onto Copacabana Beach for the biggest show of her career.

Many beachgoers said they were sorry for the worker's death and that hey think the concert should still go on as planned.

"It is a sad thing that this happened,” said Anita Costa, a 41-year-old singer, as she strolled near the stage on Monday morning. “But the concert should go on.”

Concert organizers expressed support and solidarity with the company in charge of the stage construction, its “staff and the family of the victim” of the tragic accident.

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

Bueckers made a statement before taking questions from reporters during media day for the Wings on Monday at the University of Texas at Arlington, where the WNBA team plays home games.

The statement from Bueckers came 11 days after the Wings wouldn't let Fudd answer a question about her relationship with her former UConn teammate during Fudd's introductory news conference in Dallas.

The two went public with their relationship last year, after winning a national championship together in Bueckers' final season at UConn, and haven't addressed the status of that relationship since the draft.

“Quite frankly, I believe me and Azzi’s personal relationship is nobody’s business but our own,” Bueckers said. “And what we choose to share is completely up to us. But as media members, I understand you guys have a job to do. And you guys have to ask questions about the basketball aspect of it. So that’s what I’ll be addressing today.”

Bueckers, the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year, said the Wings drafting Fudd had nothing to do with her. After winning a title with Bueckers, Fudd's UConn team lost to South Carolina in the Final Four this month.

“Me and Azzi have always been the utmost professionals,” Bueckers said. “We’ve always conducted ourselves as such. And we’ve never let anything that happens off the court carry onto the court.”

Fudd met with reporters about two hours before Bueckers did on media day and wasn't asked about the relationship.

Bueckers was a three-time Associated Press All-American at UConn, and Fudd joined that list last season. They were together for three seasons with the Huskies.

“Me and Azzi are not new to this,” Bueckers said. “We’ve been doing this for a long time. We have countless reps at it. We have a lot of experience with it. So we will continue to use that experience to show up and be professionals, great teammates, great leaders, the hardest workers and continue to show up and do our job and help the Dallas Wings win basketball games.”

When Fudd was introduced, Wings general manager Curt Miller said the club didn't hesitate on a decision that added to an already elite backcourt with Bueckers and four-time All-Star Arike Ogunbowale.

“Since the moment we secured the No. 1 pick, we set out on a plan to be deliberate, thorough, with intention, on evaluating where we got to ultimately in picking Azzi Fudd,” Miller said. “We traveled all over the world watching this incredible draft class, but it all came back always to Azzi.”

Bueckers was a runaway winner for the rookie award after averaging 19.2 points, 5.4 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game. But the Wings tied for last place in the WNBA, and their 34 losses were twice as many as Bueckers experienced in four seasons combined at UConn. It was the 13th losing record in the past 16 seasons for the franchise.

“The way she goes about things, she always sees it as a challenge, as an opportunity to grow,” Fudd said earlier this month. “So last year it was, she’s not used to losing, but how can she take those losses, continue to grow, continue to be a great leader, make everyone around her better. So if I can adopt anything from her, that’s definitely one of the things that I want to kind of use for myself.”

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

As of 3:39 p.m., the sheriff’s office said CR-210 was closed west of St. Johns Parkway.

A photo released by the sheriff’s office shows a pickup truck with extensive front-end damage after crashing into a light pole. It’s unclear if more than one vehicle was involved.

Drivers are urged to use Longleaf Pine Parkway or the Silverleaf area as an alternative route until the roads reopen.

It’s unknown how long the lanes will be closed.

Some 38 passengers were taken to hospitals for treatment, state-owned railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia said in a statement.

The Argo Bromo Anggrek long-distance train crashed into the rear car of a commuter train that was stopped at Bekasi Timur Station. The car had been designated for women only, a common accommodation to help avoid harassment. Rescue teams worked to reach five passengers trapped in the damaged commuter train car.

All 240 passengers on the Argo Bromo Anggrek train were safe, officials said.

Police were investigating the cause of the accident, Jakarta Police Chief Asep Edi Suheri told reporters at the scene.

Local television footage and videos on social media showed passengers at the station panicking, while dozens of people rushed to the station for news of family members.

The state-owned railway company apologized to customers.

Accidents are common on Indonesia’s aging railroad network. In January 2024, two trains collided in West Java province, killing at least four people,

In October 2013, a passenger train slammed into a minibus at an unguarded crossing in West Java, killing 13 people. In 2010, a train from Jakarta plowed into the rear of a train that was sitting at a station in Central Java province, killing 36.

According to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, students at Lake City Middle School told officials that they overheard the teen say I “lost my handgun.”

The students also said they saw the student searching his backpack with a flashlight to try to locate the alleged gun.

The school was placed on lockdown around 11:40 a.m., and deputies responded to the campus promptly. No gun was located on the teen or in the backpack, so the lockdown was lifted, according to deputies.

In an interview, deputies said the student told them that they made a joke and “acknowledged that the situation had gone too far.”

The 14-year-old student was arrested and charged with false report of a weapon on campus, a felony, and disruption of school function, a misdemeanor.

The student was booked into the Columbia County Detention Facility.

“The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office and its School Resource Division want to be clear: making any statement — even in jest — about a firearm on school grounds is a criminal offense that carries serious, life-altering consequences. A single careless remark forced an entire school into lockdown, disrupted the education of every student on campus, diverted critical law enforcement resources, and caused unnecessary fear and trauma to students, staff, and families," the sheriff’s office said in a statement about the incident.

RELATED | Florida education commissioner slams St. Johns County superintendent, cites teacher allegations over funding comments

Last week, Kamoutsas sent a sharply worded letter to Asplen, citing teachers’ allegations that Asplen urged staff to target named legislators with complaints about a scholarship program and to vote those lawmakers out — allegedly said at a meeting at Osceola Elementary this month.

“I was taken back when my Executive Assistant and our Executive Director of Communications alerted me to your post on X prior to your letter arriving to me. As a result, the media outlets began calling me before T was even able to read and process your issues,” Asplen wrote in a response dated April 25.

In his written response, obtained by News4JAX, Asplen denies ever encouraging staff to vote legislators out of office and asks for examples of “divisive” or inaccurate statements. He framed his communications as fact-based transparency for stakeholders.

“I am confident that your point was not to suggest that I hide or downplay critical and honest information,” Asplen wrote. “You also allege that my comments are divisive. I would ask for clarity. How is it divisive to present facts? Do you have any specific example of an inaccurate representation that I have given?”

READ | St. Johns County Superintendent Letter to the Florida Education Commissioner

Asplen has highlighted that millions of dollars in state money are going toward Family Empowerment Scholarships, which are vouchers parents can use to send their kids to charter schools or for homeschooling.

The district said then it could be in a deficit of up to $23 million for the 2026-2027 school year, which is leading to the elimination of 22 district positions and 130 instructional/non-instructional positions despite continued enrollment growth.

Asplen said DOE/Step Up has indicated that about $250M in voucher-related taxpayer dollars are unaccounted for.

“A great concern to St. Johns County School District and other Florida districts is that we have been educating students in our systems with zero funding for those families who received vouchers, but then decided to stay in our public school system. We haven’t received the funds as of yet and we are one month away from the end of the 2025-26 school year,” Asplen wrote.

Asplen said he supports “choice and competition” but argues vouchers create an unlevel playing field because public schools face extensive mandates while private/home schools receive taxpayer dollars with limited accountability and selective admissions.

Asplen said he will stand behind his statements, even if he is referred to professional practices, and urges direct, professional collaboration—recommending that DOE, legislators, and superintendents meet to address these issues for all students.

“As Commissioner of Education for the State of Florida, I would expect that you would ask for the Department of Education to comport itself with professional esteem toward all public-school personnel and sincerely support their efforts, not just the energics of private, charters, and home schools. It is disappointing that our Commissioner would not choose to communicate concerns directly to a fellow leader in lieu of posting an inflammatory blast on social media,” Asplen wrote.

Kamoutsas called Asplen’s alleged comments inappropriate political pressure on a school campus, but added that his department hasn’t opened a formal professional-practices case because complainants won’t sign statements out of fear of retaliation.

It’s the third time in less than two years that a gunman has come uncomfortably close to Trump, renewing the central tension over how to accommodate the public-facing demands of the president's office while minimizing the risk of an attack.

Saturday’s episode, in which a man armed with guns and knives tried to storm the Washington hotel ballroom where the president was set to address the White House Correspondents’ Association, comes ahead of Trump’s expected participation in a stretch of large, high-profile events indoors and outdoors in the months ahead. Among them, he’s set to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary, oversee the U.S. co-hosting the World Cup and lead rallies meant to galvanize support for Republicans ahead of November’s midterm elections.

White House chief of staff Susie Wiles will hold a meeting this week with officials from the White House operations team, the Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security to discuss security protocol at events with the president, according to a senior White House official. The meeting will examine security steps that were successful on Saturday while “exploring additional options” for future events, said the official, who insisted on anonymity to confirm private discussions.

Separately, a person familiar with the matter said the U.S. Secret Service was already reevaluating its security footing for the upcoming events. The agency’s posture was already elevated due to the extraordinary number of threats facing Trump — including two back-to-back assassination attempts in 2024 — and the realities of recent events such as the U.S.-Iran war.

“I can’t imagine that there’s any profession that is more dangerous,” Trump said of the presidency Saturday night from the White House.

Inside the Secret Service, agents on protective intelligence and threat assessment teams are also reexamining threats made against Trump in recent months. Copycat violence can follow high-profile attacks, according to the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security planning.

The White House and Buckingham Palace said King Charles and Queen Camilla’s state visit Monday is going ahead as planned. Still, organizing around large-scale events deeper in the future — including the UFC bout on the White House lawn marking Trump’s 80th birthday in June, World Cup matches and the IndyCar race past the White House — could get more complicated.

An inherent tension in presidential protection is exposed

Lawmakers, event attendees and some allies of the president saw fault in the correspondents’ dinner security planning, questioning why someone like the shooter could reserve a room at the hotel to sneak in weapons around the outermost layer of security.

Republican Texas Rep. Michael McCaul, chairman emeritus of the House Homeland Security Committee, said security protocols for Trump and Vice President JD Vance may need altering.

“I think the Secret Service needs to reconsider having both the president and vice president together at something like that,” McCaul told CNN’s “State of the Union.”

Kari Lake, a former unsuccessful Republican gubernatorial candidate in Arizona and Trump’s pick to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media, complained about not having to show a photo ID to match her ticket to the event when entering the hotel for the correspondents’ dinner. “I can’t believe how lax the security was,” Lake wrote on X.

The Secret Service is charged only with the safety of its protectees, not of the event itself, and the agency immediately celebrated its response, drawing a high-profile endorsement from Trump himself.

“Our multilayered protection works,” director Sean Curran said Saturday.

“Those guys did a good job last night. They did a really good job,” echoed Trump on Sunday in an interview with CBS News’ “60 Minutes.”

Garrett Graff, author of “Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government’s Secret Plan to Save Itself — While the Rest of Us Die,” wrote in an analysis of the multiple layers of security around Trump during the dinner, “Seems like the system basically working as designed, amid the always necessary trade-offs of security in a free society.”

Retired Secret Service Agent Thomas D. Quinn, who helped pioneer Secret Service counterassault teams, posted on X that “the Secret Service security plan for the WHCD worked and the assailant was stopped.” He continued, “As long as we are a free people in a freedom loving Nation, the Secret Service responsibilities will continue to be immense.”

More security changes ahead

Ronald Kessler, author of “In the President’s Secret Service: Behind the Scenes with Agents in the Line of Fire and the Presidents They Protect,” said authorities are likely to consider placing bulletproof glass around where Trump speaks outside and inside — not unlike after the Butler, Pennsylvania, assassination attempt during the heat of the 2024 presidential campaign.

Attendees, Kessler said, will likely be more thoroughly screened going forward — exacerbating lines at entrances that can already take hours to clear. An example of what might happen came last fall, when Trump attended the men’s final of the U.S. Open tennis tournament and triggered massive security lines.

Such events underscore the complicated security questions surrounding presidential protection in a country where citizens expect their leaders to move through public spaces, hold rallies, attend events and appear before crowds.

“Presidents don’t like to have too much protection,” Kessler said. “I think, by their nature, they’re very outgoing. They want to meet people. They don’t want to be accused of being prisoners of the White House. And so, they’ll try to get around some of these improvements.”

Presidents can have love-hate relationships with security details

The Secret Service took over full-time responsibility for protecting the president during the administration of President Theodore Roosevelt, who came to office after an assassin killed William McKinley in 1901. Roosevelt found the constant security presence tiresome, however, and would sometimes slip away for unprotected hikes or horseback rides in Washington’s Rock Creek Park, according to the White House Historical Association.

Security personnel wanted President Ronald Reagan to exit the building where Saturday night’s shooting occurred, the Washington Hilton, through a covered garage in 1981, Kessler said. Reagan’s staff worried the optics would be bad, however, and the president was shot as he left an open-air exit, ultimately surviving.

After shots were fired Saturday, Secret Service agents surrounded Trump, who appeared to slip slightly as he was whisked away. Another team moved Vance so quickly it seemed as if it might haul him out while still seated in a banquet chair.

Trump told “60 Minutes” on Sunday that he “wasn’t making it easy” for the Secret Service by being “a little bit me.”

“I wanted to see what was happening,” the president said Sunday. “And by that time we started to realize maybe it was a bad problem — different kind of a problem — bad one.”

“I probably made them act a little bit more slowly. I said: ‘Wait a minute, wait a minute. Lemme see. Wait a minute,’” Trump said. He said he started walking out but: “They said, 'Please go down. Please go down on the floor.′ So I went down, and the first lady went down also.”

Trump repeatedly praised the Secret Service and his detail, and he has pushed the correspondents’ association to reschedule the dinner. He said it would have “even more security.”

“And they’ll have bigger perimeter security,” he said. "It’ll be fine.”

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Associated Press writers Seung Min Kim in Washington and Mike Balsamo in New York contributed.

The digital portrait represents a man whose remains, along with those of another person, were discovered as they attempted to flee the city toward the coast of what is now Italy during the volcanic eruption. Researchers believe the man died early in the disaster, during a heavy fall of volcanic debris.

The reconstruction was developed by the Pompeii Archaeological Park, which announced on its website that it was done in collaboration with the University of Padua and based on archaeological survey data from excavations near the Porta Stabia necropolis, just outside the walls of the ancient city.

The announcement shows the AI-generated illustration of what the man could have looked like. He is shown running along a rough, debris-covered road, holding a large, shallow bowl over his head and using it as a shield while Mount Vesuvius is seen erupting in the background.

Pompeii, a UNESCO World Heritage site near Naples, was buried under ash and pumice when the Vesuvius erupted nearly 2,000 years ago, preserving the city and the remains of thousands of its inhabitants in remarkable detail.

Archaeologists found the man holding a terracotta mortar, which they interpreted as an improvised attempt to shield his head from falling small volcanic stones that rained down during the eruption.

Ancient accounts — including those of Roman writer Pliny the Younger — describe Pompeii's residents using objects to protect themselves as ash and debris blanketed the city.

The man was also carrying an oil lamp, a small iron ring and 10 bronze coins, personal objects that offer insight into his final moments as well as into daily life in Pompeii before the catastrophe.

The digital portrait was created using AI and photo-editing techniques designed to translate skeletal and archaeological data into a realistic human likeness.

“The vastness of archaeological data is now such that only with the help of artificial intelligence will we be able to adequately protect and enhance them. If used well, AI can contribute to a renewal of classical studies,” Pompeii park director Gabriel Zuchtriegel said in a statement.

The project aims to make archaeological research more accessible and emotionally engaging for the public while maintaining a scientific foundation, researchers said.

Phoenix resident Guillermo Sainz Gurrola was also fined $1,000 and will serve probation for three counts of solicitation of registration, which prosecutors described as offering financial incentives to canvassers who met quotas.

The attorney general's office said charges of forgery, unsworn falsification, public records tampering and violations of state elections and voter registration laws remain pending against six canvassers. One is also facing an identity theft charge.

Sainz Gurrola's defense attorney, Timothy M. Stengel, declined comment but said his client apologized in court. Authorities had previously identified him as Guillermo Sainz, but Stengel and the online court docket gave his name as Guillermo Sainz Gurrola.

Stengel said the plea on Monday involved registration drives in Lancaster, Berks and York counties.

In a court affidavit filed with the criminal charges, investigators said Sainz Gurrola, an employee of Field+Media Corps, “instituted unlawful financial incentives and pressures in his push to meet company goals to maintain funding which in turn spurred some canvassers to create and submit fake forms to earn more money.”

Field+Media was funded by Everybody Votes, which has worked to improve voter registration rates in communities of color. The court affidavit said Everybody Votes had fully cooperated with the investigation and that its contract with Field+Media prohibited payments on a per-registration basis.

Sainz Gurrola managed Pennsylvania operations from May to October 2024.

The investigation began in the weeks before the general election when election workers in Lancaster County flagged voter registration forms for potential fraud. Investigators said they appeared to contain false names, suspicious handwriting, questionable signatures, incorrect addresses and other problematic details.

In the homestretch of the presidential contest, then-candidate Donald Trump seized on the case, declaring there had been “cheating” involving “2,600” votes. The actual issue in Lancaster was about 2,500 suspected fraudulent voter registration forms, not ballots or votes.