<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[WJXT News4JAX]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com</link><atom:link href="https://www.news4jax.com/arc/outboundfeeds/google-news-feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><description><![CDATA[WJXT News4JAX News Feed]]></description><lastBuildDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2026 04:43:08 +0000</lastBuildDate><language>en</language><ttl>1</ttl><sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod><sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency><item><title><![CDATA[127 evacuated after fire at St. Johns assisted living facility on County Road 210]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2026/08/17/127-evacuated-after-roof-fire-at-assisted-living-facility-on-county-road-210/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2026/08/17/127-evacuated-after-roof-fire-at-assisted-living-facility-on-county-road-210/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Chris Will]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Crews are battling a fire at an assisted living facility in St. Johns County after what officials believe was a lightning-related strike.]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2026 02:54:04 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Crews are battling a fire at an assisted living facility in St. Johns County after what officials believe was a lightning-related strike.</p><p>St. Johns County Fire Rescue was called to The Blake at St. Johns at 2430 County Rd 210 at about 9 p.m., according to SJCFR Public Information Officer Chris Naff. When firefighters arrived, Naff said they found heavy fire with flames pushing through the roof.</p><p>Based on early indications, Naff said the fire may have started after a lightning strike hit a chimney.</p><p>Firefighters evacuated residents on the west side of the building, while residents on the east side were able to shelter in place, Naff said. In total, 127 residents were evacuated and 83 sheltered in place, according to SJCFR.</p><p>The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department also responded to assist St. Johns County crews. </p><figure><img src="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/ziWAz88hIBod1L1IwRqMfiXCIdM=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/V5J2BOLXAVERNPDOY35ZPHP4UQ.jpg" alt="SJCFR responds to fire at senior living facility" height="600" width="800"/><figcaption>SJCFR responds to fire at senior living facility</figcaption></figure><p>Naff said the fire was brought under control later in the night.</p><p>One person was transported from the scene, but Naff said it was not related to the fire and that the patient was reported in stable condition.</p><p>Officials said families can come to the scene for reunification. Naff said buses were also being used to relocate residents who do not have family nearby to other facilities.</p><p>Naff said the Red Cross and Emergency Management have been dispatched to assist those that have been displaced.</p><p>As of 11:45 Sunday evening, emergency response crews were beginning to leave the facility as remaining fire rescue personnel kept an eye on any lingering hot spots.</p><p>This is a developing story. Check back for updates.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/gMwfslf0jArEOn0BBw5_oJlimLA=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/LVQSWFS2MZGYLPLEJ6FYJ75V5Q.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="600" width="800"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Fire at The Blake at St. Johns forces evacuation of 127 residents, according to SJCFR]]></media:description></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Thousands in Indonesia await aid after quake kills 54, overshadowing Independence Day]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/17/thousands-in-indonesia-await-aid-after-quake-kills-54-overshadowing-independence-day/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/17/thousands-in-indonesia-await-aid-after-quake-kills-54-overshadowing-independence-day/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Firdia Lisnawati, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Thousands of people on Indonesia’s Flores Island are still waiting for aid after a powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake killed at least 54 people, injured 135 and damaged more than 1,300 homes.]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2026 04:11:45 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Thousands of people were still waiting for aid on the Indonesian island of Flores as the country celebrated its 81st Independence Day on Monday, days after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/indonesia-earthquake-magnitude-77-c31ad3cf07fa83d2d443e8d85e5c9d84">a powerful earthquake</a> killed at least 54 people, injured dozens and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/indonesia-flores-earthquake-landslide-bf1d024bdec7727094f8dc73d7dd5e34">damaged hundreds of homes</a> and other buildings.</p><p>Many residents spent the day mourning victims, searching for loved ones and waiting for aid to arrive to communities still cut off by the deadly quake.</p><p>More than 1,300 homes were damaged when the quake struck East Nusa Tenggara province on Saturday, with nearly 250 were destroyed on Flores alone. Some 5,000 people were forced into temporary shelters and 135 people were injured, according to the National Disaster Management Agency.</p><p>The province's governor declared a 14-day state of emergency on Sunday.</p><p>The quake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles) shortly before 6 a.m. Saturday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, and residents fled in panic as tsunami warnings were issued and later lifted. Authorities have since recorded at least 995 aftershocks, but only 46 were felt by residents.</p><p>Thousands of people on Flores camped outside collapsed homes under tarpaulin tents overnight into Monday, sleeping outside because of the danger of more aftershocks. </p><p>An Associated Press photojournalist saw widespread devastation across the island, with fallen trees blocking roads, giant boulders hurled downslope by landslides, and homes left shattered or heavily damaged. Parked cars were crushed when buildings collapsed during the quake. </p><p>For many residents, the disaster revived painful memories of a powerful earthquake and tsunami that struck Flores in 1992, killing about 2,500 people.</p><p>"My house is just rubble now,” said Rasyid Jafar, a clothing trader in the village of Reo, the hardest-hit area in Manggarai regency, ”We need food, medicine and clean water urgently.”</p><p>More than 3,500 military and police personnel have been deployed across the disaster zone and 275 tons of aid have been to the area, though logistical challenges have slowed deliveries to some hard-hit communities.</p><p>While some relief has trickled in, survivors say they still need equipment to cook food.</p><p>“We have nothing left ... Why isn’t there a public kitchen?" said Mariana Tewu, another villager in Reo.</p><p><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/indonesia">Indonesia</a>, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, <a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-817f8e87e3504e50b5be551aa0288b12">is prone to earthquakes</a> and volcanic eruptions because of its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a horseshoe-shaped arc of seismic faults and volcanoes.</p><p>In 2018, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake triggered <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ea8abae3df1042feb8008d49250a4bd2">a tsunami on the island of Sulawesi</a> that killed more than 4,400 people. In 2004, a magnitude 9.1 quake off Sumatra unleashed a tsunami that <a href="https://apnews.com/article/indonesia-aceh-tsunami-anniversary-489f23bd172fa4c01323567eb4ac842f">killed about 230,000 people</a> in a dozen countries, nearly 170,000 in Aceh province alone.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/x-S5UqNbW_M_WXzqVzmfY_LRgao=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/ZRDLVFJAQ5BBVH3IMOPSJRHGQA.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2984" width="4476"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Motorists ride past a building that collapsed during an earthquake in Reo, East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia, Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Firdia Lisnawati</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/x-0mLh7K5JOkPSS7ZdI9qW5iAEI=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/IFPJQRROD5FBRLV4SWJJLH6AEQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3221" width="4831"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[People take shelter in makeshift tent amid fears of aftershocks, following an earthquake in Reo, East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia, Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Firdia Lisnawati</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/5wAzXLJsysOtL0jN6SP5IVCwqT4=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/M6MDQQCTNRFVHF7FYN3GN42TVY.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3221" width="4832"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Earthquake survivors make fire to warm themselves outside their makeshift tent in Reo, East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia, Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Firdia Lisnawati</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/NcKyoIz-9FKCj9-AUi_En3BIGP8=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/3DCZTKPDQFA7TKED6HGCUUTDYQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3370" width="5054"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A broken statue of Jesus Christ is seen inside an earthquake-damaged church in Reo, East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia, Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Firdia Lisnawati</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/sXYUWU_p7lx-ty-TLhOF4OVPHpQ=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/K3HQB24LRRGPDP3QWNBQJSM3FM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2908" width="4362"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A man examines a building that collapsed during an earthquake in Reo, East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia, Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Firdia Lisnawati</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[In Florida, Wasserman Schultz sparks a debate over what representation means in diverse districts]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/politics/2026/08/17/in-florida-wasserman-schultz-sparks-a-debate-over-what-representation-means-in-diverse-districts/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/politics/2026/08/17/in-florida-wasserman-schultz-sparks-a-debate-over-what-representation-means-in-diverse-districts/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Bill Barrow, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz is running for reelection in a new Florida district after Republicans redrew the congressional map.]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2026 04:07:55 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Greeting voters ahead of Tuesday's Florida primaries in red-white-and-blue sneakers, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz smiles and tells them she is “running for reelection to Congress.”</p><p>That’s true — with a caveat. Wasserman Schultz is seeking her 12th term by running in a new district after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-us-house-redistricting-41b9143465d07a388662ee081cac4a18">Republicans scrambled the state’s congressional map</a> earlier this year.</p><p>The fallout pushed Wasserman Schultz, a former national party chair with powerful ties in Washington, to cross district lines from her Fort Lauderdale exurb and be the only white candidate in an area of Broward County that has helped send Black Democrats to Congress since 1992. That’s yielded an uncomfortable fight following the U.S. Supreme Court decision that gutted the Voting Rights Act provisions undergirding minority voting strength and effectively cleared Old Confederacy states, including Florida, to reshape House districts.</p><p>“For her to come in like this is just another Broward seat, it's a complete erasure of our history, our fight for Black access,” said former Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, 47, who <a href="https://apnews.com/article/cherfilusmccormick-ethics-hearing-house-376eaaa9ff51a7bf66a9a5528822d2ef">resigned from the seat in April</a> while facing an ethics investigation but now wants it back. </p><p>Another candidate, 27-year-old progressive organizer and substitute teacher Elijah Manley, said Republicans’ redistricting ploy is not Wasserman Schultz’s fault. But she “had other options,” Manley added, including running in her new home district, which was gerrymandered to include the more conservative Gulf coast.</p><p>“Instead, she stabbed us in the back, trying to take away Black representation,” Manley said, pointing to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-voting-rights-congressional-black-congress-83eb45911c4e1a744f9d543318ba1e5e">Congressional Black Caucus warnings</a> that it could lose more than a quarter of its 60-plus members this fall.</p><p>Wasserman Schultz, 59, is by far the best funded out of five Democratic candidates and benefits from Florida rules that do not require a majority to win primaries. </p><p>She argued that she can ably advocate for the whole region after representing wide swaths of Broward as a state and federal legislator across three decades. “I’m not air dropping myself into this district,” she told The Associated Press. “I have represented diverse communities. I know how to tailor my service to them and represent a district more broadly.”</p><p>A win by Wasserman Schultz would be a rarity</p><p>President Donald Trump started pushing Republican-run states to redraw House boundaries last year to help preserve the party's fragile majority. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis responded with an effort that clusters southeast Florida Democrats together, intending to reduce five Democratic seats to three. Broward, the state’s most Democratic county, situated between Miami-Dade and Palm Beach, now has just one presumed-Democratic district anchored in and around Fort Lauderdale. </p><p>Nationally, white lawmakers typically hold some of the 115-plus House seats where the voting-age population is majority non-white. Wasserman Schultz does it in her existing north Broward-Palm Beach district, which was drawn after the 2020 census to be 42% Hispanic, 18% Black and about 6% Asian American. White voters compose the remaining third.</p><p>But a white lawmaker is a rarity for majority or plurality Black districts, like the new Florida 20th. The district is 42% Black, 23% Hispanic and 4% Asian, the rest white. The Black share includes a large Caribbean population, most notably Haitian Americans.</p><p>Going into November, an Associated Press analysis found that Wasserman Schultz is the only white Democrat positioned to represent any of the remaining districts with a Black majority or plurality. </p><p>Cherfilus-McCormick said she can win, despite losing Black constituents she previously represented in Palm Beach County. She dismissed concerns over federal criminal charges accusing her of <a href="https://apnews.com/article/cherfilus-mccormick-fema-theft-campaign-funds-288b059db264eb8fa7c4e8876fd613e8">stealing $5 million in federal disaster funds</a>. She has pleaded not guilty and has denied alleged violations of House rules. </p><p>The criminal case and redistricting fit together, she insisted, and “the people see what’s going on — them trying to silence the only Haitian member of Congress and take away our voice.”</p><p>Manley, though, was more circumspect about Wasserman Schultz’s status as the favorite. He mused about upsetting the veteran congresswoman on Tuesday yet looked ahead to the 2028 elections, hoping Black Democrats rally around one candidate rather than four. The current field also includes former 2 Live Crew rapper Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell and real estate broker and former local elected official Dale Holness. </p><p>Von Howard, a Black resident of Plantation, said the choice was wrenching. He declined to disclose his vote but said he wanted someone who “understands the totality of the district.”</p><p>“If you're not of the people, and you just want this for the clout, in some instances, that could be a turnoff,” the 47-year-old said. </p><p>Broward NAACP President Marsha Ellison was more direct, without endorsing any candidate.</p><p>“The whole mission was to take away Black power, so we don’t have representation to understand our lived experience,” she said. “That may not be important to Debbie, but it’s certainly important to us.”</p><p>There's a debate over what representation means</p><p>Wasserman Schutlz said she occasionally hears those concerns from voters. Her response is that “lived experience matters, but experience broadly matters" as well. </p><p>She notes her Appropriations Committee seat,which could be even more influential should Democrats win a House majority. She recalls programs impacting Black communities she helped create and fund since her first years in the Florida Legislature.</p><p>“I fight every single day to help improve the lived experience of the people that I represent,” she said. </p><p>Wasserman Schutlz also said she’s worked to connect across race and culture in Broward. Because of her existing district makeup, “I spent six years learning Spanish,” to converse with individuals and in town halls, news conferences and interviews broadcast on Spanish-language stations.</p><p>“Out of respect,” she said, “anything I can do to inspire people’s confidence that the person representing them understands them.”</p><p>Wasserman Schultz is a recognizable figure</p><p>Several times outside of early voting sites, Black, white and Hispanic voters waved or stopped to talk to the congresswoman. Among them were Broward County sheriff’s deputies who wanted photos and a trio of women who lamented they had been drawn into a new Republican-leaning district.</p><p>Yusdefs Delgado, a naturalized citizen from Colombia, told Wasserman Schultz that he enjoys her social media posts but wants to hear more about policy and less about the president.</p><p>“We know Trump sucks,” he told her, smiling and confirming that he voted for her. “I don’t agree with her on everything, but she’s closest to where I am, and I trust her to try to do the right thing for us,” Delgado explained later. </p><p>Cherfilus-McCormick and Manley said that’s not enough given the environment after the Supreme Court decision, Trump’s attacks on diversity initiatives and his push to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-black-history-smithsonian-dei-687fd306dc9c6d7611300d74fe49b8aa">rewrite how the U.S. tells its history on race and racism</a>. </p><p>“We’re not at a place in this country where we can be completely colorblind politically,” Manley said. “We’re just not.”</p><p>Wasserman Schultz said the new district “is drawn in a way that the plurality population has the ability to elect the person of their choice” — language that alludes to the now-diminished Voting Rights Act. Voters, she said, can “consider all of the qualities that matter to them.”</p><p>As for putting herself on the ballot again, she remained unapologetic.</p><p>“Trump and DeSantis did this to our community,” she said, adding, “I’ll be damned if I’m going to let them steal Broward’s political power, de-unify us and prevent us from standing up for our community’s values.”</p><p>___</p><p>Associated Press journalist Matthew Klein contributed from Washington. </p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/HeTXZiIQHdRkMXNKLwJGkNew4T8=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/MKAA2AXDJJFHLOPBTOZBR3GT6A.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4000" width="6000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz smiles as she greets constituents at a National Night Out community event while campaigning for Florida's 20th congressional district, in Plantation, Fla., Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Rebecca Blackwell</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/uq3MlQOED73GErur9tAGWVgUl94=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/GZBQIY7XBVFEDLFIW7KZWT5Z4M.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3499" width="5249"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[FILE - Former Democratic congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick participates in a forum for candidates in Florida's 20th congressional race, July 23, 2026, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier, File)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Marta Lavandier</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/41rRDhln8RopUL0qwYwWSf64v5Y=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/OX7SLZ52AJD6HK42ESTAK42LDA.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3451" width="5177"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[FILE - Democratic candidate Elijah Manley participates in a forum for candidates in Florida's 20th congressional race, July 23, 2026, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier, File)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Marta Lavandier</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/PwY1GXWjjE8rVeMFNTNSS7iQmHk=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/34N77BZHXBFLHF6J6ILVFRB7S4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4000" width="6000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, third from right, greets constituents at a National Night Out community event while campaigning for Florida's 20th congressional district, in Plantation, Fla., Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell).]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Rebecca Blackwell</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/jHqkPjRfrpCEJiYaFDO723h69kc=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/UYLS2ZXVI5CUFASUN7IFQ4LK3M.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4000" width="6000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., greets a man tending to a grill as she visits a National Night Out community event while campaigning for Florida's 20th congressional district, in Plantation, Fla., Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell).]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Rebecca Blackwell</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ukraine takes aim at Russia’s economy and morale by attacking online retailer]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/business/2026/08/17/ukraine-takes-aim-at-russias-economy-and-morale-by-attacking-online-retailer/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/business/2026/08/17/ukraine-takes-aim-at-russias-economy-and-morale-by-attacking-online-retailer/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Day after day over recent weeks, Ukrainian drones have pummeled giant depots belonging to Wildberries, the country’s biggest online retailer, burning estimated billions of dollars’ worth of merchandise and bringing the war home to the broad public.]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2026 04:05:53 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The attacks <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-wildberries-attacks-d69c6db025a0ff779db9606b9982b1d9">began on a July weekend</a> and have continued for a month, stretching from Moscow and St. Petersburg, to cities in the south, and eastward to the Ural Mountains. The targets weren't oil refineries, maritime hubs or arms plants hit by other Ukrainian strikes, but warehouses that bring the convenience of online shopping across the breadth of Russia.</p><p>Ukraine's drones have <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-wildberries-ballistic-missiles-6101ca4702e1f66e8cb8a15819cd5931">pummeled</a> the giant depots belonging to Wildberries, Russia’s biggest online retailer, burning billions of dollars’ worth of merchandise and bringing the war home to the broad public.</p><p>The attacks on about 20 Wildberries facilities have underlined Kyiv’s ability to strike far and wide inside Russia and posed a new challenge to President Vladimir Putin nearly 4½ years into his <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ukraine#">full-scale invasion of Ukraine.</a></p><p>They have badly shaken the empire built by Tatyana Kim, the country’s richest female entrepreneur, whose fortune has been estimated at $8.1 billion.</p><p>Hundreds of thousands of individual sellers have lost their merchandise, sending shock waves <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-economy-war-putin-vat-tax-e561969931082a65741f0161dfd946fa">across Russia’s economy.</a> Wildberries has drawn massive loans from VTB and other banks as it expanded and likely will have trouble repaying them, putting more pressure on the financial system.</p><p>An online giant began in a Moscow apartment</p><p>Kim, 50, was born in Grozny, the capital of the province of Chechnya, to an ethnic Korean family of an engineer and a teacher. She launched Wildberries in 2004 from her Moscow apartment soon after giving birth to her first child while working as an English teacher.</p><p>“The idea was born from my own needs, and turned out to be needed by hundreds of thousands,” said Kim, now a mother of seven. “If a product or service makes your own life easier, you’re on the right track.”</p><p>Wildberries initially sold clothing before expanding to appliances, household items, cosmetics, books and more. The platform with its distinct purple logo has become an undisputed leader in e-commerce, accounting for about half of all online orders in Russia. Businesses big and small use it to store, ship and deliver merchandise across the country's 11 time zones.</p><p>An estimated 500,000 to 800,000 sellers use Wildberries, often described as Russia's Amazon. After Western brands fled following the war in Ukraine, online retailers filled the void with merchandise from China, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and elsewhere.</p><p>The company also acquired a bank, expanded to tourism and even considered buying an airline.</p><p>In 2024, Kim divorced her husband, Vladislav Bakalchuk, triggering a fight for control of the company. Bakalchuk sought the support of <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ramzan-kadyrov">Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov</a> and his feared paramilitary forces but eventually lost the battle, which peaked in a shootout at a business center near the Kremlin that left two people dead and several wounded.</p><p>Wildberries depots are easy targets</p><p>The company has prided itself on relying on about two dozen mammoth warehouses as the core of its vast logistical network stockpiling the goods before shipping to about 100,000 storefront distribution points nationwide.</p><p>Rival online retailers Ozon and Yandex Market use smaller depots spread over a wider network.</p><p>As Ukraine embarked on a strategy of using long-range drones to attack deep inside Russia, it has expanded from striking military bases, oil refineries and other infrastructure to Wildberries warehouses, which provided particularly soft targets. </p><p>Since the first attack July 18 in Elektrostal, just east of Moscow, and in the southwestern Tambov region, Wildberries depots burned one after another in massive fires that flooded social media.</p><p>The depots, some as big as 300,000 square meters (about 3.2 million square feet) were unprotected and easy to set ablaze. It took three days to extinguish the fire in the Elektrostal depot, the Moscow region's main hub.</p><p>“These are not military and high-value political targets, therefore they’re not especially secured, they’re not really built to be able to shrug off drone strikes,” said podcaster Mark Galeotti, a Russia expert who heads the Mayak Intelligence consultancy.</p><p>The strikes have stretched from the European part of Russia to Yekaterinburg, over 2,000 kilometers (about 1,250 miles) from Ukraine's border.</p><p>There's scarce public data, but some estimates indicate that up to 20% of the company's total warehouse space has been destroyed, with assessments of losses running as high as $6 billion.</p><p>Kim said Wildberries’ sites have been “reinforced and strengthened” defensively, but the attacks continued. Some warehouses suffered only minor damage, and Ukraine tried to hit them again.</p><p>Wildberries said it's rearranging supply chains to create “partner hubs” for storing merchandise — a long and challenging process, given its dependence on big depots.</p><p>Attacks cause a ripple effect</p><p>Ukrainian officials have said Wildberries sells gear and technical components, including drones, to the military. Moscow denied it, but such dual-use items as drone components, flak jackets or thermal weapon sights remain available on the platform.</p><p>Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/volodymyr-zelenskyy">Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy,</a> said the attacks were designed to disrupt military supplies, breed popular discontent and cause a domino effect in the Russian economy by putting stress on major banks, including VTB and Sberbank, that made massive loans to Wildberries.</p><p>Wildberries’ debts were estimated at the equivalent of about $15 billion at the end of 2025.</p><p>Russia's small and medium businesses already have been hit hard by tax increases, regulatory hurdles and, most recently, a fuel crisis from attacks on oil refineries.</p><p>The strikes on Wildberries have further exacerbated the business environment, said Chris Weafer, CEO of Macro-Advisory Ltd. Consultancy.</p><p>“I wouldn’t say it’s a nail in the coffin because we’re not there yet, but it’s certainly another enormous difficulty on top of what has already been a very difficult situation for small enterprises,” Weafer said.</p><p>Wildberries had recently changed its seller policy, exempting it from liability for stock damaged by a “force majeure” that includes drone attacks.</p><p>Kim pledged to support sellers with discounts on storage, free transfer of goods to other sites, discounted loans and other measures. Wildberries also issued some reimbursements but they covered only a fraction of the losses.</p><p>Russia’s Central Bank has asked lenders to restructure loans to small and medium businesses that lost merchandise.</p><p>Meanwhile, many owners of Wildberries pickup points face lost revenue amid the plunging deliveries. Some vented frustrations on social media about going out of business.</p><p>The lost goods mean tens of thousands of small businesses can't continue to operate, service their loans or pay taxes. Many are pleading for government support.</p><p>Galeotti said the strikes reflected Kyiv's effort to bring the war home to Russia.</p><p>“It’s not just about seeing great clouds of black smoke over your cities because of some oil refinery on the outskirts being hit," he said. "You might be a small business whose inventory has just gone up in smoke in one of the Wildberries’ warehouses. Or else you just simply might be an ordinary consumer who just suddenly is no longer going to get the goods that you plan to buy.”</p><p>Some analysts warn that instead of provoking discontent, the attacks could fuel stronger anti-Ukrainian and anti-Western fervor.</p><p>The Wildberries attacks have played into the hands of Russian hawks who urge escalating the war, said pro-Kremlin political expert Sergei Markov.</p><p>“It strengthens the view that it’s necessary to hit Europe,” he said. “And better sooner than later.”</p><p>Former President Dmitry Medvedev sought to stir up anger at Ukraine for trying to destroy an essential part of daily routine for millions.</p><p>“Our enemy is fighting not the Russian leadership or the army, but ordinary citizens,” he said.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/OamCTz1c8ZCaQGPWlj6Uw3qufzA=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/G2HMUN24B5H73M6GJCTGWKHZQY.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4643" width="6965"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[FILE - Smoke rises following a Ukrainian drone attack on a warehouse for online retailer Wildberries in St. Petersburg, Russia on Friday, July 24, 2026, with St. Isaac's Cathedral seen in foreground. (UGC via AP, File)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Uncredited</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/vfsBSZ39AFHk9aEwzYDZZjcgJXo=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/LN3TXFMQFRGM3NTEYTGFSUIPQU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="1801" width="2701"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[In this photo released by the Roscongress Foundation, Tatyana Kim, the owner of online retailer Wildberries, speaks on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia, on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. (Alexey Aleksandronok/Roscongress Foundation via AP)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Alexey Aleksandronok</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/VaidAd9KQrnbOf9Lpqctsh1CdqE=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/VNSNIGO75NBGTLJJBB6L7UDFFQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5055" width="7581"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[FILE - Smoke rises following a Ukrainian drone strike on a warehouse belonging to online retailer Wildberries, in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Friday, July 24, 2026. (UGC via AP, File)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Uncredited</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/xwp7kktbMyYgFS_KP47hTw1QTG0=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/JK46Y42E4BGRFM2YBRPJOVQ3YU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5087" width="7631"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[FILE - A man carrying a package leaves a pickup point for online retailer Wildberries in Moscow on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Alexander Zemlianichenko</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/VNTC-QWVdEydBWu_BBSOvltliyA=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/IC4AOEOE2ZDBNEY7NZHPXHRTF4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3984" width="5976"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A billboard advertising 10% off an order from online retailer Wildberries looms over a main street in Moscow, Russia, late Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Alexander Zemlianichenko</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[All eyez on Tupac: Long-awaited trial begins in rapper's 1996 killing]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/national/2026/08/17/all-eyez-on-tupac-long-awaited-trial-begins-in-rappers-1996-killing/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/national/2026/08/17/all-eyez-on-tupac-long-awaited-trial-begins-in-rappers-1996-killing/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jessica Hill, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Opening statements are set to begin in the trial of Duane “Keffe D” Davis, who is charged with murder in the killing of rapper Tupac Shakur.]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2026 04:04:50 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Opening statements are set to begin Monday in the trial of a man accused of orchestrating the killing of Tupac Shakur, kicking off weeks of testimony that will revisit what happened on a Las Vegas nearly 30 years ago. </p><p>Duane “Keffe D” Davis, 63, is charged with murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang in the rapper’s death. He pleaded not guilty, but if convicted, faces life in prison. </p><p>The long-unsolved drive-by shooting gripped the hip-hop community, partly because no one was charged until <a href="https://apnews.com/article/tupac-shakur-killing-duane-keefe-davis-vegas-3f7050c2a68813d86a96b96fbb3f1d1a">Davis</a> was indicted in 2023. </p><p>Shakur <a href="https://apnews.com/article/tupac-shakur-keffe-rap-rival-notorious-big-2567b97c8d1542fe6c7a0804aaa2b386">remains a cultural icon</a> and is considered one of the most influential and versatile rappers of all time, despite dying at 25. He was <a href="https://www.grammy.com/artists/2pac/7233">nominated for six Grammy Awards</a> and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.</p><p>In recent years, he received <a href="https://apnews.com/article/tupac-shakur-hollywood-star-walk-of-fame-a578a3af9d09666c9c17510d7a66ef8a">a posthumous star</a> on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, had a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/tupac-shakur-way-street-oakland-california-renamed-e9705d56b9e01b838987e1b439cd0b8b">street in Oakland named in his honor</a> and inspired a character on the upcoming video game "Stranger than Heaven.”</p><p>Over the course of the trial, which could span weeks, prosecutors plan to call 35 to 45 potential witnesses, and the defense will call only a handful to testify.</p><p>Members of Shakur’s family are expected to be in the courtroom Monday. Shakur’s stepbrother, Maurice “Mopreme” Shakur, recently told The Associated Press that sitting through the trial will be retraumatizing for the family, but it's important to be there.</p><p>“We’re gonna stand by Pac as we always have,” he said. </p><p>All eyes on Tupac</p><p>Along with Shakur's family, friends and fans traveled to Las Vegas to show their support during jury selection.</p><p>Darryl Harper, a veteran music producer who collaborated with Shakur at Death Row Records on songs released after the 1996 shooting, said he booked a plane ticket as soon as the latest trial date was set.</p><p>“He became a personal friend of mine as I worked with him almost every day of his last days here,” said Harper, who flew in from his home in Georgia.</p><p>Harper hopes the trial will reveal the truth about who was involved with the shooting.</p><p>“My prayer is that it’s the right person,” he said outside the court during jury selection. “If he’s the right person, then I’m glad that Tupac would get some kind of redemption finally. I think he deserves it.”</p><p>Shakur's cousins Kendrick Lesane and William Lesane flew in from Atlanta to watch jury selection. William Lesane said he wants someone held accountable.</p><p>“For me, justice has long left the station 30 years ago,” he said. </p><p>Prosecutors allege that Davis was the shot-caller</p><p>Prosecutors aren't claiming Davis pulled the trigger. Rather, they say he organized the shooting to get revenge after Shakur and his entourage beat up Davis' nephew at the MGM Grand hours before Shakur was shot. </p><p>The gunfire came from a white Cadillac that Davis was in with three others, all who have since died.</p><p>In 2008, Davis spoke to investigators looking into the deaths of Shakur and Notorious B.I.G., born Christopher Wallace. During the investigation, Davis was under an agreement that what he said about Shakur's killing couldn't be used against him. But nearly 10 years later, Davis published a book with those details and participated in media interviews in which he laid out his role in the shooting. </p><p>The book and his public statements revived the Las Vegas investigation and became key pieces of evidence, prosecutors say. </p><p>"Had he decided to never write the book, he would not, probably, have ever been prosecuted for the crime,” prosecutor Marc DiGiacomo <a href="https://apnews.com/article/tupac-shakur-murder-las-vegas-dae886dcf21467d334d308eaff40f0b7">recently said.</a></p><p>Defense argues that the book is fictionalized </p><p>Davis' attorney Michael Sanft says Davis co-authored the book “Compton Street Legend” to make money, not to tell the truth. He argues it's impossible to tell which parts — if any — Davis wrote and which parts author Yusuf Jah penned. </p><p>Jah, who is on the list of potential witnesses, recently told an investigator that he didn't believe Davis fully read his own book, according to court documents. </p><p>Prosecutors say the book is sensationalized but that they'll show “what is true, what is exaggeration, and what is an outright lie,” they wrote in court documents.</p><p>Davis recently told Las Vegas television station Fox 5 that he actually wasn't there the night Shakur was shot. In his book though, he says he carpooled from Los Angeles to Las Vegas that night to watch the same boxing match Shakur attended. It describes where he stayed, and the events before and after Shakur was shot. ___</p><p>Associated Press journalists Ty ONeil in Las Vegas and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/XuvHf0Y__AAItDDfl5T31JPqWfw=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/XCRHZERORJH6FARIBOM2SJK6QM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3584" width="5319"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Duane Davis appears in court during the third day of jury selection in his murder trial, related to the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur, at Clark County District Court Regional Justice Center on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, in Las Vegas. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP, Pool)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Steve Marcus</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/18rKO1cbXDGP-Pyrqx9tL_dEc6Y=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/SQK5V7HBMJEWPPNDYDDWOOSI7E.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4000" width="6000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Chief Deputy District Attorneys Marc DiGiacomo, left, and Binu Palal confer during the third day of jury selection in the Duane Davis murder trial, related to the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur, at Clark County District Court Regional Justice Center on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, in Las Vegas. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP, Pool)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Steve Marcus</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/AxBBqc3X9Ur9dcVTtXxQWlyNqvQ=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/4I3EMK4QNJCQ5OLL3OHDLHYBT4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4000" width="6000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal questions a prospective juror during the third day of jury selection in Duane Davis murder trial, related to the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur, at Clark County District Court Regional Justice Center on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, in Las Vegas. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP, Pool)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Steve Marcus</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/haDhthSkzPNhyC4R0axj8pV7EpI=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/HZ756Z5ZXRA6LHYNHGBSH6I7XE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3582" width="5311"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Duane Davis enters the courtroom after a break in the third day of jury selection in his murder trial, related to the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur, at Clark County District Court Regional Justice Center on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, in Las Vegas. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP, Pool)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Steve Marcus</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[States take Meta to trial in California in the biggest fight yet over social media harms to children]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/business/2026/08/17/states-take-meta-to-trial-in-california-in-the-biggest-fight-yet-over-social-media-harms-to-children/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/business/2026/08/17/states-take-meta-to-trial-in-california-in-the-biggest-fight-yet-over-social-media-harms-to-children/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Barbara Ortutay, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Of the thousands of lawsuits Meta faces over child safety on its platforms, none may be more consequential than one going to trial this week in California.]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2026 04:02:12 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Of the thousands of lawsuits Meta faces over child safety on its platforms, none may be more consequential than one <a href="https://apnews.com/article/instagram-facebook-children-teens-harms-lawsuit-attorney-general-1805492a38f7cee111cbb865cc786c28">going to trial</a> this week in California.</p><p>States are seeking extensive financial damages that could, in theory, total as much as $1.4 trillion, plus changes to how the company operates Facebook and Instagram. </p><p>The lawsuit accuses the social media giant of contributing to the youth <a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-media-addiction-signs-adults-da4a28f1b361b3d909b4790d4f462089">mental health crisis</a> by knowingly and deliberately designing features that <a href="https://apnews.com/article/influenced-social-media-mental-health-advice-620e277528728498c1202690d0512f85">get children addicted</a> to its platforms. It also claims that Meta routinely collects data on children under 13 without their parents’ consent, in violation of federal law.</p><p>“Meta has harnessed powerful and unprecedented technologies to entice, engage, and ultimately ensnare youth and teens. Its motive is profit, and in seeking to maximize its financial gains,” the lawsuit says. </p><p>Dozens of states filed the lawsuit three years ago. The trial set to begin Tuesday in federal court in Oakland, California, features four of the states as plaintiffs — California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey. The other 25 states are expected to have trials later. </p><p>Meta said it disputes the allegations, and the trial evidence will show its commitment to supporting young people. “We’ve listened to parents, worked with experts and law enforcement, and conducted in-depth research to understand the issues that matter most,” the company said in a statement.</p><p>States seek to land a major blow against Meta </p><p>For Meta, which already lost two pivotal <a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-media-meta-youtube-instagram-trials-aa1d936fca51c67478db7bc5b08d1c45">cases over harms to children and teens</a> this year, the stakes are high. The company reported a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/meta-earnings-q2-facebook-profit-revenue-ai-bcbc62dde6d2cac724e3b3385fcabeab">rare profit decline</a> last month, in part due to $2.4 billion in legal expenses.</p><p>The $1.4 trillion figure, which Meta disclosed in a legal filing, is almost as high as the Menlo Park, California, company’s entire market capitalization — that is, the value of all its outstanding shares on the stock market. Paying it would inevitably put Meta Platforms in bankruptcy and perhaps put the company under state ownership. </p><p>“The state attorneys general are going for the gusto,” said Eric Goldman, a professor and co-director of the High Tech Law Institute at Santa Clara University School of Law. “They are trying to set the definitive precedent in this case and they have asked for extraordinary damages and they are going to seek extraordinary structural remedies if they succeed.” </p><p>Meta calls the possible penalty “untethered to any claimed violation” by the states.</p><p>“A sanction of that size has no analog in the history of consumer protection enforcement,” Meta said in a July 6 filing with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. </p><p>If Meta loses the trial, the court would have wide discretion over the size of any financial penalty, and legal experts say anything close to $1.4 trillion would be unlikely. </p><p>“It’s not plausible in the sense that Meta doesn’t have that much money and could not get it,” said James Grimmelmann, a law professor at Cornell Law School and Cornell Tech. “An award that large would put Meta into bankruptcy, wipe out its owners, and effectively result in the states owning Meta.” </p><p>As a practical matter, Grimmelmann added, “that seems extremely unlikely to happen.” </p><p>In other cases that have involved high potential damages for multiple individual offenses, he said courts have stopped short of imposing the maximum penalties. One example is the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/anthropic-copyright-authors-settlement-training-f294266bc79a16ec90d2ddccdf435164">Anthropic artificial intelligence training</a> case, where plaintiffs were claiming damages of $150,000 per book that Anthropic copied, but the penalty ended up being $3,000 per book, totaling about $1.5 billion.</p><p>Trial seeks to hold Meta accountable on state and federal statutes</p><p>The federal trial this week is more complex than one earlier this year, in Los Angeles, where a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-media-addiction-trial-la-5e54075023d837ccdc76c4ca512e925d">state court</a> awarded $6 million in damages from Meta and Google’s YouTube to a single plaintiff, a young woman who testified she became addicted to social media as a child. </p><p>That case was a bellwether, or test case, picked from thousands of similar civil tort lawsuits to give both plaintiffs and the defendants an idea of how their arguments fare in court. The jury determined that Meta and YouTube were negligent in the design or operation of their respective platforms, and that the negligence was a substantial factor in causing harm to the plaintiff. They also determined each company knew their platforms could be dangerous when used by a minor and that they failed to adequately warn of that danger.</p><p>The Oakland case, meanwhile, has state attorneys general as the plaintiffs and centers on state and federal statutes they allege Meta violated, which lay out potential penalty amounts for each violation.</p><p>“And there’s a lot of them because it’s four different states and at least three different kinds of statutes. There’s a child privacy statute, there’s a false advertising statute and there’s unfair competition statutes,” said Rebecca Allensworth, a professor at Vanderbilt University Law School.</p><p>Meta has added safety tools — but states want more</p><p>An outcome that leads to changes in how Facebook and Instagram operate could be as consequential as any financial penalty. </p><p>Meta has introduced a slew of new features in recent years designed to protect minors. In 2024 it launched <a href="https://apnews.com/article/instagram-meta-teen-parent-social-media-40a3bf5c7ef1652f6a7eed64e3662ce8">teen accounts</a> on Instagram, which are private by default and come with messaging and content restrictions, and parental controls. The company also uses artificial intelligence to determine if kids under 13 are using Instagram or if teenagers are lying about their age to access adult accounts. </p><p>Safety advocates have called on the company to do more. A New Mexico judge earlier this month ordered <a href="https://apnews.com/article/meta-new-mexico-ruling-youth-mental-health-030dbeb27a51bdbdc861304023835e8d">new safety measures</a> on the platforms including time limits for minors, AI chatbot restrictions, and mandatory warnings on the platforms, but his order applied only to users in the state. </p><p>“These AGs have a real chance at fixing the product,” Laura Marquez-Garrett of the Social Media Victims Law Center said Friday in a virtual discussion with advocates hosted by the Tech Oversight Project. “For these companies, this is a real point of reckoning. As these cases go forward, this is a leap forward, folks, not a step.”</p><p>During <a href="https://apnews.com/article/meta-oakland-trial-states-children-harms-d35bc173d109c156ce911aa6a1e2f05b">jury selection</a> last week, prospective jurors were asked whether and how much they believe Meta has contributed to the youth mental health crisis. While many agreed that it did, they also put responsibility on parents, and said things like climate change and the state of the world are also causing children's and teenagers' mental health issues. </p><p>___</p><p>AP Technology Writer Kaitlyn Huamani contributed to this report.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/MJt5OmlDQRiWl7HPTLMZP6guYj4=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/4IK7UT7G7RCD5CDWH47PQYIUXI.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3725" width="5587"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Attorney Paul W. Schmidt, representing Meta, right, arrives at a Federal Courthouse Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jeff Chiu</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/-s9fNPW_-LX3dG69AYrhtDg5Xbc=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/ON7DURW5X5CSFPC22U5SHTLV54.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3440" width="5160"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[People walk outside of a Federal Courthouse Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jeff Chiu</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/rF6FrNAIkf_TPT2IqwOP7NiN0y8=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/M5652UVW2BESLGNSBVUUKM6JBI.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3201" width="4802"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Colorado's Chief Trial Counsel Jason Slouthouber arrives at a Federal Courthouse Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jeff Chiu</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Andrew Garfield finds wonder in everyday life in ‘The Magic Faraway Tree’]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/entertainment/2026/08/17/andrew-garfield-finds-wonder-in-everyday-life-in-the-magic-faraway-tree/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/entertainment/2026/08/17/andrew-garfield-finds-wonder-in-everyday-life-in-the-magic-faraway-tree/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Lizzie Knight, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Andrew Garfield stars in The Magic Faraway Tree, a fantasy adventure based on Enid Blyton’s books, about a family discovering magical worlds after moving to the countryside.]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2026 04:01:11 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://apnews.com/video/andrew-garfield-is-trying-to-avoid-doom-scrolling-6aa9649ef78f493e9b244637f7e10ea8">Andrew Garfield</a> wants audiences to look up from their phones and remember that there is still plenty of magic in the world around them.</p><p>That idea drew the two-time Oscar nominee to <a href="https://apnews.com/video/trying-to-get-better-nicola-coughlan-on-social-media-287c446d3379449992dd233a3b46a1e5">“The Magic Faraway Tree,”</a> a family adventure about Tim, a stay-at-home father whose family is forced to reconsider life after his wife, Polly, quits her job. They move to the countryside, where their children discover the magical Faraway Tree and its ever-changing worlds, sending the family into a series of fantastical adventures. The film, based on Enid Blyton’s children’s books, arrives in U.S. theaters on Friday.</p><p>For Garfield, the story’s themes of nature, imagination and community feel especially timely as technology increasingly shapes everyday life. “I think people are craving connection and community and a kind of reconnection to the earth and to each other,” he said.</p><p>Garfield said he became passionate about the project after reading Simon Farnaby’s screenplay. “I really just adore his sense of whimsy and heartfeltness and magic and joy,” he said. “I felt very, very passionate about it.”</p><p>Tim’s journey reflects the film’s larger ideas about finding wonder outside the routine and distractions of modern life. For Garfield, that sense of wonder extends beyond fantasy. “I think it’s all around us,” he said. “There are so many things to be in awe of on this planet.” The film, he said, is ultimately about recognizing that “there’s magic in the ordinary” as well as in the extraordinary.</p><p>Garfield, whose credits include playing Spider-Man, says he is drawn to roles with an element of play, community and the natural world. He focuses on “anything that keeps me awake to the remembering of the connection that we have to each other, the connection we have to nature, how we are all interconnected,” he said.</p><p>Garfield grew up reading Enid Blyton’s “The Famous Five” with his brother but did not read “The Faraway Tree” series as a child. His mother introduced him to another beloved literary adventurer: Bilbo Baggins, the hero of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit.”</p><p>“Any underdog story, really, those are the ones that get me,” Garfield said.</p><p>Another childhood escape was the video store. Garfield remembers being fascinated by the rows of VHS tapes and the possibilities behind their covers. The habit has survived in a new form in adulthood: spending an evening browsing streaming services without picking anything, enjoying the feeling of looking “into the windows of all these imaginary worlds.”</p><p>That may help explain why Garfield welcomes the resurgence of VHS and other analog technology among younger audiences. </p><p>“I dig that,” he said. “The regression to analog is looking good to me.”</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/UwLvwxHgODRFpzW_3c0ba7R7R0I=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/I3PBM7QTU5BO5KKSVUWISU6BSU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2401" width="3500"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[FILE - Claire Foy, left, and Andrew Garfield attend "The Magic Faraway Tree" special screening at Regal Union Square on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, in New York. (Photo by CJ Rivera/Invision/AP, File)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Cj Rivera</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/5CBtiq7saDI5faHOcD3wiSY1Eko=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/N7YDMCMCIVFPPOMIARGZ53DTBU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4675" width="3117"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Nicolas Brown, from left, director Ben Gregor, Claire Foy, and Andrew Garfield attend "The Magic Faraway Tree" special screening at Regal Union Square on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, in New York. (Photo by CJ Rivera/Invision/AP)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Cj Rivera</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Hayden Panettiere, who starred in the television series ‘Heroes’ and ‘Nashville,’ dies at 36]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/entertainment/2026/08/17/hayden-panettiere-who-starred-in-the-television-series-heroes-and-nashville-dies-at-36/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/entertainment/2026/08/17/hayden-panettiere-who-starred-in-the-television-series-heroes-and-nashville-dies-at-36/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Hayden Panettiere has died at age 36.]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2026 03:43:03 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hayden Panettiere, star of popular television series including “Heroes” and “Nashville,” has died. She was 36.</p><p>Panettiere’s father, Skip, announced the actor’s death in a statement provided to ABC News Sunday.</p><p>“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden. She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her — and to the millions who watched her onscreen,” his statement said.</p><p>No cause of death was announced, and a publicist for Hayden Panettiere did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press.</p><p>Panettiere had a prolific career dating to 1996, and her credits included the voice of Dot in “A Bug’s Life,” “Remember the Titans” and “Scream VI.” Her role as a cheerleader with superpowers in “Heroes” propelled her to fame, with the series revolving around the mantra “Save the cheerleader, save the world.”</p><p>She had been open about her struggles with alcohol addiction and depression, including after the birth of her daughter in 2014. In a memoir published this year, titled “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” she wrote about her decision to give full custody of her daughter to her former partner, boxer Wladimir Klitschko.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/iIvzuwrt9mjsi_JSsRFzNF89muE=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/74TUP6NYTRH45GCYXYNPGNLLS4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3236" width="5000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[FILE - Hayden Panettiere arrives at the premiere of "Blonde," on Sept. 13, 2022, at TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jordan Strauss</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/v8Mp4yJVEdhbXdeaKtv53qDaV0g=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/P4SG3UEGMRCAVFF2S72PHQBTRY.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2237" width="3000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[FILE - Hayden Panettiere arrives at the 21st annual Critics' Choice Awards at the Barker Hangar on Jan. 17, 2016, in Santa Monica, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jordan Strauss</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/WOj1yZIYpZOQf2rBJPdR5XZnxOQ=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/6FR3WF7XBZE25MDQPTA2XKZTJI.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3000" width="2325"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[FILE - Hayden Panettiere participates in the BUILD Speaker Series to discuss the television series "Nashville" at AOL Studios on Jan. 5, 2017, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Evan Agostini</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/U4FnL5bpFHc-BzfiTqOQCLXghWE=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/AIBZTPW2MBG7LGEAP6EPI6UEW4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3000" width="2242"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[FILE - Hayden Panettiere arrives at the 66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Aug. 25, 2014, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jordan Strauss</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Rescuers in Indonesia recover 6 more bodies in earthquake aftermath, raising death toll to 53]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/16/rescuers-dig-through-rubble-and-landslides-after-indonesia-quake-kills-47/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/16/rescuers-dig-through-rubble-and-landslides-after-indonesia-quake-kills-47/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Firdia Lisnawati, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Rescue teams in eastern Indonesia recovered six more bodies a day after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 02:48:45 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Rescue teams in eastern <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/indonesia">Indonesia</a> recovered six more bodies Sunday, a day after a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/indonesia-earthquake-magnitude-77-c31ad3cf07fa83d2d443e8d85e5c9d84">magnitude 7.7 earthquake</a>, raising the death toll to 53, authorities said, as many of the thousands of displaced people spent the night outdoors in fear of aftershocks.</p><p>Rescuers dug through debris looking for anyone buried beneath landslides triggered by the quake across six regencies on Flores, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/indonesia-pope-francis-visit-catholic-priests-shortage-0eace172b9b417123b47bfcf0585e37c">a predominantly Catholic island</a> in the Muslim-majority country. They focused on three regencies that remained inaccessible: hardest-hit Manggarai, East Manggarai and Nagekeo.</p><p>“We have cleared most landslides and reopened roads to previously isolated villages, although communication disruptions and power outages continue to hamper search efforts,” said Fathur Rahman, head of the search-and-rescue office in Maumere, the capital of Sikka regency.</p><p>More than 900 homes were destroyed and 450 more damaged in East Nusa Tenggara province, forcing about 5,000 people into temporary shelters. At least 241 homes were damaged in the Flores region alone, said Abdul Muhari, the National Disaster Management Agency’s chief for disaster prevention.</p><p>The quake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles) shortly before 6 a.m. Saturday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. Residents fled in panic as tsunami warnings were issued and later lifted.</p><p>Authorities have since recorded at least 995 aftershocks, but only 46 were felt by residents, Muhari said, adding that 135 people were injured.</p><p>Many residents at Labuan Bajo, the gateway to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-travel-lifestyle-6d79e594949a3d24a3a5fbe2cf216246">Komodo National Park</a>, one of Indonesia’s best-known tourist destinations, spent the night outside because of the aftershocks.</p><p>“The shaking was terrifying, so intense that my house nearly collapsed,” said farmer Anastasia Imad, speaking from a makeshift green tent beside her damaged home. “We feared the aftershocks would bring it down on us while we slept.”</p><p>Landslides blocked sections of the Trans-Flores Highway, a roughly 700-kilometer (435-mile) road linking communities across the mountainous island.</p><p>Meanwhile, relief workers distributed rice, ready-to-eat meals, drinking water, blankets and medicine, while emergency shelters were set up for displaced residents. Authorities said restoring electricity and communications, as well as delivering aid to remote villages isolated by landslides, were among the biggest challenges.</p><p>Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, <a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-817f8e87e3504e50b5be551aa0288b12">is prone to earthquakes</a> and volcanic eruptions because of its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a horseshoe-shaped arc of seismic faults and volcanoes.</p><p>Flores has experienced some of the country’s deadliest disasters. A powerful earthquake and tsunami in 1992 killed about 2,500 people on the island.</p><p>In 2018, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake triggered <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ea8abae3df1042feb8008d49250a4bd2">a tsunami on the island of Sulawesi</a> that killed more than 4,400 people. In 2004, a magnitude 9.1 quake off Sumatra unleashed a tsunami that <a href="https://apnews.com/article/indonesia-aceh-tsunami-anniversary-489f23bd172fa4c01323567eb4ac842f">killed about 230,000 people</a> in a dozen countries.</p><p>___</p><p>Associated Press writers Niniek Karmini and Edna Tarigan in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/pgVQyLWlKGI3dUK3xIgAZwEtK3c=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/FCDE3IW4C5BLDPME274K2MYLK4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="960" width="1440"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A man checks his phone near a building collapsed due to an earthquake, in Reok, East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Aquila Handayani Abbas)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Aquila Handayani Abbas</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/KjznfP5w83uNALCcyhuqk1Rsgc0=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/KSNTIR6UZNBMXLF5O32XYINB6Y.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3456" width="5184"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A woman holds a cross she recovered from the rubble of her earthquake-damaged house in Mbeliling, East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Firdia Lisnawati</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/26q06qGdC1CzN7W8wtbIPZpVugc=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/ID2XZV3QZFHBHHD6VKFOO3GLXU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="960" width="1440"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A woman sits inside a tent amid fear of aftershocks following an earthquake, in Reok, East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Aquila Handayani Abbas)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Aquila Handayani Abbas</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/YEUq6b9QS0LIoExhFgcwDTUxYIA=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/IPIO3Y2JIFAJXFDVAJPOX5LBYI.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3024" width="4032"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Patients are treated in a makeshift tent outside a hospital, amid fears of aftershocks following an earthquake, in Ruteng, East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Firdia Lisnawati</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/NzXLjyJD3Gof2-ADRJYHx5dbmQs=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/USCMGLZX7NFAVDYBGZ6KGSSZJQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3014" width="4521"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A worker removes a broken furniture inside a room at the local government office which was damaged during an earthquake in Ruteng, East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Firdia Lisnawati</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Diana Taurasi inducted into the Mercury Ring of Honor as franchise celebrates 20 years of excellence]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/17/diana-taurasi-inducted-into-the-mercury-ring-of-honor-as-franchise-celebrates-20-years-of-excellence/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/17/diana-taurasi-inducted-into-the-mercury-ring-of-honor-as-franchise-celebrates-20-years-of-excellence/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Brandt, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Diana Taurasi is celebrated as the greatest player in WNBA history by Phoenix Mercury fans.]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2026 01:14:44 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There's certainly a good case to be made that <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/diana-taurasi">Diana Taurasi</a> is the best player in WNBA history.</p><p>For Phoenix Mercury fans, that case is already closed: She's undeniably the G.O.A.T.</p><p>Taurasi was inducted into the Mercury Ring of Honor on Sunday at halftime of a game between the Mercury and Portland Fire, with the franchise retiring her No. 3 jersey and celebrating a superstar who has become synonymous with basketball in Arizona for more than two decades.</p><p>“This place has made me who I am,” Taurasi said just before her banner was unveiled in the arena's rafters. “You guys let me grow, you let me fall, you let me get back up and gave me the space to become who I am today. Through the championships, all the good times and all the bad times, the loyalty you have given me is something I will take with me forever.”</p><p>Two decades of excellence in Arizona</p><p>Taurasi, 44, played for the Mercury from 2004 to 2024 and won just about every championship and award that is possible for a player. </p><p>She's the WNBA's career scoring leader (by more than 2,000 points), an 11-time All-Star, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-olympics-taurasi-basketball-f1257d107f8fa944e260c04c726156c6">a six-time Olympic gold medalist</a>, a five-time scoring champion, a three-time WNBA champion, a two-time WNBA Finals MVP, the 2009 regular-season MVP and the 2004 Rookie of the Year.</p><p>She said Sunday's honor ranks up there with her biggest accomplishments.</p><p>“Today's a big one,” Taurasi said before the game. “Today feels different. When your number goes up there, you can't use it anymore, it's done. So if there was any little competitiveness still in me, I think today it goes up in the rafters with the number and it feels really good.”</p><p>More than the sheer numbers, she's remembered for her fierce personality that resonated in Arizona, helping turn the Mercury into one of the WNBA's premier franchises. Taurasi was surrounded on Sunday by friends and family, including her wife, Penny Taylor, and their two children.</p><p>She said she's lucky to have 20 years of friendships to celebrate — including her long relationship with the “X-Factor," which is the nickname for the team's loyal fan base.</p><p>“When I walk into (the arena), I don't see strangers, I don't see employees,” Taurasi said. “I see friends, I see people I go to dinner with, I see people I text regularly with. This isn't just something where I showed up and said, 'Well, let's see what we can do here and then leave.'"</p><p>“I treated this like my extended family. I think that's why walking in today — I'm really emotional.”</p><p>Thousands of fans celebrate</p><p>Hundreds of fans had gathered in downtown Phoenix more than two hours before the game — many wearing the No. 3 jersey Taurasi donned for two decades — even on an August afternoon with temperatures topping 105 degrees. Some took pictures in front of a mural featuring Taurasi on the side of the arena.</p><p>The announced attendance was 16,513, a sellout and a testament to how much the WNBA has grown since she debuted with the Mercury in 2004 after a stellar college career at UConn.</p><p>A string of tributes flowed throughout the evening, including from Suns star Devin Booker, former teammate Brittney Griner and recent football <a href="https://apnews.com/article/hall-of-fame-larry-fitzgerald-cardinals-f0d82fef0c0a985bff7573dc54b16ee6">Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Larry Fitzgerald</a>. Three-time WNBA MVP Sheryl Swoopes and 23-time gold medalist swimmer Michael Phelps were also in attendance.</p><p>Taurasi’s name was in lights several feet off one of the baselines, with some real, live goats grazing on hay. There was also a “Goat Plush Toss” where game staff threw toy goats into the stands.</p><p>The celebration continued during a postgame ceremony that featured video tributes from Lisa Leslie, Paige Bueckers, Magic Johnson and LeBron James and in-person praise from several others, including a poem from her wife, Penny.</p><p>At the end of the evening, Taurasi stepped to the microphone one more time. It took her a little while to start speaking — the crowd gave her a 45-second standing ovation.</p><p>Her roughly 30-minute speech was half serious and half comedy routine, drawing multiple laughs from the thousands who stayed.</p><p>“Tonight feels like the end and the beginning of so many things in my life,” Taurasi said. "Driving to the game today, I didn't know if I was going to suit up and play, whether it was my funeral or a celebration.</p><p>“I've come to realize — it's all of it. And it's amazing.”</p><p>___</p><p>AP WNBA: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball">https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball</a></p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/LwOyrzEsdV_RPmhakYjnVqG0toE=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/6L4PU32UYVB2LL6OCG2PMQTKYI.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3400" width="5100"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Retired WNBA Phoenix Mercury basketball player Diana Taurasi acknowledges the cheering crowd as she is honored during a halftime Ring of Honor ceremony Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Ross D. Franklin</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/lTDTCLviXebnPbv8qgHVEx8VvLo=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/PMDZBWIOIFEMRHCWPPHPF73K4E.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3400" width="5100"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Retired Phoenix Mercury WNBA basketball player Diana Taurasi, left, hugs Phoenix Suns and Mercury owner Mat Ishbia as Taurasi is honored during a halftime Ring of Honor ceremony Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Ross D. Franklin</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/juL00yJPBucxHsxK4wf4hDmG498=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/YK4JHJLXYFHVTKJIQQX63YPIT4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3400" width="5100"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Retired WNBA Phoenix Mercury basketball player Diana Taurasi is honored during a halftime Ring of Honor ceremony Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Ross D. Franklin</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/cOwXkzJN1nqu41BNcO6mXuoKKB8=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/LXNXNWOG35BARJLSHFEPKC6BDA.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5100" width="3400"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Retired Phoenix Mercury WNBA basketball player Diana Taurasi is honored during a halftime Ring of Honor ceremony Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Ross D. Franklin</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/2c_IVOhXZgmPPbjWbK42mfCko3w=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/L5TMOU7AMBAT3N5GZQ7N7JCYRE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3450" width="5175"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Retired WNBA Phoenix Mercury basketball player Diana Taurasi is honored during a halftime Ring of Honor ceremony Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Ross D. Franklin</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Trump blames vandals for damaged grass in the same spot where he held his big July 4 celebration]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/politics/2026/08/17/trump-blames-vandals-for-damaged-grass-in-the-same-spot-where-he-held-his-big-july-4-celebration/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/politics/2026/08/17/trump-blames-vandals-for-damaged-grass-in-the-same-spot-where-he-held-his-big-july-4-celebration/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[President Donald Trump says vandals are to blame for large swaths of dead grass on the National Mall near the World War II Memorial.]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2026 02:36:16 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>President Donald Trump on Sunday said vandals are to blame for large swaths of dead grass on the National Mall near the World War II Memorial — in the same spot where Trump had a stage built and hosted crowds for <a href="https://apnews.com/article/america-250-weekend-heat-united-states-1eeaf21e91ed583595611251649db93e">his July 4 celebration</a>.</p><p>Trump made the accusation in a social media post without saying why he believes it's the work of vandals instead of trampled turf from the Independence Day festivities. He posted a photo showing a once-grassy area by the World War II Memorial, now patchy and brown across much of the sprawling turf.</p><p>“Look what VANDALS did to the grass connecting the vandalized World War II Monument and the vandalized Reflecting Pool, which will be opened again, and better than ever, shortly,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.</p><p>“Anybody who thinks the Reflecting Pool wasn’t vandalized should go back to Law School!” he added.</p><p>Trump has repeatedly blamed vandals for damage to his renovation projects in the nation's capital, often without evidence and sometimes despite opposing accounts from his officials. Trump <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-reflecting-pool-pirro-vandalism-criticism-c7aabcf59e87651dd7be0b322b5460b1">lashed out at U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro</a> this month after her office concluded that damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was the result of poor construction and not the work of vandals, as Trump claimed.</p><p>Authorities on Friday announced an arrest in connection with <a href="https://apnews.com/article/wwii-memorial-vandalized-paint-bubbles-ac1f767c2bfb81f0902b1914c2dfe252">vandalism at the World War II Memorial,</a> after the words “Clean hands dirty $” were found painted on the monument and bubbles filled a fountain. Pirro said felony charges are being brought against Melissa L. Farris.</p><p>Charging documents in that case make no mention of the grassy area Trump is highlighting in his new claims. Authorities said Farris had previously been arrested for camping on federal property a few blocks from the World War II Memorial, but not the area cited by Trump.</p><p>That stretch of lawn is instead where a large stage was built and crowds gathered to hear from Trump and watch fireworks at a July 4 event celebrating the nation's 250th anniversary. Trump claimed without providing evidence that more than 400,000 people attended the event before a storm hit the area and delayed his remarks.</p><p>Photos from the time, taken by a streaming webcam atop the Washington Monument, show a large bandstand and seating areas covering nearly the entire lawn Trump now says has been vandalized. Associated Press photos from the days that followed showed workers removing the structures, revealing brown, damaged grass underneath.</p><p>On Aug. 1, Trump posted a different photo of the same area that appears to show the numbers “86 47” — which federal officials have said constitutes a threat against Trump — emblazoned into the grass. He cited it as evidence refuting Pirro's conclusion, calling it “a pure case of VANDALISM, that included the grass."</p><p>“There may have been some contractor difficulty, but the major damage was caused by VANDALS!” he wrote.</p><p>Those numbers are not visible in the photo Trump posted to social media on Sunday.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/Rr5noI7TVc3229mLltEVT8BzZNQ=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/TZM3CAWGNZDPFE4VSVG3BIJESM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5760" width="8640"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[FILE - Workers dismantle structures from Salute to America, an Independence Day event honoring the nation's 250th anniversary, as seen from the Washington Monument, on July 10, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Mark Schiefelbein</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Israel's Ben-Gvir advocates killing '30 to 40' people in Gaza nightly while speaking to ex-hostage]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/16/israels-ben-gvir-advocates-killing-30-to-40-people-in-gaza-nightly-while-speaking-to-ex-hostage/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/16/israels-ben-gvir-advocates-killing-30-to-40-people-in-gaza-nightly-while-speaking-to-ex-hostage/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Julia Frankel, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[An extremist official in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet has advocated for killing “30 to 40” people in Gaza each night.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 14:17:20 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>An extremist Israeli lawmaker in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition publicly advocated for killing “30 to 40” people in Gaza each night, comments that surfaced Sunday and were quickly shared by Palestinian media.</p><p>Minister of National Security <a href="https://apnews.com/article/bengvir-flotilla-gaza-087fa379fa08ae4ddc3a0262b381e3e5">Itamar Ben-Gvir</a> made the statement while speaking to a former Gaza-held hostage, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-hostages-hunger-videos-c9951a33a7f8d47d4ad77705d1267fbd">Rom Braslavski</a>, on Braslavski's podcast. The two were discussing Israel's recovery from the Hamas attack of Oct. 7, 2023, when Ben-Gvir criticized Israel's recent drawdown of strikes in Gaza.</p><p>“It’s no secret, I disagree with the prime minister," he said. “I think targeted assassinations should be carried out in Gaza, taking down 30 to 40 every night. Not just those who pose an immediate threat — there are people there who are not worthy of life. They shouldn’t live. They’re not even people.”</p><p>In the past, similar statements by Ben-Gvir and other Israeli officials were widely condemned. Many have been presented to the U.N.’s world court as <a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-south-africa-genocide-hate-speech-97a9e4a84a3a6bebeddfb80f8a030724">evidence of genocidal intent</a>. Israel denies it has committed genocide in Gaza.</p><p>Israel’s domestic media has made scarce mention of the statement, highlighting how once-fringe ideologies like Ben-Gvir’s are surging in the leadup to Israeli elections Oct. 27. </p><p>Figures like Ben-Gvir have become more popular among Israelis since Hamas’ brutal attack in 2023, when the militants killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostage. Many hostages have <a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-anniversary-hostages-dd57a453fee3212fcaa56ce23b36b36c">recounted long-term starvation</a>, physical and psychological abuse and, in some cases, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-sexual-abuse-hostages-03b5603904dd5721ebf1b16fa4a983ad">sexual abuse</a>. </p><p>Ben-Gvir oversees Israel's police force and prisons</p><p>Ben-Gvir does not have power over the country’s military and cannot order strikes on Gaza. But, after operating for decades within Israel's far-right fringe, he is now one of the most influential people in the country. </p><p>He has substantial control over key parts of Israel’s security apparatus, running the country’s prisons — where thousands of Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank are incarcerated — as well as the national police force.</p><p>He has previously boasted of lessening food rations for Palestinian prisoners. Israel’s top court ruled in 2025 that the prison service under Ben-Gvir was depriving Palestinians of a minimum subsistence diet.</p><p>Ben-Gvir criticizes drawdown of Israeli strikes in Gaza</p><p>Until recently, Israel was striking Gaza nearly every day, attacks that have killed over 1,250 people since an October truce deal came into effect, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. </p><p>Israel's military, which says the strikes have targeted Hamas militants, appeared to ease off on the attacks in a quiet concession to U.S. President Donald Trump after Netanyahu rejected the president’s latest attempt to move the truce forward.</p><p>Israeli media last week reported that the authority for carrying out strikes has now been limited to the army’s chief of staff, raising the ire of right-wing lawmakers such as Ben-Gvir. </p><p>Ben-Gvir advocates mass emigration, expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza</p><p>In the same taped appearance, the lawmaker advocated for mass emigration of Palestinians from Gaza — a proposal that international lawyers say could amount to ethnic cleansing — and resettlement of Gaza by Israel.</p><p>Twenty years ago, Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip, dismantling a block of 21 Jewish settlements known as “Gush Katif” and pulling out its forces.</p><p>“I see all of Gaza as ours,” said Ben-Gvir in the interview. “Settlements not just in Gush Katif but throughout Gaza, encouraging as much emigration as possible, sending them to their countries, and for the terrorists, no emigration, nothing, just to kill them one by one.”</p><p>Trump’s latest proposal involves Hamas gradually giving up its weapons while Israeli forces halt their attacks and begin withdrawing from Gaza. Hamas accepted the deal, although the group linked the surrender of its heaviest weapons to the creation of a Palestinian state, something Israel’s current government and most of its political class adamantly reject.</p><p>Netanyahu says Israel will not retreat from any of its positions in Gaza until Hamas has been completely disarmed. The stance leaves other elements of the ceasefire, including the deployment of <a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-trump-indonesia-stabilization-force-a5e1d4a894746104c1335b6962c0ab69">international forces</a> and any reconstruction of the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-war-aftermath-destruction-4c148d498f3d67a5d6de2107b6a1c966">devastated territory</a>, on hold.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/GNXc3EtJJbnerpd2793gA8nE694=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/EZTZDUKXCNGWJF4R73N4RATHEI.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5374" width="8061"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Israel's Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, prays during the mourning ritual of Tisha B'Av at the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest site, in Jerusalem's Old City, Wednesday, July 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Ohad Zwigenberg</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Top US commander visits aircraft carrier, Gaza talks in Egypt and other Mideast news]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/16/top-us-commander-visits-aircraft-carrier-gaza-talks-in-egypt-and-other-mideast-news/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/16/top-us-commander-visits-aircraft-carrier-gaza-talks-in-egypt-and-other-mideast-news/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[The top U.S. military commander in the Middle East has visited the long-deployed USS Lincoln in the Arabian Sea.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 07:53:18 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The top U.S. military commander in the Middle East praised the leadership of <a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-carriers-uss-abraham-lincoln-washington-iran-5366eba29f72b6b317416fde81d57a61">the long-deployed USS Lincoln</a> after visiting the sailors on the vessel during a regional tour that ended on Saturday, the U.S. Central Command said.</p><p>U.S. negotiator Jared Kushner had <a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-ceasefire-kushner-netanyahu-hamas-palestinians-israel-321e254af26a0fff1b3ec2b8c00412a2">a rare meeting with the Hamas leader</a> on the Gaza ceasefire. And the 60-day negotiating period that began with the June 17 <a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-israel-war-oil-deal-june-17-2026-19652f4611b704c0a991bf1f5bc9a4b9">signing of an interim agreement</a> between the U.S. and Iran is set to end with no word of an extension.</p><p>Here’s a look at the latest developments on Sunday in the <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/iran">Iran war</a> and the wider Middle East. Full coverage can be found <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/middle-east">here</a>.</p><p>US Central Command chief visits aircraft carrier</p><p>Adm. Brad Cooper visited the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-carrier-iran-protests-us-military-58e6da912f9167df94f913d7dafe5af4">USS Lincoln</a> as reports have emerged of <a href="https://apnews.com/article/navy-suicide-prevention-chaplains-norfolk-74910c421b5c2404db87c1d8fc6dd4c6">mental health</a> and supply issues. The Lincoln arrived in the Middle East in January and has been supporting the <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/iran">U.S. war against Iran</a>, including the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-hormuz-strait-war-july-14-2026-abd060c55feea216625689e57d8f76be">blockade on Iranian ports</a>. It has spent a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea of more than 240 days.</p><p>“History will record this deployment as one of the most operationally intense and consequential of the modern era,” Cooper said of the Lincoln strike group in a statement released Saturday. Extended deployments of carriers — which can have more than 5,000 sailors and Marines on board — have raised concerns.</p><p>In a statement Sunday, Cooper praised the leadership on the carrier for making mental health and resilience a priority.</p><p>Cooper also went to Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to meet with civilian and military leaders, according to the Central Command statement.</p><p>The U.S. Navy's blockade is in response to Iran asserting control over the Strait of Hormuz after the war started on Feb. 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes. Before then, about one-fifth of the world’s traded oil and natural gas passed through what had been considered an international waterway.</p><p>Talks between the U.S. and Iran have stalled while Iran talks with Oman about how to manage the strait that runs between them.</p><p>US negotiator meets with the Hamas chief</p><p>U.S. negotiator and President <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> ’s son-in-law Jared Kushner held a rare meeting with the Hamas chief in a new diplomatic effort to make progress in the stalled <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Gaza ceasefire</a>. Kushner will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday.</p><p>The meeting in Egypt with Hamas’ Khalil al-Hayya was confirmed by a regional official and a Hamas official, both speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters. Kushner was one of a trio of envoys meeting with al-Hayya, with officials from mediating countries Egypt, Qatar and Turkey also attending.</p><p>Mediators are pushing for the implementation of a road map that calls for the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/hamas-disarming-gaza-israel-trump-00bb7097ed6062b5a706471444709991">disarmament of Hamas</a> and other Palestinian militant groups in Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the handing over of power to Palestinian technocrats.</p><p>Netanyahu has <a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-iran-hormuz-mideast-roundup-aug-9-2026-6c5aa0c5debcca3fa36316a8b0b67400">rejected Trump’s latest plan</a> to advance the <a href="https://apnews.com/world-news/israel-hamas-war-tracking-the-gaza-ceasefire">stalled ceasefire</a>, saying Israel will not withdraw from any of the roughly 60% of the territory it controls until Hamas has been completely disarmed — something the militant group controlling the rest has resisted.</p><p>Kushner, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and the director of the U.S.-created <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-kushner-gaza-board-of-peace-israel-cebcf8dfa28edd0ddcc61d28e5bf4488">Board of Peace overseeing the ceasefire</a>, Nickolay Mladenov, are to meet with Netanyahu on Monday, according to a person familiar with the plans and a diplomat who both spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a closed-door meeting.</p><p>Separately, Kushner met with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. The president’s office said the meeting called for Israel and Hamas to “fulfill their obligations under the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip,” without elaborating.</p><p>Israel targets two Hezbollah commanders in Saturday’s strikes</p><p>Israel’s military said it targeted two Hezbollah commanders in Saturday's <a href="https://apnews.com/article/southern-lebanon-israel-strike-hezbollah-iran-ansar-1124fd2bd0b7ed76b0e97683dddbcaad">strikes in southern Lebanon</a>, the deadliest attacks since a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-israel-lebanon-oil-june-19-2026-635ad6f41610df8355d24cc301a75fc4">truce</a> between Israel and Iran-backed <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hezbollah">Hezbollah</a> went into effect in June.</p><p>Lebanon’s Health Ministry and state news agency said at least 11 people were killed.</p><p>Israel’s military said early Sunday one strike killed Abu Hassan Alaa, whom it described as a senior Hezbollah commander who had taken part in attacks against Israel’s soldiers in southern Lebanon. Earlier, the military said a strike killed Ali Samir Al-Haj Hassan, also described as a Hezbollah commander, adding that his family was with him.</p><p>Israel and the Lebanese government announced a “framework agreement” in June, laying out a plan for Israeli forces to withdraw from southern Lebanon in exchange for Hezbollah’s <a href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-israel-washington-deal-hezbollah-da963d9d930698c5b62f8591af7b31ef">disarmament</a>. Hezbollah has refused direct talks and wasn’t party to the U.S.-mediated deal.</p><p>Iran insists Qatar is holding 3 of its pilots</p><p>Iran again on Sunday alleged that Qatar was holding three Iranian pilots who went missing in March when their jets were downed, which Qatar has denied.</p><p>Iran’s state TV reported Sunday that the commander of the Missing Persons Committee of Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff has urged Qatar to allow Iranian Air Force experts to conduct a field investigation.</p><p>This is the first known case in the war where Iran has said a regional country is holding its fighters. Tehran has repeatedly targeted regional countries that are hosting U.S. military bases.</p><p>An Israeli strike in Gaza wounds five</p><p>An Israeli strike hit Khan Younis in southern Gaza and wounded five people, including a child who was seriously injured, according to the Kuwaiti and Nasser hospitals, where the casualties were taken.</p><p>Israel's military said it struck a member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.</p><p>While the heaviest fighting has subsided since a ceasefire took hold in October between Israel and Hamas, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ben-gvir-israel-gaza-hamas-netanyahu-53f98e92686746f3c9bccd7cf59f26ad">Israeli forces have carried out repeated airstrikes</a>, killing at least 1,262 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.</p><p>The ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. It does not give a breakdown of civilians and militants.</p><p>Israel’s Ben-Gvir advocates killing ’30 to 40′ people in Gaza nightly</p><p>An extremist Israeli lawmaker in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition publicly advocated killing “30 to 40” people in Gaza each night in comments that surfaced Sunday.</p><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/ben-gvir-israel-gaza-hamas-netanyahu-53f98e92686746f3c9bccd7cf59f26ad">Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir</a> was speaking to a former Gaza-held hostage, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-hostages-hunger-videos-c9951a33a7f8d47d4ad77705d1267fbd">Rom Braslavski</a>, on Braslavski’s podcast. The two were discussing Israel’s recovery from the Hamas attack of Oct. 7, 2023, when Ben-Gvir criticized Israel’s recent drawdown of strikes in Gaza.</p><p>“It’s no secret, I disagree with the prime minister,” he said. “I think targeted assassinations should be carried out in Gaza, taking down 30 to 40 every night. Not just those who pose an immediate threat — there are people there who are not worthy of life. They shouldn’t live. They’re not even people.”</p><p>Similar statements in the past have been presented to the U.N.’s world court as <a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-south-africa-genocide-hate-speech-97a9e4a84a3a6bebeddfb80f8a030724">evidence of genocidal intent</a>. Israel denies it has committed genocide in Gaza.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/LiyqafILP5SdSN0uZ9sU0r3704E=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/XYNFCI65NZC7ZCCNLW6DEINDFM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5760" width="8640"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Palestinians remove iron from the rubble of buildings destroyed by Israeli airstrikes during the war with Hamas, repair and recycle it for construction, building tents or selling it, in Gaza City, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jehad Alshrafi</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/KPDnoxSbY9xnKQRj5qoeAwF9egI=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/6HVCPF6QGVE2HOSOQFW2SOSMLM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5760" width="8640"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Palestinians remove iron from the rubble of buildings destroyed by Israeli airstrikes during the war with Hamas, repair and recycle it for construction, building tents or selling it, in Gaza City, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jehad Alshrafi</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/xuR9wDawMK0TUDeJoGu4ks4xmVE=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/IHAVESDH4BE3NJYU6XF2P465MA.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5555" width="8333"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[People walk beneath an art installation of colorful spheres along a pedestrian street in Jaffa, a mixed Jewish-Arab neighborhood of Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Oded Balilty</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/Rb5Obtjmb_VihhPR7oq5l1lOOes=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/CLECS6JC3FDHXLR3GYZ5YQGDUI.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4000" width="6000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Hezbollah scouts carry the coffins of a Hezbollah member Ali al-Haj Hassan, his wife and his four children, who were killed on Saturday by an Israeli airstrike, during their funeral procession in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Hussein Malla</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Von Miller is set to join his hometown Dallas Cowboys after agreeing to 1-year deal]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/17/von-miller-is-set-to-join-his-hometown-dallas-cowboys-after-agreeing-to-1-year-deal/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/17/von-miller-is-set-to-join-his-hometown-dallas-cowboys-after-agreeing-to-1-year-deal/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Von Miller is set to sign with his hometown Dallas Cowboys and doesn’t even want to wait a week for the team to get back from training camp in California before joining the club.]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2026 02:20:22 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/von-miller">Von Miller</a> is set to sign with his hometown Dallas Cowboys and doesn't even want to wait a week for the team to get back from training camp in California before joining the club.</p><p>The NFL's active leader in sacks has agreed to a one-year contract for what will be his third team in three seasons, and second consecutive NFC East home. Miller is expected to arrive on the West Coast on Monday.</p><p>Dallas has only have two full practices remaining in its annual three-week California excursion. The Cowboys break camp before their second preseason game at Arizona on Saturday. Camp practices will resume in Texas next week.</p><p>Miller, who has 138 1/2 sacks over 14 seasons, dropped the quarterback nine times in his only season with Washington a year ago. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/commanders-von-miller-9ff27f707d0b23eb7ddb5ed25ceeb266">He joined the Commanders</a> after he was cut by Buffalo in a salary cap move.</p><p>The 37-year-old went to high school south of Dallas and starred at Texas A&M before Denver drafted Miller second overall in 2011. He was the Super Bowl MVP when the Broncos won the 2015 title with a dominant defensive performance against Seattle. Miller won another championship with the 2021 Los Angeles Rams.</p><p>Miller was The Associated Press NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year with 11 1/2 sacks in his NFL debut 15 years ago and was an All-Pro three times in his first six seasons. His stint with the Bills was plagued by injuries and a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/von-miller-buffalo-bills-assault-dallas-2d634ebf2d4824e71cf1f486ba96e612">Dallas domestic violence case</a> that led to a four-game suspension.</p><p>Even though Miller has been mostly a backup the past three seasons, the nine sacks with the Commanders were his most since he had 9 1/2 in his second Super Bowl-winning season. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-sports-los-angeles-rams-denver-broncos-aaron-donald-afb61de0d07198ae72ccfb9331a5dec5">The Rams acquired him</a> from the Broncos in a midseason trade.</p><p> ___</p><p>AP NFL: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nfl">https://apnews.com/hub/nfl</a></p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/D4S_QfeekiCQO_Q17c_nGku_gHo=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/423GCEFFVRAIZL3SN4X35KHI5U.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2400" width="3600"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[FILE - Washington Commanders linebacker Von Miller (24) looks on after an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, on Jan. 4, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr., File)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Daniel Kucin Jr.</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[He stopped to pet a dog on Jacksonville Beach — then collapsed. A stranger’s CPR helped save his life]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2026/08/17/he-stopped-to-pet-a-dog-on-jacksonville-beach-then-collapsed-a-strangers-cpr-helped-save-his-life/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2026/08/17/he-stopped-to-pet-a-dog-on-jacksonville-beach-then-collapsed-a-strangers-cpr-helped-save-his-life/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Chris Will]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[After fishing at Jacksonville Beach, 67-year-old Lance Schellpeper collapsed from a heart attack while petting a dog. Physician assistant Jennifer Carde performed CPR until help arrived, saving him.]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:09:09 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Lance Schellpeper says the beach is where life used to feel simple.</p><p>Sand under his feet. Salt in the air. A fishing rod in his hands — the way it had been since he was a kid, and the way it was for years with his wife, Linda.</p><p>After Linda died last year, Schellpeper said he stopped going.</p><p>But recently, he’d started again. A trip here and there. Once or twice a week. A way to step back into a routine that reminded him of better days.</p><p>“It felt good,” Schellpeper told News4JAX. “It felt real good to get back out. Get the fresh air, the sand all over you again. I love it.”</p><p>On Wednesday, Aug. 12, he did what he came to do. He fished at Jacksonville Beach. And when he headed back toward his car, he noticed a woman walking her dog.</p><p>“I’m a dog lover so I had to pet the dog,” he said. “I reached out to pet the dog and next thing I knew I was in the hospital.”</p><p>That’s where his memory ends.</p><p>“Just gone,” he said. “Just like I went to sleep.”</p><p>Jennifer Carde remembers it clearly.</p><p>Carde said she and her dog, Evie — a rescue — had decided to take a sunrise run on the beach. </p><figure><img src="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/j8G451RFNLcUFkCQFJIgwrx4yfk=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/FXED5J7ZENF35HRCCUVMQDO2RA.jpg" alt="Jennifer Carde, pictured right with her dog Evie, helped save Lance Schellpeper after he collapsed during a heart attack." height="1200" width="1920"/><figcaption>Jennifer Carde, pictured right with her dog Evie, helped save Lance Schellpeper after he collapsed during a heart attack.</figcaption></figure><p>“He asked to pet her and gave her all the love and we were just chatting and getting to know each other,” Carde said. “Then he just stopped talking and unfortunately fell to the ground.”</p><p>She didn’t have time to hesitate.</p><p>Carde called 911. She asked someone nearby to hold Evie’s leash. Then she got down on the ground and started CPR.</p><h3>“Keep that heart pumping”</h3><p>Carde is a physician assistant in vascular surgery. She told News4JAX that in those moments, early CPR can be the difference between life and death.</p><p>“You just got to keep pounding on the chest. Keep that heart pumping until help comes,” she said.</p><p>Carde estimated she performed chest compressions for about four to five minutes as rescue crews arrived.</p><p>Schellpeper later learned he’d had a heart attack. He underwent a quadruple bypass. And he said doctors told him the CPR Carde started almost immediately is why he survived.</p><p>“I’m just really lucky to even be here because of her,” he said.</p><figure><img src="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/liFXUsQ1jyyZ69qpZ5pW1Yirjus=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/BPZWQ6RUUNECZP3JHVP56PZCEY.png" alt="News4JAX Reporter Chris Will (right) speaks with Lance Schellpeper (middle) and Jennifer Carde about the near-death experience and their newly formed bond." height="586" width="989"/><figcaption>News4JAX Reporter Chris Will (right) speaks with Lance Schellpeper (middle) and Jennifer Carde about the near-death experience and their newly formed bond.</figcaption></figure><h3>A stranger becomes a friend</h3><p>Now, the two sit side-by-side at Schellpeper’s apartment, talking like people who have known each other much longer than a few minutes on a beach.</p><p>Schellpeper said the heart attack scared him and changed the way he looks at his health and his life.</p><p>“Oh man it scared me bad,” he said. “This whole thing has woke me up.”</p><p>He also said it shifted something deeper.</p><p>Schellpeper told News4JAX he lost his wife in September. And he can’t shake the feeling that on a day when he could have died, the person who knew what to do was right there.</p><p>“I tell everybody I lost my wife in September so I’ve got an angel in heaven,” he said. “I’ve got one right here on Earth too.”</p><p>He said it restored his faith. He said he stopped going to church after his wife’s death. He said now he plans to return.</p><figure><img src="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/cJXw9DbiWNk7TIPHq7d5GffBXqo=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/WXIGBUDBHBBPHJXV34SMORSVOE.png" alt="Lance Schellpeper's wife Linda died in September." height="602" width="956"/><figcaption>Lance Schellpeper's wife Linda died in September.</figcaption></figure><p>Carde said saving a life outside of a hospital is a different kind of experience — and she credits everyone involved, from the bystander who helped with her dog to the first responders and the hospital teams who took over.</p><p>“It’s a completely different feeling when you’re out in the world outside of a hospital and you can help save a life,” she said.</p><p>Carde said they live about a mile apart now, and both say they plan to stay in each other’s lives.</p><p>“It’s going to go on forever,” Schellpeper said. “It’s not going to end.”</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Florida Gators Fall Camp Intel: The Questions Getting Louder After Two Weeks]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/17/florida-gators-fall-camp-intel-the-questions-getting-louder-after-two-weeks/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/17/florida-gators-fall-camp-intel-the-questions-getting-louder-after-two-weeks/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Waters]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Florida fall camp questions grow around quarterback, offensive line, playmakers, and Jon Sumrall’s early Gators direction.]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2026 01:59:09 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Florida’s first fall scrimmage is in the books, but with details still limited, the bigger story is what questions are starting to matter most. We look at the quarterback battle, offensive line, emerging playmakers, and what Jon Sumrall may reveal next about where the Gators stand.</p><p><iframe src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=ONESD7263421333" width="100%" height="200" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yqABbr_jTfw?si=VdaI7Hjk1tINIpuD" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p><p><i>This story originally published at</i> <a href="https://GatorsBreakdown.com" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://GatorsBreakdown.com">GatorsBreakdown.com</a> </p><p><i>Want more Gators Breakdown? </i><a href="https://gatorsbreakdown.supportingcast.fm/" target="_blank"><i>Join Gators Breakdown Plus</i></a></p><p><i>Get Gators Breakdown merchandise. </i><a href="https://gatorsbreakdownpod.creator-spring.com/" target="_blank"><i>Shop here</i></a></p><p>LISTEN: <a href="https://news4jax.com/gatorsbreakdown">Catch up on previous episodes</a><a href="http://news4jax.com/gatorsbreakdown"> of Gators Breakdown</a></p><p>Follow David Waters on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/gatordave_sec" target="_blank">@GatorDave_SEC</a> to stay plugged in, or click one of the following to tune in:</p><p><a href="https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/gatorsbreakdown?selected=JXT2975844882" target="_blank">Megaphone</a> | <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gators-breakdown/id1169061256" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a> | <a href="http://www.youtube.com/gatorsbreakdown" target="_blank">YouTube</a> | <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1nLRyUN4rWzgTy0Tu0HjGQ" target="_blank">Spotify</a></p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/BQxhrbd9LsULtxT_FTNJDddqU3c=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/OW2F7EKE7JFGHCRK3URZO3TUQQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="1080" width="1920"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Florida fall camp questions grow around quarterback, offensive line, playmakers, and Jon Sumrall’s early Gators direction.]]></media:description></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Avocado pickers in Mexico welcome restart of exports to US, but security fears remain]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/16/avocado-pickers-in-mexico-welcome-restart-of-exports-to-us-but-security-fears-remain/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/16/avocado-pickers-in-mexico-welcome-restart-of-exports-to-us-but-security-fears-remain/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[María Verza And Armando Solís, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Authorities have lifted a U.S. security alert that halted avocado exports from Michoacán, Mexico's main avocado-producing state.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 06:13:27 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It didn't take long for Mexican avocado picker Francisco Isidro to get back to work after authorities announced the lifting of a U.S. security alert that <a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-us-avocados-suspended-michoacan-cartels-sheinbaum-trump-689d89d4934a405882785205cc0f8c22">temporarily halted avocado exports</a>. </p><p>Back on the job the morning after the alert was lifted, Isidro threw a rope over an avocado tree about 20 feet (6 meters) high and climbed up. Fifteen minutes later, he had filled a box with avocados bound for the United States.</p><p>“Thank God ... and now we’re getting paid!” he shouted happily after several days without work.</p><p>Eight days after the alert affecting Michoacán state and the deployment of more Mexican troops in the region, U.S. authorities fully lifted the restrictions that spurred producers to shut down operations, and exports resumed. Michoacán is Mexico’s main avocado-producing state and a region where four cartels designated by the Trump administration <a href="https://apnews.com/article/cartels-mexico-us-trump-terrorists-627b1664168577bc1e02cb775eb54837">as terrorist organizations</a> operate. </p><p>By the weekend, orchards were operating again, packing plants were running at full speed and U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors had returned to certify the fruit and ensure it was free of pests before entering the United States.</p><p>The workers were happy to get their daily wages back. Some producers hoped the increased security would reduce violence and extortion. Others feared the calm would not last long.</p><p>“We’ll be safe for a while, we’ll see what happens next,” said Valentín Rodríguez, a longtime avocado industry businessperson.</p><p>Many threats are possible in a violent state</p><p>The U.S. alert caught Isidro high in a tree in an orchard in Santa Ana Zirosto, an area of green, low hills in western <a href="https://apnews.com/article/michoacan-mexico-cartels-lime-drugs-extortion-e330353f9c60bd3b5b72807588b368a3">Michoacán</a> where criminal groups are very active. There were no explanations, just the foreman’s shout to stop cutting.</p><p>Isidro, 39 years old and with two decades of experience as a harvester, knew that this meant either starting to look for another job until the situation returned to normal — since they’re paid by the day — or supporting his family solely on what his wife earned from a small store.</p><p>More than 90 miles (145 kilometers) away, in the town of Tacámbaro, an engineer at an avocado packing plant received the alert in the early hours of the morning: The facility should be kept sealed and under quarantine.</p><p>Some 200,000 people employed by Michoacán’s avocado industry were left in limbo.</p><p>Authorities did not say what threat triggered the alert. But in a state where numerous local cartels make money not only from drugs but also from extortion, there are plenty of possibilities.</p><p>Some growers have come to consider extortion an unavoidable production cost. A producer from Michoacán told The Associated Press recently that he pays 1 peso per kilo exported in extortion fees and exports about 90 metric tons a day, which amounts to more than $5,000 in daily payments. </p><p>In March alone, Mexico shipped nearly 4,800 tons of avocados a day to the United States.</p><p>Trucks loaded with avocados are also sometimes robbed on roads in western Michoacán. And some farmworkers have been stopped and beaten by armed men near the border with Jalisco without being told why, according to one worker who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.</p><p>Mexican avocado production is US-controlled</p><p>U.S. inspectors have been <a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-avocados-inspections-united-states-69f566b73d8daaff7e2cb1a4a878cf2f">assaulted and temporarily detained</a> in the past, triggering similar export suspensions. On some occasions, threats arose after inspectors detected pests and were pressured not to report them, said an official familiar with their work who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons. The U.S. Embassy does not usually provide details about the incidents.</p><p>Inspectors now have less of a presence in the orchards, which are located in isolated hills where armed groups operate with little interference, and concentrate on packing plants.</p><p>“If the United States says that it is suspending technical services for security reasons, it’s impossible to export. If it's for a plant health, it’s the same,” said Rodríguez, who grows, packs and sells avocados. “We are at the mercy of whatever the U.S. market and government decide to do with the industry.”</p><p>There is also a political dimension, he said, adding that Mexico didn't export avocados to the United States for eight decades after a worm was found in an avocado pit in 1914. The U.S. ban was lifted in 1997 as domestic production could no longer meet growing demand.</p><p>Exports rely on inspection and certification </p><p>More than 80% of Mexican avocados are sold to the U.S. Thousands of tons of avocados travel daily to the United States, especially at the beginning of the year, when demand for guacamole surges <a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-mexico-global-trade-agriculture-drug-cartels-7c6bb7ef83bada375692ba890c413ce5">ahead of the Super Bowl.</a> To keep that volume moving, certification is key.</p><p>Isidro is a “certified” picker. He knows how to disinfect cutting tools before using them, handle the fruit quickly and carefully, and report any spots or damage. The orchards where he works are also certified, providing dining and bathroom facilities for workers.</p><p>Jesús Méndez, his supervisor, inspected the boxes before they were loaded onto a truck with the tracking details. The trucks wait until all those in the area are ready before traveling in convoys to packing plants, accompanied by police patrols to prevent robberies.</p><p>At the packing plants, inspections continue, checking quality, the fruit’s flesh and possible pests. The avocados then move along mechanical lines that sort them by size before workers place them into boxes.</p><p>Once labeled and sealed, the trailers head for the U.S. border. At the slightest security alert, every point along the route can be brought to a standstill.</p><p>Fears remain despite the return to work</p><p>The deployment of more than 1,500 soldiers to protect Michoacán’s avocado-growing region and recent arrests of people allegedly involved in extortion have eased concerns, but only partially.</p><p>Luis Manuel Soto, a 36-year-old grower and packer from western Michoacán, hopes the increased security will bring improvements. So far, he says, he has not felt them.</p><p>In 2024, he said, armed men pulled him from his vehicle and threatened to kill him unless he paid them and withdrew a complaint over extortion and an attempt to seize his orchards. The threats returned last July, even though one person involved in the earlier case has been convicted.</p><p>“They left me a funeral cross and ... a written message saying I had only days left,” Soto said from a town near Morelia, Michoacán’s capital.</p><p>The threats have continued by phone. Now he divides his time between occasional visits to his orchards, managing his businesses and social projects remotely, and going to prosecutors’ offices to request protection.</p><p>In Santa Ana Zirosto and surrounding communities, residents welcome the military presence.</p><p>“It gives us some peace, but it also scares us a little because it could lead to confrontations with some of the groups,” said Méndez.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/GNlf6RxLBjN-UsBPBNVGzc2ycTs=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/E2UJXVO5IJGUXD532OYZAJRLVQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3648" width="5472"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Workers sort avocados at a packing plant in Tacambaro, Mexico Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Armando Solis)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Armando Solis</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/JJ7xVWRJiipPprvRaz5XBM7g6nQ=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/NAYYRI2RI5BXJMEDNPTWKCN7MA.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2692" width="4037"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[National Guard work at a checkpoint in Cherangueran, Michoacan sate, Mexico, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Armando Solis)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Armando Solis</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/0gt-GYks0xZoUr13HBP1nNzVbMI=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/WOWLZLLRLFFXVM52RUUC3T5PZU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3648" width="5472"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A farmhand harvests avocados at an orchard in Santa Ana Zirosto, Michoacan sate, Mexico, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Armando Solis)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Armando Solis</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/PuF2ZOEt0Q3a8QgdFSpqszsYYq0=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/VLXJXHI6PBBULDU652DVZGDOVE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3487" width="5230"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Workers sort avocados at a packing plant in Tacambaro, Mexico Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Armando Solis)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Armando Solis</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/4zV2OkNoRUFlm9gGPc9Z4eCxuA0=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/GDSQZ2Q575DZPML6ILAIEG3IIM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3648" width="5472"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A farmhand harvests avocados at an orchard in Santa Ana Zirosto, Michoacan sate, Mexico, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Armando Solis)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Armando Solis</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Firefighters battle wildfires in Belgium and Greece as 2 die on an island near Athens]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/16/firefighters-battle-a-massive-belgian-wildfire-that-forced-hundreds-to-evacuate/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/16/firefighters-battle-a-massive-belgian-wildfire-that-forced-hundreds-to-evacuate/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Sylvie Corbet And Ahmad Seir Nassiri, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Firefighters are battling wildfires in Belgium and Greece, with a massive blaze scorching a nature reserve in eastern Belgium.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 08:48:09 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Firefighters battled a massive <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/wildfires">wildfire</a> that scorched a nature reserve in eastern Belgium and another on a Greek island near Athens where two people were killed on Sunday as hot and dry conditions fueled <a href="https://apnews.com/article/fires-france-england-heat-drought-bb9926465acf98a7790a7bf01294f604">fires across parts of Europe</a>.</p><p>A blaze in eastern Belgium burned about 30 square kilometers (12 square miles) in the High Fens, a large nature reserve, in one of the country’s worst wildfires in recent history.</p><p>About 600 residents in the nearby municipalities of Waimes and Bütgenbach, in Liège province near the German border, were told to evacuate on Saturday as winds shifted and smoke spread through the area. Authorities also advised tourists to leave, while a nearby gymnasium was opened to receive evacuees.</p><p>Liège provincial governor Hervé Jamar said in a statement Sunday that more than 250 emergency personnel have been deployed, including over 100 Belgian and German firefighters, as well as police and military officers and civil protection staff. Firefighting helicopters operated by Belgium’s federal police and the Netherlands also helped.</p><p>Two killed as fires break out on a Greek island</p><p>In Greece, two people were killed in a wildfire Sunday on the island of Salamina, west of Athens, Greek firefighters said.</p><p>The bodies were recovered in the village of Peristeria, where strong winds fueled the rapidly spreading blaze. A second blaze was reported in the Selini area. Firefighting and coast guard vessels evacuated some 500 beachgoers in the area.</p><p>Some 260 firefighters were responding to the blazes, including 15 ground teams, 10 aircraft and eight helicopters.</p><p>The island had been placed at high wildfire risk on Sunday, with near gale-force winds. “These conditions enabled the fire to quickly reach dangerous proportions and spread rapidly within seven minutes toward nearby residential areas,” said Fire Brigadier General Vasileios Vathrakogiannis. </p><p>Dry conditions fuel record-breaking Belgium wildfire</p><p>The blaze now torching Belgium has far surpassed a 2011 fire that burned nearly 14 square kilometers (5.4 square miles) in the same area and was previously the country's largest wildfire on record, according to data from the European Forest Fire Information System.</p><p>Nicolas Yernaux, a spokesperson for the Public Service of Wallonia, said conditions were much worse this time. “We’re dealing with something much deeper because we have very dry soil,” he said.</p><p>René Dahmen, chief engineer at the Department of Nature and Forest, said the fire was still spreading Sunday in an area that was difficult for crews to reach.</p><p>“On the eastern flank, there’s a line at least a kilometer long where the fire is slowly advancing toward a municipal forest,” Dahmen said. “That’s the first priority now.”</p><p>Interior Minister Bernard Quintin said on X firefighters managed to keep the fire from spreading towards the west and toward the German town of Monschau. </p><p>In Germany, local authorities warned Sunday that the fire was about 1.5 kilometers (just under a mile) from the border. </p><p>Some farmers from both Belgium and Germany filled up tanker trucks, pumping water from a nearby lake before heading toward the fire area to help firefighters.</p><p>European countries send firefighting aircraft</p><p>Belgium activated the European Union’s civil protection mechanism to receive assistance from other countries, EU Commissioner Hadja Lahbib, who is in charge of crisis management, said on X.</p><p>“The High Fens are burning. Belgium is not facing it alone,” Lahbib said. Sweden sent two water-bombing aircraft, while three helicopters — two from the Netherlands and one from the Czech Republic — were also being deployed.</p><p>The fire follows weeks of <a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-europe-spain-turkey-bf4593aa20b4a8d8d6a113f4f8740728">unusually hot and dry weather</a>. The High Fens’ mix of heathland and peat bogs has complicated efforts to contain the flames.</p><p>Belgium was hit by another spell of intense heat this week, with temperatures reaching about 37 C (98.6 F) in parts of the country Friday. </p><p>Wildfires burn in France and the UK</p><p>In France, firefighters battling a wildfire in a pine forest in the southwestern Landes region faced no major flare-ups overnight, Landes Prefect Gilles Clavreul said. Authorities estimated the total area burned at 17 square kilometers (6.6 square miles), while about 650 people had been evacuated from their homes.</p><p>It was the third major wildfire in the vast pine forests of southwestern France this summer, following two others in late July. A <a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-wildfires-france-spain-bordeaux-5b9b063bdcf9b69867fa71ba31be8aa5">massive wildfire</a> in the neighboring Gironde department burned about 420 square kilometers (162 square miles) and forced <a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-wildfires-france-spain-evacuees-shelter-13b3173c427388881108c58510312993">the evacuation of about 220,000 people</a> as it spread toward the Atlantic coast and the Bordeaux area.</p><p>In the U.K., emergency crews were fighting 14 wildfires in South Wales with the support of military personnel. Authorities warned that although the heat wave is easing, drought conditions mean the risk of wildfires remains high.</p><p>Fires gutted more than a dozen homes in the West Midlands in central England this week as officials recorded the hottest day of the year on Thursday, when temperatures reached 38.1 C (100.6 F).</p><p>In Germany, firefighters made significant progress against a wildfire in the Hürtgen Forest, allowing about 2,000 evacuated residents of Gey to return home Saturday. Officials said Sunday there were no open flames and crews had established a cleared cordon around the affected area to prevent the fire from spreading.</p><p>___</p><p>Corbet reported from Paris. Associated Press writers Sylvia Hui in London, Geir Moulson in Berlin and Colleen Barry in Milan, Italy, contributed to this report.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/EY-xlfOBt9pbzrn5kxp_ynYsVaI=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/I6QHLH3Q6NA2TJJTANCAAZ5XYQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4869" width="7300"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Firefighter work to extinguish wildfires at Hautes Fagnes near Waimes, Belgium, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (Photo AP/Valentin Bianchi)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Valentin Bianchi</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/As4WcsqRk1i59StVCa0MBOcJsKs=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/5IO6LMERQZBVLATW5KP5SMRXQM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5504" width="8256"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A firefighter walks through a burned area as flames engulf a house during a wildfire on the island of Salamina, west of Athens, Greece, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Varaklas)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Michael Varaklas</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/28Uw6dgDq6bLVM-BQO4QFJVH4MY=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/RVAU5V3FO5EWTGANREG2QWTOWU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4000" width="6000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Smoke rises from burned-out parts of the Hautes Fagnes near Waimes, Belgium, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (Photo AP/Valentin Bianchi)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Valentin Bianchi</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/Vzn5MI56onnKyQgTI9PdMi169eo=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/IDU6WOGG5NFN7IEZ7U227LUARM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5504" width="8256"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A helicopter drops water on a wildfire on the island of Salamina, west of Athens, Greece, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Varaklas)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Michael Varaklas</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/NEj-TrfJFObBKr6yYsuLH55_thQ=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/WJEX6QPMZNARRGOLNQDA46NBCI.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5504" width="8256"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A home is in ruins after it was burned by a wildfire on the island of Salamina, west of Athens, Greece, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Varaklas)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Michael Varaklas</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Trump orders Pentagon to scale back joint exercises with South Korea]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/politics/2026/08/16/trump-orders-pentagon-to-scale-back-joint-exercises-with-south-korea/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/politics/2026/08/16/trump-orders-pentagon-to-scale-back-joint-exercises-with-south-korea/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to scale back annual joint military exercises with South Korea.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 21:37:10 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon on Sunday to scale back <a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-south-korea-us-drills-missiles-346a977644e51b96d9d1f9abf9cd83fc">annual joint military exercises with South Korea</a>, saying the ally declined to help with the war against Iran and citing his good relationship with North Korea's Kim Jong Un. </p><p>Trump said in a social media post that the exercises, which began Monday, are not only costly but “send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile” to North Korea, which he said “has been unthreatening and respectful” during his time in the White House.</p><p>“Therefore, and based on the fact that it is too late to cancel, I have instructed Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to substantially reduce the Joint Military Exercises!” Trump wrote. The president added that he recently asked South Korea’s president if they would join the U.S. in the “denuclearization” of Iran, “and they said, ‘No thanks!’” </p><p>The move is the latest example of the president appearing to turn against an ally in favor of a leader that previous administrations have cast as an adversary. Trump and others in his administration have also railed against NATO allies over perceived lack of support for his war against Iran, even as they seek to confront an increasingly aggressive Russia in the Baltic region.</p><p>It is also a sharp turnaround from how his administration has viewed South Korea in recent months. </p><p>In May, <a href="https://www.war.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/4483283/secretary-of-war-pete-hegseth-hosted-bilateral-meeting-with-the-republic-of-kor/">Hegseth praised the longtime ally</a> for its “commitment to increase defense spending" and its "leadership in assuming primary responsibility for the security of the Korean Peninsula" during a meeting at the Pentagon.</p><p>“It demonstrates alliance burden-sharing that all of America’s partners would do well to follow," the defense secretary added.</p><p>What the US military says about the joint exercises</p><p>The 11 days of exercises <a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-us-military-drills-north-caaf065af4ddb7ffc276a744be652a5c">involving 18,000 South Korean soldiers</a> were designed to beef up readiness against North Korean threats.</p><p>The U.S. military has said the summertime <a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-us-drills-ulchi-freedom-shield-north-korea-7c938649e2e18bae5fc781a9e98223c4">Ulchi Freedom Shield</a> exercises reinforce “the role of the alliance as the linchpin for regional peace and security” and reaffirm “the ironclad commitment between the United States and the Republic of Korea to defend their homelands.” The exercises are one of the two main combined drills conducted by the South Korean and U.S. militaries annually, along with their <a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-south-korea-joint-drills-north-korea-67f5a4e65000ca6b9848acc8d245f118">springtime training</a>. </p><p>U.S. and South Korean forces were expected to practice joint operations in complex scenarios, including a live-fire exercise to test joint precision targeting and maneuver, a wet gap crossing, and distribution of prepositioned military equipment, according to the U.S. military. South Korea's Defense Ministry confirmed that the exercises began on Monday as planned. </p><p>The joint training started days after North Korea resumed ballistic <a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-north-launch-coast-36ee2348fdd94d615efa6f0d9260edef">missile testing</a> activities in defiance of U.N. bans.</p><p>Trump's decision was sharply criticized by Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, a former Navy pilot, who said that “hollowing out these joint exercises is shortsighted and a mistake” <a href="https://x.com/captmarkkelly/status/2089107928892514513">in a social media post</a> made just hours after the president's own post. Earlier this month, South Korea, the U.S. and Japan detected the launches of two ballistic missiles from North Korea in what were the North’s first ballistic weapons testing activities since late June. The missiles landed in the waters off North Korea’s east coast.</p><p>North Korea threatens strong response</p><p>North Korea has been pushing hard to enlarge its nuclear and missile arsenals since Kim’s high-stakes <a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-kim-sister-us-trump-80ff47041d5de8a6b2902031ad3db59b">diplomacy with Trump</a> collapsed in 2019. Experts say Kim likely believes a bigger weapons arsenal would increase his chances for wresting more concessions from the U.S. in future negotiations.</p><p>North Korea on Friday threatened unspecified stern steps against the U.S. and South Korea, describing their <a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-us-military-drills-north-caaf065af4ddb7ffc276a744be652a5c">military drills</a> as a “a rehearsal for an aggressive war” that are triggering greater instability in the region. </p><p>The warning was typical of the harsh rhetoric that North Korea often deploys ahead of major U.S.-South Korean military exercises. Experts say North Korea has often used its rivals’ drills as a pretext to ramp up <a href="https://apnews.com/article/seoul-south-korea-north-joint-chiefs-of-staff-government-and-politics-88877108b80a1be9cc9a47156c3f77fa">testing activities</a> to modernize weapons and promote public support for the reclusive North Korean leader.</p><p>Trump met with the North Korean leader three times during his first term to discuss the country’s nuclear program, most recently in 2019. Since returning to office, Trump has expressed interest in continuing those discussions. In September 2025, Kim said he held <a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-trump-kim-good-memories-nuclear-be9f1f41e56914ca07934bf7c50b8237">“good personal memories”</a> of Trump and suggested he could return to talks if the U.S. drops “its delusional obsession with denuclearization” of North Korea.</p><p>Trump's announcement came a day after he posted a photo of himself standing next to North Korea's Kim, writing that the two leaders get along great “despite the unfriendly look on this particular picture.”</p><p>This is not the first time that Trump has sought to end the exercises. During his first term he <a href="https://apnews.com/article/b7a1ee63c7fa42f3ae7b806c301b6045?utm_source=app&amp;utm_medium=iOS_share&amp;utm_campaign=copy_link">also issued a surprise announcement</a> that called the war games “provocative.”</p><p>“We will be stopping the war games, which will save us a tremendous amount of money, unless and until we see the future negotiation is not going along like it should,” Trump told reporters after his 2018 meeting with Kim in Singapore.</p><p>__</p><p>Associated Press writer Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea, contributed to this report.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/utJwJiITVGvo2ns_5ecBGlQWEcA=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/6ADWV53PBJDDNAFMJKXAZKAODA.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4858" width="7269"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[President Donald Trump gestures as he boards Air Force One at Morristown Airport, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, in Morristown, N.J. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Julia Demaree Nikhinson</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Corgis run, bark and sniff their way to glory at a growing international race]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/weird-news/2026/08/16/corgis-run-bark-and-sniff-their-way-to-glory-at-a-growing-international-race/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/weird-news/2026/08/16/corgis-run-bark-and-sniff-their-way-to-glory-at-a-growing-international-race/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Liudas Dapkus, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[It’s not all about short-legged speed when 150 corgis gather for an international race celebrating the little dogs.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 09:40:59 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It's not all about short-legged speed when 150 corgis gather for an international race celebrating the little dogs. There's a costume parade, the "smartest nose," and — of course — the loudest bark.</p><p>The fifth <a href="https://apnews.com/article/corgi-dogs-race-lithuania-vilnius-8a18653c6922b19e9bcf046ccfb20a2a">Corgi Race Vilnius</a> drew dogs and their owners to the Lithuanian capital's Vingis park on Saturday for what organizers said was the biggest edition yet. There were competitors from Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Estonia, Germany, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, the United States and Britain — the country most closely associated with the breed, famously a favorite of the late <a href="https://apnews.com/article/queen-elizabeth-ii-princess-diana-entertainment-e7eddef66578ddf7a4f30e297922e26d">Queen Elizabeth II</a>.</p><p>“In the first year, we gathered 40 corgis from one city. This year, it’s 150 from nine countries, and for the first time we have a participant from the place where the breed originated,” organizer Edvinas Miskas said. </p><p>“We call Vilnius the European capital of corgis, and when people from the breed’s homeland start coming to us rather than the other way around, that title begins to sound a little more serious.”</p><p>Ninety-four dogs took part in the main running event, competing in qualifiers, semifinals and the final.</p><p>In the final, which pitted corgis against each other over 25 meters (82 feet), the winner was American competitor GG, short for Gustave the Girl Dog. Another U.S. entrant, Mr. Corgington, finished a close second. Lithuania's own Moka, a two-time former champion, was third. </p><p>But much of the program dispensed with speed to explore the other skills of the dogs — and their owners. </p><p>There was a costume parade featuring 38 corgis in diverse outfits including a dinosaur suit, a dress and doggy sports gear. Amigo swept both the four-judge jury and the public Facebook vote for a flawless costume entry with a knight-like look. </p><p>In the “smartest nose” challenge, dogs searched for hidden treats. Latvian corgis Tora and Rusty shared the win. </p><p>And then there was the loudest bark competition. The first British competitor, 12-year-old Pembroke Welsh corgi Duke from Sedbergh in northwest England, didn't participate in the main race because of his stately age but was a hopeful in the barking stakes after, as his owner put it, training for his whole life. </p><p>It was Mr. Corgington who won the loudest bark contest, though. </p><p>He was one of the most traveled competitors. The final race offered him a rematch after he finished second against GG at a major race at Emerald Downs in Auburn, Washington — her second consecutive win there. </p><p>Half of the corgis registered in Vilnius this year were taking part for the first time. But six veterans — costume winner Amigo, Foksas, Foksis, Madeira, Bulka and Dziugas — have attended every edition.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/nk4B7kLt_WIOchcMx4LwryBNIdA=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/PEH4X4EMTREXRCMRSILKYCPFHA.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="1454" width="2181"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Corgis race during the Corgi Race Vilnius 2026 event in Vilnius, Lithuania, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Mindaugas Kulbis</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/2etNwCKBz0XuV3qneCHcgkYTgHk=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/RF7LFDNV7FFODA7JRHBZHRQCMA.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4662" width="6990"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A corgi dog participates in a fashion show during a international event Corgi Race Vilnius 2026 in Vilnius, Lithuania, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Mindaugas Kulbis</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/EzkEnRfJk4rrWlEVeot1K-3VE8c=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/IK5KBHWO55F7BABXLUO5OF6ZJE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2282" width="3422"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A corgi dog participates in a fashion show during a international event Corgi Race Vilnius 2026 in Vilnius, Lithuania, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Mindaugas Kulbis</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/Th0iN3kDNR7xWgt-iEbZo7dCmLY=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/QLPBMYCHY5ABRKKOIEPGCPF7FM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4671" width="7003"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A corgi dog participates in a fashion show during a international event Corgi Race Vilnius 2026 in Vilnius, Lithuania, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Mindaugas Kulbis</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/0itS-JFdQGePpfyw0PRVyQtv1AA=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/X55WBMAJ5RES7NYKM4OW7KWUII.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4149" width="6223"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A corgi dog participates in a fashion show during a international event Corgi Race Vilnius 2026 in Vilnius, Lithuania, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Mindaugas Kulbis</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Clark praises Fever for being 'super resilient' in their hard-fought overtime win over Dream]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/17/clark-praises-fever-for-being-super-resilient-in-their-hard-fought-overtime-win-over-dream/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/17/clark-praises-fever-for-being-super-resilient-in-their-hard-fought-overtime-win-over-dream/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Charles Odum, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever looked playoff-ready in their 95-91 overtime win over the Atlanta Dream.]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2026 01:02:50 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>After the Indiana Fever's fourth straight win, Caitlin Clark said coach Stephanie White “made a great point” in her postgame talk with the team by saying “This felt like a playoff game.”</p><p>If so, the Fever looked playoff-ready in their <a href="https://apnews.com/article/dream-fever-score-0eb7a1fe4395ed4922bbf04316dea075?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">95-91 overtime win</a> over the Atlanta Dream on Sunday.</p><p>The Fever showed impressive depth with four players scoring 18 or more points. Perhaps of more importance, Indiana responded to a major challenge from an Atlanta team that began the day one-half behind the Fever for the important fourth-place spot in the playoff standings. The top four teams receive home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.</p><p>“Coming into each night, we know how important that win is to hopefully get home-court advantage in the playoffs,” Clark said.</p><p>Atlanta led 72-64 entering the fourth quarter. Indiana held the Dream to nine points in the final period of regulation.</p><p>Despite giving the Fever an overall grade of only “B-minus” for the game, Clark had praise for her team.</p><p>“Just proud of our group,” Clark said. “Super resilient. ... Obviously, this was a big one.”</p><p>Clark <a href="https://x.com/IndianaFever/status/2089118932892303680/video/1">scored 26 points</a> with nine assists. After scoring only five points in the first half, Kelsey Mitchell had an important layup late in overtime to finish with 20 points. It was Mitchell's 19th consecutive game scoring at least 20.</p><p>“Kelsey struggled from the floor in the first half, and she found it in the second half,” White said. “I think that’s part of her growth, which is knowing to stay with it, that it’s going to come.”</p><p>White said Clark and Mitchell “were both terrific” and said Clark was effective in creating scoring opportunities for her teammates.</p><p>“The way that she’s getting us into offense, the way she’s using the floor to give her teammates shots ... she’s allowing the game to flow, and she’s doing a great job of finding her teammates in that,” White said. “The way she does that, it opens things up for her.”</p><p>Makayla Timpson delivered Indiana's first three field goals of overtime to score a career-high 20 points. Aliyah Boston added 18 points with 14 rebounds.</p><p>Clark said Atlanta, which had 32 points from Allisha Gray and 15 points with 14 rebounds from Angel Reese, “is a team that will be scary in the playoffs. They're great at what they do. They have a lot of different weapons.”</p><p>The Dream also had the support of a sellout crowd of 17,044 at State Farm Arena, the home of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks and also the usual site of Dream games when Clark and the Fever are in town.</p><p>“For us, these are the games you get up for, that’s what’s fun about competition,” Clark said. “You know, you want to play the best. It brings out the best in you. Obviously, that’s been a challenge and we’re really good at that.”</p><p>___</p><p>
<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball">See AP’s full WNBA coverage here</a>
</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/073YlfTW9wQhnKxuZebt0YyC1r0=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/RSW63ZYBRBAYVH76GTGLLRXFDM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3314" width="4971"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) dribbles the ball in the second half of an WNBA basketball game against the Atlanta Dream Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Brynn Anderson</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/Jr28HSuFRzAPS0eh73ya4vrSaZU=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/6262YJP67VEZNCLJYCOCCL7RX4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="1724" width="2586"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) dribbles against Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray (15) in the overtime during an WNBA basketball game Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Brynn Anderson</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/lrVYFda4puYNq7OdxBCLe1rxpgQ=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/I4FS7VEQ6BCB7MX6T7V7BPWAGI.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2557" width="3835"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Indiana Fever forward Makayla Timpson (21) celebrates with Indiana Fever center Aliyah Boston (7) in the overtime during an WNBA basketball game against the Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Brynn Anderson</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/2SsB-WZhTFjljIx_h2UZ_N73xns=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/GXIHO22DVBHWTBAN7NNZKPKP3Q.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="1911" width="2867"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) high-fives teammates in the overtime during an WNBA basketball game against the Atlanta Dream Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Brynn Anderson</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/nJdZJEE83Q6WbBFrgh0vdzcGCPM=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/L52HELM3IVFNJBV5TA44RWFTZI.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="1456" width="2185"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) passes in the first half of an WNBA basketball game against the Atlanta Dream Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Brynn Anderson</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[BBC asks a US court for help in getting testimony from the Trump family in defamation suit]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/16/bbc-asks-a-us-court-for-help-in-getting-testimony-from-the-trump-family-in-defamation-suit/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/16/bbc-asks-a-us-court-for-help-in-getting-testimony-from-the-trump-family-in-defamation-suit/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Sylvia Hui, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[The BBC has asked a U.S. court for help getting documents and testimony from U.S. President Donald Trump's family in connection to his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the broadcaster.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 15:26:40 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bbc">BBC</a> asked a U.S. court for help in getting documents and testimony from members of U.S. President <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> 's family in connection with his <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-bbc-lawsuit-defamation-a9fd196c4f242decd8f28e8d0ce74442">$10 billion defamation lawsuit</a> against the British broadcaster, a court document showed.</p><p>Lawyers for the BBC argued that Ivanka Trump, her husband Jared Kushner, and Donald Trump, Jr. have “personal knowledge" and likely have records relevant to elements of Trump's claims against the broadcaster, according to a filing Friday in federal court in Florida. </p><p>The broadcaster has been unable to serve subpoenas because the three have Secret Service protection and other security personnel around them, the filing says.</p><p>Trump filed the lawsuit in December seeking $10 billion in damages from the BBC, accusing it of defamation as well as deceptive and unfair trade practices.</p><p>The allegations center on the way a 2024 documentary edited a speech Trump gave on Jan. 6, 2021, before protesters attacked the Capitol in Washington. The lawsuit accuses the BBC of “splicing together two entirely separate parts of President Trump’s speech” to “intentionally misrepresent the meaning of what President Trump said.”</p><p>It added that the editing was "a brazen attempt to interfere in and influence” the 2024 U.S. presidential election.</p><p>The BBC has <a href="https://apnews.com/article/britain-bbc-misleading-edit-trump-lawsuit-73a613283de952f5af08fa8ec4d0ca67">apologized to Trump</a> for the misleading edit, but said it had not defamed him. </p><p>The latest court filing said that Trump's family members had knowledge of issues that were relevant to Trump's argument “that it would be materially false to imply that he incited violence" on Jan. 6, 2021.</p><p>It cited that Donald Trump, Jr. and Ivanka Trump were both present in the Oval Office when Trump was still revising his speech, adding that Donald Trump, Jr. spoke directly with his father after violence had broken out at the Capitol.</p><p>The filing says the BBC asked Trump to accept the subpoenas on his daughter and son-in-law's behalf or to direct the Secret Service to allow the subpoenas to be served, but he refused. The broadcaster asked the court to allow the subpoenas to be served by email and certified mail.</p><p>The judge has given Trump's legal team until Friday to respond to the BBC's request.</p><p>Trump's legal team said that “the BBC is simply trying to distract away from their own obvious liability.”</p><p>“The BBC intentionally defamed President Donald J. Trump, and now the BBC is seeking to harass him, his family, and supporters by abusing the deposition process," according to the team.</p><p>A trial has been provisionally set for February in the case.</p><p>Last week, a federal judge in Florida granted Trump <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-bbc-lawsuit-media-7ac0c0b9754fa4c0d799856810016bcb">a temporary reprieve</a> from an order that he provide details of his business empire’s financial performance as part of the lawsuit. </p><p>U.S. District Judge Roy Altman agreed to put that order on hold while he considers an amended complaint from Trump that would narrow his claim that he suffered damage to both business and reputation.</p><p>___</p><p>Associated Press journalists Kate Brumback in Atlanta and Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington contributed to this report.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/KbOWZHWxK5vFq2O-t-GyqmF_GfM=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/L57T5JKPBJDQLPHTNIZHCC2F2I.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4384" width="6575"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[FILE - Pedestrians walk outside the BBC Headquarters in London, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, file)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Kin Cheung</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/kW6Z28NWbalTa0FwRIC6JxCeeGA=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/MLPQIXD6XJAPFKJOFVIRJLRBAQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="8679" width="13011"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[President Donald Trump waves to the media as he walks from Marine One to his limousine upon his arrival at the Ellipse just outside of the White House, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jose Luis Magana</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Thieves steal 4 Renaissance artworks in a Sicilian museum heist during an Italian holiday]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/16/thieves-steal-4-renaissance-artworks-in-sicilian-museum-heist-on-italian-holiday/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/16/thieves-steal-4-renaissance-artworks-in-sicilian-museum-heist-on-italian-holiday/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Thieves have stolen four works attributed to Sicilian Renaissance painter Antonello da Messina from a regional museum in the city of Messina in Sicily.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 11:22:15 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Thieves stole four <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/visual-arts">works attributed to Renaissance painter</a> Antonello da Messina worth millions of euros from the regional museum in the city of Messina in <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sicily">Sicily</a> while crowds gathered across town for the traditional Assumption holiday celebrations, cultural officials and Italian media said Sunday. </p><p>The thieves bypassed alarm and security systems on Saturday evening at the MuMe museum, making off with three of the five surviving panels of the San Gregorio Polyptych, dated to 1473, as well as the double-sided panel depicting the Virgin Mary and the dead Christ in Pietà, which was removed from an armored display case, the news agency LaPresse reported.</p><p>They removed all five panels of the San Gregorio Polyptych from their frame, but abandoned two behind a wall while fleeing. </p><p>Art expert Alberto Fiz estimated the value of the stolen works at 70 million euros ($81 million) to 80 million euros ($92 million). </p><p>“We are devastated by what happened. They were two of Antonello da Messina’s most important and best-known works. It is a tremendous loss for the museum, the city, the community and the art world,” MuMe director Marisa Mercurio told the ANSA news agency. </p><p>Mercurio said the theft occurred just before 10 p.m., and that the alarms were working and the guards were on site. She described the works as central to the region's heritage. </p><p>“These are not merely works by Antonello da Messina,” she told Sky TG24. “They are works that hold considerable significance in terms of our identity, as well as, of course, their artistic and cultural value, because they are works by our very own Antonello da Messina.”</p><p>Messina’s top culture official, Enzo Caruso, called the theft “more than a loss” and “a disaster.”</p><p>“Messina without Antonello is deprived of the very essence of the greatest artist of the European Renaissance,” Caruso told Sky, calling for the swift recovery of the stolen works. </p><p>Caruso noted that international interest in the artist had intensified since Italy’s Culture Ministry acquired Antonello’s devotional painting <a href="https://apnews.com/article/italy-painting-purchased-minister-01edf3d68a8f6a01d43cd51517eef9ed">“Ecce Homo”</a> for $14.9 million through negotiations with Sotheby’s in New York earlier this year. </p><p>Lynda Albertson, an art-crime analyst, said the works are instantly recognizable, impeding any effort to sell them through reputable channels. </p><p>“Stealing an Antonello may be far easier than selling one. If these are ordinary thieves, they will soon discover that — to their cost,” Albertson, who is the chief executive of the ARCA art crimes research association, told the Italian daily La Repubblica. She said such famous artworks often pass from one criminal to another, serving as collateral for other illicit activity.</p><p>The museum was closed Sunday while investigators gathered evidence. Neither museum officials nor the Carabinieri could immediately be reached for comment. </p><p>The Ferragosto holiday, which marks the feast of the Assumption of Mary, marks the height of the Italian summer holiday season, and was being celebrated in Messina with a procession that culminated in prayers and a blessing in the main Piazza Duomo around the time of the heist.</p><p>The theft comes just days after police in the northern Italian city of Parma announced that they had <a href="https://apnews.com/article/italy-stolen-paintings-recovered-renoir-cezanne-matisse-7d0989da55b2ae2e204bb7c759a81266">recovered three stolen artworks</a> by Renoir, Cézanne and Matisse worth about 10 million euros ($11.5 million). Five people have been detained in the March 22-23 theft from the Magnani Rocca Foundation in Parma province.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/-erqrYfhdUMFgQuy29e1toqId4E=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/SNMZAUCWMREYHH2M625J7RCPKA.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4366" width="6549"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A journalist browses the Messina museum website showing a picture of the Early Renaissance painter Antonello da Messina's artwork where three of the five panels belonging to the Polyptych of San Gregorio and the double-sided panel with the Madonna and the Christ in Piet, stolen from the Sicilian museum on Aug. 15, in Rome, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Gregorio Borgia</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Jack Whaley of England holds off Jay Leng Jr. to win US Amateur at Merion]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/jack-whaley-of-england-holds-off-jay-leng-jr-to-win-us-amateur-at-merion/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/jack-whaley-of-england-holds-off-jay-leng-jr-to-win-us-amateur-at-merion/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Dan Gelston, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Jack Whaley of England wins the U.S. Amateur at Merion Golf Club, overcoming rain, a wasp sting, and tough competition from Jay Leng Jr. He won the 36-hole final 4 and 3, celebrating with his caddie father and mother.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 22:00:52 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Jack Whaley blinked back tears as he clutched the U.S. Amateur championship trophy and could only think of the countless times his father kept encouraging him, kept playing golf with him, all to urge a promising teenager on the cusp of quitting the game to stick with it for better days ahead.</p><p>With his dad on the bag, Whaley fulfilled Andy Whaley's unwavering belief and capped the tournament victory of his life at Merion with a father-son embrace that put an exclamation point on a career that at one point seemed destined to dry up on English soil.</p><p>“He can actually see me happy, and I can see him happy coming off the golf course,” Whaley said.</p><p>Whaley played with double gloves, needed an umbrella, was stung by a wasp at rainy Merion Golf Club and still pushed through the inconveniences to cap a tremendous tournament and hold off Jay Leng Jr. to win the U.S. Amateur on Sunday.</p><p>Whaley should keep the rain jacket.</p><p>The 22-year-old Englishman gets to soak up the spoils that come with winning amateur golf's greatest prize.</p><p>With the sky finally clear on the rain-slogged course, Whaley sank his final putt for birdie to win the 36-hole final 4 and 3 and hugged it out with his caddie — his father. Whaley's mother ran out to join them for a family embrace while Andy gripped the famed wicker basket flagstick.</p><p>“This week it just clicked,” Andy Whaley said. “I can’t explain it. I don’t know why.”</p><p>His son broke down in tears as he held the Havemeyer Trophy and dedicated the win to his father, who never gave up on Jack, even as he kept missing cuts as a teenager.</p><p>“As we were driving back, I was looking at my dad with some of the names that are on this thing,” Whaley said after his win. “I never thought my name would among such impressive people.”</p><p>Whaley made a rapid rise from NAIA star to Florida State to amateur champion the college senior now has an exemption into the 2027 US Open, and the 2027 British Open at St. Andrews and the Masters should he remain an amateur. He wore his Florida State Seminoles cap and team colors for the championship round.</p><p>Whaley won the seventh U.S. Amateur held at Merion and is the first Englishman winner since Matt Fitzpatrick at Brookline in 2013.</p><p>Whaley shook off a wasp sting on the fourth fairway in the afternoon session before he rallied his way to the title. Leng, a Stanford junior, held a 2-up advantage through the first 18 holes after both players bogeyed the par-5 18th on an overcast and windy round.</p><p>Whaley pointed to a spot on his right ankle where the wasp got him and left him throbbing for the next two holes.</p><p>“I had to pull this stinger out,” Whaley said with a laugh.</p><p>Maybe the stinger will be immortalized down the line at Merion.</p><p>The U.S. Amateur does hold a special place in Merion history. Take a look at the rock near the 11th hole tee box at Merion and one of the grandest holes in golf is marked.</p><p>“On September 27, 1930, And on this hole, Robert Tyre Jones, Jr., completed his ‘Grand Slam’ by winning the U.S. Amateur Championship.”</p><p>It was on that hole where Bobby Jones closed out Eugene Homans 8 and 7 in the 36-hole final and clinched golf’s only season Grand Slam with a win at the U.S. Amateur.</p><p>Ben Hogan also has a plaque that honors his 1-iron on the 18th hole of the 1950 Open.</p><p>“It's a huge honor to be part of the names of all the famous people,” Whaley said.</p><p>Aaron Rai used double gloves months earlier in his PGA Championship victory at nearby Aronimink Golf Club, just as Whaley did months later.</p><p>Whaley made the change after he sliced one out of bounds on six because the rain affected his grip.</p><p>“It seemed to work, so I kept going,” Whaley said.</p><p>Merion is set to host the US Open in 2030, 2040, and 2050, alongside the U.S. Women’s Open in 2034 and 2046.</p><p>Consider, Whaley will be only 46 years old in 2050.</p><p>Whaley is No. 90 in the world amateur golf ranking, while Leng is at No. 23. </p><p>Leng gets pretty nice consolation prizes. He also earned a spot on the 2026 U.S. Walker Cup team, in the Masters and the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach next year, provided he is still an amateur.</p><p>The other five players named to the Walker Cup team were Kihei Akina, Ryder Cowan, Josiah Gilbert, William Jennings and Stewart Hagestad.</p><p>“It shows I can compete with the best,” Leng said. “I can compete with anyone, honestly. I can’t wait to see what’s next.”</p><p>___</p><p>
<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/golf">See AP’s full golf coverage here</a>
</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/Wl2DRJZQYHp-NogLdPisilunn8Y=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/RREWMPJA6NG6BIRAKVHQIB342I.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2016" width="3024"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Jack Whaley admires his US Amateur golf championship trophy Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa. (AP Photo/Dan Gelston)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Dan Gelston</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/5GEbj-3KavcHZ70al5L8QSAD3qM=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/CBARR4M4DNAVFA2MM7NPPHT2GE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4032" width="3024"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Jack Whaley admires his US Amateur golf championship trophy Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa. (AP Photo/Dan Gelston)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Dan Gelston</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Heat alerts issued as highs approach 100 degrees Monday]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/weather/2026/08/16/heat-alerts-issued-as-highs-near-100-degrees-monday/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/weather/2026/08/16/heat-alerts-issued-as-highs-near-100-degrees-monday/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Chris Holtzman]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Monday will feature a mix of sun and clouds with highs in the low to mid 90s. Isolated showers and storms will develop in the afternoon and evening. Heat alerts are in effect once again on Monday due to heat index values approaching if not exceeding 108 degrees. ]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:05:25 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Tonight will be mostly cloudy and warm with temperatures in the 70s. </p><figure><img src="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/jVr02XyCTpnTMSZ4U7eW1fOVL6o=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/BSMK4RZYKRHVLHEX7DAVA5GFPY.png" alt="Monday's forecast." height="932" width="1553"/><figcaption>Monday's forecast.</figcaption></figure><p>Monday will feature a mix of sun and clouds with highs in the low to mid 90s. Isolated showers and storms will develop in the afternoon and evening. </p><p>Heat alerts are in effect once again on Monday due to heat index values approaching if not exceeding 108 degrees. </p><figure><img src="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/wkB1Z8r31vke84Wk7DXhblm1RKA=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/PEFEMY3NABDGTB647DSGYUTCHY.png" alt="Heat alerts are in effect on Monday." height="895" width="1690"/><figcaption>Heat alerts are in effect on Monday.</figcaption></figure><p>A HEAT ADVISORY is in effect for the areas in orange and an EXTREME HEAT WARNING is in effect for the areas in purple. </p><p>The areas in purple have the best chance of seeing the heat index approach 115 degrees. Highs for the day will be in the mid to upper 90s. </p><figure><img src="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/rsfXg1fy3WInUsACEMDeHG9n1Aw=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/I5MSRRGHXJFMVM6GAXFFVS7E4I.png" alt="Scattered showers and storms will develop Monday afternoon and evening." height="924" width="1589"/><figcaption>Scattered showers and storms will develop Monday afternoon and evening.</figcaption></figure><p>Scattered instances of flooding will be possible once again due to the slow movement of the activity. </p><p>Make sure to keep an eye to the sky and storms could develop rapidly. Activity will eventually dissipate later in the evening. </p><figure><img src="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/mAWTsxbBIMiJE_rFDMa3pj92jz0=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/4PHMRYEJS5AABJW6QQRRZY3EYQ.png" alt="High pressure will keep the dangerous heat in the forecast." height="916" width="1532"/><figcaption>High pressure will keep the dangerous heat in the forecast.</figcaption></figure><p>A large area of high pressure will keep the heat in the forecast across the southeast with daytime highs in the mid to upper 90s and the heat index around or above 108 degrees. Additional heat alerts are likely as we head through the rest of the week. </p><figure><img src="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/ZZTWVKBr7DDl2Uixh8_FwfpWTFU=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/DL7J5Y5E4RAQPBAEODMIQJSIEU.png" alt="The latest drought monitor." height="895" width="1522"/><figcaption>The latest drought monitor.</figcaption></figure><p>Regarding the drought, the latest drought monitor reflects improvement across our area. Several areas have been downgraded to a moderate drought which reflects the rainfall we saw over the past week. </p><p>While we are still in a deficit, rainfall will once again lead to more improvement in the next outlook.</p><p>TONIGHT: Partly Cloudy. An Isolated Storm Early. Low 79.</p><p>MONDAY: Sun &amp; Clouds. Scattered Rain &amp; Storms. Hot. High 96, Low 79.</p><p>TUESDAY: Sun &amp; Clouds. Scattered Rain &amp; Storms. Hot. High 97, Low 78.</p><p>WEDNESDAY: Sun &amp; Clouds. Scattered Rain &amp; Storms. Hot. High 96, Low 78.</p><p>THURSDAY: Sun &amp; Clouds. Scattered Rain &amp; Storms. High 95, Low 78.</p><p>FRIDAY: Sun &amp; Clouds. Scattered Rain &amp; Storms. High 95, Low 77.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/SaBFc5kOjvGYLt50TDdfSx8rH6s=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/I73R3LWB6VCCXLLKFRARX3HYKM.png" type="image/png" height="901" width="1369"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Highs will be in the mid to upper 90s this week.]]></media:description></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Scottie Scheffler back to his dominant self and opens PGA Tour postseason with 8-shot win]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/scottie-scheffler-back-to-his-dominant-self-and-opens-pga-tour-postseason-with-8-shot-win/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/scottie-scheffler-back-to-his-dominant-self-and-opens-pga-tour-postseason-with-8-shot-win/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Doug Ferguson, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Scottie Scheffler is back to his dominant self.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 22:23:38 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Scottie Scheffler thought the bunker shot was ideal until he saw it bounce hard off a <a href="https://x.com/PGATOUR/status/2089057321540255793?s=20">sprinkler</a>, roll across the green and disappear down the slope and into the water. A sure birdie turned into a bogey. His two-shot lead Sunday in the FedEx St. Jude Championship was down to one.</p><p>For a player who has endured five runner-up finishes in nearly seven months of close calls, Scheffler had reason to wonder what was next to go wrong. He asked caddie Ted Scott as they walked over to take a penalty drop, “When is this going to stop happening?”</p><p>Almost immediately, as it turned out. </p><p>Scheffler drilled a mid-iron to 10 feet for birdie two holes later. He holed a 20-foot birdie on the next. A two-shot lead at the start quickly turned into a runaway. He closed with a 4-under 66 for an eight-shot victory, the largest margin in 68 years at the TPC Southwind.</p><p>“I felt like I had some close calls this year, so it was nice to finish the tournament off,” Scheffler said. </p><p>It helped to post a 61 in the second round and keep the lead going into Sunday. This was his 11th straight time he converted a 54-hole lead into a win.</p><p>This victory was the 21st of his career — all since 2022 — and it ended nearly seven months without a title during a season that has been marked by astonishing consistency but only <a href="https://apnews.com/article/scottie-scheffler-american-express-blades-brown-pga-5a66997c8bebd4a3b80893d458f14049">one trophy to show for it from his season opener at The American Express in the California desert</a>.</p><p>“I felt like a week like this was coming,” Scheffler said. “I felt like I was on repeat all year just being like, ‘Hey, I’m playing solid. I’m close.’ It feels good to be answering some different questions at the end of this week.”</p><p>He finished at 17-under 263, eight shots clear of his Dallas neighbor Si Woo Kim, who closed with a 68 to finish eight shots behind. The previous record was John Cook winning at TPC Southwind by seven shots in 1996.</p><p>Scheffler has now won 10 of his 21 tour titles by four shots or more. </p><p>Sam Burns, one of Scheffler's best friends in golf, played with him in the final group and took double bogey on the par-5 third hole. He shot 73 and tied for third with Alex Noren (69).</p><p>“I don't think it would have mattered if I played well,” Burns said. “He was going to be tough to beat today.”</p><p>Scheffler won $3.6 million from the prize fund, and he clinched an additional $23 million in bonus money for being No. 1 in the FedEx Cup through next week's BMW Championship. No one can catch him. No one is particularly close in the game at the moment, even when he's not piling up trophies.</p><p>Scheffler now has two victories, five runner-up finishes and five other top 4s in another stellar year that until Sunday was marked by his lack of winning compared with previous years. The TPC Southwind was the course he had played the most times without winning, and the FedEx Cup playoffs opener had been the only postseason tournament he had yet to win. All that changed.</p><p>Scheffler's most recent start was another runner-up finish at the 3M Open in Minnesota, another rally that came up short. But it was those two weeks at home that made the difference.</p><p>“I felt like I found something just getting my hands on the club,” he said. “I had a really good kind of prep week coming in, probably the best I played at home over the course of this year. I didn’t really feel like I needed to be on the range hitting balls. I was just getting out playing, competing.”</p><p>More than a few of those games were with Kim, who earlier this year said of Scheffler, “He calls me ATM.” Kim moved to a career-best No. 13 in the world.</p><p>Im wound up with a 75 to tie for fifth, but it was enough for the South Korean to move from No. 53 into the top 50 who advance to the BMW Championship next week in St. Louis. Im kept alive his chances of reaching the Tour Championship every year since he was a rookie in 2019.</p><p>Im bumped out Keith Mitchell, who stood in the water left of the 18th fairway to play a shot from the bank as he tried to give himself his best chance. That shot tumbled into the water, he made bogey and narrowly missed out.</p><p>So did Jordan Spieth, who needed to close with four pars to reach the BMW Championship for the first time since 2023, and finished with a bogey from the water on No. 15 and three pars for a 70.</p><p>The top 50 who advance also are assured of playing all the $20 million signature events next year.</p><p>Scheffler put himself squarely in the mix for a fifth straight PGA Tour player of the year during a season in which no one has stood out based on titles alone. The body of work has been impressive, and Scheffler still has two tournaments remaining.</p><p>___</p><p>
<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/golf">See AP’s full golf coverage here</a>
</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/Y9K2imI74GfzoNrH8FjhhOibB3s=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/VOJBPGAHLRH4VJRVPQTRMNFORQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2174" width="3261"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Scottie Scheffler celebrates winning on the 18th green the final round of the St. Jude Championship golf tournament, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">George Walker Iv</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/eJ6ZsF54YgAI-6IHKtXtlUiAPUE=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/ROCSZNRBZZDPHKLRZG5JWKLBOE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2447" width="3669"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Scottie Scheffler hits from a bunker to the eighth green during the final round of the St. Jude Championship golf tournament, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">George Walker Iv</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/Upd_Eo_ldc7LNgJIl2vmixmV6hw=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/PVKEI5BO5JBA7C3S2SWOK4DLR4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3424" width="5136"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Scottie Scheffler tosses his ball to his cadie on the 11th green during the final round of the St. Jude Championship golf tournament, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">George Walker Iv</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/p85A5-_Umd1rX3eY3ujILRVc23g=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/ZREFKHWWNZCJ3K3Y2CDDXEWRM4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4315" width="6472"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Scottie Scheffler hits from the 14th tee during the final round of the St. Jude Championship golf tournament, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">George Walker Iv</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/66tHXjN8Uu3bbKEQ6fh7m_DLZdg=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/GWPPXZ5PKFFO5FRG3T7GXOKECE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2060" width="3090"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Sam Burns hits from a bunker on the 13th hole during the final round of the St. Jude Championship golf tournament, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">George Walker Iv</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[John Niland, who helped the Dallas Cowboys win their first Super Bowl championship, has died]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/john-niland-who-helped-the-dallas-cowboys-win-their-first-super-bowl-championship-has-died/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/john-niland-who-helped-the-dallas-cowboys-win-their-first-super-bowl-championship-has-died/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[John Niland, a three-time All-Pro guard who helped the Dallas Cowboys win their first Super Bowl championship, has died.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 23:35:46 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>John Niland, a three-time All-Pro guard who helped the Dallas Cowboys win their first Super Bowl championship, has died. He was 82.</p><p>Niland's daughter, Haven, said he died Saturday morning in McKinney, a Dallas suburb.</p><p>Niland made 111 starts in 124 games over nine seasons with Dallas. He played for Philadelphia for one year before retiring after the 1975 season.</p><p>Niland made the Pro Bowl for six straight years from 1968 to 1973. He was a first-team All-Pro selection in 1969, 1971 and 1972.</p><p>He helped protect Roger Staubach when Dallas beat the Miami Dolphins 24-3 in the Super Bowl on Jan. 16, 1972.</p><p>Niland, a Massachusetts native, starred at Iowa before he was taken by the Cowboys with the fifth overall selection in the 1966 draft. He was inducted into the Hawkeyes' Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006.</p><p>He is survived by Shaughn, his wife of more than 30 years, and daughters, Jordan and Haven. </p><p>___</p><p>
<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nfl">See AP’s full NFL coverage here</a>
</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/p30ymM9VSbZd_bEq610jtqDxZRc=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/GDZLM6ZBN5F5JG3NV4XH5UMGU4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2102" width="3200"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[FILE - Philadelphia Eagles guard John Niland (74), right, shakes hands with retired Dallas Cowboys tackle Bob Lilly (74) during half-time ceremonies honoring Lilly at Texas Stadium in Irving, Nov. 23, 1975. Niland and Lilly were teammates the previous year. (AP Photo/Ferd Kaufman, File)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Ferd Kaufman</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Jordan Spieth misses out on advancing in PGA Tour postseason by one shot]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/jordan-spieth-misses-out-on-advancing-in-pga-tour-postseason-by-one-shot/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/jordan-spieth-misses-out-on-advancing-in-pga-tour-postseason-by-one-shot/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Doug Ferguson, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Jordan Spieth has another early end to his PGA Tour season.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 23:29:17 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Jordan Spieth set a target of 67 for the final round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship, certain that would be enough for him to crack the top 50 in the FedEx Cup and advance to next week. Turns out he would have only needed a 69, and even that was out of his reach.</p><p>Spieth and Keith Mitchell, who was up to his knees in water on the 18th trying to salvage his postseason, narrowly missed out advancing in the PGA Tour postseason Sunday, losing a chance to be guaranteed to play in all the $20 million signature events in 2027.</p><p>One birdie over his last three holes would have done it for Spieth. Mitchell would have needed to shave two shots from his score. He made bogey from the water on the 18th. </p><p>“I just feel like I’m kind of getting back to playing really good golf, like it’s close to kicking off, and I’m not going to play a tournament for a long time,” Spieth said after closing with three straight pars for an even-par 70.</p><p>Spieth came into the first playoff event at No. 54 and was projected to need something around the top 15 — depending on others around him — to make it to the BMW Championship for the first time since 2023.</p><p>He made it through the worrisome stretch of holes — Nos. 11 through 14 at the TPC Southwind — with a pair of bogeys and a 30-foot birdie putt. </p><p>“If you can get through there unscathed, you know you're looking at some opportunities on the other side,” Spieth said.</p><p>But he tugged his tee shot on the 15th far enough to the left that it found the water, leading to bogey. His chip from behind the green on the par-5 16th was too strong and rolled off the green, and he missed a 15-foot birdie putt. He missed a birdie from about that distance on the 17th.</p><p>Needing a birdie on the 18th, he went from a patch of dirt right of the fairway just over the green, still a putter in hand from 35 feet. He started walking before the long birdie putt finished short of the cup, giving him a par.</p><p>“I just didn’t execute enough shots and ... a couple bounces could have gone one way or the other,” he said. “I needed to be almost flawless today.”</p><p>Mitchell, who has never been among the top 30 to reach the Tour Championship in his nine years on the PGA Tour, started at No. 49 this week and was on the bubble seemingly all week. He said he never looked at a leaderboard until walking off the 17th green.</p><p>If he was safe, he could have played out to the right, away from the water, knowing a bogey wouldn't hurt him. But he was right on the projected bubble of top 50. He took on the shot. He thought it was ideal, but it barely cleared the water, and hopped below the hazard line on the bank of grass.</p><p>For Mitchell, there was no option. He removed his shoes and rolled up his pants, took his stance in the water up to his calves and gave it a shot. It bounced short and took a hop to the left, riding the bank down into the water. He did well to make bogey for a 72. In the end, even a par would have left him less than a point short of Matt McCarty at No. 50.</p><p>“I thought it was perfect when I hit it. Caught a little bit of a gust, and it came up that short,” Mitchell said. “The second shot was obviously interesting, and I just didn’t play it far enough right.”</p><p>The new points system that puts an emphasis on season performance means the postseason is not nearly as volatile. Sungjae Im, who started at No. 53 and started the final round tied for second, comfortably advanced.</p><p>Mitchell was the only one from the top 50 to fall out.</p><p>Maverick McNealy came in at No. 50 and was on the bubble all afternoon, played bogey-free on the back nine with two birdies for a 69 to tie for 19th — same position as Spieth — to secure his spot among the top 50. McCarty figured he was out when he tied for 63rd in the 69-man field. He made it on the number when Mitchell and Spieth couldn't catch him.</p><p>“I think the top 50 number is probably the most important number on the PGA Tour right now,” McNealy said. “I’m excited to get to St. Louis and just take a Hail Mary swing to see if I can get into the Tour Championship, which is the goal every year.”</p><p>___</p><p>
<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/golf">See AP’s full golf coverage here</a>
</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/2slCBqGdOrd7SnVk62IsR_0zzqI=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/XG3HNTQBMBDD5MI2ZXHMODJPJE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4202" width="6303"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Jordan Spieth watches his tee shot on the seventh hole during the third round of the St. Jude Championship golf tournament Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">George Walker Iv</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/kMKhRc-Wg5TaZWM-Ch34sh7ILjc=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/XTY5HOAXRZHBXC5ME57NPN4UOE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2302" width="3453"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Keith Mitchell hits on the first hole during the third round of the St. Jude Championship golf tournament Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">George Walker Iv</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/-ECRf8Ux1JqyjU3khot7Gni3vI4=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/QPHAB674YFDJPER3QBSQ6W73MA.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5147" width="3432"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Matt McCarty hits from the fifth tee during the first round of the St. Jude Championship golf tournament, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">George Walker Iv</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/XExa_CLtIUpdO2xqs8XeyXV4QFc=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/WFMJ4QN6PFD27CQQ4AAVPPDZRU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4375" width="6561"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Sungjae Im, of South Korea, reacts to his putt on the fourth green during the final round of the St. Jude Championship golf tournament, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">George Walker Iv</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/Acovl86T5vxJoKFiVhQD-jmEOVE=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/FUFTPU4HQZAQBFQAJURKQF6WZQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5760" width="8640"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Maverick McNealy chips onto the fourth green during the second round of the St. Jude Championship golf tournament Friday, Aug. 14, 2026, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">George Walker Iv</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[JSO investigating after man found shot inside vacant Jacksonville home]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2026/08/16/jso-investigating-homicide-after-man-found-shot-inside-vacant-jacksonville-home/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2026/08/16/jso-investigating-homicide-after-man-found-shot-inside-vacant-jacksonville-home/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Franchette O'Neal]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[A man was found shot to death inside a vacant home on Jacksonville's 27th Street after a concerned citizen called authorities Sunday morning.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 23:45:58 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office detectives are investigating a homicide after a man was found shot inside a vacant home on the city’s 27th Street Sunday morning.</p><p>A concerned citizen called 911 around 10 a.m. after spotting an unresponsive man through an open front door of a residence in the 200 block of 27th Street, according to JSO Sgt. Steve Rudlaff.</p><p>JSO patrol officers and Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department crews responded to the scene. Upon arrival, they found a man, believed to be between 20 and 30 years old, lying on the floor of the vacant residence. The victim had been shot multiple times.</p><p>Detectives with JSO’s Homicide Unit and Crime Scene Unit responded to the scene and are currently conducting their investigation, Rudlaff said.</p><p>“At this time, we do not know the circumstances of the incident or the relationship to those involved,” he said.</p><p>JSO said it will continue to coordinate efforts with the Medical Examiner’s Office and the State Attorney’s Office as the investigation proceeds.</p><p>Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact JSO at 904-630-0500, email <a href="mailto:JSOCRIMETIPS@jaxsheriff.org" target="_blank" rel="" title="mailto:JSOCRIMETIPS@jaxsheriff.org"><u>JSOCRIMETIPS@jaxsheriff.org</u></a> or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/ARdphGWgYO7y1Hrc6mnAvqAurwQ=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/4VOVMXCY3VARXGEEGR42VRPWGM.png" type="image/png" height="938" width="1778"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[JSO investigating homicide after man was found shot to death in vacant Jacksonville home]]></media:description></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Tropical Storm Lala rakes Hawaii with high winds and rain without making landfall]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/national/2026/08/16/lala-is-again-a-tropical-storm-sending-drenching-rain-and-winds-across-the-hawaiian-islands/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/national/2026/08/16/lala-is-again-a-tropical-storm-sending-drenching-rain-and-winds-across-the-hawaiian-islands/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Alexa St. John And Ed White, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Hurricane Lala has weakened to a tropical storm after raking Hawaii without making landfall.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 12:56:04 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hurricane Lala weakened Sunday to a tropical storm after raking Hawaii without making landfall, its heavy rains and winds strong enough to sweep around 100 homes off their foundations on the Big Island, officials said.</p><p>Gov. Josh Green said no one is believed to have died when the homes washed away. Earlier, a search-and-rescue mission was launched in the coastal communities of Na’alehu and Wai’ohinu, near the Big Island’s southern tip. </p><p>He spoke at a news conference as the storm continued to punish the islands with strong gusts and pounding rain, reaching a total of nearly three feet (one meter) in places.</p><p>Cynthia Channels, a local organizer who works with unhoused people and families in need, has been driving around Oahu in her pickup truck, assessing damage. For her, the wind has been the worst part of the storm.</p><p>“The winds are really bad, people’s shingles are falling off the roofs,” Channels said.</p><p>Green said its not clear if a vehicle wreck that killed one person Saturday in the South Point area of the Big Island was storm related.</p><p>Storm hits islands with flooding and power outages</p><p>Honolulu, on Oahu, was bearing the brunt of the tropical storm conditions spreading westward over the island chain. The Honolulu Fire Department had received more than 600 weather-related responses by noon local time Sunday, including 147 reports of downed trees. There were also roofs blown off, downed power lines and one swimmer who had to be rescued, a city statement said. </p><p>Much of the state remained under a flash flood warning, though the National Hurricane Center downgraded the Big Island to a flood advisory Sunday. </p><p>“Basically, the best thing to do right now is just stay home for a bit longer,” weather service meteorologist Stephen Parker said. “The storm won’t last forever and once those kind of threats get cleaned up, it will be safe to be out and about again.”</p><p>More than 200,000 homes and businesses were without power by midday, according to the utility tracker poweroutage.us. That included nearly two-thirds of customers on the Big Island. At least three hospitals were operating on generator power, the governor said, adding damage to roads and several small bridges was making some places hard to reach.</p><p>“Everyone is safe and healthy,” said Green, a medical doctor who previously worked in emergency departments of remote hospitals on the Big Island. “But boy, a lot of work ahead.”</p><p>Powerful waves pounded the Big Island’s coast. Just missing landfall, the eyewall didn’t weaken, and its winds pounded mountainsides as bands of rain blew nearly sideways. The storm came three years after the state experienced the <a href="https://investigation/">deadliest wildfire</a> in the U.S. in more than a century.</p><p>Lala isn’t losing strength as wind and rains lash Hawaii</p><p>Tropical storm warnings were in effect for the islands of Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Oahu, Kauai and Niihau, raising the possibility of destructive flooding.</p><p>The heaviest rain Sunday was falling on Lanai, Moloka’i and Oahu, while the highest wind gusts topped 100 mph (161 kph) at the towering Mauna Kea volcano on the Big Island, Parker said.</p><p>As of 11 a.m. in Hawaii, Lala was centered about 140 miles (220 kilometers) west of Honolulu with top sustained winds of 65 mph (100 kph), the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in its latest advisory. The storm was moving west-northwest at about 16 mph (28 kph). </p><p>The advisory said the storm's strength is expected to change little through Monday and forecasters expect Lala could become a hurricane again on Tuesday or Wednesday when it has moved well west of the island chain.</p><p>Some higher-altitude places on the Big Island, dominated by Mauna Kea, have been hit with as much as 35 inches (89 centimeters) of rain. That’s enough to loosen steep slopes where some of the 210,000 islanders live off the grid in improvised housing.</p><p>As the hurricane approached, shelters were opened, events were canceled and ranchers were urged to leave their cattle in pastures rather than structures that might collapse. Many residents are still dealing with the aftermath of <a href="https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-flooding-heavy-rain-oahu-north-shore-e4b4f3642491b3e5de4a5ad7b82e9f39">devastating floods</a> in March and took precautions. </p><p>A beloved bakery is damaged</p><p>The Punalu’u Bake Shop on in Naalehu, Big Island, a tourist hotspot and major local employer, was severely damaged. Zachary Kennedy, the manager of the Hawaiian sweet bread bakery, said water rushed through their factories and retail store, leaving behind around three feet (1 meter) of mud.</p><p>“This is a different level of damage, it’s literally catastrophic,” Kennedy said.</p><p>Kate McLellan, a resident on Oahu’s North Shore, was still waiting for the worst of the storm after her power went out Sunday morning, glued to the weather network. </p><p>In March and April, her community was hit by back-to-back storms with heavy rain and high winds, keeping residents on high alert. Memories of that storm were “giving that same uncertainty and hesitation and panic and anxiety,” McLellan said.</p><p>Nicole Clark has been sheltering in place on Kauai and is prepared to stay there after her school was canceled Monday for her kids because of a tree blocking a road. Still, she said she’s inspired and comforted by the sense of community established across Hawaii during storms like this.</p><p>“It’s a good feeling during hard times,” Clark said.</p><p>___</p><p>Associated Press writers Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, Geoff Mulvihill, Alexa St. John and Ed White contributed.</p><p>___</p><p>Schuettler is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. <a href="https://www.reportforamerica.org/">Report for America</a> is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/zjUG2n96DHjXJIrPYxYk5vtOou8=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/7BIQXALFANCXDICFLWHC3UZZHE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2160" width="3600"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[This NOAA satellite image taken at 3:50 PM ET (EDT) on Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, shows Tropical Storm Lala over Hawaii. (NOAA via AP)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Uncredited</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/AM4ZxM44-13lpm9ukUsXej7p4JQ=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/PA73YFVZ7FCVLAIOE4SG7SUVNE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="739" width="1108"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[This photo released by the Hawaii Department of Transportation shows damage along a roadway on the eastern edge of Hawaii's Big Island from Hurricane Lala, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (Hawaii Department of Transportation via AP)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Uncredited</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Irish fans praised for standout support of their athletes at European championships in Birmingham]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/irish-fans-praised-for-standout-support-of-their-athletes-at-european-championships-in-birmingham/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/irish-fans-praised-for-standout-support-of-their-athletes-at-european-championships-in-birmingham/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Ken Maguire, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Irish athletes at the European championships in Birmingham, England, say they feel like they're competing at home.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 13:49:05 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Paul O’Donnell was struggling in the marathon on Sunday morning. The Irish fans got him home.</p><p>“It was incredible, to see green and the tricolors all over the course,” the Irishman said. “The support kept me going. It was much appreciated. It was just a roar, ‘Go Ireland, go Paul.'"</p><p>Whether waving flags or roaring for their athletes, Irish fans have made their mark at the European championships in Birmingham. Ireland's athletes have taken note, as have broadcasters and organizers.</p><p>“It feels like a home championships,” O’Donnell, who finished 43rd, told The Associated Press.</p><p>The official Instagram account of the games, Birmingham 2026, posted: “Beginning to think the Irish fans are the best fans in Europe!" In another post, it added: “From Dublin to Birmingham and everywhere in between, they follow their athletes across the world, and the noise they bring is unmatched.”</p><p>Kate O'Connor won the heptathlon on Saturday to double Ireland's gold tally. Mark English had won the 800-meter final on Thursday, followed minutes later by a silver medal for Rhasidat Adeleke in the 200 meters. Andrew Coscoran picked up a bronze in the 1,500.</p><p>Husband-wife duo Eoin Murphy and Emma McNelis of Dublin were in Alexander Stadium to see O’Connor complete her heptathlon victory.</p><p>“It feels like there’s as many Irish as British here — at the stadium,” McNelis said as they watched the marathon.</p><p>Murphy bought an Irish flag at the Dublin airport for their weekend trip. For him, Coscoran's bronze was the highlight "because it was so surprising. He was in the middle of the pack for most of it.”</p><p>In interviews with Athletics Ireland, Irish competitors marveled at the support they’ve received in Birmingham.</p><p>O’Connor described the experience as “probably the closest we’ll ever get to a home games.”</p><p>“It’s a championships that I’ll obviously never forget for winning gold but also never forget the roars, the cheers, the support,” she said. “I’ve never experienced anything like that before.”</p><p>“Seeing so many kids as well out there that are screaming for autographs and photos," O’Connor added, "it kind of makes you realize the effect that you have on the country by, I don’t know, running, jumping, throwing, doing all those events as well as you can.”</p><p>Ireland's medal haul for the championships stayed at four. Sarah Healy and Sophie O’Sullivan competed in the 1,500 final Sunday night but finished outside the top three.</p><p>National pride is a big factor</p><p>In an annual survey, champion boxer Katie Taylor regularly tops the list as Ireland’s “most admired athlete” despite boxing not ranking among the favorite sports. Gaelic Games topped the list just ahead of soccer, with rugby third and "athletics/tennis" fourth in the <a href="https://sportforbusiness.com/taylor-and-parrot-top-the-moments-and-the-memories-of-2025/">2025 edition</a> of the Teneo Sport and Sponsorship Index.</p><p>Athletics stars from this week will likely get some love in the next version.</p><p>Adeleke was second to Taylor in the 2024 survey after winning a gold medal and two silver medals at the 2024 European championships in Rome.</p><p>This week, the 23-year-old Adeleke said she felt like she was home thanks to the Irish fans.</p><p>“Definitely trumped any other nation that was out there. So loud, so supportive,” she said.</p><p>Adeleke's silver on Thursday came shortly after English's gold.</p><p>“Twenty minutes, two medals. That’s a great night out for us.”</p><p>___</p><p>
<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sports-europe">See full AP coverage of European sports here</a>
</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/S0F_TDH999zEofWeM1fmg2Y6VMQ=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/FKG4M2CGYJGERFBSRTMNZS5KYU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4570" width="6854"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Ireland's Kate O'Connor celebrates after winning the gold medal in the heptathlon at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Petr David Josek</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/qheK1T3PGzVcSPNZMFrDK5tEJDA=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/DKOXYGQYTVC7DIIIEQL4Z2SJ6Y.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3638" width="5457"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Mark English of Ireland celebrates after winning the gold medal in the men's 800 meters final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Petr David Josek</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/WEyMExp2PpSHw0CnqS2THpmvP8k=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/637YPYJJ6BBFDG52YIIEW7W5BQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5390" width="8085"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Amy Hunt of Britain celebrates winning the gold medal with Rhasidat Adeleke of Ireland, who took the silver, in the women's 200 meters final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Petr David Josek</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/JJM2DcfkG5GXVZrQrHL1BqiYJCE=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/ZEJDDJJADVBAVAPDV3OOBRKBRQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3008" width="4512"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Ireland's Andrew Coscoran celebrates winning the bronze medal in the men's 1,500 meters final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Morgan Harlow)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Morgan Harlow</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/8MhgeW6CADoVmCk4eCYIlIviwG0=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/2Q7FNEPPDFAQPP2E6WKSUXNUGQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4656" width="6985"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Iris fans cheer during the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Petr David Josek</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Britain's Amy Hunt wins record 4th gold medal at European championships. 'Mondo' victorious again]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/britains-amy-hunt-wins-record-fourth-gold-medal-at-european-championships/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/britains-amy-hunt-wins-record-fourth-gold-medal-at-european-championships/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Amy Hunt has won a record fourth gold medal in a single edition of the European championships after Britain clinched victory in the mixed 4x100 relay.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 11:56:19 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Amy Hunt won a record fourth gold medal in a single edition of the European championships when Britain clinched victory in the mixed 4x100 relay on Sunday.</p><p>Hunt had already won two individual titles — the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/european-championships-athletics-birmingham-ingebrigtsen-2e208e2d57c3debf063c7da6b6e1e33c">100</a> and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/european-championships-werro-800-hodgkinson-hunt-asher-73567cae89074eca6b12c21886391319">200</a> — and added a third gold Saturday in the women’s 4x100 relay at Alexander Stadium.</p><p>The team of Jeremiah Azu, Dina Asher-Smith, Zharnel Hughes and Hunt won Sunday in a time of 39.97 seconds. Germany was second in 40.11 and Spain third in 40.42.</p><p>On the anchor leg, Hunt pulled away from Gina Lückenkemper to cross the line for gold.</p><p>“Oh my gosh, I'm over the moon,” Hunt told the BBC. “To finish it off with some of my best friends in the sport ... to do it all together is incredible.”</p><p>Asher-Smith won her career eighth European championships gold and became the competition's most decorated athlete with her 11th medal, moving one ahead of the late Polish sprinter Irena Szewinska.</p><p>This was the debut of the mixed 4x100 relay in the European championships.</p><p>“It’s good to get to try something new,” Asher-Smith told the BBC, although she added, “I was absolutely terrified.”</p><p>Four in a row for Duplantis</p><p>Swedish pole vaulter Armand “Mondo” Duplantis earned his fourth consecutive European championship title by clearing 6.15 meters.</p><p>Duplantis is the world record holder — he vaulted 6.31 meters in March. That was his <a href="https://apnews.com/article/duplantis-world-record-db214e9de5264d25a8afe06964c040f6">15th world record</a>. He first broke it in 2020 and has eclipsed his mark by 1 centimeter each time since.</p><p>The <a href="https://apnews.com/article/olympics-2024-lyles-kipyegon-track-83b6724f92e53cff78508ce4e2117865">two-time reigning Olympic champion</a> watched on as Greek rival Emmanouil Karalis (6.00) lost momentum after getting over 6.10 but knocking the bar off on his way down. Karalis took his second straight silver at the championships. France's Baptiste Thiery (5.85) earned bronze.</p><p>Italy wins medal table</p><p>Bragging rights were on the line in the last event of the week-long championships when Britain and Italy were tied at nine golds each atop the medal table.</p><p>The Italians pulled out the victory in the men's 4x400 relay final, and the home team settled for silver. That means Italy topped the table with 10 golds and an overall 22 medals, three more than Britain's total.</p><p>Italy also topped the medal table two years ago in Rome.</p><p>In the penultimate event of the championships, the Dutch women's 4x400 relay team won gold when star Femke Broeders-Bol held off Britain's Emily Newnham down the stretch. It was the third straight women’s 4x400 relay championships title and Broeders-Bol's sixth career gold at the championships.</p><p>In the women's 1,500 final, Britain's Georgia Hunter Bell improved on her silver medal from two years ago by crossing the line first in 4:07.78.</p><p>Larissa Iapichino had added to Italy's gold tally by winning the women's long jump, leaping 7.00 meters for the title.</p><p>Memorable marathons </p><p>Amanal Petros made sure there was no photo finish this time.</p><p>The German won the men’s marathon on Sunday morning by a whopping 7 seconds, less than a year after missing out on gold in a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/marathon-photo-finish-worlds-tanzania-b40e983172d6ec3d2638ee64b5520575">photo finish at the world championships</a> in Tokyo.</p><p>Petros crossed the finish line in Birmingham in 2 hours, 9 minutes, 11 seconds — breaking the championships record in the process. Italy’s Pietro Riva took silver with his 2:09:18, three seconds better than Israel’s Gashau Ayale.</p><p>Last September, the Eritrean-born Petros settled for silver behind Tanzania’s Alphonce Simbu in the closest marathon in world championships history. Both men were officially clocked at 2:09:48, but it was determined that Simbu crossed the line a fraction sooner.</p><p>In the women’s marathon Sunday, Finland’s Alisa Vainio dominated the field to finish in 2:22:26, nearly five minutes ahead of silver medalist Lili Anna Vindics-Toth of Hungary. Britain’s Abbie Donnelly took bronze. Vainio broke Christelle Daunay’s championship record from 2014 by almost three minutes.</p><p>___</p><p>
<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sports-europe">See full AP coverage of European sports here</a>
</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/zsQOxIRdyFgyOPbY7k8ayViXAJg=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/P7C3HWRXTJFQLHBCTBRDYJBFWM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4350" width="6525"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Britain's Amy Hunt crosses the finish line to win the mixed 4 X 100 meters relay final setting a new European record at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Matthias Schrader</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/FW-fGVD5Uylfl8i2aiAq92IZ5CY=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/HX6Z65RAJNHTPJXD3NHGEPWCXM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5338" width="8007"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Britain's Jeremiah Azu, Dina Asher-Smith, Zharnel Hughes and Amy Hunt pose after winning the mixed 4 X 100 meters relay final setting a new European record at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Matthias Schrader</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/S4sXwl70maD_7UTNudrxrsz-Iys=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/ZR7UTH7HUJDIJIGQSJBKUCGUUU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3254" width="4881"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Sweden's Armand Duplantis bites his gold medal as he celebrates winning the men's pole vault final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Morgan Harlow)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Morgan Harlow</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/_0c4o4H2iveah9dfC4GGtSXM7vU=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/RX5TCHQCJZGCTNS3QLMX5JIO3Q.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2225" width="3337"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Sweden's Armand Duplantis competes in the men's pole vault final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Morgan Harlow)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Morgan Harlow</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/6n_8MGa8FkzJ2koBysZvYnZjUG4=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/CYROVTJGBJBA3OPRMY26ITI6UM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3211" width="4816"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Sweden's Armand Duplantis wears his wedding ring on his competition shoe shoelace at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Matthias Schrader</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Cameroon beats Malawi 3-0 to win Women’s Africa Cup of Nations for the first time]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/cameroon-beats-malawi-3-0-to-win-womens-africa-cup-of-nations-for-the-first-time/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/cameroon-beats-malawi-3-0-to-win-womens-africa-cup-of-nations-for-the-first-time/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Cameroon has finally won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations with a 3-0 victory over tournament debutant Malawi.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 19:13:45 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Three goals for three lost finals.</p><p>Cameroon finally won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday with a 3-0 victory over tournament debutant Malawi.</p><p>Marie Ngah Manga headed two goals and Naomi Eto scored the other while Cameroon kept Malawi’s Chawinga sisters in check to claim its first win in the final at the fourth attempt.</p><p>The Indomitable Lionesses, who failed to qualify for the previous edition of the tournament, had lost on their last three appearances in the final – all to 10-time winner Nigeria.</p><p>“I feel like it’s a dream because you know Cameroon have been working hard to have this moment and today for us to be champion of Africa is a very, very wonderful thing,” Ngah Manga said.</p><p><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/gianni-infantino">FIFA's under-fire president, Gianni Infantino,</a> attended the game along with CAF President Patrice Motsepe.</p><p>Infantino later helped Motsepe hand out medals to the top three teams. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/womens-africa-cup-morocco-algeria-01d56169171251098e7d6a1b430135b8">Algeria defeated Morocco</a> in the third-place decider on Saturday. </p><p>Infantino also posed with Motsepe and Samuel Eto’o, the president of the Cameroon Football Federation, for a photo with Cameroon forward Monique Ngock after she received the player of the tournament trophy.</p><p>Cameroon too strong</p><p>Malawi made the better start but suffered a double blow when Ngah Manga headed the opener from close range in the 21st minute, shortly before Eto – who had her back to goal – turned brilliantly to send the ball inside the right post.</p><p>Eto was also involved in the first goal, forcing a save from Malawi goalkeeper Mercy Sikelo before Ngah Manga scored.</p><p>Malawi failed to muster a response and Ngah Manga effectively sealed the result on a break when Eto got to the ball before Sikelo and produced a perfect cross for her teammate to head her second goal of the game and fifth overall in the tournament.</p><p>Cameroon substitutes ran onto the field to celebrate with their teammates.</p><p>The Chawinga sisters had pushed Malawi after the break. Tabitha Chawinga felt she should have had a penalty, but a VAR check deemed otherwise. Then she drew a good save from Michaely Bihina, and her sister Temwa went close from the rebound.</p><p>Cameroon veteran Gabrielle Aboudi Onguéné went on in stoppage time and duly scored, only to have the goal ruled out for offside. The 37-year-old Onguéné was part of the Cameroon team that lost the final at home to Nigeria in 2016. Despite her disallowed goal, this time she could celebrate.</p><p>___</p><p>
<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/soccer">See AP’s full soccer coverage here</a>
</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/JiRsmFVd9UVKWpQDtqEa57zA-BI=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/YX52QPQFIND7RJCSMMNA4IOEV4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2380" width="3641"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Cameroon's Naomi Leslie Ndjoah Eto, right, celebrates after scoring her team's second goal against Malawi during the Women AFCON 2026 final soccer match, in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Uncredited</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/MHy2R4K70uEUcZVDcX5xHuS2XR0=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/TFLGVO4UO5BSTOHKVEDNN63VYI.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3036" width="4572"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Cameroon's Marie Ngah celebrates after scoring her team's third goal against Malawi during the Women AFCON 2026 final soccer match, in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Uncredited</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/_stXOUebw9cf5WSC0RV6MXjptk8=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/7UFZIZ77T5G45BTOLGQFLUV6QU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3899" width="5848"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[FIFA president Gianni Infantino attends the Women AFCON 2026 final soccer match between Cameroon and Malawi, in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Uncredited</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/yqeQQSK-wZN34XD-z57w6u1x1a8=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/Y5UGW4IP5VCAFLALARWDIM34QM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4942" width="7528"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Malawi's women soccer team poses for a photo ahead of their final match against Cameroon during the Women AFCON 2026, in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Uncredited</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/0bOcbsBlItz9M1mpi_kjlUKzHlw=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/GXVYUTLXSNHG5LZ2DRBUL4TEWQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4626" width="6939"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Cameroon's women soccer team poses for a photo ahead of their final match against Malawi during the Women AFCON 2026, in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Uncredited</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[At least 7 people have died from days of heavy rain and record-setting flooding in Indiana]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/national/2026/08/16/at-least-6-people-have-died-from-days-of-storms-and-record-setting-flooding-in-indiana/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/national/2026/08/16/at-least-6-people-have-died-from-days-of-storms-and-record-setting-flooding-in-indiana/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Indiana public safety officials say at least seven people have died during days of heavy rain and historic flooding in the state.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 16:23:42 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Days of <a href="https://apnews.com/article/flooding-indiana-severe-weather-df4201a28c303852432144447db78cf0">storms and flooding in Indiana</a> left at least seven people dead as floodwaters receded in Indianapolis’ White River and rains eased in other parts of the state Sunday.</p><p>Frank Gounder was among the Indianapolis residents assessing the damage Sunday, which also happened to be his 37th birthday.</p><p>The furniture maker, who lives on the city’s hard-hit northside, less than a mile from the White River, had been at home as floodwaters crept up his driveway until they were about 2 feet deep (0.61 meters) in the house and his workshop.</p><p>Now Gounder is left to pick through waterlogged materials and handmade furniture in various stages of completion to see what, if anything, could be salvaged.</p><p>“It’s a lot. Before the water had actually gotten into my house and I saw that it was going to happen, I started freaking out, getting mad,” he said. “But after you realize you can’t do anything about it, you kind of just have to let go and just continue, or else you’re just going to be miserable.”</p><p>Storm victims mourned</p><p>A 4-year-old boy, three men and three women were among those who had died since the storms began Aug. 11, said Liz Woods, a spokesperson for the state Department of Homeland Security.</p><p>Among the latest confirmed victims was a 31-year-old cyclist found dead early Sunday in a hole that opened up on a washed-out road in Henry County, east of Indianapolis.</p><p>Henry County Coroner Brian Clark said the man, James Briar, appears to have gone around a barricade and fallen into the collapsed road.</p><p>Officials in Jennings County, in the southern end of the state, said the youngest victim reported so far was killed Tuesday when a tree crashed through his bedroom during strong winds.</p><p>“This is obviously unexpected,” Cody Low, chief deputy at the Jennings County Sheriff’s office, told the local ABC affiliate. “There’s nothing we can say that is going to make it any better. We’re going to push through this as a community.”</p><p>The other victims included a 19-year-old man whose body was recovered Saturday. Officials in Delaware County, located east of Indianapolis, said Matthew Morey had jumped off a bridge into the rushing waters of the Mississinewa River with friends three days earlier.</p><p>Family and friends gathered earlier in the week at the bridge to remember the recent high school graduate, who was headed to Purdue University, and warn of the dangers of swollen rivers.</p><p>“There are no words that can ease the pain of losing a child,” Delaware County Sheriff Tony Skinner said in a statement on Sunday. “Our hearts are with Matthew’s family, friends, classmates, and everyone who knew and loved him.”</p><p>Skinner's office also confirmed Stephanie Sallee and her dog were found dead in a cornfield Friday, not far from Sallee's car. They believe the 58-year-old had been driving on a flooded road when the vehicle was swept away.</p><p>In <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ashleydaydawn517sallee/posts/pfbid02RNzrRXBzu81VVBBQE71uQghqp59YapxwRn6GPVhSjoeRN54zD7LhzSUmbAJfzwTjl">social media posts</a>, Sallee's family remembered her as a sweet, kind and “spunky lady” who adored her grandchildren and other young relatives.</p><p>Recovery efforts are underway</p><p>In Indianapolis, flooding from the White River peaked early Sunday morning before receding, the city Department of Public Works said. </p><p>The agency <a href="https://x.com/IndyDPW/status/2089085798721155191">reopened city floodgates</a> Sunday, though they urged residents to be cautious as they returned to flood-damaged neighborhoods. Emergency shelters remained open after hundreds of homes along the river and its canals were evacuated. First responders used boats to rescue people stranded by rapidly rising floodwaters.</p><p>Recovery efforts were also underway elsewhere in the state.</p><p>“I must admit it is a good morning,” Christine Altman, president of the Hamilton County board of commissioners, said during a Sunday briefing. “It’s not raining, and the water is receding.”</p><p>She said the county, located just north of Indianapolis, escaped without any loss of life, though officials were assessing whether a significant bridge damaged in the flooding could be repaired or if it needed to be completely replaced.</p><p>While northern parts of Indiana dried out, a cluster of storms was expected to pass through the central and southern regions later Sunday, bringing the potential for heavy rain, flash flooding and damaging winds, the National Weather Service warned.</p><p>Nearly 130,000 utility customers statewide remained without power as of late Sunday, down from a peak of around 300,000, according to the online utility tracker <a href="http://poweroutage.us">PowerOutage.us</a>.</p><p>Storms brought historic flooding to Indiana</p><p>Heavy rains hammered Indiana over the past week, causing rivers to crest and setting records as roads and bridges were seriously damaged or washed out entirely by the rushing waters.</p><p>The White River crested at more than 24 feet (7.32 meters) in the communities of Anderson and Noblesville, surpassing records set in 1913.</p><p>Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said the flooding was the worst the city has seen in more than 30 years.</p><p>Gov. Mike Braun’s office said more than 350 evacuations and scores of rescue and welfare checks have occurred elsewhere in the state, including at a senior mobile home community north of Indianapolis.</p><p>President Donald Trump on Saturday approved Braun’s request for federal disaster assistance to help with flooding response and recovery efforts.</p><p>The drenching rains and destructive flooding were among the impacts of <a href="https://apnews.com/article/weather-derecho-tornado-flooding-power-midwest-83fd919c9394218c38df03bc9db8073d">severe storms</a> that have wreaked havoc across the Midwest and beyond in recent days.</p><p>Tornadoes, heavy rains and flash flooding brought serious damage to communities from Illinois to western Pennsylvania.</p><p>___</p><p>Marcelo reported from New York.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/K4nDZNJok8IkRQA3rCrQz83UOH4=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/BEJFD2777RBSZCG7FZBLDKNWMM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3808" width="5712"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A flooded home is seen in Indianapolis, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Obed Lamy)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Obed Lamy</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/cWHDmmf8ddz_jJ_CM0NRTNdxngg=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/6QLA2ZSQFZCI5KIZQ2FFKVO7IM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3477" width="5216"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Frank Gounder sits in his flooded backyard, where his wood shop was also damaged by floodwaters, in Indianapolis, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Obed Lamy)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Obed Lamy</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/N1miYTUubsLCo_yPcX3aeKg1qTU=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/NYD7HPDJJZGPLK56VZLUWNBXIY.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3288" width="4932"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Residents paddle through a flooded neighborhood in a kayak in Indianapolis, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Obed Lamy)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Obed Lamy</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/rH4zjqjXT-SxsNZ3NexZ2-kt-i0=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/6XGON5F5ONAAFCYACDDGJOAL3A.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3316" width="4974"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Residents transport items from their flooded homes by kayak in Indianapolis, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Obed Lamy)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Obed Lamy</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/0JCpNAyhDXIyR_M1grbbCxxXWtw=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/TWTDPXFX5ZE6XI6JSVEY47GZF4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2032" width="3049"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Vehicles sit in water in front of a flooded home in Indianapolis, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Obed Lamy)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Obed Lamy</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Arizona third baseman Arenado worried after leaving loss to the Braves with left trunk discomfort]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/arizona-third-baseman-arenado-worried-after-leaving-loss-to-the-braves-with-left-trunk-discomfort/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/arizona-third-baseman-arenado-worried-after-leaving-loss-to-the-braves-with-left-trunk-discomfort/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Paul Newberry, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[One day after hitting two homers, Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Nolan Arenado is fretting about a pain he’s never felt.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 19:42:51 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>One day after <a href="https://10-3 win over Atlanta">hitting two homers</a>, Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Nolan Arenado was fretting about a pain he's never felt.</p><p>Arenado pulled himself out of <a href="https://apnews.com/article/braves-diamondbacks-score-1ca871292b703a33b28679d946013c91">a 5-3 loss</a> to the Atlanta Braves in the fourth inning Sunday with what was described as left trunk discomfort.</p><p>He only hopes it's not too serious, especially when the Diamondbacks are vying for a playoff spot. They came into the day in a three-way tie with San Diego and Philadelphia for the final two NL wild-card spots.</p><p>“I am worried,” Arenado said. “I’ve never had that before, so I don't know what it is.”</p><p>Arenado said he initially felt the pain while bending over in the batter's box and it felt worse after he swung. He slowed up noticeably while running to first and quickly decided to leave the game.</p><p>“I felt a little bit of pain in my intercostal area,” he said in the clubhouse afterward, pointing toward his left rib cage. “I don't know. It just didn't feel right. I haven't really felt that before, so I had to get get taken out of the game.”</p><p>With the team heading to Boston for the start of a three-game series on Monday, Arenado will have as MRI to determine the extent of the injury.</p><p>“It doesn't feel great,” he said. "I felt it before the at-bat, but it didn’t feel like pain or anything. Then, when I swung, I was like ‘ahh.’ It wasn’t getting drastically worse, but it doesn’t feel right. So I thought I would let them know.”</p><p>That raised the concern of manager Torey Lovullo.</p><p>“The last thing he wants to do is take himself out of the game,” Lovullo said. “That's just his mentality. He's ferocious. He wants to play every inning of every game. When I got that news, it wasn't great.”</p><p>While expressing cautious optimism that the injury isn't serious, Lovullo was taken aback when told by the media that Arenado described it as an intercostal issue, referring to the muscles between the rib cage.</p><p>“That's news to me,” the skipper said. “If he's concerned, then that will ramp up my concern. We care about each other in this clubhouse.”</p><p>The 35-year-old Arenado, an eight-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove winner, has made a big impact in his first season with the Diamondbacks. He is hitting .241 with 20 homers and 62 RBIs after being acquired in a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/arenado-cardinals-diamondbacks-trade-ec1e24d255497e19937e25d9c6545fd3">salary-dump trade with St. Louis</a> during the offseason.</p><p>“He's having a tremendous year," Lovullo said. "I thought about giving him the day off, but he hit two home runs yesterday and had a really nice day. He didn't want it, nor did he ask for it, but it's one of those things where you're got to be careful in different situations. He's just been playing hard, but something didn't feel right, so he spoke up.”</p><p>Arenado said he's used to the normal aches and pains at this stage of his career, especially when playing the day after a night game.</p><p>“It's a day game, so it's hard to get going," he said. "You always feel things that don't feel quite loose, but you get loose as the game goes on. I didn't feel it hitting it the cage today getting loose for the game. I didn't really feel anything until I bent over to put my leg guard on. Then I felt a little something swinging and that was it.”</p><p>Arenado was replaced by Ildemaro Vargas, who homered in the seventh to tie the game at 2, before Atlanta's Matt Olson hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the frame.</p><p>___</p><p>
<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mlb">See AP’s full MLB coverage here</a>
</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/vFikJbzkd81elVra9iC3F2KrW6U=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/6FXCH5FAQ5D7JN2GUA65SQU6RI.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2854" width="4281"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) follows through on an RBI grounder against the Atlanta Braves during the second inning of a baseball game, Saturday, August 15, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Erik S. Lesser</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/Mq-wa4u11re9qV-k3AFYgECUMU8=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/D45HZCKD75FIPBS3Z3UBCVO6HU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2599" width="3898"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) celebrates with first baseman Tim Tawa (13) after the Diamondbacks defeated the Atlanta Braves during the ninth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, August 15, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Erik S. Lesser</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/npvi1c1H684_Ns1QKFr-HGR3eM4=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/XM4RNSAK4NCPZFRMHBSWERCOUM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3572" width="5358"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Arizona Diamondbacks' Nolan Arenado, right, reacts while rounding the bases after hitting a solo home run off Atlanta Braves pitcher Brent Suter, left, during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Erik S. Lesser</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Lake Powell hits record low, threatening key water and electricity supply for millions]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/national/2026/08/16/lake-powell-hits-record-low-threatening-key-water-and-electricity-supply-for-millions/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/national/2026/08/16/lake-powell-hits-record-low-threatening-key-water-and-electricity-supply-for-millions/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[The water level at Lake Powell has fallen to a record low in another sign of crisis along the Colorado River.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 21:18:26 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The water level at Lake Powell, the United States’ second-largest reservoir, has fallen to a record low, heightening concerns about the ongoing crisis in the Colorado River system.</p><p>The alarming milestone at Lake Powell, reached Saturday, comes about a week after the river’s other major reservoir, Lake Mead, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/colorado-river-lake-mead-record-low-fa402842e76ed624f71360f467b2579d">also hit a historic low</a>. Plummeting water levels pose a major threat to the Colorado River Basin, which is a key resource for wildlife, hydropower and more than 40 million people in seven U.S. states.</p><p>The historic lows come as the federal government and states that rely on the river — California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and Colorado — struggle to reach agreement on a long-term management plan for the dwindling resource. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/colorado-drought-water-snow-record-west-d204acb04bdac2524071b6bd627e4665">Persistent overuse</a> combined with <a href="https://apnews.com/climate-and-environment">a record-dry winter</a> and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-temperature-record-weather-el-nino-369298794ffd94665ed78a6b4f3b0267">rising temperatures</a> have been depleting both Lake Powell and Lake Mead.</p><p>Lake Powell’s elevation dropped to 3,519.91 feet (1072.9 meters) above sea level on Saturday, dropping just slightly below a previous record set in April 2023, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The lake is more than 20 feet (6.10 meters) lower than it was at the start of the year, USBR data shows.</p><p>The reservoir is now about 30 feet (9.1 meters) away from the point at which turbines would stop producing hydroelectric power. Federal officials warned in April that a “major intervention” would be necessary to avoid reaching that threshold by the end of this year.</p><p>USBR in July proposed <a href="https://apnews.com/article/colorado-river-drought-reclamation-interior-arizona-california-8a5e69b34135be73224532c54d581e8a">a 10-year plan</a> that includes major potential water cuts for Arizona, California and Nevada. </p><p>The crisis has been in the making for years. Both reservoirs are at the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/lake-powell-colorado-river-climate-change-drought-2d30b7625db946a2cf61658567f62121">lowest they have been</a> in nearly seven decades, and levels may continue to drop, USBR data shows.</p><p>The last time their combined storage was this small was in May 1957 when Glen Canyon Dam that holds back Powell was being built, according to a recent paper published by a group of academics and retired water officials. Powell began to fill in 1963.</p><p>The depletion has also impacted Lake Powell’s substantial tourism industry, forcing marinas in the reservoir to adapt. Boat ramps have closed or moved, new ones are being added and marinas have been temporarily relocated to deeper waters.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/4oOpQGK9yLSi9BofMQcVT9CdXXc=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/R6VY72NL3FHALIUN5WJ5J3IJLU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5760" width="8640"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[The Wahweap Marina floats on Lake Powell at the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Wednesday, July 15, 2026, near Page, Ariz. (AP Photo/John Locher)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">John Locher</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/Jlx2-PMUIdJbzFuL0PMoQ7QIfPM=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/3U6ACWZJ25DJDCOWPPH5QMOAZU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5760" width="8640"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A person takes a picture during a tour on Lake Powell at the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Wednesday, July 15, 2026, near Page, Ariz. A bathtub ring of light minerals on the canyon wall shows the high water mark of the reservoir. (AP Photo/John Locher)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">John Locher</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Kushner has a rare meeting with Hamas' leader on the Gaza road map. A meeting with Netanyahu is next]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/16/us-envoy-kushner-meets-hamas-leader-in-push-for-a-gaza-road-map-before-heading-to-see-netanyahu/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/16/us-envoy-kushner-meets-hamas-leader-in-push-for-a-gaza-road-map-before-heading-to-see-netanyahu/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Samy Magdy, Julia Frankel And Cara Anna, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[U.S. negotiator Jared Kushner has held a rare meeting with the Hamas chief in Egypt in a push to make progress on the stalled Gaza ceasefire.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 17:39:02 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>U.S. negotiator and President <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> 's son-in-law Jared Kushner held a rare meeting with the Hamas chief on Sunday in a new diplomatic effort to make progress in the stalled <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Gaza ceasefire</a>. Kushner will meet on Monday with Israel's prime minister, who is under pressure after rejecting the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-hamas-israel-deal-text-7347ef0f3b745f22c12b67f786b70f0f">new 15-point, U.S.-backed road map</a>.</p><p>The talks aim to salvage the plan for Hamas to disarm and Israel to withdraw from the Palestinian territory shattered by war.</p><p>At stake are the lives of some 2 million people in Gaza and reconstruction of the crowded enclave now largely controlled by Israeli forces, more than 10 months since the ceasefire ended major military operations. A meeting between Kushner, fellow envoy Steve Witkoff and Hamas leaders in Egypt last year helped clinch the ceasefire, whose progress until now had been stalled over the key issue of Hamas’ disarmament.</p><p>The more than two-hour meeting in Egypt with Hamas' Khalil al-Hayya was confirmed by a regional official and a Hamas official, both speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters. Kushner was one of a trio of envoys meeting with al-Hayya, with officials from mediating countries Egypt, Qatar and Turkey also there.</p><p>Hamas in a statement later called on mediators and the U.S.-created <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-kushner-gaza-board-of-peace-israel-cebcf8dfa28edd0ddcc61d28e5bf4488">Board of Peace overseeing the ceasefire</a> to “compel” Israel to approve the road map for next steps.</p><p><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/benjamin-netanyahu">Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu</a> last week <a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-gaza-news-1215e52022856b9de9837237a0e188fa">rejected the 15-point plan</a> in a rare public show of defiance against the Trump administration, Israel’s closest ally.</p><p>Kushner, former British prime minister Tony Blair and the Board of Peace director, Nickolay Mladenov, are to meet with Netanyahu on Monday, according to a source familiar with the plans and a diplomatic source. Both spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a closed-door meeting.</p><p>Regional powers accuse Israel of obstructing peace efforts</p><p>Several regional powers including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates issued a statement condemning Israel’s rejection of the road map, saying that “Israel now bears responsibility for obstructing the efforts to bring peace in Gaza.” Other signers included Jordan, Pakistan, Indonesia and the ceasefire mediators.</p><p>The foreign ministers' statement called on the Board of Peace and the U.S. to take “immediate and concrete measures” to keep any party from obstructing the plan’s implementation.</p><p>Kushner’s meeting with the Hamas leader aimed at ensuring the militant group’s commitment to the road map, particularly disarmament, before his meeting with Netanyahu, the regional official said.</p><p>The Hamas official said the group is committed and waiting for mediators to start the 14-day negotiation period to work out a timetable for implementation. That period requires all parties' approval of the road map to begin.</p><p>The Hamas official also said the Hamas leader demanded that Israel halt its attacks on Gaza and withdraw to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-yellow-line-barrier-ceasefire-941ed80f6d4398ce88916f6b08753dd8">so-called “yellow line”</a> dividing the territory before beginning implementation. The yellow line was never precisely defined. Israeli forces have moved beyond it and now control about 60% of Gaza.</p><p>In May, Netanyahu said the next step was to move to 70% control, with Israel “tightening the grip” on Hamas “from every direction.”</p><p>The White House had no comment on the talks</p><p>The White House referred questions about Kushner's meetings to the Board of Peace, which did not immediately comment. The Tony Blair Institute did not comment.</p><p>Under the road map, Hamas would hand over weapons to the Palestinian technocratic committee meant to oversee daily operations in the territory. The committee has not yet entered Gaza. But Hamas has linked the surrender of its heaviest weapons to the creation of a Palestinian state, something Israel’s current government rejects.</p><p>The road map involves Hamas gradually giving up its weapons while Israeli forces halt attacks and begin withdrawing from Gaza. But Netanyahu says Israel will not retreat from any position in Gaza until Hamas has been completely disarmed.</p><p>That stance leaves other elements of the ceasefire, including reconstruction and the deployment of <a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-trump-indonesia-stabilization-force-a5e1d4a894746104c1335b6962c0ab69">international forces</a> to separate Israeli forces from committee-controlled areas, on hold.</p><p>Netanyahu faces a challenging election on Oct. 27 as he tries to hold on to power with a coalition that includes <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ben-gvir-israel-gaza-hamas-netanyahu-53f98e92686746f3c9bccd7cf59f26ad">ministers taking a harsh line</a> on Gaza, and it's not clear whether he will take decisive steps on the ceasefire before then. Also coming up is the anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that sparked the war.</p><p>Netanyahu's Likud party on Sunday responded to the statement by regional powers by claiming that “Arab states want to topple” Netanyahu so that centrist challenger Gadi Eisenkot and center-left party leader Yair Golan "will give them everything they want. That will not happen.”</p><p>___</p><p>Frankel reported from Jerusalem and Anna from Lowville, New York. Collin Binkley in Washington and Sylvia Hui in London contributed.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/3qQhfd7r_nVyPSoBZxNk6tAw9nA=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/VDUUCQ7TWFFTJH23N3ZVMCUCGU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5760" width="8640"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Palestinians remove iron from the rubble of buildings destroyed by Israeli airstrikes during the war with Hamas, repair and recycle it for construction, building tents or selling it, in Gaza City, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jehad Alshrafi</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/bJrGKUAm2GU2uosEYx9UpbdXcmk=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/IN423ES5PNBBVCRVPZW4UWI6NI.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4863" width="7295"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[FILE - Jared Kushner waits to walk into the ring after the lightweight championship bout at UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn of the White House, June 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Alex Brandon</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/Sff8B6VHm3h-rEdKqJVFkt4bsrk=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/S2O2JYMUXRC75A5XKL2QH7WRX4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5760" width="8640"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A Palestinian vendor offers bottles of diesel for sale in al-Maghazi refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Abdel Kareem Hana</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/ioSBEgpWiuqF7E0VKme62eyVEno=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/XOSNSQZI25DMDBO4A5GKAZSJOA.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5760" width="8640"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A Palestinian salesman shows an iPhone 17 Pro Max to the camera at a mobile phone store in Gaza City, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Abdel Kareem Hana</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Barcelona set to sign Rodri after agreeing to deal with Man City, AP source says]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/barcelona-set-to-sign-rodri-after-agreeing-to-deal-with-man-city-ap-source-says/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/barcelona-set-to-sign-rodri-after-agreeing-to-deal-with-man-city-ap-source-says/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Steve Douglas, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Spain’s World Cup-winning captain Rodri appears to be heading back home after Manchester City and Barcelona reached an agreement over the midfielder’s move.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 19:59:07 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Rodri, Spain’s <a href="https://apnews.com/article/argentina-spain-world-cup-final-score-messi-fccc26aa12d9226e63d06b601b770617">World Cup-winning</a> captain, appears to be heading back to Spain after Manchester City and Barcelona reached an agreement over the midfielder’s transfer.</p><p>The clubs have agreed to a deal for Rodri worth 76.5 million euros ($88.5 million), a person with knowledge of the transaction confirmed to The Associated Press on Sunday.</p><p>The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the details of the deal have not been made public.</p><p>Neither City nor Barcelona have made any official comment about the transfer.</p><p>The 30-year-old Rodri has played for City since joining from Atletico Madrid in 2019. He <a href="https://apnews.com/article/champions-league-final-man-city-inter-milan-e83c25f081ba6c28919615545f13eb2e">scored the winning goal</a> in the Champions League final victory over Inter Milan in 2023 and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ballon-dor-rodri-vinicius-bonmati-a0693556e3bcced352d2521adee8c51d">won the Ballon d'Or</a> as the world's best player the following year after being part of Spain's European Championship-winning team.</p><p>He was an integral member of Spain's team that won the World Cup last month and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-cup-golden-boot-awards-messi-mbappe-2036d505bc97ce3a116f20dd67db43e5">won the Golden Ball</a> as the tournament's best player.</p><p>Rodri had one year left on his contract with City.</p><p>His departure would further weaken City's midfield, with Bernardo Silva having left and joined Real Madrid this summer.</p><p>Rodri did not play Sunday in <a href="https://apnews.com/article/arsenal-man-city-community-shield-a55fcf3567a1880f626082b12c134731">City’s 3-0 defeat to Arsenal in the Community Shield</a>. He is currently recovering from minor back surgery that he underwent after the World Cup.</p><p>___</p><p>
<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/soccer">See AP’s full soccer coverage here</a>
</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/a0t4SwE_CxcigcaBqrNl_3MoqR8=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/3IP7T7ZA55DBRBA2CDQ2OEFJLI.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3897" width="5846"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Spain's Rodri poses with the tournament's best player award at the end of the World Cup final soccer match between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Ashley Landis</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/kQ3YJIKmIjIVZ7k33h_4-kChg3w=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/MQGQ4UMFRNBELB23D23COVNDEM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4457" width="6685"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Spain's Rodri celebrates with the tournament's best player award after the World Cup final soccer match between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Abbie Parr</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/WeL-go7TU4222yFmdHGH4lRIubQ=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/A4TIGZ4U7JFABG64P2AYJBULP4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3156" width="4733"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Spain's Rodri (16) vies for the ball against Argentina's Julian Alvarez (9) during the World Cup final soccer match between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Julio Cortez</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[12 more bodies are recovered in Zimbabwe's ferry disaster, bringing death toll to 84]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/16/12-more-bodies-are-recovered-in-zimbabwes-ferry-disaster-bringing-death-toll-to-84/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/16/12-more-bodies-are-recovered-in-zimbabwes-ferry-disaster-bringing-death-toll-to-84/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Farai Mutsaka, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Authorities in Zimbabwe continue searching for bodies after an overloaded ferry capsized on Lake Kariba last week, killing more than 80 people.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 19:44:57 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Authorities on Sunday searched for more bodies from an over <a href="https://apnews.com/article/zimbabwe-ferry-capsize-death-toll-rises-mourning-ed645ab4c753121c5eb9dd7f1bdeb662">loaded ferry that capsized on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe</a> last week as the death toll in the disaster rose to more than 80 people. </p><p>The ferry capsized in strong waves on Tuesday. Police on Sunday said the death toll had risen to 84, from 72 the previous day as more bodies were recovered. Zimbabwe’s disaster management agency has said 77 people were rescued.</p><p>Estimates had put the number of passengers as high as 153 on a ferry authorized to carry 90 people, but the latest official figures now suggest the number of passengers could be even higher.</p><p>Police in the southern African country said “search efforts are still underway in a bid to recover victims identified as missing.”</p><p>The aging ferry was traveling from the town of Kariba to rural and fishing communities in the country’s northwest, where roads are damaged and public transportation is scarce.</p><p>Among the dead are 18 children, with the youngest just 1 year old. According to police, 16 of the victims were aged 10 or younger.</p><p>Kariba is the world’s largest human-made lake by volume, created by damming the mighty Zambezi River in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It stretches more than 200 kilometers (124 miles) and is up to 40 kilometers (25 miles) wide in places.</p><p>Zimbabwe and Zambia share the lake, with their border running through its middle.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/q6RrcXLxJwAJztHqyJmW2GC24XE=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/A3K2RPUE7VEE5B54LNXWQ5OUMQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3366" width="5048"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Philis Hamandise, center, is embraced through a gate by a colleague at a victim identification center after losing her 9-year-old daughter and 6-year-old nephew in a ferry capsizing on Lake Kariba, in Kariba, Zimbabwe, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Mkhululi Thobela)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Mkhululi Thobela</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/bTTA4KeCqidg9fTB-613mmEmztQ=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/GS3M7VCCBVHO5IUZYFYEPDYIR4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3908" width="5863"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Family members walk past caskets carrying their loved ones during a memorial service for the victims of a ferry that capsized on Lake Kariba in Kariba, Zimbabwe, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Mkhululi Thobela)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Mkhululi Thobela</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/aodVVO_dGV7eQwbZHWgKsXhUn9M=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/NPSKVAELDVDC5EHL73FFJGBH34.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4322" width="6483"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A family member reacts after she sees her father's name on the coffin during a memorial service for the victims of a ferry that capsized on Lake Kariba in Kariba, Zimbabwe, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Mkhululi Thobela)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Mkhululi Thobela</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Colombian president asks Trump to suspend tariffs to help earthquake recovery]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/16/colombian-president-asks-trump-to-suspend-tariffs-to-help-earthquake-recovery/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/16/colombian-president-asks-trump-to-suspend-tariffs-to-help-earthquake-recovery/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Colombia's President Abelardo de la Espriella has asked U.S. President Donald Trump to suspend tariffs to help Colombia recover from a devastating earthquake.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 16:57:19 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/colombia">Colombia's</a> President Abelardo de la Espriella has asked his ally U.S. President Donald Trump to suspend tariffs to help the South American nation recover from <a href="https://apnews.com/article/colombia-earthquake-rescue-search-quake-fd8948bee8acf98009e60615fc62694d">a powerful earthquake</a> that killed at least 289 people.</p><p>De la <a href="https://apnews.com/article/colombia-inauguration-de-la-espriella-president-cali-bogota-petro-6a062df06d20e440ba0e4f7ee7587af6">Espriella took office earlier this month</a> just days before the 7.4 magnitude quake struck. He was backed by Trump in Colombia's closely contested presidential election, which was decided in a runoff on June 21, and has sought to emphasize his connections with the U.S. leader.</p><p>On Saturday night, de la Espriella wrote on X that he spoke with Trump and thanked him for aid sent by the U.S. in response to the earthquake. He added that he “asked him to consider the temporary suspension of the high tariffs that affect Colombian products, in order to provide relief to our businesspeople, who are facing very difficult times due to the effects of the earthquake.”</p><p>There has been no immediate response from the Trump administration to de la Espriella's request. The U.S. has offered a total of $26.5 million in earthquake aid, including food, shelters and health supplies, according to the U.S. State Department. </p><p>The <a href="https://apnews.com/article/colombia-earthquake-survivors-search-explainer-ac91a76e56b58666d00352350651bc45">earthquake that struck Monday</a> morning devastated parts of western Colombia, hitting cities including Pereira, Cali and Quibdo. Cities along the country's Pacific coast were hit particularly hard. The president declared the quake a natural disaster.</p><p>The government has said that 143 people are missing, while other civilian-run databases put the number in the thousands.</p><p>The natural disaster, whose epicenter was in one of the poorest regions of the country, Choco, has so far left 3,937 people injured, according to the government. In addition, it destroyed 14,705 homes and damaged another 81,536.</p><p>In Cali, Colombia's third biggest city, workers searched for the more than 70 people reported missing in that city. Hope remained alive even after the key 48 to 72 hour window to find survivors beneath the rubble has long passed.</p><p>“Miracles do happen” even though more than 120 hours have passed since the earthquake struck, said Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder from the unified command post. "We are working where we know there are still victims; we are working in the hope of rescuing people alive.”</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/WCY41b9zc4JBkXHLjuKMCr7EnPk=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/HUVPAWB3PFHZJG5RWMY3HWBGQ4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2915" width="4372"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A crane lifts a concrete slab to clear the way for rescuers searching through the rubble three days after an earthquake hit Pereira, Colombia, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Brandon Pinto)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Brandon Pinto</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/bQatmyN7f7H1oBYeDx3rxRGp0SA=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/PGY2UZMYDRC2LLKSIJMZSIYOKI.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4409" width="6614"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Rescuers carry the body of a victim from the rubble four days after after an earthquake hit Pereira, Colombia, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Brandon Pinto)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Brandon Pinto</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Moroccan security forces arrest nearly 300 migrants trying to reach Spain’s Ceuta]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/16/moroccan-security-forces-arrest-nearly-300-migrants-trying-to-reach-spains-ceuta/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/16/moroccan-security-forces-arrest-nearly-300-migrants-trying-to-reach-spains-ceuta/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Akram Oubachir, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Moroccan security forces have arrested hundreds of migrants trying to reach the Spanish enclave of Ceuta by land and sea.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 19:05:59 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hundreds of migrants trying to reach the Spanish exclave of Ceuta by land and sea were arrested by Moroccan security forces, Moroccan state television reported Sunday, as authorities tightened security along the border following calls for a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ceuta-melilla-migration-morocco-spain-cc19f6270dfe276aecd1b1fb559fcb5e">new mass crossing.</a></p><p>Moroccan state broadcaster Medi 1 TV said 294 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa were arrested Saturday while attempting to enter Ceuta. Authorities also arrested 61 Moroccans accused of facilitating the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/migrants-spain-ceuta-morocco-d564354dd54e92debf43ce5fe22299f9">migration attempts</a>, the broadcaster reported.</p><p>The attempted crossings followed a surge in social media posts calling on migrants to make their way to Ceuta, a Spanish city on Morocco’s northern coast. In response, Moroccan and Spanish authorities beefed up security presence and limited movement toward the area.</p><p>The latest attempt comes two weeks after tens of thousands of would-be migrants, driven by <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ceuta-spain-morocco-migration-f3a7f514a7792c39d8b8d5d814fa5158">poverty and misinformation</a>, rushed toward Ceuta in one of the deadliest migration crises to hit the region. At least 90 people died on both sides of the border, according to official numbers, while human rights groups reported higher figures.</p><p>The interior ministry did not respond to AP’s questions about the latest arrests or the number of security personnel deployed around the border to prevent a new migration push.</p><p>A senior Moroccan diplomat previously said that more than 20,000 Moroccan security personnel are deployed along the border with Ceuta each day, at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars. The diplomat was not authorized to be publicly named speaking about the issue and spoke on condition of anonymity.</p><p>Thousands of <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/migration">migrants from across Africa and beyond</a> travel to Morocco each year, fleeing conflict, poverty and instability and seeking a route into Europe. Many attempt to reach Ceuta or Melilla, another Spanish exclave on Morocco’s northern coast, hoping eventually to make their way to mainland Spain and better economic opportunities.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/OnL3xf3weuVgAwL1QWwMeRyOvbU=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/ROSKXPLXHVEAFF64473FJZOIIU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5504" width="8256"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Migrants gather on a hill as they attempt crossing from the border town of Fnideq to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Str</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/cghFmHhpLNS7kZvjoSdekvFWeEA=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/6PD6E4T4L5AR7LLRUGEEEQ5ZLM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5504" width="8256"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Moroccan security forces stand guard as migrants gather on a hill attempting to cross from the border town of Fnideq to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Str</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/Ezn3qXuKASd5_JCVFg5isE0xrkk=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/7XY4OIYYBZD7VNZ7PQJZ4EX5MA.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5504" width="8256"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Migrants are detained by Moroccan security forces after attempting to cross from the border town of Fnideq to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Str</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/WCjTDT80jV_BlWSF7Z9V9-XSGWY=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/FAUHTC2UD5D5RO4RRRFOUVN5AM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2650" width="3975"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Morocco security forces patrol near the Spanish-Moroccan border seen from the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Antonio Sempere)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Antonio Sempere</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/55BNV5Ga2MGiNNeHCGOTAfPFlT8=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/PNQWHIKIWNGNVE57HRDQKWTZRU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3206" width="4808"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Morocco security forces, bottom left, patrol the Spanish-Moroccan border seen from the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Antonio Sempere)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Antonio Sempere</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Tommy John, namesake for a pioneering elbow surgery that saved his career, dead at 83]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/tommy-john-namesake-for-a-pioneering-elbow-surgery-that-saved-his-career-dead-at-83/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/tommy-john-namesake-for-a-pioneering-elbow-surgery-that-saved-his-career-dead-at-83/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Beth Harris, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Tommy John, the pitching great known for the surgery that bears his name, has died at 83.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 18:15:42 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Tommy John, who won 288 games during a 26-year big league career and became the first pitcher to successfully return following <a href="https://apnews.com/article/tommy-john-surgery-50-years-5a272eb356532411c8c03ddfe4fa97f8">groundbreaking elbow surgery</a> that later was named after him, has died. He was 83.</p><p>He died at his home in Bradenton, Florida, on Saturday night, agent Mike Maguire said Sunday. He had been in hospice care.</p><p>On Aug. 8, the New York Yankees released a social media post in which John wrote that he wanted to say goodbye to everyone, including friends and fans who followed him throughout his career, saying, “I will never forget you.”</p><p>The Yankees called John “a bedrock of our rotation during his time in pinstripes and a longtime favorite of Yankees fans.”</p><p>John was a four-time All-Star with a record of 288-231 and a 3.34 ERA during a career that stretched from 1963 to 1989. He pitched for Cleveland, the Chicago White Sox, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Yankees, the California Angels and the Oakland Athletics.</p><p>“Tommy was an exceptional pitcher throughout his career in Major League Baseball, and his courageous role in becoming the first to have surgery that would go on to bear his name can’t be overstated,” Stan Kasten, Dodgers president and CEO, said in a statement. "His impact both on and off the field has been felt by ballplayers of all ages and will be for generations to come.”</p><p>The left-hander was 31 years old when he tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow in 1974, a death knell for pitchers' careers to that point.</p><p>John allowed Dr. Frank Jobe, the Dodgers’ team physician, to replace the ligament with a tendon from his right forearm. Jobe gave the surgery 100-to-1 odds of being successful.</p><p>John was a great pitcher, but his elbow surgery made him a baseball legend</p><p>The procedure had been done on others before, although it was usually performed on wrists and hands. John was the first pitcher to have it done on his elbow.</p><p>More than <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gQujXQQGOVNaiuwSN680Hq-FDVsCwvN-3AazykOBON0/edit#gid=0">2,600 big leaguers</a> and thousands more amateurs have since had UCL reconstructions, better known as Tommy John surgery. It’s been a godsend for many of baseball’s greatest stars, including two-way sensation <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohtani-dodgers-elattrache-9a87de3cf0ea31d1bb78420d6b505cc7">Shohei Ohtani</a>, three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander and even Philadelphia Phillies slugger Bryce Harper.</p><p>“If you put it in dollars and cents, I think there’s no question that Tommy John is the most valuable reconstructive procedure there is,” Dodgers team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache told The Associated Press in 2024.</p><p>Born Thomas Edward John Jr. on May 22, 1943, in Terre Haute, Indiana, he was a top baseball and basketball player at the city’s Gerstmeyer High. He graduated in 1961 as valedictorian but did not give the commencement speech because of a stutter. Despite being recruited by the University of Kentucky to play basketball, John chose baseball and signed with Cleveland.</p><p>“The day I left for my first job as a pitcher, my father looked at me & said, ‘Good luck, Tommy. Just remember one thing: whether you make it big in the big leagues or you don’t, you’ll always just be Tommy John from Terre Haute, Indiana.’ I’ve never forgotten those words,” John wrote in his Aug. 8 post.</p><p>John recorded 2,245 strikeouts but never led either league in wins or strikeouts. He had the second-most wins of any pitcher since 1900 not to be elected to the Hall of Fame. From 1995 through 2009, John was on the Hall of Fame ballot, but he never received more than 31.7% of the votes, falling well short of the 75% required for election.</p><p>“Tommy was a wonderful person who competed to the utmost and did what no player had ever done to save his career, in conjunction with the esteemed Dr. Frank Jobe,” former Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti posted on X. “The HOF is missing Tommy John.” </p><p>John won more games after his eponymous surgery</p><p>Known for his longevity, John was the opening day starter for both the 1966 Chicago White Sox and the 1989 New York Yankees. He won 124 games before his UCL repair and 164 after. His final appearance came days after his 46th birthday.</p><p>“While his incredible longevity and post-surgery achievements changed the fortunes and trajectory of countless athletes around the world, it also overshadowed his excellence as a pitcher,” the Yankees said in a statement. “We pause to remember the totality of his legacy — his competitiveness and skill, his penchant for conversation, his kind and gracious nature, and his stature as an athletic and medical pioneer.”</p><p>John made his major league debut on Sept. 6, 1963, pitching one inning in relief for Cleveland.</p><p>He was traded to the White Sox in 1965 and worked his way into the starting rotation. The following year, he tied for the American League lead with five shutouts and in 1967, his six shutouts led the AL.</p><p>In 1971, he was traded to the Dodgers.</p><p>In 1974, John had a 13-3 record and led the National League in victories going into the All-Star break. He was pitching against the Montreal Expos when he permanently damaged the UCL in his left arm. After a month, the injury had not improved.</p><p>During the four-hour surgery on Sept. 25, 1974, Jobe made holes in the humerus and ulna bones of John’s left arm and used anchors to insert the tendon in a figure-eight pattern.</p><p>At first, John’s left hand was shriveled and he lacked feeling in several of his fingers because of damage to the ulnar nerve. Jobe performed a second procedure to reroute the nerve that was necessary to John’s full recovery.</p><p>John’s arm was in a cast for four months. He had recovered the full range of motion in his left arm by spring training of 1975 and spent that season resting, healing and rebuilding strength in his arm. John worked with fellow Dodgers pitcher Mike Marshall, who had a doctorate in kinesiology, on learning a different grip.</p><p>That September he made five appearances during an offseason instructional league, working his way up to seven innings by his final game.</p><p>John resumed pitching for the Dodgers in 1976 as the fourth starter in their rotation. He allowed three runs in five innings and took the loss in his first start against Atlanta, the first time any pitcher had started a game following UCL reconstructive surgery.</p><p>John donated the original cast from his surgery to the Smithsonian Institution in June 2022. His teammates on the 1974 Dodgers signed it, as well as Jobe and the team’s Hall of Fame announcer Vin Scully.</p><p>The procedure has become so widely known that in 2019, Merriam-Webster added the term to its dictionary.</p><p>John made 31 starts for the Dodgers in 1976, posting a 10-10 record, a 3.09 ERA, 91 strikeouts, 61 walks and 207 hits allowed in 207 innings.</p><p>In 1977, he won 20 games for the first time in his career, finishing with a 20-7 record. He finished second behind Philadelphia’s Steve Carlton in voting for the NL Cy Young Award.</p><p>John and his family had mixed feelings about the legacy of his operation</p><p>Over 50 years later, Tommy John surgery is as much a part of baseball as peanuts and hot dogs. Advanced training methods are helping <a href="https://apnews.com/article/tommy-john-elbow-teenagers-fe9c4e7dcf105d517340dbdcc297769b">pitchers of all ages</a> throw harder than ever. They take comfort knowing a torn UCL won’t necessarily end their careers.</p><p>“I am sick my name is attached to a surgery happening in kids more than pros,” John tweeted in July 2018.</p><p>John’s oldest son, Tommy III, became a chiropractor who wrote a book suggesting ways to prevent young athletes from having to undergo major sports-related surgery similar to what his father endured.</p><p>After his pitching career ended, John worked as a broadcaster for the Minnesota Twins and Yankees in the 1990s. He managed the Bridgeport (Connecticut) Bluefish from 2007-09.</p><p>John was hospitalized in December 2020 because of COVID-19 and later had Guillain-Barré syndrome, in which a person’s immune system attacks their nerves. John told the New York Post in May 2022 that he was paralyzed in his lower extremities for several months.</p><p>John and his wife Sally Simmons had four children: Tamara, Tommy III, Travis and Taylor, who died of a prescription drug overdose at 28 in 2010. The couple divorced in 2013.</p><p>Besides his children, he is survived by his second wife, Cheryl, and son-in-law Patrick Mannelly, a retired NFL long snapper who played 16 years for the Chicago Bears.</p><p>___</p><p>
<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mlb">See AP’s full MLB coverage here</a>
</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/Zy-FwvNQBJ_ADuCvEn2hk51oP1w=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/U7JJCFX6U5E7JHBD3XU5KXH7WY.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2052" width="3000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[FILE - Los Angeles Dodgers former pitcher Tommy John praises his late friend, Dr. Frank Jobe during a memorial service at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, April 7, 2014. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Damian Dovarganes</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/aKcVpqdAxs0kLUAY1ex89PmL69M=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/63O3T5O7ZFALNGY7JIJ736LYPM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3059" width="2139"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[FILE - Lefthander Tommy John of the Los Angeles Dodgers signs an autograph before a game, Aug. 12, 1977. (AP Photo/Lennox McLendon, File)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Lennox Mclendon</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Commanders QB Marcus Mariota has a sprained MCL in his right knee]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/commanders-qb-marcus-mariota-has-a-sprained-mcl-in-his-right-knee-ap-source-says/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/commanders-qb-marcus-mariota-has-a-sprained-mcl-in-his-right-knee-ap-source-says/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Ethan Cadeaux, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Washington Commanders backup quarterback Marcus Mariota has a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee, coach Dan Quinn confirmed.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 16:51:08 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Washington Commanders backup quarterback Marcus Mariota has a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee, coach Dan Quinn confirmed on Sunday.</p><p>Mariota, 32, will miss the remainder of the preseason, but Quinn is "optimistic that he’ll be ready for the start of the regular season.”</p><p>Mariota was injured during <a href="https://7cd49bfc33f4ac45345a2a4337c7e3a3">Washington's preseason opener</a> against Miami on Friday night. Starter Jayden Daniels did not play against the Dolphins. </p><p>Quinn said the Commanders don't plan on bringing in another quarterback at this time. The only other QBs on the roster are Sam Hartman and rookie Athan Kaliakmanis.</p><p>“It will allow more reps over the next couple of weeks with Sam (Hartman) and Athan (Kaliakmanis) in that spot," Quinn said.</p><p>Quinn said Mariota's injury has impacted his thinking for how much Daniels and other starters will play for the remainder of the preseason, but he has yet to make any decisions. He plans to re-evaluate after two straight days of padded practice on Tuesday and Wednesday.</p><p>“I’ve got a bunch of situations that I’m trying to work through — two minutes, four minutes, some goal-line stuff,” Quinn said. </p><p>"This is our most heightened training camp block coming up, so I’m excited to see that. We haven’t gotten to the planning of the game yet.”</p><p>The Commanders' next preseason game is on Saturday against the Lions before concluding the preseason on Friday, Aug. 28 against the Ravens.</p><p>Washington did receive promising news elsewhere on the injury front, as starting center Nick Allegretti and tight end John Bates are expected to return to practice on Tuesday. Cornerback Trey Amos remains out with an ankle injury, while running back Jeremy McNichols will miss a few weeks with a quad injury, according to Quinn.</p><p>___</p><p>AP Sports Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this report.</p><p>___</p><p>
<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nfl">See AP’s full NFL coverage here</a>
</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/VmZaiOlnDdn5RtUp_ArOW4-9vYw=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/HXA3FPCC7VEYPNUQAUJCEVXC5Q.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3483" width="5225"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) walks off the field during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Miami Dolphins, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026, in Landover, MD. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Nick Wass</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/T2LKv6j-Z6cjRWywlbRpnMMZ6aY=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/TWMZPV4CCFEFHEDIJGBE7PA32Q.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4184" width="6277"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) works out during practice at the team's NFL football training camp, Friday, Aug. 7, 2026 in Ashburn, Va. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Nick Wass</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/896mfKU8yJUffsKiEIqGxVQJqPs=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/I6RTKEQSB5DUFJPQQTMTMWALH4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3724" width="5586"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) warms up before an NFL preseason football game against the Miami Dolphins, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026, in Landover, MD. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Nick Wass</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Brazil's Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro return to their strongholds to kick off presidential campaigns]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/16/brazils-lula-and-flavio-bolsonaro-kick-off-their-presidential-campaigns/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/16/brazils-lula-and-flavio-bolsonaro-kick-off-their-presidential-campaigns/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mauricio Savarese, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Brazil's presidential candidates have kicked off their campaigns ahead of what is expected to be tight election in October.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 17:02:54 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Brazil's <a href="https://apnews.com/article/brazil-flavio-bolsonaro-october-election-lula-6b84c31d17ee9f0a668e6b381a780e4f">two main presidential candidates</a> kicked off their campaigns on Sunday, rallying supporters in their political strongholds ahead of what is expected to be a tight October election. </p><p>President <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/luiz-in-cio-lula-da-silva">Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva</a> spoke with nostalgia to more than 10,000 supporters at the Vila Euclides Stadium outside Sao Paulo — a city where he rose to political fame 47 years ago as a metalworkers union leader during the country's 1964-1985 military dictatorship. </p><p>The 80-year-old, wearing a hat after a skin cancer diagnosis, insisted Brazil needs more of his policies.</p><p>Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, one of the sons of former <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jair-bolsonaro">President Jair Bolsonaro</a>, gathered with thousands of voters on the Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro. His father, under house arrest following his conviction for an attempted coup, did not attend the rally.</p><p>Lula echoed his own earlier comments denouncing <a href="https://apnews.com/article/lula-brazil-reciprocity-us-tariffs-1d00c49488ea803e05c17980f10a250d">foreign interference</a> in Brazil's politics. His allies have accused the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/brazil-flavio-bolsonaro-presidential-campaign-trump-risk-cfbb9c79cb66242940ef12bf4ba246d8">U.S. government of seeking</a> to boost Flávio Bolsonaro's bid with measures such as raising tariffs on Brazilian exports and revoking the visa of Brazil's ambassador to Washington.</p><p>Speaking about Brazil's vast reserves of rare minerals, Lula said “no one (abroad) will tap our minerals. We are going to tap them for the benefit of the Brazilian people.”</p><p>Bolsonaro argued that he is “the only one who can sit with the United States, with China, with Israel, with the Middle East, with India and with Argentina to make the best and biggest trade deals for our nation.”</p><p>His party's convention was attended by Argentina's President Javier Milei. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several members of the Trump administration have expressed support for him. </p><p>Voters' attention is expected to perk up after TV ads start</p><p>Sunday was the first campaign day the 13 candidates in the running but many voters are expected to pay more attention once campaign ads start airing on TV and radio at the end of the month. </p><p>“It looks like we are starting slow this time,” said 68-year-old Flávio Alves, a Lula supporter who lives on the same street where the rally was underway. “We all expect a narrow election, but now Lula is in government, things are different.”</p><p>Four years ago, Lula beat incumbent Jair Bolsonaro with 50.9% of the vote.</p><p>Another presidential candidate, Ronaldo Caiado, a former state governor and an agribusiness leader, toured the surroundings of Brazil’s capital Brasilia and reinforced his anti-Lula credentials.</p><p>Another Lula opponent, Romeu Zema, met voters and attended a Catholic ceremony in the countryside of Minas Gerais, considered a bellwether state for the elections — a state he had governed until recently. </p><p>Both top candidates appeal to women voters</p><p>Lula, <a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/BrazilsLulalaunchesreelectionbidasconcernsriseoverforeigninterference/d6efdc6c54e0444383f418775e717227/video">who is seeking his fourth nonconsecutive term</a>, and Bolsonaro each reached out to women voters, who account for nearly 53% of Brazil’s 158 million eligible voters, according to the country’s electoral court.</p><p>“Men need to learn from childhood that they are no better than women. We need to be equal,” said Lula, as first lady Rosângela da Silva stood by his side, nodding. She was one of the event’s main speakers in Sao Bernardo do Campo, where Lula lived a large part of his life.</p><p>Lula said he will launch his platform within 10 days, with more details to come about his policies to benefit women, including education initiatives and policies to prevent and punish violence against women.</p><p>Sen. Bolsonaro, with his mother and wife by his side, told supporters he would work to fight violence against women.</p><p>Flávio Bolsonaro seeks to distinguish himself from his father</p><p>In his speech, the younger Bolsonaro vowed to fight crime and to remove what he described as left-wing “ideology” from Brazilian schools. Every student “has the right to dream of being Elon Musk someday," he said.</p><p>Before his appearance on Copacabana beach, 45-year-old Bolsonaro said during a live broadcast that he has received 1,800 death threats, without offering evidence. The lawmaker noted that he was wearing a bulletproof vest.</p><p>His father was attacked by a man with a knife as he campaigned for the presidency in 2018, suffering internal bleeding and intestinal injuries.</p><p>Jair Bolsonaro chose his son to stand against Lula as the Liberal Party’s candidate. The younger Bolsonaro's campaign has faced headwinds since its start, with moderate political parties keeping their distance, a public rift with his stepmother and difficulties in finding a running mate.</p><p>The 45-year-old lawmaker, who bears a physical resemblance to his father, clearly sought to establish his own identity.</p><p>“I know I look like him. But it is hard to compare Pelé’s son with Pelé,” he said, referring to the three-time World Cup-winning soccer player who died in 2022.</p><p>___</p><p>Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america">https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america</a></p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/FQRpNAQxkM23oqHNpUvaw76k2J4=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/RU6JNV4JZJCG3ICF5VVROL7JNA.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3394" width="5091"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva waves to supporters during a presidential election campaign rally in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Andre Penner</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/xnQZoVUbcvt8Yiov49V7fRg3XE4=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/OHSZIZ4PHZCMZL7A5BVNSZTZUU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3744" width="5616"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Opposition presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro and his wife, Fernanda Bolsonaro, greet supporters as they arrive for a presidential election campaign rally in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Silvia Izquierdo</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/NM8ETKB6Tb1_Qb2y6YMpBpION6U=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/IIX7JEHCLVECNBIWWJAWGRCXHY.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3576" width="5360"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva waves to supporters as a Brazilian flag is held nearby during a presidential election campaign rally in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Andre Penner</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/mk5Pzk-2m1AlxQ-LF7OvwXE5ehE=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/KQFKVJJIGVEGLOAZ37FI4Y5PSA.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3744" width="5616"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A supporter of opposition presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro carries an image of Flavio Bolsonaro's father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, as he arrives for a campaign rally in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Bruna Prado</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/pv0eZkLONwLwsOfpAUTi34cveAg=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/S4UIFCHFYBENTOF72KBNCYZWSA.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3744" width="5616"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Opposition presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro gives a thumbs-up to supporters as he arrives at a hotel before attending a campaign rally in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Bruna Prado</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ukraine launches one of its largest aerial attacks of the war, killing at least 6 people in Russia]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/16/ukraine-launches-one-of-its-largest-aerial-attacks-of-the-war-killing-at-least-6-people-in-russia/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/16/ukraine-launches-one-of-its-largest-aerial-attacks-of-the-war-killing-at-least-6-people-in-russia/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Ukraine has launched hundreds of drones across Russia, killing at least six people in one of Kyiv’s largest aerial attacks of the war.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 07:42:33 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Ukraine launched hundreds of drones across Russia on Sunday, killing at least six people in one of Kyiv’s largest aerial attacks of the war.</p><p>Kyiv has stepped up its attacks on Russia this year, with long-range missiles and swarms of drones targeting military industries and energy facilities. It has also increasingly <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-wildberries-ballistic-missiles-6101ca4702e1f66e8cb8a15819cd5931">pummeled</a> giant Wildberries depots, burning billions of dollars’ worth of merchandise belonging to the Russian online retail giant. Those attacks have brought the war home to the Russian public nearly 4½ years into Moscow’s <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ukraine#">full-scale invasion of Ukraine.</a></p><p>Meanwhile, Ukraine also came under Russian attack, with drone strikes destroying homes and torching Kyiv's landmark book market.</p><p>Russia’s Ministry of Defense said it had destroyed 822 Ukrainian drones overnight. Some 600 drones were detected headed toward the Russian capital, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said, with a third of those destroyed over the Moscow region itself.</p><p>An 83-year-old man was killed after a Ukrainian drone hit a private home in the Moscow region, local Gov. Andrey Vorobyov said. He also confirmed that a Ukrainian attack had sparked a blaze at a Wildberries warehouse in the town of Podolsk.</p><p>A drone attack targeted three towns in Russia’s southwestern Rostov region, killing five people, local Gov. Yury Slyusar said. The attack, with more than 150 drones, damaged several homes and a railway station and sparked a forest fire.</p><p>Russian strikes kill 5 in Ukraine</p><p>A Russian missile attack on Ukraine’s Kryvyi Rih killed two people and wounded 14 others, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on social media Sunday. He also said that one more person had been killed in the city of Sumy. </p><p>ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine’s largest steel producer, confirmed that one of its sites had been hit in a missile attack and that operations had been partially suspended. </p><p>Elsewhere, a man and a woman died when their home was hit by a Russian strike in Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region, said Ivan Fedorov, the head of the local military administration. </p><p>Russian attacks also sparked fires throughout the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, wounding six people. A blaze took hold at one of the city's largest book markets, tearing through kiosks huddled close to the Pochaina metro station. Firefighters fought back the flames, which sent plumes of black smoke across the capital, and picked their way through rubble where the market's crowded pavilions once stood. </p><p>“Wherever the Russians can reach with their ballistic missiles, they strike civilian infrastructure,” Zelenskyy said.</p><p>Russia's Ministry of Defense said Sunday that it had targeted a metallurgical plant in Kryvyi Rih and several military-industrial sites in Kyiv, including a manufacturing facility for Ukraine's Flamingo missiles. </p><p>The domestically produced missiles are increasingly key to Ukraine's long-range attacks on Russia, with Zelenskyy announcing Saturday that Kyiv had used the weapons to attack a rocket research and production center in Samara approximately 900 kilometers (560 miles) from the Ukrainian border.</p><p>NATO jet downs drone in Romanian airspace</p><p>Romania’s Ministry of National Defense said Sunday that a Spanish Air and Space Force F-18 fighter jet shot down a drone that had entered Romanian airspace.</p><p>The drone’s entry into the NATO member’s airspace was detected by surveillance systems at 4:44 a.m., the ministry said, about 24 kilometers (14.9 miles) north of the eastern city of Galati near the border with neighboring Moldova. Moldova is a landlocked country between Ukraine and Romania.</p><p>A Spanish F-18 aircraft that was performing air policing duties “made radar contact with the target and received engagement approval,” the ministry said. “The drone was safely shot down by the F-18 aircraft at 05:01.”</p><p>The ministry later said that drone debris was also reported in the Black Sea around 10 a.m. on Sunday, about 1.5 kilometers (0.9 miles) from the coastal city of Constanta. Separately, another drone fragment was found on Sunday 1 nautical mile (1.85 kilometers) from Constanta.</p><p>Romanian officials did not specify the drone’s origin. </p><p>However, Moldova’s Ministry of Defense said Sunday that its Army surveillance systems had detected a Geran-type Shahed drone in Moldovan airspace, which entered from Ukraine and exited toward Romania.</p><p>The spate of drone incidents comes weeks after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/romania-europe-russia-ukraine-war-drones-nato-ee9775ba338f5408bfa9ab3cb5f2ad1d#:~:text=years%20of%20incursions-,NATO%20member%20Romania%20shoots%20down%20stray%20drones,war%20after%20years%20of%20incursions&amp;text=BUCHAREST,%20Romania%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94,European%20Union%20and%20NATO%20member.">Romanian pilots shot down three drones</a> over three days as Russia intensified attacks against Ukraine near the border. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Romania has reported dozens of drone incidents, including some that have crashed and exploded on its territory.</p><p>Acting Foreign Minister Oana Toiu said in a post on X that the Spanish deployment in Romania was scaled up “at the request of Romania and NATO to bolster the Eastern Flank following prior drone incidents,” and that it was Spain’s fourth such deployment.</p><p>___</p><p>Follow the AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine</a></p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/YSmQO0h0YDi2B-oLIFBtpSTaf1w=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/GUBGINKUN5H2PHIHLEOOFQWWTE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5760" width="8640"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Firefighters try to put out a fire at a city book market following a Russian missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, early Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Francisco Seco</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/YdqbBLcIILb9He5qO9kprVBUPm0=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/EIUPB4Z7WRC6TPZSJPVW5Y3TKE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5760" width="8640"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bookseller Alexander Bahlai reacts as firefighters try to put out a fire at a city book market following a Russian missile attack in Kyiv, early Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Francisco Seco</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/n4-AKIrr3yUB9jwUhDVAR-VJWJE=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/5D3D7DMCBZALZILQX23D2UUOJ4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5467" width="8200"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Firefighters try to put out a fire at a city book market following a Russian missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine early Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Francisco Seco</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/6JHzAe1T0ylc-WSiaOaRndDmPVA=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/6ABUEJ2K4JGTTOCOWV26ZE2BUU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5536" width="8304"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Firefighters shelter in a metro station following a siren alarm while they were trying to put out a fire at a city book market following a Russian missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine early Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Francisco Seco</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Box Office: ‘Spider-Man’ stays on top while two dino movies battle for third]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/entertainment/2026/08/16/box-office-spider-man-stays-on-top-while-two-dino-movies-battle-for-third/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/entertainment/2026/08/16/box-office-spider-man-stays-on-top-while-two-dino-movies-battle-for-third/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Lindsey Bahr, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Two dinosaur movies made a modest impact at the North American box office this weekend.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 16:34:39 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Two very different dinosaur movies devoured a modest chunk of the North American box office this weekend, although neither came close to unseating <a href="https://apnews.com/article/spiderman-odyssey-nolan-imax-box-office-record-4fe684597b2d272bbe45db9f78089a24">“Spider-Man”</a> from its perch atop the charts, nor managed to steal second place from <a href="https://apnews.com/article/odyssey-review-christopher-nolan-fceb80683c5ecdc627f8e9221b833ca0">“The Odyssey.”</a></p><p>“Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie” and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/end-of-oak-street-movie-review-580777f9f45d34c2775cffb1316fad6b">“The End of Oak Street,”</a> one targeted to very young children and the other an original PG-13 rated action movie, battled for third place in their first weekend in theaters. According to studio estimates on Sunday, the Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor movie had the slight edge, with a projected $21 million to the animated pups’ $20.5 million. </p><p>Neither stood a chance for first, however, while <a href="https://apnews.com/article/spiderman-brand-new-day-movie-review-cc086ad7c68fd14300877f98b963d2a6">“Spider-Man: Brand New Day”</a> continues to cast its sticky web around audiences three weekends into its historic run. The Sony Pictures release added another $70 million from theaters in the U.S. and Canada, bringing its domestic total to a staggering $785.8 million, making it the fourth-biggest domestic release ever. With $118.7 million from overseas markets, it surpassed $2 billion globally, only the eighth movie ever to achieve that landmark (not accounting for inflation) and the second-fastest to do so. “Avengers: Endgame” did it in 11 days in 2019. “Brand New Day” took about 18. </p><p>“The Odyssey,” now in its fifth weekend, also managed to stay in second with a $23.2 million weekend that pushed its domestic total to $504.7 million. With $98 million from international showings, propelled by $36.6 million from its first few days playing in China, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/odyssey-movie-christopher-nolan-matt-damon-030ec686f8ba3d88a7abd2cd16008518">Christopher Nolan’s epic</a> has now made over $1.2 billion globally.</p><p>“The End of Oak Street” came in ahead of expectations with around $21 million from 3,446 locations. It also made $26 million from international screenings, adding up to a $47 million global opening against a reported $80 million production budget. </p><p>The film, written and directed by David Robert Mitchell, stars McGregor and Hathaway as suburban parents in 1982 whose neighborhood is mysteriously transported to prehistoric times. It was well-received by critics and currently carries an 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, but audiences gave it a less enthusiastic B CinemaScore. According to PostTrak exit polls, just over half the opening weekend audience said they would “definitely recommend” to friends.</p><p>Family audiences showed up for “Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie,” which Paramount Pictures released in 3,545 theaters in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. Carrying a PG rating, it’s the third theatrically released Paw Patrol movie since 2021. The opening weekend audience gave it an A CinemaScore. Globally, it has a running total of $69 million.</p><p>The Katseye documentary “Katseye: Wild Hearts” rounded out the top five with $4 million from only 724 screens. Several other newcomers also managed to get places in the top 10: “Six: The Musical Live” opened in sixth place with $3 million, followed by “The Brink of War” with $2.7 million. The Tamil-language romance “Vishwanath & Sons” made $1.6 million to take 10th place. </p><p>The Matthew McConaughey crime thriller <a href="https://apnews.com/article/amziah-king-movie-review-matthew-mcconaughey-84b73b8f7bf46b42044de12a2bc3723a">“The Rivals of Amziah King”</a> opened outside of the top 10 with just over $1 million from 632 theaters. The young Anthony Bourdain biopic “Tony,” meanwhile, made $706,676 from 37 theaters in its second weekend. The A24 release is expanding in the coming weeks.</p><p>The box office is strong with the summer season, now over, accounting for over $4.2 billion in ticket sales — about 5.7% ahead of the pre-pandemic summer of 2019. Paul Dergarabedian, the head of marketplace trends for Rentrak, noted that the number to date is only about $130 million shy of the record 2013 summer, which was led by “Iron Man 3” and “Despicable Me 2.”</p><p>While this summer might not surpass 2013, which ended with just under $4.8 billion, Dergarabedian said, “This is going to be a top five summer of all time.”</p><p>The year overall is just under $6.9 billion.</p><p>Top 10 movies by domestic box office</p><p>With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak:</p><p>1. “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” $70 million.</p><p>2. “The Odyssey,” $23.2 million.</p><p>3. “The End of Oak Street,” $21 million.</p><p>4. “Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie,” $20.5 million.</p><p>5. “Katseye: Wild Hearts,” $4 million.</p><p>6. “Six: The Musical Live,” $3 million.</p><p>7. “The Brink of War,” $2.7 million.</p><p>8. “Toy Story 5,” $2.3 million.</p><p>9. “One Night Only,” $2 million.</p><p>10. “Vishwanath & Sons,” $1.6 million.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/ao0XtS72Xv0OS11wEWekIkfyxjY=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/QVJ363RGK5E2FCQFINH6LGGQYY.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3717" width="5575"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Tom Holland poses for photographers upon arrival at the 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' premiere in London, England, Wednesday, July 29, 2026. (Photo by Alberto Pezzali/Invision/AP)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Alberto Pezzali</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/RGI-LrdjgL5y_TJwRe-VCtMkVB0=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/3OO4EJOSFZDPRC2CJ3AA4IGHJE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3645" width="5468"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Tom Holland arrives at the premiere of "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" on Monday, July 27, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jordan Strauss</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/_LE61y8hdo0c5m06V5iOWAuzcsE=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/DY2IEEXG7JAG7DMMLTS4QIMXFI.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4000" width="6000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Ewan McGregor, left, and Anne Hathaway in a scene from "The End of Oak Street." (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Daniel Mcfadden</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/8UqbsEs2vvNv3dP-cKfLvDRaFC4=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/F3ODZEG4H5ALZICGP433DBGRGY.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3323" width="5000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Terry Crews arrives at the premiere of "Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie" on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Richard Shotwell</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/ZWoKTjA-4ZR9SnmMGiU5Wu4uUIE=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/L4FGPFM7M5BWJDVZW7ZF7OAKDM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4000" width="6000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[This image released by Black Bear shows Matthew McConaughey, left, and Angelina LookingGlass in a scene from "The Rivals of the Amziah King." (Kyle Kaplan/Black Bear via AP)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Kyle Kaplan</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Nightmarish start for Maresca as Arsenal outclasses Man City in Community Shield]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/arsenal-scores-inside-25-seconds-in-community-shield-against-man-city/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/arsenal-scores-inside-25-seconds-in-community-shield-against-man-city/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Steve Douglas, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Enzo Maresca has endured a nightmarish first competitive match in charge of Manchester City as Arsenal scored inside 24 seconds before powering to a 3-0 victory in the Community Shield.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 14:19:49 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/maresca-man-city-manager-guardiola-de4e0d272b108370f8bf1ac1eb74300d">Enzo Maresca</a> endured a nightmarish first competitive match in charge of Manchester City as Arsenal scored inside 24 seconds before powering to a 3-0 victory in the Community Shield on Sunday.</p><p>English soccer’s annual season curtain-raiser between the reigning champions in the <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/premier-league">Premier League</a> (Arsenal) and FA Cup (City) offered a chance for an early assessment of the two teams most likely to challenge for the big trophies this campaign.</p><p>While Arsenal delivered a statement performance — not least by scoring after 23 seconds through Riccardo Calafiori — at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, there might be some early concerns for City and Maresca at the start of the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/guardiola-man-city-future-premier-league-7d4f534de540a8e87c64701d09e41e93">post-Pep Guardiola era</a>.</p><p>Kai Havertz headed home the second goal in the 28th through the grasp of City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and Martin Odegaard ran unchallenged into City’s area, before sitting down Donnarumma with an outrageous dummy and slotting a finish into an unguarded net in the 48th.</p><p>Playful chants of “You’re getting sacked in the morning” came from Arsenal’s jubilant supporters toward Maresca for part of the game in which City rarely threatened opposition goalkeeper David Raya. Erling Haaland — only just back in training after the World Cup — was substituted in the 53rd minute after having just seven touches.</p><p>“The goal we conceded after 30 seconds affects the game,” Maresca said.</p><p>“It’s a defeat that hurts us, but it’s only the beginning.”</p><p>It was the perfect preparation for Arsenal ahead of the beginning of its Premier League title defense — at home to Coventry on Friday.</p><p>“I think we showed our level today, that we are ready,” Odegaard, Arsenal's captain, said. “We are serious and we want to do it again.”</p><p>City launches its league campaign two days later at home to Bournemouth and it remains to be seen if Maresca reacts to this defeat by changing his team around.</p><p>“It's part of any transition, for things to not be perfect in the beginning,” newly appointed City captain Ruben Dias said. “You need to keep on working … and there's going to be lots of challenges along the way.”</p><p>Explosive start by Arsenal</p><p>Calafiori ran on to Myles Lewis-Skelly's threaded throughball to give Arsenal an explosive start and score the first goal in the opening minute of the Community Shield since 1968. On that occasion, Bobby Owen netted for City against West Bromwich Albion.</p><p>Arsenal went on to record the biggest margin of victory in the season curtain-raiser since 2014, when the Gunners also beat City 3-0.</p><p>No Rodri but Grealish plays</p><p>Rodri, Spain's <a href="https://apnews.com/article/argentina-spain-world-cup-final-score-messi-fccc26aa12d9226e63d06b601b770617">World Cup-winning</a> captain, wasn't with the City squad in Cardiff as he continues his recovery from minor back surgery to the backdrop of a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/man-city-rodri-reijnders-enzo-fernandez-maresca-77e623c51a0906277e66efb0333977f8">potential move to Barcelona</a>.</p><p>His absence leaves a huge hole in Maresca's midfield that might only have been partially filled by <a href="https://apnews.com/article/man-city-elliot-anderson-fee-65df184a9221603ad2a6a1d12a77177c">Elliot Anderson</a> following his $155 million move from Nottingham Forest.</p><p>One interesting selection by City's new manager was Jack Grealish, who came on at the start of the second half for his first appearance for the team in more than a year. Does it suggest his career at City could be reignited after he was sent on loan to Everton last season?</p><p>Maresca did little to clear up the situation.</p><p>“While he’s here with us, it’s my duty to help him,” he said.</p><p>___</p><p>Steve Douglas is at <a href="https://twitter.com/sdouglas80">https://twitter.com/sdouglas80</a></p><p>___</p><p>
<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/soccer">See AP’s full soccer coverage here</a>
</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/FQP-KvBZGd4MVf4Q6XLyFZxLdk8=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/45EEA3AHKFFB3IONO2WZMFBO7M.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="1919" width="2878"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Manchester City's head coach Enzo Maresca, left, and Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta react during the FA Community Shield final soccer match between Arsenal and Manchester City in Cardiff, Wales, Sunday, Aug.16, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Alastair Grant</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/h9QQqETPHQg6BWPpaOTSZL1V0zk=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/MOS2AHQ6E5EJJPV3ZKFESREYX4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4670" width="7004"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Arsenal's Martin Odegaard lifts the trophy after his team won the FA Community Shield final soccer match between Arsenal and Manchester City in Cardiff, Wales, Sunday, Aug.16, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Alastair Grant</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/r0f31kVZJx4OoxKBAzRj-q-A6Z4=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/66Z3NPUBJNE3LG6YEDSBCNQUSE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4505" width="6758"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Manchester City's Erling Haaland reacts during the FA Community Shield final soccer match between Arsenal and Manchester City in Cardiff, Wales, Sunday, Aug.16, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Alastair Grant</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/VpOg5WK80SU5tu8H3OooGCkfeNo=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/2RLUFSSUXFDDHNYOL6G3VYI4PE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2343" width="3514"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Arsenal's Declan Rice holds the trophy after his team won the FA Community Shield final soccer match between Arsenal and Manchester City in Cardiff, Wales, Sunday, Aug.16, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Alastair Grant</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[US men and Canada women win flag football world titles as spots earned for the Los Angeles Olympics]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/us-men-and-canada-women-win-flag-football-world-titles-as-spots-earned-for-the-los-angeles-olympics/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/us-men-and-canada-women-win-flag-football-world-titles-as-spots-earned-for-the-los-angeles-olympics/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[The United States successfully defends the men’s title at the flag football world championships but loses the women’s title to Canada.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 17:34:19 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The United States successfully defended the men's title at the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/olympic-flag-football-nfl-9f935d425f9025cb9bb3b0e701b176d3">flag football</a> world championships on Sunday but lost the women's title to Canada, while Mexico's women and Canada's men earned qualification spots for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.</p><p>The U.S. men beat Italy 46-26 to secure a sixth straight title and the women missed out on a fourth straight title after losing 27-20 to Canada.</p><p>“Gold is the only standard,” said men's quarterback Nico Casares, who threw two touchdown passes. “That's our motto. That's what we play by, that's what we live by.” </p><p>The U.S. women started strongly but it was tied 14-14 at the break after Caroline Moquin-Joubert caught quarterback Sara Parker's pass at the end of the first half. Parker set up Frederique Morneau at the start of the second half as Canada took control. </p><p>The U.S. had a fourth down, yards from the line, with three seconds left, but could not make the final play count. It was Canada's third title and first since beating the U.S. in the 2014 final.</p><p>“I feel so happy, I can’t believe it,” Parker said after hugging her mother. ”Literally the best day ever.”</p><p>The International Federation of American Football ran the championship tournament, which doubled up as a qualifier, in the German city of Düsseldorf. </p><p>The top two men’s and top two women’s teams earned a spot at the 2028 Games, along with the U.S. men's and women's teams because they already qualified as hosts.</p><p>Sunday's two other finalists — the Italian men and Canadian women — earned an Olympic spot by reaching the final against the U.S. teams, meaning that the bronze-medal games decided who joined them.</p><p>Mexico women cried with joy after a 20-19 win over Great Britain — which rallied from 20-6 down — for the women’s bronze and an Olympic spot.</p><p>But Mexico's men lost 34-26 in overtime to Canada, which claimed an Olympic spot. </p><p>Rules of the game</p><p>Flag football was among five sports <a href="https://apnews.com/article/olympics-los-angeles-2028-cricket-flag-football-46ee51b40a0580007935668e41c21151">given Olympic status</a> for the 2028 Games back in 2023, with the game played five-on-five in two 20-minute halves, no tackling and an emphasis on speed and elusiveness.</p><p>The NFL has said it plans to launch women’s and men’s professional flag football ahead of the Olympics. ___</p><p>
<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nfl">See AP’s full NFL coverage here</a>
</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/nYyno7adDx6XPhO9qVKLB4UIu5A=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/4R7KCQRS6JEYHAF6IOSXS3M7YQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3464" width="5196"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[United States' Tyler "TD" Davis celebrates a touchdown during the Flag Football World Championship men's final game between Italy and USA in Duesseldorf, Germany, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Martin Meissner</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/TV54MYn9m6yo8bVJw04sVi1b4qo=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/4CR3FA5ONFFE7B6RJIQDZ7AP6Q.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4706" width="7059"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Canada's players celebrate and run to their injured teammate after winning the Flag Football World Championship women's final game between Canada and USA in Duesseldorf, Germany, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Martin Meissner</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/0JhuUy424ajwi2yqz3EgFSK5WuA=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/4RNRFODWKNFDXNYMY2GI3NR5HM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2497" width="3745"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Madison Fulford of the United States misses the last chance during the Flag Football World Championship women's final game between Canada and USA in Duesseldorf, Germany, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Martin Meissner</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/3gcfZLw2B4vwioLq9WEJ07UNtMs=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/LG5TIHOVKJCJ3PQGFFLE4WZA2U.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3739" width="5609"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Mexico's players celebrate the Olympic qualification for LA 28 after winning the Flag Football World Championship women's bronze medal game between Mexico and Great Britain in Duesseldorf, Germany, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Martin Meissner</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/uicTL66eLmQkRAmhNptw3u6K0sM=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/YPQWOYKTZVFGXNOORWVQX7CMTQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4592" width="6888"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Team Canada celebrates the Olympic qualification for LA 26 after winning the Flag Football World Championship men's bronze medal game between Canada and Mexico in Duesseldorf, Germany, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Martin Meissner</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Man arrested, accused of stabbing brother to death in Oceanway]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2026/08/16/man-arrested-accused-of-stabbing-brother-to-death-in-oceanway/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2026/08/16/man-arrested-accused-of-stabbing-brother-to-death-in-oceanway/</guid><description><![CDATA[A man died on Saturday after he was stabbed in the Oceanway area by his brother, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. ]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 13:12:48 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A man died on Saturday after he was stabbed by his brother in Oceanway, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. </p><p>Officers responded to a reported stabbing at a home on&nbsp;Davis&nbsp;Road near Finley Road. They found the victim, 30-year-old Ryan Daniels, bleeding on the front porch. Despite attempts to save Daniels’ life, he died at a local hospital, JSO said. </p><p>After looking at evidence and speaking to witnesses, JSO detectives said they identified 38-year-old Eric Mincey as Daniels’ attacker. Mincey and Daniels are brothers.</p><p>Mincey was arrested Sunday and accused of murder. </p><p>“Our hearts are with Daniels’ loved ones, and we will continue to seek justice for him,” JSO said in a statement. </p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/IRhTdbzTdAgTBowkoAYtwSSVFCA=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/LZ64HXCXMZATDFVQVJAE2JFGHI.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="1200" width="1920"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Eric Mincey, 38]]></media:description></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Photo gallery: Scenes from Clay-Bishop Kenny kickoff classic]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/photo-gallery-scenes-from-clay-bishop-kenny-kickoff-classic/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/photo-gallery-scenes-from-clay-bishop-kenny-kickoff-classic/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Quan Nguyen]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Clay visited Bishop Kenny in a Week 0 kickoff classic high school football game News4JAX had photographer Quan Nguyen capture the game in this photo gallery. Click through the images above to check out action from the game. ]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 16:05:16 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Clay visited Bishop Kenny in a Week 0 kickoff classic high school football game News4JAX had photographer Quan Nguyen capture the game in this photo gallery. Click through the images above to check out action from the game. </p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/dSMOpfup_-s32NRxTJgz1--9BDU=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/72SKUHT7KJCYZMMVRPVMDUQJ3I.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4423" width="6634"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny running back Caleb Mattison during an Aug 14 game against Clay.]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/4x10tqNKXLWHw9WoWrM6NhzKrSY=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/DMSLHUCYJ5BQFMILV35N2MVJUY.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2159" width="1727"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/Y9fe82dovXmynzK2IOnxIuSyBi4=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/PE4JWYQ53NGPJBAOOF6ZNI2X5M.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3022" width="2418"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/uBOCFKqe9p3As_Kyp1JyO1T4u58=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/KXJHSESONFEMPPJZCHHAAQKEJM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2142" width="3213"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/ezKGaPb-Sz9Ou6JZ6l_bAZkHjFw=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/MSSINI5VFFBYXBIVEE6YXLFEDE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3129" width="2503"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/g40_9Ae87a1yitok8Tf75nT9bPY=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/WN53VRR7JJBJVC3IWXF5OUJX44.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2530" width="3795"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/6q39tGKpCbMl7jOttKI3BUCNeAQ=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/XHU2MNCBAVBNBMXWHEUECR5IP4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3004" width="4506"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/Kz7rr9P3Yi0rg0gh1y9zpvn0_n8=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/Y5SNHYSPMBBWFADBKFTIFXGZBQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4003" width="3202"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/V0Ja5YkQJs9MN3siT33wFLz4usg=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/EBYF67JYONAIJC2M7MIBFEZ6ME.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4043" width="3234"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/ryXExaR-Ot3YnBUp9rfteIxBnvY=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/KXDTE7HCUNFJJIA4SJRFVDO2UE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4491" width="3593"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/U6n0pur_HeSLAwGe3ZvE5fGYe5I=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/TPSGEB6VJRFLBJUPYIAPJK6TZI.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2988" width="4482"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/q0HL0ECddYuMqxBpWWMBz0rpAII=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/YCRSUGSAYVH2PFCHI5BU6FTZPQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3058" width="4587"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/MwoMDsgITW1sdTy4GZgctnaorK0=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/HWPGVWSECRGQTEUABLJGRDAQPM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3019" width="4528"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/oXuMLC-Fc-yvdpkfZVh52pRhuXI=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/T5QDI3GYD5CMFLFURKQTN75ZHQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4615" width="3692"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/EVA4DTj0cGNqCDckVb6y8fPs_XU=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/3HRJOQJ2DZFDVCSHX4XYF7BU7M.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3165" width="4748"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/10f2tEMstmRjpcLJEbPCHY8qDpU=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/6DHBG6V6QJBO3GWRLLUKNYXQDY.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3711" width="5566"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/YF3q8s7KlMRQD6EqEPwKp1qfnGs=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/TGA7VIQJCRDTHHKYWAIYHHOIY4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4672" width="7008"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/ChtYjcesfYxPUq8VTkj-0nL69MM=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/SMNPWOOHDBCCDEKSH3BDXF7TZU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4672" width="7008"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/oWjS5QIw_P8OkQuWoVL0y-rSnTw=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/KFBSUL4INRHWNC372WZMTRFF2E.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3367" width="5051"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/NjayARWR7BPAQ3a1WTXwE1HZpq4=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/GZJS27UZXBBM3BT3L37NNVUETQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3743" width="5615"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/-5v9mDJvPTaLlnYcXLxN2w1SvlI=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/SAEZF53DAJE4FK4ZE6VP6G5DKM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3595" width="5393"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/ifTxIX_A1nsff43JUAKghivZynY=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/T5UC4VNNYJDDHGDMBNMEG5NLOU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3651" width="5476"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/IcL71ppMYVyv4SaAdRcdx6XOz0w=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/5AUBDU3UHBD4ZOOQCK32DSVMRE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4672" width="7008"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/vdHV-a4S2u3NKYvVqNJj0_hZxZM=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/UZDOZCB6ERATLJWMFC4AZBZLUE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4021" width="6031"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/B9_c_yrhi7N23AoYKWrb9U6BoNM=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/R2P63IVQOVE5PGFUUZ2GZKPIHM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3461" width="5191"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/utT7qDJI9nKUuzQYaBX9VUlkTZA=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/NNI6LHVRC5CDDF6K3GNVYLOH4I.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4310" width="6465"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/OCvyP5bxqGXj3qTOqAsfPsxrs7A=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/EYIYIFFHERBA3C7AGLIJCO74UA.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4637" width="6955"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/RD65UsL_MRcwlqkNPY_rwRUbYLk=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/UMLUQBISDVBILF463SAY7ULHJ4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4313" width="6470"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/rh5S16PgI6d-qvDXO4VQVcBf_eg=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/PBZ3EWTA5NFOPBFXMNW4HZTS6Y.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4468" width="6702"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/kOJVONLRv0giKVIGlubSXywREc8=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/Z7ZZAF5PPNBH3ESL6VRTDP43GM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4003" width="6004"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/UjiQP2NlZYPRMbUUNzlHBfzHp7o=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/VQMDEGGYNFDTNIVLBNDICXQKAA.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4371" width="6556"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/xp8r4_x4ov7p9x-IKgc4rqp0SIE=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/JF27C3LCZ5H6TAFU3EXZ6WC2ZU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4171" width="6257"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/fMjjwvt6pHNkmsrCjVB4GVxMKTY=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/4L3JRYPJOBHYRKT6BVJPXD3ZLM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4653" width="6979"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/t1VXJCUnPQEEFF8ldbssfB8pnLc=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/PHC2HUG25BGKBMDGBW4VPBGEPA.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4511" width="6766"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/gLBr6IKIRSMpbcMwwxc-2C-P8IA=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/WQDRRJP7S5EUDHEFPXU3A7AVYU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4565" width="6848"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/EnfMKK54o171jJ-CWV7n08r3lW0=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/76J5ZWFT2RFNPIQ7SKKXBK4CTU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4672" width="7008"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/ycmPvvi7deGXCh-LLUx6SW81tD4=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/2UO4SNF7DVENNMU4NU6X2LMBQ4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4672" width="7008"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/SPPd-4bHF_N80cNBiIAdD395wNI=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/G7YQ2XE2HNHANHCRLPMIPBQEBE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4672" width="7008"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/T2AGLLidoDiKuuIL2SufiWt-0Mo=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/OJHTDINTFFDLHM2VAIWU2WT6H4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4608" width="6912"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/5JNXNYMzybeECvoN-lJyqQMIrNk=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/FEOOOSAKEND4RP6SF5MZ422TFY.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4672" width="7008"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/ty53jjCB8copuSZ5J6tSSNguckM=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/XQHFZHJXEJD4TEXZBFMYFEEKOA.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4672" width="7008"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/s5zbYuxMRD900Ho5nxA-UsGMRo0=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/BQUY3HYWRVAEPOGDFLWRTLJQEM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4629" width="6944"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/nHcWlaT2nWukFtPYkQ3bz5Xw7jY=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/HT6ZFFQQVBBSPNUKIX4K532XXY.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4615" width="6923"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/UesB7A-TxlM5mphFx36ZXR9_tSw=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/ECPJ6PGVF5EXJGOYOUV5EG5RSM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4671" width="7006"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/9LOjnoFS75U5pCDznFAIWx8cvtk=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/OZN5EZAE4NGKZABSZTOEZ5CHXE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4656" width="6984"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/dapAZOaJh7YRg0UrqseZVOtsVHQ=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/5XR7KFLMAVDOZFZXO5DZCUL57Y.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4620" width="6930"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bishop Kenny hosted Clay in a kickoff classic on Friday, Aug, 14, 2026,]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Quan Nguyen</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Photo gallery: Scenes from Bolles-Camden County kickoff classic]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/photo-gallery-scenes-from-bolles-camden-county-kickoff-classic/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/photo-gallery-scenes-from-bolles-camden-county-kickoff-classic/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jacob Simons]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Bolles hosted Camden County in a Week 0 kickoff classic high school football game News4JAX had photographer Jacob Simons capture the game in this photo gallery. Click through the images above to check out action from the game. ]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 16:02:56 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Bolles hosted Camden County in a Week 0 kickoff classic high school football game News4JAX had photographer Jacob Simons capture the game in this photo gallery. Click through the images above to check out action from the game. </p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/lRJSU85Gc80uG95Tne_MlnTPayo=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/GSQHM4CB7VH33PVDS2SWEDH53A.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4125" width="6187"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bolles hosted Camden County in a kickoff classic game on Aug 14, 2026.]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jacob Simons</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/jStfu-jfMDBTsr70WBxrjw45ZUc=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/MOYEYVGUXNGRLMLSJVUJIMR6GA.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="1793" width="1434"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bolles hosted Camden County in a kickoff classic game on Aug 14, 2026.]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jacob Simons</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/cC2qKkpe7sexadtia7UTRULFEQM=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/4JQJ46OBCBBNXIJQQNT6GJO4C4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="1952" width="1562"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bolles hosted Camden County in a kickoff classic game on Aug 14, 2026.]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jacob Simons</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/6Nk65YujRfq-HJ_L547Ii9_v8tM=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/2C2YY26KRJDTVIOSZ3MIDKDUO4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2303" width="1842"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bolles hosted Camden County in a kickoff classic game on Aug 14, 2026.]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jacob Simons</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/CQ-W46wCJZyMK_NXhlNKqeiNjEc=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/7SQLTFBKXREWLC4TI5F76UI3MA.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2264" width="1811"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bolles hosted Camden County in a kickoff classic game on Aug 14, 2026.]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jacob Simons</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/c-HsegRVVZ8892p1Z4XpOvSIQVE=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/MU7D46E67BCRJL65VTDFEW64EM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2608" width="2086"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bolles hosted Camden County in a kickoff classic game on Aug 14, 2026.]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jacob Simons</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/YJ7ZqOSWdqLUVFvykSqLpc9syEA=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/XA2XZZUFPFB5DKLYYJ7MJEZKAU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2309" width="3463"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bolles hosted Camden County in a kickoff classic game on Aug 14, 2026.]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jacob Simons</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/9gIcOn2_1RT4WuLZmO2gouTYA7Y=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/UN5CSIB4D5DTVIN66ACVU4KXAQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2562" width="2050"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bolles hosted Camden County in a kickoff classic game on Aug 14, 2026.]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jacob Simons</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/G18gdO5Qk4R1Pxg3IRgKAz2dmLU=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/KCTVPFWI6FH5HNDWQPLIMFID7E.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2783" width="2226"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bolles hosted Camden County in a kickoff classic game on Aug 14, 2026.]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jacob Simons</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/1XnHlQAog_kilZN18iY7GmhyorE=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/772HPJMR2JDHHJRXA3LB2LQCPU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2381" width="1905"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bolles hosted Camden County in a kickoff classic game on Aug 14, 2026.]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jacob Simons</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/2GeiXBch1e5Mk7eSwbdYDliSNVM=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/F7K4L26FORDPVPDBBRLBJ5OGPE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3839" width="3071"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bolles hosted Camden County in a kickoff classic game on Aug 14, 2026.]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jacob Simons</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/183k9-NFmn8cyLxVgV8_0O_hRFQ=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/7FX4ENZJ4VBT5CYEREP63PAUGA.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4115" width="3292"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bolles hosted Camden County in a kickoff classic game on Aug 14, 2026.]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jacob Simons</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/VoyDB7ID8tDcfie_94POajav7iw=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/ZUW7KHOEMBB2JB7WU6ZIUQ6WMA.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3121" width="4682"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bolles hosted Camden County in a kickoff classic game on Aug 14, 2026.]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jacob Simons</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/io109C4ExxiD2lb-8hP1E6JoqaM=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/G4SCQGNA6VE6PJRLHN3OOX5GBA.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3094" width="4641"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bolles hosted Camden County in a kickoff classic game on Aug 14, 2026.]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jacob Simons</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/bHUjJn4aOGPXMqlQLx6x48gwpOQ=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/HO447AZCIRBN3IDMCXEV6PDD6A.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4600" width="3680"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bolles hosted Camden County in a kickoff classic game on Aug 14, 2026.]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jacob Simons</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/FTpzuzG7oQ_QAl5PGbvdENidFAA=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/EZSTHXU2C5D3PPTURUYT3SV4UU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3774" width="3019"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bolles hosted Camden County in a kickoff classic game on Aug 14, 2026.]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jacob Simons</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/vNkmfMBBACpBNLelNAPEo_Gdi4U=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/VL22FUSWGRC5BBNHU5RFTUNCIM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3143" width="4714"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bolles hosted Camden County in a kickoff classic game on Aug 14, 2026.]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jacob Simons</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/l_o4TpzhWhdtbPPdkyXVHk8J6Ow=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/DP7ASGE3KRBJJIHYX2EATO5WWE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4142" width="3314"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bolles hosted Camden County in a kickoff classic game on Aug 14, 2026.]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jacob Simons</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/WIYzr3xJdh1FCnLVQMnQHGGDUMM=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/J5CAYB3BFNHR7OKXOKAJMKP6AY.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4309" width="3447"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bolles hosted Camden County in a kickoff classic game on Aug 14, 2026.]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jacob Simons</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/_BOki6YWm_OjAq7NxE5-N6tYAK4=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/D7VDUVHXMFCNBEDVKEDVACOXGE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4020" width="6030"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bolles hosted Camden County in a kickoff classic game on Aug 14, 2026.]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jacob Simons</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/JkDrKOFXLX0IKHaEarxHZcmCLjE=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/R6D2PSEBEBEPJK6WDMOPFXZTLI.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4433" width="3546"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bolles hosted Camden County in a kickoff classic game on Aug 14, 2026.]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jacob Simons</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/AEdUiI7e_3EbvBmm0XhIM6T-xNA=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/LVH3253RD5D23NILSBN67OPNJE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4866" width="3893"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bolles hosted Camden County in a kickoff classic game on Aug 14, 2026.]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jacob Simons</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/0feaipfbadq3Esxc_MFUWXpX1oo=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/SSUIRA6O25D47NVYNNFFQRG4U4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5413" width="4330"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bolles hosted Camden County in a kickoff classic game on Aug 14, 2026.]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jacob Simons</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/vcnqb0NYr4E_RqvfSzcl5JKww4w=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/ATMR2K7GKZEENDBNKECLKOB7OA.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4125" width="6187"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bolles hosted Camden County in a kickoff classic game on Aug 14, 2026.]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jacob Simons</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/O1T2OjO_hXmxBFVNXkGsaHON7rU=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/75VYG4KQVBGQFBNHVEOLPDZQZY.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="6754" width="5403"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bolles hosted Camden County in a kickoff classic game on Aug 14, 2026.]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jacob Simons</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/fxpEutNlLj-miDq3BjKEr5sqUSA=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/4TVKPMUMY5FIXMF4LS2VWCKWQQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4981" width="7471"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bolles hosted Camden County in a kickoff classic game on Aug 14, 2026.]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jacob Simons</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/on7u8StUR2A7kJLBlsTWcTanXSI=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/UMH7EPPE5JDXVM7FFRYWOFAD7I.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5234" width="7851"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bolles hosted Camden County in a kickoff classic game on Aug 14, 2026.]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jacob Simons</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Police arrest man on suspicion of fraud after security incident at European athletics championships]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/police-arrest-man-on-suspicion-of-fraud-after-security-incident-at-european-athletics-championships/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/police-arrest-man-on-suspicion-of-fraud-after-security-incident-at-european-athletics-championships/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Police have made one arrest after a security incident caused transportation delays for fans and athletes leaving Alexander Stadium following Saturday night’s session at the European track-and-field championships in Birmingham, England.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 15:03:09 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Police have made one arrest after a security incident caused transportation delays for fans and athletes leaving Alexander Stadium following Saturday night’s session at the European track-and-field championships in Birmingham.</p><p>Medal ceremonies were postponed to Sunday, when West Midlands Police said a man in his 30s had been arrested on suspicion of fraud. Governing body European Athletics added “it is safe to attend the stadium” Sunday night for the concluding session of the week-long championships.</p><p>Police said in a statement that around 8:15 p.m. Saturday “concerns were raised after a man was found in an area of Alexander Stadium with the wrong accreditation.”</p><p>“As a precaution, security measures were put in place and transport for the championship staff and athletes were suspended,” the statement said. “This then led to delays to transport from the stadium for the wider public.”</p><p>Police said there was “no immediate risk to the public," and that the man remained in custody Sunday for questioning.</p><p>Fans had waited in long lines while transport was suspended. Just past 11 p.m. Saturday, <a href="https://x.com/birmingham2026/status/2088748412191514695">organizers posted an apology</a> on social media for “significant delays” and that bus service would “gradually begin to take place.”</p><p>“The safety and wellbeing of our spectators, athletes, workforce and the wider championships family will always be our first priority,” Birmingham 2026 said in a statement.</p><p>The stadium is located outside the city center.</p><p>“We recognize that the delays presented challenges for those affected and would like to thank everyone for their patience, understanding and cooperation throughout the evening,” organizers said.</p><p><a href="https://x.com/EuroAthletics/status/2088980272821740029">European Athletics said</a> the local organizing committee has worked closely with authorities “to ensure that all necessary measures are in place” for Sunday night.</p><p>“Any issues connected with last night have now been fully resolved,” it said Sunday. "Everything possible has been done to guarantee the safety and smooth running of tonight's competition.</p><p>“Fans can be reassured that it is safe to attend the stadium for the closing night of the championships.”</p><p>___</p><p>
<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sports-europe">See full AP coverage of European sports here</a>
</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/tnG2rrjBz9bqLwKo0_qhJehd2oY=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/WXUTZEYPPVEJZLCW62FBOPIHYE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5228" width="7842"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Athletes race in the men's 10,000 meters final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Petr David Josek</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Miami to decide fate of stunning stadium where speedboats raced and Jimmy Buffett played]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/national/2026/08/16/miami-to-decide-fate-of-stunning-stadium-where-speedboats-raced-and-jimmy-buffett-played/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/national/2026/08/16/miami-to-decide-fate-of-stunning-stadium-where-speedboats-raced-and-jimmy-buffett-played/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Fischer, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[A piece of Miami architectural history has sat largely abandoned and covered in graffiti for more than three decades.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 04:04:59 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Miami Marine Stadium, considered a masterpiece of midcentury Brutalist architecture with its massive cantilevered roof and a stunning view of the city, opened in 1963 as the nation’s only race venue for powerboats, a major symbol of South Florida.</p><p>The historic gem designed by a Cuban refugee was the backdrop of Elvis Presley’s 1967 film “Clambake” and a beloved venue of Gloria Estefan and the late Jimmy Buffett, who performed on a movable, floating stage. </p><p>But since closing in 1992 after suffering serious damage during Hurricane Andrew, the 6,500-seat venue has fallen into disarray and today is fenced off and covered in graffiti despite being listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.</p><p>On Tuesday, voters will decide whether to allow the city to partner with a private company to return the unique stadium situated on Virginia Key across the water from downtown Miami to its former glory.</p><p>President Richard Nixon and Sammy Davis Jr. appeared together at the stadium during a 1972 campaign rally to support Nixon's reelection bid. And residents would gather for Easter sunrise services, as well as celebrate Our Lady of Charity, a representation of the Virgin Mary honored by many Cubans and Cuban Americans.</p><p>“It encapsulated a time period in Miami that’s incredibly unique with an incredible story that touches all Miamians,” Miami Commissioner Damian Pardo said. “So this is really a place that connects with Miami at a very deep and personal level.”</p><p>The stadium has a rich history in Miami</p><p>Hilario Candela was in his late 20s and a recent refugee from the Cuban Revolution when he designed the structure. He spent decades designing buildings around Miami and led community efforts to restore the marine stadium until his death in 2022.</p><p>When it was added to the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places in 2018, then-Secretary of State Ken Detzner called the stadium “one of the state of Florida’s most unique architectural and historic resources,” and “an ambitious example of mid-century Modernist architecture” that represented the “multi-cultural influences evolving in the city of Miami during the 1960s.”</p><p>The year before <a href="https://apnews.com/article/obituary-jimmy-buffett-4295f355b39237f40663d485c4c6d557">his 2023 passing</a>, Buffett wrote a letter to Miami officials, urging them to save the “little cathedral of musical fun.” The Mayor of Margaritaville described a 1985 concert at the marine stadium that ended with him jumping off the floating stage into the surrounding water, joining cheering swimmers and boaters.</p><p>“Those were the ‘Miami Vice’ days, and Don Johnson introduced us,” Buffett wrote of the actor in the popular 1980s television crime drama. “WITCO Desperadoes from Trinidad opened the show, and the Coral Reefer Band finished the night with what I think was one of the most fun shows, for band and fans, that I have ever done.”</p><p>Buffett's daughter, Savannah, continues to work with <a href="https://restoremarinestadium.org/">Restore Miami Marine Stadium</a>. The group's co-founder, Donald Worth, began a mission to save the stadium in 2008, shortly after city officials at the time announced plans to tear it down.</p><p>“The architecture gives it the wow, the history gives it its soul,” Worth said. “It’s just a special, magical place, and so many people in Miami have had such memorable experiences there.”</p><p>Voters will help decide the stadium’s future</p><p>Breakwater Hospitality Group co-founder Emi Guerra, who's working with the company selected to partner with the city, said the stadium’s view of the city skyline and its location right off Biscayne Bay could make it an entertainment destination that rivals Denver’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre, an open-air venue built into the side of a mountain.</p><p>“There’s just something here that can’t be duplicated, and that’s the view,” Guerra said of the marine stadium.</p><p>Guerra said he can understand the cynicism felt by some voters, but he points out that this isn’t a developer land grab to build more condos. The city of Miami will retain complete ownership of the stadium and surrounding area, and the management company will be stewards of the city’s vision, Guerra said.</p><p>“When it’s something that’s historic, you have two options: restore it or let it rot,” Guerra said.</p><p>Ernesto Cuesta, head of the Brickell Homeowners Association, sees another option.</p><p>He said the group supports the preservation of a historical landmark, but members are worried about how noise and traffic from a large-scale event space will affect residents across the bay and nearby wildlife. He said he’d prefer a park with more green spaces.</p><p>Restoration plans aim to honor the stadium’s past</p><p>Despite sitting unused for more than three decades, multiple studies have shown that the stadium remains structurally safe.</p><p>Project architect Richard Heisenbottle, who has previously worked to restore other Miami landmarks, said he hopes reviving the marine stadium will honor its original architect.</p><p>He said renovations will have to include modern amenities and accessibility requirements, but the galvanized steel rebar used to reinforce the concrete during its original construction has protected the stadium from serious deterioration. Completed construction documents for the restorations have already been permitted by the city of Miami, he said.</p><p>Miami Commissioner Pardo said a significant hurdle to reopening the stadium previously has been the city government simply not having the capacity to properly run a major event space.</p><p>The referendum going before Miami voters on Tuesday would allow the city to enter into a management agreement.</p><p>The private company would develop the stadium’s large parking area into a flex park that includes public recreational facilities and a special events space. The city would collect revenue from events to fund the stadium repairs and upgrades, while paying the company a management fee. The total cost of the project hasn’t been determined, but Pardo insisted it will not be borne by taxpayers at all.</p><p>“It’s the right time to finally do this,” Pardo said.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/a_inXZ3XTqmx1w3EKTWeV4-mOP4=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/E2WSXGTWVBH3ZFTEMMUJQC36AQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2252" width="3378"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A concrete roof cantilevers over the Miami Marine Stadium on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/David Fischer)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">David Fischer</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/pw92pSqE5hNO3fszG0jil2c-X_I=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/TV77YAJ62ZBPJNRZFENBT7B5NA.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2252" width="3378"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Breakwater Hospitality Group co-founder Emi Guerra, left, and Miami Commissioner Damian Pardo walk through the Miami Marine Stadium on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/David Fischer)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">David Fischer</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/oSEwO1p3VZQ3MRwQCfAnqgs1NZM=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/PVYQ44LYENCYNEUFJHCDTB6TTU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5461" width="8192"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[The Miami Marine Stadium, facing Biscayne Bay with the skyline in the background, is seen from an aerial view Tuesday Aug. 11, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Daniel Kozin)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Daniel Kozin</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/t-lnykyA9k5Wt4eELMXiiflYFeQ=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/4QNEQO4HWNG7HNLMYQXEGZB5XQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5376" width="8064"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[The Miami Marine Stadium's seats are shaded by a concrete cantilevered roof Tuesday Aug. 11, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Daniel Kozin)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Daniel Kozin</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/liRC7mTBazfqMIxcOmeDA0Vz6M0=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/MXLHG3LSRFH73FSTOPUVWYVSXQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5376" width="8064"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[The Miami Marine Stadium is seen from an aerial view Tuesday Aug. 11, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Daniel Kozin)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Daniel Kozin</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Heat wave with close to record-breaking highs expected this week in Northeast Florida, Southeast Georgia]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/weather/2026/08/16/heat-wave-with-close-to-record-breaking-highs-expected-this-week-in-northeast-florida-southeast-georgia/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/weather/2026/08/16/heat-wave-with-close-to-record-breaking-highs-expected-this-week-in-northeast-florida-southeast-georgia/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michelle McCormick]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Afternoon high temperatures are expected to climb into the mid to upper 90s by mid to late afternoon. ]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 13:41:58 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Afternoon high temperatures are expected to climb into the mid to upper 90s by mid to late afternoon. </p><p>Peak heat index values are forecast to reach 108 to 112 degrees across nearly the entire region. That level of heat stress qualifies as dangerous for most people, especially those spending time outdoors.</p><p>A Heat Advisory is in effect beginning as early as 11 a.m. Sunday and running through 8 p.m. Sunday evening. The advisory will be most impactful in areas that stay dry throughout the day, as any rainfall could offer brief but temporary relief from the most intense heat.</p><h3>Storms possible</h3><p>Some storm activity is expected to develop though that activity is forecast to fall apart before midnight Sunday night. Following the storms, leftover cloud cover will slowly clear through the overnight hours and into the early morning hours Monday.</p><p>Unfortunately, overnight relief will be hard to come by. Low temperatures Monday morning are only expected to drop to the 75 to 80 degree range.</p><h3>Stay safe in extreme heat</h3><p>Health officials consistently warn that extreme heat is one of the deadliest weather hazards. Residents are urged to:</p><ul><li>Limit outdoor activity&nbsp;during the hottest parts of the day, typically between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.</li><li>Stay hydrated&nbsp;by drinking water frequently, even if you don’t feel thirsty.</li><li>Check on neighbors, the elderly, young children and pets.</li><li>Find air-conditioned spaces&nbsp;such as libraries, malls or cooling centers if your home does not have air conditioning.</li></ul><p>The Heat Advisory remains in place through 8 p.m. Sunday. </p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/iAoby7gL0KRC0gTRAVq4UwOFwgo=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/VLFX4RVRCFE23AGNJZT5F55MUQ.png" type="image/png" height="977" width="1863"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Heat Advisory]]></media:description></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Bou Meng, a Cambodian artist and survivor of a Khmer Rouge torture center, has died at 85]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/16/bou-meng-a-cambodian-artist-and-survivor-of-a-khmer-rouge-torture-center-has-died-at-85/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/16/bou-meng-a-cambodian-artist-and-survivor-of-a-khmer-rouge-torture-center-has-died-at-85/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Sopheng Cheang, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Cambodian artist Bou Meng, one of only seven people known to have survived a notorious Khmer Rouge torture center, has died at 85.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 12:59:31 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Cambodian artist Bou Meng, one of only seven people known to have survived a notorious Khmer Rouge torture center in the Southeast Asian country in the late 1970s, has died. He was 85.</p><p>His ability to paint portraits of the then-leader Pol Pot was why he was kept alive.</p><p>The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-war-crimes-cambodia-khieu-samphan-government-and-politics-84728829003ab97b6ebe40c8d171bd45">U.N.-backed tribunal</a> that sought to try Khmer Rouge leaders for genocide and other crimes against humanity, said he died late Friday due to age-related illness.</p><p>“The passing of Mr. Bou Meng represents the loss of an important historical witness to the grave crimes committed during the brutal Khmer Rouge regime, particularly to the history and tragedy that took place at the former S-21 Security Centre,” referring to the prison, also known as <a href="https://apnews.com/article/cambodia-khmer-rouge-unesco-072f06ec2039fd2fb0a6496cbc3dd20c">Tuol Sleng</a>, where he had been held for almost two years starting in 1977.</p><p>The Khmer Rouge group that ruled Cambodia from 1975–79 was accused of <a href="https://apnews.com/article/khmer-rouge-genocide-killing-field-b666fd9376a8ab49d708d7a163385579">genocide</a> for causing the deaths of so many of their countrymen from executions, starvation, and lack of medical care due to its radical policies. An estimated 1.7 million Cambodians died from forced labor, starvation, medical neglect, and executions.</p><p>An estimated 16,000 women and children were kept at S-21 over the course of nearly four years before being killed. Now it serves as the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, named after the high school it had been before the Khmer Rouge takeover.</p><p>Bou Meng, along with two other survivors, artist Vann Nath and mechanic <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=931j0P0YeIc">Chum Mey,</a> testified in 2009 at the trial of <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-international-news-asia-pacific-6c7https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-international-news-asia-pacific-6c76f8aa42cadf006fe6fcc84f2a1d0b6f8aa42cadf006fe6fcc84f2a1d0b">Kaing Guek Eav</a>, also known as Duch, who had been the S-21 commandant.</p><p>Duch was found guilty of crimes against humanity, torture, and murder in 2010 and ultimately received a sentence of life imprisonment. He died in prison in 2020 at the age of 77.</p><p>In 2010, Bou Meng testified that painting larger-than-life images of Pol Pot and portraits of other communist icons helped save his life.</p><p>It took three months to complete his first outsized work. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-international-news-asia-pacific-6c7https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-international-news-asia-pacific-6c76f8aa42cadf006fe6fcc84f2a1d0b6f8aa42cadf006fe6fcc84f2a1d0b">Kaing Guek Eav</a> then ordered him to make three more Pol Pot paintings and portraits of other communist leaders. These included Mao Zedong of China and North Korea’s Kim Il Sung, as well as one mocking Ho Chi Minh, the father of Vietnam’s communist revolution.</p><p>“I was ordered to paint a picture of Ho Chi Minh’s head on the body of a dog,” Bou Meng told the U.N.-backed tribunal. Cambodia’s archenemy was neighboring Vietnam, which eventually invaded to oust the Khmer Rouge in 1979.</p><p>Youk Chhang, head of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, which has collected voluminous archives about the Khmer Rouge tragedy, said on Sunday that Bou Meng’s life journey for justice has been documented and “will not be forgotten by genocide history around the world.”</p><p>“I urge action to preserve stories of the millions who survived the Khmer Rouge and provide them with both mental and physical health support,” Youk Chhang told The Associated Press in a text message.</p><p>Like many who were taken to Tuol Sleng, Bou Meng had joined the Khmer Rouge in its war from 1970–75 to unseat a pro-American government, but was detained in one of its many internal purges after victory. He was brutally tortured before being assigned his painting duties.</p><p>Bou Meng’s first wife was arrested with him and disappeared from the prison, and presumably was executed. He never found their two children, who were taken to the countryside, where they were likely killed.</p><p>In his later years, Bou Meng, who remarried, often spent his days at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, where he sold copies of a book about his experience.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/kM3Ccb090WS1AKtvDtvk46VC5XA=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/DZDLETWRGFD23KDQE4Y6J7MEYY.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="1731" width="2596"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[FILE- Bou Meng, center, former S-21 prison survivor, leaves the courtroom after the verdict is announced for Khieu Samphan, former Khmer Rouge head of state, at the U.N.-backed war crimes tribunal in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith, file)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Heng Sinith</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/UuQnAZoJFC5feYpqpzfRUT0pKxE=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/EQNVS7UJLVEA7EFV5444COLEKQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2291" width="3437"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[FILE - Bou Meng, a former S-21 prison survivor, sits at his hours in Koh Thom, Kandal province, Cambodia, Teusday, Jan. 31, 2012. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith, File)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Heng Sinith</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Republicans won the redistricting competition. Don't tell that to this California congressman]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/politics/2026/08/16/republicans-won-the-redistricting-competition-dont-tell-that-to-this-california-congressman/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/politics/2026/08/16/republicans-won-the-redistricting-competition-dont-tell-that-to-this-california-congressman/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Nicholas Riccardi, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[The national redistricting competition between the parties means California's conservative voters are going through the same thing as Democratic voters in Republican strongholds.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 11:42:32 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>One thing Anne Smull, a retired feedstore owner, was looking forward to on Election Day was voting for the man who currently represents her in Congress, conservative Rep. Kevin Kiley. Now she can't. </p><p>That's because California Democrats sliced Kiley's district six ways as payback for Republican <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/redistricting">redistricting in Texas and elsewhere</a>. The chunk of the district that Smull, who identifies as a conservative, lives in is now grafted onto an overwhelmingly Democratic seat based in the state's wine country.</p><p>During a recent lunch at a cafe in Lincoln, a onetime agricultural town that has morphed into a bedroom community on the edge of Sacramento's exurban sprawl, Smull was heartbroken to hear she can no longer vote for Kiley.</p><p>“He believes in the same things I do,” Smull said. “It feels sneaky and underhanded.”</p><p>Republicans started the redistricting competition. Democrats might finish it</p><p>Democratic voters in several other states know how Smull feels.</p><p>President Donald Trump last year <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-congress-house-republicans-texas-redistricting-d18e8280a32872d9eefcbb26f66a0331">told GOP-controlled states to redraw their maps</a> before this year's midterm elections to increase the number of winnable seats for Republicans in order to help the party hold onto the U.S. House. The effort was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-voting-rights-congressional-redistricting-louisiana-aa5d7dbde7c13654f341d152c2ad5229">turbocharged by a U.S. Supreme Court decision</a> this spring that neutralized a key provision of the Voting Rights Act and cleared the way for Republicans to redraw more seats across the South that had elected Black Democrats.</p><p>Democratic-leaning and heavily minority communities from Texas to Tennessee <a href="https://apnews.com/article/tennessee-redistricting-memphis-black-voters-south-b35a4b19c2c4818a660d3689cb8b1f82">have been split</a> into multiple congressional districts that dilute the Democratic vote by stretching deep into conservative areas.</p><p>In the future, it is likely that more Republican voters in other states will go through what Smull and other conservatives in Northern California are facing. Democrats in Maryland, New York, Illinois and other strongholds have pledged to retaliate in time for the 2028 elections and split Republican-leaning districts the way their California counterparts did Kiley's. </p><p>Democrats have been hindered nationally <a href="https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-democrats-congress-republicans-independent-commissions-8628980ac7e2e1fc209d9e6511dfc45c">by stricter rules against partisan line-drawing</a> in their states, but California showed a way around that. California Democrats <a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-redistricting-prop-50-gavin-newsom-839193bfc2a817086acca7365315f26f">won voter approval last year</a> to redraw the state's congressional map, originally made by an independent commission, and formed five new Democratic-leaning seats.</p><p>‘We have zero voice,’ says voter angry at the Democratic drive for a new political map</p><p>Kiley's is one of them. The reworked political lines led the two-term congressman to leave the Republican Party and run as an independent in the slightly Democratic-leaning district that now includes his home.</p><p>He spoke out against partisan gerrymandering, even unsuccessfully trying to force the Republican-led House to allow a vote on a bill to ban mid-decade redistricting.</p><p>“We've seen partisan divisions really spin out of control in really harmful ways, and I think exhibit number one is the redistricting wars,” Kiley recently told a group of voters in the suburb of Citrus Heights.</p><p>Democrats contend Kiley's party switch is purely a political trick to survive in a more liberal district. They note he still caucuses with House Republicans, has voted for many of the GOP's priorities, including <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-sign-tax-cut-bill-july-4-3804df732e461a626fd8c2b43413c3f0">Trump's sweeping budget and tax cut bill last year</a>, and that political organizations run by House Republicans are spending money to back his reelection.</p><p>Even some of Kiley's supporters think the election was a factor in the congressman's decision to become an independent.</p><p>“My original thinking was he did it because of redistricting — maybe it'd help him get reelected,” said John Coburn, a 68-year-old retired business owner, at the Citrus Heights event.</p><p>Coburn is furious at the Democrats’ redistricting and hopes Kiley wins. Coburn does not care that they did it in retaliation for Texas, where Republicans at Trump's directive revised that state's map to carve out up to five new winnable conservative seats.</p><p>“I don't care about Texas, I live in California,” Coburn said, adding that “40% of the state is Republican, and we have zero voice. Zero. It's not how our Founding Fathers intended.”</p><p>For Democrats in the district, a rare political opportunity</p><p>In an interview, Kiley said his switch to independent was no political gambit. If he wanted to stay in the House, he argued, he could have had an easier time staying in the GOP, moving to a more conservative district that included parts of his old one and running in a Republican primary there.</p><p>"I could have gone there and run and played the same game these other politicians are playing,” he said.</p><p>Kiley said he is caucusing with Republicans to avoid losing his seats on committees and that in the next Congress he will try to change rules so independent members do not lose committee seats because they do not caucus with one of the two major parties.</p><p>Among his backers, he noted, is onetime Democratic presidential hopeful Andrew Yang, a former technology entrepreneur who co-founded a centrist party for independents.</p><p>The Democrat running against Kiley, former state Sen. Richard Pan, scoffs at his rival's newfound independent status.</p><p>“He was a MAGA champion when he first ran for Congress, and now he's trying to say ‘I’m not,'” Pan told a crowd at a senior community in Roseville, referring to Trump's “Make America Great Again” movement.</p><p>Earlier that day, Pan swung by the Placer County Democratic Party office, tucked away on the second story of a brick shopping arcade in Lincoln's compact downtown.</p><p>Placer is a Republican county that stretches from the Sacramento suburbs to the northwestern shores of Lake Tahoe. The entire county is in Kiley's current district, but it will be divided among three districts in the new map.</p><p>Kathleen Crawford, chair of the county Democratic Party, was enthusiastic about the county getting carved up.</p><p>“It's worth it, because we have an opportunity to get Democratic representation, which has been missing from our county,” Crawford said. “I've been here 15 years, and this is my first real opportunity to elect a Democrat.”</p><p>A never-ending cycle that cuts out ‘the little people’</p><p>Lincoln's downtown is flanked by fruit, vegetable and flower farms, as well as new subdivisions. The community and its neighboring suburbs have become a destination for people fleeing the San Francisco Bay Area's housing prices. That has helped change the once solidly conservative area into a political battleground where skilled mapmakers can draw winnable seats for Democrats.</p><p>Ed Church, a 61-year-old risk manager, was eating lunch at Simple Pleasures cafe in Lincoln when he contemplated Kiley's shift. A Democrat, Church has not been a Kiley fan and he was bemused by the congressman's move.</p><p>“If that's how he'd been initially and not so MAGA, I probably could have supported him,” Church said of Kiley's independent status. Now Church, as a Lincoln resident, is in a purely Democratic district and will not have a say in Kiley's fate in November. His main criteria in the election will be “who's going to stand up to Trump?” </p><p>Across the street at a gun store, Wesley Johnson, 43, who considers himself a conservative independent, said he was dispirited by the state's redistricting.</p><p>“I feel Northern California is not represented fairly,” Johnson said. “San Francisco, Sacramento and Los Angeles control everything.”</p><p>He acknowledged Republicans were doing the same thing in states they controlled and said he did not know how it could stop.</p><p>“You're just cutting out the little people,” Johnson said.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/7Wt6nqTnua9-JWd2m1EGbKRMffc=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/545V5AM335EZPETRKTQQDOXNIM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3510" width="5265"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Rep. Kevin Kiley, I-Calif., a candidate for the California 6th District seat in the House of Representatives in the Nov. 3, election, appears at a campaign event in Citrus Heights, Calif., Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Rich Pedroncelli</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/t2cfbUqTrRTLcbxyUMUcfrKQ9Hs=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/WGPULTYPGBCSJERTGLP3YRJBSY.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3689" width="5534"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Richard Pan, the Democratic candidate for the California 6th District seat in the House of Representatives in the Nov. 3 election, appears at a campaign event, in Roseville, Calif., Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Rich Pedroncelli</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/AGK9fYX-koCGIuMk5oymt12KcqI=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/GYPDQQKYBZA2FIPBVQRYABXRKA.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3887" width="5831"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Victoria Fochetti-Murray, left, discusses the 2022 murder of her 17-year-old son,Tony Rocha, with Rep. Kevin Kiley, I-Calif., a candidate for the California 6th District seat in the House of Representatives, at a campaign event in Citrus Height Calif.,Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026.(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Rich Pedroncelli</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/n-S-T6Ky_M_3UIinR2Al2_DLI2I=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/EY3DBWNZBVGPHMMWZHFWJD2OD4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3059" width="4587"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Richard Pan, the Democratic candidate for the California 6th District seat in the House of Representatives in the Nov. 3 election, greets people at a campaign event, in Roseville, Calif., Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Rich Pedroncelli</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ben Franklin chose America. Son William chose the crown. This civil war is a microcosm of revolution]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/politics/2026/08/16/ben-franklin-chose-america-son-william-chose-the-crown-this-civil-war-is-a-microcosm-of-revolution/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/politics/2026/08/16/ben-franklin-chose-america-son-william-chose-the-crown-this-civil-war-is-a-microcosm-of-revolution/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Danica Kirka, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Benjamin Franklin's son William was buried in London following his death in 1813, more than three decades after he was forced to leave America.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 11:38:38 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In central London, near where tourists and business travelers board Eurostar trains to Paris, lies the burial place of Benjamin Franklin’s eldest son — a man whose life and family relationships were upended by his stance on the American Revolution.</p><p><a href="https://nj.gov/state/archives/documentary-treasures-oaths-william-franklin.shtml">William Franklin</a> was buried at the graveyard of <a href="https://stpancrasoldchurch.posp.co.uk/history/church-history/">St. Pancras Old Church</a> following his death in 1813, more than three decades after he was forced to leave America because of his service to the country his father fought so hard to win independence from.</p><p>His burial in the capital of what was then the British Empire is a reminder that the Revolution was as much a civil war as it was the founding act of the United States of America. It is also, historians say, a reminder that the conflict that destroyed friendships and ripped apart families <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/america-250">250 years ago continues today.</a></p><p>“Now especially, I think it is important for people to understand that American history is 250 years of everybody disagreeing with each other,” said James Taub, associate curator at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia.</p><p>“The American Revolution is an ongoing event. We are living it, right still to this day,” he said. “And we’re all taking part in it in one way or another.”</p><p>America's creation story is anything but simple</p><p>After President Donald Trump’s <a href="https://apnews.com/article/great-american-state-fair-trump-unity-divisions-54de366d0ba3f8648c456de21e70b417">Great American State Fair</a> in Washington, after the band concerts and barbecues and fireworks that marked Independence Day celebrations across the U.S., the country is still faced with the task of forming a more perfect union out of the anger and confrontation that have filled the period since the Republican returned to the White House in January 2025.</p><p>It is a messy process that started amid the wreckage of the Revolution.</p><p>Often simplified as the tale of the plucky patriots who banded together to defeat the mighty British Empire, the revolution was more accurately an eight-year war fought by people who once saw themselves as British against the armies of their former sovereign.</p><p>As much as one-third of the population remained loyal to King George III and at times during the war loyalist Americans were the biggest contingent of troops in the British forces. Enslaved Black people fought on both sides of the conflict, as did Indigenous people.</p><p>People based their allegiances on who they thought was more likely to deliver freedom and justice.</p><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/america-250-trump-king-imperial-presidency-13c1b8f5ad2cb4c94d879d5738000e53">That complicated reality</a> played out in the Franklin family.</p><p>A revolution for the colonies and a tear in the Franklin family's unity </p><p>When Ben Franklin flew a kite into a thunderstorm in 1752 to demonstrate that lightning was essentially a massive electrical spark, young William Franklin was by his side.</p><p>Five years later, father and son traveled to London together after Ben Franklin was sent to the capital of the British Empire to represent Pennsylvania’s colonial government. As Ben Franklin settled into <a href="https://benjaminfranklinhouse.org/the-house-benjamin-franklin/">his home at 36 Craven St.</a>, which today serves as a museum of the Founding Father’s life in London, William studied law and married. Both enjoyed London's culture and nightlife.</p><p>William Franklin returned to America and became governor of New Jersey in 1763, a post he would hold for the next 13 years.</p><p>But father and son came into increasing conflict when Ben Franklin returned to Philadelphia in 1775. While the elder Franklin backed growing calls for independence as a member of the Continental Congress, William rejected the authority of Congress and continued to represent the king.</p><p>William Franklin was arrested by the emerging American government's forces as “an enemy of the country’s liberty” in January 1776 and imprisoned until October 1778, much of the time in solitary confinement. After his release in a prisoner exchange, he became a leader of the loyalist community in the British stronghold of New York City.</p><p>Following the defeat of British forces, William Franklin sailed for London in 1782. He is believed to have had only one brief meeting with his father between his arrest and Ben Franklin’s death in 1790.</p><p>Franklin warned his son about the risk from the royal ties</p><p>The bitter split came about even though Ben Franklin repeatedly warned his son that if he did not step down as royal governor, the new government would arrest him, said Daniel Mark Epstein, who chronicled the relationship in his book “The Loyal Son: The War in Ben Franklin’s House.” But William Franklin would not relent.</p><p>“He was absolutely not gonna budge,” Epstein said. “He was the last governor to leave his office, and he had to be dragged away literally in irons.”</p><p>Epstein sees the Franklin story as cautionary tale for the angry citizens of 21st-century America, a country marked by easy access to guns and falling educational standards. By contrast, colonial America was a highly literate society where 90% of the population could read and people were more likely to argue out their problems than resort to violence.</p><p>Yet still the colonies’ differences with Britain descended into war.</p><p>“Our educational system has failed us here,” Epstein said. “We’re really in a terrible crisis in terms of education. People find it very, very difficult to have rational arguments because they don’t have the language and yet there’s this crazy availability of weapons.”</p><p>Taub takes a broader view, seeing echoes of the conflicts that ignited the Revolution in the tensions of today.</p><p>He said <a href="https://apnews.com/article/thomas-jefferson-declaration-independence-slavery-c4b7d9a72362f66759fe035e0f5012de">Americans need to understand the complexities of the Revolutionary era</a> so they can see how unique the Declaration of Independence was in 1776 and why so many other countries have since modeled their founding documents on it.</p><p>“It makes me feel better about us today,” he said. “And I think it will show that we’re just part of 250 years of an ongoing story and 250 years of an ongoing mission that was laid down, a cause that was laid down by people in 1776.”</p><p>___</p><p>Part of a series of stories exploring life in the United States as the country marks its 250th anniversary. Click <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/america-250">here</a> for more. Take a look at some of the objects that have come to define America <a href="https://apnews.com/american-objects">here</a>. </p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/wYC5k9POGLju-THCufcPqSE4iC8=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/JBYKG5NF55GUVOERXDFO4YWYH4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5557" width="8336"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[The Benjamin Franklin House is pictured in central London, Monday, May 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Kin Cheung</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/qUZzVFonpQVhUqHjrAp6X2NA-mo=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/XLGYZWUWXZFTXFAZNPZGOF35MA.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5370" width="8055"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A marble bust and a portrait of Benjamin Franklin is displayed at the Benjamin Franklin House in London, Monday, May 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Kin Cheung</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/gKauund_FRoc8EtT-UP3K4DJ6Do=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/AYMKFJ75NZDCJMVYHJFJR7M5NQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5760" width="8640"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[The Benjamin Franklin House is pictured in central London, Monday, May 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Kin Cheung</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/E-22Sz40iAQTjU3vAIegn3EXIaE=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/DRS62AV7QJFBLNRBX5KGQYZLQI.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5253" width="7880"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Henry Wilkinson, head of education at the Benjamin Franklin House, walks downstairs at the Benjamin Franklin House in London, Monday, May 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Kin Cheung</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/JWolmfMb8PokjVfbf4lmV-hRZyU=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/X3L4Z3XBYFFCBDBSBWWXBRAQ6A.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5341" width="8011"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Henry Wilkinson, head of education at the Benjamin Franklin House, shows a replica of Franklin's armonica at the Benjamin Franklin House in London, Monday, May 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Kin Cheung</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Indiana authorities say at least 5 people have died as severe weather crosses the state]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/national/2026/08/15/historic-flooding-prompts-evacuations-and-water-rescues-in-indiana/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/national/2026/08/15/historic-flooding-prompts-evacuations-and-water-rescues-in-indiana/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Indiana authorities say at least five people have died in storms across the state this week, as first responders worked to rescue more people Saturday from rising waters in neighborhoods along the White River in Indianapolis.]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 17:59:29 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Indiana authorities said at least five people have died as a result of severe storms and flooding across the state this week, as first responders used boats to rescue more people Saturday from rising waters in neighborhoods along the White River in Indianapolis.</p><p>The state has been hammered over the past week by heavy rains, resulting in rivers reaching record levels and sending residents in search of higher ground. More than a dozen counties have declared local disasters, with much of the latest damage concentrated along river corridors from Hamilton County heading into the northern Indianapolis suburbs.</p><p>President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration for Indiana, and federal disaster assistance is available to the state, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said Saturday.</p><p>Residents evacuate as water rises</p><p>Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said the city was experiencing its most severe flooding in more than 30 years, noting that conditions were shifting rapidly. Hundreds of homes in neighborhoods that were located between the river and parallel canals were evacuated Saturday, as first responders used boats to rescue people who were already stranded.</p><p>Rita Reith, a spokesperson with the Indianapolis Fire Department, put the number of rescues at 95 people and 45 pets as of late afternoon. Dispatchers had received hundreds of calls for service throughout the day.</p><p>The governor’s office reported more than 350 evacuations have occurred in Delaware County and that a senior mobile home community in Tipton County was being evacuated. Rescues and welfare checks also were happening in Fayette County.</p><p>Indiana authorities said Saturday at least five people have died as a result of the severe weather over the past week. That includes a boy killed when a tree fell on his home, a woman who was swept away after driving into floodwaters and a teen who was reported missing after jumping in to a river on Wednesday.</p><p> “My heart is with the families and loved ones of the five Hoosiers we have lost and every family whose life has been changed by these storms,” Braun said in a statement issued Saturday. “Please continue to take flooding seriously and stay away from floodwaters.” </p><p>Rivers and creeks surge after days of rain</p><p>Jacob Spence, director of Marion County Emergency Management, called it a once-in-a-lifetime type flood. </p><p>“This is an unprecedented event, and unfortunately we’re setting some new records,” he told The Associated Press.</p><p>The National Weather Service reported that more than 11 inches (28 centimeters) of rain fell over a two-day period in some areas. The White River crested at more than 24 feet (7.32 meters) in the communities of Anderson and Noblesville, surpassing records set in 1913.</p><p>While some floodwaters were receding north of Indianapolis, flash-flood warnings and watches remained in place Saturday across a swath of central Indiana.</p><p>Forecasters expected the White River to crest Saturday evening in the Indianapolis area, where National Guard vehicles were among those helping with the rescue efforts. Rita Reith, a spokesperson with the Indianapolis Fire Department, put the number of rescues at 95 people and 45 pets as of late afternoon. </p><p>Earlier this week, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/weather-derecho-tornado-flooding-power-midwest-83fd919c9394218c38df03bc9db8073d">severe storms</a> wreaked havoc across other parts of the Midwest, causing tornadoes, heavy rains and flash flooding. Storm damage was reported from the Chicago area all the way to western Pennsylvania. Power had yet to be restored for some residents in other parts of Indiana.</p><p>Cleanup begins for upstream communities</p><p>Residents posted videos on social media that showed submerged homes, vehicles stranded in high water, a power pole being toppled by rushing water and roads being washed away. </p><p>There were ominous clouds over Noblesville on Saturday morning, but the river already had marked its historic crest the night before, leaving homes standing in water, parking lots flooded and corn fields saturated. The community's historic covered bridge — Potter's Bridge — was still standing.</p><p>“This is crazy for all of us,” said Matt Doudt, the city's photographer, who was out early to document the aftermath. He pointed to a grassy commons area that usually hosts farmers' market and concerts. That was under water. So was a brand new memorial and flower garden recently installed by the city.</p><p>He said Noblesville, with its historic charm and brick streets, didn't get much rain in recent days but that the flooding was caused by the downpours that happened in communities upstream. All that water had no where to go but rush down to Noblesville — and now Indianapolis, he said. </p><p>Still, Doudt and others are thankful.</p><p>“We have a lot of damage,” he said, “But we didn’t lose any lives and everybody got rescued and our city is taking care of people pretty well.”</p><p>___</p><p>Montoya Bryan reported from Albuquerque, New Mexico.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/B84wztvH-8M0op4cr5LQVPqNTxc=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/RENZET5FZZE65PUN2C2OFHB4NY.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2000" width="3000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[This aerial photo provided by the Indianapolis Fire Department shows flooding in northern Indianapolis, Ind., Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (Indianapolis Fire Department via AP)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Uncredited</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/s7IDisl-fuMWGw8KpnlfhC-WXY8=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/LPMXMWAOH5GXTIFKKUTS25TOCM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="1800" width="2700"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[This photo provided by Aaron Skillman shows flooding in Indianapolis, Ind., on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (Aaron Skillman via AP)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Aaron Skillman</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/-qjiiyjfd81auNIAz-Yr58BFjaE=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/C6TLTCYIUJC4FDLEBBEG7CPZEU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2000" width="3000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[This aerial photo provided by the Indianapolis Fire Department shows flooding in northern Indianapolis, Ind., Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (Indianapolis Fire Department via AP)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Uncredited</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/tQcKdcG7bQQuboCWdfbfc58v3xU=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/AQW6RAZYBZCAZGBTD7I334AODY.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2000" width="3000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[This photo provided by the Indianapolis Fire Department shows flooding in northern Indianapolis, Ind., Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (Indianapolis Fire Department via AP)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Uncredited</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/PUbfZ7fx4gRLgZqvV8CRrVFuK4s=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/7HGZMU42ZNFNFDE77AEW7LGUIQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2000" width="3000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[This aerial photo provided by the Indianapolis Fire Department shows flooding in northern Indianapolis, Ind., Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (Indianapolis Fire Department via AP)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Uncredited</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Novak Djokovic ousted from Cincinnati Open in his first match since Wimbledon]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/15/novak-djokovic-ousted-from-cincinnati-open-in-his-first-match-since-wimbledon/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/15/novak-djokovic-ousted-from-cincinnati-open-in-his-first-match-since-wimbledon/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Novak Djokovic’s stay at the Cincinnati Open was a short one.]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 22:27:29 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Novak Djokovic's stay at the Cincinnati Open was a short one. It also might be his last.</p><p>The 24-time major champion fell to Thiago Agustin Tirante 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 on Saturday in a match that took 2 hours, 44 minutes in hot and humid conditions.</p><p>A 25-year-old from Argentina, Tirante is ranked No. 50 in the world. Djokovic — a three-time Cincinnati champion and No. 5 in the rankings — was playing for the first time <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sinner-zverev-wimbledon-final-agassi-1003635c688d2a5e1c38f7643db8cd38">since his loss to top-ranked Jannik Sinner</a> in the semifinals at Wimbledon.</p><p>Up next for Djokovic is the U.S. Open, which starts Aug. 30 in New York.</p><p>Djokovic appeared to struggle physically in the heat and had his 10-match winning streak in Cincinnati snapped. The 39-year-old told reporters that an unspecified health condition made it difficult for him to play in hot and humid weather.</p><p>“It’s just a condition that I have, health-wise, that has been bothering me for the past couple of years,” Djokovic said. “A lot of issues, especially when it is humid and it is hot. I did anticipate it (would be humid), but there are all these things, like nerves and everything involved that make it worse, and that’s what happened.”</p><p>Djokovic has had plenty of success in Cincinnati, with a 45-13 record and titles in 2018, 2020 and 2023. But he wasn't sure he would return.</p><p>“I certainly hope so, but it looks more likely not, unfortunately,” Djokovic said. “But let’s see what the future brings.”</p><p>Djokovic saved 13 of the 15 break points he faced. Tirante broke Djokovic's serve in the ninth game of the final set and then served it out.</p><p>“I think this is the best win of my career,” Tirante said. “I think I really did a good job inside the court. I managed very well the nerves of playing against a legend like Novak.”</p><p>In a rain-delayed match that ended at 2:15 a.m. Sunday, top-seeded Alexander Zverev rallied to avoid a third straight loss, beating Cameron Norrie 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. After losing to Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon final, Zverev — the French Open champion — returned to play in Montreal and fell to Tallon Griekspoor in his opener Aug. 5.</p><p>Eala and Pegula win in women's draw</p><p>On the women's side, Alexandra Eala of the Philippines continued her run of strong play with a victory over Elena-Gabriela Ruse, who lost the first set and stopped playing in the second with an ankle injury. Eala — who is No. 20 in the rankings — won her first WTA singles title in Washington earlier this month and has won eight of her last nine matches.</p><p>American Jessica Pegula beat Simona Waltert 6-3, 6-2, improving her record to 25-6 on hard courts in 2026. The third-ranked Pegula won the title in Cincinnati in 2024.</p><p>___</p><p>
<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tennis">See AP’s full tennis coverage here</a>
</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/1BLdnXAFF6pRSDmIjufHQPKsXyE=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/DBBOZN47PZCC3O3MRWYRASIT7E.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3143" width="4714"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[FILE - Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, returns the ball to Roman Saffiullin, of Russia, in their fourth round men's singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, July 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga, File)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Brian Inganga</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Lani Pallister stuns Katie Ledecky with her first international 800 free loss at Pan Pacs]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/chinas-yu-yiting-edges-past-summer-mcintosh-to-win-pan-pacs-200-im/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/chinas-yu-yiting-edges-past-summer-mcintosh-to-win-pan-pacs-200-im/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Beth Harris, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Lani Pallister of Australia has stunned Katie Ledecky with her first international 800-meter freestyle loss at the Pan Pacific Championships.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 02:40:14 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Lani Pallister of Australia stunned Katie Ledecky with her first international loss in the 800-meter freestyle at the Pan Pacific Championships on Saturday night.</p><p>Pallister was under world-record pace for much of the race and touched in 8 minutes, 6.10 seconds to erase Ledecky's championship record from 2018.</p><p>“I was just so locked in and I've been really focused on what I want," Pallister said. “The 800 is my favorite event.” </p><p>Ledecky took silver in a season-best 8:07.26. </p><p>“That was definitely my best swim of the week, so I’m actually pretty happy with it,” she said. “If I was going to get second tonight, I wanted to make it a good one. Just wanted to make it hard for Lani.”</p><p>Ledecky is the four-time Olympic champion in her signature event. The American's lone previous defeat in an 800 free final since 2010 came in a small domestic meet in February 2024 against Summer McIntosh of Canada.</p><p>“Katie's such a dominant force,” a breathless Pallister said after the race. </p><p>Kate Douglass lowered her own world record in the 50 free for the second time Saturday, winning the final in 23.19 — one of three events on the final night.</p><p>“I was doubting myself, questioning my ability to do the triple,” she said. “My coaches and my teammates just really had a lot of faith in me and they really gave me a lot of energy.” </p><p>In the morning preliminaries, the 24-year-old American swam 23.49 to take the mark away from teammate Gretchen Walsh, who finished second in the evening final in 23.74.</p><p>Douglass returned 25 minutes later to finish second in the 200 breaststroke. She rallied from third down the stretch but couldn’t catch Alexanne Lepage of Canada, who led the entire race and touched in a lifetime best of 2:21.73. Douglass finished in 2:22.57.</p><p>“I feel like I’m just a little bit shocked,” Lepage said.</p><p>Walsh had owned the 50 free record of 23.55 since setting it in June at an international meet in Rome.</p><p>It’s the third time Douglass has lowered the world mark in the sprint race. She first did it on June 19 at the TYR Pro Swim Series meet in Indianapolis, posting a time of 23.59. Nine days later, Walsh lowered it again.</p><p>Fourteen minutes after climbing out of the pool, Douglass appeared on the medals podium in her cap and goggles to accept her gold. The other medalists were dressed in their usual team sweats. Eleven minutes after that, Douglass dived in for the 200 breast final.</p><p>Douglass capped a busy night by anchoring the U.S. women to a dominant victory in the 4 x 100 medley relay. Their time of 3:50.43 was a championship record. Australia was second in 3:55.09.</p><p>Douglass is a five-time Olympic medalist. She earned silver in the 50 free at the 2024 world championships but didn’t compete in the event at the 2024 Paris Games.</p><p>Her 50 free was the second individual world record set at the meet that includes swimmers from the U.S., Australia, Canada, Japan and China, among others.</p><p>The U.S. men also topped Australia in the 4 x 100 medley relay. Will Modglin, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/pan-pacific-swimming-van-mathias-48e828a16b2e39c3c186063ca1514e3b">Van Mathias</a>, Luca Urlando and anchor Jack Alexy swam a championship-record time of 3:29.06. </p><p>Sam Short of Australia won the 1,500 free to go with his earlier titles in the 400 and 800 free events. His time of 14:33.97 was the sixth-fastest in history and broke Grant Hackett’s 24-year-old championship record.</p><p>“That was actually so much fun,” Short said.</p><p>Kazushi Imafuku of Japan took silver in 14:42.59 and two-time defending Olympic champion Bobby Finke earned bronze in 14:44.26 on the same day he lost his world record to Johannes Liebmann of Germany at the European championships.</p><p>The men’s 50 free was won by Jamie Jack of Australia in a championship record of 21.35. American Jack Alexy took silver in 21.42.</p><p>Yu Yiting of China defeated a strong field including world record-holder McIntosh to win the 200 individual medley.</p><p>Yu was under world-record pace on the opening butterfly leg before American Regan Smith took over the lead on the backstroke. Yu moved back in front on the breaststroke and held off McIntosh in the closing meters. Yu’s time of 2:07.45 set a championship record in the outdoor pool in Irvine.</p><p>McIntosh, the Canadian star whose lone individual victory of the week was in the 400 IM, took silver in 2:07.47. American Alex Walsh, the older sister of Gretchen Walsh, earned bronze in 2:07.66. Smith finished fourth.</p><p>McIntosh claimed silver in the 200 freestyle and bronze in the 4 x 200 freestyle relay. She surprisingly failed to qualify for the 400 free championship final, but finished first in the ‘B’ final.</p><p>“It wasn’t a horrible swim, but getting touched out is something that is never a good thing to feel,” she said. “Overall, the meet didn’t go the way I wanted it to, so there’ll definitely be a lot of reflection.”</p><p>Zac Stubblety-Cook of Australia went from fourth to first in the 200 breast, winning in 2:08.09. American Josh Matheny earned silver. Shin Ohashi, who led until the final 15 meters, took bronze.</p><p>In the men’s 200 IM, Tomoyuki Matushita of Japan won in 1:56.02 over American Carson Foster.</p><p>___</p><p>
<a href="https://apnews.com/sports">See AP’s full sports coverage here</a>
</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/Z5M2XNh2bWZfYRjX4nScKDfRy88=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/CZQD6OIZKRFDNIA3ZY3MXPODZQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="1871" width="2807"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Katie Ledecky, of the United States, competes in the women's 400 meters freestlye final at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships Friday, Aug. 14, 2026 in Irvine, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Gregory Bull</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/p7N16tV3d0vSl1R4Y5yN6FVmYJg=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/E2EDSLTKU5EMFMFIR26SUGINBA.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3286" width="4929"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[From left, silver medalist Katie Ledecky, of the United States, gold medalist Lani Pallister, of Australia, and bronze medalist Erika Fairweather, of New Zealand celebrate after the the women's 400 meters freestyle final at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships Friday, Aug. 14, 2026 in Irvine, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Gregory Bull</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/EUJp57mZuXB2BeIOIbmGZlvFEBo=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/JU65OLVQQRFJPHNXIOBNFGMGME.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2309" width="3463"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Kate Douglass, of the United States, smiles after winning the women's 50 meters freestyle final with a new world record at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026 in Irvine, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Gregory Bull</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/Euj06bFBIEOxtrfh7RdPloGLyzs=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/ZZKXECMJA5H5XB4NW5GAUUOUKU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="1792" width="2689"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Kate Douglass, of the United States, competes on her way to winning the women's 50 meters freestyle final with a new world record at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026 in Irvine, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Gregory Bull</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/LZD8wv9_vzbVITAApA_apWqRyVs=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/BRBM2MRGCBENRPF3VTISA64Q4I.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3176" width="4763"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Kate Douglass, of the United States, right, gets out of the pool after winning the women's 50 meters freestyle final with a new world record at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026 in Irvine, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Gregory Bull</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Make it 17 straight! Makhachev sets UFC record for consecutive wins in welterweight title defense]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/mackenzie-dern-wins-115-pound-title-defense-at-ufc-330-makhachev-goes-for-record-win-streak/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/mackenzie-dern-wins-115-pound-title-defense-at-ufc-330-makhachev-goes-for-record-win-streak/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Dan Gelston, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Islam Makhachev sets a UFC record with his 17th straight victory, defeating Ian Machado Garry by unanimous decision at UFC 330 on Saturday night.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 03:35:33 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The bridge of Islam Makhachev's nose, right cheek and forehead were scraped or sliced open and his left cheek sported a baseball-sized bruise after taking a few too many brutal blows to the face.</p><p>He may not have looked the part, yet Makhachev was again a winner — all while toppling one of UFC's most enduring records. </p><p>Makhachev set the UFC record with his 17th straight victory, reaching the milestone with a unanimous decision over Ian Machado Garry to successfully defend his 170-pound championship in the main event of UFC 330 on Saturday night.</p><p>Makhachev won 49-46 on two scorecards and 48-47 on the third in a competitive five-round fight that never rose to the level of greatness.</p><p>“He gave me a hard time," Makhachev said, "but I still prove it every fight.”</p><p>Makhachev (29-1) was tied with UFC Hall of Famer Anderson Silva with 16 straight victories and has not lost since UFC 192 in 2015. Makhachev won the welterweight crown in his first attempt when he beat Jack Della Maddalena at <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ufc-322-new-york-white-edaf06af910ca9bdfaf83b3fdee06aa3">UFC 322</a> in November 2025. </p><p>He took his share of head kicks in his first title defense, notably in the third round that did most of the cosmetic damage, yet bested a record set by Silva that had stood for 13 years.</p><p>“If he keeps going like he says he's going to keep going, it might never be beaten,” UFC CEO Dana White said.</p><p>The 34-year-old Makhachev nearly ended the fight in the second when he threw his left foot and caught Machado Garry flush with a headkick that dropped the challenger to his rear end. Makhachev pounced with a series of punches that had the sellout crowd of 19,238 fans roaring in anticipation of a quick finish, only for Machado Garry — serenaded throughout with obscenity-laced chants — to hold on and finish the round.</p><p>Machado Garry (17-2) won the third round on all three scorecards and rallied in the fifth round with seven significant strikes landed to none for Makhachev. </p><p>Yet it wasn’t enough to topple one of UFC’s great fighters.</p><p>“I believed in my heart and soul I was better than him tonight, and he won," Machado Garry said. “No complaints, no excuses. I’m 28, I have a decade of domination already. This man won tonight.”</p><p>Makhachev — who held the lightweight championship and has seven total wins in title fights — continues to dominate no matter the weight class.</p><p>Dern defends 115-pound title on first try</p><p>Mackenzie Dern successfully defended the 115-pound championship in her first title defense with a unanimous decision victory over Gillian Robertson that could set her up for a fight with division great Zhang Weili.</p><p>Dern (17-5) won the vacant strawweight belt in her last fight at UFC 321 and won a lopsided and lackluster first defense against Robertson.</p><p>Dern won 49-46 on two scorecards and 48-47 on the third in the five-round fight.</p><p>“I wanted to get the submission with Gillian," Dern said. "I definitely wanted to submit her. That was the goal.”</p><p>Dern nearly made Robertson (17-9) tap in the first round with a choke hold that about turned the challenger’s face as pinkish-red as her braided hair. Dern might have won the bout had it stretched even another 30 seconds, but Robertson was saved by the bell.</p><p>Too bad the fight didn't end there.</p><p>The next four rounds were relatively uneventful, and the title match slowed to a near complete stop as they mostly locked up on the canvas with barely a strike thrown.</p><p>Dern's 7-year-old daughter peered her head over the barricade from her front row seat and shouted encouragement each time mom got close to her side of the cage. The little girl could be heard well over a rowdy crowd that had about been lulled into passiveness — and eventually, boos in the fifth round — in the humdrum title fight.</p><p>Barboza calls it a career after loss at UFC 330</p><p>Edson Barboza left his fight gloves on the mat and choked back tears as he retired following a lightweight loss on the main card to Esteben Ribovics. </p><p>The 40-year-old Barboza received a standing ovation and was flanked by his family as he officially called it quits after an MMA career that began in 2009. He made his UFC debut a year later and won multiple Fight of the Night honors. He lost the last four fights of his career.</p><p>“Every single fight, I promise I did my best,” Barboza said from inside the cage.</p><p>Barboza dropped to his knees and bowed his head as he lay down his gloves and was consoled by UFC ring announcer Bruce Buffer as he made the final walk back to the locker room.</p><p>Different kind of Broad Street Bullies usher in UFC’s return to Philadelphia</p><p>UFC held only its third numbered card in Philadelphia and first fight event overall in the city <a href="https://apnews.com/gaethje-kos-barboza-in-lightweight-bout-at-ufc-philly-f0a4c4ae2bbe4adfb05fcc391b574e29">since 2019</a>.</p><p>UFC 101 was held in August 2009, and UFC 133 was in August 2011. </p><p>Philly fight fans were in the mood to make up for lost time and about packed the arena and were wild for the punishing action the preliminary fights delivered hours before the main card was set to start.</p><p>It’s a perfect fit for a city that loves their bullies.</p><p>The fans got an early reward when 39-year-old Philly fighter Jeremiah Wells — who was booed on his walkout — won via submission on the card's opening night and won over the inhospitable fans.</p><p>Tresean Gore won his middleweight fight, but lost his teeth in a unanimous decision victory over Vicente Luque.</p><p>Gore took a knee to his mouth and lost most of his bottom front teeth. They littered the cage and the fight official picked at least one up with his gloved hand. Gore pulled down his lower lip to show the bloody results as he talked to fight announcer Joe Rogan.</p><p>Charles Johnson celebrated his submission victory by leading the crowd in an off-key rendition of “Fly, Eagles, Fly.” It helps to pander. He walked out of the cage to a big ovation.</p><p>___</p><p>AP MMA: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mixed-martial-arts">https://apnews.com/hub/mixed-martial-arts</a></p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/08S2JK6Qls5_HH6h96pOrta1JbY=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/VO7WLFDW5VD3XEUQ7RDRNITEAE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2657" width="3986"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Islam Makhachev reacts after defeating Ian Machado Garry in a welterweight title fight at the UFC 330 mixed martial arts event Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Derik Hamilton</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/i2PLMRMwza9RbNileVOGbneENQA=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/DT23E6YPPJA77MDC5PFFNOWDDE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2498" width="3747"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Islam Makhachev, right, punches Ian Machado Garry in a welterweight title fight at the UFC 330 mixed martial arts event Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Derik Hamilton</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/rOEv3g8WUiYYFaqv-f0-3P4qscU=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/GACUDO73XZERZIOR7RCCNDCYA4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4000" width="6000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Islam Makhachev, left, and Ian Machado Garry battle in a welterweight title fight at the UFC 330 mixed martial arts event Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Derik Hamilton</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/0U8FMSBJWdWQeDKSOHeUv4ez7hw=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/WMR6JCD2PZBBRB55N35VSY2ZHY.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2185" width="3278"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Mackenzie Dern celebrates after a women's strawweight title fight against Gillian Robertson at the UFC 330 mixed martial arts event Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Derik Hamilton</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/Jgusb2Ikx8EAAlR3pvHRu8y46qc=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/KGTOPQB3MRGB5PLB4JRTT3NTOI.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3629" width="5444"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Mackenzie Dern, right, punches Gillian Robertson in a women's strawweight title fight at the UFC 330 mixed martial arts event Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Derik Hamilton</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Motorcyclist dies after collision with SUV on North Main Street; road closed for hours]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2026/08/16/motorcyclist-dies-after-collision-with-suv-on-north-main-street-road-closed-for-hours/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2026/08/16/motorcyclist-dies-after-collision-with-suv-on-north-main-street-road-closed-for-hours/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Chris Will]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[A motorcyclist died Saturday night following a collision with an SUV on North Main Street.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 02:13:48 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A motorcyclist died Saturday night following a collision with an SUV on North Main Street. </p><p>According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the crash happened around 8 p.m. near 16th Street. </p><p>Investigators said the driver of the motorcycle was heading south when an SUV traveling north turned into his path before the collision. </p><p>The motorcycle rider, a man in his mid-20s, died at the hospital. </p><p>“He didn’t see the other driver,” JSO Sgt. Robert Hungerford said of the SUV driver, who remained at the scene following the crash.</p><p>Police say the intersection where the crash happened has no traffic signal.</p><p>North Main Street was closed following the crash, and authorities said around 10 p.m. the road will remain closed for some time as investigators work the scene.</p><p>The crash marks the city’s 113th traffic fatality of the year and its 13th motorcycle-related death. At the same point last year, the city had recorded 25 motorcycle related-fatalities.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Planning to hit the water this weekend? Be cautious. Duval red tide alerts highlight Fort George, Kingsley area]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2026/08/16/planning-to-hit-the-water-this-weekend-be-cautious-duval-red-tide-alerts-highlight-fort-george-kingsley-area/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2026/08/16/planning-to-hit-the-water-this-weekend-be-cautious-duval-red-tide-alerts-highlight-fort-george-kingsley-area/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Chris Will]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Red tide alerts are in effect for Fort George Inlet and the Kingsley Plantation area in Duval County after state water samples detected Karenia brevis. A longtime resident says she’s staying out of the water, while a Jacksonville University researcher explains why these inland detections stand out and what symptoms to watch for.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 00:25:28 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>On a clear afternoon near Fort George, Nancy Frashuer sits by the water. It is the kind of view she says has kept her in the area for decades.</p><p>“It’s a beautiful location,” Frashuer said. “The sunrise is magnificent and the moon rise is too.”</p><p>Frashuer has lived near Fort George Inlet for 26 years, and she told News4JAX the water has always been a non-negotiable part of her life.</p><p>“Water is just soothing to me,” she said. “It’s part of life. It’s an important part.”</p><p>This week, though, she said she’s being cautious — after the Florida Department of Health issued red tide alerts for parts of Duval County near Fort George.</p><p>The Florida Department of Health in Duval County (DOH-Duval) issued a red tide alert for Fort George Inlet after a water sample taken Aug. 6, the agency said.</p><p>A second alert was issued for Kingsley Plantation, north of the Fort George River, after a water sample taken Aug. 11.</p><p>Health officials say people should avoid swimming or wading in affected areas.</p><h3><b>What symptoms to watch for</b></h3><p>DOH-Duval says red tide can cause skin irritation, rashes, and burning or sore eyes, and it can be especially problematic for older adults, young children, people who are immunocompromised and people with chronic respiratory conditions.</p><p>Frashuer said she’s paying attention to the warnings.</p><p>“I just read about it and just see what the symptoms are and I stay out of it,” she said.</p><p>Jacksonville University Marine Research Institute researcher Gerry Pinto told News4JAX this year’s detections are notable because they’re showing up farther inland than typical.</p><p>He said that may be in part to high temperatures and recent rainfall.</p><p>Pinto said people may not see discolored water unless concentrations get much higher, but people should still be careful.</p><p>“Generally, if there’s any kind of wave action at all, the toxin can get aerosolized,” Pinto said. “That’s when people tend to notice it… it’ll cause your eyes to water and your throat to feel sore.”</p><h3><b>What officials recommend</b></h3><p>DOH-Duval is advising residents and visitors near affected areas to:</p><ul><li>Avoid&nbsp;swimming or wading&nbsp;in or around red tide</li><li>Wash skin and clothing&nbsp;with soap and fresh water if you have contact with affected water</li><li>Stay away if you are more sensitive to irritation, including those with&nbsp;respiratory conditions</li><li>Do not harvest or eat&nbsp;molluscan shellfish&nbsp;from affected areas</li><li>Do not eat&nbsp;distressed or dead fish&nbsp;from affected waters</li><li>Keep&nbsp;pets&nbsp;away from affected water and dead marine life</li></ul><p>The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said over the past week no fish kills or respiratory irritation suspected to be related to red tide were reported.</p><p>FWC also said Duval County has seen very low to medium concentrations, and that bloom concentrations were present for the first time this season in two samples from Duval County.</p><h3><b>How to track red tide near you</b></h3><p>FWC posts updated sampling information on its Red Tide Current Status map here:<a href="https://gis.myfwc.com/redtidecurrentstatus/" target="_blank" rel="">https://gis.myfwc.com/redtidecurrentstatus/</a></p><h3><b>Who to call</b></h3><ul><li>Florida Poison Information Center:&nbsp;800-222-1222 (for symptoms after possible exposure)</li><li>FWC Fish Kill Hotline:&nbsp;800-636-0511 (to report dead, diseased, or abnormally behaving fish or wildlife)</li></ul><p>Frashuer said for now, she’s sticking to the guidance.</p><p>“If they say stay out of the water I do that,” she said.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Hurricane Lala skirts Hawaii's Big Island without making landfall as heavy wind, rain lash region]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/national/2026/08/15/hawaiis-big-island-lashed-by-rain-and-wind-as-tropical-storm-lala-closes-in/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/national/2026/08/15/hawaiis-big-island-lashed-by-rain-and-wind-as-tropical-storm-lala-closes-in/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Hurricane Lala has skirted Hawaii’s Big Island without making landfall and is expected to weaken after lashing the region with strong winds and drenching rain.]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 12:55:25 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hurricane Lala skirted Hawaii’s Big Island Saturday without making landfall and is expected to gradually weaken after lashing the region with strong winds and drenching rain that flooded roads and turned rivers into raging torrents.</p><p>The possibility the island could witness its first direct hit from a hurricane in 155 years faded as the eye of the storm passed the island’s southern tip. Landfall is not expected at this point, said National Weather Service meteorologist Joseph Clark. </p><p>However, hurricane-force winds are expected to continue into the overnight hours, with the strongest wind gusts likely in areas of higher terrain, the National Hurricane Center said. Heavy rainfall into Sunday could produce flooding and mudslides, while powerful waves pound the coast, the agency said.</p><p>Tropical storm warnings remain in effect for the islands of Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Oahu, Kauai and Niihau as the storm moves west. The Big Island is the state's largest, with a population of about 210,000.</p><p>Whitecap surf slammed ashore nonstop, howling winds whipped the tops of palm trees and waterways swelled with fast-moving runoff from relentless rain that blew nearly sideways.</p><p>Gov. Josh Green said at least one person died in a car accident in the South Point area of the Big Island, while 19 roofs were lost and 190 flights were postponed. “You definitely want to be home, do not be out on the roads,” he said.</p><p>Forecasters said higher elevations on the island, dominated by the towering Mauna Kea volcano, could get as much as 25 inches (63.5 centimeters) of rain. That could cause life-threatening mudslides in a mountainous area where people live off the grid in improvised housing.</p><p>Earlier the governor called it an “enormous storm,” capable of destructive flooding and even the possibility of wildfires kicked up by strong winds across the island chain. </p><p>Tens of thousands of homes were without power. </p><p>Residents prepare for the worst </p><p>Bobby Camara, a 75-year-old lifelong resident, said he planned to “hunker down, cross my fingers, hope the lights don’t go out” at a care home just outside Hilo. He said gas stations were busy as people sought fuel for chain saws and vehicles.</p><p>“I think stocking up is part of life over here. ... You learn to be self-reliant,” Camara said.</p><p>Mike Caputo, who lives in Keaau, near the Big Island's east coast, said his power generator was ready and a 10,000-gallon (37.8 kiloliter) home water tank was full. He said the main concern was flash flooding and fallen trees, especially albizia, a common tree. </p><p>“They’re not very sturdy, but they grow extremely large,” said Caputo, 50, a local fire captain. “They can make roads impassable."</p><p>Warnings posted everywhere </p><p>Lala intensified from a tropical storm into a hurricane early Saturday as its maximum sustained winds increased to 75 mph (120 kph), the hurricane center reported, making it a Category 1 hurricane. The Big Island is Hawaii’s largest and has a population of about 210,000. </p><p>A hurricane last made landfall on the islands in 1992, when Hurricane Iniki — a Category 4 storm — lashed Kauai. </p><p>“It did $3 billion worth of damage. It destroyed thousands of homes, and it did kill six people,” said Green, the governor. “We just can never know if a storm is going to turn.”</p><p>The Big Island was last hit directly in 1871, when a Category 3 hurricane hit the northeast corner, according to research by a University of Hawaii atmospheric scientist. </p><p>On Saturday, shelters were opened, events were canceled and ranchers were urged to leave their cattle in pastures, rather than structures that might collapse. </p><p>Christine Matsuda, who lives in Waimea, on the northern side of the island, said “big gusts every few minutes rattle the whole house.”</p><p>“We're finding unexpected leaks in places that don't see water under normal conditions,” Matsuda said.</p><p>The hurricane center predicted 8 to 12 inches (20.3 to 30.5 centimeters) of total rainfall across Maui and the lower elevations of the Big Island, and 4 to 6 inches (10.2 to 15.2 centimeters) across the island chain. </p><p>Many Hawaii residents are still dealing with the aftermath of <a href="https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-flooding-heavy-rain-oahu-north-shore-e4b4f3642491b3e5de4a5ad7b82e9f39">devastating floods</a> in March. </p><p>___</p><p>Associated Press writer Jennifer Sinco Kelleher in Honolulu contributed. </p><p>___</p><p>This story has been correctly attribute the quote about damage from Hurricane Iniki. It was said by Gov. Josh Green, not Steven Businger.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/VuHvGK4ueoGLCuKHjm8_EQpzYiU=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/2CB4BCBYTVEFTNDTRY7X62TKXE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="970" width="1455"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[This satellite image released by NOAA shows Tropical Storm Lala over the Pacific Ocean, near Hawaii, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (NOAA via AP)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Uncredited</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/JP2HjCvx53p7urrb9-qEmgbqqXA=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/GEVAZHWBLZCJ7LOEFESZVYMAMM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3024" width="4032"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A view of the rising water levels at the Wainaku Street Bridge in Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (Taylor Cozloff/Civil Beat via AP)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Taylor Cozloff</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Elderly woman struck, killed crossing road in Lackawanna neighborhood; JSO searching for driver]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2026/08/16/elderly-woman-struck-killed-crossing-road-in-lackawanna-neighborhood-jso-searching-for-driver/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2026/08/16/elderly-woman-struck-killed-crossing-road-in-lackawanna-neighborhood-jso-searching-for-driver/</guid><description><![CDATA[An elderly woman was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver Saturday night while crossing the street in Lackawanna. ]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 04:19:49 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>An elderly woman was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver Saturday night while crossing the street in Lackawanna. </p><p>According to JSO, the woman was crossing McDuff South near Rexford Street around 9:15 p.m. when she was hit. She died at the hospital. </p><p>JSO said the driver of the car didn’t stop and drove north. </p><p>JSO did not immediately have a description of the make or model of the vehicle involved. </p><p>JSO is asking anyone with information to come forward while it works on getting surveillance video. </p><p>JSO is also asking the driver to turn themselves in. </p><p>“The sooner you contact the sheriff’s office and turn yourself in the better,” a JSO spokesperson said. </p><p>The death marks the 114th traffic fatality this year. A total of 27 pedestrians have been killed in 2026. At the same time last year, that number was 18. </p><p>The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone who witnessed the incident or has direct information about the hit-and-run vehicle or driver to call 630-0500, submit an online crime tip (JSOCrimeTips@jaxsheriff.org) or contact First Coast CrimeStoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS where the caller may remain anonymous and could be eligible for a cash reward.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/jhLtqUFY6va5DDoejSDhTqllIok=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/NYNRRRP5A5HTTFWC376GFXJO34.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="1500" width="2000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[JSO responds to a deadly crash in the Lackawanna neighborhood.]]></media:description></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Athens is cleaning its all-marble Olympic stadium for the first time in more than a century]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/16/athens-is-cleaning-its-all-marble-olympic-stadium-for-the-first-time-in-more-than-a-century/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/16/athens-is-cleaning-its-all-marble-olympic-stadium-for-the-first-time-in-more-than-a-century/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Derek Gatopoulos And Theodora Tongas, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Athens’ iconic Panathenaic Stadium is undergoing its first systematic cleaning in more than a century.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 04:23:37 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It has welcomed marathon runners, rock stars and the first modern Olympic athletes. Now it’s time for a monumental scrub.</p><p>Athens’ U-shaped Panathenaic Stadium — made entirely of white marble — is getting its first systematic cleaning in more than a century.</p><p>Rebuilt for the first modern <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics">Olympics</a> in 1896, the site is the ceremonial send-off point for the Olympic flame, including for <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2028-los-angeles-olympics-c5983e89299c325c92d184559d4fce7c">Los Angeles 2028</a>.</p><p>A fresh look in Athens ahead of LA 2028</p><p>The stadium is made of the same glittering marble used on the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/greece-acropolis-restoration-parthenon-tourism-da06640fcd747498613d31b64dac369a">Acropolis</a>, making the cleanup job delicate.</p><p>The work is revealing a monument changed by time, weather and millions of visitors. Cleaners in white and blue overalls move across the stadium’s 47 steep tiers with thin spray lances, using clean water at carefully controlled, low pressure. Machines vacuum up the runoff as they go.</p><p>“The goal of cleaning is not to make everything white. It’s to remove the dirt and the first layers of organic material that are deposited on the surface,” said Dimitris Selemis, a senior conservator at the site.</p><p>“The idea is to clean all the material that (contains) dirt from the surface, so we have a better understanding of the monument,” he said, noting that there is more weed growth and dirt in areas that receive less direct sunlight.</p><p>Dealing with chewing gum, high heels and soft-drink stains</p><p>Crews are also using steam to remove blotches of chewing gum, which have turned black over time. Stadium officials say chewing gum, high heels and soft-drink stains are among the main culprits that stain the marble.</p><p>Now slowly being revealed, the original gleaming look of the venue earned it the widely used Greek nickname “Kallimarmaro,” or beautiful marble.</p><p>“We call it Kallimarmaro because it is made of the finest marble, the best that was ever produced ... We are very proud of it,” Isidoros Kouvelos, president of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, told The Associated Press in an interview.</p><p>“It needed to be cleaned of everything that has accumulated over all these years," he said. "This way the Panathenaic Stadium will show all its brilliance and will once again be the foremost monument of humanity for the Olympic Movement.”</p><p>Built into a natural ravine, the stadium’s site was used for ancient Greek athletic contests and later Roman spectacles before falling into centuries of disuse.</p><p>An African celebration planned in Athens</p><p>Since its 1896 revival, it has staged fashion shows, rock concerts, boxing matches and national celebrations — as well as lavish patriotic ceremonies ordered by a military dictatorship in the 1960s.</p><p>Today, it’s a popular draw for tourists. Apart from the cleanup, the Kallimarmaro is also getting a new track, upgraded lighting and fresh support facilities. The project is privately funded by a shipping company and overseen by the Hellenic Olympic Committee with guidance from Culture Ministry experts.</p><p>The work will continue through 2026 but is currently concentrated on the stadium’s “sling,” or curved end, in time for the next torch-passing ceremony on Sept. 10. </p><p>That will be for the Dakar Youth Olympics, scheduled for Oct. 31-Nov. 13 in Senegal, which will be the first Olympic competition ever hosted in <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/africa">Africa</a>. </p><p>IOC President <a href="https://apnews.com/article/kirsty-coventry-ioc-president-zimbabwe-0d939b4e05089535306086cd0ac4c359">Kirsty Coventry</a>, a swimming gold medal winner from Zimbabwe, is due to attend the Sept. 10 ceremony, Kouvelos said.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/Or_2odl6NVkT338L06xLnNIChu4=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/DYSFTUCBQVBCRLGL7WI7GU3XAU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2688" width="4032"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[An aerial view of the Panathenaic Stadium, also known as "Kallimarmaro, or beautiful marble," which hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, is seen during renovation work in Athens, Greece, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Thanassis Stavrakis</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/vWeMIoMP_LTebqSmD4ydU_85yN8=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/HFYRNYLFHRF27AMGYBQXFAGRLQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5760" width="8640"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A worker cleans the marble surfaces of the Panathenaic Stadium, also known as "Kallimarmaro," or beautiful marble, which hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, using a high-pressure water hose during renovation work in Athens, Greece, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Thanassis Stavrakis</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/VcPTl_btzW9E0gxX0JPzS4unlfQ=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/X2RA7YRAHRFQZFWSPYPHUKCJOE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5760" width="8640"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Workers lay asphalt at the Panathenaic Stadium, also known as "Kallimarmaro, or beautiful marble," which hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, during renovation work in Athens, Greece, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Thanassis Stavrakis</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/qreS0YjZVLsEjoCdkLeNc5jn7tk=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/KZSSYNU7ZNHCBOAB57NX3PPNOU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5760" width="8640"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Two men run at the Panathenaic Stadium, also known as "Kallimarmaro," or beautiful marble, which hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, during renovation work in Athens, Greece, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Thanassis Stavrakis</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/6M3HvkQou6vt6YGwcIO9LutqxTI=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/EANPKGFU5RC4BMW57VMHOR7XDM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5160" width="7740"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Dimitris Selimis, a senior conservator at the site, inspects the cleaned marble surfaces of the Panathenaic Stadium, also known as "Kallimarmaro," or beautiful marble, which hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, during renovation work in Athens, Greece, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Thanassis Stavrakis</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Wall Street week ahead: Home Depot and Walmart report earnings, minutes of Fed meeting are released]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/2026/08/13/wall-street-week-ahead-home-depot-and-walmart-report-earnings-minutes-of-fed-meeting-are-released/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/2026/08/13/wall-street-week-ahead-home-depot-and-walmart-report-earnings-minutes-of-fed-meeting-are-released/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Wall Street will get financial updates from some of the nation’s biggest retailers this week, along with more details from the Federal Reserve’s most recent meeting.]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 13 Aug 2026 16:55:55 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Wall Street will get financial updates from some of the nation's biggest retailers this week, along with more details from the Federal Reserve's most recent meeting.</p><p>Home Depot reports its latest results on Tuesday, followed by Target and Lowes on Wednesday, and then Walmart on Thursday. The results will help give investors a more detailed picture of how businesses and consumers are handling stubbornly high inflation.</p><p>The <a href="https://apnews.com/article/consumer-prices-inflation-fed-interest-rates-150e179a6c6b3182ba05cedf0188394b">rate of inflation remains solidly above 3%</a>. The ongoing U.S. war with Iran prompted a surge in oil prices, which jolted gasoline prices. Higher prices on everything from gasoline to groceries and any goods that are shipped could prompt people to shift or cut spending.</p><p>Results from Home Depot and Lowes could provide more insight into the housing market and whether people are spending more or less on home improvements. Results and forecasts from retail giants Target and Walmart could provide more insight into how households are budgeting and spending.</p><p>Wall Street and economists will get more details about the Fed's interest rate policy when the central bank releases minutes from the July meeting on Wednesday.</p><p>The Fed <a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-inflation-interest-rates-iran-war-ad10c177cb8d96f9e3ed122e12352a74">once again held its interest rate steady</a> in July amid worries about stubborn inflation, the jobs market and the direction of the economy. But three officials dissented in favor of higher rates during the meeting. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh described the policy discussion to reporters as a “good family fight.” Wall Street expects at least one rate hike before the end of 2026.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/nerti2JZXh7sdTxPJcV1glsFDSs=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/3M7BYDOIQNCOTG3NKOWMS3542Y.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5609" width="8414"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A general view shows the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Yuki Iwamura</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/nd7a_zQ2gqcgF2kbseBB_SZQyVM=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/4DYLZHBT4NHZVOUW2EN4NNR3B4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3744" width="5616"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[The logo of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors is seen before a news conference with Federal Reserve Board Chairman Kevin Warsh at the Federal Reserve in Washington, Wednesday, July 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Mark Schiefelbein</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski uses more than fastball to hold Shohei Ohtani and Dodgers at bay]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/brewers-ace-jacob-misiorowski-uses-more-than-fastball-to-hold-shohei-ohtani-and-dodgers-at-bay/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/brewers-ace-jacob-misiorowski-uses-more-than-fastball-to-hold-shohei-ohtani-and-dodgers-at-bay/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Dan Greenspan, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[A dominant fastball has made Jacob Misiorowski one of the most exciting pitchers in baseball over the past two seasons.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 03:33:49 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A dominant fastball has made Jacob Misiorowski one of the most exciting pitchers in baseball over the past two seasons, but it was an effective slider that helped him get out of a bases-loaded jam by <a href="https://x.com/MLB/status/2088786809136291864">striking out Shohei Ohtani</a> and Freddie Freeman in the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/brewers-dodgers-score-6a7d2919cd57ffc6d41125e709933b60">Milwaukee Brewers' 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers</a> on Saturday.</p><p>“He’s understanding how his breaking stuff moves and what he can do with it on any particular day,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said.</p><p>Misiorowski allowed one run on five hits in six innings, needing an expanded arsenal of pitches to get out of the fifth unscathed after the bottom of the Dodgers' order had three consecutive singles to bring up <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/shohei-ohtani">Ohtani</a> with one out. The two superstars had already faced off twice, with Misiorowski throwing six straight fastballs over 102 mph to retire him on a popup leading off the game.</p><p>Misiorowski needed three pitches to fan Ohtani, and only one was a fastball. Instead, catcher William Contreras called for a curveball and slider to bookend that 102.4 mph heater.</p><p>“William took control and saw something, and we readjusted,” said Misiorowski, who improved to 12-5 while lowering his ERA to 1.75 with his 13th start this season allowing one or zero runs.</p><p>Misiorowski carried over the momentum to get Freeman swinging on five pitches, executing another slider to end the inning.</p><p>“I was trying to throw sliders down to get Shohei to bounce something, but, no, I got swings and misses. Kind of took that same approach into the Freddie Freeman at-bat, and was trying to get the same outcome, and it worked out,” Misiorowski said.</p><p>For Murphy, a growing repertoire of pitches is another indication of the 24-year-old Misiorowski's development.</p><p>“Proved to everyone out there thinking, like, ‘Hey, this guy can pitch. Is he just a heater?’ He executed pitches,” Murphy said.</p><p>Ohtani drove in the Dodgers' only run with a triple in the third inning, sending a choppy ground ball bouncing over first baseman Gary Sánchez into the right-field corner, but Murphy refused to call it a mistake by Misiorowski.</p><p>“You want Ohtani to hit one into the ground, you know what I mean?” Murphy said.</p><p>Misiorowski relished the challenge of facing Ohtani at Dodger Stadium for a national TV audience again, having done so in Game 3 of the NL Championship Series last October. He took the loss in a 3-1 defeat after allowing one run in five innings as the Dodgers went on to sweep the Brewers before claiming a second straight World Series title.</p><p>“That was fun. Being in the postseason, it was a different animal,” Misiorowski said. “Just gave me more confidence going into this year.”</p><p>It would not be a surprise if the Dodgers and Brewers meet up again this fall. Milwaukee is assured to come out of the four-game series with a better record that Los Angeles by having won two of the first three in the showdown of division leaders, a crucial result as they jockey for home-field advantage.</p><p>Having seen Misiorowski rise to the occasion on an August afternoon, Murphy expects his burgeoning ace will be ready should the teams face off again with greater stakes.</p><p>“Miz is very, very capable, and he's mentally ready for these challenges,” Murphy said.</p><p>___</p><p>AP MLB: <a href="https://apnews.com/MLB">https://apnews.com/MLB</a></p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/ulM5R8o7OsLPTLFLRJGw22yE1Hk=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/M3W3657EOZC6TLAZJYLFNYJOII.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5662" width="8501"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski, left, celebrates after striking out Los Angeles Dodgers' Tommy Edman during the sixth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Mark J. Terrill</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/VGU8WJPHbW0-yvqrLvORhnw2QOQ=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/V7BTWKOHDJGTRD5PVKPUTP3DPQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3915" width="5873"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski, left, celebrates after striking out Los Angeles Dodgers' Freddie Freeman with the bases loaded during the fifth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Mark J. Terrill</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/naF4Dt1gr7jdSIqkCg_vaWohq6w=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/ZKZN2XZF2BDZ7EQQUKPSLTLSXM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5488" width="8233"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Mark J. Terrill</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Joey Logano holds off Chase Briscoe to win NASCAR race at Richmond]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/joey-logano-holds-off-chase-briscoe-to-win-nascar-race-at-richmond/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/joey-logano-holds-off-chase-briscoe-to-win-nascar-race-at-richmond/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Nate Ryan, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Joey Logano continued his surge toward the NASCAR Chase, winning Saturday night at Richmond Raceway with a late-race charge on fresh tires.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 02:26:22 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Joey Logano delivered a warning to his <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nascar-racing">NASCAR</a> rivals after his victory Saturday night at Richmond Raceway.</p><p>“Don’t let the boys get hot,” the driver of Team Penske’s No. 22 Ford said after fending off a late charge by Chase Briscoe to earn his 39th career win by 0.392 seconds. “We’re pretty strong right now. It’s awesome to see the speed in the 22 again.”</p><p>After falling as low as 20th in the points standings at the season's halfway mark, the three-time Cup Series champion is surging toward the NASCAR Chase. Two races remain until the title run featuring the top 16 drivers.</p><p>With two victories in the past four races (after only one win in his previous 56 starts), Logano has jumped to ninth in the points standings and established himself as a championship contender again.</p><p>It’s no surprise given that it’s the 2026 season. Since 2014, Logano has either won the Cup title or advanced to the championship round in every even-numbered year, and he typically does it with a late-season spree. In his last title run, the 36-year-old won three of the final 10 races.</p><p>“We’ve seen it a lot over the years once he gets that confidence,” crew chief Paul Wolfe said. “He’s very good under pressure situations.”</p><p>Logano scored his third Richmond win Saturday but his first in nine years at the track.</p><p>“Gosh, it was a great car,” he said. “We’ve had a great car here the last five races, and we haven’t been able to capitalize on the win. We’ve been so close, but it was sweet redemption today.”</p><p>Logano capitalized on the final strategy call by Wolfe, who pitted his driver just after taking the lead from Briscoe with 39 laps remaining. Logano needed only 15 laps to retake the lead from <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nascar-richmond-christopher-bell-752a3af8ebbd11f47bf41242308f8951">Christopher Bell</a>, who was trying to stretch his tires to the finish on Richmond’s abrasive surface over the last 57 laps.</p><p>Briscoe led a race-high 171 of 400 laps. He had a best finish of 11th in nine previous starts at Richmond, one of only three active tracks where he had yet to score a top 10. After qualifying second, he passed <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nascar-richmond-qualifying-blaney-5e070a635a4f0d01d77d7c6a91c49013">pole-sitter Ryan Blaney</a> on the first lap to lead the first lap of his career on the 0.75-mile oval.</p><p>“This place has been a real struggle to me,” said Briscoe, who clinched a spot in the Chase with his sixth top 10 in the past seven races. “To get close and not get it done is so frustrating. We had a great points night, but just frustrating to say the least to have one slip away like that at the end.”</p><p>Austin Cindric finished third and credited his teammate Logano with providing the advice that helped him score his best result since an April 2025 win at Talladega Superspeedway.</p><p>“This is a racetrack that I feel like Joey Logano could finish top five in my rental car,” said Cindric, who. “It’s a place where I study him so much.”</p><p>Denny Hamlin took fourth, followed by Chase Elliott, who notched his first top five since winning at Texas Motor Speedway three months ago.</p><p>Hamlin family dedication</p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DcButVyDrwb/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==">In an emotional ceremony Friday morning</a>, Richmond Raceway dedicated the grandstand seats where Hamlin’s parents sat for years watching NASCAR races long before their son became a 64-time winner in the Cup Series. Hamlin’s father, Dennis, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/denny-hamlin-house-fire-nascar-36de2f1645be55356ee0dbe32bd440a0">died in a house fire last December</a>.</p><p>The track’s tribute was among the highlights of a homecoming weekend for Hamlin, who grew up about 20 minutes from the track.</p><p>“It’s really the time I get to see my brother and sister that still live up here,” said Hamlin, who lives in the Charlotte, N.C., area. “I’ve got lots of high school friends that have their own campsite here. It will be amazing if they don’t get arrested.”</p><p>Mirror driving</p><p>In an appearance <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Db6kTOQAmE3/">on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s podcast this week</a>, Ty Gibbs lobbied for removing the digital rearview camera that NASCAR implemented four years ago. Gibbs joked that some Cup drivers would be out of the series without the high-tech device that makes blocking easier by anticipating an opponent’s move. He’s gotten no feedback from NASCAR but hopes a change could be made in the offseason.</p><p>“I didn’t hear anything on it, but I thought I’d recommend it,” Gibbs said. “I just think everybody probably agrees to it, too. I mean, a lot of people do, so I thought I’d say it. I think it could happen. They took windshield wipers off, and we run in the rain still, so I think it could happen.”</p><p>Another sellout</p><p>Richmond Raceway announced its grandstands were full for the second consecutive year, marking the 11th sellout in 24 Cup Series races this season. Many of those tracks have reduced seating capacities in the past 15 years, and Richmond is among the most notable. The track’s capacity is roughly half of its 112,000-seat peak in the mid-2000s.</p><p>Up next</p><p>The NASCAR Cup Series will make its annual stop at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with a 301-lap race Aug. 23 at the 1.058-mile oval. Ryan Blaney is the defending race winner at the track.</p><p>___ </p><p>AP auto racing: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing">https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing</a></p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/u6swfAEqBR7-3q7f22kbMarWzzw=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/2E3ZTIXZPZHFRJNCJQMUEWO5BY.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2327" width="3491"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Team Penske driver Joey Logano (22) wins the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Richmond Va. (AP Photo/Robert Simmons)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Robert Simmons</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/ebn3zVVTmb85XvGUcKXT0RtLR5c=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/VRD5NEA5QFHJTOSAWIFMOCIUVI.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2449" width="3673"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Team Penske driver Joey Logano (22) wins the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Richmond Va. (AP Photo/Robert Simmons)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Robert Simmons</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/7aM97oDFxx-0Y1kKgu_pVHK8tAc=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/K6NACD54TZCGFAOKSTNSOZFRIE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2518" width="3777"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Team Penske driver Joey Logano (22) wins the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Richmond Va. (AP Photo/Robert Simmons)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Robert Simmons</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/bt9Wf6rBWPzVfCuJ2pe0aVekdwI=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/D4RBCD3BZNBRXGZQ42Q4SZWK3U.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5217" width="7825"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Team Penske driver Joey Logano (22) enters victory lane after winning the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Richmond Va. (AP Photo/Robert Simmons)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Robert Simmons</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/ZEfNy1FNjqrDcGRcCVo3_f0g9KQ=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/MB37NYYQFZAVHBEONEDEUNNLXU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5162" width="7743"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Team Penske driver Joey Logano (22) celebrates in victory lane after winning the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Richmond Va. (AP Photo/Robert Simmons)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Robert Simmons</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[US pulls last aircraft carrier in Asia as Trump focuses on Iran and the Western Hemisphere]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/politics/2026/08/15/us-pulls-last-aircraft-carrier-in-asia-as-trump-focuses-on-iran-and-the-western-hemisphere/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/politics/2026/08/15/us-pulls-last-aircraft-carrier-in-asia-as-trump-focuses-on-iran-and-the-western-hemisphere/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Ben Finley And Didi Tang, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[President Donald Trump’s war against Iran is stretching the limits of the nation’s aircraft carriers and leaving the western Pacific without one of the key American warships.]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 12:37:00 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>President Donald Trump's <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/iran">war against Iran</a> is stretching the limits of U.S. aircraft carriers and leaving the western Pacific without one of the key American warships as China shows more <a href="https://apnews.com/article/philippines-south-china-sea-second-thomas-shoal-16650e191aaf373471720dbcba88b819">signs of aggression</a>. </p><p>The <a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-carriers-uss-abraham-lincoln-washington-iran-5366eba29f72b6b317416fde81d57a61">USS George Washington</a> is departing the Pacific and expected to replace the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-carrier-iran-protests-us-military-58e6da912f9167df94f913d7dafe5af4">USS Abraham Lincoln</a> in the Middle East amid growing <a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-carriers-uss-abraham-lincoln-washington-iran-5366eba29f72b6b317416fde81d57a61">concerns about mental health and supply issues</a> aboard the long-deployed carrier. The Lincoln has had its <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iran-aircraft-carrier-uss-lincoln-023413c38373d4a6ba033612a1f552c6">time at sea extended</a> from its original May return date to support operations against Iran. </p><p>The lack of a U.S. carrier in the Pacific may be short-lived if the Navy deploys another in the next couple of months. But it shows how the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-war-trump-diplomacy-greece-austria-047102d2bc170bd8e4b79b91827e1df4">open-ended operations with Iran</a> are running some American sailors ragged, analysts say, while the Trump administration further retreats from the Asia-Pacific region and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/pete-hegseth-colombia-panama-cartels-b77cf42c8b2126283939611f5ec13af4">focuses on the Western Hemisphere</a>.</p><p>“The administration says that the Pacific is supposed to be the most important behind the Western Hemisphere,” said Greg Poling, director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Instead, the U.S. is "doing the exact opposite" of its previously expressed goal of pulling out of the Middle East.</p><p>American allies in the Pacific are unsettled over the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-great-equivocator-mixed-signals-8ca3af8230b9669b30f76e943fb98eea">unpredictability of the Republican administration</a>, Poling said, while Beijing “is quite happy with U.S. distraction, with the frustration of U.S. allies and partners."</p><p>China may take advantage of US carrier's absence</p><p>Beijing sees the U.S. military presence in the region as a threat to China’s rise and an obstacle to its <a href="https://apnews.com/article/taiwan-trump-arms-sales-china-eab716f67fe5aa36ec05ff8209d0f605">ambition to seize Taiwan</a>, the self-governing island it claims as its own. But the United States has argued that the Pacific region is <a href="https://apnews.com/article/elbridge-colby-pentagon-philippines-6de1e9cb4ffea1665d5d199a68dc0b78">too important economically to lose</a>.</p><p>No one expects China to invade Taiwan because an American aircraft carrier has left the region. But the carrier's absence gives the Chinese another opportunity to show its strength, said Bryan Clark, a former Navy submariner who is a defense analyst at the Hudson Institute.</p><p>“They’re using this as part of the narrative to demonstrate to the Philippines, to Japan, to Indonesia and others that the U.S. is not the big dog in the western Pacific anymore,” Clark said. “They would just prefer that countries in the region decide that China is the bigger power and the U.S. is not able to guarantee their security anymore.” </p><p>China conducted naval exercises this week with Indonesia and recently has shown signs of aggression toward Japan and the Philippines, two key U.S. allies that also have territorial disputes with Beijing.</p><p>China <a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-military-drills-scarborough-shoal-philippines-44ec8654a9c377415fffb92542508e44">carried out military drills</a> this month near the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. Both China and the Philippines have claims over the shoal. Last month, a Chinese guided-missile destroyer <a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-china-russia-destroyer-livefire-drills-7813e7a83f7bdfd2608a486039261502">conducted a live-fire exercise</a> off Japan’s southernmost island of Okinotori.</p><p>Adm. Frank Bradley, head of the U.S. Special Operations Command, has been <a href="https://apnews.com/article/philippines-admiral-frank-bradley-us-special-forces-1bb2dd7783be2b82928e98ecea432110">trying to reassure regional allies</a> of Washington’s commitment. He was in Manila on Thursday, telling his Filipino counterparts that U.S. special operations forces are ready to step up joint exercises to strengthen the countries' alliance. He also is expected to travel to Japan.</p><p>“We have the ability to project force, the United States, anywhere on the globe,” Bradley told The Associated Press. “And when the threat in the region of the Middle East has been attended to, we will redeploy and reorient and be able to project that force wherever else it might be required.”</p><p>“I also feel very confident in the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ ability to protect their sovereignty here and for us to remain close with them,” he said.</p><p>Evan Sankey, a policy analyst at the Cato Institute who focuses on U.S. policy toward China, said aircraft carriers provide psychological assurance to U.S. allies. The absence of carriers in the region, he said, “adds to the general sense that the U.S. is distracted by events in the Middle East.” </p><p>Trump has relied on aircraft carriers for military actions</p><p>Trump has relied heavily on aircraft carriers to support military operations during his second term. For example, the USS Gerald R. Ford returned home in mid-May after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/uss-ford-iran-war-record-deployment-61a40739b7792c24ac1476c110b0c9cc">an 11-month deployment</a>, the longest since the Vietnam War, during which it supported the U.S. fight against Iran and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-maduro-venezuela-presidential-palace-blowtorches-7969152ae48510003fe9cbde92f3c102">the capture</a> of Venezuela's then-leader, Nicolás Maduro.</p><p>The Ford had experienced a fire in a laundry space that forced the carrier to turn around and return to the Mediterranean Sea for repairs and left hundreds of sailors without places to sleep. Meanwhile, the Lincoln has spent a record uninterrupted time at sea of more than 240 days. Democratic lawmakers have been calling for investigations and greater visibility into conditions aboard the ship.</p><p>Warships and their crews can only handle so much, said Robert Farley, who teaches national security and diplomacy at the University of Kentucky and often writes about aircraft carriers. </p><p>“People don’t get enough rest. It's psychologically exhausting. And R&R is part of keeping the crew healthy,” Farley said. “Sometimes it’s framed as, ‘These people haven’t had a vacation.’ But we are dealing with well-known limits on the capacity of a crew to operate at top efficiency over time. And that just declines."</p><p>Clark, of the Hudson Institute, said the squeeze on the nation's aircraft carriers stems from the lack of preparation and planning for the Iran war. </p><p>“If we were going to mobilize to do this kind of conflict, and we anticipated it might go this long, we might have done some changes to the carrier schedule to make sure more would be available,” Clark said.</p><p>Clark said the Navy has 11 aircraft carriers and typically deploys two or three at a time. But it could soon deploy four if the USS Theodore Roosevelt leaves San Diego for the Middle East, allowing the Washington to return to Pacific. </p><p>But the massive warships will need maintenance, likely causing a bottleneck at the nation's only two carrier shipyards. </p><p>“We’ll end up with a maintenance debt that needs to be paid for the next few years,” Clark said. “We’ll probably have less carrier presence than we’ve had in the previous years because carriers will be lined up to get into the shipyard.” </p><p>There are questions about the use of aircraft carriers in modern warfare</p><p>Michael Swaine, a senior research fellow in the Quincy Institute’s East Asia Program, questions the future need for aircraft carriers as warfare rapidly changes.</p><p>Carriers can be more easily targeted with drones and missiles, particularly by an adversary such as China, Swaine said, while smaller ships and submarines can be as effective in striking targets as the fighter jets that launch off a carrier. </p><p>Top Navy officials have indicated a desire to move away from a heavy reliance on carriers. Adm. Daryl Caudle, chief of naval operations, told The Associated Press in February that he wants to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/navy-aircraft-carriers-military-strategy-eda233a4dd0055695fa6d92ccc7c0d05">convince commanders to use smaller, newer ships</a> and other assets instead of consistently turning to huge aircraft carriers. </p><p>___</p><p>Associated Press writer Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, contributed to this report.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/eEgxL9USswYrCws9i9WsXp4_xs0=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/CGEVOND6S5BTRIWNSBGJLCHYLQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2560" width="3840"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[FILE - The USS Gerald R. Ford departs from Souda Naval Base near Chania on the island of Crete, Greece, Feb. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Giannis Angelakis, File)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Giannis Angelakis</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/VZgv8p7eSSaS9SwlhCeHCbNo2Cs=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/TI4JMLC4ORFWFCZH5R6ZIFZS4E.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="1587" width="2380"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[FILE - The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier is docked at Souda Naval Base near Chania on the island of Crete, Monday, March 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Giannis Angelakis).]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Giannis Angelakis</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[A HOT HOT HOT weekend on tap]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/weather/2026/08/15/a-hot-hot-hot-weekend-on-tap/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/weather/2026/08/15/a-hot-hot-hot-weekend-on-tap/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Katie Garner]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[ ]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 20:50:41 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Good Saturday, Jacksonville!</p><p>Per the National Weather Service, dangerous heat and humidity will continue throughout the next several days. </p><p>Extreme Heat Warnings are in effect for Brantley, Glynn and Camden Counties in southeast GA from 11 AM thru 8 PM today, where heat index values will peak in the 113° thru 115° range. </p><p>Heat Advisories are in effect across the rest of our area from 11 AM thru 8 PM, as heat index values peak in the 108° thru 112° range. </p><p>Here are a few tips to keep your cool as the heat ramps up: Drink plenty of water, limit outdoor activity during the daytime, wear loose, light-colored clothing, take plenty of breaks in the shade, apply sunscreen regularly, and NEVER ever leave children or pets in the car for any length of time</p><p>The heat will be the biggest story throughout the rest of the weekend, with the combination of high temperatures and humidity making it feel considerably hotter outdoors. </p><p>A few showers and thunderstorms may develop during the afternoon and evening, but storms will be scattered, so not everyone will see rain. </p><p>Looking ahead, the heat is expected to continue through much of next week, with afternoon temperatures generally in the mid 90s and additional chances for thunderstorms. The National Weather Service is warning of dangerous heat and humidity, with heat-index values potentially reaching around 108 degrees or higher in parts of the region.</p><p>For Jacksonville, the message this weekend is simple: <b>hot, humid and stormy at times, with dangerous heat during the afternoon.</b></p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/AeDHbbzr10YiXeHjnK9w2zr1oAg=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/CPIB3Y3GKZCWRGGN4HRPE7E4GY.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="1023" width="1839"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[.]]></media:description></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Kate Douglass swims 2nd world-best time in 50 free on same day at Pan Pacs]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/15/kate-douglass-blazes-to-50-free-world-record-in-pan-pacific-prelims/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/15/kate-douglass-blazes-to-50-free-world-record-in-pan-pacific-prelims/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Beth Harris, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Kate Douglass has lowered her own world record in the women's 50-meter freestyle for the second time in the same day.]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 18:06:10 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/kate-douglass-world-record-50-freestyle-ace3ce09f083c8074550daf1f1d33cc7">Kate Douglass</a> lowered her own world record in the women's 50-meter freestyle for the second time Saturday, winning the final in 23.19 seconds.</p><p>In the morning preliminaries, she swam 23.49 to take the mark away from teammate Gretchen Walsh, who finished second in the evening final in 23.74.</p><p>Walsh had owned the record of 23.55 since June when she set the mark at an international meet in Rome.</p><p>It’s the third time Douglass has lowered the world mark in the sprint race. She first did it on June 19 at the TYR Pro Swim Series meet in Indianapolis, posting a time of 23.59. Nine days later, Walsh lowered it again.</p><p>Douglass, 24, is a five-time Olympic medalist. She earned silver in the 50 free at the 2024 world championships but didn't compete in the event at the 2024 Paris Games.</p><p>It was the second individual world record set at the meet that includes swimmers from the U.S., Australia, Canada, Japan and China, among others.</p><p>___</p><p>
<a href="https://apnews.com/sports">See AP’s full sports coverage here</a>
</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/33QuyPyQcRnKfknuvLtl9Qm8zIM=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/Z36BIBDGARF55IGDJIEQORD2RM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3491" width="5236"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Kate Douglass, of the United States, competes in the women's 100 meters breaststroke final at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026 in Irvine, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Gregory Bull</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/VhpkyAi1W62MuMgkB9wX508e8Fc=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/RQF3HBNSCNGSPEOZZTDBQGU5JI.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3728" width="5592"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Kate Douglass, of the United States, competes in the women's 100 meters breaststroke final at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026 in Irvine, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Gregory Bull</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Delle Donne and Parker inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in the 2026 class]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/delle-donne-and-parker-inducted-into-the-basketball-hall-of-fame-in-the-2026-class/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/16/delle-donne-and-parker-inducted-into-the-basketball-hall-of-fame-in-the-2026-class/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Elena Delle Donne and Candace Parker’s WNBA career were intertwined with so many great moments.]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 00:59:40 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Candace Parker and Elena Delle Donne both used their Hall of Fame speeches to serve as a love letter to basketball.</p><p>The sport has given so much to them, culminating with enshrinement into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday night.</p><p>Parker carried a ball up to the podium for her speech <a href="https://apnews.com/article/naismith-parker-delle-donne-stlaey-8d6fb04a578976172a7547a88e7a26bc">as part of the 2026 class</a> that also included the 1996 U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team, Chamique Holdsclaw, NBA player Amar’e Stoudemire, longtime <a href="https://apnews.com/article/joey-crawford-nba-referee-hall-of-fame-e45462a34062e0977dc1683039c30d37">NBA official Joey Crawford</a>, NBA coaches <a href="https://apnews.com/article/doc-rivers-basketball-hall-of-fame-4520616e93beedab14b80f998acd2b3e/">Doc Rivers</a> and Mike D’Antoni, and Gonzaga coach Mark Few.</p><p>“It felt weird to walk on the stage without the reason I’m here today,' Parker said, talking to the ball. ”We did a lot together: dunk on UConn at UConn, shimmied over our right shoulder and hit that sick fadeway, had our own signature shoe, first woman to grace the cover of NBA2K. ... We stand on this podium as first-ballot Hall of Famers."</p><p>Parker, who won three WNBA titles, two MVPs, a pair of championships at Tennessee and two Olympic gold medals, then broke down while closing her speech, saying that “we were meant to be a love story that began 27 years ago.”</p><p>Delle Donne also used her speech as a love letter to the game with all the ups and downs she faced in her career. But she always kept life in perspective, thanks to her older sister Lizzie, who is blind and deaf.</p><p>“She never played in front of thousands of people, never had a standing ovation. never been interviewed after a big win. Yet I’ve never met anyone stronger,” Delle Donne said, choking up. “Thank you all for keeping me going.”</p><p>Delle Donne won MVP awards in 2015 and 2019, the second of which came when she led the Washington Mystics to their lone WNBA championship. Delle Donne became the first player in league history to shoot more than 50% from the field, 40% from behind the 3-point line and 90% from the free-throw line.</p><p>She started off her speech giving a shoutout to actor Larry David, who was in the audience. She told him that she hoped her speech was “pretty, pretty, pretty good.” using David's signature line. Delle Donne was introduced to him before the ceremony by Rivers.</p><p>Rivers, who won 1,194 regular-season games as an NBA coach, which is the sixth most in league history. He was emotional while talking about his brother Grady, who inspired him to be a better player.</p><p>Holdsclaw thanked all of her former teammates and coaches in her acceptance speech. She was best known for helping Tennessee win three straight titles from 1996-98, the first team to accomplish that, under Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt.</p><p>Summitt died in 2016 following a battle with Alzheimer’s.</p><p>“One person that I wish was here as my presenter was my demanding and wonderfully supporting college coach, Pat Summitt,” Holdsclaw said. “The one and only. coach Summitt allowed me to grow as a player and person. I miss her dearly.”</p><p>Holdsclaw’s 1998 team was Tennessee’s first undefeated season at 39–0 and the Lady Vols also set an NCAA record for the most wins in a season at that time. Holdsclaw went on to have an 11-year WNBA career.</p><p>She also thanked the 1996 Olympic team, saying she had posters of their players on her wall when she was in high school.</p><p>That team helped start the Americans’ 30-year Olympic dominance that has seen the U.S. win eight straight gold medals.</p><p>Few has been Gonzaga’s coach since 1999 and has led the team to the NCAA Tournament every year. He’s won numerous West Coast Conference championships and reached the NCAA title game twice.</p><p>“What a crazy, surreal moment for me,” Few said. “The town I grew up in had a population of 1,500 people and had one stoplight. To be standing where I am today is absolutely mind boggling.”</p><p>Crawford officiated more than 2,500 regular-season games in the NBA, nearly 400 more in the postseason and 50 of those were in the NBA Finals during his 39-year career. He said he first dreamed of officiating in the NBA when he was a teenager and did everything he could to make that possible.</p><p>D’Antoni really came into his own as a player and coach in Italy before he returned to the NBA. He developed a fast-paced style with the Phoenix Suns led by fellow inductee Stoudemire. </p><p>___ </p><p>AP Basketball Writer Doug Feinberg contributed to this story.</p><p>___</p><p>
<a href="https://apnews.com/sports">See AP’s full sports coverage here</a>
</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/J9n6buKYgkNdaYgj830AnZe50NE=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/F2WPQUXIAVFNTIS6ZLLARUFIIE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2667" width="4000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Veteran NBA referee and 2026 inductee Joey Crawford, right, recognizes his image on the columns of Symphony Hall as he enters the 2026 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Springfield, Mass. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Rusty Jones</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/E9KxUXqOdB1vCyDGy2rYW7qRk_o=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/BF3DMTPD7VD2PFN2WD5FLNUVGI.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2667" width="4000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Retired North Carolina Tarheels basketball head coach Roy Williams enters the 2026 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Springfield, Mass. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Rusty Jones</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/u5BImZlL2PrrQEORAXZoI67nXGk=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/26Y6BGCH3BGVLFZV6IEZVC3XVI.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2667" width="4000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[American sportscaster and former professional football wide receiver Ahmad Rashad prepares for emcee duties prior to the 2026 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Springfield, Mass. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Rusty Jones</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Wigs and Drinks: Jaguars fans kick off football season with first-ever ‘Quarterback Crawl’ in San Marco]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2026/08/15/wigs-and-drinks-jaguars-fans-kick-off-football-season-with-first-ever-quarterback-crawl-in-san-marco/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2026/08/15/wigs-and-drinks-jaguars-fans-kick-off-football-season-with-first-ever-quarterback-crawl-in-san-marco/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Caleb Yauger, Ben Schubert]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Long-haired wigs, bar hops, and Jags gameday spirit brought 12 San Marco spots to life Saturday.]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 21:09:39 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Jacksonville Jaguars fans took their gameday spirit to the streets of San Marco Saturday for the first-ever Quarterback Crawl — a bar hop through 12 local restaurants and bars, complete with quarterback-themed wigs.</p><p>“Given the really positive response, I think we’re definitely going to do it again,” said Leena Barghouthi, the organizer with <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ellebarmarketing/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.instagram.com/ellebarmarketing/">Elle Bar Marketing</a>.</p><p>For many attendees, the event was as much about supporting local businesses as it was about football. Fan David Smith said the crawl gave people a reason to come together.</p><p>“Celebrating the Jags, showing some support, you know, for the community, for the bars,” Smith said. “Just trying to have a good time.”</p><p>The event also drew newer fans to the fold. Lisa Pawul, who recently relocated from Cleveland, said she was already embracing her new team.</p><p>“I’m a Jacksonville fan having a great time, lovely meeting new people,” Pawul said.</p><p>Not everyone was just there for the party — some fans had their eyes on the bigger picture. One attendee made clear what he expects from the Jags this season.</p><p>“They just need to win in the playoffs,” he said. “Any amount of wins in the regular season won’t amount to much if you can’t finish it.”</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Adam Driver will play Mister Sinister and Inde Navarrette will go Rogue in Marvel’s 'X-Men' reboot]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/entertainment/2026/08/15/adam-driver-will-play-mister-sinister-and-inde-navarette-will-go-rogue-in-marvels-x-men-reboot/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/entertainment/2026/08/15/adam-driver-will-play-mister-sinister-and-inde-navarette-will-go-rogue-in-marvels-x-men-reboot/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Andrew Dalton, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Adam Driver will join the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Mister Sinister in Disney and Marvel's “X-Men” reboot.]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 07:39:43 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/adam-driver">Adam Driver</a> will make a long-anticipated entrance into the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/marvel-movies-mcu-comiccon-sdcc-marvel-panel-hall-h-35f4476d32fdd55acc7bcbe608a8e2d2">Marvel Cinematic Universe</a> to play super villain Mister Sinister, and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/obsession-curry-barker-youtube-b90a552212501352e2a9167e09a4b73a">“Obsession”</a> breakout star <a href="https://apnews.com/video/inde-navarette-says-working-on-obsession-unlocked-a-newfound-confidence-within-herself-0d9fd87860bb40f8a39efb020ed489c0">Inde Navarrette</a> will play Rogue in <a href="https://apnews.com/article/disney-economy-trump-parks-streaming-tiktok-d9d5482d48307f7104c677fa4b059a01">Disney</a> 's forthcoming film reboot of “X-Men.” </p><p>Driver and Navarrette were among the new cast members announced Friday night at Disney's D23 convention by Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, along with Driver's “Girls” castmate Christopher Abbott as Professor Charles Xavier and Maya Boyd as Storm. The film is slated for release in May 2028.</p><p>The announcements were the biggest news to emerge from Disney Entertainment's D23 presentation that also brought updates on its forthcoming <a href="https://apnews.com/article/adam-driver-star-wars-soderbergh-jarmusch-4e08164d0419759f1b5b50d69864975d">“Star Wars”</a> titles and a song-and-dance that went sideways from the stars of “Frozen 3.” </p><p>Driver's name was often rumored and often dismissed as an “X-Men” possibility. Many thought he'd be playing the antihero Magneto. The rest of the cast appeared on stage at the Honda Center arena in Anaheim, California, while Driver appeared on a big screen. </p><p>“Kevin and I had been talking for years about my joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and I think we finally found the perfect film,” Driver told the crowd of 12,000 via video. “So I’m very excited to be playing the role of Maaagneto!” he said before pausing, taking it back and saying, “even better, Nathaniel Millbury,” an alias for Mister Sinister. </p><p>Also on stage were previously announced cast members Samara Weaving, who is playing Emma Frost; Kit Connor, who is playing Scott “Cyclops” Summers; and Sadie Sink, whose role as Jean Grey was revealed by her appearance in this summer’s Marvel megahit “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.”</p><p>The castmates were as new to each other as they were to the fans.</p><p>“They’ve just met backstage for the very first time,” Feige said.</p><p>Navarrette had also been heavily rumored to have a role after fast becoming one of Hollywood's most sought-after actors for her striking performance as a spellbound girlfriend in the indie horror hit “Obsessed” earlier this year. </p><p>The “X-Men” joining the MCU became possible with Disney's 2019 acquisition of Fox's film studio. </p><p>Director Jake Schreier is heading the reboot. and two writers from prestige TV — “Beef” creator Lee Sung Jin and “The Bear” co-showrunner Joanna Calo — are working on the script. </p><p>Gosling cosplays as Kade Auberon in 'Star Wars' presentation. </p><p>Ryan Gosling and director Shawn Levy headlined the “Star Wars” part of the night with a presentation on their film “Star Wars: Starfighter,” which is getting a May, 2027 release. </p><p>Gosling's appearance on stage was preceded by clips of him as a child cast member of “The Mickey Mouse Club.” </p><p>“I owe a lot to Disney," Gosling said. "Had they not looked far and wide and come to my hometown I would not be here today. Now, 30 years later, I'm back, and it's changing my life again.” </p><p>Shawn Levy put on Gosling a leather jacket with his “Star Wars” character Kade Auberon's skull-and-bones symbol. </p><p>Gosling described Auberon as “a guy from the wrong side of the galaxy, whose fate is intertwined with the fastest starfighter ever built,” before showing clips from the film.</p><p>Disney announced earlier this summer at its San Diego Comic-Con presentation that Gosling will play the character Ghost Rider in the MCU, first in a “Black Panther” sequel, then in a “Ghost Rider” film that Levy will also direct. Both are set for release in 2028. </p><p>“Star Wars: Ahsoka” star Rosario Dawson also appeared to promote the Season 2 return of her Disney+ series, as did Hayden Christensen, who will return as a force-ghost version of her mentor Anakin Skywalker. </p><p>More Marvel with classic stars Downey, Evans, Atwell and Bettany</p><p>Marvel veterans also took the D23 stage as past and future “Avengers” stars Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr. and Hayley Atwell introduced a new trailer for “Avengers: Doomsday,” to be released Dec. 18.</p><p>The footage shows Downey, now playing Dr. Doom having shed his Iron Man suit, beating back Chris Hemsworth’s Thor and his hammer, and shows Evans, who is returning as Captain America, holding a baby. And it shows Ian McKellan as a long-haired, haggard, struggling version of Magneto. </p><p>Hugh Jackman appeared on the big screen to tell Feige he's willing to appear in “Doomsday” as Wolverine. Whether he'll be in the movie has led to heated fan speculation. His answer wasn't definitive, but most bets are now switching to yes. </p><p>Fans also got a glimpse of the soon-to-drop Disney+ series “Visionquest.” Paul Bettany, who returns to his Marvel role as Vision, and James Spader, who returns to playing Ultron, showed a trailer with oddly human and ordinary versions of their cybernetic characters. Bettany said it’s been a pleasure to play multiple versions of Vision, who has “rather inconveniently died several times.” But, he said, “I'm told in the Marvel Universe that no one is ever really dead.” </p><p>“Frozen 3” stars serenade fans, sort of </p><p>Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel sang an eerie new arrangement of “Frozen Heart” from their first film playing princess sisters Elsa and Anna as they introduced the forthcoming <a href="https://apnews.com/article/disney-frozen-paris-tourism-park-b09aaa203714b67589cd3a51273b4225">“Frozen 3.”</a></p><p>Or they tried to, anyway. The segment was plagued with malfunctioning audio, video, and a set of doors that failed to open. </p><p>They ad-libbed their way through it like pros. </p><p>“Should we go back and try it again?” Menzel asked at the song's end. </p><p>Bell described for the crowd everything that was supposed to happen and said, “You guys were gonna freak out.” </p><p>They found their way back to the script. </p><p>“Doesn't it kind of feel like the world of Frozen is a bit different?” Bell said. Menzel added, “Maybe a little bit more mysterious?” </p><p>“Yes, OK, we're back on track,” Bell said, to big laughs. </p><p>Their castmate Josh Gad followed with a rendition of “Oooh, Samantha,” a love song his snowman character Olaf will sing in “Frozen 3.” </p><p>The night's other big musical set pieces included songs and dance from the cast of “The Greatest Showman,” the stage musical adaptation of the 2017 Jackman film that is premiering on London's West End next year.</p><p>___</p><p>This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Inde Navarrette’s last name throughout the story and in headlines.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/G7RdxLg5O4SQ29ZZphT4te-nWYY=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/YW5Z2WL3QVCULAZMHXT4L5QEWA.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3424" width="5136"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[FILE - Adam Driver poses for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film 'Paper Tiger' at the 79th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP, File)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Scott A Garfitt</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/IFSIQ8s55S3gjIVYrZOOGc9I_XI=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/6GUJNABEKVE2VO3ANOSZBNPVGM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3740" width="5538"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Daniel Delgado, 6, of Victorville, Calif., joins a photo op for cosplayers dressed as "Spider-Man" during D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event on Friday, Aug. 14, 2026, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Chris Pizzello</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/eHABZJOHDUc8XDrXTyASgP0quJg=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/ECTS6YCEO5H6FB3T7AZM2DR4AY.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3554" width="5670"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Marvel Universe cosplayers take part in a photo op outside the entrance to D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event on Friday, Aug. 14, 2026, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Chris Pizzello</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/t3VY7lNlW8gNvofu-upkaFpXrFU=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/44UHOH2CJJHM5MNACT2DRSQH7U.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3547" width="5190"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Mohamed Obsidye, left, of Columbus, Ohio, dressed as his own superhero character "Afro-Pool," leads a dance outside the entrance to D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event on Friday, Aug. 14, 2026, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Chris Pizzello</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Seahawks, CB Devon Witherspoon agree to 4-year, $132 million deal, AP source says]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/15/seahawks-cb-devon-witherspoon-agree-to-4-year-132-million-deal-ap-source-says/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/15/seahawks-cb-devon-witherspoon-agree-to-4-year-132-million-deal-ap-source-says/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Andrew Destin, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[The Seattle Seahawks and cornerback Devon Witherspoon have agreed to a four-year, $132 million contract extension with $101 million guaranteed, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Saturday.]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 19:29:58 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Seattle Seahawks and cornerback Devon Witherspoon have agreed to a four-year, $132 million contract extension with $101 million guaranteed, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Saturday.</p><p>The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract, which would make Witherspoon the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL, hasn’t been finalized. <a href="https://x.com/Seahawks/status/2088785973916344530">In a television interview</a> during Saturday's preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys, Witherspoon said he was grateful.</p><p>“It feels good,” Witherspoon said. “Long time coming, but we had to get it done, though. I’m thankful. All glory to God. Shoutout to (general manager John Schneider) and all the people that are upstairs for making this happen.”</p><p>The Seahawks exercised their fifth-year option on Witherspoon back in March. They finalized his long-term deal on the same day they began their preseason.</p><p>Witherspoon, 25, was selected No. 5 overall by the Seahawks in the 2023 NFL draft. In the same round of that draft, the Seahawks took wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who in March <a href="https://apnews.com/article/seahawks-smithnjigba-contract-d47e73ce5f4787c02ab1e148d7d3dca6">agreed to a four-year, $168.8 million contract with $120 million guaranteed</a>.</p><p>Witherspoon has been selected for the Pro Bowl in each of his three seasons. He was a second-team All-Pro and helped the Seahawks win the Super Bowl last season. </p><p>Witherspoon appeared in all three of Seattle’s playoff games during its Super Bowl run, making 17 tackles and defending four passes.</p><p>In 43 regular-season games, Witherspoon has 249 tackles, 32 passes defended, 16 tackles for loss, 4 1/2 sacks and two interceptions. Now he's ready to show he's worth what the Seahawks are paying him.</p><p>“Can you be consistent in what you do? That’s what defines greatness to me,” Witherspoon said. “That’s what I’m chasing right there.”</p><p>___</p><p>
<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nfl">See AP’s full NFL coverage here</a>
</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/jH3UwBdzE_rWCzkFlIGb6bjuvw0=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/TDU4L3OFJZEX7EHOJGRIKSYQ5A.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2776" width="4163"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon interacts with teammates on the sideline in the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Lindsey Wasson</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/_a_FwdUhHC1We2JvwLlLrzhZAhI=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/5XYMYWGA5BD4VICH2AHC3GHYDY.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2134" width="3201"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon warms up before an NFL preseason football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Lindsey Wasson</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/BDkHKBNVPbNH4moNoV7DWYndwRE=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/ZNGYIDOHJFF33A5CXXODE2VBGU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3693" width="2462"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon arrives for an NFL preseason football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Lindsey Wasson</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/ScDU9aako_E5MCAY5yLFw94XXVU=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/55BIOM34VVBUHDR2MNTS3HRZWA.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2248" width="3372"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon arrives for an NFL preseason football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Lindsey Wasson</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/k04TS1NmwDMHUYaYlvQJET9hhDo=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/P5SX3WNDFNH4JM2USD7UR2Z444.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3839" width="5759"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon reacts after the NFL football team's training camp, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Lindsey Wasson</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Scottie Scheffler with a 68 builds a two-shot lead over Sam Burns and Sungjae Im in Memphis]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/15/scottie-scheffler-with-a-68-builds-a-two-shot-lead-over-sam-burns-and-sungjae-im-in-memphis/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/15/scottie-scheffler-with-a-68-builds-a-two-shot-lead-over-sam-burns-and-sungjae-im-in-memphis/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Doug Ferguson, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Scottie Scheffler has had five runner-up finishes and five top 4s since his lone victory this year in January.]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 23:19:21 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Scottie Scheffler settled in after a rough start Saturday for a 2-under 68, giving him a two-shot lead over Sam Burns and Sungjae Im in the FedEx St. Jude Championship going into a final round where so much is at stake from the top to the bottom of the leaderboard.</p><p>Scheffler is trying to break a streak of five runner-up finishes and five other top 4s since his lone victory this year in his first tournament of 2026. </p><p>He was at 13-under 197 and will be in the final group with Burns, his closest friend in golf, who got back into the mix with a 62. His year has been marked by close calls in the U.S. Open and British Open, but Burns has no victories to show for it. </p><p>This will be the first time they are paired together in the final group.</p><p>“It's always a little weird just because I want him to have success so much and I think he wants the same for me,” Scheffler said. "Tomorrow we'll go out there and play our game and see where things finish up at the end of the day. It will be competition like normal.</p><p>“It will be fun being out there with your friend but it’s also a bit weird at the same time.”</p><p>And it's not just the two of them. Im shot 67 and was tied with Burns at 11-under 199. The next closest to Scheffler was FedEx Cup champion Tommy Fleetwood (68) and Jake Knapp (67), both five shots behind.</p><p>Jordan Spieth took another step back and gave himself another Sunday at the TPC Southwind filled with high stress. Spieth is at No. 54 in the FedEx Cup, and only the top 50 advance to the BMW Championship next week in the FedEx Cup playoffs.</p><p>The top 50 is the magic number this week because those players are assured to getting into all the $20 million signature events next year. Spieth, who opened with a 65, didn't make a birdie until the 11th hole in his round of 72 that dropped him from a tie for fifth to a tie for 19th, which is projected to leave him out of the top 50.</p><p>He's not alone. Brian Harman came in at No. 65 and shot 69. He was in a tie for sixth, needing to move up a few spots to advance.</p><p>“That signature series, it's where you want to be,” Harman said. “It's where the best golf is played. I'd love to have a chance.”</p><p>He at least is in all the majors next year from his 2023 British Open victory at Hoylake.</p><p>Going into the final day, Im is the only player projected to move into the top 50 — he started at No. 53 and held his own in the final group Saturday with Scheffler.</p><p>“I just want to focus on each shot,” Im said. “Every shot matters.” </p><p>Scheffler only hit one green in regulation through the opening five holes. He was in the right rough on the par-5 third and had a clean enough lie to try to reach the green or at least advance it close. But it hit a tree right above him and dropped straight down. He pulled his short iron out of mangled rough to the side of a bunker and still had 111 yards. He hit that to 12 feet and made the par putt.</p><p>He bogeyed the next from behind the green, didn't get a birdie until the par-3 eighth and then ran off consecutive birdies early on the back nine that restored his lead. He also made a 12-foot par save on the 15th hole.</p><p>“Any time you’re holing those 10- to 15-footers, it’s really nice to keep the round going,” Scheffler said. “I holed a few of those today. It was definitely important to keep the momentum in the round.”</p><p>The heat index topped 100 degrees, and towels soaked in ice water were available on every tee. Keith Mitchell looked utterly exhausted walking out of scoring, from the heat and from the stress of projections that keep him right at No. 49 with one round remaining.</p><p>He was tied for 22nd, along with Maverick McNealy, who was projected at No. 50. </p><p>Burns is thinking only about winning, and that starts with making up a two-shot deficit on the No. 1 player in the world. The only other time they've played together on a Sunday was the 2021 Tour Championship — both out of contention — though Burns did beat Scheffler with a long birdie putt in a playoff at Colonial in 2022.</p><p>“Scottie is obviously playing great, as he always does. He’s not going to lay down,” Burns said. “He’s going to play great tomorrow. So you’re going to have to go out there and put a really good round together and see if you can catch him.”</p><p>___</p><p>
<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/golf">See AP’s full golf coverage here</a>
</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/ksk32xHxdTm-NvJl-O0ULQ7w6ZI=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/V7PJSYAOYFEXJHUIZFKGP4SRN4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3391" width="5086"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Scottie Scheffler chips onto the second green during the third round of the St. Jude Championship golf tournament Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">George Walker Iv</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/YrVXLhTEy6xbeDig3f-2mtKarJE=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/NKEFMNQA5FHBBJ7VVXPB2RZFSM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5470" width="8205"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Scottie Scheffler watches his tee shot on the third hole during the third round of the St. Jude Championship golf tournament Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">George Walker Iv</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/ORyKENVu4yE3TSyh5_xsTS2W3_0=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/CTUO6PJVNJENHJIZEMDK2P7BCI.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4536" width="6804"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Sam Burns hits from the rough on the 17th hole during the third round of the St. Jude Championship golf tournament Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">George Walker Iv</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/YKNQhCBBos0z5Mac_5XDJPEZOvM=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/RL422MBDHNEGNPD7UCKGFC2E6M.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2768" width="4153"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Sungjae Im, of South Korea, uses an ice pack to keep cool during the third round of the St. Jude Championship golf tournament Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">George Walker Iv</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/7ohnh0uOMZWuyWlD7kSw1jFqd5E=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/A4NCKR5SBNHDDJTT7DKITKA66Y.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4202" width="6303"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Jordan Spieth watches his tee shot on the seventh hole during the third round of the St. Jude Championship golf tournament Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">George Walker Iv</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Good, bad, ugly of the Jaguars’ preseason win over the Saints]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/15/good-bad-ugly-of-the-jaguars-preseason-win-over-the-saints/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/15/good-bad-ugly-of-the-jaguars-preseason-win-over-the-saints/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Barney]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[The Jaguars knocked the rust off and kicked off Year 2 of the Liam Coen era with a preseason win in a battle of the backups on Saturday in New Orleans. ]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 23:17:20 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Jaguars knocked the rust off and kicked off Year 2 of the Liam Coen era with a preseason win in a battle of the backups on Saturday in New Orleans. </p><p>Resting its starters, the end result for Coen wasn’t about winning on the scoreboard, although they managed to scratch out a 24-20 victory that came down to the final pass. Numerous depth-position roster battles are going on, and the Jaguars needed to see positive strides from those developing players. There were a few spotlights. </p><p>The Jaguars shook off a rough opening half and a 14-point deficit to scratch out a win when things looked ugly. There were lowlights, too. The pass coverage was soft. There were too many missed tackles. And there was another injury along the battered offensive line that brings that unit into question.</p><h3><b>The glaring issues</b></h3><p>Trevor Lawrence was durable last year, starting all 17 games and producing a career season that resulted in him being an MVP finalist. The Jaguars expect Lawrence to take another step forward in Year 2 of the Coen and Grant Udinski offense. If Lawrence were to miss time this year, Saturday’s performance sounded an alarm that the Jaguars need to consider options that aren’t on the roster.</p><p>Backup Nick Mullens has been erratic at best during training camp and struggled significantly against New Orleans backups. He threw a red-zone interception on Jacksonville’s opening drive and never looked comfortable. Mullens finished 3 of 7 for 33 yards. </p><p>Carter Bradley came on in relief of Mullens and wasn’t much better until settling in after halftime. Late in the second quarter, he locked on heavily covered rookie receiver CJ Williams and was picked off by Jayden Price. The Saints scored two plays later. Bradley did play far better after the break. He hit Hunter Long on a 1-yard touchdown pass, and would have added a second had Trebor Pena not dropped a perfect throw midway through the fourth quarter. Bradley finished 10 of 17 for 195 yards. He looked far better than Mullens. </p><p>Missed tackles were a problem from the outset. After allowing an 86-yard kickoff return to open the game, Jacksonville had three players miss a tackle on New Orleans running back Audric Estime as he scored on a 9-yard run on the very next play. </p><p>There’s also a growing concern with the health of the offensive line. Chuma Edoga went down with an injury on Jacksonville’s first series of the game and didn’t return. The Jaguars are already without Cole Van Lanen (offseason knee surgery), Walker Little, and Patrick Mekari. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Jacksonville explore what’s out there in terms of free agent linemen. The health and depth of that unit is a growing concern. </p><h3><b>The rookies check in</b></h3><p>Receivers Josh Cameron and CJ Williams looked strong in training camp and carried some of the momentum through the preseason opener. Cameron got opportunities in both the punt and kick return games and had a catch for 17 yards. Cameron had a 25-yard kick return as his big flash of the day. Williams had a couple of receptions and had a dropped pass, something that hasn’t been common for him in camp. </p><p>Defensive tackle Albert Regis had his welcome-to-the-NFL moment with a nice sack of Zach Wilson in the third quarter, dragging him down for a 14-yard loss. Regis isn’t likely to start this season barring an injury, but he’s positioned to have a role in the rotation in the middle of the defensive line. </p><p>Undrafted free agent running back J’Mari Taylor is battling for a roster spot and had the bulk of the reps on Saturday. His 2-yard touchdown run with 5 minutes left pushed Jacksonville in front 24-20. Taylor finished with 78 yards on 22 carries to lead both teams. </p><h3><b>The secondary</b></h3><p>Saints quarterbacks Spencer Rattler and Zach Wilson picked on Jacksonville’s younger secondary. Corey Ballantine struggled all game long. Wilson found Bub Means for a 37-yard gain down the sideline on the final drive before halftime, a huge play on third down that helped set up a field goal. </p><p>Jabbar Muhammad also struggled in coverage most of the day until swatting down Hunter Dekkers’ final pass in the end zone to Jalen Moreno-Cropper to preserve the win. Ballentine has looked average in camp, but Muhammad was an offseason darling in the secondary and has flashed potential. It was a major learning experience for both against New Orleans. </p><figure><img src="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/4iMTh3TeFuB23-44bHEVPEsUTXI=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/G3N4MN5CAJGYDIS2VQGNOKELHA.jpg" alt="Jacksonville Jaguars defensive back Jalen Huskey (22) breaks up a pass intended for New Orleans Saints tight end Oscar Delp during the first half of an NFL preseason football game Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)" height="4460" width="6690"/><figcaption>Jacksonville Jaguars defensive back Jalen Huskey (22) breaks up a pass intended for New Orleans Saints tight end Oscar Delp during the first half of an NFL preseason football game Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)</figcaption></figure><h3><b>Good day for some defenders</b></h3><p>Yasir Abdullah is locked in a battle for one of the depth spots at linebacker and helped his case with an excellent afternoon on defense and special teams. Abdullah tracked down Barion Brown on a punt return and tackled him for a loss of 7 yards on the play. And he had a strip sack of Rattler late in the opening quarter. </p><figure><img src="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/Wif9ol9lv8DVSAd1-BEtk5J04JM=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/CYPWDH6MDRFRRGC6HZEXQ4XLFI.jpg" alt="New Orleans Saints kick returner Barion Brown is stopped by Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Yasir Abdullah (56) on a punt return during the first half of an NFL preseason football game Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Ella Hall)" height="4598" width="6897"/><figcaption>New Orleans Saints kick returner Barion Brown is stopped by Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Yasir Abdullah (56) on a punt return during the first half of an NFL preseason football game Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Ella Hall)</figcaption></figure><p>Edge BJ Green II recovered the fumble at the New Orleans 7 in a sequence that set up a Cam Little field goal. Abdullah has been a bit of an enigma during his time in Jacksonville, flashing potential and then fizzing out. In his quest for a roster spot this year, Abdullah stood out as a major winner on Saturday. </p><p>Rookie safety Jalen Huskey had a solid day, too. Huskey was the reason why Ty Chandler didn’t take the opening kickoff back for a touchdown, catching up with the return man at the 9 and taking him down. The Saints scored one play later, but it was Huskey’s effort play that at least salvaged some respect after that 86-yard return. Huskey also had a pass breakup on Oscar Delp where he jarred the ball loose and forced the incompletion. </p><p> </p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/yKPIdGDraL37Buge4m8ZTa3Rk0g=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/TDVK4XL74RATXDP423IJYQZMDA.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4245" width="6367"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[New Orleans Saints quarterback Zach Wilson is sacked by Jacksonville Jaguars defensive lineman Albert Regis (98) during the second half of an NFL preseason football game Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Ella Hall)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Ella Hall</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Joshua Báez of the Cardinals hits 3 homers in his first 3 at-bats in a historic major league debut]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/15/joshua-baez-of-the-cardinals-hits-3-homers-in-his-first-3-at-bats-in-a-historic-major-league-debut/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/15/joshua-baez-of-the-cardinals-hits-3-homers-in-his-first-3-at-bats-in-a-historic-major-league-debut/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Joshua Báez became the first player to hit a home run in each of his first three at-bats in the majors, leading the St. Louis Cardinals to an 8-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday.]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 22:49:17 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Joshua Báez smashed the first pitch he saw in the majors about 450 feet, then flashed a grin to the St. Louis dugout as he began his home run trot.</p><p>“There was a calmness and a smile, like, ‘I’m here,’” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “It’s rare for me to pick my head up to enjoy parts of it. He didn’t exactly give us an option but to actually take a step back and enjoy the heck out of what was going on there.”</p><p>There has never been a show quite like it.</p><p>Báez became the first player to hit a home run in each of his first three at-bats in the majors, leading the Cardinals to an <a href="https://apnews.com/article/cardinals-cubs-score-joshua-baez-276e1b7bdcac54d7af2454ac5027b35a?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">8-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs</a> on Saturday. </p><p>Called up from Triple-A Memphis before the game, Báez had 30 members of his family in attendance at Wrigley Field. The traveling party, which included his mother, Yris, <a href="https://x.com/MLB/status/2088743613324837303?s=20">gathered on the field for photos afterward</a> in spite of rain.</p><p>“It’s just unreal,” the 23-year-old Báez said. “To not only get a hit, but three home runs? It’s crazy.”</p><p>He did it with flair, too. The first came on the first pitch he saw from Matthew Boyd and landed an estimated 449 feet away in the bleachers in left-center. The left fielder's next at-bat ended with a solo shot down the left-field line and the third, on his ensuing at-bat, went the opposite way, giving him five RBIs.</p><p>Major League Baseball said Báez was the first player in modern baseball history to hit three home runs in his debut. The league cannot say with certainty whether the feat happened before 1901 due to a lack of game logs.</p><p>“He hit three different pitches for home runs. He had a great game. He beat us for sure,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said.</p><p>Báez showed plenty of power in the minors this season. When he was called up, he was leading all Triple-A hitters with 34 home runs, including four multihomer games.</p><p>He’s the ninth player to make his major league debut for the Cardinals this season.</p><p>Báez also is the 11th St. Louis player to homer in his first career at-bat (the last was Lane Thomas in 2019) and sixth in club history to homer on the first pitch. Former pitcher Adam Wainwright last did it in 2006.</p><p>___</p><p>
<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mlb">See AP’s full MLB coverage here</a>
</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/eD1wahpw6PgzWHqUmT7N3O70A5E=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/NEDEHRI5HVBG7KMWOPUCZZM6UA.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3712" width="5568"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[St. Louis Cardinals' Joshua Baez, right, celebrates with his mother Yris Carmen Baez, left, after defeating the Chicago Cubs in a baseball game in Chicago, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Paul Beaty</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/MULMFs55TSwLw4ZIWa0JGI7UUd8=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/LUICOSP4WVF67K2TQNCOH4KSMU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3249" width="4873"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[St. Louis Cardinals' Joshua Baez poses after setting an MLB record with three home runs during his MLB debut after defeating the Chicago Cubs in a baseball game in Chicago, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Paul Beaty</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/HsgVp8W0a4hztlBxkSmq4eFcIyM=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/DC2FVEYVCJFLPH6B43RGFJD6WE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2884" width="4326"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[St. Louis Cardinals' Joshua Baez (22) celebrates with teammate Masyn Winn (0) after hitting a three-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Paul Beaty</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/GRiroFx3VcLeq5UukkPV5ems8ZQ=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/DRZCXU4SWBDUZEP3NM5G7BZPQA.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3712" width="5568"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[St. Louis Cardinals' Joshua Baez, right, gets a hug from his mother Yris Carmen Baez after defeating the Chicago Cubs in a baseball game in Chicago, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Paul Beaty</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/K43MfFwush6GzPOxLnVnETVLgpE=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/KUOMGJWDJVGJDEHM5CQD6MMOXU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3712" width="5568"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[St. Louis Cardinals' Joshua Baez (22) gets dunked after defeating the Chicago Cubs in a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Paul Beaty</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Teen boy among 6 dead including suspect in Michigan shootings; girl survived]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/national/2026/08/15/teen-boy-among-6-dead-including-suspect-in-michigan-shootings-girl-survived/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/national/2026/08/15/teen-boy-among-6-dead-including-suspect-in-michigan-shootings-girl-survived/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jacqueline Ganun, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Authorities say a teenage boy and four adults were killed Friday in a series of Michigan shootings.]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 18:46:56 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A teenage boy and four adults were killed Friday in shootings that prompted a wide search for the fleeing gunman, whose body was ultimately found in a wooded area alongside one of his victims, authorities said. A teenage girl survived and was in stable condition, police said.</p><p>Chad Hickman, 39, was found dead after a wide search in Missaukee County, police said. Police released the ages and genders of the victims on Saturday but did not specify whether they were related to each other or the suspect.</p><p>Officers responded Friday morning to reports of a shooting at a home about 170 miles (270 kilometers) northwest of Detroit, where they found the bodies of a 16-year-old boy, a 45-year-old man and 40-year-old woman, and a 13-year-old girl in critical condition, Michigan State Police said.</p><p>Authorities say Hickman fled that scene, leading to a large-scale search. Police found the body of a 53-year-old man at a second home, and then a 29-year-old woman, dead alongside Hickman, in the woods. All the victims died of gunshot wounds, police said.</p><p>“This situation is heartbreaking for the community and challenging for the investigators involved,” Lt. Ashley Miller said in a Friday statement. Miller said Saturday the investigation is ongoing.</p><p>Hickman was convicted in 2024 of misdemeanor fourth-degree child abuse, according to court records. He was sentenced to one year in jail. In the same case, the court dismissed felony assault and criminal sexual conduct charges.</p><p>Tim Penrose, who lives on the street where the 53-year-old was found dead, said Hickman lived in that home. Penrose said he heard shots but didn’t think much of it until police arrived because he lives in a rural area where gunfire is not uncommon. Penrose said Hickman frequently harassed him and his wife, though he didn't provide more details.</p><p>Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Friday that she was monitoring the situation. “My thoughts are with the victims, their families, and the Missaukee community,” she said.</p><p>___</p><p>Associated Press writer Hallie Golden contributed. GaNun is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. <a href="https://www.reportforamerica.org/">Report for America</a> is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/ONtNJfctA1JYIgt0IcL1EEKrpK8=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/FW45KLASMRHBDD3T5CDW4GEUQE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3750" width="6592"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[This undated poster provided by The Michigan State Police (MSP) Seventh District, shows suspect Chad Hickman, who was the suspect in the killing of 5 people and found dead on Friday, Aug.14, 2026. (The Michigan State Police, Seventh District via AP)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Uncredited</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Berkshire Hathaway boosted stake in Alphabet, homebuilders in the second quarter]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/business/2026/08/15/berkshire-hathaway-boosted-stake-in-alphabet-homebuilders-in-the-second-quarter/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/business/2026/08/15/berkshire-hathaway-boosted-stake-in-alphabet-homebuilders-in-the-second-quarter/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Alex Veiga, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Berkshire Hathaway is increasing its stake in Google’s parent company, Alphabet.]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 21:31:23 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Berkshire Hathaway is increasing the size of its stake in Google's parent company and beefing up its holdings in homebuilders, according to the conglomerate's latest snapshot of its investment portfolio. </p><p>The Omaha, Nebraska-based company also continued to pare its stake in financial companies and a number of other stocks in the April-June quarter, according to a regulatory filing filed late Friday.</p><p>CEO <a href="https://apnews.com/article/warren-buffett-greg-abel-berkshire-hathaway-successor-6a4abcce5a472878074c9b66d8da4771">Greg Abel</a>, who took over from <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/warren-buffett">Warren Buffett</a> at the start of the year, agreed in June to make a $10 billion stock investment in Alphabet, expanding on the stake that Berkshire started to build last fall. </p><p>In the second quarter, Berkshire picked up roughly 48.1 million shares in Alphabet, bringing its total shares in the tech giant to roughly 106 million. That stake was valued at about $37.76 billion as of June 30, according to the filing. As recently as the end of December, Berkshire held only 17.8 million Alphabet shares worth $5.6 billion. </p><p>Alphabet has said it plans to raise $80 billion to pay for the computing infrastructure needed to power its AI offerings.</p><p>Beyond tech, Berkshire continued to boost its investments in the U.S. homebuilding sector. Its stake in homebuilder Lennar increased nearly 30% in the second quarter. Berkshire also established a small new stake in D.R. Horton that was worth $580,504 at the end of June.</p><p>In July, Berkshire completed a $6.8 billion acquisition of homebuilder Taylor Morrison.</p><p>Berkshire also sharply increased its shares in Delta Air Lines and Macy's in the second quarter. The stakes were worth about $5.37 billion and $173 million, respectively, as of June 30. </p><p>Berkshire also pruned its investment portfolio in the second quarter, reducing its stake in several companies relative to where they stood in the first quarter, including supermarket operator Kroger, steel manufacturer Nucor and dialysis giant DaVita.</p><p>The company also dumped all its holdings — 632,890 shares — in beverage company Constellation Brands.</p><p>Berkshire also pared its shares in several financial companies. Its stakes in Bank of America and Ally Financial declined by around 6% and 6.9%, respectively, and it slashed its shares in Capital One Financial by 58%.</p><p>Many investors have followed Berkshire’s portfolio closely over the years because they liked to copy Buffett’s moves. He <a href="https://apnews.com/article/berkshire-hathaway-buffett-abel-188684d40a7d7188de4ab4239d598595">remains the company's chairman</a> and largest shareholder.</p><p>But Berkshire, which owns dozens of businesses including major insurers like Geico and BNSF railroad, never comments on the moves it makes to its stock portfolio from quarter to quarter because it doesn’t want to discuss what it is buying and selling.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/ZWS7Bgmu8NjMec7CMSwTbElEe68=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/MB33EQYKUVCNXFR3YKSFMXHIWI.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4059" width="6088"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[FILE - Shareholders wait in line outside CHI Health Center Omaha for the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting, May 2, 2026, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz, File)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Rebecca S. Gratz</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Atlantic Beach officers escape injury after suspected drunk driver causes chain-reaction crash]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2026/08/15/atlantic-beach-officers-escape-injury-after-suspected-drunk-driver-causes-chain-reaction-crash/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2026/08/15/atlantic-beach-officers-escape-injury-after-suspected-drunk-driver-causes-chain-reaction-crash/</guid><description><![CDATA[A suspected drunk driver crashed into two Atlantic Beach Police Department marked patrol cars late Friday night, triggering a chain-reaction collision on Atlantic Boulevard.]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 21:18:36 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A suspected drunk driver crashed into two Atlantic Beach Police Department marked patrol cars late Friday night, triggering a chain-reaction collision on Atlantic Boulevard.</p><p>The crash happened around 11:30 p.m. while officers were conducting a traffic stop. According to ABPD, the impaired driver struck one marked police car, which then set off a chain reaction, hitting a second patrol car and the vehicle that had been stopped by officers.</p><p>Miraculously, no one was injured or transported from the scene.</p><p>“Drinking and driving puts innocent lives and motorists in extreme danger,” ABPD said. “Life can change in an instant. We are so grateful that our officers and the other motorists did not suffer any major injuries from this crash.”</p><p>Neptune Beach Police Department arrested the driver on a DUI charge.</p><p>ABPD is reminding drivers to pay attention on the road, slow down and move over when they see emergency lights on the roadside, and to designate a sober driver before drinking.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/qWunMJP_06gMJsyXt7F6QuvZkDs=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/BB4ZLIKU6RFJDFFCLIFIJHFBJM.png" type="image/png" height="309" width="478"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A suspected drunk driver caused a crash that damaged three vehicles, including two police cruisers.]]></media:description></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Joshua Báez first player to homer in first 3 at-bats in the majors, leads Cardinals past Cubs 8-4]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/15/joshua-baez-first-player-to-homer-in-first-3-at-bats-in-the-majors-leads-cardinals-past-cubs-8-4/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/15/joshua-baez-first-player-to-homer-in-first-3-at-bats-in-the-majors-leads-cardinals-past-cubs-8-4/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Joshua Báez became the first player to hit three home runs in his first three at-bats in the major leagues, leading the St. Louis Cardinals to an 8-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday.]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 21:17:24 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Joshua Báez became the first player to hit three home runs in his first three at-bats in the major leagues, leading the St. Louis Cardinals to an 8-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday.</p><p>The 23-year-old left fielder, called up from Triple-A Memphis earlier in the day, hit the first pitch he saw into the Wrigley Field bleachers, then homered in his next two at-bats. He also drove in five runs.</p><p>Blaze Jordan and Alec Burleson added solo home runs to help the Cardinals win a day after dropping the opener of the three-game series.</p><p>Báez is the first St. Louis player to homer in his first career plate appearance since Lane Thomas in June 2019.</p><p>Michael Conforto hit a three-run homer for the Cubs, who had won nine of 11.</p><p>Michael McGreevy (5-9) allowed three runs — all unearned — on five hits and two walks while striking out six in the first six innings to win for the first time since July 8.</p><p>Báez tagged Matthew Boyd (8-2) for all three homers. He drove his first, a two-run shot, deep into the left-center field bleachers in the first inning.</p><p>Conforto’s home run tied the game at 3-all in the second, but Báez led off the fourth and sent a full-count pitch down the left-field line, then went down the opposite side in the sixth for another two-run homer.</p><p>Jordan’s home run was the end of day for Boyd, who allowed seven runs on five hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out two. </p><p>Burleson homered off Colin Rea in the eighth.</p><p>Up next</p><p>The series ends Sunday afternoon when the Cardinals send Hunter Dobbins (2-3, 3.40 ERA) against fellow right-hander Edward Cabrera (5-4, 5.10). Cabrera (left hamstring strain) will be making his first start since June 23.</p><p>___</p><p>
<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mlb">See AP’s full MLB coverage here</a>
</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/zpWR5ueeSOY46kLfQrtOLmT1i5k=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/LOYDCSYF4ZDANHMSJTSJIPXEW4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3712" width="5568"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[St. Louis Cardinals' Joshua Baez (22) celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Paul Beaty</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/4YgX9lSMeJyT67z0tLzfKJqsAi8=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/U4RD3OE7RBBCJPSYECBBMH2ZJQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2669" width="4003"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[St. Louis Cardinals' Joshua Baez (22) celebrates with teammate Alec Burleson, left, after hitting a two-run home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Paul Beaty</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/1XFQJPjp1dgJ6Qhl6klYa9agZZk=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/YIQZA7H3IBEOTPOM5G4ISTECNU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="1951" width="2927"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[St. Louis Cardinals starter Michael McGreevy delivers a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Paul Beaty</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/UJkXyPHIfHUsR1G-WE8wWaDImg0=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/KVZVNF4HLBFYNDD6AYNDIG2LEU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2818" width="4226"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[St. Louis Cardinals' Joshua Baez celebrates after hitting a three-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Paul Beaty</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Iran claims Qatar is holding pilots, Israeli strikes kill 11 in Lebanon, and other Middle East news]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/2026/08/15/israeli-strike-kills-7-in-lebanon-a-vessel-attacked-in-hormuz-and-other-news-from-the-middle-east/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/2026/08/15/israeli-strike-kills-7-in-lebanon-a-vessel-attacked-in-hormuz-and-other-news-from-the-middle-east/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Iran says Qatar is holding three of its pilots who were reportedly captured when their jets were downed early in the war, but Qatar denies the allegations.]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 07:13:24 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Iran said Qatar was holding three of its pilots who had been missing since March, which Qatar denied. The United Arab Emirates accused Iran of again attacking one of its vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. The <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/houthis">Iran-backed Houthis</a> again struck a Red Sea port in Yemen.</p><p>And in southern Lebanon, 11 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes, some of the deadliest since a shaky truce between Israel and Iran-backed <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hezbollah">Hezbollah</a> went into effect on June 20.</p><p>Here’s a look at the latest developments on Saturday in the <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/iran">Iran war</a> and the wider Middle East. Full coverage can be found <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/middle-east">here</a>.</p><p>Iran says Qatar is holding 3 of its pilots</p><p>Qatar's armed forces captured and were holding three pilots who went missing in March when their jets were downed, the Missing Persons Committee of Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff said. Qatar, however, denied it.</p><p>Until now, Tehran had said it had no information about their fate. This is the first known case in the war where Iran has said a regional country is holding its fighters. Qatar on March 2 said its air force shot down two Iranian bombers as Tehran lashed out against countries hosting U.S. military bases in the opening days of the war.</p><p>Saturday's statement alleged that Qatar had not allowed the pilots to meet or communicate with families or Iranian officials handling their cases. Iran asked the International Committee of the Red Cross president for help. The letter said a fourth pilot was killed while on the mission “targeting an enemy military base in Qatar," state media reported.</p><p>A spokesperson with Qatar's foreign ministry, Majed Al Ansari, later denied the claims and indicated on X that the pilots had been shot down and that Qatar's search and rescue teams found the remains of one. He said Iran was invited in April to visit and be briefed on those efforts, with no response.</p><p>A tanker is attacked in the Strait of Hormuz</p><p>The tanker owned by Abu Dhabi’s state-owned oil and gas company ADNOC was attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the Emirati state-run WAM news agency said Saturday.</p><p>There were no injuries in the Friday evening attack, the agency reported. It was the third such attack on a vessel operated by ADNOC in the critical waterway in the last week. The United Arab Emirates in a statement called on Iran to stop the unprovoked strikes.</p><p>The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said a bulk carrier was struck in the hull by an unknown projectile on Friday. It was not immediately clear if it was the same vessel.</p><p>Iran asserted control over the strait after the war started on Feb. 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes. About one-fifth of the world’s traded oil and natural gas passed through the waterway at the mouth of the Persian Gulf before then.</p><p>Talks between the U.S. and Iran have stalled while Iran is in discussions with Oman about how to manage the strait that runs between them and had been considered an international waterway.</p><p>Israeli strikes kill 11 in southern Lebanon</p><p>Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon killed at least 11 people Saturday.</p><p>Lebanon’s Health Ministry and state news agency said one strike targeted a home on the edge of the village of Ansar and killed seven people, including three children, and wounded two. The second, on the village of Deir al-Zahrani, killed four and wounded 17.</p><p>Israel's military said it killed a Hezbollah battalion commander and several other militants at a headquarters in southern Lebanon in response to the group’s actions against Israeli soldiers operating there. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office in a separate statement said three soldiers were seriously injured. The military blamed an explosive drone.</p><p>The military said the commander's family was with him, and that “it should be emphasized that the family members were not the target of the strike.” Both the military and Netanyahu's office alleged the commander used the family members as human shields.</p><p>It was one of the deadliest days since the Lebanese government and Israel announced a “framework agreement” laying out a plan for Israeli forces to withdraw from southern Lebanon in exchange for Hezbollah's disarmament.</p><p>The militant group refused direct talks and was not part of the agreement.</p><p>Houthis in Yemen attack Red Sea port, killing at least 3</p><p>Yemen's military said the Houthis attacked the Red Sea port of Mokha under the control of the internationally recognized government. Port director Abdul-Malik al-Sharabi told journalists that Friday evening’s attack killed three people including two marines, and that port operations had been suspended.</p><p>Military spokesperson Col. Majed al-Nazili said in a statement that the Houthis fired six ballistic missiles.</p><p>The Houthis' attack was the latest on government-held areas and on neighboring Saudi Arabia, part of an escalation threatening to plunge Yemen back into civil war.</p><p>Analysts say the escalation reflects how Iran is scaling up pressure on the United States and its regional allies.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/IyEmD5uw-U7Grl2w-hsDbUEbv6Q=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/C4O3DD2EMVC75AQOKG7Z3GNVXQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4762" width="7143"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A man rides on his motorbike past a billboard with a message that reads in Farsi: " We must rise up" and an image of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed during the U.S. and Israel strikes on Feb. 28, in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Vahid Salemi</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/8WliBVKOJEcqZR-Jk-PnGHUNwNM=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/EMR3XGORDZBA3HSK7Y2VJDPZQY.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4000" width="6000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Rescue workers carry a plastic bag, containing the body of a person who was killed at a house that was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Deir al-Zahrani village, southern Lebanon, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Mohammed Zaatari</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/3FTZq2YDgS7WRIGK3Uygso0uENE=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/BFRT2L7K5RCXXDXET5HW42CRTY.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3333" width="5000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A man reacts on the rubble of a destroyed home that was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Ansar village, southern Lebanon, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Mohammed Zaatari</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/CIO4n6wJchZYvJs3kScUcttrqOc=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/RB3CQTUCYRGJ7GFXTNI6DLJU4I.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5408" width="8112"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A woman is silhouetted against the sun as she checks her cellphone at Islamic Revolution square in downtown Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Vahid Salemi</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Hate crime charges filed in Manhattan synagogue attack]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/national/2026/08/15/hate-crime-charges-filed-in-manhattan-synagogue-attack/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/national/2026/08/15/hate-crime-charges-filed-in-manhattan-synagogue-attack/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[The Associated Press, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[A New York City man now faces hate crime charges after barging into Shabbat services and attacking two people at a Manhattan synagogue Friday night.]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 17:20:06 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hate crime charges have been filed against a man who disrupted Shabbat services in Manhattan's Central Synagogue and struck two people while being hustled outside Friday night.</p><p>“As synagogue security was escorting him out, he struck a member of the congregation, damaged synagogue property, and then spit at and head-butted a member of the security team,” a statement from Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.</p><p>A police sergeant working as a paid security detail at the synagogue immediately took the man into custody and no one was seriously injured, Tisch said.</p><p>Larry Montes, 46, of the Bronx, faces two counts of assault as a hate crime and one count of criminal mischief as a hate crime, among other charges, Tisch said.</p><p>Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the assault during the livestreamed service “horrifying."</p><p>“Every New Yorker must be able to observe their religion without fear of violence," he posted on social media.</p><p>Gov. Kathy Hochul, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer were among those who also condemned the attack.</p><p>Additional police security was added and Shabbat services continued Saturday.</p><p>“We might want to be focusing on the beauty of our liturgy and the sanctity of Shabbat, and somehow the feeling of the imperfect and cruel world keeps flooding in,” Rabbi Rebecca Thau told congregants.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/T2U3LqlpgeDMceu14YZkCG2diU4=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/NFYGUXV3JZAFJLMCESROHLJTQM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3335" width="5000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[FILE - Central Synagogue is seen on Feb. 28, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Kena Betancur, File)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Kena Betancur</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Democrats' 2028 presidential calendar gives Black and Latino voters and union members an early say]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/politics/2026/08/15/democrats-early-2028-primary-calendar-set-to-prioritize-black-and-latino-voters-organized-labor/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/politics/2026/08/15/democrats-early-2028-primary-calendar-set-to-prioritize-black-and-latino-voters-organized-labor/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mike Catalini And Bill Barrow, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Democrats seeking the party’s presidential nomination in 2028 will need to prove themselves early on in states where Black and Latino voters and union members are key supporters.]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 04:01:10 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Democrats seeking the party's presidential nomination in 2028 will need to prove themselves early on in states where Black and Latino voters and union members are key supporters, under an <a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-presidential-nominating-calendar-2028-b3d153a33e39bd9e5ebcce3c58e9e84c">election-year calendar</a> approved Saturday. </p><p>The <a href="https://apnews.com/article/democratic-national-committee-2028-calendar-aaaa979aaeaf678f1510f06017c69c43">primary lineup</a> pushes Iowa from the traditional top spot and makes South Carolina the leadoff state, voting on Jan. 22, 2028, followed by Nevada on Feb. 1. New Hampshire, New Mexico, Michigan and Virginia round out the early states, throughout February, according to the plan endorsed by the Democratic National Committee at its meeting in Texas.</p><p>DNC Chairman Ken Martin said that to win the general election, “You have to be battle-tested in a way that you already have campaigned in front of and for the support of various communities throughout the country.” That is why the calendar designed by the party matters, he said in an interview.</p><p>Some potential candidates in what is expected to be a large field have visited early-voting states such as South Carolina. Party leaders have said the order give candidates the best shot at winning back the White House after Republican President Donald Trump's second term.</p><p>“They have to show that they can go to the South and talk to Black voters and rural voters, as well as out west, talking ranching and mining issues, to a border state, to union members,” said party strategist Karen Finney, who has worked on multiple presidential campaigns. “Whoever survives will be battle-tested.”</p><p>Former presidential candidate Howard Dean, a onetime Vermont governor, recalled his tenure as national party chairman, when Democrats solidified Nevada and South Carolina as early states behind Iowa and New Hampshire. The latest change is even better, he said. </p><p>“These states look more like the country,” as a whole, he said, “whereas Iowa and New Hampshire don’t.”</p><p>Rita Hart, chair of the Iowa Democratic Party, said bypassing her state in the early going would sideline important voter voices and give a political edge to Republicans, who are expected to keep Iowa atop their calendar.</p><p>Nonwhite voters claim top billing</p><p>As the first-in-the-South primary, South Carolina was more decisive than Iowa and New Hampshire for nominees Barack Obama in 2008, Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020. All three dominated among South Carolina’s large Black population, which can yield more than half the state’s Democratic primary electorate. </p><p>With Nevada and New Mexico following, that will require candidates to court more Latino voters early in the process.</p><p>Shifting from Iowa and New Hampshire does not mean little-known candidates cannot catch fire, as Pete Buttigieg did in Iowa and New Hampshire in 2020, when he was a 37-year-old former mayor. They just will not be able to do it with an almost entirely white audience.</p><p>“If you can’t go to every part of this country and make your case, you should not be running for president,” Finney said.</p><p>The progressive vs. establishment dynamics may shift</p><p>There is disagreement over how Democrats’ split between progressives and mainstream liberals may or may not surface in the nominating calendar. </p><p>“I think our primary voters up north are probably a little different than primary voters in South Carolina,” said Boyd Brown, a former DNC member from South Carolina. “It’s not the woke ideologies that we just can’t get away from” in other places. </p><p>Nina Smith, a former Buttigieg adviser who now works closely with progressive causes, disagreed. Smith said Black South Carolinians, especially, have gravitated to more moderate candidates – twice rejecting Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in favor of Clinton and Biden.</p><p>But, she said, “Southern Black voters are more progressive than they’re given credit for” on policy but also “realists” about what is possible. </p><p>“Living through Jim Crow and other oppressive structures will force you to be take that approach,” she said. </p><p>Smith said that with South Carolina leading off and many Southern states following on Super Tuesday soon after the early lineup concludes, progressives will have to take the time to listen and then tailor their messages.</p><p>“A lot of Black voters don’t necessarily see themselves in the ideas and arguments that progressives put forward,” she said. </p><p>Unions will get a spotlight in the early-voting states</p><p>Nevada has the service industry unions because of Las Vegas; Michigan has the auto industry and associated manufacturing support industries; Virginia is home to more federal workers than any other state. </p><p>“Labor is still so important,” Dean said. </p><p>Beyond seeking the backing of organized labor, the campaigns and the party will look to unions for help in spreading Democrats' message to voters and getting people to the polls. </p><p>More scheduling efficiency for candidates</p><p>Campaigns struggle to balance many demands such as meeting voters in person, raising money and the logistics of travel. As a result, places such as Nevada have gotten short shrift in the past because candidates, most from the eastern part of the country, have concluded the investment of time is not worth it. </p><p>An expanded calendar offers more clustering opportunities. </p><p>A swing to the West could hit two early states — Nevada and New Mexico — and include a fundraising stop in California, full of Democratic donors. A South Carolina trip could mean fundraisers and public appearances in Atlanta, Charlotte and Raleigh, both in North Carolina. Virginia offers proximity to donors and national TV studios in Washington; the same options are available by adding a New York City stop on the way to New Hampshire. </p><p>Bre Maxwell is a DNC member from South Carolina who said the state’s smaller size and lower media costs are a financial equalizer, allowing not only the best-funded candidates to have an impact.</p><p>“They can campaign from the top to the bottom in a day,” Maxwell said. </p><p>It’s about primaries, with a clear look to November</p><p>Of the six early states, all but South Carolina have been competitive in general elections. </p><p>That means that even before Super Tuesday, the Democratic candidates will have spent significant time and resources in states worth a combined 43 Electoral College votes. That is not insignificant on the way to the 270 needed to win.</p><p>Television ads and news coverage can spill over, as well. Markets targeting parts of South Carolina also reach portions of North Carolina and Georgia.</p><p>After all, Brown said, the point is to put a Democrat in the White House.</p><p>“This is not a social or a debate club. It is a political party,” he said.</p><p>___</p><p>Barrow reported from Atlanta. Associated Press writer Meg Kinnard in Columbia, S.C., contributed to this report. </p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/jasozY8WiCMcvmFpJKl6mKeo1BQ=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/33UHVLJGANAO3HJEVFWXIR7B3Y.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4000" width="6000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin speaks during a Labor Council meeting as part of the DNC Summer Meeting, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Joel Angel Juarez)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Joel Angel Juarez</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/dj7RQi9KDj9383Sb7UvCinDX0Us=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/5TXA2ZJGJRA7RIDLYTMJQK3T74.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4000" width="6000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Democratic National Committee member Donna Brazile attends a Black Caucus meeting as part of the DNC Summer Meeting, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Joel Angel Juarez)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Joel Angel Juarez</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/_Y4jPRn9Z--S1i6xC4GoQRg9I9A=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/7DSEFPMDPNDIZMNLBXOEQO6XIM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4000" width="6000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin speaks during the Black Caucus meeting as part of the DNC Summer Meeting, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Joel Angel Juarez)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Joel Angel Juarez</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Democrats disagree over abolishing or reforming ICE at DNC meeting]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/politics/2026/08/15/democrats-disagree-over-abolishing-or-reforming-ice-at-dnc-meeting/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/politics/2026/08/15/democrats-disagree-over-abolishing-or-reforming-ice-at-dnc-meeting/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mike Catalini, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Democrats have approved dueling messages on immigration enforcement, disagreeing on whether U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement should be abolished or reformed.]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 18:49:14 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Democrats on Saturday approved dueling messages on whether U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement should be abolished or reformed, reflecting sharp opposition to President <a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-ice-border-trump-mass-deportations-77ca6741fe11ac35852c8b15d3016991">Donald Trump's crackdown</a> but revealing disagreement in the party ahead of the midterms. </p><p>The Democratic National Committee, gathered for a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/dnc-2028-presidential-calendar-democrats-south-carolina-be664f26ad5652f054c7f19e483a4d63">summer meeting</a>, also signed off on a raft of policy positions, including one that calls for “concrete reforms” of ICE and another for abolishing the agency that's been at the center of several <a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-deaths-eight-houston-35b6d6f9b9715edd064009e195547b2b">fatal encounters</a>. </p><p>ICE has been at the heart of a progressive rallying cry since 2018 during the first Trump administration, and has been renewed among some in the party after two recent <a href="https://apnews.com/article/maine-ice-shooting-immigration-ice-trump-border-5662948e22014709dcef74c3a559419c">fatal shootings</a> by the agency in July. </p><p>Saturday’s vote isn't binding and doesn't set the party's platform, which will be determined at the 2028 convention, but it reflects the party's differing views on a major issue. Candidates and lawmakers will continue to determine their own positions on the issue.</p><p>Michele Johnson, a DNC member from Louisiana who proposed the measure to abolish ICE, said it's time for Democrats to take a stand and pointed to the dissolution of ICE's predecessor agency, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, as a precedent. </p><p>“I think one of the reasons why people are not trusting the party is because we sound so academic," she said. “We sound focus group tested, we sound poll tested because we’re worried about saying the wrong thing or doing the wrong thing and not just like, just stand on business, like take a position.”</p><p>Not every DNC member was convinced, though. Yvonne Reeves-Chong voted against the measure, saying it would only gain support from a part of the party's base, while drawing “fire” from another group of voters. </p><p>“I would strongly suggest we get to the business of winning races so we can make the policies that make a difference,” she said. </p><p>DNC Chairman Ken Martin, who's from Minnesota, where Renee Good and Alex Pretti were fatally shot amid the immigration crackdown earlier this year, said in an interview that the takeaway is that Democrats find the administration’s handling of immigration, including by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, unacceptable. </p><p>“Clearly, the one thing that unites Democrats, regardless of their position on reform versus abolish or whatever other ways to change what’s happening, is people believe that what ICE is doing right now — and CBP and the federal government — should stop,” he said. “There has to be a better way.”</p><p>Immigration remained a stronger issue for Trump than the economy or Iran, according to a poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research released <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-approval-rating-immigration-economy-iran-healthcare-f14da4276e2e0d5ec9b79f0d48e22788">this month</a>, even after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/border-security-ice-immigration-markwayne-mullin-trump-1c5010c3a2cf043aa9824937ef44cff2">three people were killed</a> in encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the span of under a week in July.</p><p>Overall, the survey found that only 39% of U.S. adults approve of his performance on immigration, down from 49% at the beginning of his second term.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/vYuj-t8jdnxdnaw2_jYM9SR1vTs=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/SELED7KC6JFUZG6UEMRVKAA75E.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4000" width="6000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin speaks during the Black Caucus meeting as part of the DNC Summer Meeting, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Joel Angel Juarez)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Joel Angel Juarez</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/8o2mpRv0RrgXnUk1bdGOCpPp9O8=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/4IO3VUDRRNFKRLB3OC4PXHDUDI.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4000" width="6000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin speaks during a Labor Council meeting as part of the DNC Summer Meeting, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Joel Angel Juarez)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Joel Angel Juarez</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/q_JqGeFa0SpWfhTio9sbiiV1OIk=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/H3QMTIBLJFHVTMWG5NQOSGWZFE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4000" width="6000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin attends the Black Caucus meeting as part of the DNC Summer Meeting, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Joel Angel Juarez)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Joel Angel Juarez</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Bedbugs can cause people to lose sleep — and blood. Here's what to do about them]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/health/2026/08/15/bedbugs-can-cause-people-to-lose-sleep-and-blood-heres-what-to-do-about-them/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/health/2026/08/15/bedbugs-can-cause-people-to-lose-sleep-and-blood-heres-what-to-do-about-them/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mike Stobbe, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Bedbugs are on the rise and they tend to be at their worst at this time of year.]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 13:15:09 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Bedbugs are sometimes called the vampires of the insect world — hiding during the day and coming out at night to feast on human blood. Generations of children have been told: “Sleep tight. Don’t let the bedbugs bite.”</p><p>Well, bad news: Bedbug infestations are increasing. This is the time of year when they tend to be at their worst. And some scientists think the reviled pests might be capable of spreading an antibiotic-resistant <a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-50574671b86b4a1ebca999678ab43d89">infection called MRSA</a>.</p><p>For centuries, the bugs have horrified homeowners and occasionally panicked the public. That happened in New York City in 2018, when at least a half dozen city buses were taken out of service after reports of bedbugs <a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-4f829dcd8a0e4e1ebc1cd62af1a2440f">crawling on seats</a>. It happened again in Paris in 2023, when <a href="https://apnews.com/article/france-bedbugs-olympics-7ff56cbeed2cbe83e3f623b326a08892">reports of bedbugs</a> at a movie theater, on trains and on buses popped up in the lead-up to the 2024 Olympics. </p><p>“They certainly are out there,” said Christopher Hayes, a North Carolina State University assistant professor who has been bitten by bedbugs more than 50 times in the course of research. “And if you're unaware, if you're not on top of your game, it's easy to bring them into your home."</p><p>Bedbugs really do come out at night</p><p>Bedbugs are reddish-brown bloodsuckers about the size of an apple seed. Some researchers <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(19)30477-4?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982219304774%3Fshowall%3Dtrue">estimate</a> they date back to the time of the dinosaurs, but they are best known for their unfortunate ability to live with — and prey on — humans. </p><p>They can hide in narrow crevices in furniture and lurk in clothes, linens and mattresses. They are hard to see but can be detected through the small dark excrement stains they leave. </p><p>The pests can be year-round problems but they have traditionally thrived in the summer. They tend to emerge at night, crawling onto people and using a beaklike body part to pierce human skin and suck blood for several minutes. </p><p>The bite itself is painless. Some people develop itchy red welts a day or so later, but others have no reaction. </p><p>That's a problem, because people unaware that they are repeatedly being bitten can quickly find themselves victims of an infestation.</p><p>One of the more gruesome stories about bedbugs and human health was detailed in a 2020 medical journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S088240102030930X">case report</a> from France. </p><p>It told of a 70-year-old man who lived by himself in an apartment and fainted on the street one day. He was brought to a hospital emergency department in a Paris suburb where he was diagnosed with dementia — and with anemia caused by a longstanding loss of blood. </p><p>He also had bedbugs feeding on his neck, head and shoulder. An investigation of his apartment detected thousands of them in his bed and on the floor, walls and curtains of his home.</p><p>They aren't thought to spread disease, but one experiment raises questions</p><p>Some good news about bedbugs is there hasn't been clear evidence that they have spread diseases from one person to another. The bugs' digestion and anatomy seem to prevent germs from being passed on efficiently, said Chow-Yang Lee, an entomologist at the University of California at Riverside. </p><p>But University of South Dakota researchers in 2023 published the results of <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jid/article/229/1/245/7234315?login=false">an experiment</a> — using blood capsules with an artificial skin — that demonstrated bedbugs could acquire MRSA during one feeding and spread it during a later one.</p><p>Follow-up research is needed to really prove bedbugs actually are spreading MRSA to people, said one of the study's authors, Jose Pietri, who is now at Purdue University. But “it changes the perspective of what bedbugs do, in terms of public health,” Pietri said.</p><p>Bedbugs are more resistant to pesticides</p><p>Bedbug populations in developed countries were decimated after World War II due to the widespread use of <a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-science-environment-and-nature-business-government-and-politics-4c3fb6b069e44e3421a34280268efd1d">the pesticide DDT</a>. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency banned the pesticide for most uses in 1972, citing evidence that it was harming animals and was a potential risk to people.</p><p>Bedbugs had already started to develop resistance to DDT by then, and they have only been getting stronger and more common, said Lee, noting that insecticide resistance has driven a continued resurgence in bedbugs in recent decades.</p><p>Exactly how much more common isn't clear. Pest control companies generate annual rankings of U.S. cities with the worst bedbug problems. (Orkin currently ranks Chicago at No. 1, while Terminix says Philadelphia has the biggest problem.) But those lists are based on how many calls each company receives in a year, not a rigorous survey. </p><p>Many bedbug infestations happen in low-income or public housing, which may not hire the big companies that compile those rankings, Lee said in an email.</p><p>How to protect yourself from the pests</p><p>The best thing you can do is never get them in the first place, experts say. That means not bringing them into your home.</p><p>Travelers can pick them up in hotel rooms. So before you unpack for your stay, check the room for signs of bedbugs by pulling back the covers and bedsheets to look for bugs or fecal spots. </p><p>Do not place luggage on beds or on the floor near beds, and consider placing your bags in a light-colored trash bag or even in the bathtub. When you get home, open the luggage outside and take laundry right to the washing machine and dryer.</p><p>Sometimes, bedbugs enter homes by hitching a ride on secondhand furniture or other products. Visually inspect those items and treat them before you take them into your home, Hayes advised. Some <a href="https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/bed-bugs-reduce-risk-while-thrift-shopping">experts advise</a> vacuuming, steaming or heating furniture, and quarantining it in a garage or storage unit for a few days before bringing it inside the house.</p><p>If it's clothes, wash them and put them through the dryer for an hour. Shoes or other items? Consider putting them in a freezer for a week “to make sure that everything in there that could be alive is taken care of,” Hayes said. </p><p>How to get rid of bedbugs if you have them</p><p>The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offers <a href="https://www.epa.gov/bedbugs/do-it-yourself-bed-bug-control">do-it-yourself</a> guidance for getting rid of the pests, but it's labor-intensive, involving sealing hiding spaces and treating infested items. </p><p>It also contains many warnings of what not to do. </p><p>"You can't just blast random chemicals and expect it's going to work because there's a fairly high likelihood that they'll be resistant to some of the first-line insecticides,” Pietri said.</p><p>It makes sense to hire professional exterminators who are experienced in getting rid of bedbugs, Pietri and other experts said. But it can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars.</p><p>Insecticides are not the only option. </p><p>Silica dust treatments, for example, absorb the bedbug’s body moisture, killing them. </p><p>Sustained dry heating works wonders, killing eggs as well as adult bedbugs. But it has to be at least 122 degrees (50 degrees Celsius) and can damage furniture, paintings and other personal possessions, so it must be done by professionals. </p><p>“I think the biggest piece of advice is just people shouldn't panic,” Hayes said. “They just need to take action. If you think you have bedbugs, don't wait to deal with it.”</p><p>___</p><p>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.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/ET34fMgvxOnXgS4UJkbUiG5jUdE=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/JEAKAYR5GRCQVO635SIKSOGLN4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3000" width="4500"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Assistant Professor Christopher Hayes uses the heat of his finger to stimulate a colony of bedbugs in his office at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C., on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Allen G. Breed</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/18n0uLnnHl6_ku9pqXbxBmnoBMY=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/76HB2U4F2FABNFSLGKEV2FV66I.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3000" width="4500"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[The mouth parts of hungry bedbugs protrude from a vented jar lid as Assistant Professor Christopher Hayes breathes across it in his office at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C., on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Allen G. Breed</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/SJck2fCAh8TLk6FyRzZM0WqVqMg=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/OLL5XZZPHZGFXFWVFBOFOLC72E.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4672" width="7008"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Assistant Professor Christopher Hayes uses a probe to turn over anaesthetized bedbugs in his Structural Pest Research Lab at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C., on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Allen G. Breed</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/r2EqSy08jyyTboaNixwI_Ryvc3s=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/7W25Q5VG3NAM5HVJE6E3A3HFFQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4672" width="7008"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Bedbugs crawl around in Petri dishes in Christopher Hayes's Structural Pest Research Lab at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C., on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Allen G. Breed</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/3RtWvjwDAFiBD4jA4jqFg5VC1d4=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/Q5SU6YBHY5AI5EAR3SO7BT3IBI.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4672" width="7008"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Assistant Professor Christopher Hayes checks a container filled with ants on the floor of his Structural Pest Research Lab at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C., on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Allen G. Breed</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Three-time MVP Aaron Judge plays catch for first time in rehab from broken rib, return date unclear]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/15/three-time-mvp-aaron-judge-plays-catch-for-first-time-in-rehab-from-broken-rib-return-date-unclear/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/15/three-time-mvp-aaron-judge-plays-catch-for-first-time-in-rehab-from-broken-rib-return-date-unclear/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Ian Harrison, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge played catch in New York on Friday as he continues working toward a return from a broken right rib.]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 18:26:36 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge played catch in New York on Friday as he continues working toward a return from a broken right rib.</p><p>“Just part of the ramp-up to baseball activity,” manager Aaron Boone said of Judge before Saturday’s game against the Blue Jays in Toronto. “Hopefully he’ll continue to progress through this week. We’ll see what else gets introduced.”</p><p>Judge hasn’t played since May 31, but the three-time AL MVP and eight-time All-Star has said he intends to return this season. He was cleared to begin light workout activity on Aug. 5.</p><p>Boone spoke to Judge and said the slugger responded well to throwing for the first time in his rehab. However, Boone didn’t know when Judge might be ready to rejoin the Yankees.</p><p>“We expect him back, but we’re in the early stages of baseball activity,” Boone said. “Hopefully things continue to go well.”</p><p>Judge is hitting .248 with 17 home runs, 38 RBIs and a .907 OPS. He had just one homer in his final 18 games before going on the IL.</p><p>___</p><p>
<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mlb">See AP’s full MLB coverage here</a>
</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/IFVLmYKI5n9AW7UNKWODax1d4-4=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/AXO2HO3M3ZB5JARRVJBXXW7QQE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3725" width="5588"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[New York Yankees' Aaron Judge watches from the dugout during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Yuki Iwamura</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/JieO1m4ICPTSPIsy-ccYHQS8CbY=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/ZZFPNBUWYVHDVKAGPXIVLGXFBI.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2317" width="3476"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[New York Yankees' Aaron Judge looks on in the ninth inning during the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Adam Hunger</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Bonnie Tyler fans line the streets of a Welsh village as her coffin is brought home]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/entertainment/2026/08/15/bonnie-tyler-fans-line-the-streets-of-a-welsh-village-as-her-coffin-is-brought-home/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/entertainment/2026/08/15/bonnie-tyler-fans-line-the-streets-of-a-welsh-village-as-her-coffin-is-brought-home/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Fans have gathered in a Welsh village to bid farewell to singer Bonnie Tyler.]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 15:57:10 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hundreds of fans lined the streets of a seaside Welsh village on Saturday to bid farewell to late singer <a href="https://apnews.com/article/bonnie-tyler-singer-died-11b043ebdb4fa946daa42aad804ce4a1">Bonnie Tyler</a> as her coffin was brought home.</p><p>The Grammy-nominated Welsh pop star, beloved worldwide for her 1983 chart-topping power ballad “Total Eclipse of the Heart," died last month in a hospital in Portugal. She was 75.</p><p>Tyler was hospitalized in May in Faro, where she had a home, for <a href="https://apnews.com/article/bonnie-tyler-hospitalized-surgery-coma-portugal-4eea1911d3cc43fd7ebfeb0b7f486758">emergency intestinal surgery</a>. </p><p>Locals and fans from around the United Kingdom and beyond took to the streets of Mumbles, near the city of Swansea, to see the hearse, which carried her coffin, draped in a Welsh flag. Dozens waited outside the singer's former home or left floral tributes there.</p><p>“She was always coming home and making sure that she came back to her fans in Wales," said Carys Edwards, 18. “Her songs really did touch a lot of people here in Wales; we loved her a lot."</p><p>Tyler was born Gaynor Hopkins, a coal miner’s daughter in public housing with an outside toilet in Skewen, Wales, about 7 miles (11 kilometers) outside Swansea. She grew up with three sisters and two brothers. </p><p>The singer earned three Grammy nods and in 2013 represented Britain at the Eurovision Song Contest, where she came in 19th. She was honored as a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2022 for her services to music by Queen Elizabeth II, thanks mainly to “Total Eclipse of the Heart." </p><p>The ballad shot to the top of the charts in Britain and the United States and has had more than 1 billion streams, boosted by real eclipses in 2017, 2024 — and most recently during this week's solar eclipse.</p><p>She was also known for other hits including “It's a Heartache” and “Holding Out For a Hero," from the soundtrack of the film “Footloose.”</p><p>A <a href="https://apnews.com/article/bonnie-tyler-catherine-zeta-jones-bryan-adams-c2975c99e11d91bcfcbeca1158247d1c">celebration of Tyler’s life</a> for family and friends will take place at a church in Swansea on Monday, before the singer makes a final journey through her hometown of Skewen.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/wmEtqR73XUV76XQwUrCcpUB9SQg=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/VYDAOPNN4BCC3NZ7G2FXXCPOQI.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5317" width="7976"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Fans of singer Bonnie Tyler line the streets as her coffin is transported in a hearse back to her former home ahead of her funeral, in Mumbles, Wales, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. The Total Eclipse Of The Heart musician, whose real name was Gaynor Hopkins, died in hospital in Portugal on July 8 at the age of 75. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Alastair Grant</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/9qkpKc9fDydggH3Vb9AFqHkYNs4=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/KHSQIPHA7FEHJO3IP6OUHKFDNY.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4461" width="6691"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Fans of singer Bonnie Tyler line the streets of Mumbles as they await her coffin to be transported back to her former home ahead of the funeral in Mumbles, Wales, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. The Total Eclipse Of The Heart musician, whose real name was Gaynor Hopkins, died in hospital in Portugal on July 8 at the age of 75. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Alastair Grant</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/OQcB518d30VDVrN8miyS3dawl4c=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/JNMDIQHNHFBTXDDOO66QNZEZFQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3582" width="5374"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A hearse with the coffin and a picture of singer Bonnie Tyler moves through the streets past fans ahead of her funeral in Mumbles, Wales, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Alastair Grant</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/KRpxsl_LsuG6G73zj1v1N7C2C5Q=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/W4FZIKSQOFFJHILDULZNQEIUNA.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4244" width="6366"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Fans of singer Bonnie Tyler line the streets as they await the coffin to be transported back to her former home ahead of the funeral in Mumbles, Wales, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. The Total Eclipse Of The Heart musician, whose real name was Gaynor Hopkins, died in hospital in Portugal on July 8 at the age of 75. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Alastair Grant</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Brazil's Lula triggers reciprocity process against US tariffs in effort to show strength]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/14/brazils-lula-triggers-reciprocity-process-against-us-tariffs-in-effort-to-show-strength/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/14/brazils-lula-triggers-reciprocity-process-against-us-tariffs-in-effort-to-show-strength/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mauricio Savarese, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva says his government has triggered an economic reciprocity law against U.S. tariffs.]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 14 Aug 2026 17:52:36 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Brazilian President <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/luiz-inacio-lula-da-silva">Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva</a> said Friday his government has triggered an economic reciprocity law mechanism against U.S.-imposed tariffs, saying the move was intended to show his nation must be respected.</p><p>In July, U.S. President Donald Trump <a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-brazil-trade-tariffs-99e8c52a44c75f31c343d7ebad41f614">imposed tariffs on hundreds of Brazilian exports</a>, with duties reaching up to 37.5% in some products. The Trump administration has accused Brazil of unfair trade practices, but Lula has denied the accusations, insisting they are politically motivated ahead of the October election.</p><p>Lula is seeking reelection against <a href="https://apnews.com/article/brazil-flavio-bolsonaro-presidential-candidate-convention-ed98f8ccc0ccef6c7fa3619cdf2f86d1">Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro</a>, a Trump ally who met with U.S. officials, including Trump, in Washington weeks before the administration proposed higher tariffs on Brazilian goods.</p><p>“Yesterday, we invoked the reciprocity law to show that we are not to be taken lightly," Lula said in an interview with Brazilian podcasters. “We respect ourselves. I am very calm knowing what could happen, and I am prepared to debate the defense of Brazil anywhere in the world.”</p><p>Brazil’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement late Thursday it is requesting diplomatic consultations with its U.S. counterparts on the issue, as a sign of Lula's aim “to privilege dialogue and negotiation in its international relations.”</p><p>The beginning of the proceedings does not necessarily mean Brazil will retaliate against U.S. tariffs.</p><p>“I don’t want any fight with the United States," Lula said Friday. “Unfortunately, they are spreading falsehoods."</p><p>Earlier this month, the U.S. State Department revoked the visa of Brazil’s ambassador to Washington in retaliation for <a href="https://apnews.com/article/brazil-visas-officials-election-doubts-c40be173ef908f266e5b55e8e9565cf3">Brazil’s denial of visas</a> last month for two American diplomats who sought to visit ahead of the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/brazil-lula-flavio-bolsonaro-foreign-interference-election-22cccc3135b09e2186898dd3cb394ed4">October election</a>.</p><p>The U.S. government also has accused Brazil of stalling approval of Trump’s nominee for ambassador in Brasilia, while Brazilian officials say the U.S. should have first sought the government’s approval before submitting the nomination to Congress, as diplomatic protocol requires.</p><p>Since <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/marco-rubio">U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio</a> revoked the Brazilian ambassador’s visa in response to Lula’s actions but did not order her expelled, U.S. officials have said the Trump administration does not want the dispute to escalate.</p><p>These officials, who have spoken on condition of anonymity to discuss internal administration deliberations, have said on multiple occasions that Rubio’s limited response was intentionally designed to give Lula time and space to back down.</p><p>At the same time, they have said that the U.S. will respond quickly should Lula's government choose to escalate the matter and that declaring the Brazilian ambassador “persona non grata” and expelling her from the U.S. would be a logical next step.</p><p>Lula said once again <a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-us-brazil-lula-trump-relations-10487c92b31b0712efba3275c0b7aa4a">Trump has treated him well</a>, but warned any foreign governments “who come here to meddle in the election, will lose.”</p><p>___</p><p>Associated Press writer Matthew Lee contributed from Washington.</p><p>___</p><p>Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america">https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america</a></p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/DOzXOTR0sXVgy8RNWssFrgRNj64=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/NEDRCUMJWJHLFDHMDEV6VYY4CY.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2688" width="4032"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks during a meeting with members of the Homeless Workers Movement marking its 30th anniversary in Taboao da Serra, greater Sao Paulo area, Brazil Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Andre Penner</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon kill 11 people in another test to truce]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/2026/08/15/israeli-airstrike-on-southern-lebanon-kills-7-people-lebanese-state-media-say/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/2026/08/15/israeli-airstrike-on-southern-lebanon-kills-7-people-lebanese-state-media-say/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon have killed at least 11 people, marking the deadliest attacks since a truce with Hezbollah began in June.]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 06:00:09 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon killed at least 11 people Saturday, in the deadliest attacks since a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-israel-lebanon-oil-june-19-2026-635ad6f41610df8355d24cc301a75fc4">truce</a> between Israel and <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hezbollah">Hezbollah</a> went into effect on June 20.</p><p>Lebanon's Health Ministry and state news agency said an airstrike that targeted a home on the edge of Ansar village killed seven people, including three children, and wounded two. The second, on the village of Deir al-Zahrani, killed four and wounded 17.</p><p>Israel and the Lebanese government announced a “framework agreement” on June 26, laying out a plan for Israeli forces to withdraw from southern Lebanon in exchange for the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-israel-washington-deal-hezbollah-da963d9d930698c5b62f8591af7b31ef">disarmament</a> of the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group. It envisions steps toward an eventual peace agreement between the countries, which remain technically at war nearly 80 years after Israel’s establishment.</p><p>Hezbollah has refused direct talks and wasn’t party to the deal.</p><p>Prime minister says Israeli strikes undermine efforts at stability</p><p>Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam criticized Israel's airstrikes on southern Lebanon, saying they intimidate “residents in their homes" and undermine efforts to stabilize the situation in the south.</p><p>“The seven martyrs of the Israeli airstrike on the town of Ansar are not military infrastructure and the children and women killed were not military targets,” Salam said on X. He added that it is the job of the Lebanese state to deal with any military infrastructure in the country.</p><p>President Joseph Aoun said in comments released by his office that the strikes are “a clear message to the negotiation track and to the American efforts aimed at implementing this agreement.”</p><p>Israel says it was responding to action against its soldiers</p><p>Intense Israeli airstrikes early Saturday also hit the strategic Ali Taher hill, which overlooks parts of the southern city of Nabatiyeh and main roads leading to it, NNA reported. Despite the truce, Israel’s military has continued near-daily attacks in the area north of the Litani River, with large areas to the south under Israeli military control.</p><p>The Israeli military said in a statement it struck Hezbollah infrastructure in the areas of Ali Taher and Ansar in response to an action against Israeli soldiers in the area.</p><p>The office of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hezbollah violated the ceasefire by attacking Israeli soldiers inside Lebanon, seriously wounding three. It said the military responded by striking the Hezbollah headquarters which ordered the attack, learning only later that Hezbollah “deliberately put civilians” in that military compound. Israel's military later said the soldiers were hurt by an explosive drone.</p><p>The Israeli military issued another statement later Saturday saying the strike on Ansar killed Ali Samir Al-Haj Hassan, whom it described as a battalion commander with Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force unit. The military said Haj Hassan’s family was with him and was harmed, but emphasized that the family was not targeted.</p><p>Hezbollah refuses to disarm</p><p>Hezbollah supporters posted photographs on social media of the commander, his wife, three sons and one daughter and said they were all killed in the strike.</p><p>A Hezbollah official did not immediately respond when asked for comment on whether they carried out any attacks on Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.</p><p>Hezbollah called on the Lebanese state to find ways to halt “this aggression” rather than pursuing U.S.-sponsored direct talks with Israel, arguing that would be “free gifts for the enemy despite the crimes and aggression it is carrying out.”</p><p>“The American side is a partner of the Israeli enemy in its crimes and massacres,” Hezbollah added in the statement.</p><p>Earlier this month, two Israeli soldiers <a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-lebanon-hezbollah-truce-soldiers-c94313277641ce409718d0a2e7ae2cd2">were killed</a> in an explosion in southern Lebanon, the first Israeli deaths since the truce. Hezbollah has not commented on the blast.</p><p>Lebanon and Israel have held seven rounds of talks; the most recent took place in Rome earlier this month.</p><p>The Iran-backed Hezbollah has refused to disarm and accuses the Lebanese government of making too many concessions without guaranteeing an Israeli withdrawal.</p><p>The latest Israel-Hezbollah war erupted on March 2, when Hezbollah fired rockets across the border two days after the U.S. and Israel launched their attacks on Iran. More than 4,000 people have been killed by Israeli strikes in Lebanon since then, including hundreds of civilians. About 40 soldiers and three civilians — including a military contractor — have been killed on the Israeli side.</p><p>___</p><p>Associated Press writer Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/XDQ4AyLm-eVC-0PZoKHsMihAleQ=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/S2MK4KPVTZDXVDNHHPDYHMPBGY.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4000" width="6000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Rescue workers carry a plastic bag, containing the body of a person who was killed at a house that was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Deir al-Zahrani village, southern Lebanon, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Mohammed Zaatari</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/jJ9Cy1yXffL6SqaptN_4LeJgsHg=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/VYITUQIRNBFEJOGV66MYYLV4XE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3333" width="5000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A man reacts on the rubble of a destroyed home that was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Ansar village, southern Lebanon, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Mohammed Zaatari</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/fzAc22PdUg7v5wUM5wa-ERPb2r0=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/PHX7ICO74BCMNJRDITI5YHRSIY.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4000" width="6000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A man checks his damaged bedroom near the site where an Israeli airstrike hit and destroyed a house in Ansar village, southern Lebanon, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Mohammed Zaatari</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/_YVx66UmwFkZ8QV_9CBmA4XgPdw=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/JV4J7B44QFAM3OPUTGJFFFRSLU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3333" width="5000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[People check a destroyed home that was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Ansar village, southern Lebanon, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Mohammed Zaatari</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/hjgPDLpzHmBccgn7avoT_pjxUDw=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/5GH2HKBDGNASFHQWHPJLSFDLVQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4000" width="6000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[People and rescue workers gather on a destroyed house that was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Deir al-Zahrani village, southern Lebanon, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Mohammed Zaatari</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Teen says ‘tighten up’ before shooting man in the leg in Durkeeville neighborhood: JSO ]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2026/08/15/teen-says-tighten-up-before-shooting-man-in-the-leg-in-durkeeville-neighborhood-jso/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2026/08/15/teen-says-tighten-up-before-shooting-man-in-the-leg-in-durkeeville-neighborhood-jso/</guid><description><![CDATA[A Jacksonville man was shot in the leg early Saturday morning in what investigators believe to be an isolated incident.]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 17:37:14 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A Jacksonville man is expected to recover after he was shot in the leg early Saturday morning.</p><p>At approximately 6:30 a.m., Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office officers responded to the 1300 block of Barnett Street in the Durkeeville neighborhood after reports of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers found a man in his early 30s who was shot in the leg.</p><p>The victim was transported by Jacksonville Fire and Rescue to a local hospital. His injuries are considered non-life-threatening.</p><h3><b>What happened</b></h3><p>According to a preliminary investigation, the victim was walking to a nearby convenience store when he was approached by an unknown teen. The victim told detectives the suspect said, “tighten up,” before opening fire.</p><p>The suspect then ran off. </p><p>He was described as a boy approximately 16 years old, with a thin build.</p><h3><b>Investigation underway</b></h3><p>Crime Scene detectives were processing the scene for evidence since it happened. JSO said detectives with the Robbery and Violent Crime Unit are interviewing witnesses, canvassing for surveillance video and following up on investigative leads.</p><p>The victim is cooperating with investigators, according to JSO. Detectives and officers are also conducting a thorough canvass of the area to determine whether any nearby businesses or residences were struck by gunfire. No shell casings have been located at this time, JSO said. </p><p>Investigators believe the shooting to be an isolated incident, though JSO encourages anyone who feels unsafe to contact the agency.</p><h3><b>How to help</b></h3><p>Anyone with information related to this incident is encouraged to contact JSO at 904-630-0500 or email&nbsp;<a href="mailto:JSOCRIMETIPS@JAXSHERIFF.ORG" target="_blank" rel="">JSOCRIMETIPS@JAXSHERIFF.ORG</a>. Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/tWYKw69cDtiSMVPf5f4NIBQLpgQ=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/BJAHOLDSMVD7HJG2NR2IFIAJWM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="720" width="1280"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[JSO generic]]></media:description></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[WNBA icons say the discourse and scrutiny around the league are part of the growing pains of success]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/15/wnba-icons-say-the-discourse-and-scrutiny-around-the-league-are-part-of-the-growing-pains-of-success/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/08/15/wnba-icons-say-the-discourse-and-scrutiny-around-the-league-are-part-of-the-growing-pains-of-success/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Doug Feinberg, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[During Hall of Fame weekend, nearly everyone would like the attention to be on basketball, but it's difficult to ignore the conversations that are swirling around the WNBA — especially with some of the league's greatest icons being enshrined.]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 15:46:37 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>During this <a href="https://apnews.com/article/naismith-parker-delle-donne-stlaey-8d6fb04a578976172a7547a88e7a26bc">Hall of Fame weekend</a>, nearly everyone would like the attention to be on basketball, but it's difficult to ignore the conversations that are swirling around the WNBA — especially with some of the league's greatest icons being enshrined.</p><p>The <a href="https://apnews.com/article/wnba-allstar-race-caitlin-clark-angel-reese-df5ab15ce147704b31aa5880226c402f">ongoing vitriol</a> centered around race, gender and sexuality makes for daily headlines. They are part of an undertone to fouls and physicality that have come with the evolution of women's skills, all of which overshadow the impressive play that can be seen during the WNBA’s 30th year.</p><p>Hall of Famer Dawn Staley, who is getting inducted again Saturday with the 1996 Olympic women’s basketball team, sees a positive side to the negativity. Staley said there are similar parallels between what the WNBA is going through and what the NBA went through in the early stages of its growth.</p><p>“All the big pieces and all the things that are happening from a racial standpoint, from an officiating standpoint are great. They’re great because the NBA went through it — the NBA went through all of it,” she said. “So this is just badges of honor. Will we get through it? We will get through it.”</p><p>What the NBA had to deal with was who could play in the league. It was an all-white league when it was launched and there was resistance to integration. The WNBA has been hit lately with a narrative on <a href="https://apnews.com/article/wnba-transgender-task-force-99e137102826677747da7986025c8b69">whether transgender women</a> — people assigned male at birth who transition to align with their gender identity — should be allowed to play in the league. There has never been one.</p><p>There have been players in the league who were assigned female at birth and later came out as transgender or nonbinary.</p><p>Polarizing views have become a major topic of conversation.</p><p>WNBA players’ union president Nneka Ogwumike said she feels awful for the transgender fans who have supported the league for so many years.</p><p>“It really breaks my heart to think about how these conversations may be affecting people who have supported us for so long,” she said.</p><p>Using women's sports to make a point</p><p>WNBA players have used their platform to engage in social and political discussions, but Ogwumike believes there is an underlying agenda to the off-court questions players are constantly being asked about.</p><p>“It’s super unfortunate because we’re now in a time where I think there’s a lot of different agendas that are being used for something perhaps bigger and broader that people can’t see now that they’re using women’s sports for,” Ogwumike said. “It’s very concerning, but what I really do hate is that we are using a very nuanced conversation — and evolving conversation — to continue to marginalize these groups that we advocate for.”</p><p>Ogwumike understands the tough balance that’s going on with the news media and on social media.</p><p>"Even something as simple as you guys asking actual basketball questions. I think it’s very helpful,” she said. “I think it’s a very delicate line for me because it’s like, OK, you know, we want to act like your job is to cover this game, you know, and our job as athletes is to play it and to also give you what we can. But then it’s also like do I want to seem insensitive by not talking about the things that are going on?”</p><p>Staley agrees that it's unfortunate that all the great things happening on the court are put on the backburner in discussions.</p><p>“It’s an incredible product that we’re missing out on because we got distractions every time,” she said. “There’s something great happening, there are always distractions placed in your life, but you got to be able to handle them.”</p><p>Vitriol not new and now can't be ignored</p><p>There are so many more eyeballs on the WNBA now, with viewership 17% higher than last season’s record-setting year. Attendance is also strong again this season. Not all attention is good, though.</p><p>As the league continues to grow in popularity, social media attacks directed at players have skyrocketed and betting on the sport also has increased.</p><p>“I think it was more swept under the rug in the past, but now it’s not because you can’t,” Hall of Fame inductee Candace Parker said of the personal and threatening comments directed at players. “We can’t tell every player to just deal with it. That’s not how it works. I know I’m proud that some people think that they’re anonymous when they make comments online and they’re finding out that they’re not. There are going to be repercussions.</p><p>“Unfortunately, that’s the climate in our country right now, to be honest with you. And I think women always feel it more and it’s always been that way, from top to bottom.”</p><p>Chamique Holdsclaw said she had disagreements with teammates during her WNBA days from 1999-2010, but those were kept in the locker room and not brought out on social media, which was in its infancy.</p><p>“I’ve had teammates that I may not agree with their politics or beliefs," Holdsclaw said, "but we all know that as long as the locker room is good, we’re good.”</p><p>There isn't much kept in the locker room in today's WNBA, or any sports league, and leagues are coping with the repercussions of those public discussions.</p><p>___</p><p>
<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball">See AP’s full WNBA coverage here</a>
</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/WprS7dTXYrrdgB-FuFDxge2v5t4=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/GUZ3A5T2MRHVFHKKGD55RKNDJI.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="1660" width="2490"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[FILE - Coach Dawn Staley talks with players and assistant coaches during a practice for the U.S. women's basketball team in Seattle on April 24, 2018. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Elaine Thompson</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/784bWrBUQm6fX6iMfwFUdp3H1dQ=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/YPHZJ3HHWBCFXH3CYU2R4D47I4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2000" width="3000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[FILE - Los Angeles Sparks' Candace Parker, right, blocks a shot by New York Liberty's Epiphanny Prince during the second half of a WNBA basketball game, Aug. 4, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Jae C. Hong</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Heat alerts are in effect this weekend as temperatures near 100 degrees]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/weather/2026/08/15/heat-alerts-are-in-effect-this-weekend-as-temperatures-near-100-degrees/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/weather/2026/08/15/heat-alerts-are-in-effect-this-weekend-as-temperatures-near-100-degrees/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Chris Holtzman]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[It will be hot today with highs in the mid to upper 90s. Heat alerts are in effect once again today due to heat index values approaching if not exceeding 108 degrees]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 14:58:15 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It will be hot today with highs in the mid to upper 90s.</p><p>Heat alerts are in effect once again due to heat index values approaching if not exceeding 108 degrees. A HEAT ADVISORY is in effect for the areas in orange and an EXTREME HEAT WARNING is in effect for the areas in purple. </p><p>The areas in purple have the best chance of seeing the heat index approach 115 degrees. </p><figure><img src="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/ahdP5c-oav4N5Wu-T2nZFlhVO1I=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/NJK5G7GCDVG6BCJPBJNCOEAXIY.png" alt="Showers and storms will develop this afternoon and evening." height="902" width="1528"/><figcaption>Showers and storms will develop this afternoon and evening.</figcaption></figure><p>Showers and storms are possible today, but activity won’t be widespread enough to provide relief from the heat for everyone. Activity will be isolated in nature and not everyone will see a storm. </p><p>Isolated instances of flooding will be possible, especially for areas that see several rounds of showers and storms. </p><p>Tonight will be mostly cloudy and warm with temperatures in the 70s. </p><figure><img src="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/4SH8-lvp2Dy-Ff_rm-PbXCmGkwo=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/AAS7VZF5XFC7VGI3YGW4XMI7OE.png" alt="Sunday's forecast." height="900" width="1537"/><figcaption>Sunday's forecast.</figcaption></figure><p>Sunday will feature a mix of sun and clouds with highs in the low to mid 90s. Isolated showers and storms will develop in the afternoon and evening. Heat alerts will likely go back into effect during the day due to the heat index approaching if not exceeding 108 degrees. </p><p>A large area of high pressure will keep the heat in the forecast across the southeast with daytime highs in the mid to upper 90s and the heat index around or above 108 degrees. </p><figure><img src="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/nj2oeCglamtBrl5hfmKORUtFoOI=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/D4H5Z6E4INGL7JEXNCP2RNVWVU.png" alt="High pressure will keep the excessive heat overhead through next week." height="919" width="1570"/><figcaption>High pressure will keep the excessive heat overhead through next week.</figcaption></figure><p>Additional heat alerts are likely as we head into next week. </p><figure><img src="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/ZZTWVKBr7DDl2Uixh8_FwfpWTFU=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/DL7J5Y5E4RAQPBAEODMIQJSIEU.png" alt="The latest drought monitor." height="895" width="1522"/><figcaption>The latest drought monitor.</figcaption></figure><p>Regarding the drought, the latest drought monitor reflects improvement across our area. Several areas have been downgraded to a moderate drought which reflects the rainfall we saw over the past week. </p><p>While we are still in a deficit, rainfall will once again lead to more improvement in the next outlook.</p><p>TODAY: Sun &amp; Clouds. Isolated Rain &amp; Storms. Hot. High 96, Low 76.</p><p>TONIGHT: Partly Cloudy. An Isolated Storm Early. Low 76.</p><p>SUNDAY: Sun &amp; Clouds. Isolated Rain &amp; Storms. Hot. High 96, Low 77.</p><p>MONDAY: Sun &amp; Clouds. Isolated Rain &amp; Storms. Hot. High 97, Low 78.</p><p>TUESDAY: Sun &amp; Clouds. Isolated Rain &amp; Storms. Hot. High 97, Low 78.</p><p>WEDNESDAY: Sun &amp; Clouds. Scattered Rain &amp; Storms. Hot. High 97, Low 77.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/TUaDVArJ_4z8f6yHBKvV1_gCIfo=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/2KWMVDVMUJGA7OJAGXHHMBYUSU.png" type="image/png" height="920" width="1542"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Heat alerts are in effect.]]></media:description></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Magnitude 7.7 earthquake strikes off Indonesia's coast, killing at least 47 and toppling buildings]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/14/magnitude-77-earthquake-strikes-off-indonesias-coast-toppling-buildings-and-killing-at-least-2/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/14/magnitude-77-earthquake-strikes-off-indonesias-coast-toppling-buildings-and-killing-at-least-2/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Yacob Herin, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake has struck off Indonesia's coast, killing at least 47 people and causing widespread panic.]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 14 Aug 2026 22:53:00 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia early Saturday, killing at least 47 people, collapsing buildings and causing panic in a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/indonesia-earthquake-palu-sulawesi-8f73f7a60b323b23015a632e4697d913">region prone to deadly quakes</a>. Authorities said dozens more residents were injured and warned that the death toll would almost certainly rise.</p><p>Authorities issued a tsunami warning and urged coastal residents to move to higher ground, but later lifted the warning when Indonesia’s meteorological agency said monitoring showed no significant sea-level changes that posed a threat to coastal communities. Some smaller tsunamis were reported.</p><p>The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake hit eastern Indonesia's Flores region at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles) at 5:58 a.m. local time. Its epicenter was 68 km (42 miles) north-northwest of the city of Ende in East Nusa Tenggara province.</p><p>The quake triggers landslides and generates small tsunamis</p><p>The meteorological agency said the quake was followed by at least 235 aftershocks, with the largest recorded at magnitude 6.2.</p><p>The agency's sea-level monitoring stations acknowledged some small tsunamis reached coastal villages in Manggarai and East Manggarai regencies. Videos obtained by The Associated Press showed the coastal village of Riung in Ngada regency blanketed in mud and debris after what the agency described as a 1.61-meter (5.3 feet) tsunami. Fishing boats were stranded ashore, infrastructure damaged, and homes surrounded by sediment left by receding waters. </p><p>Waves measuring 0.94 meters (3.1 feet) were observed in Maurole, Ende Regency.</p><p>Tsunami waves exceeding 0.5 meters (1.6 feet) were detected in Bulukumba, South Sulawesi, and Sape in Bima Regency.</p><p>A strong, land-based earthquake of 6.9 magnitude hit North Sumatra province in western Indonesia on Saturday afternoon, according to the USGS. It struck 172.5 kilometers (107 miles) beneath the earth’s surface, meaning it was too deep to cause significant damage or casualties, Indonesian authorities said.</p><p>The quake has caused buildings to collapse </p><p>East Nusa Tenggara Police Chief Rudi Darmoko said power outages hampered the spread of information about the impact of the earthquake in cities and villages, complicating search and rescue efforts.</p><p>“We are continuing to collect reports of damage and casualties, but there are communication disruptions,” Darmoko said. He said quake-triggered landslides in Ende regency blocked the Trans-Flores highway, a roughly 700-kilometer (435-mile) paved mountain road spanning Flores Island, from Labuan Bajo to Larantuka.</p><p>The head of the National Disaster Management Agency, Suharyanto, said rescuers have recovered at least 47 bodies, mostly in Sikka, Manggarai and East Manggarai, and at least 50 people were taken to hospitals. </p><p>Suharyanto, who like many Indonesians uses a single name, said the quake flattened at least 157 houses and damaged nearly 200 more, forcing about 2,000 villagers to abandon their homes and move to temporary shelters. The powerful temblor also destroyed more than 100 public facilities, including schools, medical centers and churches.</p><p>The death toll could rise because landslides triggered by the earthquake buried or cut off many remote villages across six regencies on Flores Island, said Fathur Rahman, who heads the Search and Rescue Office in Maumere, the capital of Sikka.</p><p>Some remote villages are completely buried, he said, and damaged infrastructure and a lack of heavy equipment were hindering rescue efforts.</p><p>Authorities deployed three helicopters and a rescue vessel to support logistics and emergency response operations, including potential evacuations. East Nusa Tenggara consists of numerous islands and presents significant transportation and access challenges.</p><p>Residents ran for their lives when the quake struck</p><p>The quake was felt across much of Flores island with initial reports indicating heavy damage. </p><p>Yohanna Embu, who lives in Sikka, said people ran in a panic to higher ground.</p><p>“Many buildings here were damaged ... I saw that the waiting room at the port terminal in Maumere had collapsed,” she said.</p><p>Students at St. Peter Major Seminary in Sikka who were attending morning Mass fled when the roof of an assembly hall collapsed, said the Rev. Guidelbertus Tanga, rector of the seminary, known locally as Ritapiret Seminary on the predominantly Catholic island of Flores.</p><p>“Our students and nuns ran out in panic beneath a collapsing roof,” Tanga said. “At least one priest suffered a broken leg after jumping from the second floor of a building during the quake.” </p><p>The quake also struck Labuan Bajo, a gateway town to eastern Indonesia’s <a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-travel-lifestyle-6d79e594949a3d24a3a5fbe2cf216246">Komodo National Park</a>, one of the country’s best-known attractions. Damage was reported in Bima, a city in neighboring West Nusa Tenggara province, and in parts of southern Sulawesi island.</p><p>Indonesian authorities initially issued a tsunami warning for parts of East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi and Southeast Sulawesi provinces, and urged residents to stay away from beaches and riverbanks. The agency located the shallow undersea quake near Flores island.</p><p>Indonesia, a vast archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, <a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-817f8e87e3504e50b5be551aa0288b12">is prone to earthquakes</a> and volcanic activity because of its location on the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin.</p><p>Most notably, a powerful earthquake caused a tsunami in 1992 that killed about 2,500 people on Flores, part of a group of islands in the eastern half of Indonesia, while in 2018, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ea8abae3df1042feb8008d49250a4bd2">a magnitude 7.5 quake spawned</a> a large localized tsunami that wiped out coastal areas, killing more than 4,400 people.</p><p>In December 2004, a massive magnitude 9.1 earthquake off Sumatra in western Indonesia triggered <a href="https://apnews.com/article/indonesia-aceh-tsunami-anniversary-489f23bd172fa4c01323567eb4ac842f">a tsunami that killed 230,000 people</a> in a dozen countries.</p><p>___</p><p>Associated Press writers Niniek Karmini and Edna Tarigan in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report.</p><p>___</p><p>This story has been corrected to show Ngada is a regency, not a village.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/hdJdvQ4OWXm4UxzCycJZ-maGFEQ=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/SNLAKFI2D5AU3MV53H4S5MAR4U.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="1067" width="1600"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[In this photo released by the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS), rescuers attempt to clear debris at building damaged by an earthquake in Maumere, East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (BASARNAS via AP)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Basarnas</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/whaUrIrUISNxV-eZ3xIlWolK-us=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/STND6FVCUBFDHBFKAW6XX6FKNM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="853" width="1280"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A man examines the damage to a building following an earthquake in East Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Kurniawan)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Kurniawan</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/_Ojj3Iwb4NHKfblQPSAYnDuJFf8=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/XQFXI5BUJZEARJ3FXPKVM6VH5M.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="853" width="1280"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[A building is seen damaged following an earthquake in East Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Kurniawan)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Kurniawan</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/97m65ga0ls31v7pMFNOuLhbBsOw=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/LE4T64G22BGU7P2456SQGPGK7Y.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="1067" width="1600"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[In this photo released by the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS), rescuers inspect a damaged building following an earthquake in Maumere, East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (BASARNAS via AP)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Basarnas</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/FLM_5N3ftzxwVYPSpxi9AicYNgs=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/RJXVH75FKNFYLKWYVLZRDL5A74.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="815" width="1223"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[People evacuate to higher ground following an earthquake in East Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Muhammad Nur)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Muhammad Nur</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Takaichi skips controversial shrine visit on 81st anniversary of country's World War II surrender]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/14/japans-defense-minister-koizumi-prays-at-shrine-seen-by-neighbors-as-symbol-of-japanese-militarism/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/14/japans-defense-minister-koizumi-prays-at-shrine-seen-by-neighbors-as-symbol-of-japanese-militarism/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stayed away from Tokyo's controversial Yasukuni Shrine on Saturday.]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 14 Aug 2026 22:54:21 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Japanese Prime Minister <a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-election-takaichi-1df9580c5a018b28965cbed99565b4b7">Sanae Takaichi</a> stayed away from Tokyo's controversial <a href="https://apnews.com/article/yasukuni-shrine-explainer-japan-wwii-shinto-bc5b7259896e25c176c8b7a58bd92f12">Yasukuni Shrine</a> on Saturday, apparently seeking to avoid further strains in relations with China and South Korea as Japan marked the 81st anniversary of its World War II surrender.</p><p>Takaichi, however, did not mention her country’s wartime past in Asia or express remorse for it in a speech at the ceremony, and the defense minister and other political representatives visited the shrine.</p><p>The Yasukuni Shrine, which commemorates over 2.4 million people who died in wars, became controversial after enshrining 14 convicted World War II Japanese war criminals. China and South Korea say visits by Japanese officials to the shrine show a lack of remorse over Japan's wartime atrocities.</p><p>Japan invaded and occupied large parts of Asia before and during World War II, committing atrocities that included mass killings, forced labor and the sexual enslavement of women. Millions died during Japan's wars and colonial rule.</p><p>Japan has embraced a pacifist ethos in the decades since its defeat. But memories of Japan's colonial rule and atrocities still run deep, and leaders and the public in China and South Korea closely watch how Japanese leaders confront the country’s past.</p><p>Japan's leaders say they uphold their commitment to peace</p><p>Takaichi mourned the victims of major devastation in <a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-hiroshima-nagasaki-us-atomic-bomb-survivor-745423c3ec22887a07665827fcf776ed">Hiroshima</a>, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-nagasaki-us-atomic-bomb-takaichi-security-797n54e6066008e68c22681128c3c8068">Nagasaki</a> and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-okinawa-ww2-remains-us-military-b57be5cb4ff38888fe03f8e98213f7fe">Okinawa</a>, as well as those who perished in overseas battlefronts, and thanked them for their sacrifice as the “foundation of Japan's peace and prosperity today.” </p><p>“Japan, since the end of the war, has consistently contributed to global peace and prosperity. We will never let the tragedy of the war be repeated,” she said in her address at Nippon Budokan, located a short walk away from Yasukuni. </p><p>Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, three other Cabinet ministers and three executives from Takaichi’s governing Liberal Democratic Party visited the shrine earlier Saturday. A nonpartisan group of dozens of lawmakers also prayed there. </p><p>The secretary general of Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party, Shunichi Suzuki, said he prayed at Yasukuni on behalf of Takaichi and brought cash offerings that Takaichi made as party leader. He did not disclose the amount.</p><p>“I renewed my war-renouncing resolve and will continue to fulfill Japan’s postwar responsibility as a peace-loving nation," Koizumi, who has regularly visited the shrine, said on X after his visit Saturday. He is the son of a popular former prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi, who enraged China with a visit to Yasukuni on Aug. 15, 2006. </p><p>China and South Korea protest shrine visits</p><p>China’s Foreign Ministry protested the visits, saying the Japanese politicians’ true intentions were to “change the verdict on the war criminals, cover up Japan’s war crimes, distort the historical facts and pave the way for accelerating militarization.” </p><p>It urged Japan to do “serious soul searching” on history and make a clean break with militarism.</p><p>Tensions between Japan and China <a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-china-taiwan-emergency-takaichi-0cefc2b4e4f1cda16a4c8bfef033be2d">escalated in November</a> when Takaichi said a Chinese attack on Taiwan could constitute “a survival-threatening situation” for Japan requiring the use of force. The comments enraged Beijing.</p><p>South Korea's foreign ministry also criticized the Japanese politicians' visits and offerings as “an anachronistic act that disregards history." The ministry urged Japan to face its history and demonstrate remorse.</p><p>South Korean President Lee Jae Myung struck a different tone in a speech Saturday marking the 81st anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule. He stressed that his administration favors “pragmatic diplomacy." </p><p>“Korea-Japan cooperation is now more important than ever," he said.</p><p>Japanese emperors have shunned the shrine</p><p>Japanese emperors have shunned Yasukuni since its 1978 inclusion of war criminals as “martyrs,” and have expressed regrets over Japan’s wartime past, though in a nuanced way.</p><p>Emperor <a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-china-world-war-anniversary-80-years-83b0bddf72a6de4700375cb7586f921d">Naruhito</a>, in an address Saturday at the ceremony, said he hopes the ravages of war will never be repeated while “reflecting on our past and bearing in mind the feelings of deep remorse.” </p><p>Addressing concerns of fading memories of wartime history, Naruhito said he hoped the memories of the suffering during and after the war will be passed down to younger generations. </p><p>Pushback against remembering Japan's wartime history</p><p>Takaichi has resisted acknowledging Japan's wartime aggression. She has denied that coercion was used against Korean laborers and that women were held as sex slaves for Japanese troops. She was previously part of a campaign to remove references to wartime sexual slavery, known as “comfort women,” from school textbooks.</p><p>She has said she is from a postwar generation that bears no responsibility for Japan's past actions and has no intention of apologizing.</p><p>The country has faced <a href="https://apnews.com/international-news-general-news-e6e84123990e4f34804a3e04b597ceef">revisionist pushback</a> since the 2010s under nationalistic former Prime Minister <a href="https://apnews.com/article/shinzo-abe-obituary-de5d5c3a798e1ac4fde4073763cf76df">Shinzo Abe</a>. Takaichi says Abe is her political mentor. </p><p>Since 2013, Japanese prime ministers have stopped <a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-73d0fa8f6f7e446e9e05d0b1d68b8f36">apologizing to Asian victims</a> for wartime atrocities, under a precedent set by Abe.</p><p>People at Yasukuni remember relatives lost in the war</p><p>Descendants of the war dead also gathered at Yasukuni early Saturday to honor their fallen ancestors.</p><p>Mariko Shinoda, 56, whose grandfather died as a Kamikaze pilot, said she visited Yasukuni with her mother as a child every year on Aug. 15. Kamikaze pilots departed on their one-way missions saying, “Let’s meet at Yasukuni,” her mother told her. </p><p>“To me, Yasukuni is where every spirit gathers, and that’s where you get to see them on Aug. 15,” Shinoda said.</p><p>___</p><p>Associated Press writers Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea, and Kanis Leung in Hong Kong contributed to this report.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/hQecbDm_MpfPANlE3aoJKXlkYJQ=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/7DZTAEQXPNHARMMQ3UDLEZ7B4U.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="5760" width="8640"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Visitors observe a moment of silence at Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japan's war dead, including convicted war criminals, as the country marks the 81st anniversary of the end of World War II Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Eugene Hoshiko</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/PYDgxsmrFpmGlzpzGZHl9hYA4aw=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/FVN7WLTQXVFKRALNH4UG25X3FM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3654" width="5480"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Visitors carry Japanese flags and a rising sun flag at Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japan's war dead, including convicted war criminals, as the country marks the 81st anniversary of the end of World War II Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Eugene Hoshiko</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[While Taliban leaders mark 5 years in power in Afghanistan, a UN official warns of a rights crisis]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/15/while-taliban-leaders-mark-5-years-in-power-in-afghanistan-a-un-official-warns-of-a-rights-crisis/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/08/15/while-taliban-leaders-mark-5-years-in-power-in-afghanistan-a-un-official-warns-of-a-rights-crisis/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Abdul Qahar Afghan And Suzan Fraser, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Taliban rulers have celebrated the fifth anniversary of their return to power in Afghanistan.]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 09:38:49 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Taliban rulers and other officials gathered at Afghanistan’s traditional Loya Jirga assembly hall on Saturday to celebrate the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-taliban-5year-anniversary-6179bb5805731f0c2b6b5b59ea322b6c">fifth anniversary of their return to power</a>, touting what they described as restored stability and an end to decades of conflict. </p><p>A top United Nations official, however, warned of a grave human rights crisis in Afghanistan, where girls over age 12 are <a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-taliban-education-bans-impact-women-girls-234167e546b632c73ec47469e80cfcf4">barred from attending school</a>.</p><p>The <a href="https://apnews.com/article/taliban-takeover-afghanistan-what-to-know-1a74c9cd866866f196c478aba21b60b6">Taliban seized power on Aug. 15, 2021</a>, as the U.S. and other NATO troops withdrew following a costly two-decade war. The U.S. withdrawal led to chaos at Kabul airport as crowds of people tried to flee the country in desperation.</p><p>Soon after taking power, the Taliban administration imposed a ban on girls’ education beyond the sixth grade and later banned higher education for women, despite having pledged before the takeover that women would be allowed access to education, employment and public participation.</p><p>Women have also been banned from public spaces such as gyms and parks, from taking part in sports and traveling to distant locations without a male guardian.</p><p>Taliban hails ‘liberation’ from American forces</p><p>At the Loya Jirga, high-ranking officials were joined by some foreign representatives and thousands of ordinary citizens for speeches marking what they said was Afghanistan's liberation from American forces. </p><p>“We pray to Almighty God to forever protect our homeland from occupation, aggression, wars, and insecurity, and to enable our people to enjoy peace, tranquility, and prosperity under the auspices of the Sharia-based government,” the Taliban government’s deputy spokesman, Hamdullah Fitrat, said during the ceremony. </p><p>Abdul Salam Hanafi, the deputy prime minister in charge of administrative affairs, said the Taliban rule ended an era of external interventions and internal strife in Afghanistan “over the past half-century,” restoring security.</p><p>“At least 300 Afghan youth were martyred or killed every day,” Hanafi said. “Three hundred sisters would become widows, several children would become orphans and 300 mothers would be grieving. Praise be to God, with the rule of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, this tragedy was removed from the Afghan nation.”</p><p>There were no women present at the ceremony.</p><p>Top Taliban official calls for more international engagement </p><p>Five years on, the Taliban government remains isolated internationally, with Russia being the only country to have recognized it formally.</p><p>Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said countries that have engaged with the administration have gained from doing so and called on others that have not established contacts to reconsider their approach.</p><p>“They should move towards a policy of engagement and mutual interaction,” he said.</p><p>Celebrations held under tight security</p><p>In Kabul, Afghans took to the squares carrying Taliban flags and chanting slogans in support of the government. Convoys of vehicles wound their way through the city, causing traffic jams. </p><p>Security was tight, with a heavy Taliban security force presence and several checkpoints on a main road leading to the Loya Jirga. </p><p><a href="https://apnews.com/photo-gallery/afghanistan-taliban-anniversary-photos-e1c8bfecd5fa9b5f2b664d3785474945">Celebrations</a> were also held in provinces across Afghanistan, where Taliban flags and posters emblazoned with slogans in praise of the Taliban’s return to power were displayed along major roads and marketplaces.</p><p>UN warns of worsening human rights crisis</p><p>In a video message, Richard Bennett, the U.N. special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Afghanistan, said the country was undergoing <a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-advocacy-group-reports-rights-workers-detained-c95c3da88414496e255211b5dd1f785a">a deep human rights crisis</a>.</p><p>“While the era of war has ended, it’s questionable whether there’s real peace, and the human rights situation has steadily deteriorated, most dramatically for women and girls,” Bennett said. “My mandate has concluded that this system amounts to the crime against humanity of gender persecution.”</p><p>“The crisis extends well beyond gender discrimination, even beyond gender apartheid,” he continued, noting that the U.N. continues to document arbitrary arrests, torture, extrajudicial killings and persecution of minorities in Afghanistan.</p><p>Bennett warned the international community against “normalizing” the Taliban’s policies, saying it would legitimize the discrimination and tell “victims their suffering is negotiable.”</p><p>In an interview with The Associated Press earlier this week, Molvi Hayatullah Mahajar Farahi, deputy minister in the Taliban government for broadcasting at the Ministry of Information and Culture, said despite “challenges and difficulties” the administration has in the past five years delivered security and infrastructure and created jobs.</p><p>2.4 million girls excluded from secondary education</p><p>Farahi, when asked, did not address the issue of the education of girls and women but said “the level of investment made in universities surpasses anything seen in the past."</p><p>The U.N. agency on education and culture, UNESCO, estimates that some <a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-girls-excluded-secondary-education-taliban-618c7f5c7659d43ede2a3f71a7cf845f">2.4 million girls</a> have been excluded from secondary education. The U.N. World Food Program said child malnutrition has reached critical levels in a third of Afghanistan’s provinces and is expected to worsen due to funding shortfalls.</p><p>U.N. Women said this week that women and girls are facing the harshest restrictions in the world and that the bans are damaging Afghanistan’s future, with the lack of teachers, doctors, nurses and midwives threatening the country’s social and economic foundations.</p><p>___</p><p>Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/3cYTbgvNSE_QdkuJW0oyXBwfpss=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/MJGRYVMGWVFGBFYQ3SMKDEEVYU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4000" width="6000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Taliban delegates from across the country attend a meeting that opens celebrations marking the fifth anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal and the start of Taliban rule, at the Loya Jirga Hall in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Siddiqullah Alizai)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Siddiqullah Alizai</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/sarQmA9Ixz5Zl1HqUwT2r3x_ggg=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/2DI2KT3N6BBC7HOSRFC5IDF3SM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4000" width="6000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Four young girls dressed in matching outfits hold Taliban flags on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal and the start of Taliban rule in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Nava Jamshidi)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Nava Jamshidi</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/olVxOwgRB7u14BXCuoLZH_gJIT4=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/U3PXJAQZWRHOHFIVESPOK2ZEWI.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4000" width="6000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Taliban delegates from across the country gather during a meeting that opens celebrations marking the fifth anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal and the start of Taliban rule, at the Loya Jirga Hall in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Siddiqullah Alizai)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Siddiqullah Alizai</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/W9Q22rZ_yr0PBqeqEghes3vkB08=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/HIJOQEGR7ZCHFHDIM5KUPTCUTY.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4000" width="6000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Armed Taliban police stand along a street ahead of celebrations marking the fifth anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal and the start of Taliban rule in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Nava Jamshidi)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Nava Jamshidi</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/drZvMn8RLKeBr6rXJhjX_VVrJfo=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/OQNAQE623RFUJO4QICIOQSS2CI.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="4000" width="6000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Young children look out from a car as a Taliban flag is held nearby on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal and the start of Taliban rule in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Nava Jamshidi)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Nava Jamshidi</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[After nearly 30 years, a man is on trial in the fatal shooting of Tupac Shakur. Here's what to know]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/entertainment/2026/08/15/after-nearly-30-years-a-man-is-on-trial-in-the-fatal-shooting-of-tupac-shakur-heres-what-to-know/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/entertainment/2026/08/15/after-nearly-30-years-a-man-is-on-trial-in-the-fatal-shooting-of-tupac-shakur-heres-what-to-know/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Andrew Dalton, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[The trial of Duane “Keffe D” Davis for the murder of Tupac Shakur begins Monday in Las Vegas.]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 13:21:39 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tupac-shakur">Tupac Shakur</a> was fatally shot at age 25 on Sept. 7, 1996, the presidential race between incumbent Bill Clinton and Bob Dole was in its stretch run. The Atlanta Olympics had just ended. The internet was in its infancy. </p><p>In a booming music business, CDs were king, like Shakur's monumental “All Eyez on Me," which topped the Billboard album chart a few months earlier. It was the pinnacle of a brief hip-hop career whose legend would only grow in the following decades. His shooting was one of several momentous mid-1990s musical deaths, including those of Kurt Cobain and Shakur's archrival the Notorious B.I.G. </p><p>Starting Monday in Las Vegas, that September night will come under intense scrutiny again as 63-year-old <a href="https://apnews.com/article/tupac-shakur-killing-las-vegas-trial-4529257714634e87ed258fde044f948b">Duane “Keffe D” Davis</a> is tried in his killing. It is a moment that many fans and followers of the formerly cold case thought might never come. </p><p>Prosecutors allege Davis orchestrated Shakur’s shooting. They have charged him with one count of murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang.</p><p>Davis has <a href="https://apnews.com/video/tupac-shakur-crime-homicide-duane-davis-3f5b10f249d7429c8fa6bd348135e31d">pleaded not guilty</a>. His defense attorneys argue there is no evidence he directed the shooting and the state is relying on witnesses who weren't there. </p><p>Here's a look at key elements of the trial that is expected to last about a month. </p><p>What happened on the night Tupac was shot </p><p>Shakur and Death Row Records co-founder <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/suge-knight">Marion “Suge” Knight</a> were in Las Vegas to watch Mike Tyson knock out Bruce Seldon at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Just outside the fight, Shakur, Knight and their entourage got into a brawl with a group that included Davis' nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson. </p><p>Authorities, authors and Davis himself say the shooting was an act of retaliation. Davis' 2019 memoir “Compton Street Legend,” said the men had “crossed the line” when they beat up Anderson.</p><p>“We couldn’t let no record company studio gangsters do us like that,” says the book, which along with Davis interviews revived the cold case and led to Davis being charged. The co-authored memoir will be essential to the trial. Davis’ defense <a href="https://apnews.com/article/tupac-shakur-murder-las-vegas-dae886dcf21467d334d308eaff40f0b7">fought unsuccessfully</a> to get it excluded. </p><p>Later in the night, Shakur and Knight were heading to a nightclub where Shakur was scheduled to perform. At a red light near the Las Vegas Strip, a white Cadillac pulled up beside them, and gunfire erupted. Shakur was shot multiple times and died six days later. Knight survived with minor injuries. </p><p>Prosecutors say Davis called for shooting that was fueled by long gang feud</p><p>The long, lingering question of who shot Tupac may stay unanswered. But prosecutors hope to prove that Davis was the shot caller and provided the weapon. </p><p>He was one of four men in the Cadillac, authorities said. The other three have all died in the years since. Authorities say neither the car nor the gun used in the shooting were recovered. </p><p>Grand jury testimony portrayed the shooting as a culmination of a longstanding feud between rival record labels — Death Row Records and Bad Boy Records — and rival gang sects Mob Piru and South Side Compton Crips. </p><p>The key players at trial </p><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/tupac-shakur-trial-jury-las-vegas-a828bde9016cf616364273fc3ba6138f">The jury</a> will consist of six men and 10 women who were seated Thursday. Four are alternates. </p><p>Attorney <a href="https://apnews.com/article/judge-fraud-indictment-nevada-michele-fiore-eab922ac0e8c11da1fbdddd542100959">Michael Sanft</a> will lead Davis' defense. He has said he took the case on a pro-bono basis. His previous high-profile clients include <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-pardon-michele-fiore-nevada-fraud-cf56ef8b302b8111e47cf52d5a606d19">Michele Fiore</a>, a Nevada politician convicted of wire fraud but pardoned by President Donald Trump before she was sentenced, and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-las-vegas-nevada-25fd8eddcfad3d6430630c6b71e14dcd">Andrew Cote</a>, a former Las Vegas pastor found guilty of shooting and killing his 71-year-old neighbor and her 54-year-old boyfriend. </p><p>Chief Deputy District Attorney Marc DiGiacomo will head the prosecution. He previously faced off with Sanft as the prosecutor in the Cote case.</p><p>Judge Carli Kierny was a public defender for 10 years in Clark County, Nevada, where she was elected as a judge in 2020. She is on the ballot again later this year. </p><p>Dozens of prosecution witnesses could include ‘Suge’ Knight </p><p>Prosecutors expect to call between 35 and 45 people to the stand. Along with police and technical witnesses, they are expected to include people who saw Shakur moments before he was shot and those who were associates of both Shakur and Davis at the time. </p><p>Knight, the West Coast hip-hop mogul who was once one of the most important and most feared men in music, is the only surviving eyewitness other than the defendant. He is on the witness list and may be summoned. He has said he wants no part in the trial. He is serving a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/b25ead5aad29485695dc4c05e4d8c154">28-year prison sentence</a> in California for running over and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/b25ead5aad29485695dc4c05e4d8c154">killing a Compton businessman</a> in 2015. </p><p>Davis wrote in his book that moments before the shooting, he and Knight “looked each other dead in the eye” like “two rams locking horns.” </p><p>Sean “Diddy” Combs, Knight’s East Coast counterpart and fierce foe, will not be testifying.</p><p>The defense intends to call only a handful of witnesses. They have not said whether Davis will testify. </p><p>The three men who didn't live to take part in the trial </p><p>Law enforcement authorities long suspected that the gunman was Anderson, Davis' 12-years-younger nephew who was 22 at the time. He was sitting in the backseat of the Cadillac, behind his uncle. Anderson, who denied involvement in Shakur’s killing, died two years later in what police said was an unrelated shooting at a Compton car wash.</p><p>Deandrae “Freaky” Smith was in the backseat sitting next to Anderson. Denvonta Lee, a former associate of Smith who talked to him about the shooting soon after it happened, told a grand jury it was Smith who fired the shots but let Anderson take credit for Shakur's death. Smith died in 2004 at age 30 from what authorities said were natural causes. </p><p>Terry “Bubble Up” Brown was the driver of the Cadillac. He died in a 2015 shooting at a medical marijuana dispensary in Compton. </p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/Rn47KKlUyB-EPjm1NSX2i4Isaag=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/33BSSGT5MJBFHNSDTQXGHS4U64.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2150" width="3000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Duane Davis, center, stands with his attorney Michael Sanft, right, as prospective jurors enter the courtroom during the fourth day of jury selection for his murder trial in Clark County District Court at the Regional Justice Center on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, in Las Vegas. Davis was indicted on murder charges for his involvement in the killing of rapper Tupac Shakur in 1996. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP, Pool)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Bizuayehu Tesfaye</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/ySYbKQHsYF5c90tlg4iZnqzYvoI=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/YQONGM442FHONLZBHDN45GOMTI.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="6000" width="4223"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[FILE - Rapper Tupac Shakur attends a voter registration event in South Central Los Angeles, Aug. 15, 1996. (AP Photo/Frank Wiese, File)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Frank Wiese</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/RxLUiUCmx8k2H4z-QTAiY815Yow=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/2TGSPW3A5FFRFDPC7EDUTYWSAU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2086" width="3000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Duane Davis, center, chats with his attorney Michael Sanft during the fourth day of jury selection for his murder trial in Clark County District Court at the Regional Justice Center on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, in Las Vegas. Davis was indicted on murder charges for his involvement in the killing of rapper Tupac Shakur in 1996. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP, Pool)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Bizuayehu Tesfaye</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/D1h8JXpCJOFt_YXsLfoTVmrRjIA=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/7YOSWXIQUFDNTE427OAP3ACCNU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="2163" width="3000"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[District Court Judge Carli Kierny delivers her initial jury instructions during the fourth day of jury selection in Duane Davis' murder trial in Clark County District Court at the Regional Justice Center on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, in Las Vegas. Davis was indicted on murder charges for his involvement in the killing of rapper Tupac Shakur in 1996. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Pool, Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP, Pool)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Bizuayehu Tesfaye</media:credit></media:content></item><item><title><![CDATA[Obesity drugs show early promise against the hormonal disorder PMOS, giving a suffering family hope]]></title><link>https://www.news4jax.com/health/2026/08/15/obesity-drugs-show-early-promise-against-the-hormonal-disorder-pmos-giving-a-suffering-family-hope/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.news4jax.com/health/2026/08/15/obesity-drugs-show-early-promise-against-the-hormonal-disorder-pmos-giving-a-suffering-family-hope/</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Laura Ungar, Associated Press]]></dc:creator><description><![CDATA[A small but growing body of research shows that GLP-1 drugs often used to treat obesity may also work for the hormonal disorder known as PMOS.]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 13:11:49 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Charlotte Touzalin was still a young teenager when she began struggling with weight gain, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/period-climate-pad-tampon-menstruation-551fd7b425bf6985a05e0e62c35ade1b">abnormal periods</a> and unwanted facial hair — the same puzzling symptoms that plagued her mom for decades and that no doctor could piece together.</p><p>“I’d go home and I’d cry,” said Touzalin, an 18-year-old college student from Colorado. “I didn’t understand why all this weight was coming back or why my friends didn’t have to shave their faces and I had to.”</p><p>Touzalin and her mom, Anne Schultz, were finally diagnosed with <a href="https://apnews.com/article/pcos-pmos-name-endocrine-society-women-9e8d83f2a7866eb1a16d6dd45ef1ec07">polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome</a>, a hormonal condition affecting 1 in 8 women worldwide. But unlike her mom, Touzalin is beginning young adulthood with new hope after taking part in a study testing blockbuster <a href="https://apnews.com/article/glp1-weight-loss-healthy-habit-41e4c84a7fed9586057b9b49fc4738dc">GLP-1 drugs</a> as a treatment.</p><p>A small but growing body of research shows that these <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ozempic-mounjaro-glp1-addiction-c74683839a5196cc679d8008ba619451">obesity medications</a> may also work for the disorder known as PMOS — not only by promoting weight loss but also by improving insulin resistance, hormone balance and ovulation. These things are key to the disease, which used to be called polycystic ovary syndrome but was renamed earlier this year to shift the focus away from ovaries and cysts.</p><p>“We need to do a better job taking care of it,” said Dr. Melanie Cree, who has led three studies testing GLP-1 drugs for PMOS including the one Touzalin joined. “We are finding them incredibly effective and really exciting for improving symptoms in women with this condition.”</p><p>PMOS is a mysterious and maddening disease</p><p>Touzalin and her mom's long, frustrating journey with PMOS is common.</p><p>Diagnosis often takes years because symptoms overlap with other conditions, vary widely and may be dismissed by doctors. The disorder tends to run in families, and many but not all women affected carry excess weight. But there’s no known cause or specific treatment, just symptom management such as taking birth control pills to regulate periods and keeping weight in check with diet and exercise.</p><p>Two hormones are key drivers of PMOS: <a href="https://apnews.com/article/diabetes-insulin-congress-senate-health-costs-b5d6c098d64ba0429d267fa6863b3da9">insulin</a>, which acts like a key to let blood sugar into cells, and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/testosterone-fda-sex-health-rfk-drugs-trump-96be9607d2dde573f1310e51e382d2ec">testosterone</a>, which among other things helps maintain sexual desire, bone density and muscle mass.</p><p>Most women with PMOS, regardless of their body size, have insulin resistance, which means this hormone doesn't work as well as it should, said Cree, PMOS clinic director at Children’s Hospital Colorado. In many women, the high insulin can go directly to the ovaries, spurring them to make more testosterone and leading to problems like skipped periods, severe acne and even beard growth.</p><p>Schultz, 43, didn’t even know the condition existed when she first began having irregular periods and bloating around age 18. In addition to struggling with the same symptoms as her daughter, she had problems with her ovaries and numerous miscarriages, which are more common with PMOS.</p><p>Schultz received various diagnoses before learning she had PMOS around the same time as her daughter, who faced a similar medical runaround. </p><p>Schultz recalled talking about Touzalin's symptoms with a pediatrician who was seeing her for what they thought was primarily an issue with binge eating and ADHD. </p><p>Schultz told the doctor: “There's gotta be something else going on here.”</p><p>Touzalin said she felt “heard for the first time” when a nurse practitioner began piecing things together a few years ago. Cree definitively diagnosed her last year.</p><p>“It was like a godsend,” said Schultz, tearing up. “We finally had an answer and some kind of a path for her.”</p><p>In Cree’s study, Touzalin gave herself shots of semaglutide weekly for 10 months. The abnormal hair growth slowed and her periods normalized. For the first time, she felt full after eating and stopped gaining weight constantly.</p><p>“I became a happier version of myself,” she said. “I felt like a normal person.”</p><p>While research on GLP-1s for PMOS continues, insurers put up barriers</p><p>Touzalin’s results weren’t unique. Early data from the study, published in June in the journal Fertility and Sterility, said eight of 11 participants completing the trial lost at least 10% of their body weight. The median weight loss among them was about 42 pounds; the median drop in testosterone was 52%. Six women had more periods and four of them went to monthly periods.</p><p>In all three of Cree’s studies, women on GLP-1s lost more weight than those in control groups, and levels of testosterone, blood sugar and insulin dropped. While the study involving Touzalin looks at semaglutide shots, the other studies examined semaglutide pills in one and exenatide shots in the other.</p><p>Other studies globally have shown similarly positive results. Although the studies are small, some researchers say GLP-1s are already showing promising potential for targeting metabolic issues in PMOS. Others say the evidence remains uncertain, and more studies are underway.</p><p>As research continues, more and more doctors are prescribing the drugs “off label” for PMOS and seeing improvements in their patients. But insurance coverage is often a problem because the drugs are not approved to treat the condition. </p><p>“I use these medicines a great deal,” said Dr. Rana Malek, an endocrinologist with the University of Maryland Medical System.</p><p>Among patients with insulin resistance, she said she usually uses them to help with weight loss.</p><p>Doctors stress that results vary. GLP-1s don’t work for everyone and can have side effects, like nausea and constipation. If people stop taking them, weight can return.</p><p>Still, they can help a lot of PMOS patients, Malek said, and it’s frustrating that many can’t get them because of <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-wegovy-zepbound-drug-prices-15b24e03d558aa6bbcf37e52ba2d354e">insurance issues</a>. Not only are they unapproved for PMOS, some insurers don’t cover them for weight loss.</p><p>Touzalin recently ran into this barrier herself. After finishing her study participation, she no longer gets free GLP-1s and had to go off them in June.</p><p>Schultz is determined to get her back on them. She’s fighting with her insurer and has a backup plan to get medications through a drug company program. She’d also like to try GLP-1s for her own PMOS, but said her daughter comes first.</p><p>Touzalin hopes for a day when any PMOS patient can get the treatment if she needs it.</p><p>“It’s something that could help a lot of other people,” she said.</p><p>___</p><p>AP video journalist Brittany Peterson in Denver contributed to this story.</p><p>___</p><p>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.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/5ZG3pbL8hGH7CkQe5ilkNZJ7jUI=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/PW5VL5V2I5D2TAFNVHZV5J6WD4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3000" width="4492"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Charlotte Touzalin stands with her mother, Anne Schultz, Friday, July 10, 2026 in Elizabeth, Colo. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Brittany Peterson</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/J2QbXzre57UcfBKwRfIwFKDTQsU=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/R3K32ZGWTZE2DIKML5CODD42SU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3000" width="4489"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Charlotte Touzalin holds a photo of herself, provided by Bre Blake Photography, showing her before participating in a PMOS study, in Elizabeth, Colo., on Friday, July 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson, Bre Blake Photography)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Brittany Peterson</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/ZJhn8vLn2e7njpVVoSs1CoHz59k=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/NLGJ6KG73FDMHBMGO3LCGE5JBE.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3000" width="4492"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Dr. Melanie Cree explains medical results to Noelani Schulmeister in a study using GLP-1 medication to treat PMOS Friday, July 10, 2026 in Aurora, Colo. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Brittany Peterson</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/ykAN-nQgJEfNDgjF7j9YpL9TIYM=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/2ZQM4STYERAF7AVT4A7OVSZLQU.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3000" width="4492"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[GLP-1 medication used in the polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome trial Friday, July 10, 2026 in Aurora, Colo. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Brittany Peterson</media:credit></media:content><media:content url="https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/w47lty8BlkXm8YVBU-cLa7uSStU=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/AC6C67LSVRGAJG3CCPKJGRQEYQ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" height="3000" width="4492"><media:description type="plain"><![CDATA[Anne Schultz and her daughter, Charlotte Touzalin, go on a walk Friday, July 10, 2026 in Elizabeth, Colo. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson)]]></media:description><media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">Brittany Peterson</media:credit></media:content></item></channel></rss>