A photo snapped by a passing boater sometime Sunday shows them apparently about thigh deep in the Scioto River, fishing poles in hand, standing around a big log. Calm as the surface appeared, the river was running high and fast, according to U.S. Geological Survey data. All five adults ended up drowning, authorities have said.

After the photo was taken, the group might have returned to shore. It is not quite clear. What Delaware County Sheriff Jeffrey Balzer has said is that one of the adults was struggling to swim in the river when several others went into the water to help. All five were swept under, he said.

The two women's bodies were recovered Sunday and the three men's bodies were found Monday.

On Tuesday, Honduran authorities confirmed that four of the five adults were Honduran citizens — Dias and Regalado and another married couple whose names have not yet been released. The fifth adult also has yet to be identified.

Flabia Zamora, director of consular affairs at the Honduran Foreign Ministry, told reporters Tuesday that they were working with U.S. authorities to bring their bodies home.

Zamora said that once U.S. officials have identified all the victims, Honduras will start the repatriation process, which could take at least a month.

She said the couple’s children are in the care of the state of Ohio and that arrangements will be made to reunite them with relatives in Honduras.

One of the children, a boy wrapped only in a towel, fled the riverbank in a panic and ascended to the road as the adults were drowning. According to a passing driver who called 911, “He was screaming, ‘Mama! Mama!’ and he was about to come out onto the road, and he was crying.” She said she was afraid he was headed onto a multilane road that snakes along the Scioto's eastern banks.

Brenda Raya, who described herself as a relative, has launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover funeral and transportation costs, as well as childcare costs for the two orphaned children. She said they are 8 and 10.

“The emotional and financial burden is overwhelming, and we want to honor the memory of our loved ones while providing for the children left behind,” she wrote.

The drownings occurred along the O’Shaughnessy Reservoir. The reservoir and its 18 miles (29 kilometers) of shoreline are the property of the city of Columbus. According to the city’s Recreation and Parks Department, Jet Skis, tubing and swimming are not permitted in any city of Columbus reservoir.

Lt. Heather Byers, of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, said rivers can be deceptively calm on the surface.

“Even though the water doesn’t seem to be moving very quickly, you can still get swept away in very slow-moving water,” she said. “Also, since you can’t always see the bottom, you never know if you’re in, you know, you could be in 2 to 3 feet of water, what you’re comfortable standing in, and then the next thing you know you’re at 4 or 5 feet.”

Besides the currents and the depths, people can catch a foot between the rocks, snag their clothes on a branch or lose their balance on slippery algae.

___

González reported from Honduras. Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus and John Raby in Charleston, W.Va., contributed to this report.

Discussion

At 400 PM CDT (2100 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Bertha was located near latitude 29.4 North, longitude 87.2 West. Bertha is moving toward the northwest near 6 mph (9 km/h). A turn toward the west-northwest and west is expected tonight, with a continued westward motion forecast Wednesday through Friday. On the forecast track, Bertha will move near or along the northern Gulf Coast during the next couple of days or so.

Maximum sustained winds are near 60 mph (95 km/h) with higher gusts. Little change in strength is expected tonight, and gradual weakening is forecast Wednesday through Friday.

Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 115 miles (185 km) from the center. A National Ocean Service station in Panama City Beach, Florida, reported sustained winds of 45 mph (72 km/h) and a gust of 57 mph (92 km/h) during the past few hours.

The estimated minimum central pressure is 995 mb (29.39 inches).

Watches and Warnings

CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY:

The Tropical Storm Warning has been extended westward to Morgan City, Louisiana.

The Tropical Storm Watch has been upgraded to a Tropical Storm Warning for Metropolitan New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain.

The Tropical Storm Watch has been extended westward to Cameron, Louisiana.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for, * Bay/Gulf County Line in Florida to Morgan City, Louisiana * Metropolitan New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for, * West of Morgan City, Louisiana, to Cameron, Louisiana * Lake Maurepas

A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area within 36 hours.

A Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, in this case in the next 24 to 48 hours.

For storm information specific to your area, including possible inland watches and warnings, please monitor products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office.

Land Hazards

Key messages for Tropical Storm Bertha can be found in the Tropical Cyclone Discussion under AWIPS header MIATCDAT2 and WMO header WTNT42 KNHC.

WIND: Tropical storm conditions will continue spreading across portions of the northern Gulf Coast within the warning area tonight through Wednesday. Tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area in Louisiana by Wednesday night.

STORM SURGE: The combination of storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the immediate coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide,

Mouth of the Mississippi River, LA to MS/AL Border, 2-4 ft Cameron, LA to Mouth of the Mississippi River, LA, 1-3 ft MS/AL Border to Aucilla River, FL, 1-3 ft Lake Pontchartrain, 1-3 ft

The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast. Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances. For information specific to your area, please see products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office.

For a complete depiction of areas at risk of storm surge inundation, please see the National Weather Service Peak Storm Surge Graphic, available at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at2.shtml?peakSurge.

RAINFALL: Bertha is expected to produce total rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches with isolated higher totals around 6 inches through Thursday along the central Gulf Coast from western Florida into southern Louisiana. This rainfall may produce isolated flash flooding, especially in urban areas.

For a complete depiction of forecast rainfall associated with Bertha, please see the National Weather Service Storm Total Rainfall Graphic available at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at2.shtml?rainqpf and the Flash Flood Risk graphic at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at2.shtml?ero.

SURF: Swells generated by Bertha will continue spreading westward along the northern Gulf Coast during the next few days. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. Please consult products from your local weather office.

A depiction of rip current risk for the United States can be found at: hurricanes.gov/graphics_at2.shtml?ripCurrents

That possibility prompted the state Democratic Party on Tuesday to make a plea to the state elections commission, urging it to allow voters who already cast an absentee ballot to vote again. More than 80,000 ballots have already been returned.

The request is all-but certain to result in a lawsuit with the primary just three weeks away.

Democrats want to allow voters to cast new ballots after Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, a Democrat, ended her campaign for governor on Friday and another candidate, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, rejoined the race with the endorsement of current Gov. Tony Evers. There are now five Democratic candidates actively campaigning for governor ahead of the Aug. 11 primary.

Any voter who already returned an absentee ballot cast for Rodriguez would not be able to get a new ballot, based on guidance approved by the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission earlier this month. The guidance was adopted after another Democratic candidate for governor, Missy Hughes, dropped out in June. Both Rodriguez and Hughes remain on the ballot even though they have ended their campaigns.

The winner of the Democratic primary for governor is likely to face Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who has only token opposition. The seat is open after Evers decided against seeking a third term. Democrats hope to retain the office and flip both chambers of the Legislature to gain full control of state government for the first time since 2010.

Democrats say absentee voters must be allowed to vote again

The Democratic Party argues that the commission’s guidance must be rescinded because it reversed its own rule that was in place four years ago and is inconsistent with a 2006 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. That ruling said voting rules should not be changed close to an election.

If the elections commission does not reverse itself and allow for new absentee ballots to be cast, “some voters will not be able to truly participate in our Democratic primary process,” Democratic Party Chairman Devin Remiker said in a statement.

He said the party asked for the reversal after checking with all five of the candidates actively campaigning for the Democratic nomination for governor.

Rodriguez ended her campaign after discovering that she had far less money on hand than she thought. She blamed her campaign manager for double counting donations and underreporting expenses. A day after she dropped out, Crowley rejoined the race. He had gotten out on July 8 and endorsed Rodriguez.

Both Crowley and Hughes were at the bottom of the field in public opinion polls before they dropped out. Hughes ended her campaign June 22 and said Democrats needed to coalesce around a candidate who could win in November. She endorsed Rodriguez, who then dropped out less than a month later.

Absentee voting by mail has been going on since late June and early in-person voting begins on July 28. Wisconsin Republican Party Chairman Brian Schimming criticized the push by Democrats to allow early absentee voters to cast a fresh ballot.

“Their primary is already chaotic enough," he said. “Election laws should not be changed to rescue one party from the consequences of its own actions.”

Fight over recasting absentee ballots dates to 2022

The rarely used practice known as ballot spoiling was the subject of a lawsuit in 2022. A Waukesha County judge sided with a Republican group that brought the lawsuit, ruling in October 2022 that the elections commission must rescind its guidance allowing for spoiling of ballots. But a state appeals court put that on hold just weeks before the midterm election that year.

And then in February, a state appeals court repealed the ruling, saying the lawsuit was not properly served. The appeals court did not address the merits of the case.

Despite that ruling, the elections commission voted 4-2 to prohibit voters who have already turned in their absentee ballot from getting a new one. One Democratic commissioner joined with three Republicans in voting in favor of the prohibition. Two Democrats voted against it.

It's rare for absentee voters in Wisconsin to seek a new ballot

There’s no way to know how many of the spoiled ballots were from Democrats or Republicans because voters in Wisconsin do not register by party. Voters who obtained an absentee ballot, but have not yet voted and want to obtain a new one, can still do that.

Previously in Wisconsin, voters who had submitted an absentee ballot could spoil it and cast a new ballot up to three times for any reason. But it very rarely happened.

From the 2018 midterms through the 2022 primary, less than 1% of all votes cast were cast by people who cast a new absentee ballot after spoiling an earlier one, data from the Wisconsin Elections Commission showed.

Arrests at the port

The first two passengers taken into custody were Martell Murray, of Georgia and his cabinmate from Leon County, Florida.

Murray was wanted on a warrant for violation of his release conditions related to a murder charge. The Leon County passenger was arrested on a warrant for violation of probation.

Two more passengers were arrested as they left their cruise ship. A Tampa woman was taken into custody on a Failure to Appear warrant, and a South Carolina man was arrested on a Violation of Probation warrant.

Sheriff’s warning

Sheriff Wayne Ivey issued a warning to anyone traveling through Brevard County with an outstanding warrant.

“Whether you’re from Florida or Alaska, if you come to Brevard County and break the law…or in this case have a warrant…you better believe that we will lock you up,” Ivey said.

RELATED: Bills overwhelming you? How to negotiate monthly expenses to save you money | How one woman paid off $9K in credit card debt — and the steps experts say can help you break the cycle

A car wreck and other bills piled up, and over time, she says she found herself falling backward even with “good intentions.”

At the same time, new local research shows financial stress is widespread. A VyStar Credit Union analysis on financial stability in Jacksonville found that 40% of people said finances are their top life stressor—far ahead of job issues, politics, or health.

Read the entire VyStar analysis below:

VyStar financial educator Marc Streebel says a warning sign of “unmanageable debt” is when you’re only making minimum payments—or missing payments on multiple accounts.

Listen to why Colleen Stubbs, a VyStar Member Solutions expert, says you should never “go dark” on the companies you owe, no matter how bad your debt may be — and why reaching out early matters.

The first step: A simple budget

Streebel says it often starts with writing down what’s coming in, versus what’s going out.

If your expenses are close to—or higher than—your income, he says that’s a long-term problem.

‘Pay yourself first’

Streebel also encourages people to build savings even while paying down debt. He says starting small is still a win.

Cavanaugh says that mindset helped her.

She started looking for small, realistic ways to save—like skipping lunch out and putting that money into savings instead.

She says those “little wins” helped her build her first few hundred dollars.

A four-step framework Streebel recommends:

1. Start an emergency fund (even a goal of $1,000 to begin).
2. List your debts and begin paying them down while still saving.
3. Grow savings to 3–6 months of expenses for emergencies or job loss.
4. Keep saving for retirement along the way (401(k) through your job, or an IRA).

Cavanaugh says she’s still working on it—but her progress has been real: From $17,000 in debt, down to less than $6,000 so far.

It’s the second satellite-saving mission to launch this month, all part of a growing, money-saving effort to keep spacecraft running as long as possible. Another company’s three-armed spacecraft rocketed into orbit on July 3 to boost NASA’s Swift Observatory so it doesn’t crash to Earth this fall.

Launched by SpaceX, Northrop Grumman’s mission robotic vehicle — dubbed MRV — and its jetpacks will spend the next year angling into the proper orbit 22,300 miles (36,000 kilometers) above Earth. Hundreds of satellites orbit at this so-called geosynchronous orbit, where they match the speed of Earth's rotation and keep to the same part of the sky for continuous coverage.

Once in place by mid-2027, the minivan-sized spacecraft will use its 10-foot (9-meter) arms to attach a jetpack to an aging communication satellite. Then it will zip off to two more satellites in need.

For its debut flight, the spacecraft carried three electric-propelled jetpacks that were programmed to peel away following liftoff and, like the MRV, use their own xenon gas thrusters to get to the desired orbit. The jetpacks will wait for the robot to grab them, one at a time, and plug them into their designated satellites.

Each jetpack — the size of a washing machine — will provide the necessary oomph for an out-of-gas satellite to keep operating for several more years instead of retiring. If it works, it will be a boon for satellite operators SES of Luxembourg and Optus of Australia, saving them millions of dollars in replacement costs.

This is Northrop Grumman's latest foray into the satellite-servicing business. In 2019 and again in 2020, the company launched a pair of spacecraft that latched onto faltering communication satellites and steered them, providing extra years of life.

Northrop Grumman designed its new robotic helpers to be even more resourceful. The company envisions future versions repairing and relocating live satellites, and even latching onto dead ones for removal from highly trafficked orbits. The company is collaborating with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

Katalyst Space Technologies, meanwhile, continues to test its Link satellite helper in orbit before rushing to the Swift Observatory's rescue. Flight controllers had to overcome initial communication and pointing problems with Link, beaming up software patches.

Launched in 2004, NASA's Swift telescope has been sinking faster than usual because of all the recent solar activity. A boost by Link in the coming weeks could give the nearly $400 million gamma ray observatory many more years of studying some of the biggest explosions in the universe.

NASA is paying Kataylst $30 million to raise Swift to its original 373-mile (600-kilometer) altitude. Northrop Grumman provided Link's ride to orbit, using a plane-launched Pegasus rocket.

___

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.

Andrew Arrabaca, 43, was charged in Manhattan federal court a day after the attack at 26 Federal Plaza that injured three people when authorities say he set off a sidewalk fire, ignited fireworks and fired a pellet gun before security officers subdued him. The building is two blocks from the courthouse.

Arrabaca, a U.S. citizen, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robyn F. Tarnofsky, who immediately conducted a bail hearing.

Prosecutor Samantha Fry urged detention without bail, saying Arrabaca is a danger to the community and a flight risk. She said Arrabaca, while living in his car, had planned the attack since January, buying supplies in upstate New York including weapons such as two hatchets, a mallet, a hammer and fireworks.

She noted that only a few people were injured, but said "this attack could have ended much more tragically” at a building where hundreds of federal employees work. She said the evidence was overwhelming on a charge that carries a potential mandatory minimum of seven years in prison.

Defense lawyer Jennifer Brown urged that Arrabaca should be released into a Veterans Health Administration locked-ward psychiatric evaluation program, saying that he has no criminal history and has long been a resident of New York with a long history of employment until recently.

“There’s an underlying mental health issue going on here,” she said.

Brown said Arrabaca intended to damage property rather than people. Fry insisted that Arrabaca, during his lengthy confession to investigators, detailed what he did and why and “was aware people could be hurt and was willing to accept this risk.”

The building has been a hub of protests against President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

At a news conference Monday, authorities said that Arrabaca, wearing a military-style helmet, dragged a cart featuring a sign that said “ICE Off Our Streets” up to an employee entrance at the building before igniting a large firework. He then fired several airsoft rifle pellets at the building and ignited gasoline he'd spread on the sidewalk.

He was subdued and apprehended by two Federal Protective Service officers and a security contractor, according to James Barnacle, who leads the FBI’s New York field office.

Barnacle said Arrabaca, formerly a resident of Harlem and Poughkeepsie, made “anti-government and anti-American statements” as he was arrested and told investigators that he didn't care if he killed people.

Although the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force was investigating, Barnacle did not label the attack terrorism.

Two government employees and a civilian who was going to immigration court were injured, along with a bystander who was grazed by the fireworks, authorities said, though only one person was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Barnacle said Arrabaca, who repaired Patriot missile systems in the Army from 2001 to 2005, derided ICE with profanities during his arrest. In addition to the pellet gun, Barnacle said, Arrabaca had two axes, three fixed-blade knives, a hammer and a machete. An Army spokesperson said Arrabaca had no deployments and left the Army as a specialist, including a one-year stint in the Army National Guard-New York.

___

Associated Press writer Konstantin Toropin in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.

The News4JAX I-Team first reported on the home on Jefferson Road last week, highlighting safety concerns raised by neighbors. Following that report, the property owners say they are moving forward with demolition.

Since Jan. 1, 2023, the home has generated 47 calls for service. Those calls include range from suspicious persons, well-being checks, trespassing, squatting, illegal camping, vandalism, an abduction in progress and assault involving injuries.

When News4Jax reached out to the city of Jacksonville for a code violation history on the property, the city responded with more than 140 pages of records. At the top of those records: a warning that the house is in danger of collapsing. The documents also detail electrical problems, plumbing problems and four active cases with municipal code compliance.

Monday, a fire broke out in the backyard of the home. That fire remains under investigation.

For many residents living nearby, the fire was the last straw.

Liz Carroll, a neighbor who lives across the street, didn’t mince words when describing what she believed was happening at the house.

“Who knows what they’re doing over there. You know, cracktivities is what I call it,” Carroll said.

Paula Laird, a landlord who owns a property across the street, echoed those concerns.

“This is really scary and it needs to be resolved. I just think they need to be aware of exactly what’s going on,” Laird said.

Even after the home was condemned, some neighbors say they saw the people who lived there, return.

“Two of them,” said Alan Schiessel.

The property owners told News4Jax on the phone they did not realize how bad conditions at the home had become. After hearing what neighbors had been saying, they worked with the city to get the property condemned. An orange condemned sign now hangs on the front door dated for Monday.

An anonymous homeowner who spoke with News4Jax by phone expressed his thoughts on neighbors being relieved about the home being condemned.

“Yeah, they should be. I never dreamed that was going on over there. It was a terrible shocker to see all of that,” the owner of the home said.

For Carroll, the condemned sign was only a partial comfort.

“The orange sign a little bit. You know, I won’t have comfort until it’s demolished,” she said.

The homeowners say the house could come down within a matter of days.

One of the owners of the home told News4Jax, “We want the neighborhood to know that we do care,” they said, “The city is being gracious and let us make it right.”

News4JAX has also submitted a request to the fire marshal’s office to determine the exact cause of Monday’s backyard fire.

The Trump administration is making it harder for the public to know, moving to toss aside a 60-year-old requirement for tens of thousands of private sector employers to submit workforce demographic reports each year to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the agency responsible for enforcing anti-discrimination laws in the workplace.

The EEOC's Republican majority voted 2-1 Tuesday to rescind the data collection requirement, submitting the proposal to a 30-day public commentary period before final approval. The proposal is a quiet but profound salvo in President Donald Trump's shake up of civil rights enforcement, ending a practice that has endured through 10 Republican and Democratic administrations.

EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas, an outspoken critic of diversity and inclusion practices who has urged white men to come forward with discrimination complaints, argued that requiring companies to submit the annual demographic reports risks encouraging companies to justify discriminatory practices to diversify their workforce.

“It may promote racial stereotyping at work, and it may encourage employers to engage in discrimination," Lucas said during a hearing ahead of the vote.

Former Democratic EEOC commissioners and civil rights organizations have denounced the proposal, saying it will deprive the agency of a critical tool for uncovering discrimination patterns and tracking how women and racial minorities have fared since the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which created the EEOC and prohibited employment discrimination based on race, color, sex, national origin and religion.

The EEOC, which receives more than 88,000 worker complaints each year, has historically used the data to guide its enforcement priorities and inform some of its investigations.

Commissioner Kalpana Kotagal, the sole Democrat left on the EEOC since Trump moved to wrest control of the agency, voted against the proposal.

“Today, the commission discusses whether to turn back time to a period before the civil rights movement, kneecapping its ability to protect workers,” Kotagal said.

Here's what to know about the reporting requirement and the proposal to end it:

How the EEOC has collected the data

Since 1966, the EEOC has required companies with at least 100 employees, or federal contractors with at least 50 workers, to submit a form called the EEO-1 each year.

The form, which has evolved over time, identifies 10 job categories from “Executive/Senior Level Officials and Managers” to “Laborers” and “Service Workers.” It asks employers to report on the number male and female workers in each job category, as well as the number of workers from different race and ethnicities: Hispanic or Latino, Black or African American, Asian, Native Hawaiian, American Indian or Alaska Native and two or more races.

The data typically covers more than 50 million employees and 73,000 employers nationwide.

A view into gender and race in the private sector

The EEOC launched during the Biden administration an interactive tool allowing the public to explore historical demographic metrics across industries and job categories. The most recent data is from 2023. Under the Trump administration, the EEOC last collected EEO-1 data for the year 2024 but has not publicly disclosed it. Collection of the year 2025 would have begun this year.

The data shows white men dominating executive and senior manager roles at private companies, though women and minorities have made inroads, especially in the years following the #MeToo and Black Lives Matters movements.

Women remain underrepresented in the top ranks of companies. While they make up nearly half the workforce at the companies surveyed, women held just 34.5% of executives and senior manager roles in 2023. That was up from 29.2% a decade earlier.

White and Asian women made the fastest gains, and by 2023, were no longer underrepresented in senior roles compared to their numbers in the overall workforce. In contrast, Black and Hispanic women remained sharply underrepresented in executive and senior manager roles despite making modest gains.

Asian men have been proportionally represented in senior roles for years, while Black and Hispanic men remained underrepresented in 2023.

Of those demographic groups, only one was overrepresented in senior roles: white men, who made up a third of the overall workforce at the companies surveyed but held 52.7% of executive and senior management roles.

Why the government wants to end the data collection

Lucas said the annual reporting requirements impose “hundreds of millions of dollars” on costs on employers, a burden she argued was unnecessary absent “any allegation, indication, or evidence of discrimination.”

The move was recommended by Project 2025, the conservative Heritage Foundation’s blueprint that has guided many of the Trump administration’s policies.

A group of former Democratic EEOC commissioners and legal counselors said there is little evidence that companies are routinely using employment data to engage in quotas or race-based hiring.

“This is simply inaccurate and unsupported speculation, at odds with the ways in which this data is actually collected, managed and used,” the former officials said in a statement.

Instead, the officials said, tracking such data encourages companies to proactively examine their hiring, promotion, benefits and other policies to ensure they are not unnecessarily erecting barriers.

Kotagal said the agency has used the data to determine whether a discrimination charge might be part of a deeper pattern at a company. She cited a recent investigation of California supermarket chain Vallarta Food Enterprises, in which the EEOC alleges the grocer failed or refused to recruit, hire or promote non-Hispanic individuals. In that case, EEO-1 data showed that “nearly 100 percent of its employees were Hispanic,” Kotagal said. “It’s a key tool in our toolbox.”

The agency has also issued special reports on demographic employment trends across certain industries or roles.

Kotagal highlighted a 2024 report on the tech sector, which showed that women had made virtually no gains between 2014 and 2022, and that workers under 40 years old had actually lost ground. The report also found tech company workers were more likely that others to file age or pay discrimination charges, suggesting systemic barriers to women and older workers in the industry.

The report has been removed from the EEOC’s website.

Corporate retreat from demographic disclosure

The EEOC is prohibited from publicly releasing an individual company’s EEO-1 form, only publishing the information in the aggregate. In recent years, however, a growing number of the country’s top companies began publicly releasing their forms in response to pressure from shareholders and Democratic elected officials to show transparency in their diversity efforts.

Many of those companies have complained that job categories in the EEO-1 forms don't align with their internal structures, a point Lucas echoed Tuesday, saying the categories don't reflect the modern workforce. But advocates of EEO-1 disclosure argued it's the only standardized form that allows for comparison across companies, and offer more detail.

However, the trend toward transparency has started to reverse.

Companies have started to pull back on publicizing both EEO-1 forms and their own diversity reports, which conservative advocates and the Trump administration have seized on to argue that companies are using discriminatory tactics to add women and minorities to their ranks.

In 2025, 24 companies in the S&P 100 — the largest U.S. publicly traded companies — chose not to disclose their EEO-1 data after having done so the year before, according to Andrew Jones, principal researcher at The Conference Board Governance & Sustainability Center. Still, 60 S&P 100 companies did release the data.

Meanwhile, fewer companies are publicizing any form of demographic metrics. The number of Russell 3,000 companies that disclosed metrics on women in the workforce fell from 75% in 2024 to 62% in 2025, according to a study by The Conference Board. Those disclosing metrics on minority representation fell from 30.9% to 26.5%.

Why companies may keep gathering data

Companies are still likely to keep track of their demographic data, whether or not they disclose any of those metrics publicly, and even if they are no longer required to submit annual EEO-1 reports. That's because Title VII requires employers to keep records that could be pertinent to any discrimination investigation, and the EEOC is empowered to request them.

“What we are generally advising is to stay the course,” Jennifer Robins, counsel in law firm Saul Ewing’s Labor and Employment Group. “Private litigants, employment discrimination lawsuits are not going away, and this data is helpful to defending oneself.”

The EEOC has demanded extensive demographic data from companies to bolster Lucas' own marquee cases. Those include an investigation into diversity, equity and inclusion practices of sports giant Nike, which Lucas has alleged discriminate against white employees; a lawsuit against the New York Times for allegedly discriminating against a white man who was passed over for a promotion, and an investigation into alleged antisemitism against staff at the University of Pennsylvania.

Lucas emphasized Tuesday that the EEOC would continue to demand data in the course of its investigations. Kotagal warned employers that under future leadership, the EEOC could reinstitute the EEO-1 collection.

Jocelyn Frye, president of the National Partnership for Women & Families, said she sees the elimination of EEO-1 data as part of an effort to obscure the prevalence of discrimination against racial minorities and women and create of a sense of urgency around protecting white workers from DEI-related policies.

But Frye said the data "doesn’t suggest that their top priority ought to be discrimination against white men.

"If the chair is moving forward with an agenda that thinks she ought to be focused on men and ought to be focused on white people, my answer is, ‘Well, does the data tell you that?’” Frye said.

___

The Associated Press’ women in the workforce coverage receives financial support from Pivotal Ventures. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

It was the second major change Zelenskyy has made under street pressure, after protests last summer forced him to undo a law weakening Ukraine’s anti-corruption watchdogs.

Zelenskyy appointed Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new army chief, according to a statement on social media. “Our shared wish is one — victory over the enemy and conditions at the front and in pressure on Russia that would force Russia toward peace,” Zelenskyy said.

The Ukrainian leader said he made the decision after a series of meetings with military commanders. They began shortly after protests broke out demanding the reinstatement of former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, seen by demonstrators as a driver of military modernization, and the removal of Syrskyi, who they said embodied the army’s old, Soviet-style command culture.

Zelenskyy thanked Syrskyi for his achievements in Ukraine's fight against Russia and praised him for the defense of Kyiv and for operations in Kharkiv and Kursk.

“I am grateful to Oleksandr Syrskyi and to every one of our warriors for Ukraine’s strong front-line positions,” he said. “I am grateful to Mykhailo Drapatyi for holding that same view.”

Drapatyi wrote in a Facebook post that serving Ukraine "has always been an honor for me, and during this war for independence, it means absolute responsibility.” He thanked Syrskyi for his consistent work strengthening the Ukrainian military.

“I grew up in it,” he added, referring to the army. “I will work responsibly, with focus and with respect for the people defending our state today.”

Zelenskyy said Drapatyi and other commanders must present an updated defense strategy, including continued reform of the corps system, faster weapons and drone deliveries, stronger air defense against Russian strikes and a clearer mobilization plan.

Former defense minister's future in the government remains unclear

Zelenskyy met separately with Fedorov on Tuesday and offered him what he called a respected position in the government that would unify the country’s technology sector. It wasn't clear if Fedorov accepted the offer — or whether the latest moves would satisfy protesters and calm the streets.

Fedorov congratulated Drapatyi, calling the appointment “new hope in the fight of free people for freedom and justice” and “a voice for change that could not go unheard.”

Fedorov had criticized Syrskyi publicly before his dismissal, saying the general was blocking his reform efforts and needed to be replaced for Ukraine not to fail in its resistance against Russia. He said Ukrainians’ high expectations must now be met with a clear vision for ending the war, decisive action to preserve soldiers’ lives, expand robotic warfare at the front, strike asymmetrically and exhaust Russia’s economy.

Fedorov called Syrskyi to thank him for defending the Kyiv region, the Kharkiv operation and other battles, calling it “already an important part of Ukraine’s history” but adding that the country must “move even faster and write new chapters, correcting all previous mistakes.”

The army chief's dismissal was sparked by protests

The crisis began last Thursday, when Zelenskyy overhauled his wartime government, replacing his prime minister and firing Mykhailo Fedorov as defense minister after just six months in the post.

Zelenskyy cited an unworkable rift between Fedorov and Syrskyi, telling reporters that as the two couldn’t resolve their dispute, he would “have to resolve it.”

Following his dismissal, Fedorov publicly accused Syrskyi of blocking military reforms and fostering a top-down command culture, criticism that echoed complaints from soldiers and veterans over heavy casualties in costly front-line assaults.

The reshuffle immediately drew thousands of protesters into the streets of Kyiv and other cities, framing Fedorov’s removal as Zelenskyy siding with an entrenched military old guard over a reformer.

The backlash promptly spread to inside the military: the Air Force’s deputy commander resigned in protest, warning the move would weaken Ukraine’s air defenses; veterans and soldiers on leave joined the protests in Kyiv and other cities, and numerous public figures among soldiers spoke out publicly against Syrskyi on social media.

Criticism of the military chief had escalated

Syrskyi has long been associated with a Soviet-style, top-down command culture, and many protesters said they wanted a new generation of generals who would place a higher priority on preserving soldiers’ lives.

Within the military, Syrskyi has earned the gruesome nickname of “Butcher,” which particularly spread during his command of the defense of Bakhmut, one of the war’s longest and costliest battles.

His already precarious public standing eroded further after Ukrainian outlet Babel published an investigation in June detailing allegations of abuse within the Skelia assault regiment, a unit closely associated with Syrskyi that has reportedly suffered higher-than-average battlefield losses. The investigation documented dozens of deaths among recruits.

The flight carrying 700 packages is meant to bypass the Cuban government, with the items distributed directly to the Cuban people by Catholic groups in Cuba, according to the U.S. State Department.

Tuesday’s shipment is a $60 million first tranche of a total of $100 million the U.S. offered to Cuba some time ago. It comes after months of intensified U.S. pressure on the Cuban government and government-related institutions that has focused mainly on imposing significant sanctions against the country’s military and intelligence apparatus. The imposition of an energy and oil blockade has practically paralyzed the Cuban economy and the daily lives of people on the island.

The latest iteration of this was a lengthy document released by the State Department on Monday accusing Cuba of running a vast espionage and left-wing influence operation in the United States over the past five decades.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a son of Cuban immigrants, has taken a personal interest in pushing Cuba to make changes to its socialist system, while President Donald Trump has on several occasions suggested that the U.S. could take military action to topple the island’s communist government.

Jeremy Lewin, the State Department’s senior official for foreign assistance, humanitarian affairs and religious freedom, said the partnership builds upon a program that last year delivered $9 million in direct support to the island following Hurricane Melissa.

He said challenges have included convincing the Cuban government to allow the aid’s distribution and agree not to intercept and take it for themselves. Lewin said that since local priests and Catholic groups are distributing the assistance directly, “there’s very little, if any, opportunity for the regime to interfere with the delivery of the assistance.”

Sean Callahan, president and CEO of Catholic Relief Services, said he visited the island a few weeks ago to ensure accountability for the aid's distribution.

“We’re hoping that this is one small step forward on the humanitarian side,” Callahan said. “But hopefully we’ll bring the people of the United States and Cuba together into the future.”

Neither the Cuban government nor its press reported on Tuesday's humanitarian flight from the U.S.

In early July, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez dismissed the announcements of aid that had yet to arrive as “fantasy,” while downplaying the amount in contrast to all the losses the island suffers daily due to the energy blockade and sanctions imposed by the U.S.

“One hundred million dollars would certainly help, although we must acknowledge that it only amounts to five days of the blockade,” the foreign minister said.

___ Associated Press reporters Matthew Lee contributed from Washington, and Andrea Rodriguez contributed from Havana. Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

No fee was officially disclosed but media reports say it is worth 117 million pounds ($156.5 million), which surpasses England teammate Elliot Anderson's 116 million pounds ($155 million) switch from Nottingham Forest to Manchester City earlier this month.

The all-time record Premier League transfer is still Sweden striker Alexander Isak's 125 million pounds ($167 million) move from Newcastle to Liverpool last year.

The 23-year-old Rogers, established as one of the Premier League's top attacking talents, has signed a contract with the London team until 2033.

“I’m so excited,” he told the club's website. "For me, Chelsea are the biggest club in London and a club I’ve always admired since I was a kid.

“I’m really excited about the project with the new manager, the players we’ve got and where the club is heading. That’s why I’m here and I can’t wait to get started.”

Rogers is the third major signing made in the offseason by new Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso, following wingbacks Marco Palestra and Geovany Quenda.

Rogers was in England's team beaten at the World Cup last Wednesday. Trailing 1-0 going into the 85th minute of their semifinal, Argentina rallied for a 2-1 victory.

He scored 21 goals in 85 Premier League appearances for Villa, and last season helped guide the club to a top-four finish and to the Europa League title.

Rogers joined Villa from Middlesbrough in February 2024 for a reported fee of 8 million pounds.

He made his England debut in November 2024 and has now won 22 caps for his country.

___

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

The U.S. has championed peace in Lebanon but has been increasingly distracted by new escalation of the war in Iran, which has destabilized much of the Middle East. Trump says he now has little interest in talks with Iran’s leaders to end the war.

In the meantime, Lebanon and Israel have held rare direct talks mediated by Washington.

“It’s been a very badly treated place and country, and we’re going to have it properly treated and treated with the respect it deserves,” Trump told Aoun during a meeting which wrapped the Lebanese leader’s four-day visit to Washington. “We’re gonna help it a lot,” he said of Lebanon, without giving concrete details.

Hours later, Trump made the surprise announcement that he’d allow American carriers to resume direct flights to Lebanon for the first time in 40-plus years after the US suspended the route.

“I am hereby directing my Administration to allow all U.S. airline carriers to fly directly to Lebanon so that Americans can easily visit this beautiful land,” Trump said on social media after Aoun had left the White House.

It is highly unlikely U.S. carriers will want to fly into Lebanon in the near future, however, as the situation in Iran disrupts larger air traffic and questions Hezbollah's influence in parts of the country remain. Direct flights between the U.S. and Lebanon were suspended in 1985 by the Reagan administration following the hijacking of TWA Flight 847.

Lebanon hopes the Washington talks result in Israeli troops withdrawing from large swaths of southern Lebanon that they currently occupy, and the Lebanese military receiving support to assert full control in areas where Hezbollah militants had held sway.

Trump said of Israel’s army withdrawing from Lebanon, “They’re in the process of doing that,” but didn't elaborate.

Aoun told Trump, “Your vision is peace,” calling it Trump's “legacy.” He also said Trump was a “great president.”

Trump responded by joking, “I do agree with that” and said Aoun was handsome and “knows how to get to me,” adding, “Now he can have anything.”

A framework agreement is being tested

Lebanon and Israel announced a “framework agreement” on June 26, setting a plan for Israeli forces to withdraw and for the disarmament of Hezbollah, which for decades had a strong presence in southern Lebanon. The deal's implementation was to begin in small “pilot zones.”

The U.S. State Department said Monday that operations in three villages of one pilot zone had begun. Two of them — Froun and Srifa — were not under Israeli military control to begin with, and the Lebanese army was already present there, while Israeli forces were at one point in a part of the third village, Zawtar al-Gharbieh.

The Israeli military said it would “adjust its force posture in one of the pilot areas in order to enable the Lebanese Armed Forces to carry out their mission,” without specifying the location.

The Lebanese army said it began deploying troops in Zawtar al-Gharbieh.

The June 26 agreement also lays out steps toward an eventual Israel-Lebanon peace agreement. The two countries have never had formal diplomatic ties and have been nominally in a state of war for nearly 80 years after Israel’s establishment.

Trump noted Tuesday of Lebanon, “There’s a Hezbollah problem” and suggested that he personally could speak with that group if Aoun wanted him to. He also again floated the idea of having Syria intervene to fight Hezbollah — though he didn't fully commit to that.

Such a concept would be highly unpopular in Lebanon and potentially embarrass Aoun.

Confusion over pilot zone implementation

It remained unclear whether Israeli troops actually withdrew from any territory. A Lebanese military official said the Lebanese army was unsure whether Israeli forces had been in Zawtar al-Gharbieh before Tuesday, but that they were in adjacent areas and would open fire on anyone who tried to enter.

An Israeli military official said Israeli forces had not been in Zawtar al-Gharbieh “for quite a time” and “we didn’t withdraw from there.” Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity in accordance with military regulations.

Still, the pilot zones got off to a rocky start.

The Lebanese military said Israeli troops fired Tuesday near an area where they were deploying. The Israeli military said Lebanese soldiers had entered an area that was not part of the pilot zone and Israeli troops fired warning shots in the air.

The Lebanese army disputed this, saying its soldiers were within the pilot zone when Israeli troops opened fire. It called on Israel to resolve disputes through “established coordination and communication channels, instead of resorting to aggression.”

A village mayor is cautious

Abed Ezzeldine, mayor of Zawtar al-Gharbieh, was waiting for word from the Lebanese military on whether it's safe for displaced residents to check on their homes.

He said the civilians would go in, but “only to check it out and see how things are and then we will leave.”

“We can’t stay because the infrastructure is completely damaged and houses have been leveled. They (the Israelis) have bulldozed the roads,” he added.

The Lebanese military last week increased its presence in some of the areas expected to be included in the pilot zone, with troops patrolling and setting up checkpoints.

Rubio says US will support the framework agreement

Aoun also met Sunday with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said Washington will continue to endorse the Lebanese agreement. Rubio warned that Lebanon will “never be fully at peace” as long as the Hezbollah issue is not resolved.

“How do you replace Hezbollah? You defeat and replace them with a government that is strong enough to be the sole force of arms in the country,” Rubio said.

Skeptics in Lebanon fear that a military confrontation with Hezbollah could lead to a civil war.

Government officials have urged investment in the country's battered infrastructure to empower the weakened state, which Rubio echoed.

Israel plans on a long-term presence

Israeli officials, meanwhile, have said they plan to keep troops long-term in a “security zone” in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah has dismissed the U.S.-brokered direct talks and instead backed Washington’s talks with its key ally and patron Iran to end their war, which includes ending the war in Lebanon as a condition.

Lebanon’s government came to power on a reformist platform in early 2025, vowing to disarm all non-state groups, including Hezbollah, which it blames for dragging the country into another war with Israel in March, when the militant group fired several rockets toward northern Israel two days after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran.

Beirut's leadership, however, has condemned Israel’s subsequent ground invasion and massive aerial campaign in the country, which has killed over 4,000 people and displaced 1.2 million others.

While grappling with stark political opposition from Hezbollah and allies within the deeply divided country, Lebanon's leadership insists that Israeli withdrawal and international financial support for Lebanon’s cash-strapped army are crucial for a sustainable security solution.

___

Chehayeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press writers Giovanna Dell'Orto and Erin Cunningham in Jerusalem, Abby Sewell in Beirut and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed to this report.

Hegseth provided the new estimate, up from earlier assessments, during a fiery hearing at the Senate Appropriations Committee. Senators asked pointed questions and several times protesters interrupted Hegseth's opening remarks, which came days after the Pentagon announced that three more American service members have died in the conflict, bringing the death toll to 17, and that more than 100 have been injured since early July.

Hegseth said the supplemental war funding is an “urgent, necessary” injection of money, and with President Donald Trump's proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget a generational investment in the military.

“Without these funds, we face critical shortfalls,” Hegseth testified.

But Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the panel, warned of "another forever war.”

“This war is now spiraling out of control again,” Murray said in her opening remarks.

She said Trump has said repeatedly that "a deal is near, and the war will be over soon. But now, he’s asking for $70 billion more — and for us to just trust him it’ll all work out fine.”

Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins were also testifying before the panel. The proposed budget package includes $60 billion and $12 billion for other national security needs, along with $10 billion for farm aid and $10 billion for voting law changes.

Before the hearing, the White House issued a statement urging support of the budget resolution, “without modification — immediately.”

War funds make up the bulk of the GOP budget plan

War funding makes up the bulk of the GOP's new budget proposal, one last priority package the Republicans hope to launch before lawmakers recess to campaign for the midterm elections. The package aims to help farmers struggling under Trump's tariffs and to pay for voter law changes, none of it paid for with offsets.

Most Americans continue to disapprove of how Trump is handling Iran, according to an AP-NORC poll. Gas prices have spiked as Iran works to control oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. munitions are running low from the onslaught of American missile strikes and Trump has shifted away from his own campaign promise not to draw the U.S. into prolonged military conflicts.

Nevertheless, Trump has showed no signs of backing off the war, and the Republicans have largely refused to confront his strategy or use Congress' power of the purse and war powers authority to halt the conflict.

“The commander in chief and the whole Department of War are working very hard to bring this to a resolution,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson at his weekly press conference Tuesday.

Hegseth faces questions over war and his own leadership

Hegseth appeared before the panel facing a torrent of questions about not only the war, but his own leadership of the department.

Sen. Susan Collins, the Republican chair of the committee, opened the hearing saying it's “deeply troubling” that the Pentagon has blocked or denied promotions to various officers, particularly women and minorities.

“This is likely to discourage well-qualified women and individuals of color from joining our armed forces, thus depriving us of their talent, dedication and patriotism,” Collins said.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire questioned why Hegseth is asking for more money when the department has not yet spent about half the $150 billion Republicans provided the Pentagon in last year's big budget bill.

“Why are you asking the American people to absorb the cost of a war they don't support?” asked Shaheen, who is also the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee.

When Hegseth started describing the “historic nature” of Trump's military strategy, she cut him off.

Hegseth later explained that the rest of last year's budget package would be spent by September.

Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana was among several senators demanding answers over the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, asking if Iran will impose tolls on what historically has been an open waterway vital to the flow of oil.

Caine said, “That’s a hypothetical question, and I don’t know the answer to that.”

But Kennedy retorted: “Guys, we need straight answers.”

When GOP Sen. Mike Rounds wanted to know if this request would be enough to “get the job done,” the general demurred.

“I can’t answer the question on what it will cost, because the enemy has a vote,” Caine said.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., told Hegseth his war claims don't add up.

Has the U.S. obliterated Iran's nuclear capabilities or not, she demanded to know.

“We're staying laser-focused on the objective,” Hegseth responded, “and you're trying to make campaign commercials.”

This week, the Senate will consider another war powers resolution, having voted nearly a dozen times to try to halt the conflict. The House has approved a war powers resolution limiting Trump’s ability to wage war, with a few Republicans joining the Democrats to pass the measure, but no resolution has cleared both chambers to be sent to the president's desk.

Republicans work to pass budget over Democratic objections

The GOP budget proposal is expected to flow through the reconciliation process, which enables the majority to approve the plan on its own, over the objections of Democrats in the minority.

It's the same lengthy process Republicans used to approve Trump's big tax cuts bill last summer, as well as Homeland Security money earlier this year.

The proposal is headed toward a House vote this week, which would start the process by instructing various committees to begin drafting the legislation. Johnson can afford only a few defectors from his slim majority, and some conservatives want the funding offset with spending reductions elsewhere.

GOP senators have so far panned the House budget plan, but are waiting to see if Johnson can kickstart the process.

___

Associated Press writers Matt Brown and Ben Finley contributed to this report.

The talks flight attendants deliver about how to inflate a life vest or find the exits on a plane that are routine today were developed after 52 people perished aboard Pan Am's Clipper Endeavor because they didn't get off the plane before it sank. Explorers used an autonomous sonar drone to find the fuselage and tail of the DC-4 last month under 2,000 feet of water.

The 12 passengers and five crew members who survived the crash on Good Friday in 1952 told investigators that everyone survived the plane's hard landing on the water, but then panic set in and many passengers were reluctant to venture out into the waves as they struggled to find life vests and the crew had a hard time pulling the rafts out. The plane sank within minutes.

“This one became a catalyst, and it helped drive safety steps forward of better flotation equipment and the preflight briefings,” said aviation safety expert John Cox. “So this is one steppingstone along the path to what we today enjoy as aviation safety. It was a rallying cry at the time.”

And now the discovery of this wreck could offer new hope for families who lost loved ones in other ocean crashes like Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 that disappeared 12 years ago with 269 people aboard.

Years of research helped locate the wreckage

This crash first caught the attention of Russ Matthews in 2019 when he saw a blurb about a luggage tag from the flight washing ashore in Florida. He said the historical significance of the Clipper Endeavor prompted him to dig deeper.

That led to years of digging through the Pan Am Airlines and Coast Guard archives looking for clues about the location of the plane's watery grave. Reports from the Civil Aeronautics Board, which was the predecessor to the Federal Aviation Administration, also helped.

But the key to finding the wreckage was found in records in Puerto Rico from a hearing that was held on the crash, and a map estimating the location of the crash that was done by Air Force pilots who witnessed the crash because they just happened to be in the area on a training flight.

Bad weather disrupted a previous attempt to locate the wreck in 2024 with a towed sonar array that was also documented by the Discovery Channel's “Expedition Unknown” show. But Matthews said he and the volunteers who work with his Air/Sea Heritage Foundation dreamed of making a second attempt to find it before next year's 75th anniversary of the crash with one of these newer advanced drones that were originally developed for military uses like finding undersea mines.

Undersea drone played a key role in the search

Tony Romeo, who is CEO of the undersea exploration firm Deep Sea Vision, had been talking with Matthews for a while about the possibility of helping try to find this plane if one of his ships was ever in the area, and then in April one just happened to be passing right by Puerto Rico between two other jobs while carrying an advanced underwater drone with the right sensors to be able to find it.

“There we were, and everything kind of came together at the moment: good weather, the right team, and the right equipment and ship. So we took a shot at it,” Romeo said.

Deep Sea Vision previously led an unsuccessful six-month search to find Amelia Earhart's plane, but Romeo had a special interest in this case because his father was a mechanic and pilot for Pan Am airlines. In fact, the drone they used in the search already had a Pan Am sticker on the side.

Capturing the moment of discovery

All the research Matthews' group had done, combined with weather data from the time of the crash, was synthesized to create a map of the most likely location and a search area of 10 square nautical miles. The drone actually found the wreckage on its first pass over that area, although the explorers didn't know that until it returned to the surface with its images.

The Discovery Channel’s Josh Gates and his crew were again along for this latest search to capture the moment the plane showed up on images from the drone after they were downloaded. The search will be featured in a special episode of the show this fall, but a few highlights released Tuesday show the moment everyone in the control room realized what they had found. Shouts of “Oh God!” and “That's a plane!” erupted when the image loaded on screen.

“To have a front-row seat to an expedition like this as it’s unfolding is tremendous, and so I feel really lucky that we were able to be a part of it,” Gates said.

The arrests took place July 15–16, 2026, at spas in Jacksonville and Atlantic Beach. All four women were booked into the Pretrial Detention Facility and each faces a second-degree misdemeanor charge of offering, committing or engaging in prostitution.

News4JAX is not naming the women because they are charged with a misdemeanor.

How the stings unfolded

In each case, the JSO Homeland Security Division’s undercover detectives entered the businesses, paid for a 30-minute massage and were led to a private room. According to arrest reports, sexual conversations ensued during the massages. Once a predetermined takedown phrase was given, officers moved in and took the suspects into custody.

Body-worn camera footage was recorded in all four cases, according to arrest reports.

July 15 arrests: Beach Blvd., Atlantic Blvd.

The first two arrests occurred Wednesday, July 15. A 49-year-old woman, listed as an employee of Spa 27, was arrested at approximately noon at the business on Beach Blvd. An undercover detective paid $60 for a 30-minute massage before she was taken into custody, according to her arrest report.

Later that morning, a 53-year-old woman was arrested at Serenity Spa in Atlantic Beach. An undercover detective paid $60 for a 30-minute massage before the arrest at 9:31 a.m. The arrest report notes that during a separate human trafficking interview, the woman spontaneously made statements to officers.

July 16 arrests: Barnes Rd., University Blvd.

The operation continued Thursday, July 16, with two more arrests. A 51-year-old woman, listed in the arrest report as the owner of Golden Spa, was arrested at approximately 9:08 a.m. at the business on Barnes Rd. An undercover detective paid $60 for a 30-minute massage before she was booked into the Pretrial Detention Facility.

A fourth arrest came later that morning when a 60-year-old woman was taken into custody at nAgel & Spa Massage on University Blvd. S. An undercover detective paid $70 for a 30-minute massage. The arrest report notes that the woman initiated the sexual conversation during the massage.

During a two-hour bargaining session Tuesday at Major League Baseball’s headquarters, the union proposed allowing college sophomores to be eligible for the draft along with those finishing their junior years, a group eligible under the current rules along with high school seniors.

Players proposed moving the draft back to June, when it was held through 2020. They asked that draft slot values continue to be increased at the same percentage as industry revenue through 2027 and may not be decreased for the remainder of the agreement.

Baseball’s five-year labor contract expires Dec. 1 and a management lockout is expected that would halt offseason trades and signings, and threaten the start of spring training workouts on Feb. 9 and opening day on March 24.

MLB in May proposed a salary cap for the first time since players fought off a proposal during a 7 1/2-month strike in 1994-95 that led to the first cancellation of the World Series in 90 years. Players vow never to accept a cap.

MLB said last month it wanted to eliminate eligibility for high school seniors and junior college players, arguing college programs offer better preparation for professional careers. MLB also proposed cutting the draft to 12 rounds in 2027.

The union also wants maintain the ability for players to negotiate deals rather than have fixed slots, reduce penalties for exceeding signing bonus pools, allow more draft selections to be traded and keep competitive balance round selections.

It would allow a $2 million signing bonus pool increase for a revenue-sharing recipient team that is not in a large market in one draft from 2027-31 and also allow those teams to sign two players drafted before the third round to major league contracts rather than minor league deals.

Revenue-sharing recipients that reach the postseason would receive an extra $1 million in their signing bonus pool in the following draft.

Teams exceeding their signing bonus pools by up to 15% would not lose a pick in the next draft, up from 5%.

For players not drafted in the first 10 rounds, the signing bonus pool exemption would increase from $150,000 to $1,000 over the figure for the last 10th-round selection, which was $191,900 this year. For draft and follow players — those who play an additional junior college season after the draft — the signing bonus maximum would rise from $225,000 to $75,000 above the last 10th-round pick's slot value.

Players would agree to MLB's proposal that draft picks could be traded during a period of about a month starting in early November and for the month prior to the draft.

Selections acquired could be traded on to another team but cash couldn't be included except to offset salary of a player involved in the trade. Each team would be required to retain at least one first-round pick in a two-year period and no team could obtain more than three additional selections within the first three rounds. A newly drafted player could not be traded for the first 90 days after he signs or the day after the World Series ends, whichever is later.

Players proposed only picks in the first 10 rounds be tradable.

MLB claims the union's draft proposal in tandem with its revenue-sharing stance would not address payroll.

The union proposed that tax proceeds from penalties for exceeding amateur draft pools be split, with half going to joint funds and half to revenue-sharing recipients who made the playoffs in the prior season.

___

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

RELATED: Jacksonville DJ Bigga Rankin, known as a godfather of Southern hip-hop, community advocate, dies | Tributes pour in for ‘godfather of Southern hip-hop’ Jacksonville DJ Bigga Rankin, honored as career-launching ‘legend’

As tributes poured in from artists, DJs and community members, many called Rankin a pioneer who gave local talent a stage and a shot.

“He was the first person I ever rapped to,” Jacksonville rapper Young Cash said. “When I was 16 years old, Florida Ave, so he even had his hand on since then, so my whole career, he’s been pushing my music and that’s what led me to get a deal. He really helped raise me … he was like an uncle to me.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Young Ca$h (@youngcash)

Rankin’s beginnings are rooted on the Eastside, which became known for its gatherings and parties. Community members Wanda Laurie and Tyree Hall said the group’s early ambitions to DJ and entertain were made possible with help from Ms. Pearl Graham, who offered space and support for Cool Runnings to be born.

RELATED: ‘Life is music’: Legendary DJ Bigga Rankin talks 30 years in the music industry, Jacksonville roots, what drives him

“This block became legendary because of Bigga Rankin,” they said. “If you wanted to be a DJ...if you wanted to be in the entertainment business...you had to be in contact with Bigga because he would put you in front of the right people.”

Ms. Pearl is the inspiration behind it all.

“I told him he had to do something and that’s how Cool Runnings came into existence,” she said. “I said, ‘You’ve got to do something because you can’t hang with me and be broke.”

For many local artists, Rankin was more than a DJ or promoter. He was a connector. Yual The Plugg said no one single-handedly drew thousands of people to shows every weekend like Rankin did.

“The impact speaks in his name,” he said. “I feel like Bigga isn’t in front of Rankin for no reason.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by George YUALL Harper (@yualltheplugg)

Rick Ross’ DJ, known as DJ Nasty 305, credited Rankin with keeping his career alive.

“I probably wouldn’t have a career if it wasn’t for Bigga,” he said. I got to a point in my career where I was very frustrated, and I wanted to quit. He told me if I ever quit, it was going to be a problem between me and him, and I didn’t want that problem. So I took those tears and I used it as fuel and it propelled me to this point today."

Young Cash said there really weren’t any artists making it out of Jacksonville until Bigga.

“I mean, musically, he made the biggest impact cause we didn’t really have no artists that was popping out of Jacksonville until Bigga Rankin started actually playing the local artists’ music,” he said.

City leaders and longtime residents called Rankin’s loss profound.

“This is a big loss,” Henry Manns Jr. said. “The whole city.”

Rankin’s supporters say his biggest legacy was not the records he played or the shows he promoted but the people he believed in and lifted up.

“They’ll never, ever, ever be another Bigga Rankin,” DJ Nasty 305 said. “I’m just glad I was able to call him my friend, my brother and my mentor.”

The Democratic governor, who took office this year, blamed a Motor Vehicle Commission system software error but said a preliminary analysis showed that fewer than 400 of those who registered that way went on to cast ballots.

The revelation comes as President Donald Trump and other Republicans continue to assert that voting by noncitizens is rampant in U.S. elections, even though it’s rare and, when caught, can be punished as a felony that can lead to deportation.

Registrations were for Democrats, Republicans and independents

Sherrill promised immediate action and said she has ordered that all erroneously added voter registrations from that period be removed. She also is replacing the vendor who ran the system and is launching an investigation into how the error happened.

“I am appalled by the reckless failures that allowed this to happen and the lack of transparency shown by those in charge at the time,” she said in a statement.

She also attempted to head off any future criticism of the issue from the president.

“As the Trump Administration tries to weaponize elections for political gain, I am ensuring we protect our elections,” she said.

The White House on Tuesday used the revelation to promote Trump's SAVE America Act, which would require people to show documentary proof of citizenship before they register to vote and impose voter ID requirements nationwide. The measure has passed the U.S. House but has not gotten a vote in the Senate, where even some Republicans oppose it.

“American voters deserve to have confidence that our elections are safe and secure,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement.

Sherrill also noted that the noncitizens who registered did so as Democrats, Republicans and independents. About 6.9 million people in New Jersey are registered to vote and more than 4 million cast ballots in the 2024 presidential election.

Phil Murphy, also a Democrat, was governor when the error occurred. A representative for the former governor did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Christine Hanlon, chair of the Republican party organization in New Jersey, said voter registration needs to be improved and that a bipartisan investigation should dig into what happened, including why the registrations weren't disclosed previously.

"The system and verification process must be improved in order to safeguard our elections,” she said in a statement Tuesday. “The public also deserves to know why this was covered up and who was responsible for keeping this critical information from the public.”

Trump has focused on New Jersey, among other states

In a speech last week, Trump touted an investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, which said it had identified about 278,000 noncitizens registered to vote in federal elections across the country. It said most of them were in California, Nevada, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Tuesday suggested it was that report that prompted Sherrill to take action.

“Appreciate you responding back to our letter, @GovSherrillNJ. This should’ve been done a LONG time ago,” he said in a message on X. “Just ONE illegal vote cancels out the vote of a U.S. citizen.”

The Pennsylvania Department of State said in an emailed statement provided by Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office Tuesday that “evidence has shown that noncitizen voting is extremely rare across the country, including in Pennsylvania.” The department added that it would review any information the Department of Homeland Security provided to “evaluate the validity of these claims.”

Other states have had problems with automatic voter registrations

New Jersey is among 19 states that allow people who are in the U.S. illegally to hold driver's licenses and other state-issued ID cards, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Every state allows noncitizens who have legal status in the U.S. to hold a license.

The NCSL also says that about half the states have automatic voter registration in which eligible people who obtain licenses or, in some cases, other state services, can opt in to voter registration.

In Oregon, officials in 2024 found that about 1,600 people were registered to vote through the state's DMV even though they didn't show proof of citizenship. Most of them were later confirmed to be citizens. The number of people wrongly registered grew by more than 100 by last year, but the state found that only about 30 ineligible voters had cast ballots.

Colorado officials said in 2022 that they had mistakenly sent postcards to 30,000 noncitizens to encourage them to register. The state said none would be allowed if they tried to do so.

A 2019 state audit of California's then-new DMV registration program found numerous errors, some that might have allowed about 1,500 people to incorrectly register to vote. Of those, some might not have been U.S. citizens.

___

Associated Press writer Sarah Rankin in Richmond, Virginia, contributed to this report.

Both chambers of the Parliament voted in favor of the measure, a flagship initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron’s second term. The bill also bans the use of mobile phones in high schools.

Several families in France have sued TikTok over teen suicides they say are linked to harmful content. Children’s advocates and parents applauded the vote.

“We’ve been campaigning for this bill from the start because, frankly, we have no other option, no other way to counter tech giants,” said Gaëlle Berbonde, a 52-year-old who lives in the Paris region. “The only thing we can do is protect our children, just as we protect our children from drinking alcohol.”

Berbonde told The Associated Press that her daughter was in seventh grade when she got her first smartphone. A parental control app helped monitor what she did online, but Berbonde had no idea what TikTok really was. After a few months, the family realized that the daughter was cutting herself and was suffering from anorexia and depression. She spent a year and a half in the hospital but is now 16 and well.

Macron wants the ban in place for the new school year

The legislation is one of the final major measures adopted under Macron’s presidency before he leaves office next year. Macron wants the law to take effect at the start of the new school year in September. However, a review to determine whether the bill complies with the French Constitution is likely to take place and could delay its implementation.

“France is leading the way in Europe in protecting our children and our teenagers,” Macron said. “We will keep on going.”

The ban won’t cover online encyclopedias, or educational or scientific directories.

Lawmakers from the left-wing party France Unbowed opposed the bill, arguing that its constitutionality is unclear, that it would effectively end online anonymity, and that it would be impossible to enforce.

Ines Legendre, a legal adviser for the online protection group e-Enfance, said the law will not immediately translate into an outright ban.

“We’ll also have to address the issue of existing accounts for those under 15. How do we identify them? How do we suspend them? And then there’s the question of age verification for all new accounts that will come into effect,” she said.

According to France’s health watchdog, one in two teenagers spends between two and five hours a day on a smartphone. In a report published in December, it said that some 90% of children between 12 and 17 use smartphones daily to access the internet, with 58% of them using their devices for social networks.

The report highlighted a range of harmful effects stemming from the use of social networks, including reduced self-esteem and increased exposure to content associated with risky behaviors such as self-harm, drug use and suicide.

After the European Commission found that the latest version of the bill overlapped with the EU’s Digital Services Act, which sets strict rules aimed at keeping internet users safe online, lawmakers held final negotiations Monday. They reached an agreement on an amended version of the legislation, which was then submitted to both chambers for a final vote.

Other countries implement restrictions

Growing awareness of the dangers social media poses for young, developing brains has shown up in a wave of new restrictions globally.

In 2024, Australia became the first country to kick kids under 16 off social media. The law makes platforms — including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram — liable for fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($35 million) if they fail to prevent children younger than 16 from holding accounts.

In Europe, Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez announced in February that the country wants to limit social media access for children under 16. Denmark and Greece have unveiled plans for bans for youngsters while the United Kingdom said it would also consider banning young teenagers.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen — the EU's top executive — earlier this month called for limits to be placed on children using social media. A special EU panel looking into the issue recommended forbidding access for those under 13 until tech companies can prove their platforms are safe.

Von der Leyen said that children under 3 should have no exposure to screens at all. She noted infinite scrolling as one of the “addictive” traits that tech companies must address. The European Commission is likely to come up with a proposal for the 27 member countries to consider in the near future.

___

Catherine Gaschka and Alex Turnbull in Paris contributed to this report.

Roger Rogoff is the latest in a series of judicially appointed U.S. attorneys to be ousted by the Trump administration from their posts but is believed to be the first of that group to sue over the removal. His action creates a court case that will test the Justice Department’s authority to appoint — and fire — prosecutors.

Rogoff was unanimously appointed to the job of U.S. attorney for western Washington by the federal judges in the district. But shortly after he was sworn in last Wednesday, he received an email from the Trump administration informing him that President Donald Trump had ordered his termination.

The lawsuit contends that the abrupt firing was unconstitutional and disregarded the authority of the judges of the district to name Rogoff to the job until the vacancy could be filled through a Senate-confirmed nominee.

“The President’s actions violate the law, and they ignore the protections of the Constitution of the United States. Rogoff said in a statement issued through the law firm representing him. "His removal of me, like his removal of other court-appointed U.S. attorneys across the country, is illegal and cannot stand."

US attorneys are typically nominated by the president

U.S. attorneys, top federal prosecutors who oversee regional Justice Department outposts across the country, are typically nominated by the president and then confirmed by the Senate. In the case of a vacancy, attorneys general do have the authority to name an interim U.S. attorney who can serve for 120 days. When temporary appointments expire before a nominee is confirmed, the judges in a judicial district can name a U.S. attorney, as happened in Rogoff's case.

But under Trump, the Justice Department has sought to leave unconfirmed prosecutors in their positions indefinitely or has moved to fire prosecutors appointed by the courts.

The Justice Department said in a statement Tuesday that “the district court did not coordinate with DOJ on this selection. Consistent with other firings of this type, this is wholly within the President’s authority.”

Even before Rogoff was fired, the lawsuit notes, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signaled his intent to fire whomever the judges selected, noting that they did not have the president's support.

Hours later, after he was fired, Blanche posted: “District court judges can appoint a temporary U.S. Attorney, and POTUS can fire them." Judges from the state's western district, he said, "abandoned the time-honored process of consultation with the administration so that the selected U.S. Attorney is qualified to serve in the administration. Roger Rogoff has been fired by the President."

It's a district without a Senate-confirmed US attorney since 2023

Rogoff's district has not had a Senate-confirmed U.S. attorney since 2023. Rogoff submitted his name for consideration with the federal bench last January after the judges signaled their intent to fill a vacancy created by the end of the 120-day term of Charles Neil Floyd, who had been named to the job last year by then-Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Other jurisdictions that have seen tussles between the judiciary and the administration over the prosecution posts include New Jersey, where Trump's former personal lawyer, Alina Habba, resigned in December after an appeals court said she had been serving in the post unlawfully.

Lindsey Halligan, another of Trump's personal lawyers who was installed by the administration, left her position as an acting U.S. attorney in Virginia after a judge concluded her appointment was unlawful and that indictments she brought against New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey must be dismissed.

Now, a TikTok video detailing her experience has been viewed tens of thousands of times and prompted hundreds of comments from women who say they have experienced similar incidents.

Rhiannon Alvarez told News4JAX she was shopping for artwork inside HomeGoods when she noticed a man following her through several aisles.

“At first, I thought I was imagining it,” Alvarez said. “When I finally realized this is actually happening to me, I dropped my cart and grabbed my purse and went to the front.”

Alvarez said she alerted store employees after realizing the man seemed to be sexually gratifying himself while watching her.

“The employees also stated when they rewatched the video, it was blatant; he was pleasuring himself while following me,” she said.

According to Alvarez, the man left the store after realizing he had been noticed. She recorded his license plate before calling the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

She said officers arrived about three hours later.

“Within two minutes of talking to me, before seeing video or anything, the officer had decided there was nothing they could do,” Alvarez said.

Alvarez said the responding officer later reviewed the store’s surveillance video but still told her no criminal charges could be filed.

When News4JAX requested a copy of the incident report from JSO, the agency responded that no records existed. However, the sheriff’s office confirmed it received a call about the incident.

The I-TEAM has asked JSO why no arrest was made and why no report was generated. JSO told us they had a record of going out to the store, but in the call notes, the officer noted “no crime committed.”

HomeGoods’ parent company, TJX Companies, said it cooperated with investigators.

“At HomeGoods, we take the security of our customers and Associates very seriously. We are aware of this matter and have cooperated with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. We will continue to assist law enforcement as appropriate and respectfully defer further comment to the authorities,” the company said in a statement.

Why wasn’t it a crime?

Alvarez said she struggles to understand why the alleged behavior did not result in criminal charges.

“I feel like that’s just as much a crime as anything else,” she said. “I don’t understand how it doesn’t fall under public indecency or lewd and lascivious conduct.”

The I-TEAM reviewed Florida law and consulted legal experts about the case.

Under Florida law, simply touching oneself in public is not automatically a crime. Florida’s exposure statute generally requires a person to expose their sexual organs in a vulgar or indecent manner. If there is no exposure, prosecutors may have limited criminal charging options depending on the facts of the case.

Whether another criminal statute could apply depends on the specific circumstances and evidence.

Viral video prompts broader conversation

Frustrated by the outcome, Alvarez shared her experience on TikTok.

The video quickly gained traction online, with hundreds of commenters, many identifying themselves as women in Jacksonville, sharing stories of stalking, harassment and encounters they say were not taken seriously by law enforcement.

“I’m not the only one it’s going to happen to, and I’m probably not the only one that’s happened to,” Alvarez said. “On my TikTok, there’s 700 comments and half of those comments are other women in Duval County expressing their need for help.”

She hopes her experience will lead to changes in state law.

“If this is legal, make it illegal,” Alvarez said. “We amend laws all the time about things that are much less important than women’s safety.”

Hegseth said the war has cost $37.5 billion, so far. He provided the new estimate, up from earlier accounts, during testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee, where his opening remarks were interrupted by protestors several times.

Meanwhile, the U.S. and Iran are back to bombing every day in a bid to control the Strait of Hormuz. And neither is backing down, showing the limitations of Trump’s reliance on escalating airstrikes to bend Tehran to his will.

While the Trump administration says it is open to diplomacy, Iran so far has refused to loosen its grip over the crucial oil shipping corridor in the Persian Gulf. It is raising questions about the strategy for the conflict's next phase. The intensifying attacks have collapsed an interim ceasefire deal, killed more American troops and sent U.S. gasoline prices back up, posing more problems for Republicans hoping to get reelected.

The Latest:

Trump to campaign in Michigan days before battleground state’s primary election

Trump is expected to hold a rally outside Detroit on July 27 as early voting gets underway in Michigan’s primary election, according to a person familiar with the plans who was not authorized to discuss the event publicly.

Early in-person voting begins July 25 for the Aug. 4 primary. Michigan voters are choosing party nominees for an open U.S. Senate seat and governor.

Republican Mike Rogers is unopposed in the Senate primary, while the GOP gubernatorial contest has intensified between Trump-backed U.S. Rep. John James and business owner Perry Johnson.

Trump is expected to rally in Oakland County, an affluent Detroit suburb that for decades was one of Michigan’s premier political bellwether counties. Democrats have carried the county by widening margins in recent elections, even as Trump won Michigan in 2016 and again in 2024.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

— Joey Cappelletti

Caine acknowledges limits of air strikes to win war

Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, acknowledged the limits of airpower after being pressed on the reliance of airstrikes alone against Iran.

“As you look across the totality of history, airpower’s got limits, and we always have to be mindful of those,” Caine said. “I think where America’s area of exclusivity is, is when we bring the totality of the diplomatic, informational, economic and pair that with the military. And there’s a lot of that work going on.”

Caine declined to say whether ground combat could be next after being pressed by Sen. Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat who noted the likely costs of having boots on the ground.

The general later said: “Iran will continue to be a challenge moving forward.”

Hegseth estimates Iran war has cost $37.5B so far

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday the U.S. war against Iran has cost $37.5 billion, so far, as he is facing questions and protests at a Senate hearing ahead of a $95 billion GOP budget package to fund the military, along with aid to farmers and voting law changes that are top White House priorities.

Hegseth provided the new estimate, up from earlier accounts, during testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee. Several times, protesters interrupted Hegseth’s opening remarks, which come days after the Pentagon announced that three more American service members have died in the conflict, bringing the death toll to 17, and that more than 100 have been injured since early July.

Hegseth said the supplemental war funding is an “urgent, necessary” injection of funds, and with Trump’s proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget a generational investment in the military.

“Without these funds, we face critical shortfalls,” Hegseth testified.

▶ Read more

Hegseth warns that troop training and pay is in doubt if military doesn’t get more money

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned senators that troop training would have to be curtailed if the Pentagon doesn’t get the $67 billion in supplemental funds its requesting from Congress. He also raised concerns about troop pay and weapons that defend against enemy drones and missiles.

Hegseth said $46 billion is needed for munitions and expanding production lines, while $21 billion would be for military pay, fuel and replacing equipment.

“Without these funds, we face critical shortfalls that threaten our ability to also simply pay our service members,” Hegseth said.

Democratic lawmakers countered that the Pentagon is yet to spend tens of billions of dollars of money it received last year. But Hegseth doubled down on the need for the supplemental funds.

Trump says direct US-Lebanon flights could resume for first time in more than 40 years

Trump said Tuesday he’ll allow American carriers to resume direct flights to Lebanon more than 40 years after the US suspended the route.

Direct flights between the U.S. and Lebanon were suspended in 1985 by President Ronald Reagan’s administration following the hijacking of TWA Flight 847.

“I am hereby directing my Administration to allow all U.S. airline carriers to fly directly to Lebanon so that Americans can easily visit this beautiful land,” Trump said in a social media post after meeting earlier on Tuesday with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.

During a White House meeting on Tuesday with the country’s leader, Joseph Aoun, Trump pledged to help Lebanon “a lot.” Aoun came to Washington to push for long-term calm after months of war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.

▶ Read more

Hegseth’s remarks repeatedly interrupted by anti-war protestors

One after another, protestors interrupted the defense secretary’s opening remarks and were quickly removed by Capitol Police. The secretary paused four times for protestors to be removed from the room.

“Stop bombing our children, stop bombing Palestine, this is illegal,” yelled one protestor who was escorted from the room.

“We will have order in the hearing room,” Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, told the room after a third protestor interrupted Hegseth’s remarks.

Collins added after a fourth protester interrupted proceedings: “I would ask that the Capitol Police, whose professionalism I admire, remove those who are seeking to disrupt the hearing.”

Senators criticize Iran war’s costs and Hegseth’s leadership as hearing begins

Senators opened Tuesday’s hearing on the Iran war’s costs with ample criticism for the conflict as well as the stalled careers of Black and female military officers under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Hegseth is set to testify before the Senate Appropriations Committee as Republicans push a $95 billion budget package to fund the military.

Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican and committee chair, cited news reports that women and people of color are disproportionately fired or sidelined under Hegseth’s leadership, arguing that it’s “likely to discourage well qualified women and individuals of color from joining our armed forces.”

Washington Sen. Patty Murray, the ranking Democrat, noted the war’s lack of popular support and impact on the economy as gas prices rise and economic growth slows.

Trump adds Thomas Jefferson statue to Rose Garden patio

The statue of a seated Jefferson currently faces the White House with its back toward the Oval Office.

The White House says it’s positioned that way because groundskeepers need to reinforce the foundation at the location where Trump wants to put the statue. After that happens, plans call for the statue of a founding father who was the third U.S. president to face the Rose Garden and the Oval Office.

The White House says it was a gift from George Lundeen, a Colorado-based bronze sculptor.

The Jefferson statue replaces one of George Washington, which was moved to another location in the Rose Garden.

Judge weighs bid to block Trump administration policy to reject visas for natives of 75 countries

Lawyers for dozens of immigrants have asked a federal judge to block the Trump administration from enforcing a policy directing the State Department to reject visa applications by citizens of 75 countries based on their nationality.

U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden in Washington, D.C., didn’t rule from the bench on Tuesday after hearing arguments from attorneys for the government and roughly four dozen immigrants from the countries singled out by the January 2026 policy.

McFadden, who was nominated to the bench by Trump, appeared to be skeptical that the lawsuit’s plaintiffs have legal standing to challenge the policy. But the judge also said he sees some legal precedent to support arguments by plaintiffs’ lawyers.

Plaintiffs’ attorneys said it’s illegal for the State Department to enforce a blanket prohibition on issuing immigrant visas to nationals of the 75 designated countries.

Government lawyers say the plaintiffs haven’t shown how they’re irreparably harmed by the policy.

UN chief warns military escalation puts pressure on trade, transport, fuel and commodities prices

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls attacks on civilian infrastructure in Iran and the region, including a desalination plant and nuclear power plant under construction, “unacceptable” and a violation of international law, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Tuesday.

Attacks on vital infrastructure for civilians including hospitals and water supplies must stop immediately, the secretary-general’s spokesman said.

The secretary-general and his personal envoy, Jean Arnault, call the current situation “teetering,” and don’t want to see a return to full-scale conflict, he said.

Guterres reiterates that there is no military solution to the conflict and calls for the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and intensified efforts toward a peaceful settlement, Dujarric said.

Trump appears to try to shift blame for US soldiers’ deaths

The president told reporters he would go to Dover for the dignified transfer of U.S. soldiers killed in the Middle East over the weekend.

“They did slip something through in Jordan,” he said, appearing to refer to the deadly Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks there. “If we had other operators, you know, it would have not happened, unfortunately.”

He went on: “We’ve stopped almost everything, but when you let other people do your job with the United States — we let other people do the job — and sometimes it doesn’t work out so well.”

Trump did not elaborate on his comments, and it was not immediately clear who Trump was saying was responsible for protecting U.S. forces in Jordan. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for more information.

Trump says US will strike Pickaxe Mountain ‘very soon’

Discussing plans to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, Trump said the United States will soon target the area near Pickaxe Mountain — a fortified underground site near one of Iran’s primary nuclear enrichment facilities.

“We’ll be hitting that area pretty soon, and very heavily,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday.

The president made the comment after being asked whether he believes Iran has moved nuclear centrifuges to the site. He said it “doesn’t mean anything” unless Iran has uranium to enrich.

“We follow the material,” he said. “That’s where the action is.”

Trump says he’ll pay his respects to fallen service members at Dover

The president is expected to attend the dignified transfer on Wednesday. It’s a ritual considered to be one of the most somber duties of the commander-in-chief.

“I’ll be going to Dover for something that I feel is — it’s a great honor for me to do it,” Trump told reporters.

Two soldiers killed in Iranian missile and drone attacks in Jordan will be returned during the dignified transfer, according to an administration official speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it publicly.

The remains of another soldier killed in Iraq during a detonation of an Iranian drone will also be returned, the official said, as well as a fourth service member whose remains have not yet been identified but who is believed to be a soldier missing after the Jordan attacks.

—- Collin Binkley

Biden disagrees with the decision to expose his private discussions

Biden spokesperson T.J. Ducklo said the former president disagrees with the ruling but “respects the courts and the vital role an independent judiciary plays in a healthy democracy.”

“President Biden’s conversations for a book a decade ago that discussed his late son are private, and were provided to the Department of Justice on the express condition they stay that way,” Ducklo said in a statement. “Reversing course and making them public is just the latest example of this administration weaponizing the (Justice Department) for political retribution.”

Trump says US will ‘take care of business’ if Houthis impose blockade

Asked about his level of concern about a blockade of the Red Sea by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, Trump suggested it wasn’t an immediate problem.

“So far, it hasn’t happened,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “I think that if there is something like that, we’ll just have to take care of business.”

The Houthi-run SABA news agency said six ships were forced to reroute on Tuesday after being warned by the rebels, a day after they announced a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia.

But Trump said “we’ve had no problem with the Houthis” recently, and “they’ve had no problem with us for a long period of time, including during this conflict.”

Vance is in the Oval Office for Lebanon meeting days after son’s birth

Vice President JD Vance sat with other top administration officials for Trump’s meeting with Aoun.

Vance’s wife, second lady Usha Vance, gave birth on Sunday to the couple’s fourth child.

Alec Neel Vance is the first baby born to a sitting vice president in more than 150 years.

Trump says he’s looking at a tariff on Canada over wildfires

Days of smoke from wildfires in Canada drifting into the United States contributed to poor air quality in cities from Detroit to Washington, D.C.

“They’re not managing their forests properly. And the wind has a tendency to blow right over New York City,” said Trump, once a longtime resident of the city. “Michigan was really affected,” he added.

Asked about the issue during an Oval Office appearance with the president of Lebanon, Trump said Canada seems unable to manage the problem.

Trump says US has ‘no interest’ in Iran talks for now

Speaking in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump gave a dim view on possible talks with Iran to end the war.

“I will tell you, they want to desperately meet. And until they’re ready to meet in a meaningful way, we have no interest in meeting,” Trump told reporters.

He said that in dialogue behind the scenes, Iranian officials have said “they want to meet desperately to try and end it, because they’re getting decimated.”

Iran and the U.S. have escalated attacks recently as their interim deal to end the war falls apart.

Iran-backed Houthi rebels say their Red Sea blockade is working

The rebels have opened a new front against Saudi Arabia by declaring a naval blockade of the kingdom, threatening the flow of global oil supplies and trade through the Red Sea.

With the Strait of Hormuz blocked, Saudi Arabia has been relying on a pipeline to the Red Sea to get millions of barrels of oil to market.

Six ships in the Red Sea were forced to reroute on Tuesday after they received warnings from the rebels, according to the Houthi-run SABA news agency.

Separately, three Houthi officials told The Associated Press that the rebel group warned international shipping companies on Monday to avoid transiting in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the gateway to the Red Sea at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula.

— By Jon Gambrell and Munir Ahmed

Report says Trump administration has harmed global efforts to prevent and treat HIV

The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, known as PEPFAR, is credited with saving at least 26 million lives since its inception in 2003. But it’s been impaired by the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development and cuts to thousands of global health grants.

These disruptions to the global AIDS relief program have forced organizations to close clinics, lay off staff and cut services, seriously impeding efforts to prevent and treat the disease in dozens of countries, according to a report released Tuesday by amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research.

Other research, published in the journal Nature Health in June, found a 10% decline in antiretroviral treatment — nearly two million fewer people living with HIV — getting the life-saving treatment through PEPFAR.

▶ Read more

Trump administration pushes ahead with plans to reopen US embassy in Libya

The State Department has informed Congress that it plans to move ahead with the potential re-opening of the U.S. Embassy in Libya. It’s proposing to allocate nearly $41 million to restore America’s formal diplomatic presence in the North African nation.

The effort comes amid new warnings of Iranian-related attacks against U.S. facilities and interests around the world, particularly in the Middle East.

The department told lawmakers that the money would cover “a range of security-related activities associated with plans for the potential phased resumption of embassy operations in Libya.” The embassy in Tripoli was shuttered in July 2014.

The Trump administration reopened the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela following the ouster of former President Nicolas Maduro in January and is also seeking to reopen the closed embassy in Damascus, Syria.

AI stocks keep rising, even as Brent oil’s price tops $90

More gains for makers of computer chips and other winners of the artificial-intelligence boom are carrying Wall Street higher on Tuesday after tumbling the week before.

After rocketing higher because of the boom in investment in AI chips and data centers, they’ve come under pressure in recent weeks on worries that they shot too high. Concerns are also weighing that AI investments may fall off if they don’t produce as much profit and productivity as promised.

The gains came despite more climbs for oil prices, and Brent crude oil topped $90 per barrel because of continued attacks between the United States and Iran. It rose 2.2% to $91.17, up from less than $72 early this month.

The oil price hikes threaten a reacceleration of inflation, just as it was slowing more than economists expected. That in turn could push the Federal Reserve and other central banks to raise interest rates, which would slow economies and undercut prices for stocks and other investments.

▶ Read more

Rubio will meet with Chinese counterpart in Manila

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday in Manila, the State Department said.

The top diplomats from the world’s two largest economies are attending annual talks of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations this week in the Philippine capital.

The ASEAN summit comes amid unfolding crises led by renewed fighting between the U.S. and Iran as well as a violent skirmish in the disputed South China Sea.

The Rubio-Wang meeting could help set up the next sitdown between Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Rubio said ahead of the summit that he expects Xi to visit the U.S. in September and that “it’s incumbent on powerful, important countries like ours to continue to talk and have a relationship.”

Secret Service agent injured at White House correspondents’ dinner will be honored at make-up event

Secret Service Police Officer Victor Gonzales will be given a special award for exceptional service at a rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, the association said Tuesday.

Gonzales was at a security checkpoint during the April dinner when it was interrupted by a gunman who prosecutors say was trying to assassinate Trump. The Secret Service said Gonzales was struck in his protective vest as he engaged the gunman, who was tackled outside the ballroom.

“His swift and decisive actions assisted in deterring the gunman from proceeding any further,” the Secret Service said.

A make-up event being held Friday at the Waldorf Astoria hotel at Trump’s encouragement will also honor Washington Hilton hotel staff who helped guests in the aftermath.

US military identifies soldier killed while disarming a drone in Iraq

The military said it was investigating the death of Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton of Fayetteville, North Carolina, during a controlled detonation of an Iranian drone on Sunday at an air base in Irbil.

Swinton, 30, will get a Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Combat Action Badge, and be promoted to staff sergeant, the military said in a statement.

He enlisted in the Army in 2017, and was assigned to the 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, out of Fort Bragg.

Two U.S. Army soldiers were killed in Jordan on Friday while defending against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks. They were the first U.S. troop deaths from direct Iranian fire since the opening days of the war.

Those areas along the northern Gulf Coast were under a tropical storm warning through Wednesday and could see rain and flooding into Thursday morning, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said. New Orleans also was under a tropical storm warning.

The storm was about 105 miles (170 kilometers) southwest of Panama City, Florida, and roughly the same distance southeast of Mobile, Alabama. It was moving slowly to the northwest Tuesday afternoon with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph), the hurricane center said Tuesday. Gradual weakening was forecast through Friday.

Bertha was forecast to make landfall Wednesday night somewhere in the coastal and lightly populated part of Louisiana southeast of New Orleans, said Michael Buchanan, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Louisiana.

Wind will be biggest threat there, he said.

Authorities open sites to distribute sandbags

Authorities in Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida opened sites to provide sandbags to residents while red flag warnings were posted along some beaches advising swimmers about the dangers of rip tides.

Up and down the coast, double red flags signaled that Gulf waters were closed for swimming.

Beaches near Pensacola, Florida, were mostly deserted except for tourists venturing out to take photos of the pounding surf.

“For locals, this is just another storm,” said Candice Henderson, manager of the Crab Trap, a beachside restaurant that was packed Tuesday on Pensacola’s Perdido Key. “When you’re on vacation and its raining, you either shop or you go out to eat.”

The storm was expected to weaken as it moves along the coast, said Jamie Rhome of the hurricane center. It's possible that the worst of the storm will stay offshore, he said Tuesday.

Bertha was expected to weaken further as it pushes into Texas, forecasters said.

Forecasts called for as much as 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 centimeters) of rain from western Florida to the southern Louisiana coastline, with higher amounts in some scattered areas.

That could cause flash flooding in some urban areas.

Authorities also advised that areas in Louisiana from the mouth of the Mississippi River to the Alabama-Mississippi state line could see storm surges of up to 4 feet (1.2 meters). Parts of Florida and Alabama could see smaller surges.

The tropical storm warning extended west to Morgan City, Louisiana.

Bertha is the second tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season

Bertha is the second tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. Tropical Storm Arthur last month brought heavy rainfall to the southeastern U.S.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration expects this year to see a below-average Atlantic hurricane season although that doesn’t eliminate the chances of a catastrophic storm.

Bertha could dump heavy rain on coastal areas of Mississippi that are still recovering from flooding brought by Arthur that destroyed and damaged homes in June.

“Because of that, people are definitely paying attention, or at least you would hope so,” said Jeff Clark, a spokesperson for Mississippi's Harrison County, where six sites were open for sandbag distribution.

So far, there hasn't been a need to open any shelters or order evacuations, Clark said on Tuesday.

Hurricane Fausto churns in the Pacific

In the eastern Pacific Ocean, Hurricane Fausto churned far from Mexico’s Baja California peninsula and posed no threat to land, the hurricane center said.

Fausto gained hurricane status Monday night. It was about 780 miles (1,260 kilometers) southwest of the southern tip of Baja California, had top sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph) and was moving west-northwest at 12 mph (19 kph).

The storm was expected to strengthen Tuesday and Wednesday. No coastal watches or warnings were in effect, though ocean swells generated by the storm could cause life-threatening surf and rip tide conditions on the Baja California coast, the center said.

___

Associated Press journalists Kimberly Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama, Stephen Smith in New Orleans, and Haya Panjwani in Washington contributed.

The first example of that came Monday night.

Misiorowski worked just four innings in an 8-3 victory over the New York Mets that marked his first appearance since pitching seven innings in a July 7 victory at St. Louis. The Brewers scratched Misiorowski from a scheduled July 12 start in Pittsburgh because of arm fatigue, and he didn’t pitch in the All-Star Game last week despite getting selected for a second straight year.

“I think we take that as kind of a reset,” Murphy said before the game. “Now I think we have to build him back up and make sure that we are mindful of it.”

Misiorowski struck out six Monday while allowing one unearned run, four hits and a walk. Twenty-six of his 65 pitches went at least 100 mph, and he topped out at 104 mph on a first-inning fastball to Juan Soto. He reached 102 mph on 12 pitches, though all but one of them came in the first inning.

Murphy noted after the game that limiting Misiorowski to four innings wasn’t simply a matter of being careful with the flamethrowing right-hander. He said it was more a matter of “just being mindful of when a guy’s not right.”

“We would have probably let him go further if his delivery and his legs felt great,” Murphy said. “I think he was a little bit out of it. The long layoff kind of affected his delivery and everything else. I think it was important to notice that and get him out of there then. The velo dropped. He couldn’t find the rhythm on his heater and went to off-speed stuff.”

Misiorowski acknowledged that it felt a little more difficult than usual pitching Monday after such a long layoff.

“Of course,” Misiorowski said. “I felt like I wasn’t in my legs as well as I should have been, but I felt halfway decent. Good enough.”

Misiorowski's next start is expected to come Sunday when the Brewers host the Colorado Rockies. The Brewers initially didn't include Misiorowski among the projected starting pitchers for their weekend series, but they updated that Tuesday afternoon to list him as their likely Sunday starter.

The Brewers have reason to be careful with their young star as he makes his way through his first full season in the big leagues.

Misiorowski already has pitched 115 innings this season. He worked 141 1/3 innings last year, including his regular-season totals in the majors and minors plus his 12 postseason innings during Milwaukee’s run to the NL Championship Series.

The Brewers (63-37) have the best record in the majors and lead the Chicago Cubs by seven games in the NL Central. Misiorowski has been baseball’s best pitcher, and the Brewers’ chances of making a deep postseason run likely depend on him staying healthy and effective.

Misiorowski hasn’t allowed an earned run in eight of his last 13 starts, and he owns a 9-2 record and 0.87 ERA during that stretch. He has a 1.57 ERA and 173 strikeouts this season to lead the majors in both categories.

The 24-year-old said after Monday’s game that he’s hopeful he can go longer in his next start and can ramp his way back up quickly after this recent time off. He had spent the offseason preparing for the greater workload he expected to encounter this year.

“The offseason last year, we focused on legs and doing all that stuff to get myself ready for this track of the year,” Misiorowski said. “I feel good where I’m at. Ready to go.”

___

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

Juan Jairo Coronilla Durán, 28, died July 14 after authorities said he darted across a busy road in St. Augustine and into the path of a truck. His death was the third in roughly a week involving encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, following fatal shootings in Texas and Maine.

Coronilla Durán traveled from his hometown of San Luis de la Paz, in the central Mexican state of Guanajuato, to Atlanta to visit family and friends, according to Isaret Jeffers, founder of Colectivo Arbol, a farmworkers advocacy group. He had stayed in Georgia for three weeks before traveling to Florida’s east coast to enjoy the beaches, Jeffers said Tuesday.

U.S. authorities have not publicly identified the man, but a Mexico official confirmed his name. Jeffers said Yezzika Alamilla, the man's wife, told them he had been visiting the U.S. on a tourist visa.

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Tuesday about whether Coronilla Durán had a valid visa.

Authorities say he ran from immigration officers

Coronilla Durán was one of four people in a vehicle that stopped in a gas station parking lot before 7 a.m. on the day he died. The four fled on foot during an encounter with agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations, with one darting across a busy road into the path of the semi, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

It is unclear what prompted the encounter and what happened to the vehicle's other three occupants.

The Highway Patrol and DHS have not provided additional details, citing the ongoing investigation.

Advocacy group says his wife sought help

Alamilla called Colectivo Arbol, which provides legal advice and assistance to farmworkers in Central Florida, the day after her husband died, Jeffers said. She was seeking help to travel from Mexico and repatriate her husband’s remains. The organization bought her a plane ticket and put her up for three days, until Monday, she said. The Mexican consulate has been helping her since.

“His wife said he was there on a tourist visa. She didn’t understand what was happening,” Jeffers said. “He didn’t come to work; he wasn’t working. He was here as a tourist.”

Alamilla “thinks he was very afraid, and that’s why he ran away," Jeffers said.

His remains will be repatriated

According to information provided by the widow, Coronilla Durán “had been in the United States for only a very short time (and) had a tourist visa," said Susana Guerra Vallejo, the undersecretary for assistance to migrants and mobility issues for the Mexican state of Guanajuato.

She said that Alamilla would be able to see the body of her husband at the Florida funeral home.

Coronilla Durán’s body will be transported to Mexico on a commercial flight from Orlando, Guerra Vallejo told The Associated Press. He will be buried in his hometown of San Luis de la Paz, a farming community in Guanajuato that is about 160 miles (260 kilometers) northwest of Mexico City, she said.

Coronilla Durán and Alamilla had two children, a 7-month-old girl and a 7-year-old boy, Jeffers said.

Coronilla Durán’s death was at least the 10th involving encounters with immigration agents since President Donald Trump launched his mass deportation campaign last year.

The Mexican government said it had asked state attorneys general in the U.S. to review the deaths of migrants in ICE custody or during raids for possible criminal prosecution.

___

Sánchez reported from Mexico City. Associated Press reporter Maria Verza contributed from Mexico City.

Gardner and her estranged second husband, Mario Fernandez, are accused of carrying out a murder-for-hire plot on Gardner’s ex-husband, Jared Bridegan, who was gunned down in February 2022. Prosecutors say the accused gunman is Henry Tenon, a former tenant of Fernandez.

During Tuesday’s hearing, the judge amended Gardner’s earlier order and scheduled the closed hearing for July 27, just weeks before trial.

Latest hearing for Gardner

At issue was whether the defense can subpoena the cell phone of Kirsten Bridegan, a key witness in the case. Prosecutors argued the defense had not met the legal threshold of materiality required to obtain the subpoena.

“A blanket request for general category information is insufficient,” Assistant State Attorney Steve Siegel said, adding that the defense request amounted to harassment of the witness.

“She should be doing what she should do as the widow of Jared Bridegan and is preparing for a trial in three weeks,” Siegel said.

Defense argues constitutional rights at stake

Defense attorney Kirsten Nelson countered that Florida’s rules of criminal procedure allow the court to hear a limited, private proffer on the question of materiality — and that forcing a public disclosure would violate her client’s constitutional rights.

“I am not permitted constitutionally or under the Florida rules of ethics to further disclose what my client’s defense strategy is,” Nelson said. “That violates my ethical obligations and it violates my client’s constitutional rights.”

The two sides also clashed over the legal definitions of “in-camera” and “ex parte,” with Nelson arguing the state was conflating the terms.

“It is a misnomer to call a hearing where both sides have notice of the basis of the hearing, the time of the hearing, the substance of the hearing generally speaking, an ex parte proceeding,” she said.

Judge rules after reviewing case law

After a recess to review newly submitted case law, the judge sided with the defense, citing State v. Young, 654 So. 2d 962 (3rd DCA 1995), as support for the in-camera procedure.

“I reread the rule. There is no requirement that it be in writing. It was made here in open court,” the judge said. “Any party can do it.”

The hearing will include Gardner, her defense attorneys, the clerk’s office, judicial staff, bailiffs and a court reporter. Proceedings will be sealed for appellate purposes. The state was given leave to file additional written arguments before the hearing.

A separate hearing was set for July 23, 2026, to give media organizations the opportunity to intervene before the courtroom is closed.

Timeline: How we got here

More than four years ago, Jared Bridegan dropped his then-9-year-old twin children off at the home of his ex-wife, Shanna Gardner, after a “date night” with their dad.

He left Gardner’s Jacksonville Beach home on Feb. 16, 2022, with his 2-year-old daughter, Bexley, strapped in her car seat in the back of his dark-colored SUV. They were headed back to St. Augustine.

But the 33-year-old Microsoft executive never made it home.

Following his normal route through the Sanctuary neighborhood, Bridegan suddenly had to stop in the area of Jacksonville Drive, America Avenue and Sanctuary Boulevard.

A tire was in the road.

When Bridegan stepped out of his SUV, he was ambushed by gunfire. At least one bullet missed Bexley by mere inches in her car seat.

RELATED | Murder-for-hire plot included practice run along Jared Bridegan’s normal route home: prosecutors

Bridegan was left lying in the street next to the SUV with the door wide open, and the shooter seemed to melt into the shadows just as quickly as he had launched his ambush attack.

None of the 911 callers that night mentioned seeing a shooter or a vehicle leaving the scene.

LISTEN: Press play below to hear 911 calls from night of Jared Bridegan’s murder (WARNING: May include graphic content)

But eventually, detectives tracked down the man they say pulled the trigger.

Investigators say that it was all part of a murder-for-hire plot set in motion by Gardner and her new husband, Mario Fernandez. It was a conspiracy that began in November of 2021, according to court documents.

Interactive Timeline

Alleged murder-for-hire scheme

According to detectives, Gardner was tired of sharing custody of her twin children with Bridegan.

Fernandez, she knew, could “take care of him” because of his military background, Gardner told a friend. At least that’s what the friend told investigators as she detailed the strained marriage between Gardner and Fernandez and the contentious ongoing custody battle between Gardner and Bridegan.

RELATED: A friend of Shanna Gardner said she could help in Jared Bridegan’s murder case. Here’s what she told investigators | How investigators say they untangled conspiracy to kill Jared Bridegan

Investigators say that’s exactly what Fernandez did, hiring Henry Tenon, a tenant at one of his properties, to kill Bridegan.

In his initial interview with police in July 2022, Tenon told investigators that he had been renting a home from Fernandez in Jacksonville’s Biltmore neighborhood for several years.

Tenon’s original court records said he became involved in the conspiracy on Jan. 4, 2022 -- just over a month before Bridegan was killed.

Investigators said when Tenon was arrested on an unrelated felony driving charge in August 2022, they questioned him about Bridegan’s murder and a Ford F-150 truck they had been searching for since the shooting.

RELATED | Follow the money: Checks written to Jared Bridegan’s admitted killer connect him to 2 accused in ‘murder-for-hire plot’ | Jared Bridegan’s wife files wrongful death lawsuit against 3 accused in his murder

Tenon was later arrested in Bridegan’s murder, and investigators said the single link between Tenon and Bridegan was Fernandez.

In 2023, Tenon pleaded guilty and admitted to being the gunman who killed Bridegan, but he has since backtracked, and a judge granted his motion to withdraw his guilty plea.

State prosecutors initially said they would be seeking the death penalty against Gardner and Fernandez if they were convicted, but they have since taken the death penalty off the table, with the support of Bridegan’s widow, Kirsten, and his family.

Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni visited Pakistan, a key mediator in the conflict seeking to revamp diplomacy. But it was unclear what new arrangement might be reached to end the war, which lately has become a battle for control over the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway vital to world energy supplies.

Speaking from the Oval Office, U.S. President Donald Trump gave a dim view on possible talks, saying the U.S. had “no interest in meeting.” He signaled that U.S. forces could soon target an area of Iran close to one of its main sites for enriching uranium.

With negotiations and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz largely stalled, both sides have sought to gain leverage by targeting civilian infrastructure in the region relied on by millions of people.

A barrage of U.S. strikes hasn’t loosened Iran's grip on the strait, through which about one-fifth of the world's crude oil and natural gas was shipped before the war.

The U.S. continued its airstrikes on the Islamic Republic Tuesday, and Iran attacked a tanker in the strait, forcing the crew to abandon the ship. Iran also kept up attacks against U.S. allies in the region. Sirens in Bahrain and Kuwait warned residents of incoming projectiles.

The escalation pushed energy prices higher. The international benchmark for crude oil traded Tuesday above $91 a barrel and regular gasoline in the U.S. climbed to an average of $4 a gallon.

With U.S. midterm elections approaching in the fall, polls have pointed to the unpopularity of the war among Americans, who have felt the pain of pricier gas and seen new casualties in a conflict that weeks ago seemed to be winding down.

Iran-backed rebels in Yemen open a new front in the Red Sea

In the Red Sea, Iran-backed Yemen's Houthi rebels have opened a new front against Saudi Arabia by declaring a naval blockade of the kingdom, threatening the flow of global oil supplies and trade. With the Strait of Hormuz blocked up, Saudi Arabia has been relying on a pipeline to the Red Sea to get millions of barrels of oil out to market.

A news agency in Yemen that is run by the Houthis, SABA, said Tuesday that six ships in the Red Sea were forced to reroute after they received warnings from the rebel group. The Associated Press could not immediately confirm the claim.

Three Houthi officials said the group warned international shipping companies on Monday to avoid transiting through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the gateway to the Red Sea on the opposite side of the Arabian Peninsula from the Strait of Hormuz. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity, saying they weren't authorized to speak to journalists.

Trump says US has ‘no interest’ in Iran talks

Momeni, Iran's interior minister, met Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, according to two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door negotiations. Momeni later met Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

In a statement, Sharif expressed deep concern over the recent U.S.-Iran escalation, and urged all sides to exercise restraint and avoid actions that could further destabilize the region.

Pakistan’s political leadership and Munir, who serves as both the chief of army staff and defense forces, played a key role in brokering last month’s interim agreement between the U.S. and Iran. Islamabad has been working to persuade both sides to return to the negotiating table.

Trump told reporters that Iranian officials "want to desperately meet. And until they’re ready to meet in a meaningful way, we have no interest in meeting.” He said the U.S. would soon target the area near Pickaxe Mountain — a fortified underground site near one of Iran’s primary nuclear enrichment facilities.

Iran's military leaders said any attack on nuclear or “other sensitive facilities” would be considered a major escalation, according to a statement reported by Iranian state media.

“We declare that if the invading and terrorist military of that country enters such a phase, we will regard it as an expansion of the war across the region, and all interests of the United States, its allies, and its supporters will become targets of powerful attacks by the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” said the statement from the armed forces' Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters.

A deep level of mistrust persists on both sides. Iran came under a surprise attack in June 2025 and again in February while it was engaging in nuclear negotiations with the U.S. The interim deal unraveled when Iran resumed attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, which was supposed to be reopened under the agreement.

US strikes come as ships are attacked

The U.S. military’s Central Command said Tuesday it targeted “Iranian military command centers, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites and air defense systems.” It released more footage of bombings that targeted sites in Iran.

“American forces remain postured and prepared to hold Iran accountable for unwarranted aggression toward civilian mariners seeking to freely and openly transit the strait,” the command said.

Iranian state media reported that explosions were heard in Fars, Hormozgan, Ilam, Kerman, and Sistan and Baluchistan provinces.

The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said a tanker came under attack early Tuesday in the strait off Oman, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel.

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard claimed responsibility for the attack, as well as two other attacks on ships Monday in the waterway.

The route close to Oman's shores has been the one the U.S. military has encouraged ships to travel to avoid Iran’s control.

To enforce the blockade in the strait, as of Tuesday U.S. forces have redirected eight commercial vessels and disabled one, CENTCOM said on X.

Iran strikes US allies around the region

Tehran also hit U.S.-allied countries throughout the Mideast on Tuesday.

Jordan's military said Iran targeted it with five drones and three missiles, all of which were shot down. Bahrain sounded its missile alert sirens on Tuesday afternoon as another Iranian barrage targeted the island kingdom, which is home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet.

In Iraq, flights were temporarily suspended at Irbil International Airport after a wave of attacks targeted the capital of the semiautonomous northern Kurdish region, according to Iraq’s state-run news agency. No group claimed responsibility for the attacks, but in the past both Iran and Iran-backed Iraqi militias have launched attacks in the Kurdish region, where U.S. troops are present.

The Kuwaiti government said Iran struck desalination and power plants for a fourth straight day on Monday night. Authorities said the attacks sparked fires and caused damage.

Some 90% of Kuwait’s drinking water comes from desalination, making the attacks a matter of life and death for the tiny nation.

U.S. strikes have been hitting electrical equipment in Iran as well, and Iranian officials also have said Americans targeted water facilities.

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres called the attacks on civilian infrastructure “unacceptable” and a violation of international law.

___

Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers Fatma Khaled in Cairo, Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut, Collin Binkley in Washington, and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

Raines pulled off a spectacular comeback to stun Miami Northwestern 23-22 to win the Class 3A state championship last December. Billed as the “Revenge Tour,” the Vikings atoned for a 41-0 blowout in December 2024 with the most thrilling game of the season. The big question now: can they repeat?

Head coach Donovan Masline said the state championship and the 14-0 season was unforgettable, but this year’s team is a much different squad. Raines graduated nearly 30 players, including a foundational playmaker in QB TJ Cole, a 2024 All-News4JAX player of the year. Sophomore Sa’mon Ellison-Morgan will take Cole’s spot, with 360-pound center McKinley Alexander IV helping clear the way. Junior athlete Zion Green is the team’s top recruit. On defense, Johdeem Jones and edge Troy Butler are both back.

The schedule is beefed up significantly, with a Week 1 game at Oakleaf kicking things off. Raines also faces Ed White, Mandarin, powerhouse Venice and Cocoa this season.

Ex-Jags at Atlantic Coast

Two former Jaguars returned to a familiar spot on Tuesday.

Atlantic Coast promoted Tony Gilbert to head coach replace Step Durham after spring practice. Gilbert played five seasons for the Jaguars and then returned to serve as an assistant linebackers coach under Doug Marrone, Urban Meyer and Doug Pederson across four seasons.

Gilbert is also very familiar with his Atlantic Coast defensive line coach, Reggie Hayward. Reggie played nine seasons in the NFL, including the final five of those with the Jaguars.

Reggie’s son, 6-4, 210-pound edge, Israel Hayward, said there’s no such thing as special treatment on the field.

“We definitely separate it,” Israel said of their relationship. “I don’t act like he’s my dad on the field.”

Gilbert said that the growth of Israel and fellow edge Desmond Malpress should make things easier for the Atlantic Coast secondary in breaking on pass attempts. Malpress is committed to Clemson and is the top-rated local prospect in the Class of 2027.

Added Reggie: “As a father it’s been a joy and pleasure coaching my kids. Second of all, I don’t hold back on ‘em.”

Speaking of Jaguars …

Providence head coach Maurice Williams is entering his fifth season leading the Stallions. A second-round pick of the Jaguars in 2001, he started 100 games for the franchise over his nine-year career. He’s got some help from some former Jaguars players, too.

Ex-Jaguars safety Donovin Darius joined Williams’ staff this year. He joins former Jaguars OT Chris Ziemann and defensive tackle Roy Miller on the Providence staff.

At Creekside, Aaron Lynch spent the final season of his NFL career with the Jaguars in 2020 before retiring following a seven-year career. He’s been with Creekside in an assistant coaching role since 2023. Head coach Sean McIntyre elevated Lynch to the defensive coordinator position this year, and said he’s thrilled to see what Lynch does in that role.

Big things ahead for Hilliard, Alderman?

Hilliard has one of the most explosive returning players in running back DJ Alderman. The senior jumped from 373 rushing yards (three TDs) to a staggering 1,790 and 21 TDs. That included a pair of seven-TD rushing games and a career-high of 477 rushing yards in a 49-48 loss to St. Joseph.

Hilliard head coach Will Dyal said the big thing for the Red Flashes he’s confident that Alderman will continue to ascend even with eight- and nine-man fronts the norm. The challenge this year is about the system around facing the challenges and growing.

“Our offensive line has worked tirelessly this season. … That’s been a big focus for us, taking our offensive line to the next level,” Dyal said.

Paxon still in SSAA football league

Paxon head coach Steve Brown said that the Golden Eagles remain a member of the Sunshine State Athletic Association in football for another season. The Florida High School Athletic Association announced last week the teams that were joining the new independent league, but Brown said that wasn’t accurate. The FHSAA was forced to address the deluge of schools leaving for the SSAA and did that by launching the Independent Series. It consists of nearly 70 schools. Locally, those include four teams – Cornerstone Classical, Englewood, Hilliard and Providence.

Paxon has one of the best returning teams in Brown’s 13-year tenure, including RB KJ Palmer. The senior is coming off a spectacular season where he rushed for 2,272 yards and 19 TDs.

First Coast Christian makes big jump up

After more than a decade playing six-, seven- and eight-man football, First Coast Christian is making the move up from eight-man to full-on 11-man football this season. One player said the move is equivalent from going from Upward-level youth sports to college in an offseason. The smaller football of six-, seven- and eight-man are made to accommodate smaller schools and smaller roster sizes.

Quotable

“If you’re not shooting for a state title, you’re playing for snow cones, and you can get a snow cone at the gas station.” – Mandarin head coach Toby Bullock on the expectations entering 2026.

“They pay their coaches.” - Englewood head coach Randy Grace on the differences being a coach in Georgia and Florida. Grace coached in Georgia from 1996 until coming to the area in 2023. The head coaching football supplement in Duval County Public Schools is $4,699 a year. It hasn’t been raised in more than three decades.

“We’re not just here to show up and be everyone’s homecoming.” – Wolfson head coach Dennis Bettinger, whose Blue Devils finished 5-6 and lost to West Nassau in the opening round of the SSAA playoffs.

“Change for the sake of change is foolishness. That’s what we’re doing right now.” - St. Augustine head coach Brian Braddock on the yearly playoff changes in Florida.

“Football is all about the journey. The joy is in the journey. We’re going to try and enjoy that journey every day.” – Justin Sirmon, Christ’s Church Academy head coach.

“We want to put a good product, a knowledgeable product on the field. … Our goals are no different than any other player or program.” – Westside head coach Michael Burns on the Wolverines’ mindset. Westside is coming off an 0-9 season, but the outlook is good due to young and fast players.

One comment—calling Moncrief “the worst road in Jacksonville”—racked up 257 likes, and she decided to see what people who live and travel the corridor think is really going on, and what is being done to make it safer.

A comment, a challenge, and a route on Google Maps

Sophia did what many viewers suggested: she plugged Moncrief Road into Google Maps and hit start.

“Worstest road in Jacksonville”

Once on Moncrief, Sophia asked residents directly: Is it really the worst road in town?

One man didn’t hesitate. “I think it’s the worstest road in Jacksonville,” he told her, adding that the danger he sees goes beyond potholes and lane markings.

When Sophia asked whether the bigger issue was crime or crashes, he said crime was the main concern—and that the community needs to feel like someone cares. He also pushed back on the area’s reputation, saying Moncrief gets “a bad rap” and that people “pre-judge” what they don’t know.

“Look around… it’s clear”

Sophia asked why some residents feel their neighborhood doesn’t get the same attention as other parts of Jacksonville.

The response was blunt: “Now look around… it’s clear.” It was a moment that underscored what she heard repeatedly—frustration that improvements seem to happen elsewhere, while Moncrief’s needs linger.

Another resident said the road itself could use upgrades, including new pavement.

What the city is doing: roundabouts first

Sophia found that the city is looking into improvements on Moncrief Road, starting with roundabouts—including one at 45th Street and another planned at New Kings Road.

But residents raised concerns that redesigns won’t matter if basic pedestrian safety isn’t addressed.

“No crosswalk there… no crosswalk there…”

At one four-way intersection, Sophia pointed out a problem that was hard to miss: no marked crosswalks.

“This is a four-way intersection,” she said, noting the absence of crosswalks in multiple directions. For people walking in the area, residents told her that can mean there’s effectively nowhere safe to cross.

A community asking to be heard

Sophia said what she found on Moncrief Road wasn’t just complaints—it was a community “crying to be heard,” watching work happen in other neighborhoods and asking why similar urgency hasn’t shown up here.

One resident summed it up with a call to action: the neighborhood needs to come together to “clean it up” and “build it up.”

Study on Moncrief Road

The North Florida Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) recently completed a study on the Moncrief Road corridor.

You can get a full look at the study by clicking here.

The S&P 500 climbed 0.9%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 385 points, or 0.7%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 1.3%.

AI stocks once again were at the center of the action, and they rose for a second straight day after tumbling the week before.

After rocketing higher because of the boom in investment in AI chips and data centers, they’ve come under pressure in recent weeks on worries that they shot too high. Concerns are also weighing that investment in AI may fall off if it doesn’t produce as much profit and productivity as hoped.

Micron Technology jumped 12.2% and added to its 1.9% gain from the day before, coming off its 13.3% drop from last week. Nvidia added 2%, and they were the two strongest forces lifting the S&P 500.

The gains came despite more climbs for oil prices, and Brent crude oil briefly got near $92 per barrel for the first time in more than five weeks because of continued attacks between the United States and Iran. It later pared its gain to 2% and settled at $91.01. That’s up from less than $72 early this month, which is roughly where it was before the war with Iran.

Rising oil prices are threatening a reacceleration of inflation, just as increases for prices were slowing more than economists expected. That in turn could push the Federal Reserve and other central banks to raise interest rates, which would slow economies and undercut prices for stocks and other investments.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.63% from 4.60% late Monday and from just 3.97% before the war with Iran began.

On Wall Street, several stronger-than-expected profit reports from big U.S. companies helped stocks to strengthen despite the added pressure.

3M climbed 7.3% after topping analysts’ expectations for both profit and revenue in the latest quarter. It also raised its forecast for profit over the full year of 2026.

Hasbro rallied 8.8% after the toy maker said its Magic: The Gathering game topped $500 million in revenue for a quarter for the first time. It also raised its revenue forecast for the year.

General Motors cruised 4.9% higher after the automaker’s profit and revenue for the latest quarter beat analysts’ expectations and CEO Mary Barra said demand in North America remains strong.

They helped offset a drop for Danaher, which slid 11% even though it likewise topped analysts’ expectations for profit and revenue. Analysts pointed to its forecast for an underlying measure of revenue growth for the summer, which was weaker than Wall Street expected.

Homebuilder D.R. Horton slipped 0.9% despite topping profit and revenue expectations for the latest quarter. Executive Chairman David Auld said it’s still feeling the effects of affordability concerns in the housing market and caution among potential homebuyers.

Mortgage rates have already climbed to their highest level in nearly a year because of higher Treasury yields in the bond market. That could force D.R. Horton to offer more incentives to homebuyers in the current quarter, which would cut into its profits.

Companies broadly are under pressure to deliver strong growth in profit and revenue because of how high their stock prices have shot. Indexes are near their records, even with the recent shakiness for AI stocks.

All told, the S&P 500 rose 65.92 points to 7,509.20. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 385.38 to 52,224.64, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 329.13 to 25,837.21.

In stock markets abroad, indexes rose modestly in Europe. The United Kingdom’s FTSE 100 added 0.6% as new Prime Minister Andy Burnham hosted his first Cabinet meeting.

In Asia, stocks swung more. South Korea’s Kospi jumped 3.6% on strong gains for its two dominant stocks. Both Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have been big beneficiaries of the AI boom, and the Kospi has soared 60% so far this year even with its 20% drop through July.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 climbed 3.3% after returning from Monday’s holiday, while indexes rose 1.8% in Shanghai and edged down by less than 0.1% in Hong Kong.

___

AP Business Writers Chan Ho-him and Matt Ott contributed to this report.

Pfc. Benjamin Del Real Jr., 25, was visiting the capital on May 23 and hoping to snap pictures with his sister and father outside the White House when a gunman opened fire. Secret Service fired back, killing the man, and a bullet struck Del Real in the stomach, causing serious injuries that required emergency surgery. Part of his digestive system had to be removed.

Del Real filed notice of a personal injury claim on Tuesday, saying he plans to sue for $25 million under the Federal Tort Claims Act. He accused the Secret Service of botching its response to the shooting and failing to adequately protect him and other bystanders, he and his lawyer, Joseph Murphy, said Tuesday at a news conference.

“I, my father and Benjamin all feared for our lives, and the moment that I saw Ben bleeding was undoubtedly the scariest moment of my life,” said his sister, Sara Del Real.

The Secret Service has not said whether its agents fired the bullet that struck Del Real. The Metropolitan Police Department said earlier this summer that the ballistics on that bullet had not yet been returned. Metropolitan Police Department spokesman Lee Lepe said Tuesday the investigation is ongoing.

Federal law enforcement agencies are generally shielded from legal liability, but there are some exceptions, including some claims of employee negligence.

The Secret Service does not comment on pending litigation, according to Nate Herring, a spokesperson for the Service. He referred questions to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, which did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Del Real, of Salina, Kansas, and his family had spent hours that day touring the National Archives, Arlington Cemetery and other landmarks before passing by the White House at around 6 p.m. on their way to dinner. Just then, Del Real saw the shooter, about 20 yards closer to a Secret Service outpost, take out a gun and fire several rounds at their booth, prompting agents to return “a hail of gunfire,” Murphy said.

The shooter, 21-year-old Nasire Best, was killed.

Del Real pulled his father to the ground and dragged him behind a concrete barrier, saving his life, but a bullet struck Del Real in the stomach, causing him “life-threatening injuries,” Murphy said. He underwent an emergency surgery, then again two days later to remove the bullet, and is due for a third surgery next month. Doctors had to remove parts of his colon and small intestine.

Del Real, who joined the Army a year and a half ago, said he is “without a doubt, concerned” about his ability to continue a military career.

“He’s a young man, he’s 25 years old, and he’s had part of his digestive system taken out,” Murphy said. “It’s not going to get any better from here.”

---

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

Navarro couldn't prove Trump had shielded him from the subpoena's requirements by invoking executive privilege, according to the unanimous ruling by a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

“In short, Dr. Navarro has acknowledged that even if executive privilege had been invoked, that would not have excused his categorical failure to comply with the Select Committee’s subpoena,” D.C. Circuit Judge Patricia Millett wrote.

Navarro already has served a four-month prison sentence for his contempt of Congress conviction. He was a White House trade adviser during Trump’s first term in office and is serving in a similar role during the Republican's second term.

In a book published in 2021, Navarro took credit for a plan to delay the congressional certification of Democrat Joe Biden's victory over Trump in the 2020 presidential election. Ultimately, the mob's attack on the Capitol interrupted the joint session of Congress for certifying the Electoral College results.

The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack issued a subpoena for him to turn over documents and appear for a March 2022 deposition. He didn't comply with the subpoena's demands.

Navarro has maintained that he couldn’t cooperate with the committee because Trump had invoked executive privilege. But the courts, including the D.C. Circuit panel, concluded that Navarro couldn’t prove Trump had actually invoked it.

Abhishek Kambli, an attorney for Navarro, suggested that they aren't giving up on their appeal. Kambli described the panel's decision as “one step in a battle to correct decades of incorrect (D.C. circuit) precedent.”

"He intends to move swiftly with his appeal because his case affects every senior presidential advisor, regardless of political party, who believes in good faith they cannot comply with a congressional subpoena based on executive privilege,” Kambli said in a statement.

In September 2023, a jury in Washington convicted Navarro of two counts of contempt of Congress. In early 2024, Navarro reported to a federal prison in Miami.

Only hours after his release from prison, Navarro spoke on stage at the Republican National Convention, telling the crowd that “I went to prison so you won’t have to.” He continued to pursue an appeal after serving his sentence.

Navarro’s appeal also was heard by Judges Cornelia Pillard and J. Michelle Childs. Millett and Pillard were nominated to the court by President Barack Obama, a Democrat. Childs was nominated by Biden. Navarro was sentenced by District Judge Amit Mehta, an Obama nominee.

U.S. Reps. Andy Biggs and David Schweikert, who represent neighboring districts in metro Phoenix, offer a clash of styles in the race to take on Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, considered the most endangered Democratic governor in the country this election cycle.

With President Donald Trump's endorsement and support from the grassroots turnout machine of the conservative group Turning Point Action, Biggs says he can unite the party going into a general election.

Schweikert says his low-key, pro-business, fiscal conservatism can win back voters turned off by a string of Trump loyalists like Kari Lake, the Republican nominee for governor four years ago.

Both parties have hotly contested primaries to replace Schweikert in the highly competitive 1st Congressional District.

Republicans also are picking nominees for secretary of state and attorney general, key posts with power over elections in a state that was pivotal for Trump's efforts to overturn his loss in 2020.

Election officials in Maricopa County, which includes metro Phoenix and two-thirds of the state's voters, said two polling sites had power outages, and voters were directed to other nearby locations. Several polling places also had technical problems earlier in the day, including connectivity issues with electronic poll books, that were resolved.

Maricopa County has been an epicenter of election conspiracy theories since Trump lost his reelection bid in 2020, and handling of elections is closely scrutinized.

Biggs and Schweikert responded differently to Trump's GOP takeover

Biggs built a national profile as chair of the House Freedom Caucus from 2019 to 2022 and as a staunch defender of Trump. He assisted the president’s attempt to block the certification of his loss in the 2020 election, voting against accepting Electoral College votes from Arizona and other battleground states after the Jan. 6 riot.

He has always represented safe Republican seats and is a veteran of factional brawls within the GOP. Before going to Congress, he nearly lost his post as state Senate president during a confrontation with then-Gov. Jan Brewer, also a Republican, over her push to expand Medicaid.

Schweikert has walked a tightrope with Trump, carefully keeping his distance without antagonizing him. That has helped him win a string of tough races in a competitive House district — a track record he says will help him win over swing voters and beat Hobbs — but has left him isolated from Trump's “Make America Great Again” base.

Democrats have focused their attacks on Biggs, whom they plan to portray as an extremist focused on helping Trump and not Arizonans.

Primaries will set the field for a top House battleground

Schweikert’s 1st District is a top battleground in the fight for a congressional majority. Anchored in Scottsdale, it is home to many of the white, highly educated and affluent voters who have soured on the GOP under Trump.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee controversially threw its support behind Marlene Galán-Woods, a former television news anchor who used to be a Republican. Her late husband, Grant Woods, was the Republican attorney general in the 1990s and later became a vocal Trump critic.

Galán-Woods’ chief opponent, Amish Shah, is an emergency medicine doctor and former state legislator who was the nominee in 2024 but lost narrowly to Schweikert.

On the Republican side, former Arizona Cardinals kicker Jay Feeley has Trump’s endorsement. But he has been dogged by criticism for living outside the district — he resides in Biggs’ district and originally was running there until Trump endorsed a rival in that contest.

Feeley faces Joseph Chaplik, a former state legislator popular with many of the GOP’s grassroots activists, and businessperson John Trobough.

In Tucson, retired Marine drill instructor JoAnna Mendoza is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination to challenge second-term Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani, who also has no primary opponent. The seat is perennially competitive in general elections and is a top pickup target for Democrats in November.

Meanwhile, the GOP primary for the safe Republican seat Biggs is vacating has turned salacious: Former Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, who is endorsed by Trump, came under scrutiny for alleged sexual misconduct and abuse of power.

The county attorney cleared him of criminal wrongdoing, and Trump reiterated his endorsement this month. Lamb dismissed the allegations as “slander and lies.”

He faces Daniel Keenan, who owns a construction company.

___

Associated Press writer Josh Kelety contributed.

“She told me she was 18,” the singer said in the video from February 2024. “Everybody’s telling me she was 13.”

Prosecutors allege that D4vd, whose legal name is David Burke, had already been having a sexual relationship with the girl for several months, and that 14 months later, he stabbed her to death after she threatened to expose the relationship and ruin his career. He was 18 at the time.

The video was shown on the first day of a hearing in Los Angeles County court to determine whether there is enough evidence to put Burke, now 21, on trial on charges of murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains. He has pleaded not guilty and his lawyer has said he did not cause the girl's death.

Prosecutors also showed photos of the dismembered and decomposing body of Rivas Hernandez. The body had been found on Sept. 8, 2025, by a homicide detective in the front trunk of a Tesla registered to Burke at a Hollywood tow yard.

Det. Joshua Byers of the Los Angeles Police Department testified that he found the head and torso in a body bag, and arms and legs in a garbage bag underneath it. He said two fingers were missing from a hand.

Rivas Hernandez's parents were in court along with dozens of reporters and members of the public who got their seats through a lottery drawing. Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman, the lead prosecutor, checked on the family during a break in court after the photos were shown. She said she does not intend to have them testify.

Byers said the father, Jesus Rivas, called police a few days after the body's discovery because he had seen news reports and feared it was his daughter. He shared dental records with police. Byers said the investigation of Burke began immediately after he found the car's registration.

LA County Sheriff's Deputy Juan Gonzalez, whose body camera video was shown, testified that Burke had been extremely cooperative when he visited in 2024 to look into the missing person's report. In the years before she was killed, Rivas Hernandez was reported missing a number of times.

Burke allowed Gonzalez to search the house, which was owned by Interscope Records for its artists to use. The deputies found no signs that Rivas Hernandez or any girl had been there.

The mood was friendly and jovial among the three, and one of the deputies says “Ohhh, that’s pretty cool, good for you,” when Burke described his music career.

Burke said he had met Rivas Hernandez online on Instagram and Discord in 2021, had seen her once in person a few months earlier and had last communicated with her a few days earlier. He shared Rivas Hernandez's phone number with them and showed them photos from his phone of a yearbook picture of her and a missing person's flyer.

The hearing resembles a mini trial

The preliminary hearing is expected to last about four days and resemble an abbreviated trial. Judge Charlaine Olmedo will decide whether the prosecution offered enough evidence to demonstrate probable cause to proceed to trial.

District Attorney Nathan Hochman said outside the hearing that his office has not yet decided whether to pursue the death penalty in the case.

The defendant, who has been held without bail in a jail near the courthouse since his arrest, appeared in court in his Orange jail clothes. The judge ruled that his hands could be uncuffed, but he must remain shackled to his chair. No cameras are allowed in the courtroom.

The defendant and the victim had known each other several years

Burke was reported missing multiple times in the years before her death, and prosecutors said in a court filing that they have evidence she was with Burke for long stretches, including a trip to Texas where she met his family. Prosecutors said they have sexual text messages and photos the two exchanged.

The court filing said he sent a car to pick her up on the night of April 23, 2025, from her hometown of Lake Elsinore, California, some 80 miles (129 km) outside of Los Angeles. The two exchanged messages until she arrived at his Hollywood home, after which her phone went dead.

“Knowing he had to silence the victim before she ruined his music career as she had threatened, very soon after her arrival at his home, defendant stabbed the victim to death multiple times and stood by while she bled out,” the document said.

Prosecutors say they have evidence linking Burke to girl's death

Prosecutors said they have records showing Burke ordered chain saws he used to dismember her body in his garage, and that her DNA was found there on blood stains discovered when police served a search warrant. Byers testified that Burke ordered a body bag on Amazon using an alias but with his own card and address.

Blue fragments were clearly visible on the body in the photos shown in court — and prosecutors said they will demonstrate they are from an inflatable pool Burke used in the dismemberment.

The defense has not publicly provided its version of events.

D4vd had budding music career

D4vd began making music for YouTube videos he created of the video game Fortnite when he was a teenager.

The songs he wrote and recorded on his phone were a blend of indie rock, R&B and lo-fi pop. The music made him a phenomenon on TikTok, Instagram, Soundcloud and Spotify, where his top songs, including his 2022 breakthrough “Romantic Homicide,” have more than a billion plays. In 2023, he released two EPs and opened for SZA on tour.

He performed at last year's Coachella music festival just a few weeks before prosecutors said Rivas Hernandez was killed, and his album was released. Five months later, he was on tour promoting it when the body was discovered.

Hottle was one of two passengers in the car when it went off the road and hit a culvert in Ijamsville before 3 a.m. The driver was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, and the other passenger declined medical treatment, according to a news release from the sheriff's office. Excessive speed is believed to be a factor in the crash, which is under investigation, the sheriff's office said.

Hottle was a native signer of American Sign Language, and her family members are also deaf. Her parents, Joshua and Ketsi Hottle, shared emotional video statements about her death on social media sites.

“Kaylee’s mom and four siblings are crushed,” her father said in ASL in a post from an airport. “They are together at home, grieving. I am on my way to Maryland to bring Kaylee’s body back home.”

Hottle’s heart stopped before she arrived at a hospital, transported by air from the scene of the accident, her father said. “Very grateful for the 18 years we had together — and wish we had more,” he said.

Joshua Hottle also reached out to the driver, described by the sheriff's office as a 19-year-old Frederick man.

“I have forgiven you,” her father said. “Don’t let this incident ruin the rest of your life.”

“I still feel Kaylee is with us,” her mother said in ASL in a post.

In “Godzilla vs. Kong” and the sequel, “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” Hottle played an orphaned girl named Jia who sees beyond Kong's threatening appearance and forms a special bond with the monster, communicating with him using sign language.

“I’m so devastated to hear this. You will be deeply missed Kaylee,” her “Godzilla” co-star Millie Bobby Brown posted on Instagram.

Co-star Alexander Skarsgård, who learned ASL to communicate with Hottle, told the pop culture website Junkee in 2021 that he and others were impressed by the young ingenue's professionalism and her ability to quickly incorporate the director's notes into her acting.

In a 2024 interview with The Associated Press, Hottle said through an interpreter that she hadn't watched monster movies before she was cast in “Godzilla,” so her father helped her understand the genre.

“I look up to a lot of people, but the one person I look up to, the few people I look up to mostly, are my parents and my sisters,” Hottle said.

Hottle said that when she was working on the first film, she was a bit concerned about whether she would be able to return to her “normal life," afterward.

“People do recognize me at school, yes, but it's not as bad as I thought it would be,” Hottle said.

Hottle previously appeared in a 2021 television episode of “Magnum P.I.” She was listed as appearing in the upcoming film “What Doesn’t Kill Us.”

“I’m so heartbroken. My heart goes out to her family during this unimaginable time,” Alaqua Cox, her co-star in that film and fellow deaf actor, wrote on Instagram.

Other prominent deaf actors also shared messages of grief online.

“I am absolutely gutted about the passing of sweet Kaylee Hottle. May her beauty and talent be a memory for eternity,” Oscar winner Marlee Matlin wrote on Instagram.

Fellow Oscar winner Troy Kotsur, who starred in the film “Coda,” wrote that Hottle's death made him think of his own daughter, and reminded him not to take time for granted.

“I have no words to express on what happened this morning,” Kotsur wrote, offering his “deepest condolences” to the Hottle family.

Officials with Texas School for the Deaf in Austin also announced Hottle's death on Facebook, writing that counseling and support services would be available to her classmates and friends.

“Please keep Kaylee's loved ones in your thoughts as we mourn this tremendous loss together,” the school wrote. ___ Boone reported from Boise, Idaho. Lage reported from Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The Jacksonville Beach Police Department says it received reports April 9, linking 24 separate thefts at the Jacksonville Beach Home Depot that occurred between Jan. 2 and April 9.

Investigation leads to arrests

Detective Filbert of the General Investigations Unit (GIU) partnered with Home Depot Loss Prevention personnel to identify those responsible. On April 13, detectives say they learned the suspects had just committed another theft at a Home Depot in Jacksonville and were believed to be heading to the Jacksonville Beach location.

Working with GIU detectives, Downtown CAPE officers and patrol officers, law enforcement officers say they quickly located the suspects’ vehicle and took four people into custody. Officers also recovered nearly $2,500 in stolen merchandise during the operation

As the investigation continued, detectives say they identified two additional suspects connected to the theft ring. One has since been arrested, and the second currently has an outstanding arrest warrant.

The five defendants collectively face 97 criminal charges.

Carl McDaniel, 65, suffered multiple bone fractures in the July 10 attack at the national park but lived to tell the tale, as seen in a video he recorded a few days later from his bed at Bozeman Health Deaconess Medical Center in southern Montana.

“He wasn’t showing aggression or anything like that until it picked a target. That target happened to be me,” McDaniel said in the video posted on Instagram on Saturday.

McDaniel was on a after-dinner stroll with his grandson when the attack happened at Bridge Bay Campground, not far from Yellowstone Lake.

“They move faster than you could ever imagine. He just kept coming,” he said. The bison did not connect with McDaniel’s grandson, who was not hurt.

Bison can run up to 35 mph (56 kph), faster than the men’s world record in the 100-meter dash. They stand up to 6 feet (2 meters) tall, weigh up to 2,000 pounds (900 kilograms), and are North America’s biggest land animal.

Yellowstone records on average a couple of bison attacks every year. At least two people were attacked in the park in 2025.

Bozeman Health emergency department Dr. Eric Lowe said in the video that McDaniel suffered fractures in multiple places. McDaniel said the hardest part wasn’t the creature’s horns.

“I didn’t get bruises from him launching me in air,” he said. “It was the landing that became the problem.”

Varsity 4 top 25 player countdown

18. Aiden Phifer

Position/school: QB/Nease.

Class: Jr.

Height/weight: 6-0, 190.

Recruiting: Committed to Northwestern.

Why here’s here: Phifer burst on the scene last year by passing for 2,003 yards and 20 TDs. He was a threat to break off a run, too. Phifer scored nine rushing TDs. He did it by going 9-3 against a tough schedule that included powerhouse Buchholz (twice), St. Augustine and Oakleaf. A Rivals/On3 three-star recruit, Phifer should continue to ascend as a dual-threat QB.

19. Julius LaRosa III

Position/school: DL/ University Christian.

Class: Sr.

Height/weight: 6-2, 260.

Recruiting: Committed to NC State.

Why here’s here: A multiyear force on the defensive line for the Christians, he’s got 24 career sacks and 43.5 tackles for loss. Recovered two fumbles and blocked a punt last year. Had 59 tackles last season and is up to 171 for his career. A consensus three-star recruit by the four major recruiting services and a top 140 player in Florida by those outlets.

21. Kindrid Outland

Position/school: DL/Mandarin.

Class: Sr.

Height/weight: 6-2, 270.

Recruiting: Committed to USF.

Why here’s here: He was all over the field last year for the Mustangs, earning a second-team All-News4JAX selection after racking up 62 tackles, 21 for loss, and 5.5 sacks. A three-star recruit by 247 Sports and Rivals/On3, Outland has serious muscle and pocket-busting interior presence.

22. Kyree Wilson

Position/school: ATH/University Christian.

Class: Senior.

Height/weight: 6-0, 190.

Recruiting: Committed to Toledo.

Why he’s here: Wilson has thrived as the No. 1 player at a small school (Christ’s Church) where he racked up 3,019 rushing yards and 32 TDs and added 74 combined tackles during his freshman and sophomore seasons. Wilson, a Rivals three-star prospect, spent his junior year at Mandarin in a two-back system and absolutely scorched teams when given the opportunity (9.1 yards per carry). He’s got 3,807 career rushing yards and 38 rushing TDs, and could join the exclusive 5,000-yard rushing club with a strong season. Factor in his work on defense in the secondary and he’s going to put up numbers all over the field for the Christians.

23. Kash Kolbow

Position/school: S/WR/Nease.

Class: Senior.

Height/weight: 6-1, 180.

Recruiting: Committed to UCF.

Why he’s here: He was a little bit of a do-it-all player on Nease’s defense in 2025. Kolbow had 68 total tackles and a couple of interceptions. He was sticky in coverage (23 passes defensed) and forced two fumbles. With as big graduation losses as the Panthers had on defense, Kolbow’s production is no doubt bound to keep ticking up.

24. King Boylston

Position/school: QB/Ed White.

Class: Sr.

Height/weight: 6-1, 195.

Recruiting: Uncommitted.

Why he’s here: Boylston isn’t rated by any of the major recruiting services, but he’s a player who should see his stock rise over the course of the year. He accounted for 38 TDs last season, passing for 25 and scampering for 13 more. Boylston passed for 2,091 yards and rushed for 712 more to help lead the Commanders to the mantle as the highest-scoring regular season team in state history.

25. Noah Ash

Position/school: Kicker, Ponte Vedra.

Class: Senior.

Height/weight: 5-11, 190.

Recruiting: Committed to Auburn.

Why he’s here: A placekicker among the area’s top players? You got that right. Ash is the area’s best player at his position, and one of the top recruits in the nation. He booted 11 field goals for the state semifinalist Sharks last year and had 74 touchbacks in 85 chances. Depending on the recruiting outlet, Ash ranks between fourth (247 Sports Composite) to sixth (Rivals/On3).

It is not the first time he has lashed out at Infantino over fixture congestion and for considering a proposal to expand the 2030 men's World Cup from 48 teams to 64.

“Increasing the number of national teams makes no sense. The football industry isn’t just the World Cup, which is the most important event. But not everything can revolve around the World Cup,” Tebas told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“In my opinion, yes, I think his time is up,” he said of Infantino. “However, he has the support of the system and the federations, so there’s not much more to add, is there? There’s no opposition candidate, nobody wants to stand just to lose. This is the system and it’s rotten at its core.

“He shouldn’t stay, but he won’t leave. I’ve heard many people who are against Infantino. They say it, but then they do nothing. I don’t know what’s worse, the silence or the complicity, because those who stay silent are perfectly aware of the damage football is suffering.”

South American soccer’s ruling body CONMEBOL has made an official proposal to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams. The competition is already set to be the most sprawling edition with six host nations spread across three continents.

“It’s national competition that sustains this sport," Tebas added. "They are destroying the football industry, which generates tens of thousands of jobs, for an event that lasts 40 days and involves a minority of players.”

He also criticized world football’s governing body FIFA over the new hydration breaks implemented at the World Cup which ended Sunday, as well as the extended 27-minute halftime interval — rather than the standard 15 — during the final that saw Spain defeat Argentina 1-0.

The hydration breaks midway through each half were introduced to help players deal with the summer heat in the United States, Canada and Mexico. But critics say they had unintended consequences, ruining the flow of the game and giving coaches a chance to tactically shift momentum in their team’s favor.

“FIFA arranges things as it pleases, for what it wants, for its own interests — certainly not for football,” Tebas said. “Hydration breaks are a lie. We have them in La Liga, but only when it’s genuinely hot. Here, the pitches in Dallas, Los Angeles, and Atlanta had air conditioning. It was a lie — and just a break for advertising.”

Infantino announced in April that he would run for re-election for a fourth term as president. The vote for the 2027–2031 period is scheduled for March 18 in Morocco.

The Football Supporters Europe group also called on the wider soccer community to hold FIFA to account.

In a statement on its website headlined “A World Cup that failed supporters”, the FSE demanded “structural governance reforms to hand decision-making power back to the FIFA Council and Congress and ensure full consultation with clubs, leagues, players and supporters.”

It added: “The 2026 World Cup should have been a celebration of the game and the supporters who give it life. Instead, it has too often become a case study in what is so deeply wrong with football today.

"From the outset, supporters were asked to place their trust in FIFA and “chill”, but it prioritised spectacle and commercialisation over the match-going experience with key elements of football’s identity being messed with. Over the last month, we've seen football contorted to the whim of Gianni Infantino and the Trump administration.”

The FSE, accepted by European soccer's governing body UEFA as the recognized group representing fans in the region, then went on to attack “historically high ticket prices” and “skyrocketing transportation costs, bending of rules and procedures, exclusion of swathes of the global population and a lack of transparent communication.

“All this created an environment of confusion and distrust that has severely damaged the reputation of FIFA, the World Cup, and the integrity of football itself.

“The lessons from this World Cup are clear: FIFA is unfit to govern global football. The future of the game cannot rest in the hands of a man who has proven yet again that he puts financial and political interests ahead of the future of our game.”

___

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

Isolated showers and thunderstorms will be possible, mainly west and along Highway 301. Isolated showers with storms will also be possible along the Atlantic sea breeze. The drier pattern will continue through Friday. Rain chances increase this weekend as moisture increases ahead of a weak front. Models show the approaching trough mingling with the Gulf and Atlantic sea breezes for scattered afternoon showers and thunderstorms.

The summer heat continues with possible Heat Advisories this weekend.

Tonight: Isolated showers with thunderstorms, mainly west and along Highway 301.

Wednesday: A steady southerly breeze as afternoon highs soar. Slight chance of showers, storms, 10 percent. Morning lows in the 70s to low 80s. Afternoon highs in the low to mid 90s inland, upper 80s to low 90s along the beaches. Feels Like temperatures 102-106 degrees Wind: S/SE 10-20 mph.

Thursday - Friday: The summer pattern continues with the heat and humidity combining for Feels Like temperatures in the 100s. Isolated showers and storms possible. Lows in the 70s to low 80s. Highs in the upper 80s to mid 90s.

Looking ahead: Scattered showers with thunderstorms return this weekend.

Tropics: Monitoring Tropical Storm Bertha. www.news4jax.com/weather/2026/07/21/tropical-storm-bertha-churns-toward-northern-gulf-coast-with-risk-of-heavy-rain-gusty-winds/

Sunrise: 6:39 p.m.

Sunset: 8:27 p.m.

The 9-8 vote came after some Democrats had praised Clayton and indicated that they might vote for him. But that shifted after a contentious hearing last week in which Clayton repeatedly refused to say that former President Joe Biden won the 2020 election.

Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the panel, said during the hearing that he was “bitterly disappointed” in Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and a former Securities and Exchange Commission chairman, even though he had worked with him in the past.

The committee’s approval sets up a floor vote on Clayton’s nomination, potentially early next week. The vote took place behind closed doors, as is customary for the panel, and all Democrats voted against Clayton, according to a person familiar with the vote who requested anonymity to disclose it.

Democrats are unlikely to allow Republicans to speed up a vote on the nomination after the hearing, at which Clayton said many times that the election was “certified” for Biden, declining to say outright that the Democrat won.

But Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said after the hearing that he thought Clayton’s performance was “abysmal,” and that “makes it much less likely that he will get Democratic votes.”

Democrats push back as Trump focuses on 2020

The Democratic pushback on Clayton comes as Trump has made revisiting the 2020 election, which he lost, a primary focus. On Thursday evening, he delivered a speech from the White House in which he again tried to cast doubts on that election and amplified debunked theories about Biden’s win. Clayton told senators that he had no involvement with that speech.

Senators in both parties have expressed concerns about the interim director, Bill Pulte, who took over when Tulsi Gabbard resigned last month. Pulte has no known intelligence experience and investigated the president’s perceived enemies in his previous post as a federal housing regulator.

Republicans were hoping to confirm Clayton in June so he could replace Gabbard without Pulte serving as interim. But Trump delayed Clayton’s nomination before the Senate left for a two-week recess, allowing Pulte to take the job temporarily.

Clayton did not mention Pulte in the hearing. But he emphasized his own government and national security experience, attempting to assuage senators in both parties.

“I saw firsthand how a strong national security apparatus depends on decisive judgment, discipline, integrity, and effective communication and cooperation across different branches of the government,” Clayton said in his opening statement. “If confirmed as Director of National Intelligence, I will commit to upholding these principles every day.”

Cotton, who expressed frustration last month when the hearing was delayed, said that Clayton has a reputation for operating with “morality, decency and integrity” in his previous positions.

“Jay Clayton is a highly qualified nominee with a deep experience combatting a wide range of national security threats. I’m pleased that the Senate Intelligence Committee voted to advance his nomination to be Director of National Intelligence,” Cotton said in a statement on Tuesday.

Messi's private jet landed near his hometown of Rosario from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at 6:27 a.m. Although many fans were waiting with signs and flags, he did not make a public appearance.

“The pain is immense, and this wound will take time to heal,” he posted on his Instagram account. “I cherish all the good moments, memories that will last forever — and the support of an entire nation which, combined with this group’s hard work and effort, propelled us once again into the ranks of the world’s best.”

Supporters only caught a brief glimpse of the SUV that met Messi on the tarmac to transport him and his family to the private neighborhood of Funes, roughly 300 kilometers (185 miles) north of Buenos Aires.

The Argentina captain reportedly traveled with his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, and their three children, all of whom had accompanied him throughout the tournament in North America. Waiting for him in Rosario was his 68-year-old father, Jorge, whose ongoing medical treatment for an undisclosed illness had been revealed by the family during the World Cup.

Fans had gathered at the airport as early as 3:30 a.m. hoping to catch a sight of the star. Among them were two young girls in Albiceleste jerseys holding welcome signs, one of which read: “Messi: You’re a legend. Thank you for bringing joy to our hearts. A whole country loves you!”

Messi is expected to rejoin Inter Miami in late July or early August for the ongoing MLS season

Fifteen members of Argentina’s 26-player World Cup roster, led by head coach Lionel Scaloni, landed at Buenos Aires’ Ezeiza Airport on Monday on a chartered flight.

The squad’s arrival followed Sunday’s 1–0 extra-time loss to Spain in the World Cup final in East Rutherford, New Jersey, decided by a Ferran Torres goal.

Scaloni’s arrival at his family home in Pujato — a small town in the province of Santa Fe — on Tuesday and it was quite an event as his neighbors gathered to welcome him.

After a few minutes, he stepped out of the house and began signing Argentina jerseys handed to him by the crowd, as well as posing for photos.

“We didn’t win, but we can be satisfied. It hurts not to have been able to bring that joy,” Scaloni told reporters. “We lost because they were better ... perhaps we were running on fumes. It’s good to acknowledge that — it will make us better.”

Scaloni said he would honor his contract with the Argentine Football Association (AFA) through December 31, though he stopped short of confirming whether he would continue beyond that date. “I’m here until December, guys ... let’s not make a fuss,” he added.

Sunday marked Messi’s third World Cup final appearance, following 2014 and 2022. He ended the tournament as the runner-up for the Golden Boot with eight goals, two behind France's Kylian Mbappé.

Mbappé tops the all-time World Cup goal-scoring chart with 22, one more than Messi.

“It is hard to fully appreciate our achievement right now, but this group reached two consecutive World Cup finals. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for every greeting and message,” Messi added. “I also want to congratulate Spain on winning the championship.”

___

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

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office also confirmed that it assisted another agency in that area.

News4Jax records show this is the same house neighbors in the area describe as a nuisance home that has drawn repeated visits from law enforcement over the last couple of years.

“I’m not seeing any signs McDonald’s or Burger King is here. It look like a drive-thru is here, you know?” said Vasily, a property owner on Jefferson Road.

Vasily shared this picture of the fire with News4JAX. He said he came over Monday afternoon to make sure his property wasn’t affected by the fire from the nearby home.

“It’s in the back of property fire. It something like a big shed is up there, catch fire,” Vasily said. “You’re like, and I’m wondering, make sure my property not catch fire.”

Another neighbor, Allen Schiessl, told News4JAX he witnessed the city of Jacksonville putting an orange sticker on the home today to officially condemn it.

“The grandson of the lady who passed, who lived there. And they were shocked. They said they saw the report that y’all did and that got action,” Schiessel said. “They called the city, the city condemned it. Anyone on there is trespassing and just dial 911, that’s what she told me.”

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but Schiessl says he hopes the home being condemned will help keep the issues they’ve dealt with at bay.

“I can’t tell you how many cars have stopped since they put that orange tag on the door condemned. I bet there’s been over 50 cars stopped since this morning just to look,” Schiessel said. “We’re so relieved. It’s not been very fun for anyone.”

News4JAX reached out to the city to confirm that officials condemned the home and what led to it being condemned.

In 2026, Florida and Tennessee will be complete strangers.

Their once-a-year matchup that, back in the day, featured Steve Spurrier, Peyton Manning, Phil Fulmer and snark that sometimes even outweighed the stakes — “You can’t spell Citrus without ‘U-T'" — is absent from the schedule for the first time in 37 seasons.

Alabama-LSU — that’s gone too, for the first time since 1963.

The Gators and LSU — they’ll miss each other for the first time since 1970.

Such is the price of progress in the Southeastern Conference, which has grown from 10 teams in the old days to 16 now.

The league is introducing a nine-game league slate this season in an attempt to boost strength of schedule for what is now a playoff system that has a committee awarding seven at-large spots in the 12-team field.

“When you look at our schedule, no one has created the kind of weekly competition that exists in the Southeastern Conference,” commissioner Greg Sankey said.

The divisions that once made Florida-Tennessee such a big deal — winner had an inside track for the East, a spot in the conference title game and maybe the national championship — are gone, another product of expansion.

Under the new system, in place through 2029, each school will play three “annual” foes. Some of the SEC’s most ancient rivalries, like Alabama-Auburn, Florida-Georgia and Auburn-Georgia, were preserved.

Others are now less-permanent affairs. Another oldie but goodie that's missing this year, Georgia vs. Tennessee, first played in 1899 and became an annual event in 1992. The Volunteers got the best of the Bulldogs early, but Georgia has won nine in a row and 14 of the last 16 — a run that prompted a question to Georgia coach Kirby Smart on Tuesday about feeling like he has “one less win” on the schedule.

“You said that; not me,” Smart responded. “I got a lot of respect for Josh (Heupel) and their staff. I mean, they’re a tough prep. I’m glad other teams get an opportunity to do that, and then we get some new teams to play.”

Some new teams, yes. Some old rivalries will return, too.

For instance, Arkansas-Texas, a must-see game on the old Southwestern Conference schedule that produced the Game of the Century, attended by President Nixon in 1969, is an annual affair again. Two years ago, Missouri renewed acquaintance with Oklahoma, reupping a rivalry that meant a lot in the Big Eight for a time in the 1970s. And Texas-Texas A&M, the “Lone Star Shootout" and a game held every year between 1915 and 2011, will now be played annually.

Asked about rivalries being renewed and others that, in another effect of realignment, are changing dates — Missouri's season-ending tradition against Arkansas has been moved to Week 8 — Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz said: “I don’t worry about that. I know each and every game in the SEC is extremely difficult.”

The SEC also mandated its teams play a 10th game against a Power Four opponent, which led Kansas and Missouri to renew their so-called "Border War" and created other early season matchups like Oklahoma-Michigan, Clemson-LSU, Ohio State-Texas, Auburn-Baylor, Arkansas-Utah and Arizona State-Texas.

SEC coaches believed moving to a nine-game league schedule would coincide with College Football Playoff expansion, which didn’t happen.

Now, they have tougher schedules, no increased access to the 12-team playoff and a few less rivalries.

“That’s what our conference looks like,” Oklahoma coach Brett Venables said. “Each and every week, you’re not going to sneak up on anybody.”

A brief look at the Tennessee-Florida series

The Tennessee-Florida rivalry decided the SEC East a dozen times between 1993 and 2009. Spurrier got under Fulmer’s skin with his “Citrus Bowl” comments. Manning, despite all his accolades, went 0-4 against the Gators. The importance of the rivalry diminished beginning in 2011, with both schools falling behind Georgia in the East.

A brief look at the Florida-LSU series

The Florida-LSU matchup has been filled with chaos, controversy and close games. Among the most memorable one: LSU upset No. 1 Florida in 1997, stormed the field and tore down goal posts; the top-ranked Tigers won another close one a decade later by converting five fourth-down plays; in 2020, unranked LSU stunned the sixth-ranked Gators in Gainesville on Cade York’s 57-yard field goal through heavy fog after cornerback Marco Wilson inexplicably threw an opponent’s shoe and kept alive the game-winning drive.

A brief look at the LSU-Alabama series

Alabama and LSU played 12 times between 2008 and 2021 with one of them ranked first or second. It often had Western Division and national title implications. Few matchups outweigh the 2011 showdown in which top-ranked LSU knocked off No. 2 Alabama 9-6 in overtime. The Crimson Tide won the rematch in New Orleans two months later for the national championship.

Could current rivalries be affected beyond 2029?

The SEC has been adamant that each team’s annual opponents will be revisited and potentially realigned to maintain competitive balance before the 2030 season. Of course, by then, there’s no telling what the SEC or college football will look like.

___

Long reported from Gainesville, Florida.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Kolby Alana Schweiger was taken into custody on two third-degree felony counts: one count of adoption deception involving more than $300 and a second count alleging she made false representations to obtain living expenses with no intent to complete an adoptive placement.

Bond on one warrant was listed at $10,003 and on the other at $5,003. Schweiger was booked into the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office jail at 1:34 p.m. on July 16 after being transported from the Indian River County jail, according to the arrest report.

The arrest stems from a complaint filed by ACF Adoptions. The organization told investigators Schweiger first contacted ACF on April 13 about making an adoption plan and met with a caseworker April 16.

ACF said it provided living-expense payments beginning April 20 and provided records showing payments totaling $1,390.58 from April 20–29. Records from a South Carolina agency, Families by Adoption, showed $17,056.58 paid to Schweiger since Dec. 31, 2025, the report states.

An investigator consulted with an economic-crimes detective before a warrant was requested.

News4JAX first started asking JSO about its investigation on July 10 after viewers tipped us off.

One witness sent us video and said he saw JSO investigators at the Hooters restaurant on San Jose Boulevard. He said he was in a boat and saw JSO pulling a dead body, which appeared to be unclothed, from the water.

According to a JSO incident report released Tuesday, the woman was discovered around 11:30 a.m. by an unknown witness who then went inside and notified a Hooters manager.

JSO pronounced the adult woman dead on the scene. JSO has not said whether she has been identified.

On Friday, JSO confirmed that the case is still ongoing as investigators await an official cause-of-death ruling by the Duval County Medical Examiner.

The deadline for action is more than two months away, but House GOP leaders are not leaving to chance that a possible shutdown sours the mood of voters. House Speaker Mike Johnson is daring Democrats to vote against the bill, and if they do, "then they alone are going to own the chaos that ensues if the government shuts down after September 30.”

It’s highly unusual for Congress to pass a stopgap funding bill months before the end of the fiscal year. Lawmakers normally act just days or even hours before the deadline. But once lawmakers leave town this week, the House is scheduled to be in session for only 16 more days before the funding deadline.

GOP leadership is laying the groundwork to spend most of that time on another priority: a long-shot, party-line bill that spends $95 billion to boost defense, aid farmers and get portions of President Donald Trump’s elections overhaul bill passed into law.

“I think it's kind of smart to go ahead and take the potential chaos of a shutdown off the table because the amount of damage that does to the American citizens,” said Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga. He said he believed a shutdown “probably works to the advantage of Democrats politically,” and he blamed the press for such a scenario.

Democrats are expected to overwhelmingly oppose the stopgap measure, which would generally fund agencies at current spending levels.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the senior Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said the legislation was dropped on Democrats on Friday without any bipartisan negotiations. She said that, among other priorities, Democrats would have pushed for provisions to prevent the Trump administration from enacting a rule that allows agency heads to block or terminate grants that they claim don't match the president's priorities.

“We still have two months before the end of the fiscal year and should not rush through an incomplete funding extension,” DeLauro said. “We ought to wait for the information that we need to get it right the first time.”

Republicans said work on the dozen annual spending bills would continue in the months ahead, but that funding the government through Dec. 4 could help lawmakers avoid a repeat of the past year when the country experienced the longest federal shutdown in history followed by the longest partial shutdown in history.

“We've seen that happen twice in this Congress already,” said Rep. Tom Cole, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. “I'm not willing to risk a third time if we can avoid that.”

Some of the more conservative Republican lawmakers appear fine with the bill to extend funding to Dec. 4, known as a continuing resolution.

In this environment, that's "the best way to spend the least amount of money,” said Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo. “You keep spending levels static for at least a period of time.”

It's unclear if the Senate will go along with the bill. Spending bills require support from 60 senators to advance to a final vote, so some Democrats would need to support it.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the new actions — which come after previously announced Medicaid funding deferrals in those states — are part of the administration's strategy to “stop the fraud before it happens” rather than claw back problematic spending after bad actors are prosecuted, as previous administrations had done.

“We have a duty to stop the payments, demand answers and then follow the evidence wherever it leads,” Kennedy told a news conference.

The tactic is part of the administration’s sweeping campaign to show it’s cracking down on fraud and saving taxpayers money when rising healthcare costs and other economic stressors have made affordability a top voter concern in November’s midterm elections.

In March, Vice President JD Vance launched a new anti-fraud task force at the request of President Donald Trump, bringing together officials from various departments to use data and technology to identify and investigate suspected wrongful use of federal dollars.

But the federal government hasn't provided “data or explanation on how the deferral amount was calculated or what it was based on” to Minnesota, said John Connolly, the temporary commissioner and state Medicaid director for Minnesota's Department of Human Services.

“Today's actions show that the federal government is acting again in unprecedented and punitive ways as part of their war on Medicaid and its recipients,” he said in a statement. “Partnership — not politics — is required to stop criminals and protect services for the people who need them.”

Minnesota’s Democratic Gov. Tim Walz suggested the Republican administration was deferring the funds to pay for Trump’s tax cuts to wealthy Americans. California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom accused the administration of targeting it for political reasons.

The Trump administration intensified anti-immigration efforts in Minnesota earlier this year, sending in a robust force of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers whose actions there caused weeks of counterprotests and included the shooting deaths of two civilians. Trump himself has frequently denounced California as a badly governed state.

States are facing obstacles because of the actions

The strategy has led to some false starts and headaches for states.

In April, for example, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services acknowledged to The Associated Press it made a significant error in figures it used to help justify a fraud probe in New York. Last month, California's Medicaid director told a congressional committee that CMS had not yet provided “any instances of fraud, waste or abuse” to the state in its justification of a $1.3 billion Medicaid funding deferral announced in May.

And in Minnesota, state officials have been executing a thorough corrective action plan to defray CMS concerns that have led the agency to defer some $260 million in federal money and to threaten future cuts.

“We have cooperated in good faith and proactively engaged the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to first raise the alarm on fraud in Minnesota’s Medicaid program, to effectively investigate fraud and to institute further safeguards against future misuse of funds,” Connolly said.

Kennedy didn't specify in Tuesday's announcement whether the new deferrals — $867.5 million in federal Medicaid payments to California and $199 million to Minnesota — are in addition to, or overlap with, earlier deferrals announced this year.

CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz didn't provide concrete examples of fraud in the two states in justifying the deferrals. He did mention some patterns the agency noticed that it found questionable, including that some providers were billing for four or more patients at the same time, or billing after the date of a Medicaid beneficiary's death.

Oz also highlighted a fast rate of growth in California's home care program as a reason for concern. California officials have disputed that idea, explaining that the state's home care program has grown because of an intentional strategy to keep people out of more expensive nursing homes.

Flow of money could be restored — with documentation

Kennedy and Oz said states could restart the flow of federal funding by providing documentation proving the payments in question were legitimate.

A representative for California's Medicaid program didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Officials in the state have previously acknowledged they are working with the federal government to provide the requested information.

Oz said Minnesota had already returned documents to the federal government and they were being “reevaluated very carefully.”

Kennedy also suggested Tuesday that he would extend the power to exclude providers from Medicaid, Medicare and other federal health programs to CMS. In the past, that authority has rested solely with his department’s Office of the Inspector General.

“This is going to be a full force multiplier,” HHS Inspector General Thomas March Bell told a news conference. “It's going to create additional momentum, and it's going to exclude additional bad actors.”

Detectives using license‑plate readers identified a gray 2018 Honda Civic with a North Carolina tag and stopped the car inside a downtown parking garage, where officers conducted a felony takedown and arrested the driver and a passenger, the report said.

The driver was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill and with misuse of a laser lighting device on a motor vehicle, both listed as third‑degree felonies in the report. The arrest report lists the case as cleared by arrest.

The off‑duty deputy told investigators the other vehicle repeatedly honked, drove extremely close behind his car and a blue laser was directed into his vehicle. He said he then saw what appeared to be the barrel of a firearm pointed at him as the suspect vehicle pulled alongside, the report said.

Officers found a Glock pistol in the driver’s door pocket and an AR‑15–style BB rifle on the floor behind the driver’s seat, the report said. The Glock had a magazine with live 9mm rounds inserted but no round in the chamber. Investigators also recovered a blue laser device and a charger from the center console; testing showed the device emitted a blue beam and could be mounted on a firearm.

The driver told investigators he had been in the car all day working for a delivery service and acknowledged using the laser, saying he waved it “out the sunroof and at his dashboard,” the report said. He denied pointing a gun at anyone. The passenger declined to speak with police, the report said.

The driver was taken to the Pretrial Detention Facility. Court records attached to the arrest report show a probable‑cause filing was made; a docket entry is scheduled for Aug. 11.

The sheriff’s office identified him as Isaiah Alexander Watson, 28.

Police said the infant was admitted earlier this month after caregivers reported hearing a “pop” in the child’s right arm during supervised tummy time. Doctors said the infant had multiple fractures to the right arm — including an oblique fracture of the distal humerus — and several fractures to the tibias; the injuries were in different stages of healing. Medical staff also reported bleeding in both eyes and other signs consistent with trauma.

The report says investigators from the Department of Children and Families and the sheriff’s office interviewed Watson and the child’s mother. According to the report, Watson acknowledged using forceful techniques to relieve the infant’s constipation, demonstrated those techniques on an anatomically correct doll and told investigators he did not always realize “his own strength.” Investigators say Watson confessed that his handling of the child was the only reasonable explanation for the injuries.

The child protective team later identified additional tibia fractures during an examination, the report said.

Watson was arrested July 15. Bond was listed at $50,003. Court records show a docket entry for Aug. 6.

The investigation remains active, the sheriff’s office said.

Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a memo to employees Tuesday morning, obtained by The Associated Press, that most moves are the result of ESPN’s acquisition of NFL Network and other league digital assets last year.

The deal was announced last August and also included NFL Fantasy and the rights to distribute the RedZone channel to cable and satellite operators. In return, the NFL got a 10% equity stake in ESPN.

It was approved by government regulators in January. NFL Network employees became part of ESPN on April 1.

“Over the past several months, we’ve made significant progress integrating the NFL assets that we acquired into ESPN,” Pitaro wrote in the memo. “Throughout this process, we have taken the time to carefully evaluate our collective teams, resources and organizational structure to best position us for the future. As a result, we had to make some difficult decisions about job impacts that we will be communicating today.

“While most of the job impacts are tied to the acquisition, we will also notify colleagues in other parts of the company today that their positions have been impacted. We are committed to treating employees with compassion and respect and to providing support as they navigate this transition.”

While most of the layoffs affect production and behind-the-scenes personnel, some on-air talent were affected. Ryan Clark, who joined ESPN in 2015 as an NFL analyst, learned of his layoff while on “NFL Live” on Monday. A person familiar with the situation said Clark was originally going to be told Tuesday morning before reports leaked about the decision.

Clark was told by company executives rather than hear about it elsewhere. He did not finish his appearance on the show.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were not at liberty to discuss personnel decisions.

Clark took to social media on Tuesday to address the layoffs. He also shared a video of himself working out.

“Sending prayers and love to all those laid off today by ESPN. So many of you have poured your life into that company, & I know how you’re feeling right now,” Clark wrote on X. “My hope is as this door closes another opens for you all. God bless!”

Other notable names include Karl Ravech, who had been with ESPN since 1993 and had been an integral part of its baseball coverage. Ravech was the voice of “Sunday Night Baseball” from 2022-25 before the package moved to NBC this season. He did call Monday night’s game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies.

Tom Pelissero, who had been with NFL Network since 2017, is also part of the cuts. ESPN had recently signed NFL insiders Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter to extensions.

The ESPN cutbacks are also part of other reductions that are taking place throughout the Walt Disney Company this week.

___

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Every team is 0-0 so there's hope in each city that this season ends with a championship parade.

Bryce Young and the defending NFC South champion Carolina Panthers report Wednesday. So do the Arizona Cardinals, led by rookie head coach Mike LaFleur.

The teams will meet in the Hall of Fame Game that kicks off the preseason on Aug. 6.

The reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots open camp on Friday. They’ll face off in a Super Bowl rematch that opens the regular season on Sept. 9.

Many teams have plenty of questions to answer before Week 1. It’s a long road to Los Angeles, which hosts Super Bowl 61 on Feb. 14. Valentine’s Day will be the latest date the game will have been played.

That just means more football.

Ten teams have new coaches. Some have new quarterbacks. A few superstars have changed teams.

Training camp starts

The Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers report to camp on Saturday, making it six teams in before the end of this week. The NFC West rivals will play the first regular-season game in Australia on Sept. 10. The remaining 26 teams are due in next Tuesday.

The head coaches in new places

John Harbaugh joined the New York Giants after he was fired by Baltimore following 18 seasons. He has Jaxson Dart and some talented players to build around.

Two-time AP NFL Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski took over in Atlanta after six seasons in Cleveland. He inherits a team that has plenty of playmakers on offense, including All-Pro running back Bijan Robinson, wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts. They have to figure whether Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix Jr. will be the quarterback.

Robert Saleh is the new man in charge in Tennessee. The Titans are coming off consecutive 3-14 seasons but Saleh already has a franchise QB in Cam Ward and he brought in Brian Daboll to develop him and run the offense.

Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers are reunited in Pittsburgh. They won a Super Bowl together in Green Bay and aim to get the Steelers at least their first playoff win since January 2017.

The other six new head coaches are first-timers. LaFleur has a tough task in Arizona. Klint Kubiak helped Sam Darnold win a Super Bowl in Seattle and hopes to rebuild the Las Vegas Raiders. Jeff Hafley went from running Green Bay’s defense to leading the Miami Dolphins. Joe Brady replaced Sean McDermott in Buffalo after the Bills kept falling short in the playoffs.

Todd Monken replaced Stefanski in Cleveland and Jesse Minter is Baltimore’s new coach.

The quarterback carousel turns again

Tagovailoa has a chance to revive his career with Stefanski in Atlanta after a disappointing end in Miami. Kyler Murray left Arizona for Minnesota, where the Vikings hope he can stay healthy and regain his Pro Bowl form.

Kirk Cousins is the stopgap for the Raiders, who drafted Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick. Malik Willis parlayed three solid starts in two seasons with the Packers into a $67.5 million contract with the Dolphins that includes $45 million fully guaranteed.

Geno Smith returned to the Jets. Justin Fields is the new backup for Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City. Kenny Pickett is Carolina’s new No. 2, veteran Andy Dalton joined Philadelphia to play behind Jalen Hurts and Gardner Minshew went to the Cardinals.

Quarterback competitions in several cities

Tagovailoa and Penix will compete in Atlanta. Cousins is expected to start in Las Vegas but Mendoza could end up starting sooner than later. Murray has to beat out J.J. McCarthy, who was the Vikings’ first-round pick in 2024.

The most interesting battle will be for the Browns’ starting job. Deshaun Watson is back after missing 2025 to compete with Shedeur Sanders.

The other top storylines

Will Baker Mayfield get a contract extension from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Mayfield is in the final season of a three-year, $100 million deal. He's expected to get around $55 million per season and another three-year deal makes sense.

Will Aaron Donald come out of retirement to join two-time AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett in Los Angeles? The Rams acquired the five-time All-Pro from the Browns and bolstered their secondary by adding cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. Donald, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, is 35 and hasn't played since retiring after the 2023 season.

Joint practices

More teams choose to use practices against other opponents to prepare their quarterbacks and key starters for the regular season instead of preseason games.

Only the Lions, Chiefs, Broncos and Steelers are not participating in any joint sessions.

When are the roster cuts?

Teams can carry a maximum of 90 players throughout training camp and for all of their preseason games. Rosters must be trimmed to 53 by 6 p.m. EDT on Aug. 30.

___

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

Lesotho's high elevation and mountainous terrain combine to make it the coldest country on the continent, with temperatures in the highlands typically plunging to minus 8 degrees Celsius (about 18 degrees Fahrenheit) between June and August.

The Afriski Mountain Resort, some 3,200 meters (10,499 feet) above sea level, nestled in the northern Maluti Mountains, is Lesotho's single fully operational ski resort — and the only one in sub-Saharan Africa.

The majestic snow-covered landscape is ideal for skiing, and both seasoned and new visitors enjoy the slopes that are spread over 17 hectares (42 acres) surrounding the resort — about the size of 24 standard soccer pitches. The resort opened 25 years ago, a short bus or car ride from the nearest major town of Butha-Buthe, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) away.

Last year, tourism contributed about 7% to Lesotho's annual GDP of some $2.6 billion. For its part, Afriski provides a chunk of needed cash in a country cited by the World Bank as one of the poorest in the world — and its artificial snow machines ensure it stays open throughout the Southern Hemisphere’s winter.

Thousands come to a country Trump says no one's heard of

U.S. President Donald Trump may have joked in 2025 about Lesotho being a country that “nobody has ever heard of” but just a year earlier, the kingdom, bordered on all sides by South Africa and with a population of 2.3 million, celebrated 200 years of the founding of the Basotho nation and 58 years of independence from British rule.

Located in its entirety at and over 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) above sea level, Lesotho sees a lot of snow — and skiing is growing in popularity here from a rare sport previously mainly associated with North America and the European Alps.

Most people drive into Lesotho from neighboring South Africa but international visitors can also fly in to the airport in Maseru, the country's capital.

Afriski's CEO, Theo Ferreira, says almost 70% of the visitors come from South Africa; the rest are mostly from Lesotho or elsewhere in southern Africa. The resort now has 227 full-time and seasonal employees, nearly all Lesotho nationals, with about 30 South Africans, working mainly as skiing instructors, he said.

While the resort has rooms for 420 overnight guests, the nearby Butha-Buthe and Mohlokong towns can offer extra accommodations in peak season. The busiest day so far this year saw over 1,400 visitors while in 2025, the record was over 1,600 day visitors and those staying overnight or longer, Ferreira said.

Because unreliable weather patterns can make natural snow scarce, the resort relies on artificial snow to make skiing possible all winter long.

Lesotho's snow may not be how you imagine Africa

The resort has played role in helping ski tourism emerge as another attraction in southern Africa, known for its wildlife and scenic coastlines along the Indian and Atlantic Oceans.

For many visitors, Afriski is where they had their first ski lessons, braving falls and dusting themselves off before having another try, and another — until making that first, full glide down without falling.

Janco Smits, a student from Cape Town, South Africa, describes it as "an amazing slope to learn on.”

“At the start it was a little discouraging because you fall, and you fall hard,” he said. “But the people here, they gave me one lesson and after an hour, honestly, I felt confident.”

“When you think of the African continent, you don't think of snow. You think about ... the sun and the Sahara (Desert),” said Thato Ramaphoko, a first-timer at the resort from Pretoria, South Africa’s capital. "But that you can actually go to all that and also come here and it also snows at the same time, it is just mind-blowing, so I just had to see it for myself."

Visitors at Afriski can also sample a taste of Lesotho in the form of traditional sausage rolls and Maluti Lager, the country's proudly home-brewed beer.

As for a souvenir to take home, try the colorful Basotho blanket, which comes in vibrant colors and patterns that also pop up in local garments and are creatively integrated into various skiing jackets and gear.

___

This story has been edited to correct the spelling of Janco Smits's name.

___

For more on Africa and development: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse

According to SJC Fire Rescue, around 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, firefighters responded to a two-vehicle crash on I-95 northbound near Mile Marker 305.

One of the vehicles ended up in a retention pond, and before emergency crews arrived, off-duty Engineer Charles Cook, along with several courageous bystanders, immediately sprang into action, firefighters said.

They quickly swam out to the vehicle and safely rescued the occupants from the water.

Once on scene, SJCFR crews provided patient care and managed the incident.

“We are incredibly proud of Engineer Cook’s selfless actions and thankful for the bystanders who didn’t hesitate to help. Their quick thinking and bravery made a difference when every second counted,” SJCFR wrote. “Great work by everyone involved.”

The city said the closure will allow crews to reroute vehicular access, add boat-trailer parking under the Acosta Bridge, dredge the approach to the ramp and replace the existing ramp with a longer ramp to accommodate larger vessels.

The improved facility is expected to reopen in summer 2028. The city said updates to the timeline will be posted at JaxParks.com.

Boaters can use nearby ramps during the closure, including the Arlington Road boat ramp at 5103 Arlington Road and the Arlington Lions Club boat ramp at 4322 Richard D. Gatlin Road. For more information, call 630-CITY.

It depends upon who you ask within a Democratic Party that is undeniably locked in a tug-of-war between emboldened progressives demanding radical change and the party's pragmatic establishment.

Progressives expect their newest candidate in Maine, former state lawmaker Troy Jackson, will clinch the Democratic nomination Saturday to replace Graham Platner on the November ballot, giving the party a chance to recover from Platner's downfall earlier this month. Next up will be August Senate primaries in Michigan and Minnesota — contests that put the intraparty divide on clear display less than four months before the midterms are decided. All three states will be important in the fight for Senate control, raising the stakes over who Democrats should nominate.

“We’re seeing the pendulum shift from right to left. That’s ultimately what this midterm election is about,” said Joseph Geevarghese, who leads Our Revolution, the progressive organization founded by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders a decade ago. “We're in a transitional moment in national politics.”

On the other side of the same party, establishment leaders, including the Democratic leadership in the House and Senate, believe that the progressive movement's momentum this summer will ultimately hurt the party's chances in the general election this fall. Democrats are in position to win control of at least one chamber in Congress given President Donald Trump's low approval ratings, the unpopular war in Iran and surging costs.

Count Matt Bennett, co-founder of the centrist Democratic group Third Way, as one of those fighting to stop his party's ascendant progressive wing from undermining their midterm chances.

“It is an enormous mistake and an enormous risk for them to be engaged in an effort to push the party to the left,” Bennett said. Sanders' brand of far-left politics, he added, “is not what America is asking for.”

Voters will ultimately decide who is right this fall — and the results could shape policy and politics inside the Democratic Party for years to come.

In the meantime, as establishment Democrats worry from Washington, Sanders and his allies like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are barnstorming through key swing states to harness the energy of the party's grassroots.

Republican officials were watching with glee.

“Socialists have gone from a sideshow in the Democrat Party to the main event," said Bernadette Breslin, spokesperson for the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Sanders rallied for progressives in Michigan and Minnesota

On Monday night in Minneapolis, Sanders railed against billionaires and corporations as he campaigned for Peggy Flanagan, Minnesota's lieutenant governor who has aligned herself with his populist movement in Minnesota's contentious primary for U.S. Senate.

“When you stand up to these billionaires, as you will, and when you defeat them, you will bring hope and inspiration to people all across our country and in fact, all over the world,” Sanders said.

Flanagan faces U.S. Rep. Angie Craig, who is backed by much of the party's establishment in a race that has brought in millions of dollars from super PACs and other independent groups backing both candidates.

“I want you to know that we have an opportunity to change the way that Washington works,” Flanagan said.

When they were done, Sanders, Flanagan, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar and retiring Sen. Tina Smith locked arms as John Lennon's “Power to the People” thundered from the speakers.

The scene was similar a day earlier in Michigan, where Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez and other progressives campaigned with Abdul El-Sayed, whom many centrist Democrats worry is too far left for a must-win seat for Democrats in a battleground state.

The progressive movement has also seen setbacks

Dozens of progressive candidates up and down the ballot aligned with Sanders, including more than 30 backed by the Democratic Socialists of America, have won Democratic nomination contests in recent weeks — in some cases defeating sitting members of Congress.

There have been setbacks, however, none more painful for the progressive movement than Platner's implosion in Maine.

Platner, a Sanders acolyte and political newcomer who dominated Maine's sitting governor in the Democratic Senate primary, was forced to drop out barely a week ago after a sexual assault allegation emerged from his former girlfriend. Platner has denied the accusation, which many allies deemed credible.

Geevarghese described the situation as “a bump in the road” that would not cause any lasting damage for the broader progressive movement.

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., a 2028 presidential prospect aligned with the progressive wing, acknowledged that he made a mistake by supporting Platner when so little was known about his background.

“It’s an important lesson of being more aware of the red flags of candidates,” Khanna said, while insisting that the progressive movement “is so much bigger than any individual.”

“Despite a very flawed candidate, the platform of Medicare for all and no foreign wars and taxing billionaire wealth was so strong that he did well,” Khanna said of Platner. “No one candidate is a test for the progressive movement.”

But the fallout from Platner’s campaign renewed a long-running debate among Democratic establishment figures over whether the party’s progressive wing is hurting its chances of winning competitive general election races.

The divide has been especially apparent in the Senate, where some rank-and-file senators have backed progressive candidates at odds with Schumer and other party leaders. Platner’s collapse sparked behind-the-scenes finger pointing and prompted some establishment figures to more actively step into other competitive primaries.

In Michigan, for example, Sen. Gary Peters endorsed Haley Stevens last week after previously saying he wouldn’t get involved.

“We do want to have candidates who are fully vetted running in these high-profile races,” Peters said.

Bennett, of Third Way, says that it's all about winning in November. That's not to say he thinks it's impossible for Democrats to win with a nominee like El-Sayed on the ballot.

“In this cycle, with the war raging again, anyone might be able to beat a Republican in a place like Michigan,” he said. “But it sure as hell is going to be harder.”

___

Associated Press writers Joey Cappelletti in Washington and Jonathan J. Cooper in Phoenix contributed.

As of 2 p.m. Tuesday, the center of Tropical Storm Bertha was about 90 miles southwest of Panama City, Florida.

Maximum sustained winds are now 60 mph with higher gusts, and the minimum central pressure based on surface observations is 995 mb.

The system is creeping northwest at 5 mph.

A slow northwestward to west-northwestward motion is expected today, followed by a turn westward by the middle part of this week. On the forecast track, Bertha will move near or along the northern Gulf Coast during the next several days.

Some slight strengthening is possible later today, followed by gradual weakening through the middle of this week. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 80 miles from the center.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for

• Bay/Gulf County Line in Florida to the Terrebonne/Lafourche Parish

Line in Louisiana

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for

• West of the Terrebonne/Lafourche Parish Line to the

Vermilion/Cameron Parish Line

• Metropolitan New Orleans, Lake Pontchartrain, and Lake Maurepas

The Storm Surge Watch has been discontinued along the northern Gulf Coast. A Coastal Flood Warning has been issued by the National Weather Service for portions of the southeastern Louisiana and Mississippi coastline.

Aside from isolated showers and storms early this week due to the wind flow around the system pushing tropical moisture over us, additional impacts are not expected for our area.

This is due to the system’s westerly movement, which will keep the highest rainfall totals across the Panhandle and northern Gulf Coast.

District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín said in a Monday ruling that the class-action settlement provides “meaningful relief” to affected authors and publishers.

About 91% of the more than 482,000 books covered by the ruling have been claimed by authors or publishers who are now due payment.

Plaintiff attorney Justin Nelson said in a statement that the settlement was "the largest known copyright recovery in history. We look forward to making distributions to the Class as promptly as possible.”

U.S. District Judge William Alsup issued the preliminary approval in San Francisco federal court last September and has since retired. Alsup had dealt the case a mixed ruling last summer, finding that training AI chatbots on copyrighted books wasn’t illegal but that Anthropic wrongfully acquired millions of books through pirate websites.

Anthropic's deputy general counsel, Aparna Sridhar, highlighted that ruling Friday as a landmark showing “that training AI on books is fair use under copyright law.”

“We are pleased that more than 91% of authors and publishers covered by the settlement have claimed their share of the payment, and we’re looking forward to bringing this matter to a close,” Sridhar said in a written statement.

Bestselling thriller novelist Andrea Bartz first brought the suit with two other authors in 2024. It's the first major settlement in dozens of AI copyright lawsuits that are still working their way through courts.

The testimony from Anthea M. Hartig came as President Donald Trump has engaged in a broad national effort to reshape the stories of America told by cultural institutions controlled or influenced by the federal government and, in particular, to purge diversity, equity and inclusion elements from those narratives. Many historians are alarmed by the revisionism.

“As we continue to fact check the report, we unwaveringly attest that it does not fairly or accurately characterize the full body of work at the museum,” Hartig told a House Oversight subcommittee. “There is always room for improvement. But I also know the beauty and the inspiration and the expertise that lies in our collections, our exhibits, and our programming.”

Coinciding with the 250th anniversary of American independence, the White House Domestic Policy Council released a report on July Fourth arguing that the museum, a centerpiece of the sprawling Smithsonian complex on the National Mall, doesn't tell history “in a way that is inspiring, unifying, and worthy of our great republic.”

Republicans on the panel reiterated some of those concerns on Tuesday.

“In the museum’s current telling, history is just an ongoing power struggle between oppressors and the oppressed,” said Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn. “The report makes clear that the museum’s woke exhibits and materials reflect a broader vision held by the museum leadership.”

Hartig, the first woman to serve as director of the National Museum of American History, said the institution “does not take sides in America's political debates.” She described the museum's presentation of the nation's story as an evolution intended to add voices, not erase history as detractors sometimes argue.

“When historians talk about reframing a traditional narrative, we don’t mean erasing it,” she said. “We mean adding the evidence, the voices, the objects, that earlier tellings left out, so that more Americans can see themselves reflected in the national story.”

The White House report argued that the museum “has refused to celebrate the Nation and its history.”

“It has not created any exhibit dedicated to presenting a general narrative of American history or telling the story of any of our Founding Fathers, the Second Continental Congress, the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolutionary War, or the achievement of independence and the establishment of the constitutional rule of law,” the report said.

But the museum opened an exhibit in May dubbed “In Pursuit of Life, Liberty and Happiness” that displays 250 objects throughout the building to celebrate America's 250th anniversary. The artifacts include the desk used by Thomas Jefferson to draft the Declaration of Independence, a Revolutionary War-era gunboat and the Star Spangled Banner.

Some Republicans on the panel on Tuesday acknowledged that the museum displays important material related to the anniversary but argued it was challenging to navigate. Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas, said he expected references to the Declaration of Independence to be more prominent during a recent visit.

“I'm not saying it's not there, but it's hard to find,” he said.

Hartig faced particular scrutiny from Republicans over an exhibit entitled “Girlhood (It's Complicated),” which included a diary from a 13-year old exploring issues including gender identity. The museum director said the exhibit, which ran from 2020 through 2023, included a label making clear it was not designed for children.

Hartig's future as the museum's director hung over the hearing. Trump last year said he was firing the longtime leader of the National Portrait Gallery, another Smithsonian museum that, like the National Museum of American History, operates independently of the executive branch. The National Portrait Gallery's director, Kim Sajet, nonetheless stepped down from the museum in the face of the White House pressure.

At one point, Burchett asked Hartig why she should continue in her job. She responded simply that overseeing the museum is “the honor of my career.”

Pull into the small town of Luverne and the figure — a nearly 66-foot (20-meter) tall nutcracker, decked out like Uncle Sam — comes into full view.

Luverne, which thanks to a local collector claims to have more of the decorative figurines than people, now boasts the world's tallest nutcracker too. And yes, the star-spangled behemoth has a working jaw.

Outside a quirky rock shop in the town's center, hundreds of people gathered for a weekend ribbon cutting where the nutcracker's name and exact height were revealed to a crowd that was later served red, white and blue cookies and slushies.

“Please welcome our newest Luverne resident, Verne the Patriot,” Katie Walgrave announced to cheers.

It stands 65 feet and 7 1/2 inches tall, with the pedestal pushing Verne an additional 9 feet (2.7 meters) over the surrounding prairie, according to Walgrave. That's almost twice the height of a 33-foot (10-meter) tall nutcracker in Neuhausen, Germany, that Guinness World Records currently has ranked as the largest.

Walgrave, who runs the rock shop called Those Blasted Things with her family, said that since the nutcracker was completed in mid-June, customers have quadrupled. Other local businesses have reported more traffic too.

“Our goal is to have something that’s different and that you won’t see anywhere else. And so that’s what we have here,” she said.

Given the association between nutcrackers and Tchaikovsky's namesake holiday ballet, the July unveiling seemed a bit out of season. But nutcrackers are a year-round obsession in Luverne, which also hosts a “Nutcracker Fest” every summer.

It all traces back to Betty Mann, 96, and a trip that she made to a Cracker Barrel in January 2001 after her daughter and husband had recently died.

“I said to my daughter-in-law, ‘I had a hard Christmas and I’ve always wanted a wooden nutcracker. I’m buying myself a belated Christmas present,’” she recalled.

She got her first in the Cracker Barrel’s gift shop. She kept buying them, and Mann's collection eventually ballooned to more than 2,500 nutcrackers. In 2016, she donated them to the town’s historical society, where she was president, hoping to draw more visitors to its museum.

Others also started donating and today, Luverne’s 7,554 nutcrackers outnumber its roughly 5,000 residents. No two are the same.

A few years ago, when the city brought in a tourism expert to figure out how to lure more visitors, he concluded “we’re crazy if we don’t utilize the nutcracker collection,” Mayor Patrick Baustian said.

A city committee came up with the idea of building the world's tallest nutcracker, and so Verne was conceived. It was timed perfectly to arrive as the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary.

The nutcracker was several years in the making, with the pieces crafted in Utah and assembled in Luverne. The head and hat had to be lifted on with a crane three weeks ago, completing the structure.

It cost around $600,000, and was funded by donations and grants, Walgrave said.

John Hawkinson of Lakeville, Minnesota, surprised his wife, Francine, with a trip to Luverne (nearly 200 miles, or 321 kilometers, away) after a house fire last month destroyed her collection of nearly 300 nutcrackers. Many represented times from their life together — a nutcracker resembling a sailor for John’s time in the Navy, and matching bride and groom nutcrackers for their marriage.

“Betty started her collection as a way of dealing with grief,” John Hawkinson said Saturday. “We came down here out of loss as well. … I thought that was kind of a full circle moment.”

Luverne is about 30 miles (48 kilometers) from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and about 200 miles (322 kilometers) from Minneapolis. One of its other claims to fame is being a setting for the second season of the TV show “Fargo.”

RELATED | Charging documents reveal ‘secret envelope stuffing’ operation behind fake St. Johns County voter guide | Fake voter guides, fraud charges could cloud St. Johns County election | St. Johns County commissioner calls for 2 sitting commissioners accused in fake voter guide scheme to step down

Five people now face criminal charges in connection with the scheme, including District 2 Commissioner Sarah Arnold and District 1 Commissioner Christian Whitehurst.

Arnold and Whitehurst were not in the building to face their constituents on Tuesday, and instead attended the meeting by phone.

“Actions have taken place that have fractured the public’s faith, and as long as it remains broken, votes will be clouded by suspicion,” a resident said. “The honorable thing to do in a position like this is to step down.”

He said that they should let the legal process play out as private citizens and not elected officials.

“People respect a sincere redemption story and that begins with accountability,” he said.

Another resident wanted to know if Arnold and Whitehurst could still vote on decisions while they are under investigation.

“I really am looking to regain trust in the board...They’re going to be able to vote on decisions while they could be charged on Aug. 3 and then what happens with these votes,” she asked.

Charlie Hunt brought up clips from old meetings where the two commissioners spoke on being accountable for actions.

“There are consequences when you break laws, there are consequences when you break rules,” Whitehurst said. “Nobody is immune from that.”

“A moral obligation, an ethical obligation, that if we believe somebody is...even if it’s one of us not following the law,” Arnold said.

Hunt is another resident who wasn’t happy with them not appearing in person.

“The first meeting they don’t show up,” Hunt said. “Cowards. The people brought them into the seat. They should respect the people and come up and stand up for what they have done.”

Other residents said Governor Ron DeSantis some said he should remove the commissioners from office. DeSantis appointed Arnold to her seat back in 2021.

GOP party chair for St. Johns County, Denver Cook was the one who tipped off police to start the investigation.

“I had told people they might show up. You’re innocent until proven guilty. Show up. Have your canned statements but I’m going to fight these or not fight them. But to not show up is surprising,” Cook said.

He said he doesn’t know what will happen with Arnold or Whitehurst but he isn’t expecting consequences until after their court hearing on Aug. 3.

On July 7, County Commission Vice Chair Ann Taylor called on her colleagues to resign immediately after the State Attorney’s Office charged five Republicans in a fake voter guide scheme tied to the 2024 election.

All five face misdemeanor charges for conspiracy and producing an unauthorized voter guide. Campaign manager Briana Jordan faces an additional third-degree felony charge for tampering with physical evidence — the only defendant facing a felony. Jordan was recently arrested.

According to charging documents, an alleged “secret envelope stuffing” operation took place at a rented home that was used as a campaign headquarters. The document said people working under Jordan’s direction placed fraudulent guides into envelopes. The envelopes had no return addresses and used postage stamps.

The guide falsely showed certain candidates were endorsed by the local Republican Party, according to investigators.

“If there is any truth to these allegations, for the integrity of St. Johns County, they need to step down immediately so our residents can have a board they can trust,” Taylor said.

St. Johns County GOP Chair Denver Cook helped alert investigators to the scheme.

“Election integrity isn’t only about election fraud and voter ballots,” Cook said. “It’s all about the people and the way they act and trying to steal the voice of the people.”

Cook also released the following statement on behalf of the St. Johns County GOP earlier this month.

The details outlined in the state’s sworn affidavit reveal a shocking, calculated criminal conspiracy designed to subvert the democratic process and hijack the official, trusted voice of the St. Johns County Republican Party.  As the primary complainant in this investigation, the St. Johns County REC is vindicated by the formal charges of criminal conspiracy, unauthorized voter guides, and tampering with physical evidence. The evidence demonstrates that this was not a campaign misunderstanding. It was a mass-scale decep on involving tens of thousands of dollars, tens of thousands of fraudulent mailers, and a deliberate attempt to overwrite the official, democratic votes of our local REC membership. 

The affidavit lays bare a coordinated effort to hide this illicit operation from the public by shipping mailers out of neighboring counties, intentionally withholding statutorily required disclosures, and ultimately burning evidence in a backyard grill when the local news exposed the fraud. 

No one is above the law. The weaponization of our official party logo and name to manipulate ‘super voters’ on the eve of early voting is an affront to every volunteer who serves our party and every citizen who casts a ballot. 

To be absolutely clear, the St. Johns County Republican Party has issued no endorsements for this current primary cycle. Our absolute focus right now is on ge ng the vote out for this primary, ensuring total transparency, and delivering a clean, fair ballot for the voters of St. Johns County. Because this matter is now a live criminal prosecu on, the St. Johns County GOP will let the State A orney’s evidence speak for itself in a court of law. We will con nue to fight to ensure the voices of our voters are never compromised by deceptive schemes.

St. Johns County GOP Chair Denver Cook

State lawmaker was a target of the scheme

State Rep. Kim Kendall, who represents St. Johns County and won her 2024 race, said her image was removed from the fake voter guide — making her one of its targets.

“To start hearing from people that they had received this fake voter guide was just a big gut punch that’s really hard to explain unless you’ve been in that situation,” Kendall said. “And then to start seeing people going to polls with fake voter guide in hand and try to explain them they had the wrong one.”

Accused respond through attorneys

Attorneys representing Whitehurst, Arnold and former St. Augustine Beach Mayor and current commissioner Dylan Rumrell released a joint statement following the charges.

“These allegations have lingered for nearly two years in the hands of various government agencies,” the statement read. “With formal charges now filed, County Commissioner Arnold, County Commissioner Whitehurst and St. Augustine Beach City Commissioner Rumrell look forward to the conclusion of this matter and will have no further comments at this time.”

The department told lawmakers on Monday that the money would cover “a range of security-related activities associated with plans for the potential phased resumption of embassy operations in Libya,” according to a copy of the notification obtained by The Associated Press.

The move to reopen the embassy “is essential to advancing U.S. national security interests,” it said. “The United States must remain engaged in regions where near-peer competitors and other adversarial actors are actively expanding their influence.”

“Libya’s strategic location on the Mediterranean and its role in regional security, energy markets, and migration flows make it vital to U.S. interests,” it said. “The country’s instability has drawn increased involvement from near-peer competitors, notably Russia, which threatens U.S. and allied objectives in North Africa.”

Libyan officials representing both the western and eastern regions of the country that have been in conflict for more than a decade have recently met with top Trump administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the senior adviser for Africa, Massad Boulos.

The State Department had told Congress in March that it was looking to begin preparations for a potential reopening of the embassy in Tripoli, which was shuttered in July, 2014, as conflict enveloped the country. Since then, U.S. diplomats assigned to Libya have been based in neighboring Tunisia and the Mediterranean island of Malta.

But, until Monday, the department had yet to program any money to support that effort. The new funding will be used to vastly expand the security posture at a satellite office in Tripoli that currently handles short visits by U.S. diplomats and other officials and set the stage for a permanent presence.

The move to fund the project comes as the Trump administration has reopened the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, following the ouster of former President Nicolas Maduro in January and is seeking to reopen the closed embassy in Damascus, Syria, to build ties with the new Syrian government.

Yet, it also comes amid new warnings of Iranian-related attacks against U.S. facilities in interests around the world, particularly in the Middle East.

Marino's deal, announced on Tuesday, comes on the heels of a career-best season that included his first career playoff goal.

"We view John as a foundational piece of our future,” Mammoth general manager Bill Armstrong said in a statement. “His ability to control the game from the back end, his play in transition and our trust in him to make the right decisions in critical situations allows him to be a difference-maker on most nights. Beyond his skill, John brings a level of calmness under pressure that our group feeds off of and that’s exactly what you need from your veteran players.”

Marino had career highs of 36 points and 32 assists with four goals in his second season with the Mammoth after being traded from New Jersey in 2024. The 29-year-old ranked second among all NHL defenseman at plus-42 and played all six games in Utah's first playoff appearance since moving from Arizona.

Marino has 23 goals and 134 assists in seven NHL seasons with Utah, New Jersey and Pittsburgh.

___

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

The conversations appeared to focus on a public health fund that never materialized and a grant to the International Peace Institute, which was run by an associate of Epstein.

The roughly 30 meetings, which took place from 2011 to 2014, included several visits to Epstein's Manhattan townhouse and one meeting on the Gates Foundation campus, according to the review by law firm WilmerHale. The review found no evidence the foundation paid Epstein or did anything illegal. The foundation released a three-page summary of WilmerHale's report Tuesday and did not say if it would release the full version.

Gates, who chairs the Gates Foundation, has not been accused in connection with Epstein's crimes and has repeatedly denied any knowledge of Epstein's abuse of girls. He told a congressional committee last month that he made a “grave error in judgment" by meeting with the disgraced financier.

Gates' name appears in the trove of documents released by the Justice Department as part of its Epstein probe. The Epstein files include the names of powerful men across tech, finance, politics and business, all of whom have denied involvement in Epstein's crimes.

Epstein was federally indicted in July 2019 on charges of sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors. He died by suicide while awaiting trial.

The release of the Gates Foundation summary follows last week's revelation that Warren Buffett, a longtime friend of Gates who has put the majority of his charitable gifts toward the tech billionaire's philanthropy, omitted the Gates Foundation from his annual donations this year. Buffett explained that the decision was more about his belief that his three children are ready to manage his fortune than it was about Gates' “distasteful” association with Epstein.

That association began when an adviser to both the foundation and Gates' personal office introduced the two men, according to the review. Three years earlier, Epstein had pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from a minor.

Epstein recommended that Gates establish a charitable investment fund to pool wealthy individuals' gifts for global public health. Staff followed up with Epstein at Gates' request on the legal considerations and tax benefits to donors.

Those discussions led to a December 2014 breakfast at Epstein's Manhattan residence with Gates, foundation staff and potential donors. Gates concluded that Epstein had “misrepresented” the donors' willingness to contribute, according to the review, and the foundation stopped working on the concept.

Epstein also brought together Gates and the head of a nonprofit that would eventually receive money from the foundation. In 2012, the review concluded, Epstein introduced Gates to Terje Rød-Larsen, then the president of the International Peace Institute. The Gates Foundation reached a grant agreement the following year with the International Peace Institute related to polio eradication. Rød-Larsen resigned in 2020 over his connections to Epstein.

Throughout their interactions, according to the review, Gates knew about Epstein's sex offense and heard concerns about their association from staff working with Epstein on the charitable investment fund.

Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman said the board has approved measures that will strengthen their vetting process and risk management.

“The work we do depends on integrity and earning and maintaining the trust of partners,” Suzman said in a press release. The foundation offered no further comment.

WilmerHale noted that its five-month review did not include access to Gates' personal communications or encompass Epstein's interactions with Gates in a personal capacity.

___

Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton will receive a Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Combat Action Badge, and will be promoted to staff sergeant. The Army said it was investigating the circumstances of his death Sunday at an air base in Irbil.

He leaves behind a 6-year-old son and a 4-year-old daughter, his mother said.

“I will never recover from this,” his wife, Mia Gonzalez-Swinton, posted Monday on Facebook. “We had so many plans for when you got back, I’m sick to my stomach.” She said she was notified Sunday that he had been killed.

Two U.S. Army soldiers were also killed in Jordan last week while defending against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks. They were the first U.S. troop deaths from direct Iranian fire since the opening days of the war.

His wife and kids were the center of his world, his mother, Christel Swinton Andujar, told The Associated Press.

“His legacy will live on through the countless lives he touched, the laughter he shared, the strength he gave others, and the unconditional love he poured into his family,” she said via text message. “He will forever be missed, forever honored, and forever our hero.”

Swinton enlisted in the Army in 2017 and was assigned to the 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

He lived in Spring Lake, a popular off-base location for Fort Bragg families, according to pubic records. The military gave his hometown as Fayetteville, another nearby community.

“Sgt. Swinton was an experienced noncommissioned officer who took great pride in his work and the people around him,” said Brig. Gen. John L. Dawber, commanding general of the Army Air and Missile Defense Command. “He answered the call to duty with courage, honor, and selfless dedication.”

Renewed fighting between the U.S. and Iran is now in its 10th day, with both sides launching barrages of strikes. Iran has attacked U.S. allies in the region, and American soldiers are stationed across the Middle East.

The Defense Department identified the soldiers killed in Jordan as 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas. They were also with Army Air and Missile Defense Command units.

A third service member was reported missing after the attack. U.S. Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, said “unidentified remains” have been found and were being examined.

Iranian authorities say U.S. strikes in just the past three weeks have killed at least 50 people and wounded more than 500 others.

Both sides have targeted civilian infrastructure relied on by millions of people. Workers on ships, as well as foreign workers and others in Gulf nations, Israel and Lebanon have also died in the conflict.

The U.S. State Department said in a new warning to Americans that “Iran and groups supportive of Iran may target other U.S. interests overseas or at locations associated with the United States and Americans throughout the world.”

U.S. President Donald Trump has said the war is necessary to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Trump, a Republican, now faces political pressure to bring the war to a close and avoid the kind of prolonged Middle East conflict he had campaigned against. The escalation has pushed oil prices higher in recent weeks.

Swinton Andujar said her son was the kind of person who could light up a room with his humor and contagious laugh.

“Michael had a remarkable ability to excel at whatever he set his mind to,” she said. “He knew when it was time to laugh and when it was time to be serious. Whether serving his country, supporting his family, or helping a friend, he gave his whole heart and expected nothing in return.”

___

This story was corrected to show Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton died Sunday, not Saturday, as earlier reported by the military.

___

Collins reported from Hartford, Connecticut.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team hadn’t made an announcement. ESPN first reported the deal, which said it is worth $51.3 million with $35 million guaranteed.

Brooks was an All-Pro selection for the first time in his career last season after leading the NFL with 183 tackles, including 99 solo tackles. He was a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing season that saw general manager Chris Grier and coach Mike McDaniel fired.

New GM Jon-Eric Sullivan has said the Dolphins wanted to keep Brooks long term.

Brooks, a 2020 first-round pick by Seattle, signed with Miami in free agency ahead of the 2024 season and has become a leader in the locker room. He has 326 tackles and 6 1/2 sacks over the past two seasons.

Including Brooks, the Dolphins have signed three core players as they begin their rebuild.

Miami signed star running back De'Von Achane to a four-year, $64 million extension in March and gave veteran center Aaron Brewer a three-year deal worth $52.5 million in June.

___

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

The Federal Trade Commission says just 4% of eligible consumers actually file claims.

One reason? Fear of getting scammed. After all, it sounds great until you start wondering, is this legit?

And it’s a question you should definitely be asking because real class action settlements do exist, but so do scams designed to look like them.

Watch The Morning Show at 6 a.m. Wednesday to learn how to spot a fake class action settlement message and what to do if you get a real one.

Rick Ross posted on Facebook that “we lost a legendary figure in Florida today.”

Ross, a rapper and music executive, credited Bigga Rankin for his support early in Ross’ career. He “embraced me from day one,” Ross wrote.

Jacksonville entertainer Lil Duval said it was significant if Bigga said your name on the microphone.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by lilduval (@lilduval)

Jacksonville rapper Young Cash made multiple posts about Bigga’s passing and reflected on a recent conversation he had with him.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Young Ca$h (@youngcash)

DJ Dr. Doom thanked Bigga for their long friendship and for giving him his guidance.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Djdrdoom Ddp (@djdrdoomddp)

Back in March, Bigga held a concert in Jacksonville to celebrate his 30 years in the music industry, featuring artists like Kodak Black and YFN Lucci, who reposted the video of Bigga introducing him at the concert.

Bigga Rankin, born Billy Plummer, was widely regarded as a godfather of Southern hip-hop and had spent more than three decades in the music business, launching and promoting Southern rap stars like Ross and T.I.

He also helped promote and amplify the careers of Southern rappers including Plies, Jeezy, Yo Gotti, B.o.B. and Gucci Mane, and opened the Cool Runnings nightclub in Jacksonville in 1990.

😢I Don’t Know Where To Start But I Can Say God Thank U For Given Us “Bigga Rankin”. U Stepped In At A Time Florida & The Entire Industry Really Needed U. A True Pioneer In Every Sense! “36 Ounces” Is Where It All Started For Me & U Helped Change My Life. God Only Made 1 Of U!🕊️

— Plies (@plies) July 20, 2026

Rapper, songwriter and actor 2 Chainz shared his history with Bigga Rankin in a social media post (includes explicit content), describing how he was first introduced to the Jacksonville DJ, and how they were “locked in ever since.”

“RIP OG,” wrote 2 Chainz.

Torence Hatch, better known by his rapper stage name Boosie, also credited Bigga Rankin for helping launch his career, calling the beloved longtime community advocate “just a legend.”

In an interview with News4JAX, Plummer reflected on his 30-year career, his Jacksonville roots and his role as A&R at Think It’s a Game Records and vice president of the Hittmenn DJs.

RELATED: ‘Life is music’: Legendary DJ Bigga Rankin talks 30 years in the music industry, Jacksonville roots, what drives him

“I’m always helping people...my mama always told me to give without expecting nothing back...I feel like I was real because I’m always giving,” Plummer said.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Think It's A Game Records™ (@thinkitsagame)

Plummer also produced the local Diamond Awards for many years and frequently spoke about mentoring younger artists and giving back to his community.

He said that he planned to scale back touring and focus more on family and charitable work, including back-to-school drives. He had publicly discussed recent health struggles, saying he had battled COVID-19 and later lost a kidney, requiring dialysis.

The statement from Plummer’s said funeral arrangements and plans for a celebration of life will be shared when they are available.

Bigga Rankin is also fondly remembered as a community force in the Jacksonville area.

Jacksonville City Council Member Rahman Johnson released the following statement on the passing of Bigga Rankin:

“This morning, during the Mayor’s budget address, I learned that my friend Bigga Rankin had passed away. Jacksonville has lost more than a music icon—we have lost one of the architects of our culture.

This loss is deeply personal for me. Long before I became a member of the Jacksonville City Council, I was a young on-air personality at Hot 101.5. Bigga Rankin was one of the first people to believe in me. He trusted me to host his live remotes from Cool Runnings on Florida Avenue and later at Club Carousel. Like so many others, I am part of his legacy because he invested in me before the world knew my name.

Earlier this year, I had the privilege of sponsoring a Jacksonville City Council Resolution honoring Bigga’s extraordinary life, his service to our community, and the nearly forty-year legacy of Cool Runnings DJs. The resolution passed unanimously in April, and I was looking forward to presenting it to him on August 8th for his birthday.

The blessing inside today’s heartbreak is that Bigga knew. We talked throughout the process. He knew his city paused to honor him. He knew we recognized what he had built. He knew we were grateful.

Too often, our loudest praise comes after life is silenced. Bigga heard ours while he was still here.

He came to us from Jamaica, but he became a son of Jacksonville. He helped to shape the sound of Southern hip-hop and this city. His legacy lives in every artist he believed in, every career he helped launch, every young person he encouraged, and every life he touched.

We didn’t simply lose an icon today. We lost part of Jacksonville’s heartbeat. I will forever remember my friend. May he rest in power.”

Plummer’s family said it will continue the Back to School Community Day organized by the K.I.N.G. Foundation on Aug. 8 at A. Philip Randolph Park in Jacksonville and will include free backpacks, food and activities.

Burnham told his top team that he would lead a “cost-of-living government” focused on easing the economic burden felt by millions of people.

“We need to think every day, what can we do just to take that little bit of pressure off people’s shoulders, to give them that little extra sense that help is coming, so they can have that bit of hope that things are getting better,” Burnham said.

He made a small down payment on that pledge by announcing a tax cut on domestic electricity bills that will save the average household about 45 pounds ($60) a year. The cut will take effect Oct. 1, Burnham said, with the funding coming from scrapping a plan for digital ID cards announced by Starmer.

The former mayor of Greater Manchester entered Downing Street on Monday after replacing Starmer as leader of the governing Labour Party, becoming Britain’s seventh prime minister since 2016. Starmer resigned just two years after winning a landslide election victory, forced out by his party after missteps and U-turns.

In his first speech as prime minister, Burnham pledged to ease the cost of living, decentralize political power, revitalize industry and end street sleeping by homeless people — a tall order, especially given Britain's sluggish economic growth in recent years.

Burnham acknowledged at the Cabinet meeting that the government would have to make difficult financial decisions and “take a really hard look at what our priorities are.”

Starmer loyalists removed from office

After taking office Monday, Burnham set about remaking the government.

Starmer’s finance minister, Rachel Reeves, was ousted, replaced by John Healey, a former defense secretary who resigned in June and accused the Treasury of failing to spend enough on the military at a time of rising threats. In an interview after he quit, Healey called the Treasury “a dead hand on dynamic government” and “in denial.”

Healey has said defense spending, due to be 2.6% of GDP next year, should rise to 3% by 2030. Now he will have to find the money.

Wes Streeting, whose resignation as health secretary in May helped topple Starmer, took over the defense portfolio.

Other key Cabinet appointees include Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, Housing Secretary Angela Rayner and Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, who has an expanded brief that includes innovation and science.

Louise Haigh, a key Burnham ally who helped engineer his rise to the top, was named First Secretary of State and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, effectively the deputy prime minister.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who has overseen contentious rules designed to reduce immigration, kept her job.

Burnham has huge support from the party that is desperate for a new leader to reverse its decline in popularity under Starmer. But there is some grumbling after Burnham removed several of Starmer’s senior ministers including ex-Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, former Business Secretary Peter Kyle and Starmer’s chief secretary, Darren Jones.

Foreign policy challenges lie ahead

Burnham has little experience of foreign policy and faces a stack of challenges including wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and managing relations with U.S. President Donald Trump, who first warmed to Starmer before souring on him.

Burnham’s office said he had an “extremely warm” conversation with Trump in one of his first calls as prime minister and “underlined his commitment to defense and security.” Trump posted on social media that the men had “a very good conversation” and would be “meeting in the not too distant future for topics of mutual interest.”

The prime minister also spoke to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and leaders of the European Union and NATO.

Burnham told NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte that putting former defense chief Healey in charge of the nation’s finances “was a signal of his intent.”

In a reminder of the growing international tensions Britain faces, a Russian warship carried out a live-fire weapons exercise in the English Channel on Monday, the day Burnham took office.

The Ministry of Defense said the frigate Neustrashimy was being shadowed by the Royal Navy when it conducted the exercise in international waters about 46 miles (74 kilometers) south of the southwest England port city of Plymouth. It said the navy “continues to track the vessel’s activity closely and stands ready to protect U.K. national security.”

Streeting, the new defense secretary, said the Russian ship's actions were “performative and irresponsible.”

“Russia should be in no doubt about the resolve of this government and this prime minister, our resolve to stand against Russian aggression in Ukraine but also Russian aggression against all of our allies,” he said at a news conference.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russian warships always acted “in strict accordance” with international and maritime law.

Asked whether the Russian government felt relations with the U.K. would improve under the new prime minister, Peskov said it had “no such hopes.”

You can imagine their fingers pressing a tight crease around the pot’s simple rim and smoothing its dull grey surface, leaving it free of any adornment.

We may never know exactly what the pot held or how many hands it passed through before it was excavated, still fully intact, by students at the University of Florida earlier this year.

“It’s very unique. Typically, we find things that were broken and discarded,” said Gifford Waters, collections manager for historical archaeology at the Florida Museum of Natural History. “You don’t leave things behind that you can still use, so why was this purposefully put into a pit?”

Besides his work on collections from shipwreck sites, where it is common to find complete materials, it is the first time in his career that Waters has worked alongside a crew that unearthed a fully intact pottery vessel.

Even when whole pottery is discarded, the pressure of being underground for centuries or the shifting of earth due to development and agriculture often break the vessel long before archaeologists get to it.

The students who found the pot were enrolled in a field course that Waters instructs alongside his colleague Charles Cobb, curator of historical archaeology at the museum.

Every Friday during the spring semester, students learn the fundamental skills of archaeology fieldwork while studying the centuries-old site of Mission San Francisco de Potano, located in northwest Gainesville.

Today, the shady patch of woods where the mission once stood is dotted by 1-by-1 meter (approximately 3-by-3 foot) excavation units where students trowel away soil in search of artifacts. Crisscrossing trails form in the understory as they traipse among these plots that mark the remains of a 17th-century kitchen, friar’s residence and surrounding Potano village.

In 1585, the Potano, a group of the Timucua people in North Florida, moved to the area after Spanish forces pushed them from their home, likely located between present-day Payne’s Prairie and Orange Lake.

In 1606, the Spanish government sent a friar to the Potano village to establish a mission, one of the first of more than 100 Catholic missions that would be established over the following century to help prop up Spanish rule in Florida. Mission San Francisco de Potano was eventually abandoned in 1706, and its evidence faded away, until artifacts began to turn up in the 1950s.

At its peak, the large village would have been home to a few hundred Potano people, with only a single European living at the mission as friar. So, it is unsurprising that the vast majority of the over 7,000 artifacts collected from the site since 2006 are pieces of Native American pottery. Over the years, archaeologists and students have also unearthed glass beads; stone tools; nails; and animal bones left over from meals of turtle, freshwater fish and turkey.

“What tells us the most is not just the artifacts but the evidence of activities. Knowing that we have a bunch of pieces of bone at the site is great, but the fact we know that nearly all of them came from one spot tells us it was a cooking area and trash pit,” Waters said. “It’s not just artifacts themselves but where they were on the site, how they were distributed and what they were associated with that tells the story.”

This context matters in archaeology, which is why, even after the small pot itself failed to yield many clues, it still becomes part of the broader story emerging from the site. It was found within a Spanish-made structure, although determining what the structure was used for will require more digging. Records show that a small garrison of soldiers was sent to the site after British raids on missions intensified during the early 1700s. It is possible that the structure even served as a barrack, a theory supported by the rear sight of a gun and the side plate of a musket uncovered nearby.

Based on the pot’s depth and location at the site, it was likely crafted during the century-long span of the mission. But the style of the vessel is not one the archaeologists are familiar with, and exactly what the pot was used for remains a mystery.

With cookware, archaeologists often find a coating of burned food and charcoal clinging to the interior of the artifacts. The lack of that charcoal residue suggests that this pot wasn’t placed over the fire for cooking itself. However, it might have still been used during mealtimes. The faint scorch marks may be the result of the firing process during its creation, or they could have formed by placing the pot near the fire to heat up individual portions of food.

Shortly after finding the small pot, students also unearthed broken pieces of a much larger and very different piece of pottery. Unlike the smooth pot, this one had a rough surface and a composition that doesn’t appear to follow local pottery traditions. Archaeologists suspect it may have arrived by trade with communities in St. Augustine or present-day Jacksonville, or perhaps it was brought along with a new resident with traditions of their own. People, goods and ideas all flowed through the village, leaving their mark on the artifacts buried beneath the earth.

“During the later years of this mission, folks from different parts of Florida and Native Americans from different areas moved into and around the site. It’s really neat to see these differences and connections in the artifacts,” Waters said. “It shows both the persistence and change of traditions over time.”

The center, in charge of combating abuse in Olympic sports, has long published what it calls its Centralized Disciplinary Database. But without publicizing who lands on the list, people had to access the database and know who they were looking for to learn about banned and restricted people in their orbit.

Now, the center will share weekly updates about people added to the list; the updates will include cases taken to arbitration that have reached a decision.

"Knowledge is power and maintaining safe sport environments improves when information is as accessible as possible,” said the center's CEO, Benita Fitzgerald Mosley. “By sharing weekly news updates of individuals who have been added to the Centralized Disciplinary Database, we hope to improve safeguarding through increased public awareness.”

Among those who receive the center's correspondence are national governing bodies, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and media, making the news of someone's listing on the database more likely to be seen.

Publicizing offenders is a core principle in anti-doping. Public announcements of people who get caught doping is considered a deterrent to drug use and the practice is part of the world drug-fighting rulebook.

In the SafeSport Center’s news release announcing the change, it said people listed on the database are currently restricted or banned from participating in Olympic or Paralympic sports — a penalty that encompasses elite level down to the grassroots. The center said the database is a snapshot in time — i.e., someone on the list could come off of it — and that the center's process is neither a criminal nor civil legal proceeding.

___

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

CVS announced Tuesday that common prescription medications for dogs and cats are now available at its approximately 9,000 CVS Pharmacy locations nationwide.

Pet owners can turn to CVS to fill prescriptions for select pet-only medications, including antibiotics, allergy, flea and tick control, insulin, and pain relievers.

To learn more about pet medication dispensing at CVS Pharmacy, including which pet medications are currently available, visit https://www.cvs.com/content/pharmacy/pet-meds.

CVS said pet prescriptions are eligible for many of the same pharmacy services as their owners’, including automatic refills and prescription syncing, helping simplify ongoing care. Select medications may also be available for delivery.

“We’re proud to be a trusted partner in our patients’ health care journeys,” said Sid Tenneti, Senior Vice President and Interim President, Pharmacy and Consumer Wellness, CVS Health. “With the addition of pet medication dispensing, CVS Pharmacy can now serve every member of the family. Combined with our convenient locations, extended hours, and broad range of health and wellness products, we offer a true one-stop destination for care.”

How it works

Pet owners who would like to fill their pet’s medication at CVS Pharmacy can present a written prescription or ask their veterinarian to contact the pharmacy directly.

Once CVS Pharmacy receives the prescription, the pet owner can choose to pick it up in-store or opt to have it delivered, if eligible.

Pet owners can add their pets to their CVS.com profile and manage eligible pet prescriptions through the CVS Health app.

Additional enhancements to help make the new service even more convenient for pet owners and veterinarians, including electronic prescription capabilities, will be added in the coming months, CVS said.

Jonathan Shahaad Ruff, aka “Slaughter,” 30, of Glynn County, Georgia, has been indicted for five counts of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

His co-defendant, Darnell Lamar Pickens, 30, of Glynn County, has also been indicted for distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

The indictment alleges that Ruff distributed methamphetamine in June and July of 2025 in Glynn County. The indictment further alleges that Ruff and Pickens distributed 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in August 2025 in Glynn County.

Pickens is also alleged to have possessed 5 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute in January 2026 in addition to being found in possession of a firearm.

Under federal law, it is prohibited for previously convicted felons to possess firearms or ammunition.

Both defendants face statutory penalties of 10 years to life in prison for distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. If convicted, Pickens is also subject to a minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. A conviction for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon may result in up to 15 years in prison, and each offense may also be accompanied by significant financial penalties and a minimum of 3 to 5 years of supervised release.

Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Joshua Kerry, 28, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London over the killing that shocked the public and the political establishment.

Widdecombe, 78, was eating around noon on July 8 when Kerry drove to her house in an isolated southwest England village, prosecutor Kashif Malik said. Kerry walked through the front door and beat her with a hammer, took her wallet and was gone two minutes after the attack began.

Blunt force injury to the head was listed as the provisional cause of death.

Kerry was charged Monday while in custody after being arrested on suspicion of murder and acts of terror. Police are investigating his motive, including a potential political or terrorist connection, prosecutors said.

Kerry, who wore a gray sweatsuit, spoke only to confirm his identity and did not enter a plea. He was ordered held in custody and is scheduled to appear in the Central Criminal Court on Oct. 9.

Widdecombe, a former member of Parliament and government minister, was a prominent political voice known for her blunt-spoken, socially conservative views opposing abortion and the expansion of LGBTQ+ rights.

When she failed to appear for a scheduled interview on July 8, TV producers called her assistant, who contacted her gardener, prosecutors said. He found Widdecombe lying face down on her kitchen floor the next day.

Kerry was arrested July 11 in South Yorkshire, a northern England county where he lived, more than 250 miles (400 kilometers) from Widdecombe's home in the village of Haytor, on the edge of Dartmoor National Park.

Widdecombe was a MP in the House of Commons from 1987 to 2010, serving as a prisons minister in Prime Minister John Major’s 1990s Conservative government.

She found fame after leaving Parliament as a contestant on the reality television shows “Strictly Come Dancing” and “Celebrity Big Brother.”

She later joined the Brexit Party, briefly serving as a member of the European Parliament before Britain left the European Union in 2020. Most recently, she joined the anti-immigration Reform UK, often appearing in the media as the party's immigration and justice spokesperson.

Widdecombe's killing has renewed concerns over the security for politicians, which had been tightened in the past decade after the murders of two prominent MPs. Labour lawmaker Jo Cox was shot and stabbed in 2016 by a far-right extremist, and Conservative David Amess was stabbed in 2021 by an attacker inspired by the Islamic State group.

The agency said 144 people were dead or missing after two incidents between July 14 and 18. It said 387 people were rescued.

Mauritania’s coast guard has said 122 people went missing off the coast near the capital, Nouakchott. It said the boat carrying 160 people from Gambia toward the Canary Islands ran out of fuel and was stranded at sea for 25 days.

In a separate incident, the coast guard said it rescued 179 people who had boarded a boat from Senegal on Saturday.

The difference in the numbers given was not immediately clear.

Mauritania's waters have become a major route for people from sub-Saharan Africa seeking a better life in Europe as economic opportunities remain scarce at home.

The route toward the Canary Islands is “one of the world’s deadliest” with long distances and unseaworthy and overcrowded boats, the U.N. agency said in a statement.

Rescue teams with oxygen gear raced to find survivors Tuesday as toxic levels of gas were detected at the disaster site in Samardung village near the Chinese border.

The blast had ripped through the tunnel Monday while 21 laborers were inside working on the 500-megawatt Teesta hydroelectric project, officials said. Two of them managed to escape. Six power utility officials later entered the tunnel to help in the rescue, but became trapped themselves, officials said.

The explosion was believed triggered by a buildup of methane, said State Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, who visited the site Tuesday. Survivors told authorities they heard a loud explosion before debris came crashing through the tunnel, civil official Anupama Tamling said.

Officials had recovered 12 bodies on Tuesday while rescuers from the National Disaster Response Force, or NDRF, raced to reach the 13 people believed to be still trapped.

“We found toxic gases such as methane, carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide inside the tunnel,” NDRF official Nitin Kumar said at the scene.

The conditions late Tuesday were so dangerous that, although equipped with oxygen gear, the rescuers could enter the disaster site only for shifts of about 15 minutes at a time, officials said.

Construction accidents are not uncommon in India, where rapid infrastructure growth often collides with fragile geology, construction lapses, extreme weather and safety standards.

In the Himalayan region, fragile mountains, seismic activity and unpredictable underground conditions make tunnel projects especially risky. An explosion inside a coal mine in neighboring Meghalaya state in February killed at least 18 workers. In 2023, a tunnel section in northern Uttarakhand state collapsed, trapping 41 workers for 17 days before they were rescued.

Experts say the Teesta River basin, where the hydropower project is being built, lies in a seismically active region marked by young, fragile rock formations riddled with fractures and underground pockets that can trap ancient gases.

Dr. Devesh Walia, a geology professor at North-Eastern Hill University in Meghalaya, said the area contains relatively young rock formations, some associated with coal-bearing strata.

“It is quite possible that methane along with other gases accumulated underground and may have triggered an explosion,” he said.

APPLY: Internship Program information

The internship program is designed to augment the educational development of those studying for careers in broadcasting by creating opportunities for college students to gain experience in a station’s day-to-day operations.

Requirements:

• Be at least 18 years of age.
• Be enrolled in an accredited college or university.
• Be majoring in a broadcast related field (i.e. communications, journalism, broadcast production techniques, engineering skills or marketing).
• Be seeking course credits or their equivalent (such as master’s thesis).
• Be classified at least “junior” when internship begins.

Interested candidates should send an application request, including name, address and phone number. We also recommend including a resume with cover letter stating the department of interest.

Send to: Human Resources administrator, WJXT-TV 4 Broadcast Place Jacksonville, FL 32207

Intern application requests can also be made by calling (904) 399-4000 or by sending an email to NaKita Woods.

Any offer of employment is conditional upon the successful completion of a pre-employment drug screening, investigative background check, employment/education verifications and reference checks.

GMG/WJXT/WCWJ is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In addition to complying with the requirements of federal law, GMG/WJXT/WCWJ will comply with applicable state and local laws prohibiting employment discrimination.

The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, known as PEPFAR, is credited with saving at least 26 million lives since its inception in 2003. But last year, it was impaired by the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development and cuts to thousands of global health grants.

“The disruptions were very widespread,” with services for young women, orphans and children impacted, said Elise Lankiewicz, policy associate for the nonprofit amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, which released the report.

Researchers contacted groups that got PEPFAR funding to deliver HIV services last year. Nearly a quarter — 166 groups from 46 countries — responded to an electronic survey conducted between last November and April, providing information on their funding, staff and services.

The survey didn’t reach all PEPFAR groups and certain types of organizations — like those that were most severely disrupted or still receiving U.S. funding — may have been less likely to respond. That could result in an underestimate or an overestimate of disruptions, depending on which organizations were missed. Nevertheless, the findings are a window into the struggles that some groups faced last year.

Some key findings were:

—Most organizations had at least one award terminated or payment delayed last year. Terminations led to the closure of more than 1,700 clinics, drop-in centers and other service delivery sites, and to the loss of more than 16,000 full-time staff members.

—Even though the U.S. government directed services providing HIV treatment, testing, and prevention of mother-to-child transmission to continue, a majority of partners still reported a disruption to those services.

—Cuts were concentrated on services for populations most impacted by HIV. Most organizations previously serving groups such as sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgender people, and people who inject drugs reported permanently ending a service for these groups. Even among organizations that didn’t lose funding, some reported stopping a service for one of these key populations to comply with U.S. policy.

—HIV prevention has been sharply reduced, with many organizations stopping condom programs or services offering what's called PrEP, preventive medicines to guard against sexually transmitted HIV. From fiscal years 2024 to 2025, prevention spending fell 51%, according to PEPFAR expenditure data.

—Locally-based partners were much more likely than international organizations to have an award terminated and to close service delivery sites. Funding disruptions also destabilized interconnected HIV service systems.

“Taken together, these results describe widespread degradation of the infrastructure built to deliver HIV services worldwide, with the deepest damage falling on the populations and partners most essential to controlling the epidemic,” the report says.

The survey doesn’t provide data at the country level, but amfAR officials point out that the majority of responses came from African countries.

When asked about the report, a State Department spokesperson said in an email that the Trump administration has “strengthened PEPFAR through clear, strategic direction.”

“As a result, the number of children testing positive and on treatment for HIV has continued to decline,” the spokesperson said.

In April, the U.S. State Department released PEPFAR data for one quarter in 2025: July through September. Officials said PEPFAR-supported programs provided standard HIV treatment for 20.6 million people in more than 50 countries, which they said is stable from the same reporting period in 2024. They also said PEPFAR started 103,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women on PrEP, up from 43,000 the previous year.

The data from that quarter “demonstrates the resilience and strength of the program,” the spokesperson said.

But researchers from amfAR and the International AIDS Society combined that quarter's data with another data release that included all four quarters and found substantial disruptions across PEPFAR services.

Other research, published in the journal Nature Health in June, specifically examined treatment globally using PEPFAR data. It found that nearly two million fewer people living with HIV were receiving PEPFAR-supported antiretroviral treatment in fiscal year 2025 as compared with the previous fiscal year — about a 10% decline.

“That does raise really important questions about program stability," said Ramona Godbole, an author of that study who wasn’t involved in the latest report.

AmfAR's report made numerous recommendations to help restore care. It said the U.S. government and PEPFAR leaders should reinstate support for all HIV services, not just treatment. It also called on other national governments to spend more on HIV services and contract with nongovernmental organizations, including those led by people in key vulnerable populations.

But Jennifer Sherwood, amfAR’s director of research and public policy, said even if money is put back into the system, it will take time to get the services up and running and regain the trust of communities.

“And unfortunately, with HIV and infectious disease, each day is deadly,” she said. “Each day that we don’t have those systems in place, you see new infections.”

___

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.

In the meantime, Florida is holding its annual back-to-school sales tax “holiday” from now through Aug. 20.

RELATED: Florida’s back-to-school tax ‘holiday’ begins Monday: Here’s how you can save

And community groups and local governments across the area are hosting back-to-school bashes, giveaways and more.

We’ve compiled a county-by-county list of events around Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia.

NOTE: Want to see your event added? Email the name, a brief description, and the time, date and location to ffrazier@wjxt.com.

Alachua County

• Alachua Police Department Back 2 School Giveaway: backpacks/supplies giveaway, 9 a.m.–noon, Sat. Aug. 1, 2026 — Legacy Park Multipurpose Center, 15400 Peggy Rd., Alachua, FL 32615.
• Alachua Back to School Event (Better Together + SWAG Family Resource Center): supplies/resources, 10 a.m.–2 p.m., Sat. Aug. 1, 2026 — SWAG Family Resource Center, 807 SW 64th Terrace, Gainesville, FL 32607.

Clay County

• Bless the Backpacks: Toos for Tomorrow (Clay County Salvation Army): Ticket required for backpacks/school supplies. Call 904-276-6677 to register. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday, July 24. The Salvation Army, 2795 CR 220, Middleburg, FL, 32068.
• Clay County Back to School Bash (Thrasher-Horne Center): supplies/resources bash, 9–11 a.m., Sat. July 25, 2026 — Thrasher-Horne Center, 283 College Dr., Orange Park, FL 32065.

• American Legion Post 250 Back to School Supply Giveaway: supply giveaway, 11 a.m.–noon, Sat. Aug. 1, 2026 — 2608 Black Creek Dr., Middleburg, FL 32068.
• Back to School Health and Wellness Event (Clay County Health Dept.): back-to-school health/wellness, 8 a.m.–2 p.m., Mon. Aug. 3–Fri. Aug. 7, 2026 — 1845 Town Center Blvd., Building 600, Fleming Island, FL 32003.
• American Academy of Cosmetology Back to School Bash: bash w/ free haircuts (per listing), 10 a.m.–2 p.m., Fri. Aug. 7, 2026 — 1330 Blanding Blvd., Orange Park, FL.

Duval County

• Ready, Set, Learn: Back-to-School Supplies Giveaway (Wealth Empowerment initiative): supplies giveaway, 11 a.m.–4 p.m., Fri. July 24, 2026 — Jacksonville Public Library (Main), 303 N. Laura St., Jacksonville, FL 32202.

View this post on Instagram

• SERTOMA Free Hearing Screenings (Back-to-School Health): hearing screenings, 9 a.m.–1 p.m., Sat. July 25, 2026 — 7535 Fort Caroline Hills Dr., Jacksonville, FL 32277.
• Ascension St. Vincent’s Emergency Care – Arlington Back-to-School Community Event: community back-to-school event, 10 a.m.–noon, Sat. July 25, 2026 — 9820 Hutchinson Park Dr., Jacksonville, FL 32225.
• Military Back-to-School Bash (First Coast YMCA): Children of active-duty service members, veterans and their families will receive free backpacks filled with school supplies and enjoy family-friendly activities. 10 a.m.-noon, Saturday, July 25.
• • Brooks Family YMCA
  • Dye Clay Family YMCA
  • Williams Family YMCA
  • Winston Family YMCA
  • YMCA at Baptist North
  • YMCA at Flagler Health+ Village
  • YMCA at Wildlight
  • VyStar Credit Union – Neptune Beach

• Back-to-School Giveaway and Registration (Creating Executive Opportunities Foundation): free backpacks/supplies, 10:30 a.m.–1 p.m., Sat. July 25, 2026 — Sk8City Jacksonville, 9244 Arlington Expy, Jacksonville, FL 32225.
• Back to School Bash (Sulzbacher Village): 500 free backpacks filled with school supplies, family activities, and access to pediatric health services for local students. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1, at Sulzbacher Village, 5455 Springfield Blvd. (44^th & Pearl), Jacksonville, FL 32208.

View this post on Instagram

• Back 2 School give-a-way (Motorcycle Clubs Community): Music, food, face painting, fun and raffles. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 2, A. Philip Randolph Heritage Park, 1096 A Philip Randolph Blvd., Jacksonville, FL, 32206
• Back 2 School Community Day (New Life International): 500 backpacks filled with supplies, vendors, resources, Haircuts, quick braids and more; free vaccination, physicals and an EKG for sports clearance (Pre-registration for health services required). 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 2, 6429 Atlantic Blvd., Jacksonville, FL, 32211

• Back to School Giveaway Festival (DJ Squally & Rai): Vendors, games, prizes, food trucks, music, supplies. 1 p.m. until supplies are gone, Saturday, Aug. 8, 555 West 25th St., Jacksonville, FL 32206

Flagler County

• Boots & Backpacks Community Roundup (Remembering Heroes): school supply giveaway, Noon–5 p.m., Sat. Aug. 8, 2026 — 2K Ranch, 6067 Tangerine Ave., Bunnell, FL 32110.

Nassau County

• Bounce Back to School Event: supplies + health screenings/resources, 9 a.m.–noon, Sat. July 25, 2026 — Peck Center Gymnasium, Fernandina Beach, FL.
• Back to School Giveaway: backpacks/clothing/haircuts + screenings/physicals (while supplies last), 9 a.m.–1 p.m., Sat. Aug. 1, 2026 — Hilliard First Assembly, Hilliard, FL.

Putnam County

• Palatka Police Athletic League (PAL) – Back to School Bash: free distribution (shoes + backpacks + school supplies + clothing mentioned), 11 a.m.–2 p.m., Sat. July 25, 2026 — Calvary Family Life Center, 1414 Bronson St., Palatka, FL.
• Interlachen Back to School Bash: community back-to-school bash (supplies + family activities), 10 a.m.–1 p.m., Sat. Aug. 1, 2026 — 155 CR 315 N, Interlachen, FL 32148.

View this post on Instagram

St. Johns County

• SEA Community Help Resource Center, Inc – Back 2 School Bash: backpacks/supplies + food/music (per flyer), 10 a.m.–(end time not listed), Fri. July 24, 2026 — 6284 Armstrong Rd., Elkton, FL 32033.

• OFFSITE: Community Focus Back to School Event (10th Annual Back to School Festival): resource fair + back-to-school physicals (UF Health St. Johns) + immunizations (FL Dept. of Health) + supplies giveaway (per listing), 9–11 a.m., Sat. Aug. 1, 2026 — W.E. Harris Community Center (Gym), 400 E Harris St., Hastings, FL 32145.

Union County

• Community Back to School Bash (Union County Impact Initiative): community back-to-school bash, 9 a.m.–11:30 a.m., Sat. July 25, 2026 — Lake Butler Middle School, 150 SW 6th St., Lake Butler, FL 32054.

GEORGIA

Brantley County

• Brantley County Health Department – Back-to-School Clinic: immunizations + screenings (hearing/vision/dental), 8 a.m.–5 p.m., Thu. July 30, 2026 — Brantley County Health Department, 173 Florida Ave., Nahunta, GA 31553.

Camden County

• Park Praise & Back-to-School Drive 2026 (Divine Overflow Ministries International): giveaways/supplies drive, Noon–5 p.m., Sat. July 25, 2026 — 656 Gross Rd., Kingsland, GA 31548.

Charlton County

• Charlton County Health Department – Back-to-School Services (walk-in): immunizations + screenings (hearing/vision/dental) during normal hours, now through Aug. 10, 2026 — Charlton County Health Department, 2587 Third St., Folkston, GA 31537.

Glynn County

• Glynn County Health Department – Back-to-School Vaccination & Screening Services (walk-in): walk-in back-to-school vaccinations and screenings, now through Aug 10, 2026 — Glynn County Health Department, 2747 Fourth St., Brunswick, GA.

Pierce County

• Pierce County Health Department – Back-to-School Clinic: immunizations + screenings (hearing/vision/dental), 7:30 a.m.–5 p.m., Mon. Aug. 3, 2026 — Pierce County Health Department, 715 Ware St., Blackshear, GA 31516.
• Pierce County Health Department – Back-to-School Clinic: immunizations + screenings (hearing/vision/dental), 7:30 a.m.–5 p.m., Tue. Aug. 4, 2026 — Pierce County Health Department, 715 Ware St., Blackshear, GA 31516.

Ware County

• B-stro on the Bypass – Annual Back to School Giveaway: school supply giveaway + food, 11 a.m.–1 p.m., Sat. Aug. 8, 2026 — 502 Reynolds St., Waycross, GA 31501.

But behavioral scientists say the increasing flood of choices — whether it comes to shopping, social lives or relationships — is doing the opposite.

The idea that more choice is better is baked into Western culture, but research shows that having more options can make people anxious, indecisive and, paradoxically, less happy with what they pick, said Barry Schwartz, an emeritus psychology professor at Swarthmore College and author of “The Paradox of Choice.”

“There have been hundreds of studies showing that there can be too much of a good thing,” Schwartz said.

To minimize the mental noise, he said, limit the number of choices you make, and your brain will thank you for it.

More is often more confusing

Schwartz offered several examples of cases where more options left people worse off.

In the case of Medicare Part D prescription drug plans, people in states with more choices were less likely to choose any of them, he said. The same goes for 401(k) investments. The more options a company had, the less likely employees were to sign up, even when the employer offered matching money.

Less consequential choices are no different. Schwartz pointed to one often-cited study that showed shoppers at a gourmet grocery store bought more jars of artisanal jam when they were presented with six flavors rather than with a wider array of 24. In a follow-up study, students were more likely to complete an extra-credit assignment when they were given six topics to choose from instead of 30.

Schwartz’s research expanded on those findings to learn the emotional responses to this phenomenon.

“Instead of being liberated by all this choice, you’re paralyzed,” he said. “You can do anything, and you can’t figure out which of those many things to do.”

People also often end up making worse decisions since more options suggest more potentially bad outcomes, he said. And once someone finally decides from all the possibilities, they may be less satisfied with even a good choice because they fear there was a better alternative.

Schwartz said the satisfaction problem is especially acute for people whose aim is to get the best, whom psychologists call maximizers.

“People who are maximizers especially suffer from the proliferation of options,” he said. “Only the best will do.”

The tendency isn’t true for all people in all situations, Schwartz noted. Car buffs will gladly dive into the details of nearly unlimited choice when buying a new one.

“But you don’t feel that way when it comes to buying jam,” he said.

The brain doesn't like making decisions

Daniel Willingham, a psychology professor and neuroscience researcher at the University of Virginia, said the phenomenon occurs because the brain is designed to save people from having to think.

Problem-solving requires more energy than relying on memory, a fact that has roots in evolutionary survival mode, Willingham said. When faced with a goal, whether it be an immediate need like responding to a threat or something longer term like finding shelter, the mind first searches for what’s worked before. The problem-solving part of the brain only kicks in afterward.

“Another way to put it is that if you’re thinking, things are not going well,” he said.

That explains why sometimes people move through parts of their day on autopilot, he said. Throughout the day, people are confronted with hundreds of situations where they could do something different, but they almost always take the same route to work.

Schwartz said the proliferation of choices also has become tangled with identity in the social media age, where everyone can easily compare their choices to others.

“When all you’ve got to choose from is Lee’s and Levi’s, nobody expects the jeans they buy to fit perfectly,” he said. “When there are 2,000 options, well, now, dammit, you do expect your jeans to fit perfectly.”

Limit your choices and move on

David Epstein said that after researching his book, “Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better,” he began to shift away from his maximalist tendencies. Now, he limits his opportunities for making choices, such as when he bought 10 of the same well-fitting T-shirts in different colors.

He was following the example of Herbert Simon, a psychologist and 1978 Nobel laureate in economics, who had three sets of clothes and ate nearly the same thing every day. Simon introduced the term “satisficing,” a combination of satisfying and sufficing that means setting good-enough criteria for decisions and moving on.

Epstein sets satisficing rules for himself when shopping online by first focusing on the purpose of the purchase.

“When I find one that does that, I’m buying it, instead of reading all the reviews and getting sucked into, ‘Well, this one has all these other features.’”

Willingham and Schwartz suggested farming out some decisions. If you’re looking for a new phone, find a friend who is happy with theirs and buy that one.

For larger decisions like financial planning, you’ll be happier if you rely on someone else’s professional expertise, Willingham said.

“If you’re thinking, ‘Well, I’m a clever guy, I can figure that out,’ I think 9 times out of 10, you’re fooling yourself,” he said.

Schwartz acknowledged that for people who have trouble making decisions, changing is difficult. But it’s worth it.

“What happens over time is you find it easier to make decisions, you end up more satisfied with the decisions you make, and all of a sudden, you’ve got an extra two hours in every day,” he said.

___

EDITOR’S NOTE: Albert Stumm writes about wellness, food and travel. Find his work at https://www.albertstumm.com

___

This story was first published on Jul. 18, 2026. It was updated on Jul. 21, 2026 to correct the name of Swarthmore College. It is not Swarthmore University.

A divided three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit suspended its decision until Aug. 3 to allow more time for Biden to consider another appeal.

The panel's 2-1 ruling late Monday found there is a “substantial” public interest in disclosing the material that Biden wants to keep under wraps. Redactions to the recordings would help protect Biden's privacy, the majority noted.

“We conclude that any remaining incursion on personal privacy from disclosure of the now-redacted materials likely does not outweigh the public interest in disclosure,” the ruling says.

Judge Florence Pan, who was nominated by Biden, a Democrat, wrote a dissenting opinion in which she said Biden has shown a “substantial privacy interest” in keeping the material hidden.

“The conversations at issue took place in Biden’s home, and the recordings of them were obtained by the government in the course of a criminal investigation that did not lead to an indictment,” she wrote.

The appeal also was heard by D.C. Circuit Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan and Judge Gregory Katsas. Srinivasan was nominated by President Barack Obama, a Democrat who chose Biden as his vice president. Katsas was nominated by President Donald Trump, a Republican who as president lost to Biden in 2020 but was elected again to the White House in 2024.

Mark Zwonitzer, who worked with Biden on two memoirs, 2007’s “Promises to Keep” and 2017's “Promise Me, Dad,” interviewed him at his home in 2016 and 2017. Biden’s lawyers say the conversations were candid, personal and intended to remain private.

Biden spokesperson T.J. Ducklo said the former president disagrees with the ruling but “respects the courts and the vital role an independent judiciary plays in a healthy democracy.”

“President Biden’s conversations for a book a decade ago that discussed his late son are private, and were provided to the Department of Justice on the express condition they stay that way,” Ducklo said in a statement. “Reversing course and making them public is just the latest example of this administration weaponizing the (Justice Department) for political retribution.”

The recordings were obtained by special counsel Robert Hur, who investigated Biden's handling of classified documents from his time as a senator from Delaware and as Obama's vice president. Republicans in Congress demanded the material after Hur declined to file charges against the then-president.

Biden sued and sought an injunction to prevent the Justice Department under Trump from releasing the recordings to Congress and the conservative Heritage Foundation. The department previously argued that the recordings were exempt from disclosure under public records law.

Biden appealed after U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich, who was nominated by Trump, ruled in June that the public interest in the material outweighed whatever privacy rights Biden had.

Pan noted that the majority is effectively ruling in favor of immediately disclosing the material by denying Biden's request for an injunction pending appeal.

“That, of course, will moot this case,” she wrote.

To do this, researchers said they looked at indicators like depression rates, leisure time, and even income growth, according to a report from our sister station in Orlando, WKMG.

“Research shows that having more money only increases your happiness until you’re making at least $75,000 per year - anything more you earn likely won’t have an impact.

Therefore, when deciding where to live to maximize your happiness, you’ll want to pick a city that offers more than just a decent average income.

The ideal city provides conditions that foster good mental and physical health, like reasonable work hours, short commutes, good weather, and caring neighbors."

WalletHub Analyst Chip Lupo

During WalletHub’s latest state-by-state happiness ranking, researchers found that Florida ranked No. 14 when compared to the rest of the nation.

However, when looking at its major metros, Florida lagged a bit more. The highest-ranked city on this list is Cape Coral, all the way down at No. 41.

Cities like Tallahassee and Hialeah also performed poorly, coming in at No. 100 and No. 101, respectively.

But the lowest-ranked city on this year’s list is Jacksonville, which comes in all the way down at No. 125.

Jacksonville struggled particularly in terms of emotional/physical well-being, income, and employment factors. That said, it performed a bit better when it came to community and environment.

Meanwhile, the full happiness ranking of Florida cities is as follows:

Also, a look at the top affordability concerns and analyzing support or opposition to AI and Data Centers.

All topics in the latest UNF Public Opinion Research Poll.

Sean Freeder, faculty director for the poll, joined us on The Morning Show with a look at your take on these key issues.

That’s why Consumer Reports and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety teamed up to identify the safest used cars for teen drivers at different prices.

It’s a combination of inexperience, immaturity, social pressures, and potential distractions.

There are lots of reasons teens are risky drivers. Car crashes are the leading cause of death for ages 15-24.

Because young drivers are at such high risk, parents should buy a car with as much safety as the budget allows.

Also, a teen driver’s first vehicle should not be too small, not too big, and definitely not too fast.

CONSUMER REPORTS: Best used cars under $20,000 for teens

Consumer Reports and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety analyzed makes and models to find safe and budget-friendly car options.

They identified 74 used cars under $20,000 that have performance and features designed to keep young drivers out of a crash, but that also have high levels of crash protection if the worst does occur.

On the list: popular picks like the Honda Civic, Toyota Camry, and Hyundai Tucson.

For teen drivers, features like automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, and blind spot warning can provide an extra layer of protection when experience is still developing.

And along with safety features, nothing replaces good driving habits.

Finding the right car is only half the battle. Adding a teen driver to your insurance policy will likely raise your insurance bill.

But it’s usually cheaper to keep them on your policy than to buy a separate one. Shopping around for family coverage could save you hundreds because the best rates often go to new customers.

Mayor Donna Deegan’s proposed budget, coming in at just over $2 billion, puts millions of dollars toward addressing those everyday concerns, including nearly $36 million for roadway resurfacing, nearly $12 million for new sidewalks and sidewalk repairs, and $25 million for stormwater drainage projects.

“Infrastructure is not abstract. It is daily life,” Deegan said during her budget presentation. “It is the road you drive to work. The sidewalk your child uses to get to school. The drainage system that protects your home in a storm.”

Road conditions are one of the biggest focuses of the proposed infrastructure spending.

Deegan said the city has made progress on resurfacing roads but acknowledged residents continue to ask for more improvements.

“In every town hall, every interview, and even in chats along my morning run, I hear the need to do more to make our roads smoother,“ Deegan said. The proposed budget would increase funding for resurfacing. “That’s why we are bumping the road resurfacing budget up to $36 million to increase road resurfacing across the entire city.”

Deegan said that’s why she is proposing to bump up the road resurfacing budget to increase road resurfacing across the entire city.

For drivers, the condition of local roads is something they notice every day.

“Even some of these roads right here in this neighborhood in the back are pretty rough. There is a street right over here you go down, and the asphalt is all crumbling up. It’s old; it’s just rough in there,” resident Telli Torgon said.

The proposed budget also includes nearly $12 million to build new sidewalks and repair existing ones.

Deegan said sidewalks play an important role in keeping people safe while moving through their communities.

“Every child who walks to school or a bus stop, every family who takes the dog out for a walk, all know that good sidewalks are essential for a safe city,” Deegan said.

The investment comes as pedestrian safety remains a concern across Jacksonville.

RELATED | City responds to safety concerns after 3 pedestrians killed in 1 week

News4JAX has reported several deadly crashes involving pedestrians this year, including three fatal crashes in just one week last month.

Residents say damaged sidewalks can create challenges for people walking through their neighborhoods.

“It’s an annoyance. It’s an annoyance, I would say. I don’t really get scared, but I’m thinking ‘ew man I wish this was fixed,” Trogon said. “I’ve seen people trip and go face down before. I’ve seen it happen and it’s not a pretty sight.”

Infrastructure concerns in Jacksonville go beyond roads and sidewalks.

The proposed budget also includes $25 million for stormwater drainage projects, which Deegan says would help reduce flood risks.

News4JAX has previously spoken with San Marco residents about flooding concerns after heavy rain.

Deegan said those types of infrastructure investments are necessary as Jacksonville continues to grow.

“These are not luxuries. They are the bones of the city. If they are weak, everything else costs more. If they are strong, everything else becomes possible,” the mayor said.

The proposed budget now heads to the Jacksonville City Council, where members will spend the next several weeks reviewing the plan and making changes before a final vote later this year.

President Donald Trump’s newly released financial disclosure puts that question front and center, and the answers aren’t simple.

Numbers that stopped people in their tracks

Think about that number for a moment: $2.2 billion. In a single year. While serving as president of the United States.

Trump’s 2025 financial disclosure, made public this week, lays it all out — and the sheer scale of it has historians, ethics lawyers and journalists doing double-takes. Roughly $1.4 billion of that total is tied to cryptocurrency ventures, according to reporting from The New York Times, the BBC and other outlets.

That’s not a minor footnote. That’s the kind of number that makes people stop and ask how — and whether the rules we have are anywhere close to sufficient.

“There’s just no precedent for this,” presidential historian Barbara Perry told the Miller Center.

That’s not a talking point from a political opponent. That’s a historian — someone whose entire career is devoted to putting presidents in context — saying flatly that nothing in the American record comes close.

So where did the money come from?

Two names keep coming up in the reporting: a Trump-branded meme coin launched around the time of his inauguration, and World Liberty Financial — known as WLFI — a stablecoin and token business co-founded by Trump family members and partners.

Eric Lipton has spent years covering the intersection of money and power for The New York Times. His reporting on this disclosure traces large portions of the gains to early meme coin buyers and a WLFI sale to an Abu Dhabi investor — meaning a significant slice of a sitting president’s earnings came from abroad.

That’s not just a lot of money. That’s a sitting U.S. president and his family generating billions — in part from foreign investment — in industries that his own administration has the power to regulate.

But crypto is just the top layer

Cryptocurrency dominates the headlines here but pull back and the picture gets even more complicated. The disclosure also notes settlement payments, licensing deals and arrangements tied to foreign partners, along with gifts reportedly worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Then there’s a high-profile pardon issued to a cryptocurrency executive and legislation critics describe as friendly to the stablecoin industry. Taken together, it’s a pattern that raises a pointed question: Are these policy decisions — or business decisions?

The White House response: ‘No conflicts, period’

The administration did not mince words when questions started rolling in.

“Neither the President nor his family has ever engaged — or will ever engage — in conflicts of interest,” deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said in a statement.

It’s a firm denial. But it hasn’t quieted the critics — and some of those critics know this territory better than almost anyone.

Ethics lawyers aren’t buying it

Richard Painter isn’t a pundit or a partisan. He’s a former White House ethics lawyer — someone who once sat inside the building and counseled administrations on exactly these kinds of questions. He knows what a conflict of interest looks like from the inside.

His take, delivered to the BBC, was as direct as it gets.

“Of course it’s a conflict of interest,” Painter said.

When someone with that résumé uses the phrase “of course” — as if the answer couldn’t be more obvious — that’s worth paying attention to.

Defenders say: It’s private business

To be fair, the administration and its supporters have an answer for all of this. The argument goes that Trump’s income flows through private investments and professional managers — structures designed to keep presidential decision-making separate from personal financial interests.

It’s a reasonable framework — on paper. The question reporters and ethics watchdogs keep pressing is whether the scale and the specific industries involved make that separation credible in practice.

Why this matters

Here’s the part that goes beyond political score-settling, and it matters regardless of where you stand: When a sitting president and his family profit heavily from industries that federal policy directly shapes — crypto regulation, foreign investment rules, pardons — the public has a legitimate interest in knowing whether those decisions are being made in the national interest or something else entirely.

That’s not a partisan question. It’s a democratic one — and it belongs to all of us.

Among the issues now being debated by legal scholars, journalists and policy experts: Does current law actually prevent a president from having these kinds of financial entanglements? How much did the presidential platform itself inflate the value of these ventures? And what would meaningful reform even look like — without turning ethics oversight into a political weapon?

Those questions don’t have easy answers. But they’re the right ones to be asking.

Key takeaways

• Trump’s 2025 financial disclosure reports more than $2.2 billion in income — a scale historians call unprecedented.
• Roughly $1.4 billion is tied to cryptocurrency, including a meme coin and WLFI.
• A WLFI investment involved a buyer linked to the United Arab Emirates.
• The White House denies any conflicts of interest; ethics experts and critics sharply disagree.
• The disclosure raises broader questions about whether existing rules are equipped to handle a presidency of this financial complexity.

Our discussion

Matt Corrigan, a political analyst from Jacksonville University, joins me on this week’s Politics & Power to discuss the ethics questions raised about policy and profit colliding after Trump’s financial disclosures.

Watch live at 9 p.m. Tuesday on News4JAX+ or catch up any time on demand at News4JAX.com, News4JAX+ or our YouTube channel.

The foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations met behind closed doors in Manila before issuing a joint statement calling for an immediate halt to fighting in the Middle East and the full and safe reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a key corridor for energy shipments.

“We expressed serious concern over the rapidly evolving situation in the Middle East, particularly the renewed hostilities involving the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the ASEAN ministers said.

The ministers said they reaffirmed the obligations of states to peacefully resolve their differences and respect national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Southeast Asia, a bustling region of more than 680 million people, relies heavily on Middle East oil and gas and was severely hit by the global supply and price shocks sparked by the Iran war. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a national energy emergency in March to ensure the availability of fuel, food and other basic goods and prevent hoarding and profiteering.

Rubio to meet his Chinese counterpart

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Manila on Tuesday morning for an annual meeting with his ASEAN counterparts on Wednesday, where the Middle East crisis will be high on the agenda along with other security and economic issues.

Rubio plans to join regional security talks called the ASEAN Regional Forum, which also will include the European Union, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Rubio will meet Wang on the sidelines on Wednesday, the State Department said. It will be the highest-level contact between the U.S. and China since President Donald Trump flew to flew to Beijing in May for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping that focused on the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, trade and the status of Taiwan, among other issues.

Rubio, Wang and Lavrov will attend a final forum Thursday called the East Asia Summit, where 18 Western and Asian countries, including the 11-nation ASEAN, will tackle geopolitical, economic and security concerns.

Tensions have grown in the South China Sea

ASEAN ministers were scheduled to meet Wang on Wednesday with an agenda that includes a discussion on the status of negotiations between China and the regional bloc on a proposed pact called a “code of conduct,” which aims to prevent territorial disputes in the South China Sea from spiraling out of control.

A new clash in the disputed waters underscored the urgency of the proposed nonaggression pact, which has been negotiated by the two sides for about two decades. They aim to conclude talks within the year.

The Philippine military accused China’s coast guard of injuring a Filipino sailor during an altercation Monday in the disputed Second Thomas Shoal.

Chinese coast guard personnel aboard a motorboat repeatedly struck the sailor on the head with a wooden baton, injuring him and damaging his smaller vessel, the Philippine military said.

Philippine officials condemned the Chinese coast guard, which blamed the Filipinos for starting the high seas confrontation. Marcos called the Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan for a meeting Tuesday afternoon, his spokesperson said without providing details.

In Beijing, China’s Foreign Ministry said the Philippine ambassador was summoned on Tuesday to protest his country’s actions in the confrontation.

___

Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price in Manila, Philippines, and Ken Moritsugu in Beijing contributed to this report.

McNulty, a teammate of overall race leader Tadej Pogačar, was confronted by an angry motorist who overtook him on his way to the start of stage 16, Mauro Gianetti, the CEO of UAE Emirates XRG, told broadcaster Eurosport.

Gianetti said the driver of the car was furious and that he stopped his vehicle after overtaking McNulty, who then collided with the vehicle.

“Nothing so big, but it was not nice,” said Gianetti, who said the driver was a member of the public and not affiliated with the race.

McNulty was unhurt and scheduled to race later Tuesday.

Pogačar had a commanding 5-minute lead over Remco Evenepoel before Tuesday’s technical 26.1-kilometer time trial beside Lake Geneva on the boarder with Switzerland.

Evenepoel won stage 15 on Sunday when Pogačar’s main rival Jonas Vingegaard crashed out.

The race ends July 26 in Paris.

___

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

The event takes place Thursday, July 23, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM at Myrtle Avenue Brewing in Jacksonville, celebrating local food, creativity, and the power of small business collaboration.

Viewers can purchase tickets and learn more at www.summasalts.com or by following @summasalts on Instagram

The incidents delayed play for 15 minutes last Thursday when CSKA won 2-1 at Derry City in the first qualifying round of the Europa League.

UEFA’s urgent disciplinary ruling prohibits the Bulgarian club selling tickets for one away game for “throwing of objects, acts of damage and crowd disturbances.” CSKA plays Thursday against Qarabag in Azerbaijan.

On the charge of “racist and/or discriminatory behavior” for the Nazi salutes, UEFA imposed a further one-game ban on ticket sales suspended for two years of probation.

Video clips on social media showed a CSKA fan making Nazi salutes when Derry fans raised a banner with an anti-fascist slogan.

CSKA fans advanced across a neutral area of the stadium to confront a line of security guards while Derry fans backed away. Some home fans including children got on the playing area to move toward a safer part of the stadium.

UEFA said a CSKA official was fined 5,000 euros ($5,700) for “violating the basic rules of decent conduct” and the club must pay Derry City for damage to the stadium.

The League of Ireland club was fined 20,000 euros ($22,800) for fan disorder including an “effective invasion of the field of play by its supporters.”

Derry City lost 5-3 on aggregate score and dropped down to the third-tier Conference League qualifying rounds. It faces Rijeka in Croatia on Thursday and hosts the second leg next week.

___

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

Cracker Barrel said it sold Maple Street to Biscuit Belly, which describes itself as a “gourmet biscuit sandwich concept” and said it will convert the Maple Street sites to its brand.

Maple Street had 51 restaurants after closing 19 locations since the spring of 2025.

Cracker Barrel said Biscuit Belly is acquiring the assets of 35 Maple Street restaurant, and the remaining 16 will be closed.

Maple Street was founded in 2012 with a restaurant in Jacksonville’s San Marco neighborhood and grew to 33 locations when the company, then headquartered in Orange Park, was acquired by Tennessee-based Cracker Barrel for $36 million in October 2019.

Click here to read the full story on the Jacksonville Daily Record website.

The push by the Republican president's administration to compel the identity of sources in the form of additional subpoenas comes at a time when the executive branch's relationship with the press is increasingly contentious. The efforts, described in a letter-motion filed by the Times over the weekend, were more expansive than previously known, the newspaper noted, and also covered a time frame that exceeded the news articles in question.

“Two of the subpoenas seek records beginning on January 1, 2026, long before the events that are purportedly the basis for the Department’s investigation,” lawyers for the Times wrote in the letter. “That timeframe strongly suggests that the Department is using this investigation not to focus on any purported concerns arising from the July 8 and 9 articles, but instead to forage for information about the Journalists’ source relationships more broadly.”

Government has said reporters aren't the target

The phone records subpoenas are on top of grand jury subpoenas served July 10 on three journalists that sought to compel testimony from the reporters about the identify of their sources. The Times has separately challenged those grand jury subpoenas and U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian is scheduled to hear arguments Thursday. The judge has also frozen enforcement of the phone records subpoenas pending a ruling on the newspaper's motion to quash those.

Lawyers for the newspaper noted that some of the phone records subpoenas were issued on the same day as the grand jury ones, an additional one was issued on July 14 and another was issued on July 16 — after the Times had already moved to quash the grand jury subpoenas.

In arguing for the phone records subpoenas to be spiked, the Times said the government had acted in “bad faith” and had ignored its own protocols by not giving the journalists advance notice that records were being sought and by demanding the information “without first conducting any serious investigation.”

The newspaper’s lawyers said the additional subpoenas call “into question the accuracy” of testimony given last week by Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan, where the grand jury subpoenas were issued. At his confirmation hearing to be the Trump administration's director of national intelligence, Clayton said that “we followed the protocols” and that the government had taken “the least intrusive possible” steps possible.

The Justice Department has justified the grand jury subpoenas by saying that “reporters are not the targets, those leaking classified information are.”

The additional subpoenas included a request for phone records of one reporter's mother and two of the journalists' spouses. The motion noted that the mother in question is a mental health professional with confidential client relationships and that one of the two spouses is the general counsel of a law firm.

"The disclosure of additional subpoenas for confidential newsgathering information of the Journalists is deeply concerning, revealing yet another instance of the alarming pattern of conduct detailed in the Motion to Quash,” the news organization’s lawyers wrote.

“These actions demonstrate abuse of the grand jury process, continued bad faith attacks on the Journalists, violations of the Department’s own internal regulations and disregard for the law in this Circuit intended to protect critical First Amendment interests," the motion stated.

In a response posted Tuesday morning, the Justice Department said that it had complied with its own regulations in issuing the subpoenas and that it had taken investigative steps before seeking them. The department said it was authorized to delay disclosure of the subpoenas but had decided to alert lawyers for the journalists to give them an opportunity to challenge.

“Any subpoenas served for a phone number not used by one of the movants was a result of information in a law enforcement database indicating that the phone number was associated with the movant,” lawyers for the department said, “If the Government determines that these phone numbers were not used by the movants, the Government will not pursue the corresponding subpoena(s).”

It's part of an ongoing legal challenge

The grand jury subpoenas, delivered to reporters at their homes, marked a dramatic escalation of the Trump administration’s crackdown on media leaks that free press advocates swiftly condemned as a government effort to intimidate news organizations. It followed an FBI search earlier this year of a Washington Post reporter’s home and the seizure of her electronic devices.

The new jet in question, a present from Qatar that Trump’s administration spent $400 million to retrofit and upgrade, recently entered service. But Trump used an older model Air Force One jet to leave a NATO summit in Turkey earlier this month.

The Times, citing anonymous sources, reported that the switch had come at the urging of the Secret Service and that the newer plane lacked some of the advanced security features of the older Air Force One aircraft, including antimissile capabilities. On social media, Trump denied security concerns.

Trump's administration has clashed with the press, from newspapers to TV networks to the Voice of America, on multiple fronts since he returned to office last year. The methods include lawsuits, administrative actions and public threats.

The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees the press' ability to operate free of governmental restrictions.

The Associated Press is currently battling the Trump administration in court over the White House's decision last year to bar AP journalists from the president's press pool after the news organization refused to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” as Trump demanded. AP style is to acknowledge the president's renaming but retain the term “Gulf of Mexico" because parts of it lie outside U.S. jurisdiction.

Georgia is halfway through Heartworm treatment. She will soon be ready to settle into a forever home full of love and cuddles. 🐾

Apply to adopt Georgia at fursisters.org

According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Americans owe about $1.25 trillion in credit card debt, while total household debt has climbed to a record $18.8 trillion.

Credit card delinquency rates also remain elevated, a sign that many families are struggling to keep up with payments.

For Shanika Hampton, the debt started after an unexpected layoff.

“I was making the minimum payments, but with credit card debt and interest, the minimum payment isn’t really much, especially if you’re still using the card,” Hampton said. “You’re accumulating that interest.”

She compared the experience to trying to stay afloat while constantly falling behind.

Hampton said she wasn’t using credit cards for luxury purchases. Instead, she relied on them to cover necessities after losing her job.

“I was buying necessities, like real deal emergencies,” she said. “It started out small. Maybe a $25 grocery order. But once you realize you’ve really fallen behind, you end up using credit cards for real emergencies… groceries, gas, even bigger purchases.”

Today, Hampton has paid off about $9,000 in credit card debt over the past year and a half with the help of nonprofit credit counseling agency Money Management International. The agency consolidated her debt into one monthly payment and negotiated lower interest rates with her creditors.

She still has about $5,000 left to pay.

“They’ll negotiate the interest rates down, and they also negotiate a monthly payment that is doable,” Hampton said.

Certified financial planner George Pakounis with Burns Estate Planning and Wealth Advisors said inflation is only part of the reason Americans are falling deeper into debt.

“We live in a FOMO, fear of missing out, society,” Pakounis said. “Credit cards bridge that gap of, ‘If I can’t do it, what can it allow me to do?’”

He said the convenience of credit cards has also made consumers less aware of how much they’re spending.

“We’re not as conscious of how we buy things anymore,” he said.

Pakounis said while rising grocery prices and other living expenses are forcing some families to rely on credit cards, using them to make ends meet is only a temporary fix.

“Supplementing with a credit card is still a Band-Aid,” he said. “I think it comes down to priorities. What is more important? Is it more important that I have this Netflix subscription or the bread that I want? I’m not saying that’s a fair choice, but those are the decisions many families are facing.”

Instead of focusing only on making larger payments, Pakounis said consumers should first understand exactly where their money is going.

“The issue is those minimums will keep you in debt potentially forever if you don’t pay attention to it,” he said. “Take a step back. Look at where your money’s going. Look at how much you’re spending so you can create a strategy for paying it off.”

He recommends three steps for anyone trying to eliminate credit card debt:

• Track every dollar you spend.
• Create a payoff plan, whether that’s paying off the highest-interest balance first or starting with the smallest balance to build momentum.
• Once you’re out of debt, stick with those same spending habits to avoid falling back into the cycle.

Pakounis also said people shouldn’t ignore savings altogether. If someone has an extra $500 each month, he recommends putting most of it toward high-interest credit card debt while setting aside a small emergency fund.

“Maybe put $300 or $400 toward the debt and save $100,” he said. “That way, when the next emergency comes up, you don’t have to put it right back on the credit card.”

Financial counselors say people who are overwhelmed by debt should seek help sooner rather than later.

Many nonprofit credit counseling agencies offer free or low-cost budgeting assistance, debt management plans and creditor negotiations that can help borrowers lower interest rates and consolidate payments before their debt spirals further out of control.

According to a report from our news partner, the Florida Trib, the Florida-born movement benefitted from the influence of Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was eager to politicize the state’s nonpartisan school board elections and shared similar views with the organization on pandemic-era school closures and culture war issues.

Moms for Liberty changed the political makeup of school boards across the state of Florida through a commitment to endorsing school board candidates.

At its height, the organization threw its financial weight behind favored candidates and successfully shifted the political balance sharply rightward on a number of school boards, including Duval County, one of the largest school districts in the state.

Five out of seven school board members received financial support or public endorsements from Moms for Liberty during the 2022 and 2024 elections in Duval County.

Today, Moms for Liberty Florida has not made any contributions to local school board candidates across Florida and is poised to be just a minor player this cycle, according to campaign finance records, interviews with former local members and experts on culture war movements and a survey of public social media pages for local chapters, some of which are now defunct.

Moms for Liberty’s influence has been on a long decline in its home state as the organization faced a wave of resignations, chapter dissolutions and scandals among Moms for Liberty leadership.

The national umbrella organization said it’s not taking its eye off local races, despite the slowdown in political activity.

“School boards are ground zero in the fight for parental rights. That’s why Moms for Liberty endorses candidates who are committed to transparency, academic excellence, and putting parents back in charge of their children’s education,” said CEO and Co-founder of Moms for Liberty Tina Descovich in a statement to The Florida Trib.

In Descovich’s home county, Brevard, Moms for Liberty has only made endorsements without any financial backing for three candidates: District 1 candidate Megan Wright, District 2 candidate Gene Trent and District 5 candidate Tammy Dennis.

Contributions from Moms Liberty falter across Florida

In 2022, at the height of its influence, Moms for Liberty Florida, the committee associated with political activity conducted in the state, made 54 financial endorsements to Florida school board candidates totaling to $13,500, according to state campaign finance records.

Of those candidates, 32 candidates, or roughly 60% of those financially backed by Moms for Liberty won their seats on the school board.

Two years later, that total dwindled down to a little over $2,000 for eight campaigns. Only three candidates won their elections.

And former Moms for Liberty member and cofounder of the now dissolved Indian River County Chapter Jennifer Pippin says that Floridians should not expect any support for school board candidates in this year’s election from the organization.

“For the last election cycle, we endorsed two Moms for Liberty candidates, and we got nothing from the national [organization]. We got zero help. They didn’t even post our endorsements on the national page as they did in prior years. Moms for Liberty did not help us get our candidates across the line,” Pippin said.

Local members saw that the vision for Moms for Liberty inching closer towards the White House and farther from where they got their start in school board elections by 2024. By early 2026, Moms for Liberty disbanded its Florida Legislative Committee, a convening of chapter chairs across the state to discuss policy, school board elections and continued grassroots efforts.

Abandoning local efforts for national backing

Experts say this shift towards national level politics indicates a desire to grasp at any influence that remains.

“Now that it’s clear that they can’t just swing school board votes, I think what they’re doing is becoming another Washington culture war player. Where instead of actually influencing what happens in school board A or B, what [they’re] doing…is trying to shift discourse in some sort of subtle and often unmeasurable way towards [their] point of view,” said Jonathan Zimmerman, a University of Pennsylvania professor who studies the history of culture wars in education.

By these standards, Moms for Liberty partially accomplished what they set out to do. Five years later, Florida school boards are still inundated with requests to ban books.

Yet, as Moms for Liberty took on rhetoric and various culture war issues closely aligned with President Donald Trump and DeSantis, support declined among parents who sought out to make change on a local level through school board leadership.

“Certainly the pandemic and that whole online education that many students in the country experienced has brought more attention to curriculum, and I think that’s not necessarily a bad thing…The focus on the most divisive points makes it harder for parents and community members to have thoughtful and important and generative conversations about what you know education should look like in the community. And, I partially think that’s by design,” said Deana Rohlinger, a Florida State University professor who researches online social movements.

While local backing from Florida moms diminishes, so does the push for culture war issues. The prevalence and effectiveness of Moms for Liberty in relation to school board elections has been short-lived because the nature of culture war issues is cyclical, experts say.

“In general, you have activists that respond to whatever is the hot button education issue of the day, and then you get a burst of activity and interest. Then that quickly fades as people lose interest and focus on other stuff…It’s mostly focused on adult culture war issues, not necessarily at the academic things that probably matter most and what schools are mostly about,” Vladimir Kogan, Ohio State University professor who studies state and local government across the United States.

And with every movement comes backlash.

Many candidates backed by Moms for Liberty in 2022 lost their races or chose not to run again in 2024 and 2026. Liberal groups like Red Wine & Blue gained momentum in opposition to Moms for Liberty.

In 2022, Moms for Liberty supported DeSantis’s HB7 “Stop W.O.K.E.” Act and HB 1557 “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Those bills respectively barred public educators from explaining historical events such as the enslavement period in a way that makes some children feel “shamed because of their race” and prohibited the discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools.

However, the U.S. Court of Appeals struck down the higher education provision of the Stop W.O.K.E. Act in early July.

Moms for Liberty’s declining influence across the state can be partly attributed to a demographic reality it has struggled to reckon with: 89% of Florida families continue to enroll their children in public schools according to the Florida School Board Association. Attacking those schools — and the school board members, teachers and staff who run them — means alienating institutions that have served as pillars of their local communities for decades.

“On the whole, Americans are satisfied with their schools…The voters will tell you that there are problems with education but when you ask about their own schools, that is the ones they patronize, most people are broadly supportive of them and willing to tax themselves for them,” Zimmerman said.

Trinity Webster-Bass covers education for The Florida Trib. You can reach her at trinity.webster-bass@floridatrib.org.

The movement, now attracting professionals and families beyond students, represents a rare public challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi ’s government, reviving criticism over its handling of dissent and use of force to respond to protests.

Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi and dozens of his Congress party lawmakers showed their support Tuesday with a sit-in outside Modi’s residence before police forcibly removed them in a dramatic escalation.

Footage showed Gandhi, who had urged “every patriotic Indian who believes that our students should get justice” to join, resisting. Government minister Jitendra Singh said Gandhi was told the location was not “suitable for a sit-in."

Meanwhile, hundreds of protesters remained camped at Jantar Mantar, a designated protest site, under heavy police presence, saying they would stay until Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns over alleged failures in India’s examination system.

“We are going to continue our protest,” said Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, which emerged just two months ago as a satirical protest after a Supreme Court judge described India's youth as “cockroaches” but quickly evolved.

It gained momentum over the weekend after prominent activist Sonam Wangchuk, whose three-week hunger strike became a symbol of the protests, was forcibly taken to a hospital by police.

Video of police beating protesters and dragging them away spread on social media, fueling public outrage. Footage showed young protesters crying and pleading with officers not to hit them, while others stood their ground and endured blows.

Delhi Police said nearly 180 people were injured, including 118 security personnel and 60 protesters.

Sona Bisht, a 20-year-old student who was part of the protest, said the confrontation strengthened her resolve.

“If the government thinks that doing this with Gen Z, they can stop us, then that won’t happen. We are here talking about education, talking about securing our future. And till the time our demands are not met, we will not move from here,” she said.

After nearly a month of silence, the government made its first apparent move to engage with the protesters Monday, when a senior minister held talks with movement representatives. The outreach failed to ease tensions.

Movement leaders said they wanted action rather than assurances, including Pradhan’s resignation, examination reforms and compensation for families of students who died by suicide after alleged exam irregularities.

Dipke accused authorities of breaking their word, saying police resorted to a baton charge after protesters were invited for talks.

Rights group Amnesty International said in a statement late Monday that the police action showed “how peaceful dissent is being suppressed in India," noting that the right to freedom of peaceful assembly is recognized under the Indian constitution.

More people have joined the movement after seeing the confrontation.

Rabina Kashyap, a 26-year-old working professional, said she joined the protest on Tuesday.

“I have nothing to do with this protest," she said. “But this is India, this is my country, and these are my people. So I will stand by them.”

___

Associated Press video journalist Piyush Nagpal contributed to this report.