The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado in Winnebago County, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) northwest of Milwaukee. Damage was reported in cities including Appleton and Menasha, where Police Chief Matt Albrecht said some homes and businesses were “severely impacted.”

The twister was spawned by a large storm system that moved through the Great Lakes, fueled by a buildup of heat and humidity, National Weather Service meteorologist Scott Berschback said.

Heather Schroeder said she heard cracking and popping all around her as the twister destroyed a laundromat, a bakery and a neighborhood tavern that were clustered around a street corner in Menasha, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) south of Green Bay.

Rescue workers pulled someone out of one of the buildings, said Schroeder, who works nearby. She said it wasn’t clear if the person had survived. Cars were turned upside-down, and there was a gas leak at the laundromat, she said.

“There’s nothing left,” Schroeder said.

The tornado ripped roofs off homes and flipped vehicles in one neighborhood in Menasha, just blocks from the shores of Lake Winnebago. Video showed a trail of destruction, with some homes reduced to their outer walls.

Greg Van Driest was working in downtown Appleton when the sky got as dark as night.

“The word we all were using was ‘ominous,’” he said. “It’s like, ‘Whoa, look at that.’ ... You looked outside and you thought it was three in the morning, it was that dark.”

No reports of deaths or injuries, but searches continue

Gordon Hintz, Winnebago County’s top elected official, said he wasn’t aware of any fatalities or injuries, but emergency officials were still searching.

“Obviously, the footage looks devastating,” Hintz said. “Clearly some significant damage done with power lines down and things like that.”

Hintz said he’s heard multiple reports of buildings that were destroyed and vehicles overturned. All storm warnings that could be made ahead of time to get people to safety were activated, he said.

“Obviously when you look at the damage, Mother Nature doesn’t really care,” he said.

National Weather Service meteorologist Holley Kamba said the agency was receiving reports of damage in southern Outagamie County and eastern Winnebago County,

“We have been receiving calls of damage with a lot of trees down, power lines down,” Kamba said. “We’ve been searching for some pictures of the structural damage.”

So far, there have been no reports of injuries, she said.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said the state “is ready to assist communities however we can.”

The twister was over Lake Winnebago and moving southward toward Fond du Lac County around 12:25 p.m., the National Weather Service said.

Weather service meteorologists in Green Bay issued a tornado warning for the Fox Cities region, which includes Appleton, Menasha and Neenah, at 11:59 a.m.

“Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage to roofs, windows and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is likely,” the alert said.

The area had already been under a severe thunderstorm warning for about 45 minutes, and meteorologists indicated the storm was capable of producing winds up to 60 mph (97 kph).

Extensive damage and an entire city without power

Images on social media showed extensive damage in Appleton, including homes stripped of roofs, a car tossed onto a lawn, and streets littered with tree limbs.

The Appleton Police Department said on social media that it was aware of “several downed trees and large tree limbs throughout the city." Traffic signals were out and some roads were “heavily backed up,” the department said.

Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson said he didn't have any confirmation of fatalities or injuries in the county, which includes Appleton. But he said there was “extensive and severe damage” in Menasha and Fox Crossing.

“All indications are that this was a devastating system that has caused extensive damage,” Nelson said.

In Menasha, the electric utility said the entire city of about 18,000 people was believed to be without power. Authorities were opening a shelter at a church for people seeking temporary safety or can’t remain in their homes. The city's senior center and library had been taking in residents but lost power and were forced to close.

The storm hit Menasha and the east side of neighboring Fox Crossing at around 12:20 p.m., Albrecht said.

“At this point, we are unaware, unsure of how bad the damage is because many roads in those same areas are impassable,” Albrecht said. First responders were working to get into the affected area to “look for injuries, look for victims” and clear the roads, he said.

He urged people to shelter in place. “Right now, there are many downed power lines, downed trees, multiple hazardous situations. Please stay out.”

By late Monday afternoon, the severe weather in Wisconsin was fading, aside from some showers and thunder, Berschback said. The storm was moving south of Milwaukee through the Chicago area as it began to dissipate, he said.

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Mayes-Osterman reported from Chicago and Seewer from Toledo, Ohio. Christopher L. Keller in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Laura Turbay in Little Rock, Arkansas; Sophie Bates in Jackson, Mississippi; Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City; and Michael R. Sisak in New York contributed to this report.

The Justice Department asked the justices to halt for now lower court decisions blocking the sweeping changes in nearly half the country.

The request comes shortly after Trump delivered a primetime address elevating his yearslong push to raise doubts about the legitimacy of elections, and could be one of several voting-related challenges before the court ahead of the high-stakes midterm contest.

Trump ordered the government in March to create a “state citizenship list” of eligible voters and deliver mail ballots only to people on that list.

Democratic officials in 23 states and the District of Columbia sued, saying the Constitution gives states and Congress the authority to set election rules, not the president. Their attorneys have said Trump's proposed changes are ripe for abuse and could cause chaos.

A judge in Massachusetts blocked the executive order for the plaintiff states, and a divided 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel left her ruling in place over the weekend.

The executive order calls for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the commissioner of the Social Security Administration to send state officials federal citizenship lists to determine eligible voters. It tells the U.S. Postal Service to deliver mail ballots only to people on the lists.

The order also calls for ballots to have secure envelopes with unique barcodes for tracking. Federal funding could be withheld from states and localities that don’t comply.

The appeal argues that Trump's order lays out “general policy guidance” and doesn’t directly dictate how states run their elections. Solicitor General D. John Sauer asked the high court to freeze the judge's order as lawsuits play out, calling it indefensible.

“And the injunction is especially indefensible because the agencies are still deliberating over how (if at all) to implement the Order, yet the district court preemptively decided that whatever the agencies may choose to do will necessarily be unlawful,” Sauer wrote.

He urged the high court to move quickly, arguing that any new policies would have to be in place as soon as August to be effective for the November elections.

A response to the appeal is due Aug. 3.

The Supreme Court has ruled against the Trump administration before on mail-in ballots, finding in June that states can count ballots that arrive after Election Day.

Trump has promoted the proposed changes in his executive order as safeguards to keep non-U.S. citizens from voting. He's also repeatedly pressed for the passage of legislation that requires proof of citizenship to vote.

Noncitizen voting has been shown to be rare, and is a felony that can be punishable by deportation.

U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani in Boston, who was nominated by Democratic President Barack Obama, agreed in June to halt implementation for the Nov. 3 elections.

Her ruling differed from that of another federal judge based in Washington. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, who was appointed by Trump, found in May it was too early to block the order because it had not yet been implemented.

The office of California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who is leading the lawsuit for the states, did not immediately comment on the Trump administration’s appeal. New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office declined to comment.

The Postal Service also would not discuss its plans regarding implementing Trump’s order or its rule, citing the ongoing litigation. In Kansas, Secretary of State Scott Schwab’s office said it has not yet heard from the Postal Service about plans going forward.

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Associated Press writer John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas, contributed to this story.

Nineteen days after she was discharged, she strangled her three children at their Massachusetts home.

A jury heard opening statements Monday in Clancy’s murder trial, which is expected to feature dueling views about her mental state. Both sides agree she killed her children. They disagree over whether she should be held criminally responsible for their deaths.

The first witness was Patrick Clancy, her former husband, who found the children's bodies after returning home on the day of the killings in January 2023. He has said in interviews that he forgives his wife, and will testify for both the prosecution and the defense.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988.

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Patrick Clancy told prosecutors on Monday that a month before the killings, his wife began to describe intrusive thoughts of harming the children and of suicide, but she denied having plans to hurt them or herself. He said the situation was “very confusing” because moments later, she would be making the children lunch or playing with them.

“I never saw Lindsay harm the kids,” he told jurors.

Despite months of psychiatric care, changing medications and new providers, her condition worsened, he said. She became increasingly depressed, struggled to sleep and lost weight.

A grieving father testifies about their last days as a family

Patrick Clancy breathed heavily as photos of his children were projected for the jury.

Cora, 5, was shown in one image wearing a red bow and skirt. Her dad said she loved princesses. Dawson, 3, loved firefighters, fire trucks and “Paw Patrol.” Eight-month-old Callan “was just a happy baby,” his father said.

Clancy worked as a labor and delivery nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital, and Patrick testified that her anxiety about being separated from her children would increase as she got closer to the end of her parental leave.

Patrick Clancy testified that after his wife was discharged from the psychiatric hospital, the family tried to carry on with everyday life. They celebrated Cora’s birthday and visited the Museum of Science and a water park, where jurors saw video of Lindsay Clancy playing with the children. Patrick said she had returned to the gym and her moods appeared steadier.

“I was hopeful,” Patrick Clancy told the jury. “She seemed much better.”

Patrick Clancy said that on the day of the killings Lindsay Clancy took Cora to a doctor’s appointment early in the morning while he stayed home with Dawson and Callan. The couple exchanged photos of the children by text — Dawson had just dressed himself for the first time and Cora was behind a mask in the doctors office. When she returned home, Lindsay Clancy built a snowman with her children and worked on art projects.

“She was having one of her best days” and didn’t mention her thoughts of suicide or harming their children, Patrick Clancy said.

Later in the day, prosecutors say Lindsay Clancy strangled her children with exercise bands after sending her husband out on errands. She then used multiple methods to try to end her own life. She remains paralyzed from the waist down after jumping from a second-story window.

That day, Clancy said she heard voices telling her, “This is your last chance. Kill the children so you can kill yourself,” according to her lawyer.

Seated in a wheelchair, Clancy wiped her eyes with a tissue at times as lawyers discussed her children.

Competing narratives in the Lindsay Clancy trial

Defense lawyer Kevin Reddington said Clancy had postpartum psychosis, a rare mental illness linked to the stress, sleep deprivation and hormonal changes that follow childbirth. He argued she had bipolar disorder and that antidepressants prescribed after the birth of her third child worsened her condition.

“She loved those children right up to the time of their death,” he told jurors, saying they would hear from family, friends, neighbors and teachers about her devotion.

Prosecutor Shanan Buckingham argued Clancy “acted intentionally, rationally and swiftly” and bears full responsibility for the deaths.

“This was not a woman in the throes of psychosis," Buckingham said. “This is not a public debate about women’s mental health and how the medical system treats women. This case is about this defendant, Lindsay Clancy.”

If convicted of murder, Clancy faces life in prison without parole. If found not guilty due to a lack of criminal responsibility, she would be committed to a state mental health facility.

The trial will hinge on Clancy's mental state

Elyse Hershon, a Boston criminal defense attorney and legal analyst, said the verdict will likely depend on how the jury views Clancy’s “intent and mental capacity.”

“Whenever there are deaths of children, it rattles emotions,” Hershon said. “Some people naturally will identify and sympathize with Clancy and her postpartum depression, and others will not be able to understand how one could end their children’s lives, and demand responsibility.”

While postpartum depression is fairly common among women who have given birth, postpartum psychosis affects an estimated 1 to 2 women per 1,000 births and can include hallucinations, delusions and paranoia. Most women with the condition do not harm their children.

Similar cases have led to insanity verdicts

Possibly the best-known is Andrea Yates, who drowned her five children in a bathtub in Texas in 2001. Her attorneys said she suffered from postpartum psychosis and believed killing her children would save them from hell.

Her initial murder conviction was overturned, and in a retrial she was found not guilty by reason of insanity and committed to a state mental hospital.

Dr. Nicole Cirino of Baylor College of Medicine said women in the grip of postpartum psychosis often believe they are helping their children.

In their own minds, “they may be saving their children from damnation,” Cirino said.

Awareness of postpartum psychosis has grown since the Yates case, but Cirino and other maternal mental health advocates said it's rarely considered in criminal prosecutions. Illinois is the only state with a law allowing for undiagnosed or untreated postpartum depression or postpartum psychosis to be a mitigating factor in sentencing. Lawmakers in several states have introduced similar bills.

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Willingham reported from Boston.

Juliet Arioso, 13, was at the center of a statewide Amber Alert issued Monday Afternoon.

FDLE and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office were looking for Arioso who was last seen in Ocala on Monday between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

At the time, detectives said she may have been in the company of Jason Castillo, 45.

This is a developing story.

Georgieva, the first IMF head to visit Buenos Aires in eight years, expressed confidence that Argentina could meet its debt obligations. As the fund’s largest debtor with about $58 billion in outstanding IMF loans, Argentina faces a key repayment period beginning next year, when Milei is expected to seek reelection.

“Argentina is in a much stronger position, and this is the result of the government’s hard work and the perseverance and sacrifice of the Argentine people,” Georgieva said at a news conference alongside Economy Minister Luis Caputo.

Georgieva recalled that Argentina’s debt was among the first issues discussed when she took over as IMF managing director in 2019.

“We were debating whether the country would be able to keep up with servicing its debt obligations to everyone. That is not the question we should be asking today,” she said.

Georgieva’s visit comes as Argentina’s economic outlook has improved, with bond prices rising, central bank reserves increasing and inflation falling. Annual inflation has slowed to 33%, down sharply from 210% when Milei took office in late 2023. Last week, Moody’s upgraded Argentina’s sovereign credit rating, months after similar upgrades by S&P and Fitch.

“What we have today is a much healthier picture,” Georgieva said. “Market confidence has returned.”

Georgieva is scheduled to visit Vaca Muerta on Tuesday, one of the world’s largest reserves of unconventional oil and natural gas. Its development is expected to become one of Argentina’s main sources of foreign-currency earnings in the coming years.

Georgieva also said she sees no need for additional IMF disbursements before the 2027 presidential election.

“We may be on a good track for Argentina to join the club of emerging markets that have borrowed from the Fund, reformed their economies and borrowed no more,” Georgieva said.

Investors are closely watching Argentina’s ability to meet its upcoming debt payments. The country will begin repaying principal on its IMF loans in September, adding to its interest payments, while its broader foreign-currency debt obligations are set to rise sharply in 2027.

Caputo has said the government expects to cover those payments with funding from multilateral lenders, proceeds from privatizations and domestic borrowing rather than by returning to international capital markets.

Despite the improving economic indicators, Milei has faced declining approval ratings as his austerity policies have coincided with weak consumer spending, stagnant wages, rising household debt and a modest increase in unemployment.

The president’s declining popularity has raised questions about his prospects for reelection in 2027 and increased investor uncertainty over whether his economic reforms would continue under a future administration.

Asked about that possibility, Georgieva acknowledged that these risks are best managed "by building strong policies during the time we have now ... policies that inspire confidence among the people of the country and the international community.”

Georgieva also said Argentina still has work to do in areas including construction, expanding credit for small businesses and mortgages, and reducing informal employment.

The video released Monday is the latest public plea from the journalist about 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie since her disappearance on Feb. 1 from her home just outside Tucson, Arizona. Savannah Guthrie said her family will never stop looking for her.

“The world can be a cruel and unforgiving place, and I know that you have tried to do things the right way,” she said. “So I’m asking you, begging you, to do the right thing now. Make the right choice. Help us find her. Tell us where to look for her. I truly believe it is never too late to do the right thing.”

Authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was kidnapped, abducted or otherwise taken against her will on Feb. 1. They found blood near the front doorstep of her home just outside Tucson, and the FBI later released surveillance videos showing a masked man on the porch that night.

Volunteers and search teams scoured the nearby desert terrain filled with cactuses, bushes and boulders in the weeks after she vanished. A volunteer group recently searched for her body near the Arizona-Mexico border. Authorities have not said how many purported ransom demands were made after Guthrie’s disappearance, though three news organizations reported receiving such notes and turned them over to investigators.

The FBI has discounted some of the ransom notes as nothing more than extortion attempts, but said it’s still evaluating others that might be legitimate. The federal agency hasn’t specified which ransom notes might be genuine.

Savannah Guthrie has previously made a series of social media postings about her mother after she went missing. In the days after the disappearance, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings acknowledged they were aware of media reports of a supposed ransom letter and were ready to talk and listen, but wanted proof their mother was alive. Weeks later, Savannah Guthrie said her family was offering a $1 million reward for information leading to the recovery of her mother. She also acknowledged for the first time that her mother might not be alive, but added that there was still hope.

Trump visited a sprawling General Motors facility in the Detroit suburb of Milford that is a testing ground for its vehicles. He pumped a fist after watching a trio of drag races that involved muscle cars and luxury vehicles like the Corvette Z06, Cadillac Escalade V, and EV Hummer — events the announcer promised were “all America First power.”

It was the kind of thundering speed the president is expecting at an IndyCar race in Washington next month, which is part of America’s 250th birthday celebrations.

In a subsequent speech inside a design facility, the president cheered GM's plans to expand production domestically in coming years and declared himself a president who was standing up for auto workers “at long last.”

“I’ve done more for you than your parents, OK?" he joked.

Michigan was one of the 2024 battlegrounds Trump flipped after it backed Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. But the state has seen parts of its economy affected by the president’s tariffs, including on imported cars and auto parts. Automakers have long said tariffs increase the cost of doing business, which leads to higher prices for consumers.

Company officials led Trump on a tour where he saw various GM models, including the latest versions of the Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado — the production of which he argued had been boosted by tariffs.

At one point, POTUS grabbed a pen and signed the hood of a white Corvette that was made specifically for America's 250th birthday.

“They’ve come a long way,” he said to reporters about the Detroit-based automaker during the tour. “It’s amazing what tariffs are doing for GM.” Trump said he’s been good to the company but he declined to say more.

“The rest of the world doesn’t love me, but that’s OK,” he said, alluding to tariffs. “It’s called ‘America first.’”

Trump's visit previews Michigan's Aug. 4 primary

The president’s speech lasted more than an hour and was wide ranging — hitting on the economy, the war in Iran and the U.S. military operation that toppled the leader of Venezuela.

He also touched on communism, crime rates, his administration's efforts to transform the nation's capital and even how carefully he treads to keep from tripping while on stage or deplaning from Air Force One.

With early primary voting already underway, Trump called on stage Republican Reps. Lisa McClain, Tom Barrett and Tim Walberg, as well as gubernatorial candidate John James and Senate candidate Mike Rogers.

Rogers is unopposed in the Senate primary, but the GOP gubernatorial contest pits James, who is backed by Trump, against Perry Johnson, a businessman turned politician who has launched unsuccessful campaigns before, including for president in 2024.

Trump's new Canada tariffs could hurt Michigan

A new round of steep import levies is taking effect on dozens of U.S. trading partners. Yet Trump has singled out Canada with tariffs as high as 50% on a wide array of its products, including cars.

The GM facility he toured is in Oakland County, which encompasses much of Detroit's northern suburbs. Once a Republican stronghold, it has increasingly leaned Democratic, backing Biden against Trump in 2020 and Vice President Kamala Harris against Trump four years later.

GM says its facility is the oldest dedicated vehicle testing operation in the United States, where 4,200 employees work to refine nearly every vehicle the company makes before they reach consumers. It has more than 150 miles of test roads and the early innovations perfected on site include the first mass-produced automatic transmission, known as the "Hydra-Matic.”

Michigan's economy relies heavily on Canada, meaning the new tariffs — coupled with inflation still running high and gas prices rising again as the already unpopular war in Iran escalates — have created additional economic concerns statewide. Some advocacy groups citing import and tariff data, says tariffs have cost Michigan businesses billions of dollars just since last spring.

The latest tariffs come at a time when voters across the country were already increasingly dissatisfied with Trump's handling of the economy.

Jason Roe, a former executive director of the Michigan Republican Party who tried unsuccessfully to distance it from Trump's “Make America Great Again” movement in 2021, said that more than coinciding with his new round of tariffs, Trump's visit is a function of Michigan's relatively late primary and is meant to ensure that James secures the nomination.

But Roe also said it was a risk for the president to tie himself too closely to top Republicans before the general election, calling it “kryptonite to November voters.”

Trump, who won the White House on a promise to lower the cost of living, also has seen his approval ratings sag, meaning kitchen table issues could be a liability for Republicans trying to hold control of Congress in the Nov. 3 elections.

“We’re happy to have the president here, campaigning with Republicans. We think it highlights the fact that the only thing they care about is Donald Trump and refuse to stand up to him," said Curtis Hertel, chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party. "It’s good for us every time the president is here because he’s incredibly unpopular.”

The US and Canada have squabbled over a new border bridge

The Supreme Court struck down many of Trump’s sweeping tariffs, but his administration has tried to find ways around that, including by arguing that he can impose them on Canada because that country is discriminating against American exports of products including automobiles.

But Trump’s latest round of tariffs came after he voiced frustration with Canada for having retaliated and imposed its own levies on U.S. imports in response to Trump’s initial tariffs last year. Trump launched the first round after alleging Canada should do more to stop fentanyl smuggling.

In January, he visited a Ford plant in Dearborn and addressed the Detroit Economic Club, offering a defense of tariffs even as auto industry leaders blamed them for increasing the cost of doing business. The president marked his second term's first 100 days with a rally in Warren, where he mostly mentioned grievances left over from the 2024 campaign,

Monday's visit coincided with the opening of a new bridge linking Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, that was beset by tensions between the U.S. and Canadian governments.

Canada canceled a planned joint celebration for the $4.7 billion Gordie Howe International Bridge and instead held its own event after Trump announced the new Canadian tariffs.

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Superville reported from Washington.

Turns out, he went shoeless for another reason: to prevent his metal spikes from making marks on the greens following a complaint by a rules official.

“Alright, let’s clear this up,” Glover posted on Instagram Monday. “For 23 years on the PGA Tour I’ve worn spikes. 23 years ago, most of us did. It hasn’t been that long since we were NOT allowed to tap them down. Yesterday was the first time I’ve ever had a complaint."

Glover's decision to remove his shoes came after he sank a birdie putt on the 10th Sunday at TPC Twin Cities. Once the ball rolled in, the 2009 U.S. Open champion walked off the green, removed his shoes and carried them to the hole to pull his ball out.

Glover walked back off the green and put his shoes back on.

Fellow golfer Michael Kim posted on social media that several players had complained to rules officials about spike marks on the bent grass greens, thinking it was Glover.

“First of all, it’s not the officials place,” Glover said. “I wasn’t breaking any rules. Secondly, there were people in the groups in front of me and behind me wearing metal spikes as well. The greens at 3M are bent grass, were soft, and appeared to have been watered a fair amount (because of the forecast I’d imagine). I don’t care what you wear on your feet, metal or soft spikes, in those conditions they are going to get beat up. I did my best around the hole to tap down my damage as I was leaving the area.”

Glover repeatedly mentioned that PGA Tour rules now allow players to tamp down spike marks on the greens, including a mention about playing in the Rocket Classic in Detroit this week.

“I’ll be wearing metal spikes, and the people playing behind me are still allowed to tap down the marks,” Glover said. “Did I mention that?”

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

On July 17, an officer was on his regular foot patrol at Amelia Waterfront Park at 2 a.m. when he found the boy. The body camera footage shows the officer talking to the boy and asking him questions, but he is unresponsive.

Some time later, the officers found the child’s father, who didn’t know his son had wandered out of their hotel room. Police said there were no signs of neglect or suspicious circumstances.

The department is reminding parents and guardians that young children can wander away in just a matter of moments, especially in unfamiliar places while traveling.

It is important to make sure doors are latched, alarms are set, and secure before sleeping.

In a document filed in juvenile court in Seattle, where a 15-year-old arrested in the case did not appear for a scheduled initial appearance Monday, police said they believe there were at least three shooters, rather than two: the 15-year-old; an acquaintance who died at the scene; and “at least one other unknown suspect.”

“Based on the evidence at the scene, investigators believe” the 15-year-old “and one of the deceased engaged in a gunfight with at least one other unknown suspect,” the document said.

The teen was being held in juvenile detention for investigation of firearms violations and first-degree assault ahead of the scheduled court appearance, Mayor Katie Wilson said at a news conference. It was not immediately clear why the teen did not appear in court.

The gunfire erupted around 6 p.m. Sunday in the waning hours of the Bite of Seattle, leaving three people dead and at least four others injured. The annual three-day festival draws hundreds of food and retail vendors and performers to Seattle Center, a sprawling park and event space in the shadow of the Space Needle. Many attendees rushed into campus buildings or ran from the park at the sound of the shots.

Officials provided confused statements about the shooting

News that there were at least three suspects followed a series of confused statements from city officials concerning the shooting.

On Sunday, the police department waited five hours to share with the public that one shooter was in custody and that they believed another to be on the loose. Earlier, the mayor had wrongly announced two people were in custody.

At a news conference Monday, just two hours before the 15-year-old was due in court, Police Chief Shon Barnes said investigators weren’t sure if the second shooter was among the dead. Neither he nor the mayor made any reference to additional shooters. Barnes had been out of town Sunday, attending a conference of Black law enforcement executives in Dallas.

The officials have defended their handling of the case, saying they were trying to ensure they provided accurate information about chaotic events.

Two people died at the scene and a third died at a hospital. They were described as two men, ages 19 and 44, and a woman, 56.

The four wounded included a 2-year-old boy, who was in satisfactory condition Monday. The others — two men, ages 23 and 27, and a woman, 39 — were discharged, a hospital spokesperson said.

One of the victims was walking a bicycle when struck, the court document said. The toddler was with his mother.

Vendors were allowed to clean up Monday

Vendors were allowed to return to the sprawling campus Monday morning to collect their equipment and merchandise. Skewered squid on grills, roasted ducks in ovens and plates full of food were among the items left behind as people fled the gunfire.

Near the spot of the shooting, a stain of what appeared to be blood was still visible in the morning. A candlelight vigil was planned Monday night at the center’s International Fountain.

Dozens of officers were providing security at the event and some saw one of the suspects firing, authorities said. A large number of police and emergency crews responded and began evacuating the area. Police then searched an IMAX theater on the grounds where they initially believed a second shooter had fled.

Adam Lombardo, who had a Burmese food stand at the festival with his spouse, described the panic of fleeing people as a “stampede.” As he gathered his equipment Monday, he described how police escorted them into the crime scene to turn off their ovens and stoves.

“It’s really sad because you think that three innocent people aren’t getting up with their families,” he said. “They just came to enjoy a food festival with people, with friends, with new friends, and they lost their lives in just what sounds like meaningless bloodshed.”

Attendees describe chaos at a joyful event

Festival attendee Faith Adia Hunter said she and her friends had just gotten food from a crepe vendor when gunfire broke out nearby. In the scramble to find safety, she and others ran into the nearby Seattle Children’s Museum.

“We were about to start eating, then heard someone yell something, then we saw people start to run,” Hunter said. “So we took off running, too.”

Estan Wakonabo said he and his girlfriend were waiting in line for a photo booth when he was shoved from behind and turned to see a rush of people fleeing.

“People were hiding, were pushing, people were falling on the ground, baby strollers were falling,” Wakonabo said.

The festival started in 1982 and draws 350,000 attendees, according to its website.

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Associated Press journalists Manuel Valdes and Lindsey Wasson in Seattle, Annika Wolters in Bangkok and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

Kristopher and Amanda Karolkiewicz and their six children, aged 5 to 15, died Friday in their home in Grand Haven Township, on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. Authorities were summoned for a fire and then discovered the bodies.

The Ottawa County Sheriff's Office said in a release Monday that autopsies determined all the family members died of gunshot wounds, and that Kristopher Karolkiewicz took his own life. The sheriff's office said the fire appears to have been set intentionally in multiple parts of the home after the killings, but officials still are investigating the origin point.

“This is an unspeakable tragedy that we may never completely understand," Sheriff Eric DeBoer said in a statement read aloud at a news conference by one of his deputies, Capt. Jacob Sparks.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988.

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Amanda Karolkiewicz, 39, an elementary school substitute teacher who went by Mandy, “was a kind and devoted soul who loved her family and her students,” her mother and stepfather, Becky and Steve Lawwill, said in a statement.

“We treasured every moment we had with her and her six children, and words cannot adequately address our devastation," they wrote, adding that they “pray for God’s peace and comfort as we grieve their deaths and honor their lives."

A message seeking comment was sent Monday to Kris Karolkiewicz's family.

The 47-year-old man was a vice president of sales and marketing for the American Heart Association from September 2023 to earlier this month, when his employment ended, the organization said in a statement. The association did not release further details, saying it does not comment on personnel matters. While with the AHA, he worked remotely for a division responsible for CPR and first aid training and products, it said.

Mandy Karolkiewicz went “above and beyond for students, especially when they’re having a hard day, responding with empathy, patience, and care,” as the local school district put it in a Facebook post in January. A message seeking comment was sent Monday to the Grand Haven Area Public Schools system.

The couple met at work at a beverage company in 2008 and began dating that summer, according to a parenting-oriented blog that Mandy Karolkiewicz kept over a decade ago. The two married in August 2009.

Their first child was born on April 25, 2011, which she hailed as “the best day of my life (so far).” Two more sons followed over the next four years, as she shifted from a banking job to a part-time position at a local insurance agency and later stopped working outside the home. The couple later adopted two daughters and had another biological son.

The blog frequently expressed her Christian faith, her joy in the family and her love and appreciation for her husband and his parenting.

Kris Karolkiewicz, too, hailed their life together: “I’m a very lucky guy,” he wrote in a 2019 Facebook post ahead of their 10th anniversary.

Although her blog ended in 2016, Mandy Karolkiewicz continued sharing updates on her family and activities in TikTok videos, including clips of a trip to China earlier this month with two of her children.

Officials got calls about a smoky smell in the area around the Karolkiewicz home Friday morning, checked it out but found nothing. After getting more calls about three hours later, they returned, saw smoke coming from the home and found the bodies, at least some of them in bedrooms, Sparks said. Also found were the family’s dogs and at least one cat, which had perished in the blaze.

It's unclear how much earlier the shootings had happened.

Mandy Karolkiewicz's family endured another loss in 2020, when her adult stepbrother died from a fentanyl overdose. Friends of her parents were launching a GoFundMe campaign Monday to help with expenses and establish a scholarship in the Karolkiewicz children's memory.

Grand Haven township is a community of about 18,000 people, about a half-hour drive west of Grand Rapids.

Another shooting wounded five people in Ottawa County early Sunday, when gunfire broke out at a party at the Bass River Recreation Area. One person was critically injured. A suspect has been arrested, the sheriff's office said.

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Peltz reported from New York and Collins from Hartford, Conn.

Cracker Barrel said Monday that CEO Julie Masino will step down next month but remain with the company until Oct. 9 in an advisory capacity.

David Deno will succeed Masino on Aug. 10 as CEO. Deno served as the CEO of Bloomin' Brands, which owns Outback Steakhouse and other chains, from 2019 until he retired in 2024. He has also held executive roles as Best Buy and Yum Brands, which is the parent company of KFC and Taco Bell.

Lebanon, Tennessee-based Cracker Barrel hired Masino, a longtime Taco Bell and Starbucks executive, in July 2023. She was chosen for her record as an innovator with the hope that she would attract new customers to Cracker Barrel, which operates nearly 660 restaurants in 43 states.

Masino introduced updated menu items, like Hashbrown Casserole Shepherd’s Pie, to increase Cracker Barrel’s dinnertime traffic. She also started remodeling the company’s dark, antique-filled restaurants, lightening the walls and installing more comfortable seating.

Then, last August, Cracker Barrel announced plans to ditch its longtime logo, which features an older, overall-clad man leaning on a barrel as well as the words “Old Country Store.” The company said it would continue to honor Uncle Herschel — the man in its logo, who represents the uncle of Cracker Barrel’s founder — on its menu and on items sold in its stores. But the new logo would be simpler and easier to read on road signs and in phone apps.

The backlash was immediate. Fans didn’t like the new logo and also rebelled against the store redesigns. Even President Donald Trump weighed in, saying in a Truth Social post that Cracker Barrel “should go back to the old logo, admit a mistake based on customer response (the ultimate Poll), and manage the company better than ever before.”

Masino reversed course within a few days, but the damage was done. Cracker Barrel's same-store restaurant sales plunged 5% last fall and 7% in the quarter ending Jan. 30, 2026. Same-store sales at the retail stores connected to its restaurants dropped even further.

Still, the company's shareholders voted in November to keep Masino in place as CEO, and sales trends had begun to improve in recent months. In the quarter ending May 1, same-store restaurant sales were down 2.6% and the company raised its full-year revenue and profit forecast.

Masino also helped sharpen the company's focus on the Cracker Barrel brand with the sale of the company's Maple Street Biscuit Co. stores. Cracker Barrel acquired Maple Street in 2019 and operated 50 locations around the country.

Citi analyst Jon Tower said in a research note Monday that the news of Masino's departure was surprising given those recent improvements.

Cracker Barrel shares fell 2.7% in early afternoon trading.

Judge John P. Cronan said that although a federal law requires that advisory commissions have a balance of viewpoints, it didn't specify how this should be done. The New York judge said Trump has wide discretion in picking members.

The lawsuit was filed by several plaintiffs, including the progressive Interfaith Alliance as well as Hindu, Muslim and Sikh groups. They argued that the commission was imbalanced because it consisted almost entirely of conservative Christians, along with one Orthodox Jewish rabbi, and that several commissioners were on record questioning church-state separation and supporting the idea of America as a Judeo-Christian country.

Critics of the the commission said such fears were borne out when it issued a draft report in June that challenged the understanding of a separation of church and state in recent generations, calling instead for “bridges” between the two.

But Cronan said the lawsuit, which sought a more ideologically and religious diverse commission, failed to meet legal criteria to proceed.

He also wrote that the commission is diverse in other ways, such as including both clergy and lay people. And he said the commission has “adherents of at least five different religions” — by citing the one Jewish member and then members of various Christian denominations and identities.

The Interfaith Alliance argued that the commission lacked balance because members believed “the law should protect the exercise of religious beliefs over the civil rights of minority groups.” But Cronan wrote that because Trump's executive order creating the commission rejected the idea of “religious liberty as inconsistent with civil rights,” he wasn't obligated to appoint someone who disagreed with that founding premise.

The Interfaith Alliance has been vocal in criticizing the commission, saying its recent draft report failed to address crucial issues such as anti-Muslim attacks and saying it supports policies privileging some religious groups over others.

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

They Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office says officers responded to the area of Susie Street just before 1 p.m. after receiving multiple 911 calls reporting that several people had been shot.

When deputies arrived, they found three people suffering from gunshot wounds. All three were transported to a local hospitals.

The victims included a 57-year-old woman, a 33-year-old man and a 69-year-old man. The woman later died from her injuries at the hospital.

A fourth victim — a 31-year-old man — took himself to the hospital with a gunshot wound, according to JSO.

Investigation ongoing

JSO described the situation as dynamic, with multiple people taken into custody, including individuals being held as witnesses.

Investigators are asking anyone with information about the shooting to contact JSO.

Colt Gray, 16, pleaded guilty Friday to 55 counts, including murder, in the Sept. 4, 2024, shooting that also left several others wounded at the school about 45 miles (73 kilometers) northeast of Atlanta.

He entered the plea without having reached a plea deal with prosecutors. Murder carries a minimum sentence of life in prison, and it is up to Barrow County Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm to decide whether he will have the possibility of parole after hearing testimony and considering evidence. The sentencing hearing started Friday, continued Monday and was set to resume Tuesday.

Teachers Richard “Ricky” Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, and students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, died in the shooting. Another teacher and eight more students were wounded, seven of them hit by gunfire.

Psychologist says Colt Gray had a ‘chaotic’ childhood

A forensic psychologist who evaluated Gray after the shooting at the request of an attorney for the teen testified that during their first meeting in May 2025, Gray asked if he could pull his arms inside his sweatshirt to wrap them around himself.

“I thought he was kind of an odd kid," Kevin Richards said. The psychologist said he did four interviews with Gray for a total of about 15 hours and also spoke to Gray's mother twice for a total of about three hours.

“It was pretty chaotic,” the psychologist said of Gray's upbringing, noting that the family had financial problems and moved around a lot, so he wasn’t enrolled in school for long stretches. His parents used drugs and fought a lot, and Gray had a lonely and neglected childhood, Richards testified.

Colt Gray discussed school shootings online

Gray talked about fearing that teachers were plotting against him, and that people in public were whispering about him. Richards said that while he believes Gray experienced paranoia and anxiety, he doubts that motivated the attack.

“I don’t think he was driven by hallucinations or delusions to do what he did. I think he planned it out,” Richards said.

Most of the teen's social life was online, Richards said. He was a gamer but also became immersed in a community of young true crime enthusiasts who were particularly fascinated by mass shootings. Initially, Gray focused on Adam Lanza, who killed 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, as well as James Holmes, who killed 12 people in a Colorado movie theater. Richards said Gray was particularly interested in Nikolas Cruz, the shooter in the 2018 massacre at Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

“He had just kind of disappeared into Discord and disappeared into the true crime community,” Richards said.

District Attorney Brad Smith showed Richards some of Gray's online conversations on Discord, an online communication platform. They established that Gray would sometimes lie about his own mental health symptoms when talking to people online to establish common ground with them and get attention.

When asked by Smith if Gray studied and emulated school shooters, Richards responded that Gray was “kind of obsessed” with them.

In interviews with investigators, Gray lied about having called a suicide hotline right before the shooting, which Holmes had done, Smith said. He also told investigators he had damaged his computer the morning of the shooting and left it in the middle of his room, as Lanza had done. Smith called these “easter eggs” that Gray was planting to “gain fame and status” within the online community that fetishized those killings.

In an online conversation just days before the shooting, Gray mentioned Sept. 4. When the person he was chatting with asked what was happening that day, he wrote, “something i have for nik!” — an apparent reference to the Parkland shooter's first name. He also noted that day was a Wednesday, just like the Parkland shooting.

Gray had more than 2,000 photos of Cruz saved on his phone and had 16 photos of Cruz printed and posted on his bedroom wall, Ashley Gilleland, an investigator with the district attorney’s office, testified. He shared photos of that “shrine” with another Discord user in the days before the shooting.

Similarly, he saved photos of other mass shooters and searched for details of those shootings, Gilleland said.

In phone calls with his mother while he was in custody just over a month after the shooting, Gray had her search online for mentions of his name within the “true crime community” and got excited when she found “fan art” drawings of him, Gilleland said. It appears his mother printed out some of the images she found to bring to her son, Gilleland said.

The judge also heard from victims and the lead investigator

After Gray entered his plea Friday, the judge heard from family members of those killed and victims of the shooting. Most asked the judge to sentence Gray to life without the possibility of parole.

Prosecutors also played recordings of two interviews the lead investigator did with Gray, one that took place less than an hour after the shooting at the school and another that was done several hours later at the sheriff's office. Though the teenager seemed hysterical, repeatedly apologized and described what had happened as “horrible” during the interview at the school, Barrow County Sheriff's Office Investigator Jason Smith said Monday that he believed "a majority of that interview to be performative.”

A jury in March convicted his father, Colin Gray, on charges including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. He is scheduled to be sentenced later this week. Prosecutors said he gave his son the assault-style rifle used to open fire at the school.

Colt Gray, 16, pleaded guilty Friday to 55 counts, including murder, in the Sept. 4, 2024, shooting that also left several others wounded at the school about 45 miles (73 kilometers) northeast of Atlanta.

He entered the plea without having reached a plea deal with prosecutors. Murder carries a minimum sentence of life in prison, and it is up to Barrow County Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm to decide whether he will have the possibility of parole after hearing testimony and considering evidence. The sentencing hearing started Friday, continued Monday and was set to resume Tuesday.

Teachers Richard “Ricky” Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, and students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, died in the shooting. Another teacher and eight more students were wounded, seven of them hit by gunfire.

Psychologist says Colt Gray had a ‘chaotic’ childhood

A forensic psychologist who evaluated Gray after the shooting at the request of an attorney for the teen testified that during their first meeting in May 2025, Gray asked if he could pull his arms inside his sweatshirt to wrap them around himself.

“I thought he was kind of an odd kid," Kevin Richards said. The psychologist said he did four interviews with Gray for a total of about 15 hours and also spoke to Gray's mother twice for a total of about three hours.

“It was pretty chaotic,” the psychologist said of Gray's upbringing, noting that the family had financial problems and moved around a lot, so he wasn’t enrolled in school for long stretches. His parents used drugs and fought a lot, and Gray had a lonely and neglected childhood, Richards testified.

Colt Gray discussed school shootings online

Gray talked about fearing that teachers were plotting against him, and that people in public were whispering about him. Richards said that while he believes Gray experienced paranoia and anxiety, he doubts that motivated the attack.

“I don’t think he was driven by hallucinations or delusions to do what he did. I think he planned it out,” Richards said.

Most of the teen's social life was online, Richards said. He was a gamer but also became immersed in a community of young true crime enthusiasts who were particularly fascinated by mass shootings. Initially, Gray focused on Adam Lanza, who killed 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, as well as James Holmes, who killed 12 people in a Colorado movie theater. Richards said Gray was particularly interested in Nikolas Cruz, the shooter in the 2018 massacre at Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

“He had just kind of disappeared into Discord and disappeared into the true crime community,” Richards said.

District Attorney Brad Smith showed Richards some of Gray's online conversations on Discord, an online communication platform. They established that Gray would sometimes lie about his own mental health symptoms when talking to people online to establish common ground with them and get attention.

When asked by Smith if Gray studied and emulated school shooters, Richards responded that Gray was “kind of obsessed” with them.

In interviews with investigators, Gray lied about having called a suicide hotline right before the shooting, which Holmes had done, Smith said. He also told investigators he had damaged his computer the morning of the shooting and left it in the middle of his room, as Lanza had done. Smith called these “easter eggs” that Gray was planting to “gain fame and status” within the online community that fetishized those killings.

In an online conversation just days before the shooting, Gray mentioned Sept. 4. When the person he was chatting with asked what was happening that day, he wrote, “something i have for nik!” — an apparent reference to the Parkland shooter's first name. He also noted that day was a Wednesday, just like the Parkland shooting.

Gray had more than 2,000 photos of Cruz saved on his phone and had 16 photos of Cruz printed and posted on his bedroom wall, Ashley Gilleland, an investigator with the district attorney’s office, testified. He shared photos of that “shrine” with another Discord user in the days before the shooting.

Similarly, he saved photos of other mass shooters and searched for details of those shootings, Gilleland said.

In phone calls with his mother while he was in custody just over a month after the shooting, Gray had her search online for mentions of his name within the “true crime community” and got excited when she found “fan art” drawings of him, Gilleland said. It appears his mother printed out some of the images she found to bring to her son, Gilleland said.

The judge also heard from victims and the lead investigator

After Gray entered his plea Friday, the judge heard from family members of those killed and victims of the shooting. Most asked the judge to sentence Gray to life without the possibility of parole.

Prosecutors also played recordings of two interviews the lead investigator did with Gray, one that took place less than an hour after the shooting at the school and another that was done several hours later at the sheriff's office. Though the teenager seemed hysterical, repeatedly apologized and described what had happened as “horrible” during the interview at the school, Barrow County Sheriff's Office Investigator Jason Smith said Monday that he believed "a majority of that interview to be performative.”

A jury in March convicted his father, Colin Gray, on charges including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. He is scheduled to be sentenced later this week. Prosecutors said he gave his son the assault-style rifle used to open fire at the school.

It’s all part of JEA’s Fulton Cut transmission clearance project — a major infrastructure effort aimed at expanding Jacksonville’s economic reach.

The project centers on raising high-voltage power lines that cross the river between Reed Island Park and Blount Island.

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the lines will be elevated from 175 feet above high tide to 225 feet — a 50-foot increase that opens the waterway to larger vessels.

“Today’s activity, we’re working very closely with the Coast Guard, JSO, and JFRD because they’re establishing a safe zone within the river,” said Darrell Hamilton, JEA Manager of Transmission and Substation Projects. “It’s really an economic development for the entire city of Jacksonville, but specifically the Jaxport, because they’ll be able to bring in larger ships.”

During the current phase of the project, power is being disconnected from the older towers and transferred to newly constructed permanent towers, a process expected to be completed by mid-September.

“You’ll see the three towers to the right. They’re in service; power is going through those towers. And then you’ll see to the west, the new towers — we call those permanent towers,” Hamilton said.

On Monday, there was a preliminary hearing for singer D4vd in Los Angeles; Andrew and Tristan Tate were fighting extradition in Miami; and a woman who killed her three kids was on trial in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

On Tuesday, attorneys for the man accused of murder in the 1996 death of Tupac Shakur are scheduled to appear in court in Las Vegas and a convicted school shooter could be sentenced in Winder, Georgia.

Also this week, a trial over the man accused of stabbing author Salman Rushdie continues in Buffalo, New York.

Here's a look at the cases, what's happening this week and what's at stake:

A judge ruled there was enough evidence to put D4vd on trial

Prosecutors say the singer, whose legal name is David Burke, killed a 14-year-old girl after she threatened to reveal their sexual relationship. Burke has pleaded not guilty and his lawyers have said they will vigorously defend him.

The indie-pop musician's online presence has brought him a huge following. His breakthrough single in 2022 was called “Romantic Homicide,” one of several of his songs with more than a billion plays on Spotify.

Los Angeles Judge Charlaine Olmedo decided Monday the evidence prosecutors presented at a preliminary hearing that spanned five days provided probable cause for a trial on charges of murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains.

Andrew and Tristan Tate fight extradition

The social media influencers are accused of rape and sex trafficking in the United Kingdom, but are currently in the United States.

On Monday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Lauren Louis set a detention hearing for Aug. 13 to determine whether the Tates should stay in jail or be released during what could be a monthslong extradition process.

The Tates promote their wealth, male dominance and misogyny through a social media empire that's made them some of the world’s most polarizing internet personalities. The former professional kickboxers, who have dual U.S. and U.K. citizenship, have millions of social media followers and are vocal supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump.

The man who stabbed author Salman Rushdie is on trial

Prosecutors have charged Hadi Matar with terrorism. Matar was previously convicted of a state-level attempted murder charge in the 2022 attack at a cultural institution where Rushdie was poised to speak about threats to writers and artists.

Rushdie testified against him last week in federal court in Buffalo, New York. Matar's attorneys have said their client may testify.

Trial begins for Massachusetts woman who killed her 3 kids

Lindsay Clancy strangled her 8-month-old, 3-year-old and 5-year-old children on Jan. 24, 2023 at her Massachusetts home. Prosecutors have charged her with murder.

The case casts a spotlight on postpartum mental health. Clancy’s attorneys say she sought help for postpartum psychosis, a rare mental illness linked to the stress, sleep deprivation and hormonal changes that follow childbirth. Prosecutors say she carefully planned the killings.

If convicted of murder, Clancy faces life in prison without parole. If found not guilty due to a lack of criminal responsibility, she would be committed to a state mental health facility.

Jurors on Monday heard opening statements and testimony from Clancy's former husband, Patrick Clancy. The trial is expected to last several weeks.

Georgia school shooter to be sentenced to life in prison

Colt Gray, 16, pleaded guilty Friday to 55 counts, including murder, in the Sept. 4, 2024, shooting at a high school north of Atlanta that left two students and two teachers dead. A judge must now decide whether he will have the possibility of parole.

A forensic psychologist who evaluated Gray after the shooting at the request of the teen’s attorney said Monday that Gray had a chaotic, lonely upbringing.

A jury in March convicted his father, Colin Gray, on charges including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. Prosecutors said he gave his son the assault-style rifle used to open fire at the school.

Judge to consider evidence in the killing of Tupac

Duane “Keffe D” Davis is set to go on trial in August over the killing of the rap icon. He's accused of orchestrating the killing.

His attorneys are scheduled to ask a judge on Tuesday to exclude an interview he conducted with police in 2008.

Shakur’s death is considered one of the most notorious unsolved murders in the United States. The case had gone cold until Davis began making public statements about it, including in a book he co-wrote in which he said he provided the weapon used to shoot Shakur.

Carter Camacho, 18, of Smyrna, Georgia, told police officers who apprehended him outside the Capitol on Feb. 17 that he intended to confront members of Congress and “scare them into speaking the truth,” according to federal prosecutors. But he didn't make it into the building, and nobody was injured.

Camacho is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 8 by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington, D.C. He has remained jailed since his arrest.

Camacho pleaded guilty to two counts: illegal possession of a firearm on Capitol grounds and receipt or distribution of child pornography. The latter charge stems from a search of his phone after his arrest.

Surveillance video captured Camacho exiting a parked car and running toward the west side of the Capitol with the shotgun in his hands. He complied with Capitol Police officers' commands to stop and get down on the ground.

Camacho told police that he purchased the shotgun for “home defense” less than a week before he drove from Georgia to the Capitol, prosecutors said. He also said he had left pepper spray and other tactical gear in his car “just in case I don’t want to shoot anyone,” according to prosecutors.

“He further indicated that he considered using the shotgun to breach a door to be able to enter the Capitol,” they wrote.

Descendants of Gordie Howe, the hockey legend whose name is on the bridge, were among the first to cross over the Detroit River, which separates the Motor City from Windsor, Ontario. U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., rode a motorcycle, while Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer drove a Ford Mustang with the top down.

The six-lane span, which was built by Canada at a cost of $6.4 billion Canadian, now becomes a less-expensive alternative to the privately owned Ambassador Bridge, which had a monopoly on big trucks carrying goods worth billions between the two countries, especially in service to the auto industry.

“There are thousands of trucks that go over” daily, said Kevin Ketels, a business professor who teaches supply chain management at Wayne State University.

Jim Pereira, who was hauling auto parts for Ontario-based Onfreight Logistics, was recognized as the first trucker to arrive in Detroit. He blasted his air horn a few times and stepped down from the wheel to take selfies with customs officers and exchange high-fives.

Pereira, 58, said he anticipates faster travel times on both sides as trucks approach the wide bridge.

“It's just a beautiful piece of architecture,” he said.

Canada’s minister of infrastructure noted that the bridge resembles the curve of a hockey stick blade. Steel cables, stretching from towers to the deck, look like giant music harps.

Freddie Garrett, 81, said he regularly watched construction “ever since they put the foundation in” back in 2018. So naturally he showed up at Delray Park in Detroit to see the first vehicles moving overhead.

“It was amazing to see how they did it,” Garrett said. “They put up one section at a time and then they met together in the middle. I'm sure it will be there longer than I'll be around.”

Last week, Canada celebrated the Gordie Howe International Bridge with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Windsor. U.S. and Michigan representatives were uninvited after President Donald Trump suddenly announced 50% tariffs on Canadian goods entering America.

More than 70% of Canada’s exports go to the U.S., making America its largest trade partner, and Detroit is the No. 1 port for truck traffic on the U.S.-Canada border, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Animosity between the governments of the two countries “has been very challenging for us in this region,” Ketels said. “Many feel it's unneeded and unnecessary.”

The span is 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) long and rises 151 feet (46 meters) above the river at its highest point. Pedestrians and bicyclists will be able to cross it for free, starting Aug. 5.

Howe is a Canadian icon known as “Mr. Hockey” who wore No. 9 while playing for the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings. He died in 2016.

A recent agreement between Canada and the Trump administration says Canada will share some toll revenue with the U.S. government for 15 years. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder in 2012 separately negotiated a share for the state, but it won't be paid until Canada’s costs are recovered, likely decades from now.

Delinda Ronette Heinrich, 64, died after the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office said a speeding black Tesla struck her while she rode a motorized scooter just before 7:30 p.m. on July 8 at SR‑16 and North Ponce de Leon Boulevard.

The vehicle then hit a camera pole and overturned in the parking lot of the Flagler Inn, the sheriff’s office said.

“He was speeding down SR‑16 when he hit the woman on the motorized scooter and continued driving before hitting a camera pole and overturning,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

Deputies had been alerted to a suspicious vehicle parked at a Circle K and reported the driver as reckless over the radio. Officials said deputies were not in pursuit when the crash occurred.

Heinrich’s mother, Betty Moore, said the family is trying to process the loss while pushing for a full accounting of what happened.

“I lost my daughter, my friend. I lost a piece of me that I’ll never get back,” Moore said.

She described Heinrich as lively and always smiling, and she said Heinrich was wearing a helmet and following the law when the crash happened.

The sheriff’s office released dash-cam video showing a black Tesla passing a deputy at high speed on SR‑16 moments before the vehicle struck the scooter rider and then crashed.

The Tesla’s 59‑year‑old driver was taken to a hospital with serious injuries; officials said another person also was hospitalized with serious injuries. Intersections in the area were temporarily closed while emergency crews responded.

Moore said she wants the investigation to lead to accountability.

“I hope that someone’s held accountable for my daughter’s death because she did not cause any of this,” she said.

The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the crash and will determine whether any charges are warranted. Anyone with information is asked to contact FHP or the sheriff’s office.

Los Angeles Judge Charlaine Olmedo decided the evidence prosecutors presented at a preliminary hearing that spanned five days provided probable cause for a trial on charges of murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains.

“The people have met their burden on all counts,” Olmedo said. She ordered that Burke continue to be held without bail.

D4vd, the 21-year-old singer born David Burke whose career was steeply rising before the allegations emerged, has pleaded not guilty. He showed no emotion when the judge issued her ruling. Defense lawyers declined to comment outside court after the ruling.

Olmedo emphasized that the probable cause standard for a preliminary hearing like this is much lower than the threshold at trial. However, prosecutors asserted the evidence was overwhelming.

“Based on the mountains of evidence presented,” Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman said, “all of the allegations have been proved way beyond the standard required.”

Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman said outside court that prosecutors are still weighing whether to seek the death penalty. Burke is to be arraigned Aug. 31.

Prosecutors on Monday wrapped up their case by giving a moment-by-moment account of Rivas Hernandez's last night, showing that after a stream of text messages with Burke, her phone went permanently silent when she arrived at his home.

As she neared his Hollywood home shortly after 10 a.m. on April 23, 2025, in an Uber he had sent to pick her up, she sent her final text: “girly pop i’m almost there open ur door if ur home.”

Prosecutors allege Burke stabbed her to death when she came through the door.

The night before, the two argued via text about his relationship with a woman. She sent him an angry and profane text saying she will tell her dad so many lies about him and “i will end ur career and ur life.”

Prosecutors said that Burke met Rivas Hernandez when she was 11, began sexually abusing her when she was 13 and he was 18, stabbed her to death when she threatened to report him and ruin his career, and cut up her body in his garage with chain saws.

Prosecutors said they have records showing Burke ordered chain saws and wading pools that 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.

They said he then drove around for weeks and even months with the body in the trunk. Her decomposing body was found in the Tesla registered to Burke that was towed from the Hollywood Hills in September, a little more than four months later.

Prosecutors said the car was parked around the corner from his house, and surveillance video will show he was the last person to drive it.

Defense argues there's insufficient evidence for murder

After the final witness on Monday, the defense argued that the evidence was insufficient and the murder charge should be dismissed.

“There’s no evidence that Mr. Burke harbored a deliberate intent to kill Miss Hernandez,” said Burke's attorney, Marilyn Bednarski.

She said the communications between Burke and Rivas Hernandez showed “no threat, no evidence of a history of violence” and that he had “the opposite of homicidal malice” toward her.

She argued that a medical examiner ruling that her death was a homicide from two puncture wounds was too vague and inconclusive to be evidence of murder. The defense did not directly give an alternative theory on how she died and isn't required to.

The defense showed several other texts from Rivas Hernandez threatening him about their relationship, and saying she would go to Burke's mother, talk to his friends and “leak” information about them.

Under questioning from defense attorney Blair Berk, Farrell said he saw no indication that she ever threatened to go to police or pursue any legal action against him.

The defense also established that she had asked seven times to come to see him in the days before her death, and he reluctantly agreed only after she demanded it, and that she had threatened to kill Burke and to mutilate him.

The defense argued that all of the malice had come from her.

Silverman told the judge that “the defense tried numerous times throughout these proceedings to dirty up the victim” despite her being a child.

The detective also said under questioning from Berk that the parents of both Burke and Rivas Hernandez knew about their relationship, that he had attended church with members of her family and that her parents had given their consent for her to go to London with him for a week.

Prosecution alleges D4vd immediately began covering up the killing

After her phone went silent, Burke sent her several other messages that night asking where she was, and expressing concern. Prosecutors allege those messages were sent as cover after he had killed her.

Prosecutors allege Burke dismembered the body in his garage. A police analyst testified earlier in the hearing that samples pulled from apparent blood stains there matched her DNA.

Her body was found in a Tesla registered to him nearly five months later.

Detective documents sexual abuse

In earlier testimony, Farrell recounted dozens of sexually explicit photos of Burke and Rivas Hernandez and years of text messages that described the same things, along with conversations that indicated she had gotten an abortion in 2024 at 13 after he got her pregnant.

Farrell described the photos that could not be shown in court, material so graphic that it left Rivas Hernandez's mother in tears and prompted both parents to leave the courtroom on Friday. They were back in court Monday.

D4vd's career was reaching new heights at time of killing

D4vd (pronounced “David”) became an online musical phenomenon as a teen with a blend of indie rock, R&B and lo-fi pop. He had huge followings on TikTok, Soundcloud and Spotify, where his top songs, including his 2022 breakthrough “Romantic Homicide,” have more than a billion plays.

In 2024 he played the Coachella music festival and released his first full-length album, “Withered,” two days after authorities say Rivas Hernandez was killed.

RELATED: Could drone response teams protect students from active shooters? 3 Florida school districts test the idea

The funding, included in Florida’s new 2026-27 budget, adds to $557,000 approved last year for the Campus Guardian Angel program. The Department of Education has not said whether the new money will expand the program to additional districts or strengthen its presence in the counties already using it.

At a demonstration in downtown Jacksonville for the Florida Association of School Resource Officers, Campus Guardian Angel CEO Justin Marston showed how the system would work. Drones, he said, are intended to respond quickly to distract, confront and incapacitate an active shooter.

“So our goals are to respond in five seconds, to be on the shooter in 15 seconds, and to degrade or incapacitate in 60 seconds,” Marston said, adding that “most shootings are over in 120 seconds.”

Pilots were on site for the demonstration, but Marston said the drones are typically flown remotely, sometimes from hundreds of miles away. He described the team as composed of former Navy SEALs, SWAT operators, 911 response personnel and top drone racing pilots.

The aircraft do not carry firearms. They are equipped with flashing lights, live cameras, a speaker and a nonlethal pepper spray device. News4JAX video of the demonstration showed a drone striking a dummy during a simulated response.

The program has been deployed in schools in Brevard, Leon and Volusia counties. Each school is outfitted with 30 to 60 drones depending on building size; the drones are housed in ceilings and would be deployed during an emergency, the company said.

Marston said Campus Guardian Angel is working with the University of Florida on an independent study to measure how much faster drones can reach a shooter compared with traditional officers. He also said pilots are on staff during school hours now but the company is working toward providing 24-hour protection because many pilots also secure other buildings.

Supporters point to extensive testing in simulated scenarios. Critics have noted the technology has not yet been tested in a real active shooter incident, and the true effectiveness of such systems in live situations remains unproven.

The Florida Department of Education did not immediately respond to a request for comment on which districts, if any, will receive the second round of funding. News4JAX first reported on the program last November.

One of the men charged, 29-year-old Marquez Christopher Pinder, works in the Secret Service's Miami field office and is described in an arrest warrant as a “dean of pledges” for a Miami chapter of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.

The Secret Service said it’s cooperating with investigators and has placed Pinder on administrative leave. He was released from jail after posting a $75,000 bond Monday and faces arraignment before a judge Sept. 24.

The three men were charged last week after police uncovered evidence of “alleged hazing incidents involving prolonged and repeated beatings with canes and paddles,” the Miami-Dade County state attorney's office said in a news release.

Police said in court documents that a University of Miami graduate student and another young man had injuries that could have been fatal had they not been treated. One required skin grafts to his backside and suffered kidney damage, the documents said, while the other had a tube placed in his windpipe to help him breathe.

Accused agent has worked for Secret Service since 2023

Charges against the three men include felony counts of hazing with a deadly weapon, aggravated battery with great bodily harm and attempted manslaughter.

“In Florida, hazing is abuse and it is a crime,” Katherine Fernandez Rundle, state attorney for Miami-Dade County, said in a statement Sunday. “Its victims too often lie in their graves and in hospital beds.”

An attorney for Pinder, Justin Beckham, did not immediately return phone and email messages seeking comment Monday. Court and jail records did not list attorneys for the other two men.

Pinder has worked as a Secret Service agent since 2023, agency spokesman Matt Fagiana confirmed Monday.

"Any misconduct will be addressed swiftly and appropriately upon completion of the investigative and judicial process,” Michael Townsend, the special agent in charge of the Secret Service's Miami field office, said in a statement.

A spokesman for Kappa Alpha Psi did not immediately return a phone message left at the fraternity's Philadelphia headquarters.

Arrest warrant describes bloody paddling, emergency medical care

According to Pinder's arrest warrant, the graduate student told police that he and another young man had their backsides beaten by Pinder and the other defendants during four nights in early April at an apartment and a home off-campus. The paddling started when the victims failed to correctly answer questions about the fraternity and its history, a police investigator said in an arrest warrant filed in court.

The warrant did not name either victim.

The beatings stopped on the fourth night when one of the victims had blood seeping through the seat of his pants, according to the warrant. It said fraternity leaders ordered both victims to strip off their clothes and place them in garbage bags before going home.

One of the victims suffered vomiting, fevers and intense pain before being admitted to a hospital, where he required skin grafts on his buttocks and treatment for kidney damage, according to police.

Without emergency medical treatment, the warrant said, “his injuries would have resulted in renal failure leading to death.”

The second victim told police he knew the other victim from the fraternity. He denied being paddled, the warrant said, but acknowledged receiving emergency medical care in April.

That person's medical records showed he had been hospitalized with injuries to his backside and “was intubated during his stay in the hospital to prevent further physical deterioration and death,” the arrest warrant said.

Florida lawmakers in 2005 made hazing a felony punishable by up to five years in prison if it results in serious injury or death. The law was spurred by the 2001 death of Chad Meredith, a University of Miami freshman who drowned after drinking alcohol and then attempting to swim across a lake at the urging of campus fraternity leaders.

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Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia.

There was some uncertainty about the future of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health last year, when the entire 17-member team responsible for it was laid off by the Trump administration. But the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration released the latest report Monday, with data that lets researchers look at trends from 2021 to 2025.

Fewer adolescents aged 12 to 17 reported using tobacco, alcohol, marijuana and binge drinking in the previous month, the survey found.

And in the past year, fewer in that age group reported:

— illicit drug and marijuana use

— starting drinking alcohol, vaping or marijuana

— substance, alcohol or drug use disorders

Adolescents also saw declining trends for major depressive episodes and fewer reported serious thoughts of suicide, making a suicide plan and attempting suicide.

Young adults aged 18 to 25 saw similarly favorable trends.

Still, many young people face mental health challenges. Nearly 20% of adolescents surveyed had moderate or severe anxiety symptoms in the previous two weeks, compared with about 7% of adults over the age of 18.

Overall, the survey found more than half of people over 12 used an illicit drug, drank alcohol, used tobacco or vaped nicotine in the previous month. That includes 44% who drank alcohol, 16% who used a tobacco product, 10% who vaped nicotine and 16% who used an illicit drug.

The trends among young people are promising, but "there's still a lot of work to be done," said Robyn Oster, policy director for the Partnership to End Addiction.

“Nearly 45 million people still have substance use disorder and still not nearly enough people are getting treatment,” Oster said. “It’s still well over 80% of people who needed it did not get substance use treatment in the past year, let alone quality treatment.”

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

Genevieve was briefly a Category 5 hurricane early Monday, the first in the East Pacific region in two years, the National Hurricane Center said. It was expected to stay far out to sea on a course roughly parallel with the Mexico coast.

Genevieve had maximum sustained winds of 150 mph (240 kph), according to the Miami-based hurricane center. Genevieve’s center was located about 505 miles (815 kilometers) south-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula and was headed northwest at 13 mph (20 kph).

No coastal watches or warnings were in effect, but the hurricane center said that swells from the storm — likely causing “life-threatening surf and rip current conditions” — were affecting parts of Mexico’s southwestern coast and the Baja California peninsula.

Genevieve was expected to fluctuate in intensity before weakening later in the week.

Farther northwest in the Pacific, Hurricane Fausto was a Category 1 storm as it continued on a path in the general direction of the Hawaiian Islands. Forecasters said Fausto is expected to pass north of Hawaii, but residents should still monitor the progress of the storm for impacts. Aircraft data showed Fausto was weakening, the National Hurricane Center said.

Large surf and strong currents were increasing on east-facing shores along Hawaii's islands, the hurricane center said. Fausto had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph). It was centered about 505 miles (810 kilometers) east-northeast of Hilo, Hawaii, and traveling west-northwest at 16 mph (26 kph).

Officials say the incident was isolated and there is no threat to the public.

The Sheriff’s Office says additional information is expected to be released as it becomes available.

This is a developing story.

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The U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles filed a motion Monday to dismiss its case against David Huerta, president of Service Employees International Union California, which has more than 750,000 members including janitors, security officers and other workers. The government will seek to have the case permanently withdrawn within weeks if Huerta continues to comply with the terms of his pretrial release and stays out of trouble, prosecutors said.

Huerta said in a statement that he was tackled, pepper-sprayed and detained for exercising his constitutional rights to protest and cast the case against him as part of a broader “weaponization of the judicial system.”

“There was never a real case, only an attempt to punish and silence me for exercising my constitutional rights,” he said in a statement. “I will keep exercising my constitutional rights and protest every abuse this administration commits, and I will keep working to build a country that treats immigrant families and all workers with the dignity they deserve.”

The Justice Department had earlier reduced the felony obstruction charge to a misdemeanor, and in moving to dismiss it entirely, is now backing away entirely from a prosecution that had been announced with fanfare on social media after Huerta's arrest more than a year ago. It's the latest courtroom setback for a department that has struggled, in offices across the country, in its prosecutions of people accused of assaulting or hindering federal officers while protesting President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

The U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles signaled in its own statement that law enforcement was justified in arresting Huerta, noting that he was charged with interfering with a judicial search warrant and asserting that the Justice Department does not arrest people for simply peacefully protesting. The office also said that Huerta has complied with the terms of his bond for more than a year and was prepared to dismiss the case if he continues to do so.

“Pursuant to an agreement entered into with our office, if Mr. Huerta continues to comply with his pretrial release terms, we expect the criminal case against him to be fully dismissed by the end of next month,” the statement said.

Huerta was arrested in June 2025 while protesting outside a business in Los Angeles where federal agents were investigating suspected immigration violations. The incident occurred amid widespread protests over the federal immigration crackdown that drove Trump to take the extraordinary move of deploying the National Guard to the nation’s second-largest city.

Authorities said Huerta sat down in front of a vehicular gate and encouraged others to walk in circles to try to prevent law enforcement from going in or out, and he pushed back when an officer told him to leave and put his hands on Huerta to move him out of the way of a vehicle.

Union leaders and immigrant advocates rallied in cities across the country demanding Huerta's release, and he became the face of the pushback against the Republican president's effort to drive up immigration arrests. Top Democrats also fired back. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and California’s two Democratic senators wrote a letter to federal officials demanding answers regarding Huerta’s arrest. California Sen. Adam Schiff attended Huerta’s bond hearing.

“It is deeply troubling that a U.S. citizen, union leader, and upstanding member of the Los Angeles community continues to be detained by the federal government for exercising his rights to observe immigration enforcement,” the senators wrote.

Federal prosecutors initially charged Huerta with felony obstruction, with Bill Essayli, the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, saying that it didn't matter who was protesting "if you impede federal agents, you will be arrested and prosecuted.” In October, prosecutors reduced the charge against Huerta to a misdemeanor.

Huerta’s lawyers, Abbe Lowell and Marilyn Bednarski, said in a statement that the case against their client had no legal basis.

“This case, like others, sought to silence criticism of the administration’s improper immigration actions. Today’s filing is proof that David and other critics will not be silenced,” the lawyers said.

The ruling over the weekend rejected the Trump administration’s effort to move forward with the mail-in voting restrictions in 23 U.S. states that sued ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Also, the Trump administration has acknowledged in court documents that it canceled $7.6 billion in grants for hundreds of clean energy projects “based solely on the political identity of the grant recipient’s state” — in this case, 16 states that voted for Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.

Here's the latest:

Trump talks up tariffs as he claims to have saved the American auto industry

Speaking to workers at a GM facility in Milford, Michigan, Trump touted steep tariffs that he says have protected the U.S. auto industry and revived production in the United States.

He pointed to a 25% tariff his administration placed on foreign cars, “something that no other president had the courage to ever do.”

Speaking on stage alongside a blue muscle car, Trump told workers that the industry was in peril until he took office and removed regulations passed by Democrats.

“I’ve done more for you than your parents. OK?” Trump said. “Your parents are good. I’m not going to knock your parents. But I have been better to you than your parents.”

Trump administration urges Supreme Court to allow order targeting mail-in voting before midterms

The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Monday to clear the way for an executive order from President Donald Trump that could dramatically change mail-in voting.

The emergency appeal comes after an appeals court upheld a ruling blocking the president’s order in nearly half the country ahead of November’s midterm elections.

The Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to allow the proposed changes to move ahead while lawsuits play out.

Trump ordered the government in March to create a “state citizenship list” of eligible voters and deliver mail ballots only to people on that list.

Democratic officials in 23 states and the District of Columbia sued, saying the Constitution gives states and Congress the authority to set election rules, not the president. Attorneys have said Trump’s proposed changes are ripe for abuse and could cause chaos.

▶ Read more

Thune responds to Trump’s escalated calls to pass the SAVE Act: ‘Show me how this ends’

Senate Majority Leader John Thune responded to Trump’s escalating calls to cancel the August recess until the Senate passes a proof-of-citizenship voting bill by again challenging the president and other supporters to show him a path to passage.

“If I thought there was a path to getting a result, I’m all for it,” Thune said.

“We voted on it one, two, three, four, five times already,” Thune added, counting each number on his hand for reporters. “Show me how this ends. What’s the picture of victory at the end?”

Thune said he plans to “have some conversations” with senators in the coming days about a possible path forward. He said he would be open to keeping the Senate in Washington if there was a path forward, but also noted that some senators need to return home to campaign.

Caine noted impact of munitions availability in advice to Trump

Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has told Trump that the state of the country’s munitions stockpile could have an impact on military operations in Iran, a U.S. official said.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive conversations, said this message was delivered as part of Caine’s regular duties of providing military advice and options to Trump.

The Associated Press has reported that Trump met Friday with top national security aides to discuss the situation with Iran. After nearly two weeks of strikes, the U.S. military has not attacked targets in Iran for three nights.

The Iran war has drawn down the U.S. stockpile of key weapons systems like missiles and interceptors, analysts say.

Caine told lawmakers at a hearing last week that “airpower has its limits” in achieving military objectives.

The U.S. military has employed airstrikes almost exclusively against Iran.

—- Konstantin Toropin

Trump claims his tariffs have helped General Motors

Trump was led on a tour of General Motors vehicles from different era. He was accompanied by CEO Marry Barra and other GM executives and sat behind the wheel of some of the automobiles.

“They’ve come a long way,” he said to reporters about the Detroit-based automaker. “It’s amazing what tariffs are doing for GM.”

Trump said he’s been good to the company but declined to say more.

“The rest of the world doesn’t love me, but that’s OK,” he said, alluding to the tariffs. “It’s called ‘America first.’”

New rule aims to speed up asylum decisions

A new rule going into effect Tuesday gives asylum officers discretion to send cases of immigrants seeking asylum directly to a judge for a final decision without doing an interview.

Historically, immigrants can ask for asylum either through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services or from a judge in immigration courts, depending on their immigration status.

USCIS asylum officers would interview everyone who applied with their agency. If they think someone doesn’t qualify for asylum, the case goes to an immigration judge who ultimately decides.

Now, USCIS says asylum officers can look at the person’s file, decide they don’t qualify and send the case directly to a judge, without an interview.

The agency says this shortens the time it takes to decide asylum cases.

Groups that advocate for immigrants say it’s part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to dismantle the asylum system.

“The impact of this rule could be disastrous for people in need of safety.” said Beth Oppenheim, President & CEO of HIAS.

Trump says no one tells him what the US should be selling

Trump hasn’t ruled out selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, which is not a friend of Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump are meeting at the White House on Tuesday, and the prime minister has made clear he does not want Turkey to get the American-made jets.

Trump was asked about such a sale to Turkey as he flew to Michigan and said, in an apparent rebuff of Netanyahu, that “nobody tells me what we should be selling.”

“Turkey’s been a great ally for me,” he said of the country’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “I think he’s done a very good job, did a good job with Syria. He’s a friend of mine,”

Asked if he and Netanyahu are on the same page when it comes to the war against Iran, Trump replied, “We have a little difference but pretty close, yeah.”

Trump says US and Iran are having ‘good talks’ but keeps strikes on the table

The president insisted that new meetings were requested directly by Iranian officials, saying they reached out directly “because we’ve been hitting them very hard.”

“We’re having good talks, so we’ll see what happens,” Trump told reporters Monday on Air Force One. “I think there’s a good chance that something could happen. And if it does, good. if it doesn’t, we go back to doing what we were doing two days ago.”

Trump rejected a suggestion that his patience with negotiations could be wearing thin.

“I have plenty of time,” he said.

Trump continues to needle Thune

The president insisted that he has a good relationship with the Senate majority leader — but that he’s just “got to get his job done.”

Trump has been escalating pressure on Thune to pass his voting restrictions bill before senators leave Washington for the August recess.

“The SAVE Act has to be done,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One. “They shouldn’t leave town.”

Trump also insisted that he hasn’t “even thought” about potential replacements for Thune.

US walks out of UN meeting when France is speaking to protest its criticism of US human rights

The United States has stood by France in every conflict where “their freedom has been imperiled,” U.S. deputy ambassador Dan Negrea told the U.N. Security Council meeting on Ukraine after the brief U.S. walkout Monday, accusing France of “disingenuous grandstanding.”

He was apparently responding to a post from France’s U.N. Mission in Geneva on Friday criticizing U.S. opposition to a second four-year term for U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk. The General Assembly voted 144-10 with 13 abstentions to extend his term with the U.S. voting “no.”

The French Mission said: “The US used to be a beacon of human rights. Not anymore. Today, it stands alongside North Korea, Nicaragua, Mali & Russia, isolated. And the world no longer listens to it.”

Negrea shot back, calling the U.S. “the beacon of liberty for the world” and dismissing France’s ”political drivel.”

Trump says US stockpile is in ‘very good shape’ but he wants more

Asked about suggestions that the U.S. munitions are running low, Trump said stockpiles are in good shape and production needs to ramp up.

“We have a lot. I’d like to have more, to be honest,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

He blamed former President Joe Biden for giving U.S. technology to Ukraine. Trump said some more “sophisticated” weapons have been in shorter supply but he added that production has been accelerating.

“Every one of our contractors is building four to five plans right now, and we’re in very good shape,” he said.

Trump dismisses Russian efforts to help Iran in war

Ahead of his visit to Washington, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asserted that Russia has been offering satellite images of U.S. bases in the Gulf region to Iran.

Asked about that Monday, Trump downplayed the impact of that assistance, saying the Russian help hasn’t had much impact.

“They may be giving, but if they are, it hasn’t worked out,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One, en route to Michigan.

Trump also said he would ask Russian President Vladimir Putin about it. Zelenskyy is set to meet with Trump on Tuesday.

A large crowd of supporters waits for Trump speech

The president was set to address a crowd of more than 1,000 at a General Motors proving ground in suburban Detroit, where the company tests vehicles before they are sold.

Some GM employees joined larger groups of Trump supporters, many wearing red “Make America Great Again” caps or t-shirts celebrating the president.

Behind the stage where Trump will speak later hung blue and white banners reading “American Cars. American Jobs.” Various models of cars and SUVs were parked nearby.

GM says the proving ground in Milford Township has more than 150 miles of test roads and was opened in 1924. That makes it the world’s oldest dedicated vehicle testing facility.

Trump’s new Canada tariffs could hurt Michigan

Michigan was one of the 2024 battlegrounds Trump flipped after it backed Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. But the state has also seen parts of its economy affected by the president’s tariffs, including on imported cars and auto parts.

A new round of steep import levies is taking effect on dozens of U.S. trading partners. But Trump has singled out Canada with tariffs as high as 50% on a wide array of its products, including cars.

The president is visiting Oakland County, which encompasses much of Detroit’s northern suburbs. Once a Republican stronghold, it has increasingly leaned Democratic, backing Biden against Trump in 2020 and Vice President Kamala Harris against Trump four years later.

Stocks open higher on Wall Street and crude oil prices drop 5% as Mideast tensions cool

The S&P 500 rose 0.6%. The index is coming off two weekly losses in a row. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 518 points, or 1%, as of 9:55 a.m. Eastern time. The Nasdaq composite rose 0.7%.

Oil prices reversed course from a week ago, when a sharp escalation in fighting between the U.S. and Iran worsened worries about global oil supplies. The price of Brent crude, the international standard, dropped 5.4% to $86.74 a barrel for October delivery. Prices surged to over $100 a barrel last week before easing.

The war between the U.S. and Iran has sharply curtailed, and at a times halted, traffic through the vital Strait of Hormuz. That has had a ripple effect throughout the world’s economy.

▶ Read more

Mediators see progress in efforts to halt Iran war as drone attacks rattle region

Mediators have achieved progress in getting the United States and Iran back to negotiations, regional officials said Monday, after both sides paused attacks following a period of rapidly escalating tensions. But scattered attacks by armed groups across the region underscored the lingering tensions.

Saudi Arabia said it had shot down drones fired by Iran-backed militias in Iraq that had targeted its petroleum facilities.

Two drone attacks were reported against a Kurdish Iranian dissident group in Iraq, and Jordan said it had shot down two drones, without saying where they originated. There were no reports of casualties or damage.

Neither the U.S. nor Iran reported carrying out any attacks for three days — a respite after about two weeks of sustained bombardments that had led to increasing fears of a return to all-out war.

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Trump is set to defend his economic policies in Michigan, where new Canadian tariffs may sting

President Trump plans to tout his handling of the economy during a visit to suburban Detroit on Monday, defending sweeping tariffs in a swing state where their effects have hurt many businesses as midterm election season heats up.

Trump is visiting a General Motors facility in Milford, home to tracks and proving grounds for new models and vehicles. Early voting is underway for Michigan’s Aug. 4 primary, which features fierce nomination fights in both major political parties.

Republican Mike Rogers is unopposed in the Senate primary, but the GOP gubernatorial contest pits Trump-backed Rep. John James against Perry Johnson, a businessman turned politician who’s launched unsuccessful campaigns before, including for president in 2024.

Johnson is now trying to style himself in the president’s mold — despite missing out on his endorsement. He’s even holding a “Trump Tailgate” outside the president’s GM event.

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Pentagon’s official Iran war death toll no longer lists 4 troops killed during renewed fighting

The four American troops killed during renewed fighting between the U.S. and Iran in recent weeks are no longer listed as part of the Iran war death toll in the Pentagon’s official casualty count but have been placed in a new, separate category.

It's raising questions about properly counting the impact to U.S. service members as the Trump administration has escalated strikes on Iran in a bid to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while providing little indication of how it intends to wind down a conflict that's unpopular with many Americans.

The Defense Casualty Analysis System, which Pentagon officials have repeatedly pointed to as the definitive source on the numbers of dead and wounded from the conflict, removed the four fallen soldiers as well as dozens of wounded troops from its Iran war tally last week.

On Sunday, a new category called “Overseas Operations” emerged on the system’s website, listing the four Army deaths by name as well as 207 wounded. It was unclear if all of the wounded were injured in the Iran conflict.

▶ Read more

Trump administration admits grants for clean energy were canceled based on politics

The Trump administration has acknowledged in court documents that it canceled $7.6 billion in grants for hundreds of clean energy projects “based solely on the political identity of the grant recipient’s state” — in this case, 16 states that voted for Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.

The statement contradicts repeated assertions by Energy Secretary Chris Wright and other officials that the projects were canceled because they did not adequately advance the nation’s energy needs or had other problems that made them a poor investment of taxpayer dollars.

Democrats and environmental groups seized on the court filing Friday, saying the administration had “weaponized” the federal government to kill good jobs and punish working families because of their political views.

▶ Read more

US appeals court upholds injunction that blocks Trump’s order to create a federal voter list

A federal appeals court has upheld a ruling that halted Trump’s executive order to create a federal list of eligible voters and limit delivery of mail ballots only to people on that list.

The ruling Saturday by judges of the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the Trump administration’s effort to move forward with the mail-in voting restrictions in 23 U.S. states that sued ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Trump issued an executive order in March for the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the commissioner of the Social Security Administration to create a “state citizenship list” of eligible voters. It also ordered the U.S. Postal Service to deliver mail ballots only to people on that list.

While Trump touted the proposed changes as safeguards to keep non-U.S. citizens from voting, state election officials argued they were ripe for abuse and could cause chaos.

▶ Read more

The S&P 500 rose less than 0.1% after spending much of the day bouncing between small gains and losses. The benchmark index was coming off two weekly losses in a row. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.2%, its fourth straight loss.

The three major stock indexes are on pace to close out this month in the red. It would be the second straight monthly loss for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq.

Oil prices reversed course from a week ago, when a sharp escalation in fighting between the U.S. and Iran worsened worries about global oil supplies. The price of Brent crude, the international standard, dropped 6.3% to settle at $85.87 a barrel for October delivery. Prices surged to over $100 a barrel last week before easing.

U.S. crude oil for September delivery fell 7.5% to settle at $82.61 a barrel.

The war between the U.S. and Iran has sharply curtailed, and at a times halted, traffic through the vital Strait of Hormuz. That has had a ripple effect throughout the world’s economy. Gasoline prices have surged and shipping costs for most goods are rising, with businesses typically passing those costs along to households.

Markets closed higher in Europe and Asia.

Bond yields fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.65% from 4.69% late Friday.

Technology companies were behind much of the shifts in the market, with gains and declines for a mix of big companies resulting in uncertain trading.

Nvidia fell 5% and Micron Technology slumped 2.3%. At the same time, Microsoft rose 1.9% and Apple rose 1.2%. They are all among the most valuable companies in the world, and those huge valuations give them more influence over the direction of the broader market.

The mix of gains and losses from a variety of those companies had more impact in pushing and pulling the market, even as the majority of companies in the S&P 500 gained ground.

Communications company stocks were among the gainers Monday. Google parent Alphabet rose 2.1%, while Charter Communications jumped 6.7% and Comcast rose 2.3%.

Credit card issuers and payment processors also notched gains. American Express climbed 2.8%, Capital One Financial added 2.1%, Visa rose 1.9% and rival Mastercard gained 2.2%.

In Asia, Chinese memory chipmaker CXMT soared in its debut in Shanghai. The company jumped to become China’s most valuable listed company with an estimated market capitalization of 3.3 trillion yuan (nearly $490 billion).

All told, the S&P 500 added 1.20 points to 7,413.18. The Dow gained 262.83 points to 52,210.08, and the Nasdaq dropped 43.74 points to 24,932.08.

Wall Street has a busy week ahead with several potentially mark-moving updates on the economy and company earnings. Reports are due out on consumer confidence Tuesday and inflation on Thursday.

“This is a week with more than its fair share of potential surprises, good and bad," said Chris Larkin, managing director, trading and investing, at E-Trade from Morgan Stanley.

The big focus will be on the Federal Reserve, which will give an update Wednesday on its interest rate policy. The central bank has been grappling with the impact from rising inflation because of the ongoing U.S. war with Iran. It also has to contend with a fresh round of U.S.-imposed tariffs globally, which could further worsen inflation.

Wall Street anticipates a nearly 36% chance that the Fed will raise interest rates at its meeting this week. Higher rates can help cool inflation by making borrowing more expensive and slowing economic growth.

The central bank has been holding rates steady throughout the year as it monitors inflation’s direction and impact, but Wall Street expects at least one rate hike by the end of the year.

Stubbornly high inflation has been squeezing households and fuel costs have hit budgets and spending particularly hard. Gasoline costs are taking a bigger chunk out of household budgets, and that could mean tighter spending on other things like clothing and travel.

Investors are monitoring the latest round of corporate earnings for signs of consumer stress along with whether the yearlong jump in stock values throughout Wall Street is justified by profits and forecasts for profit growth.

Investors also have a heavy round of corporate earnings to review this week. Many of those reports could provide more clues into the health of different areas of the economy. Paint and coatings maker Sherwin-Williams, aircraft maker Boeing and payments processor Visa will report their latest results on Tuesday.

Starbucks and Chipotle will report results on Wednesday.

Technology companies are being watched especially closely because their sharp gains throughout the year have been behind Wall Street's record run. Microsoft will report results Wednesday. Amazon, with its growing cloud services business and AI focus, will report results on Thursday, along with Apple.

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AP Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed to this report.

Emergency crews were on the scene of a flipped semi-truck on I-95 South at MLK Parkway Monday morning.

As of 9:45 a.m., two right lanes were blocked.

By 12:50 p.m., the off ramp was closed.

A nearby traffic camera showed multiple emergency vehicles responding to the crash.

According to Jacksonville Fire and Rescue, no one was injured and no one has been taken to the hospital.

The surprise move during a U.N. Security Council meeting on Ukraine followed U.S. opposition to giving U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk another four-year term. The reappointment on Friday got overwhelming support, including from France.

The U.S. walkout reflects not only the more strained relations between President Donald Trump and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, but also wider tensions between the U.S. and Europe. These include questions over Trump's commitment to NATO, possible changes to U.S. troop deployments in Europe, and Trump’s desire to control Greenland, which belongs to NATO member Denmark.

Trump has complained that Europeans, who weren't consulted, did not help the U.S. during the Iran war. Amid the tensions, Macron has taken a lead in trying to build up Europe's military and ensure a nuclear umbrella as one of the continent's two nuclear powers, along with Britain.

After Monday’s brief walkout, deputy U.S. ambassador Dan Negrea accused France of feigning “moral outrage” and pretending to lecture the world about every topic, including human rights.

The United States has stood by France in every conflict where its "freedom has been imperiled” and tolerated its grandstanding “out of a sense of camaraderie and mutual respect,” he said, but no more.

What sparked the walkout was a social media post Friday from France’s U.N. Mission in Geneva criticizing U.S. opposition to a second term for the U.N. rights chief. The General Assembly voted 144-10 with 13 abstentions in support of Türk, with the U.S. among the “no” votes.

“The US used to be a beacon of human rights. Not anymore. Today, it stands alongside North Korea, Nicaragua, Mali & Russia, isolated. And the world no longer listens to it,” the French Mission tweeted.

Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., in responding on X, accused France of coddling ”some of the worst human rights abusers” and voting “for someone who has been lecturing, free, sovereign democracies like the United States, the UK, and Israel, while cozying up to the world’s worst oppressors.”

Türk’s job as the U.N. rights chief, by its nature, is tricky: It requires speaking out against rights violations by the governments of the countries that make up the membership of the world body.

For instance, Türk has sharply criticized Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s war in Gaza as well as having urged a “massive rethink” of U.S. immigration policy before the World Cup, citing issues around “racial profiling, surveillance and immigration enforcement.”

At Monday’s meeting, Negrea drilled in on France.

“Today, I remind them that it is the United States that remains the beacon of liberty for the world,” he said. “As such, we will not be affording them the benefit of listening to their politicized drivel until they renounce their condescending and disrespectful rhetoric and behave in a manner commensurate with their seat on this council.”

France’s U.N. Ambassador Jerome Bonnafont never mentioned the walkout when asked to take the floor at the end of the council meeting to respond.

Instead, he noted that France — which helped the United States gain its independence — took part in the July 4 celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.

“The United Nations was created with the goal of working towards international peace and security, human rights and development,” he said. “All of that forms the spirit in which France works within the United Nations … to preserve this institution, its independence, its ability to act in service of the charter and act to serve human rights and peace.”

The Czech capital has a movie theater that's among the few dozen in the world equipped with the coveted 70 mm IMAX screen to watch the first feature made entirely with IMAX film cameras.

“It completely changed my experience about the movie," said Nicolas Walak from Poland, who also saw the movie before on a normal screen before viewing it in Prague. "Everything was great. It was a great movie.”

Czech cinema adapts to meet demand for rare IMAX format

There are only 41 70 mm IMAX screens worldwide, with most in North America. Montpellier in France and the Belgian capital, Brussels, are the only other two in the European Union countries. Britain has another three.

To meet massive demand, the Czech branch of the Cinema City offers four to five screenings a day, one starting after midnight, and the majority are sold out.

Film fans from about 15 European countries, from Scandinavia to Spain, have been coming to watch “The Odyssey” in Prague, Cinema City said. Their number reached 22,000 by Monday, it said.

The 70 mm IMAX film presentation is Nolan's preferred format. The Oscar-winning filmmaker calls it the “best possible experience.”

Moviegoers travel up to three days to Prague

Daniel Jung drove with his two teenage sons, Felix and Leo, for three days from Norway through Denmark and Germany "just to see this movie. Tomorrow, we’re going back.”

Leo was in touch with Cinema City by email half a year before the July 16 premiere and followed the cinema operator on Instagram. He managed to book the tickets immediately after they became available.

“We were in the 11th row, right in the middle. We had the very best seats,” Leo said, calling the effort “absolutely worth it.”

“It’s just so big. We come from Norway, the screens we have are much smaller,” he said. “Now, we watched it in this huge format. I will always remember this experience.”

Felix said they had a good time on the way, visiting some places in Germany, but it would be worth it even if they just drove straight there.

Few IMAX left because of costs and other challenges

Due to the cost and other challenges, productions made using large format film are rare. The IMAX cameras are heavy and new versions with reduced noise had to be developed to be usable for making “The Odyssey.”

The film print sent to theaters is so big — weighing some 300 kilograms (661 pounds) and 18 kilometers (11 miles) long — that it has to be delivered to theaters in parts. The movie and the projector have to be in a climatized room and the projectionists need to be approved by IMAX for the job.

As movie theaters around the globe were acquiring digital IMAX equipment around 2008, the Cinema City decided not to get rid of the original analog projector in Prague. It was placed in a corner for three years until 2012 to screen Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises.”

It was used to show several others, including Nolan's “Interstellar” in 2014 and “Oppenheimer” three years ago.

“We’re really grateful to him for that,” projectionist Tomáš Vyšinský said about his predecessor who saved the equipment.

According to the 2026 Schedule of Social Security Benefit Payments, the next payment for SSI will be made July 31. The next payment after that will be September 1.

SSI are typically paid out on the first of the month. If the first of the month falls on a weekend or holiday, the payment is made on the business day before. This means there will not be any SSI payments in November as well since the first of the month falls on a Sunday.

According to the SSA, SSI payments are eligible for people living with disabilities and adults and children who have little or no income or resources. You can find out if you’re eligible here.

Saudi Arabia said it had shot down drones fired by Iran-backed militias in Iraq that had targeted its petroleum facilities. Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen meanwhile claimed to have attacked Saudi oil facilities as part of a separate but related conflict. It was unclear if they referred to the same attack.

Neither the U.S. nor Iran reported carrying out any attacks for three days — a respite after about two weeks of sustained bombardments that had led to increasing fears of a return to all-out war.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran had asked for more discussions, reaching out directly “because we’ve been hitting them very hard.” Iran has said there are no direct talks underway.

“We’re having good talks, so we’ll see what happens,” Trump told reporters Monday on Air Force One. “I think there’s a good chance that something could happen. And if it does, good. if it doesn’t, we go back to doing what we were doing two days ago.”

The two regional officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door talks, said mediators led by Qatar and Pakistan were working to bridge the gap between Washington and Tehran to return to an interim ceasefire deal that had collapsed after exchanges of fire.

No strikes over the weekend

In addition to the attack on Saudi Arabia, two drone attacks were reported against a Kurdish Iranian dissident group in Iraq on Monday, and Jordan said it had shot down two drones, without saying where they originated. There were no reports of casualties or damage.

Iran and Ukraine, meanwhile, have been publicly feuding since Ukraine fired on at least one Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea over the weekend. Iran, which said a sailor had been killed in the attack, is an important ally of Russia in its war against Ukraine and helped Moscow build up its drone expertise.

The U.S. paused attacks after targeting Iranian coastal areas and infrastructure in a nearly two-week escalation sparked by Iran’s firing at ships trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for global oil shipments. Iran had responded to the strikes with missile and drone attacks on countries hosting U.S. troops, killing at least three service members at a base in Jordan and one in Iraq.

Iran halted its attacks following the American pause, Tehran’s army spokesperson told Iranian state TV on Sunday.

Questions about US munitions stockpile

The Iran war has drawn down the U.S. stockpile of key weapons systems like missiles and interceptors, analysts say.

Asked if the U.S. munitions stockpile was running low, Trump said both that it was “in very good shape,” and “I’d like to have more, to be honest.” Experts have questioned how long both the U.S. and Iran can afford to keep up attacks.

Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has told Trump that the state of the country’s stockpile could have an impact on military operations in Iran, a U.S. official said.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive conversations, said this message was delivered as part of Caine’s regular duties of providing military advice and options to Trump.

Caine told lawmakers at a hearing last week that “airpower has its limits” in achieving military objectives. The U.S. military has employed airstrikes almost exclusively against Iran.

Regional officials cite progress in talks

One of the regional officials who spoke to AP on Monday described the progress made in mediation efforts as “significant.” He said mediators were working with Iran and Oman on a mechanism for managing vessels’ transit through the Strait of Hormuz, the flashpoint for the latest strikes and counterstrikes.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, said during a news conference in Tehran on Monday that “mediators may convey messages to us from the American side” but that there were no direct negotiations.

He said Iran and Oman, which lies on the other side of the Strait of Hormuz, had already held talks on Friday and Saturday on how to manage ship traffic through the waterway.

Their aim is to “develop mechanisms to ensure safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz while respecting the sovereign rights and sovereignty of both coastal states, as well as Iran’s security and national interests” Baghaei said. He stressed that the waterway remains closed.

Tehran has asserted that the interim deal with the U.S. allows it to manage shipping on the waterway and potentially charge fees, and it has objected to U.S. efforts to support an alternative route that passes close to Oman. The strait was open to all without fees before the war.

The U.S. military on Monday said its recently reimposed naval blockade against Iran continued, with 17 commercial ships redirected, two disabled and two boarded.

The 60-day period established by the interim deal in mid-June is now well into its second half, and major issues that were meant to be negotiated — notably Iran’s nuclear program at the heart of tensions — have been set aside as mediators try to keep both sides talking.

Shipping traffic on the strait is at a 3-week low

Concerns have grown about shipping through another crucial waterway in the region, the Bab al-Mandeb strait to the Red Sea. The Houthis last week threatened a blockade of Saudi shipping there, and fired on at least one Saudi tanker, setting it alight.

Global energy supplies and the economy remain in the balance as gasoline prices have risen again.

Commercial shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz was at a three-week low, a maritime body overseen by the U.S. Navy said Sunday, adding that no new attacks had been confirmed in the past 72 hours. It said traffic remained steady through Bab el-Mandeb.

Netanyahu says he ‘fully’ backs Trump’s efforts

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he plans to meet with Trump in Washington on Tuesday. They last met in Washington in February, weeks before they launched the war on Iran that killed senior leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon fired at Israel two days after the war began, and Israel responded with airstrikes and a ground invasion. Since then, the U.S. has supported landmark direct talks between Lebanon and Israel to try to calm that front and find a way to disarm Hezbollah.

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Becatoros reported from Athens, Greece. Associated Press reporters Cara Anna in Lowville, New York; Konstantin Toropin, Darlene Superville and Ben Finley in Washington; Jill Lawless and Emma Burrows in London; and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed.

The Heat Advisory across the area will expire at 8 p.m. Scattered showers with thunderstorms will slowly drift southward as they dissipate late tonight. Tuesday will be a drier day with another Heat Advisory from 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Today’s Heat Index could reach 110 degrees. It will feel hotter tomorrow with heat index values up to 112 degrees.

Isolated showers and thunderstorms on Tuesday will give way to widespread rain chances with strong to severe storms possible as a cold front slips across southeast Georgia and then stalls. This will keep widespread, elevated rain chances through Thursday.

The unsettled pattern continues Friday and this weekend. In addition to the needed rainfall, the earlier onset of the showers and storms will bring temperatures back to near normal, maybe a couple of degrees below normal. The rainfall deficit for this year is around 8 inches.

Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms will be possible through around 10 p.m.

Tuesday: Heat Advisory 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. Partly cloudy and hot. Mainly dry with afternoon rain chances around 20-30 percent. Lows in the upper 70s to low 80s. Afternoon highs in the mid to upper 90s. Feels Like temperatures 102 - 112 degrees.

Wednesday: Still hot with scattered showers and thunderstorms expected, 50-60 percent. Lows in the 70s to low 80s. Highs in the 90s. Feels Like temperatures 101-109 degrees.

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

Tropics: It’s quiet across the Atlantic basin.

Sunrise: 6:43 p.m.

Sunset: 8:24 p.m.

Officers responding to a reported stabbing on July 23 found 41-year-old Yolanda Haynes with severe wounds outside the Leyu Food Store on Kings Road, the sheriff’s office said. Haynes was taken to a local hospital, where she later died.

Officers quickly identified Brittany McLean as the attacker and initially arrested her on charges of aggravated battery and tampering with evidence, the sheriff’s office said.

Homicide detectives reviewed McLean’s statement, witness accounts and physical evidence and developed probable cause to arrest her for murder. Detectives arrested McLean on July 24; she remains in the Duval County jail awaiting a court appearance.

Family members said Haynes was well known and well liked in the neighborhood.

“Yolanda was more than what she lost her life for,” her sister, Sheila Dixon Williams, told News4JAX. “She was loving, caring, she loved her family, especially her nieces and nephews. She loved people who didn’t even love her.”

Her niece, Miracle Vickers, said she had seen Haynes just hours before the stabbing.

“Then within the blink of an eye, got a phone call, she was gone,” Vickers said.

In a statement, the sheriff’s office said, “Our hearts are with Yolanda Haynes’ loved ones as they grieve her tragic loss, and we will continue to seek justice for her.” Detectives continue to investigate the case.

“The same way that you want to season a steak or a pork chop, you want to add multiple layers. And I think spice does that if you do it the right way,” says Turner Greaves, bartender at New York’s Sip and Guzzle.

He makes a tequila highball called Doctor Green, which he describes as “super-herbaceous, vegetal, a little bitter. It’s got tomatillo, green apple, shiso, horseradish, and then you can make it spicier with a little serrano pepper on the side.”

Customers get to add more spice with a little spice dropper delivered with their serving.

Cocktail tastes are changing from sweet to savory

James Stevenson, co-founder of Brutes of Mayfair cocktail bar in London, says drinks were very sweet when he started out 20 years ago, and now consumers’ tastes have shifted.

“I think there’s a real movement toward savory cocktails,” he says. “Every drink we put on the menu that is more savory or has a pickled element or spice element tends to be our bestseller.”

Stevenson makes a mezcal-based Bagheera, which he describes as a turbo-spiced margarita.

“We juice (blend) rather than shaking the drink, with fresh chile and coriander,” he says. They make a fresh syrup, adding tequila and freshly squeezed lime, and finish off the drink with a house-made Tajin salt rim.

Agave spirits are a good match for spicy and savory

It’s no coincidence both bartenders picked agave-based spirits — tequila and mezcal — for their spicy offerings.

Stevenson explains that a lot of the flavor profiles you get from agaves are fresher, more vegetal than other spirits. “They’re just very akin to chiles,” he says. Noting that tequila pairs well with salt, he adds, “Spice and savory flavors are just a natural kinship.”

Alex Lyoness, bar manager at London’s FlipDog, makes his Late Night cocktail with a hint of an after-hours kebab and pickles. He uses a white tequila and a raicilla (an agave similar to mezcal). Soy sauce brings a deep flavor, he says, and a homemade chile tincture spices things up.

He then adds an onion and olive brine “like the ultimate dirty martini,” and garnishes with a bright pink pickled turnip.

Looking for a tingly feeling

But chiles aren’t the only way to add spice. Lyoness says you’re looking to create a “mouthfeel.” He uses Sichuan peppercorns and the Timur berry, which he says has a cool, numbing quality. “What you’re looking for is that tingling across the palate,” he says.

Greaves recommends bringing a little classic cooking into your drinks.

“You can add ginger, you can add garlic cloves, and star anise and fennel into these drinks, and it adds so many different elements of pepper, of spice. Go home and then throw cayenne into a margarita,” he says.

How hot is too hot?

To judge the heat, try to read it on your palate, says Greaves: “If it starts creeping all the way down to your esophagus, I think that’s definitely a spice level that you can loosen up a bit.”

A good spicy drink should “give you the itches on the sides of your mouth” but not overwhelm, he says.

And don’t forget that no two chiles are the same.

“It’s all about tasting, trying and tweaking,” Anderson says.

Adding a spicy rim to your glass is an easy way to get extra kick

For a spicy rim, mix any spices from your cupboard with a good rock salt, says Anderson. (You can freshly grind the spices for a more aromatic and vibrant mix.)

He recommends coriander seed for a more citrusy mix, and black pepper or cardamom powder for a savory feel. You can even try adding fruit powders.

“Something like a freeze-dried strawberry, freeze-dried raspberry, with a little bit of spice. It’s great,” Anderson says.

Then, simply run a lemon or lime wedge along the rim of your glass and gently roll it in a shallow plate of the salt mix.

Recipes

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Late Night, from FlipDog, London

Ingredients

1 oz. Tapatio blanco (tequila)

0.4 oz. La Venenosa Costa Raicilla

0.4 oz. Gonzalez Byass Tio Pepe Fino (dry sherry)

0.7 oz. brine mix (onion, olive, sivri pepper)

2 drops chile tincture

Directions

Stir together all the ingredients with ice. Serve in a chilled martini glass. Add a pickled turnip to garnish.

CHILE TINCTURE

Submerge chiles in a sealed jar with a high-proof neutral alcohol like vodka (approx. 1-2 small chiles per 3.5 oz. of alcohol) and leave to steep for up to two weeks, shaking the jar occasionally. Then strain and transfer the contents into an eyedropper bottle.

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Bagheera, from Brutes of Mayfair, London

Ingredients

1.75 oz. Lost Explorer mezcal

0.75 oz. fresh lime juice

.67 oz. Bagheera syrup

Small pinch of salt

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over cracked ice. Rim the glass with Tajin.

BAGHEERA SYRUP

Ingredients

275 grams simple sugar syrup (roughly 7.5 fl. oz.)

½ supermarket bunch of fresh cilantro, including stalks

1 small Thai green chile

3 jalapeno chiles

¼ teaspoon of ascorbic acid (vitamin C powder), to stop the cilantro from turning brown

½ teaspoon green cardamom powder

1 thumb-size piece of peeled fresh ginger

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a large container or blender. Blend until the coriander and chiles have completely broken down and the mixture is well combined. Strain through a fine mesh strainer bag or muslin cloth. Transfer to a clean container and refrigerate.

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Doctor Green, from Sip & Guzzle, New York

Servings: 20

Ingredients

34 oz. green apple juice

34 oz. tomatillo juice

24 oz. green tequila

6 oz. Sauternes

Directions

Juice tomatillo and green apple and whisk in 2 grams ascorbic powder and 4 grams pectinase powder per liter of juice until dissolved.

Rest at room temperature or in the fridge for at least one to two hours until the juice splits into clear liquid and sediment layers. Combine all ingredients and strain through a fine mesh strainer until clear. Carbonate using a specialist drinks carbonator.

GREEN TEQUILA

3.4 oz. Patron tequila

0.25 oz. shiso

0.25 oz. fennel

0.25 oz. horseradish

2 pieces star anise

Directions: Combine the ingredients and allow to infuse at room temperature for 24 hours.

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5 songs to drink spicy cocktails to:

“Hot Stuff,” Donna Summer

“Hot in Herre,” Nelly

“Spice Up Your Life,” The Spice Girls

“Feeling Hot Hot Hot,” The Merrymen

“Drop It Like It’s Hot,” Snoop Dogg ft. Pharrell Williams

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This story was first published on July 22, 2026. It was updated on July 27, 2026 to correct erroneous measurements in the drinks recipes.

The amendment — HJR 1F — provides a new homestead exemption for non-school taxes for residents in the state.

Our sister station in Orlando, WKMG, took a closer look at the proposal.

Current homestead exemption rules in the state operate as follows, with two different brackets of assessed value being tax exempt:

But under HJR 1F, the exemptions would apply solely to non-school taxes, though the exempted amount would raise dramatically:

• 2027 — First $150,000 of assessed value
• 2028 — First $250,000 of assessed value
• 2029 onward — First $250,000 of assessed value, indexed to inflation

However, this only applies to homeowners who are permanent residents of Florida before the proposed amendment takes effect on Jan. 1, 2027 (if it gets approved, that is). For newcomers, the timeline is a bit different.

HJR 1F instead provides new residents with a five-year homestead exemption that comes out as follows:

After this five-year period, the new residents will then be eligible for the higher exemption.

Meanwhile, the amendment also reduces the annual non-homestead property assessment growth cap from 10% to 5%, limiting how much these sorts of properties may be assessed each year.

In addition, the plan limits how local governments may spend property tax revenue:

• Public safety, including law enforcement, EMS and fire services
• Education and public schools
• Infrastructure, including roads, bridges and stormwater controls
• Natural resource projects, including flood control measures
• Issue local bonds for approved uses or to make debt service payments
• Meet obligations and retirement benefits of local government employees
• Fund the operations and administration of county officers and commissioners

While the amendment has been approved by lawmakers, it will still need 60% approval from voters in the general election on Nov. 3.

U.S. Magistrate Lauren Louis set a detention hearing for Aug. 13 to determine whether the Tates should stay in jail or be released during what could be a monthslong extradition process.

The brothers weren’t in court Monday or required to be there and have remained in jail since making a brief court appearance two days after their July 18 arrest.

The Tates have become among the world’s most polarizing internet personalities with their promotion of wealth, male dominance and misogyny through their social media empire. The new allegations are the latest in a long-running international legal saga involving the Tates that has spanned the U.S., Britain and Romania. The brothers have repeatedly denied wrongdoing.

Attorneys for the brothers said Monday that they want the U.S. government to turn over documents that U.K. officials submitted to secure their arrest.

“They don't have anything but the accusations,” attorney Joseph McBride said after the hearing. “It’s just their word against our word right now.”

The U.K. has until mid-September to turn over all of its materials to the State Department, Assistant U.S. Attorney Alejandra López said in court.

The brothers have long claimed that their violent and misogynistic statements have been taken out of context or were intended as jokes.

Jackie Perczek, another one of their attorneys, said the Tates have shown they are not a flight risk by returning to Romania every month after they were accused there of luring women for sexual exploitation.

“For three years they have not fled,” she said. “They've traveled the world and every month they return to Romania.”

The former professional kickboxers, who have dual U.S. and U.K. citizenship, have millions of social media followers and are vocal supporters of President Donald Trump. The White House has said the brothers shouldn't expect any help from the president.

McBride said shortly after the Tates were arrested that "they’ve never done nothing wrong. They shouldn’t be extradited for crimes they did not commit," he said.

McBride said the extradition attempt was politically motivated, though he provided no details.

Prosecutors in Britain said the new charges relate to four new accusers and were brought after authorities received evidence from police in Bedfordshire, in southeastern England. The allegations, which span from 2010 to 2017, include rape, assault, trafficking and offenses relating to “indecent images of a child and extreme pornography.”

The brothers are already charged with rape, bodily harm, human trafficking and controlling prostitution for gain relating to three other accusers in the U.K. between 2012 and 2015.

The brothers moved to Romania in 2016 and were arrested there in 2022, accused of participating in schemes to lure women for sexual exploitation. They denied those allegations, and the Romanian case hasn't gone forward because of legal and procedural problems.

Andrew Tate, 39, became known a decade ago when he was a contestant on the U.K. reality television show “Big Brother.” He was booted from the show when a video appeared to show him assaulting a woman.

He has amassed over 10 million followers on X but has been banned from other platforms, including YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, for violating hate speech guidelines. He has made widely condemned comments, such as saying women who are sexually assaulted should bear some responsibility for the attacks and sharing graphic descriptions of how he might attack women.

Trump has repeatedly urged Thune to scrap the legislative filibuster, which effectively sets a 60-vote threshold for most legislation in the 100-member Senate, or find another workaround to pass the voting bill, known as the SAVE America Act. But Republicans hold only a 53-47 majority, and Thune has consistently said they don’t have the votes to pass the bill or change the rules to get around the filibuster.

“John Thune should not allow the United States Senate to ‘leave town’ until it passes The Save America Act or, far better still, TERMINATES THE FILIBUSTER,” Trump wrote on social media.

He later insisted to reporters Monday that he has a good relationship with the Senate majority leader but said Thune has “got to get his job done.”

It's the latest escalation in a monthslong pressure campaign by Trump and others in the GOP base to pass the SAVE Act ahead of the midterms. A small but vocal group of Republican senators has also increasingly pressed Thune to find a way forward.

Thune responded Monday afternoon, telling reporters he would be supportive of cancelling the break if there was a path forward on the legislation.

“We voted on it one, two, three, four, five times already,” said Thune, who counted each number on his hand for reporters. “Show me how this ends. What’s the picture of victory at the end?”

House Republicans have also attempted to create another path for the legislation through the budget reconciliation process, which would allow grant money associated with voting rules to pass the Senate with a simple majority.

The House last week approved a budget framework that included $10 billion for voting-related changes aligned with the SAVE America Act. But Thune has said Republicans don’t currently have the votes for that approach, either.

Trump's pressure comes during an important period

The fight threatens to complicate the Senate's final legislative sprint before the August break, when Thune had hoped to focus on a long list of priorities that includes government funding, cryptocurrency legislation and sanctions on Russia. The August break, scheduled to start on Aug. 7, is a pivotal stretch for senators to return home and campaign ahead of the midterm elections.

Several Republican senators are facing competitive races, including Maine Sen. Susan Collins, Ohio Sen. Jon Husted and Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan. Republicans currently hold a 53-47 Senate majority. Republicans are confronting broader political headwinds as well, including an unpopular war in Iran, surging gas prices and costs that remain high for voters.

Thune has enjoyed broad support from his GOP conference all year as he’s pushed back on Trump’s demands. He previously kept the SAVE Act on the Senate floor for weeks in an effort to build additional support, but was unable to secure the votes needed to advance it.

Utah Sen. Mike Lee, who has led the push for the bill in the Senate, escalated his pressure late last week, warning that how Republicans handle the SAVE America Act “could impact not only the November midterm elections, but also the Senate GOP leadership elections.”

“Leaders must lead. And if they don’t, they’re not leaders,” Lee wrote on social media Friday.

Frustrated by the pressure when he doesn’t have a route to pass the bill, Thune has urged Trump, Lee and others to help him find the votes. Trump on Friday said he'd “certainly be willing” to help call senators.

Asked last week if Trump is frustrated with Thune, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that "his patience is running out.” But Trump told reporters on Air Force Once Monday while traveling to an event in Michigan, that he hasn’t “even thought” about potential replacements for Thune.

The late-summer dispute echoes a similar fight before last year’s August recess, when Trump pressed Thune to keep senators in Washington to clear a backlog of his nominees. The Senate ultimately left town without a deal after negotiations with Democrats collapsed.

The SAVE America Act would create new national rules

The SAVE America Act, which stands for Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, would require Americans to prove they are citizens when they register to vote, mostly through a valid U.S. passport or birth certificate. It would also require a valid photo identification before voters can cast ballots, which some states already demand.

Voting experts have said the bill could disenfranchise some 20 million American voters who don’t have birth certificates or other documents readily available.

Trump has made it his legislative priority in 2026, saying it would “guarantee the midterms" and falsely claimed that election cheating is “rampant.” He previously declined to sign any other legislation until it was passed.

According to the Jacksonville Daily Record, the incentives for the hotel would come as a 30-year, 75% Recapture Enhanced Value grant.

A REV grant is a refund on ad valorem tax revenue generated by a new development or property enhancement. It can apply to property and tangible personal property.

The project would include around 119 rooms, 300 parking spots and 2,500 square feet of retail space, according to the memo from the Office of Economic Development.

According to renderings presented to the Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission, the development would include a six-story hotel and a five-story parking garage adjacent to Corner Lot’s existing office building that features River & Post, which operates a ground-floor restaurant and a rooftop lounge.

Read more at the Jacksonville Daily Record.

Paul Harris, who represents Wu, told The Associated Press early Tuesday that immigration authorities had sent a letter to his attorneys saying Wu, the former chairman of Hong Kong's once-biggest pro-democracy party, was being granted permission to remain as a visitor for six months. Wu’s family resides in the U.K.

Wu declined to comment.

The British authorities' decision came after Wu's entry on a seven-day immigration bail last week raised widespread concerns from rights groups and Hong Kongers living in the U.K. and the Chinese territory.

Wu was one of 47 activists charged in 2021 in Hong Kong’s biggest case under a Beijing-imposed security law that crushed a previously thriving democracy movement. He was sentenced in 2024 to four years and five months in prison for conspiracy to commit subversion over his role in an unofficial primary election.

Wu said in an AP interview Sunday that he was only allowed to stay in Britain until Wednesday as U.K. border authorities believed he might have other goals beyond just visiting, including seeking long-term residency. He worried that would cut short his plans to spend time with his family after years of separation. He also feared the immigration record could affect his future visits to his family in the U.K. again.

The Home Office confirmed Monday local time that Wu will not be removed on Wednesday and that he has permission to enter the U.K.

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Associated Press writer Brian Melley in London contributed to this report.

RELATED | Adventure Landing St. Augustine will permanently close on Sunday, says it won’t renew property lease

Gate purchased the part of the former amusement park property July 24 for $2.1 million. The company confirmed it has plans to build a Gate Express Car Wash on the property. At the time, it’s unclear when construction will begin.

Adventure Landing closed April 12 after being sold for $3.6 million to a collection of Alabama and Georgia real estate firms.

St. Johns County is reviewing plans to demolish the park and redevelop the property. The St. Augustine location was the last surviving Adventure Landing in Northeast Florida.

Read more at the Jacksonville Daily Record.

Infantino praised FIFA for “delivering the best show in the world” and spoke of the World Cup bringing “joy and togetherness,” in a 900-word statement published across a 15-page post on his Instagram account and on FIFA’s website late Sunday.

“Sorry that you were so consumed by hate and criticism that you missed it all,” the FIFA leader wrote, addressing his comments to “those behind their pens and papers, behind their screens spreading hate and false rumors.”

FIFA and Infantino faced criticism during the World Cup for Iran team officials, a Somali referee and fans being denied entry to the United States; alleged political influence by U.S. President Donald Trump in letting Folarin Balogun avoid a ban for a red card; unprecedented high ticket prices and commercialized breaks in play midway through each half of all 104 games.

“Every city was packed with fans from all around the globe,” Infantino wrote. “While they celebrated, you were busy planting seeds of hate.”

“While you hide, we are exploring the streets of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, talking with fans, engaging with people, and ensuring everyone’s safety.”

Testy media relations

Infantino has an increasingly testy relationship with media during the 11th year of his presidency. His eve-of-tournament news conference in Mexico City was his first with a full gathering of international media since March 2023.

The previous such news conference in Rwanda, after his reelection by acclaim from FIFA member federations, saw Infantino ask his audience: “Why are you so mean?”

In Mexico City last month, Infantino suggested critics should “chill, relax.”

And he's coming under scrutiny from some in the U.S. Congress. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, sent Infantino a letter on Sunday seeking documents detailing ties between FIFA and the Trump administration. A representative for FIFA didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter.

FIFA uniting the U.S. and Iran

Iran’s ability to play at least three games in the U.S. was a key pretournament issue, and the squad made a late switch to a training camp in Tijuana, Mexico instead of Tucson, Arizona.

“Iran entered the United States without incident or conflict,” Infantino noted in his statement. “While you spread hatred, we worked tirelessly to unite two countries at war.”

Fans denied visas to enter the U.S. included Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, the celebrated statue supporter of Congo which was dealing with an Ebola virus outbreak. He attended one game in Mexico.

“You mentioned the few people denied visas and overlooked the millions who were approved, from all parts of the world,” Infantino wrote. “Countries facing serious health issues or other challenges were granted visas.”

Infantino defends Balogun decision

On fallout from the red card for U.S. forward Balogun, Infantino claimed “subsequent decisions not to ban players in certain situations are routine.”

FIFA did not overturn Balogun’s red card, which does occur in domestic club competitions, but instead took the more unusual step of deferring the one-game ban for a probationary period. FIFA has yet to publish the written verdict of its disciplinary judge.

“To those spending their time and energy hating us, please take a moment to reflect, meditate, pray, or watch a football match and truly observe the faces, the eyes, the emotions,” Infantino wrote.

He signed off his statement: “Much love to all.”

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Associated Press writer Seung Min Kim in Washington contributed to this report.

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

Afternoon highs will climb into the mid and upper 90s, but it will feel more like 107 to 111 degrees thanks to high humidity.

Most locations will stay dry with only an isolated shower or thunderstorm possible after 2 p.m., meaning many communities won’t see much relief from the heat.

Be sure to stay hydrated, take frequent breaks if you’re working or exercising outdoors, and never leave children or pets in a parked vehicle.

The intense heat continues Tuesday with highs pushing the upper 90s and heat index values again near 110 degrees.

By midweek, moisture begins to increase, bringing a better chance for scattered afternoon and evening thunderstorms Wednesday, with even higher rain chances Thursday into the upcoming weekend.

While the additional rain should help knock temperatures back into the lower 90s later this week, humidity will remain high, so it will still feel quite muggy outdoors

Lasko had surgery June 30 to address a fractured C6-C7 vertebra. Lasko collided with Double-A Midland teammate Devin Taylor during a game in Frisco, Texas. Both dove for a flyball, and Lasko remained motionless on the field after the play.

“I'm currently feeling much better,” Lasko wrote on X. "I have sensation from my feet up to my knees, along with a lot of involuntary leg movements. I also have been getting some sensation in the side of my thighs, hamstrings and back. I currently have about 75% usage of my left hand and about 50% in my right.

“I'm very happy with my progress and once again, so very thankful for all the love and support. It has continued to help me get up everyday and work my hardest.”

The 24-year-old Lasko was selected by the Athletics in the second round of the 2023 amateur draft from Rutgers. He was batting .209 with six homers, 34 RBIs and a .635 OPS for Midland this season.

Lasko appeared in 13 games at Triple-A Las Vegas last year. He also played 21 games in the Arizona Fall League for promising prospects, batting .357 with nine stolen bases.

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

Comey's lawyers argue the government cannot prove the Instagram photo of seashells in the numerical arrangement of “86 47" constituted a “true threat" against the Republican president, who fired Comey in 2017 and has publicly called for his prosecution. The slogan — which has long meant to "get rid of" or “eject" — has been featured on thousands of items sold online and regularly displayed at protests, defense lawyers wrote in court papers.

"But the government now singles out Mr. Comey to prosecute one of the President’s most prominent critics for publishing another person’s statement of political opposition," his attorney's wrote. “That attempt to suppress core political speech contravenes both the statutes at issue and the First Amendment.”

The seashells case against Comey was the second in months targeting the ex-FBI director, a long-running Trump foe whom the president over the years has called a “corrupt piece of garbage” and other pejorative names.

An earlier case in Virginia accusing Comey of lying to Congress was dismissed last November after a judge concluded that the prosecutor who charged him and another Trump adversary, New York Attorney General Letitia James, was illegally appointed to the job.

More broadly, the case is part of a retribution campaign by the Trump administration Justice Department, which has initiated investigations across the country into individuals the president does not like. Comey has long drawn Trump's ire for his role overseeing the early months of an investigation into whether Trump’s 2016 campaign had coordinated with Russia to sway the outcome of that year’s election.

The two-count indictment charges Comey with “knowingly and willfully” making a threat to “take the life of, and to inflict bodily harm upon” Trump and with transmitting a threat in interstate commerce. It does not provide evidence that Comey knowingly threatened Trump, especially since Comey has said the opposite, but suggested a “reasonable recipient who is familiar with the circumstances would interpret” the message as a threat.

Comey was interviewed by the Secret Service last year over the post after Trump administration officials asserted that he was advocating the assassination of Trump, the 47th president. Comey deleted the post shortly after it was made, writing: “I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence” and “I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.”

“Even if ‘86 47’ could implausibly be read to suggest violence, a reasonable observer would still understand Mr. Comey’s post as mere political hyperbole, not a true threat,” Comey's lawyers wrote. “The Supreme Court has rejected threats prosecutions based on speech far more directly threatening than Mr. Comey’s seashells post here.”

The Justice Department has not elaborated on any evidence of intent the government has. But acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said earlier this year that prosecutors in every case prove intent with “witnesses, with documents, with the defendant himself to the extent it’s appropriate.”

“And that’s how we’ll prove intent in this case,” Blanche said in April, shortly after he was elevated to lead the department after Pam Bondi's firing.

Trump, in a Fox News Channel interview last year, accused Comey of knowing “exactly what that meant.”

“A child knows what that meant,” Trump said. “If you’re the FBI director and you don’t know what that meant, that meant assassination. And it says it loud and clear.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Acceptable forms of ID include:

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

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

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

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

Lopes Cabral’s curling shot into the far top corner of the Argentina net was a standout moment at the World Cup where the unheralded African team made a stellar debut.

His goal tied defending champion Argentina at 2-2 in extra time of their thrilling round of 32 game in Miami Gardens. Cape Verde would eventually lose 3-2.

Lopes Cabral’s goal was voted best of the 308 goals scored at the tournament, ahead of Eldor Shomurodov's delicate lob for Uzbekistan against Congo and Wilson Isidor of Haiti scoring with a powerful rising shot against Morocco.

FIFA drew up a shortlist of 12 goals for public voting that closed Monday.

Lopes Cabral’s celebration also entered World Cup lore as he broke free of teammates reaching to grab him before climbing into the tribune to hug his girlfriend and look for his mother.

“Before the game, I’d told my mom and my girlfriend that if I scored, I’d run over to them,” he said. “When I got there, I saw my mom crying. She hadn’t even realized I was right there. Everyone was busy tending to her because she had fainted when I scored.”

Cape Verde defied both World Cup finalists in its four games, after goalkeeper Vozinha’s standout display saw his team open with a 0-0 draw to stun eventual champion Spain.

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

Although the Democratic Socialists of America’s Workers Deserve More platform doesn’t necessarily line up exactly with the candidates’ own agendas, prominent Republicans over the weekend decried it. The DSA platform proposes drafting "a new constitution” with significant changes to the structure of the U.S. government, including abolishing the Senate, replacing the president and the Supreme Court with leaders picked by Congress and allowing all permanent U.S. residents to vote. Alongside those changes, the platform, published earlier this month, calls for a number of social reforms.

“The barbarians are inside the gate — and Democrats are WELCOMING them in,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., wrote on X. “Communism is no longer a far fetched threat. It is here on our SHORES!”

The Wall Street Journal’s conservative-leaning editorial board also warned about the agenda, calling it radical and writing that the job of Republicans and willing Democrats is to educate the country about it. But it cautioned Republicans to avoid communism attack lines, saying they wouldn't resonate with younger generations.

Progressive and DSA-backed candidates running in Democratic primaries across the country don’t all subscribe to the group’s full agenda. The left is also split between progressive and moderate wings that have different ideas about the best policies to carry the Democratic Party forward. But the DSA platform has created an opening for Republicans to attack Democrats with a broad brush as they look for an edge in races that will determine which party has a majority in Congress next year.

President Donald Trump this year has returned to an old habit of calling Democrats communists, saying they want to “destroy the traditional American way of life.” Other Republicans have followed suit, turning to more comfortable territory after months spent defending their party as disgruntled Americans fume about foreign wars and the high cost of living.

DSA agenda calls for dramatic overhaul of government and society

The DSA’s vision for the country laid out in mid-July proposes major changes that the group says can in part be achieved under the current system but ultimately would require “building a new society from the ground up.”

Among the suggested changes are expanding voting rights, publicly financing all elections, replacing the two-party system with a multi-party democracy, establishing public ownership of large corporations and expanding rights for immigrants while ending Immigration and Customs Enforcement detentions and deportations.

In a recent appearance on “Fox News Sunday,” the group’s co-chair Megan Romer confirmed various aspects of the agenda while acknowledging that some of the proposals, like abolishing borders and prisons, would be considered parts of a long-term plan.

The Republican National Committee over the weekend called attention to the platform in a post that several GOP lawmakers seized on to raise alarm.

“These people are insane,” Texas Sen. Ted Cruz replied on X.

“Watch this clip closely,” wrote Rep. Steve Scalise, the No. 2 House Republican. “These ideas could be coming to your community sooner than you think.”

Progressive candidates have succeeded in recent races

The DSA's agenda comes as aligned candidates have triumphed in several recent Democratic primaries. They’ve capitalized on voter anger at the party establishment and rising skepticism of the U.S. alliance with Israel to edge out moderates in House races in New York and Colorado.

Democratic socialist candidates also have succeeded in mayoral elections in major U.S. cities, including Washington, D.C., New York and Seattle. An upcoming Missouri primary pitting a DSA-backed former congresswoman against the moderate Democratic incumbent will further test the movement’s momentum.

In other elections, progressive candidates have outlined where they differ from the DSA's agenda. In an upcoming Michigan Senate primary, for example, progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed has distanced himself from socialism, saying that he believes in capitalism but that it needs to be regulated.

Meanwhile, establishment Democrats including former Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison have forcefully pushed back against DSA candidates who run in the party’s primaries while criticizing the way the party is going.

“I say this with no ill will or animosity: if you hate the Democratic Party, then please don’t run for our nomination,” Harrison wrote in a social media post in June. “Don’t use our resources. Don’t rely on our volunteers. Don’t use our infrastructure. Don’t ask Democrats to invest their time, money, and energy in your campaign. Focus on building the party you actually support.”

On a visit to a coordination center for the massive firefighting effort in southwest France, Macron heard how the blaze raging since last week has been wildly unpredictable, transforming at times into a self-feeding fire storm as it burned through an area four times the size of Paris and forced 220,000 people to flee their homes.

“We're facing a completely unprecedented fire,” Macron said, describing the situation as France's worst fire-related crisis since World War II.

He praised firefighting teams who stopped the inferno's progression Monday after days of spreading flames that edged toward the wine region city of Bordeaux. But with woodlands still smoldering, he and other government officials cautioned that the battle isn’t yet won, with forests turned tinder-dry by successive heat waves this year and another forecast for this week.

“The weeks ahead will be hard. We must hold firm,” Macron said.

Fire crews racing against feared next heat wave

With thousands of firefighters on the ground and rotations of water- and retardant-dropping aircraft, it became a race against time Monday to contain the blaze before temperatures soar, with national weather service forecasts of 35 C (95 F) and above in southwest France from Tuesday.

Authorities also are working to feed, shelter and care for evacuees who fled in staggering numbers: 250,000 in the southwest, driven away by two fires.

Macron spoke of displaced people “traumatized” by the upheaval and “who sometimes have lost everything.”

No new evacuations were announced Monday. But with France about to enter its peak August tourist season, authorities for the Gironde region around Bordeaux worked to keep vacationers away, banning holiday camps for children and for people with disabilities. Government ministers also urged people not to travel to the region that is popular for its Atlantic beaches, famous wines and some of France's largest expanses of forests.

Crews using earth movers tore up strips of forest and scrubland to create barren spaces, intended to block the flames that officials said had come within 15 kilometers (10 miles) of Bordeaux's outskirts. Farmers kept fire crews supplied with water, transporting it to them in tanks.

Briefing Macron, the Gironde region's fire chief explained how crews had wrestled with the blaze unlike any they'd previously tackled, extraordinarily virulent and capricious, “a fire that's going everywhere” and which generated electrical storms that sparked more flare-ups.

“The last 24 hours went well, thanks to your work” Macron told firefighters. “Doubtless, tomorrow will be more complicated than today.”

Spain is also battling fires

Around a dozen countries have provided planes, helicopters, firefighters and other assistance to both France and Spain, which is also fighting unprecedented blazes. All told, fires in the two countries have forced more than 330,000 people to flee.

In Spain, wildfires have burned out of control around Madrid and in the Valencia region. Authorities evacuated 79,000 people and confined 30,000 others to their homes.

In both Spain and France, the exceptional scale of the fires — fueled by heat waves that hit especially hard and early this year, making forests and scrubland tinder-dry — are driving calls for stronger action against climate change.

“What we are experiencing is not a series of isolated incidents. It is the consequence of a climate emergency that is making wildfires even more violent, heat waves more frequent,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said.

A fire raging in hilly, rural terrain in Ávila, west of Madrid, has become Spain’s largest on record, scorching 500 square kilometers (193 square miles), the government said. That's five times the size of Barcelona.

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

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

Fires have burned 1,530 square kilometers (590 square miles) this year in Spain — six times the area scorched by blazes in the first half of 2025, said Sara Aagesen, the ecology minister.

The minister said that another heat wave forecast from Tuesday — which would be Spain’s fourth so far this year — could ratchet up the fire danger. Spain’s weather agency forecast temperatures above 40 C (104 F).

Water-dropping planes combat fire in Italy

A wildfire driven by strong winds broke out on Sunday afternoon near Peschici, in Italy’s southern Puglia region, burning pine forest and scrub and forcing the evacuation of about 300 tourists from beaches and campgrounds, authorities said.

The Coast Guard evacuated tourists by sea to nearby Vieste, where authorities opened temporary shelters.

Three Canadair water-bombing planes and fire crews on the ground continued Monday to battle the blaze, which revived memories of devastating wildfires that hit the same coastal area in 2007.

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Leicester reported from Paris. Associated Press writers Joseph Wilson in Barcelona, Iain Sullivan in El Tiemblo, Spain, and Giada Zampano in Rome contributed.

ICE plans to extend the no-bid contract of the firm that runs Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas, through Sept. 30, 2027, at a potential additional cost to taxpayers of $776 million, the notice says. This is on top of a $452 million initial contract that the firm, Amentum Services Inc., was awarded in March when it was hastily installed to take over the camp’s operation from a contractor removed for poor performance.

For months, Democratic members of Congress and several advocacy organizations have called for Camp East Montana to be closed, citing reports that detainees have been routinely mistreated since its opening in August 2025.

A report released earlier this month by Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union alleged that staff routinely beat detainees, denied them medical care, made them live in filthy conditions and fed them inedible meals. Reports by federal agencies have also found unsafe detention conditions and that the Army and ICE have wasted millions of dollars paying for unnecessary services. At least three Camp East Montana detainees have died.

The facility at Fort Bliss, an Army base near the U.S.-Mexico border, has housed an average of more than 2,000 male and female detainees a day since Oct. 1, though its population has declined significantly in recent months, according to ICE data.

“Extending Amentum’s contract while ignoring well-documented abuses is reckless and demonstrates the Trump administration’s full-scale assault on human rights,” said Angélica César, a fellow at Human Rights Watch and the ACLU who was a lead researcher for the report. “Instead of holding private contractors accountable, DHS is choosing to perpetuate a system of harm and abuse.”

Chanel Mann, a spokesperson for Amentum, referred questions to ICE and its parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, which didn’t immediately return messages seeking comment.

ICE's notice was a justification for extending Amentum Services’ contract for a year without a competitive bidding process.

The agency argued that relocating detainees to other facilities would be “impracticable” due to a lack of available bed space elsewhere. Transitioning to a different contractor would require replacing Amentum’s “proprietary infrastructure” and finding new workers, which would lead to duplicative costs, it said.

“Any lapse in contract coverage would directly threaten the life, safety, and well-being of detainees, severely disrupt law enforcement operations, and expose the government to substantial operational, legal, and humanitarian risks,” the notice says.

ICE's notice said the Army's initial contract, awarded to Acquisition Logistics LLC, “did not accurately reflect ICE's operational needs or the actual usage of the facility.” Acquisition Logistics had no prior experience operating detention facilities.

In all, Virginia-based Amentum stands to be paid more than $1.2 billion if it operates the camp from March 2026 through September 2027, the notice says.

As of July 24, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed 98 cases of Salmonella Enteritidis infections, 26 hospitalizations and no deaths. The investigation, conducted alongside the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and state public health officials, remains open — and health officials warn the true number of sick people is likely far greater than what has been reported.

“This outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses,” the CDC noted in its latest update. Many people recover from Salmonella without seeking medical care and are never tested. It also typically takes three to four weeks to determine whether a sick person is part of an outbreak, meaning recent cases may not yet be counted.

Cases stretch far beyond distribution states

While Texas accounts for the overwhelming majority of reported illnesses — 73 of the 98 confirmed cases — the outbreak’s geographic footprint is raising new questions. Cases have been reported in states where recalled eggs were not listed as being distributed, including Georgia, Arizona, Colorado, New York, Michigan, Nevada, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina, California, West Virginia and South Carolina.

Georgia has reported 2 cases.

How scientists connected the cases

CDC investigators used the PulseNet system — a national database of DNA fingerprints of bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses — to link the cases together. Using whole genome sequencing (WGS), scientists confirmed that bacteria from sick people’s samples are closely related genetically, pointing to a common food source.

The Salmonella Enteritidis strain identified in this outbreak is related to a strain previously found in chicken, eggs and backyard poultry. To further confirm the source, Midwest Poultry Services, L.P. collected samples at its farms in Texas. Those samples tested positive for Salmonella, and WGS conducted by the firm’s third-party laboratory confirmed the samples match the outbreak strain.

The FDA also conducted a traceback investigation based on where sick people reported purchasing or eating eggs, and Midwest Poultry Services, L.P. was identified as a common source. Additional investigation is ongoing to determine whether other sources may also be contributing to illnesses.

Antibiotic resistance adds a layer of concern

Beyond the outbreak’s geographic spread, health officials are flagging a separate concern: antibiotic resistance.

Bacteria from all 98 cases showed predicted nonsusceptibility to ciprofloxacin and resistance to nalidixic acid — two antibiotics that might otherwise be used to treat severe Salmonella infections. In plain terms, if a patient required antibiotic treatment, some standard options may not work, and doctors may need to prescribe a different medication.

Most people with Salmonella recover without antibiotics. But for those who do need treatment, the CDC advises healthcare providers to consult the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) for guidance.

About the recall

On July 22, 2026, Midwest Poultry Services, L.P. recalled 1,589,577 dozen shell eggs due to possible Salmonella contamination. The recalled eggs were produced in Texas and distributed between June 6 and July 3, 2026, reaching foodservice and retail customers in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana.

Recalled eggs were available at Kroger stores in Texas and Louisiana; Brookshire Grocery stores in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana; and other smaller retail and foodservice outlets in those states, as well as Mississippi and New Mexico.

When to seek emergency care

Call a healthcare provider right away if you or someone in your household experiences any of the following:

• Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102°F
• Diarrhea lasting more than two days that is not improving
• Bloody diarrhea
• Vomiting so severe that liquids cannot be kept down
• Signs of dehydration, including infrequent urination, dry mouth and throat, or dizziness when standing

Children younger than 5, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk for severe illness and should take extra precaution.

The crash occurred at approximately 4:45 p.m. on July 23, at the intersection of Anniston Road and Beach Boulevard, according to a crash report filed by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

According to the report, the driver of a 2008 Nissan Titan pickup truck was traveling southbound on Anniston Road in the outside lane, attempting to make a right turn westbound onto Beach Boulevard. At the same time, a man was riding his electric bicycle eastbound through the designated crosswalk at the intersection.

The investigating officer said the front of the truck struck the left side of the electric bicycle while it was still inside the crosswalk.

The bicyclist told the officer he was crossing eastbound through the crosswalk when the truck moved forward and hit the left side of his bicycle. The driver told the officer he had been traveling southbound in the outside lane when the collision occurred, and that when he turned right, he believed the traffic signal was red.

The bicyclist was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. He was transported to the hospital by Jacksonville Fire and Rescue.

The officer noted minor damage to the front of the pickup truck and to the left side of the bicycle.

Following the investigation, the driver was found to be in violation of Florida law and was issued a citation for failure to use due care toward a pedestrian.

Terms of the settlement were not made public.

“The recent resolution of this matter allows everyone to move forward, and I welcome that opportunity,” Agugua-Hamilton said in a statement provided to The Associated Press on Monday. "I am proud of my career, grateful to every player and coach whose path has crossed mine, and excited for what is to come next. My passion for coaching has always been less about wins and losses and more about making a positive difference in the lives of young people. That passion remains as strong as ever.”

Agugua-Hamilton was fired on April 4, a week after she led the Cavaliers to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2000. She went 70-58, including a 29-42 mark in ACC play. Virginia became the first double-digit seed to reach the regional semifinals since 2022 and pulled off the upset of the tournament, knocking off No. 2 seed Iowa on the road in double overtime in the second round.

They became the first First Four team to advance that far before falling to TCU.

“It was a privilege to coach the remarkable young women who wore the Virginia jersey," Agugua-Hamilton said. "Thank you for your commitment, your resilience, and allowing me to be a part of your journey. The relationships we built and the memories we created will always hold a special place in my heart.”

The school declined to comment on the matter.

Before coaching at Virginia, Agugua-Hamilton led Missouri State to a 74-15 record from 2020-22, which featured two NCAA Tournament appearances.

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Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

Zelenskyy’s visit was the first by a foreign leader since Burnham took office a week ago, and the prime minister said it signaled the U.K.'s “unwavering” support for Kyiv to defend itself against Russia's 4-year-old, full-scale invasion.

His predecessor, Keir Starmer, was in the Ukrainian capital less than two weeks ago in his last overseas trip before leaving office, and Burnham said he planned to visit soon.

Burnham is the fifth British prime minister Zelenskyy has dealt with since Russia launched the war in 2022.

"You are the first leader I have welcomed in person since taking office, and that is no accident,” Burnham told Zelenskyy. “It is intended to send a very clear message: we are with Ukraine 100%, I am personally with you 100%, and I will honor every commitment this country has made to Ukraine in full.”

Zelenskyy said the two countries' relationship was “stronger than ever.”

The meeting, aboard the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth docked at Portsmouth on England’s south coast, came a day before Zelenskyy is expected to visit U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington.

Burnham said they had “talked at length” about Kyiv's need for more interceptors to shoot down Russian ballistic missiles, “particularly in terms of Ukraine protecting critical national infrastructure during the winters.”

“We’ve taken away some things that we will now follow up with our partners,” Burnham said after the meeting.

Russia has intensified strikes on gas stations, power facilities and other infrastructure this year in a broad campaign to strain Ukraine’s logistics and energy networks.

Zelenskyy said on X that the leaders also discussed “joint defense production.” Britain and Ukraine already have a deal to work together on new drones, and Zelenskyy told Sky News beforehand that he hoped to build a “big, big factory” in Britain.

They also met more than 200 Ukrainian military personnel who have spent three weeks in Britain for an exercise aimed at strengthening their fighting capabilities and measures to counter mines in the Black Sea, the U.K. government said.

Burnham announced that the U.K. will give Ukraine the intellectual property behind its new “Stone Cloak” electronic warfare system, which is capable of jamming Russian air defenses to stop drones from being detected.

Ukraine has expanded its campaign of frequent drone attacks deep inside Russia that have targeted oil facilities, military factories and, most recently, logistical centers, bringing the war home to millions of Russians and raising pressure on President Vladimir Putin.

The raids have shattered Putin’s narrative of the conflict as something that doesn’t affect the lives of ordinary people in his country. But he has remained undeterred and Russia has ramped up its aerial campaign, regularly bombarding Ukraine with missiles and drones.

Russia and Ukraine trade drone attacks

Russia again attacked Ukraine overnight with 147 long-range drones, according to Ukraine's air force, which said it intercepted or jammed 123 of them.

In Zaporizhzhia, one person was killed and two injured in attacks on the city that damaged a residential high-rise and several private homes overnight, according to regional administration head Ivan Fedorov.

A Russian strike on the town of Balakliia in the Kharkiv region killed one person and wounded eight, according to Vitalii Karabanov, head of the city military administration.

In the Nikopol district of the Dnipropetrovsk region, Russian strikes damaged a kindergarten, residential buildings and infrastructure, injuring a woman and a 6-year-old boy, according to administration head Oleksandr Hanzha.

In the eastern Kharkiv region, regional council member Oleksandr Skoryk said Russian forces destroyed every gas station along the highway between Kharkiv and Poltava, a distance of about 150 kilometers (93 miles). The highway is a key supply route linking Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city and a regional hub close to the Russian border, with central Ukraine.

Romania’s Ministry of National Defense said a drone briefly entered its airspace before crossing the river border into Ukraine, where explosions were subsequently reported. It said two F-16 fighter jets were deployed to monitor airspace.

The drone’s incursion into Romanian airspace marked the fourth such incident in as many days. The three previous drones were all shot down by the NATO member.

In Moscow, Russia’s Defense Ministry said air defenses downed 276 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Rostov regional Gov. Yuri Slyusar said five people, including a child, were killed when a Ukrainian drone hit an apartment building in Rostov-on-Don. Ukraine’s military General Staff said Ukrainian forces struck an export terminal in Rostov-on-Don, setting it ablaze.

The Ukrainian military said other strikes in the Moscow-held part of the Kherson region targeted a ground relay station used to control drones and a bridge over the Henichesk Strait that Russia uses for military logistics. Russian fuel and supply depots were also hit.

In the city of Belgorod in southwestern Russia near the border with Ukraine, a Ukrainian drone attack injured 12, including two children, according to regional emergency officials.

Iran vows retaliation after Ukrainian attack on a ship

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Ukraine struck an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea, killing a sailor.

In a statement on X on Sunday, Araghchi denounced the attack as a “blatant U.N. Charter violation done at Israel’s behest to drag Europe into its war.” He said he made it clear in calls with the European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that the attack “can't go unanswered.”

Zelenskyy said on X that Ukrainian long-range strikes in the Caspian Sea over the weekend achieved “very good results,” adding the targets included “vessels involved in transporting military cargo linked to Iran, as well as a warship.”

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha rejected Iran’s threats of retaliation as unjustified and groundless, saying Tehran's weapons supplies to Russia have made it a direct accomplice to Moscow's aggression. “Iran has no standing to pretend to be a victim,” he posted on X, and called its references to the U.N. Charter “absurd.”

Sybiha said Iran’s statements were an attempt to divert attention from Russia’s attacks on civilian shipping in the Black Sea, which would be a focus of an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting Monday.

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Hanna Arhirova and Illia Novikov in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Stephen McGrath in Bucharest, Romania, contributed.

Tyana Armstrong said she was on the phone with her mother when the Saturday wreck happened and urged her to call 911.

“By the time I called back she was like kids was in the car. Hit one car and he kept speeding and hit another truck, which went into the side of the Wells Fargo building,” Armstrong said.

Armstrong said her mother described the Dodge — which was pulling a trailer — landing on top of a Toyota Camry while the driver of the Dodge continued trying to move the vehicle.

“He hit the Camry, and his truck ended up on top of the Camry. And as he was on top of the Camry he was trying to keep driving. Kept accelerating then put the car in reverse. He did that about 4 or 5 times,” Armstrong said.

The crash shut down Lem Turner Road for hours. Investigators said speed and braking played a role after the Dodge, heading downhill, went over the Camry.

Officials said two teenagers were killed and a 28-year-old driver was critically injured; authorities have not released their identities. Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office officials said the driver of the Dodge, a man in his 50s, was cooperating with investigators.

Armstrong said her mother has struggled since the crash. “She hasn’t slept in about two days,” Armstrong said.

Jacksonville has seen an increase in fatal crashes this year, with 107 so far in 2026 compared with 89 at the same time last year.

Authorities continue to investigate the Saturday crash and News4JAX is working to learn the identities of the teens.

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, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026 — Legacy Park Multipurpose Center, 15400 Peggy Road, Alachua, FL 32615.
• Alachua Back to School Event (Better Together + SWAG Family Resource Center): supplies/resources, 10 a.m.–2 p.m., Saturday Aug. 1, 2026 — SWAG Family Resource Center, 807 SW 64th Terrace, Gainesville, FL 32607.

Clay County

• American Legion Post 250 Back to School Supply Giveaway: supply giveaway, 11 a.m.–noon, Saturday, 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., Monday, Aug. 3–Friday, 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., Friday, Aug. 7, 2026 — 1330 Blanding Blvd., Orange Park, FL.

Duval County

• Back to School Giveaway (New Mount Moriah African Methodist Episcopal Church): Free haircuts, supplies, book bags, coast and jackets, 8-11 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 1, New Mount Moriah AME, 880 Melson Ave., Jacksonville, FL.

• 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.Free Backpack Giveaway (YR Tax Guy LLC): Call or text 904-888-3159 to reserve a spot for a free backpack and $25 gift card for school supplies. 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 1, at 811 Edgewood Ave. South, Jacksonville, FL, 32205
• 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 Free School Supplies (The Rashaud Fields Foundation & Extraordinary Men): All are welcome at this event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 8, at 6912 Buffalo Ave. in Panama Park, Jacksonville.
• Back to School Bash (Abyssinia Missionary Baptist Church): All are welcome as this free community event with supplies for students and teachers. 11 a.m. until supplies are gone, Saturday, Aug. 8, at 10325 Interstate Center Dr., Jacksonville.

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• 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., Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026 — 2K Ranch, 6067 Tangerine Ave., Bunnell, FL 32110.

Nassau County

• Back to School Giveaway: backpacks/clothing/haircuts + screenings/physicals (while supplies last), 9 a.m.–1 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026 — Hilliard First Assembly, Hilliard, FL.

Putnam County

• Interlachen Back to School Bash: community back-to-school bash (supplies + family activities), 10 a.m.–1 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026 — 155 CR 315 N, Interlachen, FL 32148.

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St. Johns County

• 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.

GEORGIA

Brantley County

• Brantley County Health Department – Back-to-School Clinic: immunizations + screenings (hearing/vision/dental), 8 a.m.–5 p.m., Thursday, 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., Saturday, 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., Monday, 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., Tuesday, 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.

Volker Türk spoke to The Associated Press as he wrapped up a visit to Lebanon, his second in just over a year. He met with government officials, civil society representatives and Lebanese people displaced by the war between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group.

The visit came about a week before Lebanese and Israeli officials are to meet in Rome for talks on implementing a framework deal reached June 26. It laid out a plan for the deployment of Lebanese military forces in areas in southern Lebanon and the withdrawal of Israeli forces, alongside the disarmament of Hezbollah.

Hezbollah has rejected the direct talks and says it will not disarm.

Türk said some Israeli actions in Lebanon could amount to war crimes, echoing criticism from other human rights groups over the widespread destruction of towns and villages, and the dozens of medical workers and journalists killed.

“Demolition of this type raises huge flags about compliance with international humanitarian law,” Türk said, describing what has happened as a “wholesale destruction” of civilian homes.

Israel has said that its attacks target Hezbollah personnel and infrastructure. It accuses the group of hiding among civilians, and says its troops in occupied parts of southern Lebanon have revealed weapons warehouses and tunnel networks belonging to the group.

The latest conflict started March 2, when Hezbollah fired rockets toward Israel after the U.S.-Israeli February attacks that set off the Iran war. Israel launched an aerial campaign and ground invasion in Lebanon, killing more than 4,000 people and displacing 1.2 million others. The Israeli military still occupies dozens of towns and villages in southern Lebanon.

Türk, who is based in Geneva, also met with a visiting team from his office investigating attacks in Lebanon during the war.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who met with Türk on Monday, said Lebanon remains committed to the agreement, but warned that Israel’s continued military presence and demolitions may “undermine its effectiveness.”

Lebanon "will not accept ongoing violations of its provisions,” Aoun was quoted as saying during the meeting from his office.

The agreement controversially includes both sides withholding from pursuing any form of legal accountability, a move widely criticized in Lebanon.

Türk, who has also criticized Hezbollah for its attacks on northern Israeli towns, called for an end to Israel's occupation in southern Lebanon, and for displaced people to return safely to their homes.

“I met yesterday a man who told me that he returned to his village in this zone ... south of this so-called yellow line,” he said. "The Israelis were there, they prevented him from going anywhere close to it, and he saw how the village was demolished.”

Türk said he had contacted Israeli authorities hoping to conduct a similar visit, but had received no reply. Israel was among 10 countries that voted against appointing Türk to a second term, alongside the United States and Russia, at the United Nations General Assembly.

The update comes shortly before his home state's annual Fancy Farm picnic, which features speeches from politicians throughout the state seeking elected office. McConnell said in a written statement that he won't be able to attend the event.

“There’s no place I’d rather be on the first Saturday in August than with the good people of western Kentucky, feasting on pork and mutton," McConnell said.

He said that when he first attended the event 42 years ago, Fancy Farm was a lonely place for Republicans, but times have changed.

“So I hate that I’ll miss the fun this year, but I’m sending my best wishes to the St. Jerome community for a successful picnic,” McConnell said.

McConnell, 84, was admitted to the hospital on June 14 and revealed weeks later that it was due to a fall. He had polio in his early childhood and has long acknowledged some difficulty as an adult in walking and climbing stairs.

The statement from the Office of the Attending Physician said McConnell has maintained a strenuous course of physical therapy and rehabilitation since he left the hospital, which includes multiple sessions a day designed to rebuild strength and reduce the risk of future falls.

“His bout with childhood polio continues to be a significant factor in his mobility. He is not yet medically cleared to leave the rehab facility and return to the office,” said the statement from the physician’s office in Congress.

McConnell said he appreciated the well wishes he has received in recent weeks, and "I’m looking forward to getting back to the Senate and to Kentucky soon.” McConnell is not seeking reelection but intends to finish out his term.

The Acosta Group’s Affordability Tracker measures purchasing power by comparing the cost of an 84-item “Typical Stock‑Up Trip” to median hourly earnings. Acosta Group says the basket now costs $366.04, about $78 higher than in a comparable period in 2020 — a 27% increase.

The tracker also reports that the number of hours a median full‑time worker must work to afford the basket has fallen from about 12.6 hours at the 2023 peak to roughly 11.9 hours in the latest period.

“Price increases alone do not tell the whole story. Neither do wage increases,” said Colin Stewart, executive vice president of business intelligence at Acosta Group. “Understanding affordability requires examining both together.”

Wage gains helped restore some purchasing power. The report notes median hourly earnings for full‑time wage and salary workers rose from $23.93 in 2020 to $30.88 in early 2026, helping offset a portion of the grocery price surge that was concentrated between 2021 and 2023.

But the recovery has slowed. After steady improvement from 2023 through 2025, Acosta Group found affordability has largely leveled off, and future gains are likely to be incremental. At the same time, shopping behaviors developed during the inflationary period appear to be persistent: consumers remain highly engaged with promotions, more likely to compare prices and more deliberate about purchases than before the inflation surge.

The tracker’s findings carry implications for retailers and consumer goods companies, the report says. Although headline inflation has moderated, elevated shelf prices and continued pressure from other household costs — including housing, health care and insurance — mean many shoppers still view groceries through a value lens. That shift makes pricing, promotional strategy and clear value communication especially important.

The Acosta Group said the Affordability Tracker is designed to provide a practical measure of grocery purchasing power by linking price changes to earnings and that future editions may broaden the analysis beyond grocery affordability.

Key facts from the report

• Typical Stock‑Up Trip (84 items): $366.04 (about $78 more than in 2020; +27%).
• Hours of work required (median full‑time worker): ~11.9 hours in the latest period; about 12.6 hours in 2023.
• Median hourly earnings (full‑time workers): $23.93 in 2020 → $30.88 in early 2026.
• Trend: Affordability improved from the 2023 low point but has largely plateaued; inflation‑era shopping habits remain.

What retailers and brands should know

Acosta Group’s analysis suggests that improved affordability does not necessarily mean shoppers will abandon the value-seeking behaviors they adopted during the inflation surge. Retailers and brands that clearly communicate value, rethink promotional strategies and consider shoppers’ broader budget pressures may be better positioned to regain or expand market share.

Data Sources

The Acosta Group Affordability Tracker combines proprietary Acosta Group analysis with external data sources to evaluate affordability and purchasing power over time.

Grocery pricing data is sourced from NIQ Discover Total U.S. Food sales data and is used to calculate the cost of Acosta Group’s Typical Stock-Up Trip. Wage data is sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and reflects median hourly earnings for full-time wage and salary workers. The analysis, findings and conclusions presented in this report are those of Acosta Group.

The report is the inaugural edition of the Acosta Group Affordability Tracker and focuses on grocery affordability; the firm said future editions may explore other spending areas.

Every major index lost ground overall for the week amid increasing pressure from a sharp escalation in the U.S. war with Iran. Investors are also contending with new tariffs from the Trump administration and worries about the economy suffering under the weight of stubborn inflation.

The S&P 500 barely budged in a day of uneventful trading. It rose 3.68 points, or less than 0.1%, to 7,411.98. The index notched its second consecutive losing week, which hasn't happened since March.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 235.60 points, or 0.5%, to 51,947.25.

The Nasdaq fell 161.87 points, or 0.6%, to 24,975.82. It was weighed down by sharp losses from several big tech stocks.

Micron Technology fell 7% and Broadcom fell 2.7%. Both companies have large market values that tend to weigh more heavily on the market. They were big reasons for the technology-heavy Nasdaq lagging the market, and also why the market's gains were kept in check despite more stocks rising than falling within the S&P 500.

Heavy fighting in the Middle East throughout the week again threatened to slow the global flow of oil and gas. It has been an ongoing concern for Wall Street, and now many of the buffers in the energy market from earlier in the year, including strategic reserves in the U.S., have been weakened.

“If escalation continues and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, the impact will land on an energy market with far less resilience than in the spring,” wrote Theodore Bunzel, head of geopolitical advisory at Lazard, in a report.

Brent crude, the international standard, fell 3.9% to $96.78. It rose the first four days of the week and moved back above $100 on Thursday. Before the Iran war began in late February it was trading around $72 per barrel.

Bond yields also eased and relieved some of the pressure on stocks. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.68% from 4.71% late Thursday.

Markets in Europe gained ground, while Asian markets closed lower.

The U.S. is also ramping up its global trade war with a fresh round of tariffs on dozens of nations. The new round of tariffs impacts nearly all U.S. imports and they are paid by companies importing those goods, who then typically pass the added costs along to consumers. That move came just as the clock was running out Friday on stopgap levies the president imposed after a stinging defeat for other tariffs at the Supreme Court.

Rising energy prices and fresh tariffs could result in hotter inflation, which has been squeezing consumers and looming over the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy.

The Fed meets next week and has been closely monitoring prices and their impact. Rising inflation dashed hopes earlier this year for an interest rate cut. Wall Street has since leaned more toward a potential rate increase, which the central bank can use to help cool inflation.

Wall Street is anticipating at least one rate hike by the end of the year, with a nearly 38% chance that could happen at the upcoming meeting next week, according to CME FedWatch.

Higher energy costs threaten to take a bigger chunk out of household budgets, which means a shift in spending toward more basic needs, like gasoline. Nationally, a gallon of gasoline costs $4.10 per gallon, according to AAA. That’s still lower than this spring as the conflict in Iran expanded, but it’s almost a dollar higher than last year at this time.

Investors are worried about the impact to companies profits. Those profits and expectations for more growth are what typically justifies a stock's value. The latest round of corporate earnings showed that companies are still notching growth, but concerns are growing.

American Express fell 4.3% despite reporting a jump in profit during its most recent quarter. AmEx maintained its profit forecast for the year and has been spending more heavily to keep wealthy individuals amid more competition.

Worries about the sustainability of broader profits are on top of lingering concerns about AI-focused tech companies. Companies like Alphabet and Nvidia have been spending heavily on AI technology. Investors are increasingly questioning whether those investments will produce profits to justify the large stock values that have been steering the broader market higher throughout the year.

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AP Business Writers Elaine Kurtenbach and Matt Ott contributed to this report.

Fernandez, who is accused of hiring a gunman to murder Bridegan, his wife’s ex-husband, in a case that has garnered national attention, will be tried only on first-degree murder and solicitation to commit a capital felony.

Fernandez had been indicted on conspiracy to commit murder and child abuse charges, also, but prosecutors have dropped those charges.

Fernandez is set for jury selection on Aug. 10, and will be the first of the three defendants in the case to be tried.

He is accused, along with his now estranged wife, Shanna Gardner, of hiring Henry Tenon, a former tenant of Fernandez, to fatally shoot Bridegan, a 33-year-old father of four, in February 2022 in Jacksonville Beach.

Gardner, Fernandez and Tenon are all under indictment for first-degree murder and other charges and have each pleaded not guilty.

After initially planning to try Gardner and Fernandez at the same time, defense attorneys and state prosecutors have since agreed that they should face separate trials, with two separate jury selection periods.

Fernandez will go on trial first, with jury selection slated for Aug. 10-14, and his trial scheduled for Aug. 17-28.

Monday’s hearing is expected to settle any remaining issues before jury selection begins, and those rulings could determine what evidence and testimony jurors are allowed to hear.

Gardner will go on trial after Fernandez, with jury selection from Aug. 31-Sept. 4, and the trial from Sept. 8-25.

Tenon, who is also expected in court on Monday, will go on trial in March.

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 and go to trial.

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 employee 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 second 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.

Again, Tenon initially pleaded guilty, but has since withdrawn his guilty plea.

He is now under indictment for some of the same charges as Gardner and Fernandez.

Gardner is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation to commit a capital felony and child abuse.

Tenon is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, child abuse, possession of a firearm by a felon and accessory after the fact.

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.

The modernized system — called NEISS-Remodel, or NEISS-R — is expected to be fully operational by early 2027.

Officials say the new system will not only improve consumer safety outcomes but also deliver a more cost-effective use of taxpayer dollars.

Legacy system left gaps in coverage, slowed response

The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, known as NEISS, has been the nation’s primary tool for tracking consumer product-related injuries for more than five decades. But the system was designed in 1972 for a paper-record era, and its limitations have long hampered the CPSC’s ability to respond quickly to emerging product hazards, according to the agency.

The legacy system relied on labor-intensive, manual review and coding of medical records from roughly 70 of the nation’s more than 5,000 hospital emergency departments. That narrow sample left 14 states without a participating hospital.

All 50 states to be covered for first time

The CPSC says NEISS-R will expand the surveillance network to include all 50 states, adding hospitals in Alaska, Hawaii, the Mountain West, and other regions that were previously underrepresented or absent entirely.

The broader, more geographically balanced sample is expected to strengthen the CPSC’s ability to detect product hazards that may be unique to specific regions, while also improving the overall statistical reliability of national injury data.

Modern technology to speed hazard detection

The CPSC says NEISS-R is designed to identify rare and rapidly emerging hazards far sooner than the old system allowed.

Officials say earlier detection is expected to translate into faster warnings, quicker recalls, and more timely protective action — reducing the number of product-related injuries before they can multiply.

Privacy, security built into new system

NEISS-R will exchange data through a federally designated Qualified Health Information Network, backed by contractual privacy requirements and standardized security safeguards.

The system is built on privacy-by-design principles, limiting data collection and retention to only what is necessary for the CPSC’s statutory mission. The agency says it will also support de-identification of information before it reaches the CPSC, reducing manual handling of sensitive medical records.

The school announced the move with a statement Monday morning, coming days before the Tar Heels open preseason camp. The school didn't provide details as to the reason, noting that employees and athletes aren't permitted to address the topic “as is standard procedure with personnel matters.”

Lombardi joined Bill Belichick in making the NFL-to-college move when the school hired the former New England Patriots coach in December 2024. Lombardi's career as an NFL executive had included being the GM of the Cleveland Browns in 2013, and he was an immediate hire by the six-time Super Bowl-winning coach in Chapel Hill.

The school had hired Belichick to jolt a football program that had largely been an Atlantic Coast Conference also-ran while making periodic but unsustained climbs into national relevance.

A few months into Belichick's tenure, Lombardi said the goal was running a college program in a way similar to the NFL, saying the Tar Heels “consider ourselves the 33rd (NFL) team” due to the staff connections to the pros.

The Tar Heels went just 4-8 in Belichick's first season. They open his second against TCU in Dublin, Ireland, on Aug. 29.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Nehemiah T. joined the JHS Pawsitive Reading program in 2024 and has been determined to reach 100 hours ever since.

Nehemiah especially loves to read to the dogs in JHS’s suites and hopes that reading helps them feel calmer and find homes faster.

One of his favorite dogs to read to was Hopper, who he read to during every visit until he was adopted after nearly 400 days in the shelter.

Pawsitive Readers have the opportunity to earn colored paw print stickers for their name badges as they reach reading hour milestones, with a sparkly gold paw print sticker being the coveted grand prize.

Nehemiah also earned a certificate verifying his 100 hours of reading, signed in gold ink.

Have a kid who might be interested in becoming a Pawsitive Reader? More information and how to register can be found here: jaxhumane.org/read.

The Jim Moran Foundation supports the program.

The Loudon County Sheriff's Office said deputies responded late Sunday to a shooting in Ashburn, Virginia, where the couple still had a home from Bieniemy's time coaching the Washington Commanders. They found the 57-year-old Mia Bieniemy with multiple gunshot wounds, and she was transported to a hospital where she was in stable condition Monday.

Elijah Zion Bieniemy, the 27-year-old son of the couple, was arrested early Monday in connection with the shooting. He has been charged with malicious wounding, use of a firearm in commission of a felony and discharge of a firearm inside a dwelling, and is being held without bond at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center.

The sheriff's office said the investigation was ongoing.

Eric Bieniemy was with the Chiefs at training camp in St. Joseph, Missouri, earlier Sunday. He was not present for Monday's workout involving rookies, quarterbacks and a few veterans, which was closed to the public.

“Our hearts go out to Eric Bieniemy and his family. Thoughts and prayers with them,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said afterward. “I can't get into details on it, but things happen sometimes, and Eric will work through it. He has a great support group here, as does his family, as needed, and we'll just let time take care of it from there. But Mia is stable, which is a plus.

“She's a saint, we all know that, those of you that know her. One of God's great blessings,” Reid added. “But things happen. And you have to work through it. That's where we're at right now. Time will have to be involved in this to help heal."

Reid did not know how long Bieniemy would be away from the team. Pass game coordinator Joe Bleymaier and offensive line coach Andy Heck will take over his duties as the Chiefs continue with offensive installations during training camp.

“On these things, real life. So you take care of that,” Reid said. “We'll be able to keep it moving here, but the most important thing is EB has an opportunity to spend some time there are take care of that business."

Eric Bieniemy was part of Reid's initial staff in Kansas City in 2013, and spent five seasons as the running backs coach before he was promoted to offensive coordinator. Over the next five seasons, the demanding but popular Bieniemy helped the Chiefs to reach three Super Bowls and win two of them while directing one of the NFL's best offenses.

He interviewed for several head-coaching jobs but was continually skipped over, so Bieniemy went to the Commanders in 2023 in hopes of burnishing his resume. But the team struggled and coach Ron Rivera's staff was let go, and Bieniemy spent one season as the offensive coordinator at UCLA before spending last season as the running backs coach with the Bears.

Bieniemy returned to the Chiefs this season to replace Matt Nagy as the offensive coordinator. He was present for offseason workouts in Kansas City over the summer, and he was with the team when it began to report to training camp last week.

The Chiefs are off Tuesday. The first full-squad workout at Missouri Western State University is Wednesday.

“It's great to have (Bieniemy) back in the building,” Reid said last week. “He always brings great energy. I've told you, he's one of the more phenomenal guys I have been around at being a leader of men. He is doing that. He's in there cranking — works his tail off, and I appreciate that. Doesn't let anything slide by. Does a good job with that.”

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

“So many people have written to me, kindly wondering about my relative silence, asking how I am and what I have been doing. The truth is, I’ve been learning how to live with Parkinson’s disease,” Simon's statement on Monday read.

The singer, 83, had been experiencing arthritis in one of her hips and both her knees, resulting in replacement surgeries for those three joints. But her mobility continued to decline. At times, she said, she could not walk without “considerable help.”

“My family and I knew that something more was going on. After an extensive evaluation at the Mayo Clinic, I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s,” she said.

“It has taken me some time to understand the diagnosis, to adjust to it, and to decide how much I wanted to say about it publicly,” she explained. “Parkinson’s is different for everyone, and it can be unpredictable. Some days I’m so tired I can’t get the day moving at all. On others, it gives me a little more room to move, think, work, and feel like myself.”

Parkinson’s is a neurologic disease that robs people of control over their movements. It typically starts with tremors and is characterized by slow movement, a shuffling gait, stiff limbs, balance problems and slurred speech.

About 1 million Americans are living with Parkinson’s, and 10 million people worldwide, the Parkinson’s Foundation estimates. It usually appears after age 60, though it sometimes develops before age 50.

The exact cause isn’t known, but Parkinson’s develops when cells that produce one of the brain’s chemical messengers — dopamine — begin to deteriorate and die.

There is no cure, but there are treatments including medications that affect dopamine levels and a surgically implanted tremor-blocking device. Patients also can benefit from physical and occupational therapy.

“I began treatment, including taking medication to help with stiffness and other symptoms,” Simon said. “There is no tidy or predictable schedule to the illness. It does not consult my calendar before deciding what kind of day I am going to have.”

She also shared that she was treated for basal cell carcinoma, a common form of skin cancer, on her face at the same time. She had surgery, and the cancer was removed, “but the surgery affected my appearance and made me more self-conscious about being seen in public,” she said.

She said music has been a salve, and on Aug. 14, she will release “Comes in Waves,” her first album of original songs since 2008.

“Working on the music gave shape to days that did not always have much shape. It gave me somewhere to go without having to leave the room,” she continued. “It reminded me that illness can change your life without becoming the whole of your life.”

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CFBPA executive director Jason Stahl said the goal is for other Atlantic Coast Conference schools join Stanford in forming chapters. That would create momentum for unionization and the ability for players to bargain with conferences over working conditions.

Stanford players elected offensive lineman Fisher Anderson and linebacker Ernest Cooper as their representatives.

“Stanford has been a pioneer and innovator not just in football but as a school in general,” Cooper said “This first-ever current player-led chapter at Stanford is just another example of this innovation. We want to be leaders in college football and show other schools how they can create a chapter on their campus because we believe this is the future of college football.”

Anderson said the CFBPA will play a role in giving players a voice in all aspects of governing college football.

“Over the past five years, college football has been rocked back and forth by the waves,” he said. “When a CFBPA chapter becomes a reality on every college football team, it would put down an anchor where there isn't one right now for the sport. The chapters can then become the building blocks for conference-wide collective bargaining agreements, which would bring sustainability, transparency and player protections to a sport in need of all three.”

The NCAA and conferences have been working with federal legislators on a Senate bill that would grant the NCAA an antitrust exemption to be able to enforce rules such as a salary cap and transfer restrictions. Some athletic directors have suggested collective bargaining as an alternative if federal legislation is not passed, but a number of obstacles related to giving college athletes employee status would have to be cleared.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

James' blue No. 23 jersey hangs in a locker with a crown as a nod to his King nickname on the shelf.

The 76ers and James announced Monday their two-year deal on the veteran's minimum for $8 million total was official and that the four-time NBA MVP was indeed a Sixer.

“There is no doubt LeBron is one of the greatest players to ever play the game of basketball and there are no words to measure the impact he’ll have on this organization," team president Mike Gansey said.

The NBA’s career scoring leader, James revealed his choice on social media Friday, saying it will be his “last decision” and that it came after he strongly considered retirement.

“I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time,” James said.

James posted videos on his Instagram story Monday morning with the caption: “It's that time again. 4:12 AM. Let's get it.” He posed workout videos from the gym throughout the weekend.

A four-time NBA champion, James wrote he was “done” when his 23rd NBA season ended and that it was his last with the Los Angeles Lakers.

He instead reversed course and signed with a Sixers franchise that's loaded with All-Star starters in Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown yet has failed to win an NBA championship since 1983 or even advance out of the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs since 2001.

James, who turns 42 in December, appears up for the challenge of turning the Sixers into champions much as he did when he ended a 56-year championship drought for Cleveland by leading the Cavaliers to the title in 2016.

“I cannot wait to see LeBron alongside Jaylen Brown, VJ Edgecombe, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and our talented roster as we work to deliver a championship for Philly," team owner Josh Harris said.

The Sixers went 45-37 last season and were swept in the second round by the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks.

James’ resume is beyond compare in NBA history. He is a 22-time All-Star, a 21-time All-NBA selection, a four-time Most Valuable Player, a four-time NBA Finals MVP, a three-time All-Star Game MVP and a member of the NBA’s 75th anniversary team.

He also is coming off a season in which he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game. For his career, he has averaged 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists in more than 1,600 games.

James started his career in Cleveland in 2003 and spent seven seasons with the Cavaliers before heading to Miami for four seasons — where he won his first two NBA titles. He then returned to Cleveland for four more seasons, including that title run in 2016, and left in 2018 for the Lakers and won a championship in 2020.

James is the first player in NBA history to be named an NBA Finals MVP with three different franchises.

James is set for a reunion with Gansey, who was hired in late May after the Sixers fired Daryl Morey.

Gansey joined the Cavaliers in 2011 and had worked as their general manager since 2022. His and James' ties were first forged as Ohio basketball stars more than two decades ago. Gansey at Olmsted Falls High School was runner-up in 2001 for Ohio's Mr. Basketball award to James — who won it three times for St. Vincent–St. Mary High School before bypassing college and going straight to the NBA.

“I have had the pleasure of knowing LeBron since high school and have seen the high-level impact he’s produced at every stop of his basketball journey," Gansey said. “He is a consummate professional, the ultimate competitor and a tireless worker. But he is also an incredible person with natural leadership traits, a family man, and someone who possesses unwavering commitment to community and those around him.”

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

The camp will take place July 29–31, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., at Andrew Jackson High School in Jacksonville and is free for youth living in Health Zone 1 zip codes 32202, 32204, 32206, 32208, 32209, and 32254. Participants will receive positive mentorship, leadership development, life skills training, and access to behavioral health resources in a safe and supportive environment.

For more information or to register, contact Andria Bannister at (904) 504-0892, andriab@pchjax.org, or visit www.donovindariusfoundation20.com

What is being recalled

Twelve separate product lines are included in the recall, spanning seven dosage strengths — 25 mcg, 50 mcg, 75 mcg, 88 mcg, 112 mcg, 125 mcg and 150 mcg. All products are packaged in unit dose blister cartons and were packaged and distributed by Major Pharmaceuticals out of Indianapolis.

Why subpotency matters for thyroid patients

Levothyroxine sodium is a synthetic thyroid hormone commonly prescribed to treat hypothyroidism — a condition in which the thyroid gland does not produce enough hormone on its own. Because the medication works by directly replacing or supplementing natural thyroid hormone levels, even small reductions in potency can affect how well a patient’s condition is managed.

Subpotent thyroid medication could leave patients under-treated, potentially allowing hypothyroid symptoms — such as fatigue, weight gain, cold sensitivity and cognitive difficulties — to persist or worsen. Patients who believe they may have received affected product are encouraged to contact their healthcare provider.

What patients, pharmacists should do

The recall is ongoing and no press release has been issued by the firm. Notification to consignees and the public was made by letter. Patients who have questions about whether their prescription is affected should check the lot number on their medication packaging and consult their pharmacist or physician.

Healthcare providers and pharmacies that have distributed the affected lots should follow standard recall procedures and quarantine any remaining inventory.

About the recall classification

The FDA uses a tiered classification system for drug recalls. A Class I recall is the most serious, involving products that could cause serious injury or death. A Class II recall, as assigned here, applies to products where use may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences, but where the probability of serious harm is remote. A Class III recall involves products unlikely to cause any adverse health consequences.

Exertional heat stroke — a rapid, life-threatening overheating caused by exercise — is among the leading causes of death in athletics and can strike quickly, said Bob Sefcik, executive director of the Jacksonville Sports Medicine Program.

“Your body actually creates its own heat,” Sefcik said during an interview on The Morning Show. “When you combine that with the external heat and … high humidity in Florida … your body starts producing a temperature … before it can get rid of that and cool down.”

Exertional heat stroke & why it’s so dangerous

Exertional heat stroke is typically defined by a core body temperature of about 104 degrees, Sefcik said. But on the field, the most obvious sign may be sudden collapse.

“The first thing that you’re going to see is somebody most likely collapse,” he said. “They’re going to be unconscious and unresponsive, and we need to get them cooled down.”

Heat illness can begin with heavy sweating, slowing down, feeling faint or headache — symptoms more consistent with heat exhaustion — but heat stroke involves central nervous system impairment and requires immediate action, he said.

Ask what safety plan is in place

Sefcik said parents should ask coaches and school administrators basic questions before practices intensify:

• Is there an automated external defibrillator, or AED, on site?
• Are coaches trained to use it?
• Is there a cold tub available to rapidly cool an athlete if heat stroke is suspected?
• Is the ice machine working and is ice readily available?
• Is there an emergency action plan, and has the team practiced it?

“We talk about this a lot, but do we practice those scenarios and are we really ready to react when something does happen?” he said.

Athletic trainers can help spot danger early

Duval County Public Schools’ 17 schools that participate in sports have athletic trainers on site, Sefcik said. Many private and charter schools also employ athletic trainers.

Athletic trainers are health care providers who can monitor conditions, coordinate with coaches and respond quickly if an athlete shows signs of heat illness, he said.

Hydration starts before practice begins

Sefcik said athletes should not wait until they are thirsty to start drinking water.

“Your first warning sign for dehydration is thirst,” he said. “So if you start feeling thirsty, you know that you are already suffering some effects of dehydration.”

He recommended athletes begin hydrating days in advance, track body weight before and after practice and replace lost fluids. A significant weight drop after practice can indicate fluid loss.

“You’re going to be consuming quite a bit of fluid,” he said. “Make sure it’s water. Make sure you’re getting some electrolytes in there with some sports drinks and things like that.”

Waugh noted that cold drinks are often consumed more readily than warm drinks and said a common guideline is about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of water every 15 minutes of exercise, depending on the athlete and conditions.

What to do if an athlete collapses

If heat stroke is suspected, rapid cooling is critical while emergency help is on the way. Sefcik emphasized immediate action — including access to a cold tub and ice — can make the difference between life and death.

Families are encouraged to talk with coaches and school leaders now, before temperatures and practice intensity climb further.

Deno succeeds Julie Masino, who will step down as CEO and board member on Aug. 10. Masino will remain with the company in an advisory capacity through Oct. 9 to help ensure a smooth leadership transition.

Carl Berquist, independent chairman of the Cracker Barrel board, praised Deno’s background and the process that led to his selection.

“Following a robust and thoughtful search process, we are pleased to welcome David as Cracker Barrel’s next CEO,” Berquist said. “He brings decades of experience across the restaurant and retail industries, with a strong track record of leading businesses through growth and a demonstrated commitment to operational excellence, guest experience, and team member engagement.”

Deno, who spoke about the opportunity ahead, called the brand one of a kind.

“Cracker Barrel is a truly iconic American brand, defined by its unique combination of warm country hospitality, timeless appeal, and deep connection with guests across generations,” Deno said. “I am honored to lead the Cracker Barrel team and look forward to unlocking the full potential of this remarkable brand.”

Deno added that his focus will be on both the guest experience and the bottom line.

“Together, we will stay focused on delivering delicious food and exceptional experiences for our guests, while driving profitable growth,” he said.

Logo Controversy

The leadership change comes about a year after a controversy surrounding the brand’s logo change.

The tempest began last summer, when the company announced plans for a simplified design featuring only the company’s name. Lebanon, Tennessee-based Cracker Barrel, which has 660 restaurants in 43 states, made the change as part of a wider plan to modernize its restaurants and appeal to younger customers.

Cracker Barrel decided to return to its old logo after critics — including President Donald Trump — protested the company’s plan to modernize.

In a post on its website, Cracker Barrel said it will retain its old logo, which features an older man in overalls sitting next to a barrel and the words “Old Country Store.”

About David Deno

Cracker Barrel says Deno brings more than four decades of restaurant and retail industry experience. Most recently, he served as CEO of Bloomin’ Brands from 2019 to 2024, where Cracker Barrel says he strengthened the company’s financial foundation and expanded its international presence.

Deno also spent 15 years in senior-level operations and financial roles at Yum! Brands and Pizza Hut, including serving as CFO and chief operating officer of Yum! Brands and CFO of Pizza Hut. He began his career in the restaurant industry at Burger King Corporation. He currently serves on the boards of Krispy Kreme, Inc. and Panera Brands.

Cracker Barrel operates approximately 660 company-owned locations in 43 states.

Doors open at 5 p.m. and the program begins at 6 p.m. The event will include food trucks and vendors and will feature a performance by Jacksonville hip-hop group 95 South.

Festival Director Monique Madrid launched LOL JAX in 2016 to showcase short films, small business and local talent in comedy, using the motto “Love Our Locals” by “Laughing Out Loud.” Comedian Jenn Weeks has served as the festival’s host since its first year at Sun-Ray Cinema in the Five Points neighborhood.

Madrid said the festival creates opportunities for aspiring filmmakers and students from Douglas Anderson and the Jacksonville Arts & Music School, who volunteer, network with filmmakers and sometimes have their short films screened at the festival. Madrid has also worked as an instructor and mentor for JAMS and with local business and film panels.

The festival and Madrid have received local recognition: She was named to the Jacksonville Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list in April 2021 and received the journal’s Woman of Influence award in March 2023. LOL JAX has been included in Folio’s Best of Jax list for several years and in May 2026 received the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville’s Arts Awards honor for “Small Business of the Year.”

The City of Jacksonville is set to proclaim “LOL JAX Film Festival Day,” on Monday at 11 a.m.

For more information and tickets, click here.

The foundation’s first new initiative in more than a decade, the Clinton Policy Institute has already begun convening political leaders from both parties, research experts, and Americans affected by the issues being studied to create new approaches to long-existing problems.

“Rising costs, economic uncertainty, rapid technological change, and growing pressures on our public institutions are making it harder for families to get ahead,” former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said in a statement to The Associated Press. “We created CPI because we believe there are still practical, evidence-based solutions that can improve people’s lives.”

CPI is building on its work with New York state in banning cellphones from schools in the past academic year. Though the institute did not technically exist last year when it teamed with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration on creating distraction-free schools in the state, the Clinton Foundation saw promise in its approach and decided to expand it before publicly announcing CPI’s creation. It’s a strategy that the foundation, also led by former President Bill Clinton and public health expert Chelsea Clinton, used when it launched the Clinton Health Access Initiative in 2004.

Zayn Siddique, former principal deputy director of the Domestic Policy Council, will serve as CPI’s chief executive officer. Jennifer Klein, who was director of the White House Gender Policy Council under former President Joe Biden, will be CPI’s chair.

In New York, CPI helped create the Teen Tech Council so that students could help make the phone-ban program more effective. The result, according to Hochul’s office, was that educators found a marked improvement in classroom behavior and engagement.

“CPI is bringing together policymakers, researchers, business leaders, and community organizations to identify what works, build stronger policy networks, and help turn those ideas into policy,” Hillary Clinton said. “We’re taking a particular focus on states and local communities, where so much innovation is happening.”

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly praises CPI's nonpartisan approach

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said a CPI conference on improving the lives of children earlier this month was “the best roundtable I’ve been involved with since becoming governor.”

Kelly, who will leave office in January due to term limits after serving two consecutive terms, said she was inspired by CPI’s nonpartisan approach to solving problems affecting children.

“I am a Democrat governor in what is considered a very red state,” Kelly told The Associated Press in an interview. “It became very clear to me that if I wanted to accomplish anything in my political life, I was going to need to do it in a bipartisan way.”

Kelly believes that, despite political polarization, CPI can succeed in finding nonpartisan solutions – especially to issues involving children and healthcare – and giving state leaders the research and other support to implement them.

“Every once in a while, you get people from both sides of the aisle who come together and crafted, maybe not sexy legislation, but something that really needed to be done,” Kelly said. “And they get it through.”

Dr. Jerome Adams, former U.S. Surgeon General in President Donald Trump’s first administration, agrees that nonpartisan solutions are possible to find. But he says the nonpartisan nature of the solutions has to be intentional.

“Health is inherently political,” said Adams. “When you talk about access to healthcare coverage, when you talk women’s health issues, particularly around the issue of abortion and contraception, when you talk about drug policy and whether you’re in favor of harm reduction, when you talk of firearm safety -- all of these are inherently political issues.”

Former Surgeon General Adams sees broad support for children's issues

That is complicated further, Adams said, because “we live in a country that is very binary, so every issue, no matter how nuanced, is, for purposes of elections, turned into black/white, yes/no, all or none.”

However, Adams said CPI has already found a way to get bipartisan buy-in for some of its solutions to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). In 2020, the state of California launched the ACEs Aware initiative to begin screening for ACEs – which include abuse, neglect and household challenges – and treating them early to reduce the impact and the cost to the state later.

Through CPI, Adams was asked to become the co-chair of the National Leadership Council for the ACE Resource Network in June in an effort to bring California’s work treating ACEs to other states.

“I’m very interested in work that has proven and practical solutions,” he said. “We bring in states and say, ‘Hey, let’s look at the best evidence in terms of what works around adverse childhood experiences and state level policy and then try to implement it in your state’.”

That strategy has led Republican-led states like Utah and Georgia to consider parts of Democrat-led California’s work on the issue, Adams said.

He said it’s a sign that CPI’s approach works and can be expanded to other areas.

The Clinton Foundation hopes that will be the case.

“Too many people have lost faith that progress is possible,” Hillary Clinton said. “But across the country, leaders are developing innovative policies that are strengthening families and communities. Those ideas deserve to be shared and scaled.”

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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.

The update comes after the News4JAX I-TEAM began asking questions about the case, which gained widespread attention after Jacksonville resident Rhiannon Alvarez shared her experience in a TikTok video viewed tens of thousands of times.

Alvarez told News4JAX she was shopping for home decor when she noticed a man following her through the store. She said she later realized he was sexually gratifying himself while watching her.

After alerting store employees, Alvarez recorded the man’s license plate and called the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

She said officers arrived about three hours later and told her there was nothing they could do. Although she said the responding officer reviewed the store’s surveillance video, she was told no charges could be filed.

When the I-TEAM initially requested a copy of the incident report, JSO responded that no records existed but confirmed the agency had received a call about the incident.

After News4JAX contacted the sheriff’s office with additional questions, the agency said detectives are now reviewing the case.

“I can tell you that our detectives are actively looking into this case, so they’re currently unable to provide any updates at this time,” a JSO spokesperson said in a statement.

It is unclear what prompted the detective review or whether the investigation could result in arrest or criminal charges.

In the original interview with News4JAX, Alvarez questioned why the alleged conduct did not violate Florida law.

“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 found that 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. Depending on the facts of a case, prosecutors may have limited charging options if no exposure occurred.

Alvarez’s TikTok video has since generated hundreds of comments from women describing similar encounters, prompting calls for lawmakers to examine whether Florida law adequately addresses incidents like the one she described.

HomeGoods previously provided the following statement to News4JAX:

“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 I-TEAM will continue to follow the investigation and update this story as more information becomes available.

And on social media, knockoff culture is having a moment, but the counterfeit market is no small side hustle.

Fast fashion is now a global industry worth well over a hundred billion dollars.

The OECD estimates fake goods make up more than $460 billion in global trade, and clothing, shoes, handbags, and luxury accessories top the list.

Consumer watchdogs have also raised concerns about fake cosmetics, electronics, and even children’s products, where there may be little or no safety oversight.

U.S. officials say most counterfeit goods seized at the border come from China and Hong Kong. Now, concerns are growing that some of these bargains may carry something else: Chemicals you didn’t pay for.

Some investigations and government testing have raised concerns that some low-cost and counterfeit products may contain hazardous chemicals, including:

• Lead, which can damage the brain and nervous system
• Cadmium, a toxic metal linked to kidney damage
• PFAS, so-called “forever chemicals” that can build up in the body over time

And it’s not just handbags. Fast fashion has come under scrutiny too.

Some products have been flagged for elevated levels of chemicals used to make clothing wrinkle-resistant, water-repellent, or cheaper to produce.

Counterfeit goods don’t just skip the brand name; they can skip product testing, safety oversight, and quality controls, too.

Experts say a few red flags to watch for: Strong chemical odors, no clear labeling, no manufacturer information, or prices that seem way too good to be true.

So, before you click “buy now” ask “Who made it?” “Where was it tested?” and “Why is it so cheap?” Because the real price of a bargain may not show up on your credit card bill.

Put another way, that means the inferno was no longer simply being propelled by the weather. It was making its own. The thundercloud also produced violent, erratic winds capable of driving the flames in new directions.

The phenomenon, called a pyrocumulonimbus, or pyroCb, is rare in Europe and more commonly documented in North America and Australia, where it occurs only over some of the most extreme fires. France’s national firefighters federation said it had never before recorded one in the country.

The blaze erupted near Saumos on July 22 and has since burned more than 420 square kilometers (162 square miles) of forests and scrubland, damaged or destroyed more than 240 homes and forced 220,000 people to evacuate in Gironde.

At about 6:20 p.m. Friday, two days after the fire began, the departmental fire and rescue service said it had generated a pyrocumulonimbus. The cloud weakened overnight as humidity rose, then formed again several times.

An electrified black thundercloud

Repeatedly, heat and smoke have surged upward into a vast black thundercloud, electrified and lit from within.

“Imagine a campfire so large and hot that the smoke rising off it turns into a storm-like cloud,” said Theodore M. Giannaros, a fire meteorologist at the National Observatory of Athens.

“That is a pyroCb — a storm cloud born from the intense heat that a wildfire produces.”

It takes more than a big fire.

There is no set temperature at which one forms, Giannaros said; what is needed is the kind of atmosphere that breeds dry thunderstorms — very hot, very dry air near the ground, with cooler and moister air above it.

Hot air loaded with smoke and moisture then rises rapidly from the flames. As it climbs and cools, water vapor condenses around particles of ash.

Above the freezing level, droplets become ice crystals whose collisions separate electrical charges, as in an ordinary thunderstorm.

Lightning and more destruction follow

Beneath this storm lies a landscape already primed to burn. The cloud then amplifies the disaster that created it.

Rising air pulls powerful winds toward the fire, while downdrafts punch gusts back to the surface.

Those shifts can turn the flames, divide them into several fronts or send them racing in a new direction.

“It’s a feedback loop, not a one-way effect,” Giannaros said. “Once it forms, the cloud becomes its own weather system, sitting on top of the fire and making it harder to predict.”

The systems can also spin up whirling columns of flame — usually a fire whirl, which Giannaros describes as a dust devil made of fire and heat instead of dust.

True tornadoes are rarer, though one struck Redding, California, during the 2018 Carr Fire with winds equivalent to an EF-3, killing a fire inspector.

For firefighters, escape routes can close without warning as fresh outbreaks appear beyond their crews and equipment.

Direct attack may become impossible, forcing crews to retreat and defend communities.

The danger, Giannaros said, is fire moving faster than evacuations can be organized.

Until now, pyroCbs have been essentially an Australian and North American phenomenon. Canada alone produced a record 142 of them in 2023.

In Europe, pyroCbs have been rare

Portugal recorded one during its deadly 2017 fire season. France has now joined the list.

The continent is heating faster than any other on Earth — at roughly twice the global average since the 1980s, according to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service and the World Meteorological Organization — with heat waves growing more frequent and severe and drought spreading across the south, curing forests into fuel.

Hotter and drier conditions give extreme fires more opportunity to form them, Giannaros said, but scientists still lack enough long-term data to establish a trend.

The European research project ROSETTA aims to close that gap.

The most common misunderstanding, he said, is that the cloud is merely a side effect. As long as it hangs above the flames, it is helping decide where the fire goes next.

___

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

Founded in 1934 as the first neurosurgical practice in Florida, world-renowned neurosurgeons collaborate to diagnose and treat a wide range of conditions of the spine, brain and nervous system.

Multi-disciplinary teams provide advanced, precise and personalized treatments for complex neurological conditions. To learn more on back and neck treatments, go to BaptistJax.com/Back.

The school announced July 20 that it would buy out the remaining three years on Manuel's contract and he will step down at the end of 2026. Manuel agreed to step down following investigations into former football coach Sherrone Moore’s relationship with his executive assistant and a probe into the athletic department.

In addition to the payout, Manuel will receive former athletic director perks such as being eligible for tickets to Michigan games and having golf privileges. The university also agreed to make a $108,000 contribution to his retirement account and pay his attorney fees of $82,000.

Manuel agreed to remain employed by the university until he voluntary resigns Dec. 31, and his personnel record will reflect a resignation. He also agreed to not be an athletic director or senior athletic adviser for any Big Ten school for two years from the date of his resignation. Manuel is allowed to accept employment outside the Big Ten with no penalty.

The agreement was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.

___

AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

On domestic issues, Marcos disclosed that a special anti-graft prosecutor would soon file charges against former House of Representatives Speaker Martin Romualdez, who has been implicated in a corruption scandal that the president exposed in his state of the nation speech last year.

Marcos highlighted China after media editorial he called racist

Marcos did not mention China by name or elaborate on his criticism of Beijing, which was applauded by many lawmakers. He said that “of late, our very humanity has been called into question” and reminded detractors that “Filipinos are a noble … and a great race. We are not greedy. We are not racists. We are not liars.”

Marcos summoned Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan to his office in Manila last week after the China Daily, a Chinese state-owned media outlet, depicted Filipinos as monkeys in an editorial video and cartoons. The animations centered on Beijing’s rejection of the arbitration ruling that invalidated China’s claims in the South China Sea.

The Philippine government strongly condemned the AI-generated images as “racist and dehumanizing” and demanded that they be taken down.

In Beijing, however, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said last week that the video “does not represent the official position and I have no comment on it.”

He said, however, that China viewed the South China Sea arbitration as “a political farce disguised as a legal proceeding.” He added that “the so-called award is illegal, null and void and has no binding force,” reiterating China’s longstanding position.

Marcos said the ruling, which he said was final and binding, was a “definitive benchmark for the interpretation and application” of the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, which was the basis of the decision. The Philippines initiated the arbitration in 2013 after a tense standoff between Chinese and Philippine ships in a disputed shoal, but China refused to participate and rejected the decision as a sham.

“Your government will do all that is necessary to continue upholding this award, utilizing every peaceful and legal means available to the republic against any attempt, foreign or domestic, to undermine this achievement,” Marcos said, adding that Filipinos “do not yield.”

Territorial confrontations in the disputed waters have become more prevalent in recent years, particularly among Chinese, Philippine and Vietnamese forces and fishing fleets. The long-simmering disputes in the strategic waterway, a key global trade route, also involve Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

Marcos says being family won't protect his cousin and ally

Marcos did not identify Romualdez, his cousin and key political ally, by name but was obviously referring to him when speaking about the corruption charges to be filed.

“This is painful to me, but we have to do the right thing,” Marcos said. “I’m not a president for my family. I’m not a president for my friend.”

Romualdez, who resigned as House speaker last year but remains as a member of Congress, reiterated in a statement that he did not violate the law and he was ready to prove it.

Romualdez, along with several House members and senators, was accused of pocketing huge kickbacks from flood control projects in government and congressional investigations. Others have been charged and detained for large-scale corruption, including an incumbent and a former senator, a former public works secretary, who served under Marcos, and several government engineers and construction company executives, but to date not Romualdez.

Nearly 25 billion pesos' ($410 million) worth of cash and properties belonging to some of the suspects have been recovered or frozen by the government and some have been returned to the national treasury, Marcos said.

Marcos suggested Philippines should now reconsider nuclear power

Marcos also spoke at length about his administration’s efforts to cushion the impact of fuel price hikes caused by the war in Iran for ordinary Filipinos. In a bid to boost energy security, Marcos said that “perhaps it is time for us to revisit nuclear energy production.”

“We will make sure it’s safe,” Marcos said, without elaborating. “We will also make sure that we can explain well to the public the good benefits of nuclear power.”

The Philippines built its first and only nuclear power plant in Bataan, a coastal province in an earthquake-prone region about 120 kilometers (75 miles) northwest of Manila, in the 1970s but it was left idle due to safety concerns and corruption.

Von Hagens' family and the Institute for Plastination, which he founded, said he died on Friday. A statement they issued on Monday gave no further details. Von Hagens had announced in 2010 that he was living with Parkinson’s disease.

Von Hagens trod a fine line between science, entertainment and commerce with his touring exhibits, as well as headline-grabbing actions such as a public autopsy.

At the heart of von Hagens’ work was the so-called plastination process — replacing body fluids with liquid plastic that then hardens. That technique, which he started developing in the 1970s, prevented decay, left tissues intact and allowed him to display preserved corpses and their inner organs.

The resulting exhibition, “Body Worlds,” first went on show in Japan in 1995.

Two years later, the collection of partly skinless corpses went on display in von Hagens’ homeland, overcoming an attempt by local church leaders to block its opening on the grounds that it was disrespectful. Von Hagens said he was helping viewers understand how their bodies work.

The anatomist “is forced in his daily work to reject the taboos and convictions that people have about death and the dead,” von Hagens said of his work.

“I touch here a taboo, which is our body, and nothing is so near as our body is to us,” he said.

The shows used the corpses of people who agreed to donate their bodies for plastination. Critics argued that von Hagens bordered on sensationalism with his works, which included a corpse riding a plastinated horse, and a pregnant woman with an eight-month-old fetus inside.

Von Hagens “plays with the corpses like a child plays with dolls,” the Rev. Ernst Pulsfort, spiritual rector of Berlin’s Catholic Academy, said when the show first opened in the German capital in 2001. He argued that it catered to a “public lust for sensation.”

During a “Body Worlds” show in London in 2002, the anatomist — wearing, as ever, his trademark black fedora — conducted Britain’s first public autopsy in 170 years before a sellout crowd of hundreds, defying government warnings that it might be illegal.

Von Hagens declared it a “huge success.” The British Medical Association’s head of ethics, Dr. Michael Wilkes, said it was “degrading and disrespectful.”

The “Body Worlds” exhibits were shown in several American cities after making their U.S. debut in Los Angeles in 2004.

Von Hagens' “Plastinarium,” where bodies are prepared, opened in the eastern German town of Guben in 2006.

The anatomist was born Gunther Liebchen on Jan. 10, 1945, in what is now western Poland.

He went to medical school in Jena in East Germany, but increasingly questioned the communist system and made a failed attempt to flee to the West. He was detained before West Germany bought his freedom in 1970, a regular practice at the time.

He continued his medical studies at the University of Luebeck and, in the 1970s, began working at Heidelberg University’s pathology and anatomy institute. He married a former classmate, Cornelia von Hagens, and took her surname.

His second wife, Angelina Whalley, heads his Heidelberg-based Institute for Plastination and curates his exhibitions, and he had three children from his first marriage.

Monday's statement said it was von Hagens' wish that his body be made available for plastination and “his family will respect and carry out this wish.”

Outage reports spike overnight

According to Down Detector, reports of the outage peaked at 3,296 around midnight before tapering to roughly 700 reports by 9 a.m. Monday. Of those who flagged problems, 67% reported issues with game launch as the most common complaint.

What Xbox support is saying

Xbox Support acknowledged the issue on its official X account, posting updates as engineers worked to resolve the problem.

“We are aware that some users are encountering errors when attempting to sign in, see your game library, or launch games. Our engineers are actively working to mitigate the issue,” the account posted approximately three hours ago.

In a follow-up post about an hour ago, Xbox Support addressed the prolonged timeline of the disruption.

“Just checking in on the game library, sign-in, and game launch issue. We know this has been going on a while and appreciate your patience while our teams keep working on it. Watch here or at http://support.xbox.com for updates," the account posted.

Users can track the latest updates at support.xbox.com or by following the Xbox Support X account.

The crash sent the 28-year-old driver of the Camry to the hospital with critical injuries after he was extricated by first responders, who found him trapped in the Camry when they arrived.

Sgt. Robert Hungerford of JSO’s Traffic Homicide Unit said that around 11:15 a.m. Saturday, a Dodge 3500 pick-up truck towing a large trailer loaded with two vehicles was headed eastbound on Edgewood Avenue West near the intersection of Lem Turner Road.

Investigators say the Dodge slammed into the back of the Camry, forcing it into the back of a Ford Ranger pick-up truck and pushing it through the intersection.

The Dodge ended up on top of the Camry.

Members of the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department were able to get the driver out of the Camry. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition. His age has not been released.

JSO said the driver of the Ford was also taken to the hospital and was in stable condition.

First responders found the two teen boys dead inside the Camry.

The driver of the Dodge, a man in his 50s, was cooperating with investigators, Hungerford said.

He said detectives were still trying to determine how fast the vehicles were traveling, but the sergeant said speed or braking is likely to play a factor, given how the Dodge which was pulling a trailer and heading downhill, went over the Camry.

Investigators are also trying to determine whether distraction may have played a role.

These were the 106th and 107th traffic fatalities in Duval County this year.

The winner of the runoff will enter the general election against Democratic former state Sen. Dan Ahlers with a significant advantage in the reliably Republican state that hasn’t had a Democratic governor since the 1970s.

Rhoden was lieutenant governor when he assumed the top job in early 2025 after then-Gov. Kristi Noem stepped down to join President Donald Trump’s Cabinet. In addition to Rhoden and Doeden, the primary field included U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson and state House Speaker Jon Hansen.

Doeden placed first in the primary with about 31% of the vote with a close three-way race for the second runoff slot. Rhoden received about 25% of the vote, followed by Johnson at 23% and Hansen at about 21%.

Two key counties to watch are on opposite ends of the state. Minnehaha County on the eastern border is home to Sioux Falls. Pennington County on the western border is home to Rapid City. Together, they are home to a third of the state’s registered Republicans and helped Doeden secure his first-place primary showing.

Doeden narrowly edged Johnson in Minnehaha County and had about a 7-point lead over second-place Rhoden in Pennington County. Doeden also carried most of the small, rural counties across eastern South Dakota.

Rhoden helped secure a runoff berth with his wins across central and northwestern South Dakota, including key leads in Meade, Lawrence and Hughes County, which includes Pierre, the state capital. The three counties combined are home to about 10% of the state’s registered Republicans.

Lincoln County in the suburbs south of Sioux Falls could be another key battleground in the runoff. It’s the state’s third-most populous county and has the highest population of any county where neither Doeden nor Rhoden placed first or second.

Here are some of the key facts about the election and data points the AP Decision Team will monitor as the votes are tallied:

When do polls close?

Polls close at 7 p.m. local time, which is 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. ET. Polls in most of the state are in Central time and close at 8 p.m. ET, but some polls are in Mountain time and close at 9 p.m. ET.

What’s on the ballot?

The Associated Press will provide vote results and declare winners in the Republican primary runoff for governor.

Who gets to vote?

Only registered Republicans may vote in the Republican primary runoff for governor. Republicans who did not vote in the June 2 state primary may still vote in the runoff.

How many voters are there?

As of June 1, there were about 676,000 registered voters in South Dakota, including about 322,000 active registered Republicans, about 137,000 active registered Democrats, about 157,000 active independent voters or those not affiliated with any political party, and about 57,000 inactive voters not identifiable by party. The rest were affiliated with other parties.

How many people actually vote?

About 136,000 votes were cast in the Republican gubernatorial primary on June 2.

How much of the vote is cast early or by absentee ballot?

About 19% of the 2024 primary vote and about 20% of the 2022 primary vote was cast before primary day.

When are early and absentee votes released?

In South Dakota, counties tend to release results from all voting methods together over the course of the night. Roughly four out of every five counties in South Dakota release at least some in-person Election Day results in their first vote updates, along with results from mail voting and early in-person voting.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the June 2 Republican primary for governor, the AP first reported results at 9:01 p.m. ET, or one minute after polls closed. About half the total vote had been counted by 10:57 p.m. ET. The last vote update of the night was at 3:36 a.m. ET with almost every vote counted.

When will the AP declare a winner?

The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow a trailing candidate to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

How do recounts work?

Recounts in South Dakota are automatic only in cases of tie votes. Losing candidates for statewide office may request a recount if the vote margin is 0.25% or less of the total votes cast. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

Are we there yet?

As of Tuesday, there will be 98 days until the 2026 midterm elections.

___

Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/.

Michael Dove says he’s received hundreds of messages about the impact his sister, Tiffany Dove, had on the lives of others since she died in the tragic crash.

“People have reached out to me from all the way to New York, you name it,” Michael said. “She was just reaching out to everyone and anyone that needed help, and Tiffany was always there for them."

Tiffany was also a woman grounded by her faith and an active church member at Eleven22.

“She loved going to church, loved talking about God and putting God first and everything that she did,” Michael said. I will definitely miss our daily prayers because we prayed a lot. We got each other through everything."

Michael said Tiffany, who leaves behind a 19-year-old son and a 16-year-old daughter, was actually on her way to give a speech at a recovery meeting when she crossed in front of the train.

“She was trying to make it to class, and unfortunately she didn’t. But that’s who Tiffany was. No matter what, she wanted to be there to help people,” Michael said.

The deadly crash drew emergency crews to the railroad crossing at Roosevelt Boulevard and Timuquana Road just before 7:30 p.m. on July 22.

Video from the scene showed a badly damaged car crumpled under the Amtrak passenger train. Amtrak said none of the 385 passengers or crew on board were injured. (To read Amtrak’s statement on the crash, click here)

According to troopers, Tiffany was driving south on US 17 (Roosevelt Boulevard) when she turned right onto Timuquana Road, drove around the railroad crossing gates, and was hit by the train, which was headed north. Tiffany was wearing a seat belt but died at the scene.

Michael acknowledged that Tiffany had battled addiction, but she was determined to turn her life around and was going back to school for nursing.

"I’ve had people reach out to me and tell me how Tiffany saved their life by just being there in their circle through recovery," Michael said. “I’ve never met these people before, but I’ve received almost over 300 messages on Facebook that I still have to go through.”

Michael also shared his gratitude for those who were with Tiffany after the crash, including Misty Bouey, who witnessed the crash and recalled trying to help Tiffany during her last moments.

“I ran across the street, busted out windows, tried to cut off the seat belt. I held her hand. I was praying for her. She lasted about four minutes before she left,” she told News4JAX. “I was too short to reach into the car in order to be able to answer the phone. Someone was calling her on her Apple Watch, and they kept calling and calling.”

Bouey said she couldn’t imagine trying to break the news to whoever was calling.

“I thank you from the bottom of my heart to all who helped my sister that night, law enforcement, first responders, to anybody on the scene, nurses, just anybody. Thank you, God bless you," Michael said.

But he also wants Tiffany to be remembered for how she lived her life, not how she died.

“It’s not just a person that passed away on a track,” Michael said. “She really had a legacy about her, a mission about her to save lives, to help lives, to support others in need.”

With the crucial midterms on the horizon, voter apathy is a big concern for Democrats and Republicans.

Will that confidence drop further with continued insistence by President Donald Trump that there is widespread election fraud, even though there is no evidence for that?

News4JAX political analyst Rick Mullaney, executive director of the Jacksonville University Haskell Public Policy Institute, joined us on The Morning Show to discuss the situation and the implications with control of Congress hanging in the balance.

The contest in the heavily Democratic district could have an immediate impact on the balance of power in the U.S. House, where Republicans cling to a thin majority.

Under Georgia law, the four Democrats and two Republicans running to succeed Scott will appear on the same ballot, and any of them could secure the seat outright by winning a majority of the special election vote. Otherwise, the top two vote-getters regardless of party will advance to an Aug. 25 special runoff election.

The winner will serve out the remaining few months of Scott’s current term.

Among the Democrats vying for the seat are former Gwinnett County School Board Chair Everton Blair and Marcye Scott, daughter of the late congressman. Democrats Tony Brown and Carlos Moore and Republicans Caesar Gonzales and Fayth Park are also on the ballot.

Blair is the only candidate in the field who also ran for the full-term seat set to begin in January 2027. He placed third in the May 19 Democratic primary with about 12% of the vote. State Rep. Jasmine Clark won the primary with 56% of the vote and will face Republican Jonathan Chavez in November. Chavez, who ran unopposed for the GOP nomination, challenged David Scott in the 2024 general election and received about 28% of the vote.

Clark did not file to compete in the special election. Doing so would have required her to resign from her seat in the state Legislature just as Republican Gov. Brian Kemp was calling for a special session to redraw the state’s congressional boundaries in time for the 2028 elections. The state constitution bars state officeholders from seeking a different office with a start date more than 30 days before the end of the officeholder’s current term. The special session did convene, but Republican leaders opted not to take up redistricting.

In recent years, congressman Scott had faced questions over his age and health. At the time of his death at age 80, he was facing a tough primary challenge from Clark and others as he sought a 13th term.

Georgia’s 13th Congressional District is east and southeast of Atlanta and includes parts of six heavily Democratic counties: Clayton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Henry, Newton and Rockdale. Of the six, the district’s portion of Gwinnett County has the lion’s share of voters, about 46% of the district electorate in the 2024 general election. The district includes only a small sliver of DeKalb County, which plays a much bigger role in the 4th and 5th Congressional Districts.

Scott won his 2024 reelection bid with about 72% of the vote. That night, Democratic then-Vice President Kamala Harris received about 71% in the district, compared with about 28% for Republican Donald Trump, in the presidential election. Trump had his best performance in the district in Gwinnett County, although that still only amounted to about 35% of the vote.

Here are some of the key facts about the election and data points the AP Decision Team will monitor as the votes are tallied:

When do polls close?

Polls close at 7 p.m. ET.

What’s on the ballot?

The Associated Press will provide vote results and declare winners in the special election for the 13th Congressional District.

Who gets to vote?

Any voter registered in the 13th Congressional District may participate in the special election.

How many voters are there?

As of July 21, there were about 584,000 registered voters in the 13th Congressional District. Georgia voters do not register by party.

How many people actually vote?

About 358,000 votes were cast in the 2024 U.S. House general election in the 13th District. Turnout in special elections tends to be significantly lower than in regularly scheduled November general elections.

How much of the vote is cast early or by absentee ballot?

About 78% of the total vote in the 13th District general election in 2024 was cast early in person or by mail.

As of Friday, nearly 8,700 ballots had already been cast in Tuesday’s election, with the largest share coming from Gwinnett County, followed by Clayton County.

When are early and absentee votes released?

All six counties in the 13th Congressional District tend to release most or all of their results from early in-person and mail voting in the first vote update of the night, usually before any in-person Election Day results are released.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the 2024 general election, the AP first reported results in the 13th District U.S. House race at 7:10 p.m. ET, or 10 minutes after polls closed. About half of the total vote had been counted by 9:31 p.m. ET. The last vote update of the night was at 2:21 a.m. ET, with about 99.9% of total votes counted.

When will the AP declare a winner?

The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow a trailing candidate to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

How do recounts work?

There is no automatic recount provision in Georgia, but a losing candidate may request a recount if the margin is less than or equal to 0.5% of the total vote. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

Are we there yet?

As of Tuesday, there will be 28 days until the Aug. 25 special runoff election, if needed, and 98 days until the 2026 midterm elections on Nov. 3.

___

Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/.

Oddie first found fame as a member of The Goodies, a comedy trio that also featured Tim Brooke-Taylor and Graeme Garden. The team starred in an off-beat comedy series of the same name that aired from 1970 to 1982 on the BBC. He went on to host BBC wildlife programs, including “Birding With Bill Oddie,” “Bill Oddie Goes Wild" and “Springwatch."

“Bill was a multi-talented celebrity — wildlife presenter, broadcaster, comedian, writer, songwriter, musician and conservationist," his agent, David Foster, said in a statement. “Yet it was never fame that he valued. Instead he encouraged us to respect and protect the environment."

Born in 1941 in Rochdale, northwestern England, Oddie went on to study English literature at Pembroke College, Cambridge. He appeared in several productions of the Cambridge Footlights, a prestigious student sketch comedy troupe, alongside future stars such as John Cleese and Graham Chapman of Monty Python.

Those student productions led to work in London's West End and on Broadway, persuading Oddie to abandon plans to become an English teacher or warden of a bird observatory.

Oddie later transformed his birding hobby into a job, presenting multiple wildlife shows and writing books such as “Bill Oddie's Little Black Bird Book,” “Birdwatching with Bill Oddie" and “Follow That Bird.”

He is survived by his wife, Laura, and daughters Bonnie, Kate and Rosie.

Four years ago, George P. Bush went after Paxton by putting up billboards that said “he's a crook” next to his mugshot from when he was charged with securities fraud.

And earlier this year, U.S. Sen John Cornyn said “judgment day is coming” as he tried to fend off a Republican primary challenge from Paxton.

All of them lost. Now the question is whether James Talarico, who topped Rep. Jasmine Crockett in an expensive and fiercely contested Democratic primary, will have any more luck as he faces off against Paxton in one of the country's most closely watched U.S. Senate races.

“The guy’s ability to take shots and just keep moving on and stay in elected office is unlike anything I’ve ever seen in my career, in 25 years of running campaigns,” said Ash Wright, who worked as a senior adviser to Bush.

Paxton has never been convicted, and he's survived by championing conservative legal battles over immigration, abortion and transgender issues in a Republican-dominated state. Much like President Donald Trump, he's long portrayed himself as the victim of political persecution.

Former Paxton challengers and a half dozen campaign strategists who worked against him warned that Texans may tune out any attempt to revive scandals that they've heard about for years, especially when rigid partisanship has convinced voters to be extraordinarily forgiving of candidates’ trespasses.

However, Talarico's team has studied the previous races and is attempting its own version of the playbook by trying to paint Paxton as part of a broader culture of corruption that has failed to improve people's lives.

Paxton’s campaign suggested Talarico's claims were aimed at distracting voters from a record of “out-of-touch views.”

“Every time a fighter, like President Donald Trump and now Ken Paxton, stands up to the permanent political class, even after they are completely acquitted of wrongdoing, people like James Talarico continue pushing the same accusations and claiming corruption,” Paxton campaign spokesperson Madison Cercy said.

Paxton won first reelection narrowly, despite indictment

Paxton was first elected as Texas attorney general in 2014, and Nelson ran against him in 2018. A Democratic lawyer from Austin, Nelson made Paxton's indictment on charges of securities fraud central to his campaign, and he poked fun at him for picking up another lawyer's $1,000 pen after finding it at a courthouse security checkpoint.

“Vote Justin Nelson for Texas attorney general,” the narrator said. “He will fight on behalf of all Texans. And he won’t steal your pen.”

Nelson argued that his approach was effective, reflected in Paxton's narrow margin of 3.6 percentage points in a year when Republican Greg Abbott was reelected as Texas governor by more than 13 percentage points. Nelson's campaign spent roughly $6.5 million, about half of what Paxton's campaign spent.

“My message was working," Nelson said. “I just needed to go louder and longer.”

In 2022, Paxton faced a Republican primary challenge from George P. Bush, the Texas land commissioner and the grandson and nephew of two former presidents from the state.

The securities fraud case was ongoing, and Paxton was also under federal investigation over accusations that he abused his position to benefit an Austin real estate developer, took bribes and retaliated against whistleblower employees.

Paxton responded by portraying himself as a Trump-era Republican and Bush as the heir to a privileged political legacy.

Pro-Paxton organizations spent more than $20 million, about twice as much as Bush and his allies. The race went to a runoff, in which Paxton defeated Bush by 34 percentage points.

Paxton ran against Rochelle Garza, a Democratic civil rights lawyer from Brownsville, in the general election. She said her campaign had a 300-page opposition research file on Paxton but it was difficult to figure out how to approach his past because voters had heard about it for years.

“The amount of potential hits on Paxton can make message discipline challenging,” Garza said.

Paxton ran as the leading legal opponent of President Joe Biden, promoting a string of lawsuits against Biden's Democratic administration on immigration, abortion and gender policy.

Overwhelmingly outspent, Garza lost by roughly 10 percentage points.

Some supporters see Paxton as a ‘flawed’ fighter

There was more trouble ahead for Paxton.

He split with his wife, who later filed for divorce “on biblical grounds.” He was also impeached by the Texas House, although the Senate acquitted him in 2023 and allowed him to remain in office. The securities fraud case ended in 2024, and Paxton was directed to pay nearly $300,000 in restitution.

Throughout the years, he's maintained strong support from Republican voters like David and Nancy Lapp, a retired couple from the small town of Wolfforth. They described him as a conservative warrior who has been a victim of persecution.

“He’s had his share of scandals, and almost all of them have, so it’s not necessarily disqualifying anymore,” said David Lapp, 76. “He’s a flawed person, no doubt about it, but he fights for traditional American ideals.”

He added that "nowadays, as long as you’re not in jail, they’ll elect you.”

Biden's Justice Department in 2024 decided not to prosecute Paxton after the yearslong federal investigation, and Paxton went on to challenge Cornyn for his Senate seat.

Cornyn and his allies vastly outspent Paxton, blanketing the state with more than $90 million in advertising. After the race went to a runoff, Trump endorsed Paxton, and he won decisively.

Talarico hopes Waco case sparks new scrutiny

Talarico promised at a rally in Houston the day after the Republican runoff to “prosecute the case” against Paxton, whom he called “the most corrupt politician in America."

Since then, he has sought to introduce a newer question about Paxton, one that involves his office's handling of a child sexual abuse case this year.

The attorney general's office was assigned the felony case involving Waco lawyer Adam Hoffman after the county district attorney recused himself over a potential conflict of interest. After a hung jury trial last year, Hoffman agreed to state lawyers' offer in April to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge. Prosecutors said the victim did not want to testify a second time. Hoffman served 60 days in jail and was not required to register as a sex offender.

Talarico said the plea agreement shows Paxton is willing to allow preferential treatment at Texans' expense.

“He is everything that’s wrong with this broken, corrupt political system,” Talarico said of Paxton at a rally in Del Rio last week. “This is the rot at the core of this broken political system. It’s why we can’t get ahead, no matter how hard we work, no matter how much we save, because the system is rigged against us."

Talarico reported having $21.5 million available last week, while Paxton reported having $7.5 million.

The Democrat's fundraising advantage could help him broadcast his message further than Paxton's previous opponents have been able to do, Nelson said.

“Even a little bit more money would have helped me,” he said. “I think James has a legitimate shot.”

___

Associated Press reporters Jesse Bedayn in Del Rio, Texas, and Marc Levy in Wolfforth, Texas, contributed to this report.

The flap over Pirlo reportedly has Paolo Maldini considering stepping down just 16 days into his new job as the technical director charged with restoring order for the Azzurri.

This after Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti had already turned down offers to coach a national team that has failed to qualify for three straight World Cups.

The crisis surrounding Italy’s once-proud squad is expanding to new dimensions four months after the four-time World Cup champion was beaten by Bosnia and Herzegovina in a qualifying playoff.

Pirlo himself confirmed that he was out in an Instagram post Monday, saying he “heard last night that I’m no longer the candidate for the Italy national team job.”

Several Italian politicians had raised concerns about Pirlo’s contract to be an ambassador for Fonbet, saying the national team coach should not have conflicting views on Italy’s support for Ukraine in the war with Russia.

Pirlo, who had been prepared to leave his current job as coach of Dubai United, was an unpopular choice after unsuccessful stints coaching Juventus and Sampdoria — despite having been one of the standout players when Italy last won the World Cup in 2006.

Pirlo said the Fonbet deal was linked to his job in the United Arab Emirates and is “exclusively for commercial and sports” purposes.

“Attributing a political significance to that collaboration means attributing beliefs to me that I have never expressed and don't belong to me,” Pirlo added. “My love for Italy doesn’t depend on a job. It’s part of my history, my identity and it will remain forever.”

Pirlo was a 3rd choice

Pirlo was at best a third choice after Brazil coach Ancelotti and former Manchester City manager Guardiola turned down offers from Maldini and special adviser Leonardo.

But Pirlo was preferred by his former AC Milan teammate Maldini ahead of figures like former Italy coaches Roberto Mancini and Antonio Conte because he was seen as someone more willing to adapt to new policies and promote younger players in an attack-minded system.

Gennaro Gattuso, another former Milan player, left as Italy’s coach by mutual consent in April after the defeat in Bosnia.

Now Mancini and Conte are back being discussed for the job, while Maldini is reportedly upset that Pirlo was turned down.

The final decision lies with Italian soccer federation president Giovanni Malagò, who was elected in June after leading the Milan Cortina Olympics organizing committee and, previously, the Italian Olympic Committee.

Mancini and Conte

Mancini coached Italy to the European Championship title in 2021 then failed to get the Azzurri to the following year’s World Cup before bolting to take over Saudi Arabia’s national team. He left Saudi Arabia in 2024 and was most recently coach at Al-Sadd in Qatar.

Conte coached Italy to the quarterfinals of the 2016 European Championship and was most recently at Napoli.

Another option could be former Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi, who is currently coaching in the Saudi league.

Whoever gets hired will be Italy's fourth coach in as many years.

When Luciano Spalletti was fired after Italy lost its opening qualifier to Norway last year, Claudio Ranieri turned down an offer to replace him and the much less experienced Gattuso was hired instead.

Italy next plays in September and October, when it will face Belgium, Turkey and France in the Nations League.

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

CXMT's shares surged 466% in their first day of trading. The company has become the most valuable one listed on a mainland Chinese exchange, with an estimated market capitalization of about 3.3 trillion yuan (more than $487 billion). But that's still smaller than those of South Korean and American memory chipmakers like Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix and Micron Technology.

CXMT, or ChangXin Memory Technologies, is among many chipmakers that have profited mightily from the boom in artificial intelligence. Its business is thriving as China pushes for greater self-sufficiency in leading edge technologies while contending with limited access to advanced chipmaking machines due to American-led restrictions.

The company raised at least $8.6 billion with the offering, priced at 8.66 yuan ($1.3) per share, in its listing on the Shanghai Stock Exchange’s Nasdaq-like STAR market, also known as the Science and Technology Innovation Board.

It was mainland China's second largest IPO after the $22.1 billion share offering of Agricultural Bank of China in Shanghai and Hong Kong in 2010.

Founded in 2016 in the eastern city of Hefei, CXMT is one of the world’s largest makers of DRAM, or “dynamic random access” memory chips, a kind of semiconductor used in everything from AI servers to autos and consumer electronics like smartphones and personal computers.

“CXMT plays a critical role in China’s AI push, particularly in the face of U.S. export controls,” said Kyle Chan, a fellow at the Brookings Institution and an expert in China’s technology policies. U.S. restrictions have also barred China from importing powerful HBM, or high-bandwidth memory chips – a high-performance type of DRAM.

The company’s revenue surged to 50.8 billion yuan ($7.5 billion) on jumping demand from the rapid rise of AI in the first three months of 2026, a more than 700% rise year-on-year.

Soaring use of AI has led to a global memory chip shortage, driving up prices for some computers and smartphones. One big question, Chan said, is whether CXMT could help with the broader shortage.

CXMT is seen as China's best shot at developing its own cutting-edge HBM chips to power Chinese AI models, Chan said. But it also faces many challenges, including supply chain bottlenecks in scaling up manufacturing capacity, since its access to the world’s most best chipmaking tools is highly restricted, forcing it to depend on Chinese equipment makers.

According to Counterpoint Research, a technology research firm, CXMT was the world's fourth biggest DRAM memory chipmaker in 2025 by shipments, taking up roughly 8% of the global market. Samsung Electronics accounted for 36%, SK Hynix 29% and Micron about 24%.

In the first three months of this year CXMT accounted for approximately 9% of global shipments. By 2028, its market share is forecast by Counterpoint Research to reach about 11%. But the research firm estimated CXMT will likely need at least a 15% global market share to be competitive in the long term.

“Trade restrictions on tools are remaining as the key challenge for CXMT,” said MS Hwang, a research director at Counterpoint who specializes in memory semiconductors. Some U.S. lawmakers have also recently called for President Donald Trump’s administration to block American companies from buying CXMT’s memory chips over national and economic security concerns.

CXMT is one of many Chinese companies the Pentagon says have links to the Chinese military. Beijing has rejected such designations in most cases.

CXMT's public share offering followed a $26.5 billion IPO by South Korea’s SK Hynix on the Nasdaq earlier this month.

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AP journalist Didi Tang in Washington contributed to this report.

The regular season is still more than six weeks away, but some coaches already face questions about their job security.

For a few, such as the New York Jets’ Aaron Glenn, Tampa Bay’s Todd Bowles and Cincinnati’s Zac Taylor, slow starts could make their seats pretty toasty early in make-or-break seasons. For some others, such as Green Bay's Matt LaFleur and Philadelphia's Nick Sirianni, there's not immediate pressure, but that could change if their squads don't live up to lofty expectations and team owners ponder franchise-altering decisions.

Todd Bowles, Buccaneers

Through four seasons with Tampa Bay, Bowles is 35-33 in the regular season and has won three NFC South titles. But last season's collapse, during which the Buccaneers went 2-7 down the stretch to finish 8-9 and miss the playoffs, had some thinking Bowles' days with the team were done.

Instead, the Bucs opted to stick with him. He'll likely need double-digit wins, a rebound performance from quarterback Baker Mayfield under new coordinator Zac Robinson and some postseason success to stay around. The Bucs' defense — which Bowles calls himself — also must be much improved.

Dave Canales, Panthers

Carolina made the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 season, but did so with an 8-9 record. The Panthers started 1-3 before three straight victories, and then alternated losses and wins over the next eight games before dropping its last two and backing into the playoffs, where the Panthers lost in the wild-card round.

Canales is 13-21 in his first two seasons in Carolina, which hired him in large part to develop Bryce Young into a quarterback worthy of his No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 draft. But Young has been up and down. Canales handed off play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Brad Idzik and his job could depend on Young finally showing consistent progress this season.

Aaron Glenn, Jets

The former Pro Bowl cornerback returned to New York as a head coach to lead the Jets back to respectability. Instead, Glenn became the first in team history to lose his first seven games in his debut season with the team, which went 3-14 and missed the playoffs for the 15th straight year.

Glenn overhauled his coaching staff and hired Frank Reich to run the offense and Brian Duker was brought in as the defensive coordinator, but Glenn will now make the play calls for a subpar defense that became the first to not get an interception for an entire season. New York traded for Geno Smith as a bridge to the team's future QB. Another losing season will put the Jets in play to draft one early next year, but Glenn might not be around in that scenario.

Matt LaFleur, Packers

Wait, how's he on this list? LaFleur has made the playoffs six times in seven seasons, is 76-40-1 in the regular season and got a multiyear contract extension in January.

But he has only one playoff win since 2021 and his 3-6 record in the postseason has some Packers fans getting restless. A four-game losing streak to end the regular season and a first-round playoff exit at Chicago — during which Green Bay blew a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter — didn't help.

With the Packers expected to again be playoff contenders with quarterback Jordan Love leading the way, LaFleur's job status likely won't be an issue until January. Things could go from lukewarm to sizzling, though, if Green Bay doesn't win at least one postseason game.

Nick Sirianni, Eagles

Similar to LaFleur, Sirianni's job would seem to be in no immediate danger. He has a Super Bowl victory, two NFC championship wins, three NFC East titles and a 59-26 regular-season record in his five years.

There was major disappointment last season, though, after the Eagles lost at home to San Francisco in the wild-card round. A bounceback performance, including a solid postseason run, is expected, even without A.J. Brown as Jalen Hurts' go-to receiver in new coordinator Sean Mannion's offense.

Sirianni was on the hot seat entering the 2024 season after the Eagles started 10-2, faded down the stretch and got blown out by Tampa Bay in the wild-card round. He followed that by leading Philadelphia to a Super Bowl victory. Sirianni and the Eagles — and their fans — would certainly sign for a repeat of that rebound.

Shane Steichen, Colts

Steichen was mentioned as a potential AP Coach of the Year as the Colts got off to an 8-2 start. Then, quarterback Daniel Jones was lost for the season with a torn Achilles tendon and Indianapolis lost its last seven games — even after bringing Philip Rivers out of retirement — to miss the playoffs.

Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon was encouraged by the team's strong first half, though, and decided to keep the coach in place. Steichen is 25-26 in his three seasons with the Colts, who have missed the playoffs the past five years. With Jones healthy and signed to a two-year extension, Steichen would feel a lot more secure if the Colts resemble the promising team through 10 games last season.

Zac Taylor, Bengals

The Bengals have been notoriously slow starters in September under Taylor, but opened last season 2-0 and appeared on their way to putting that narrative to rest. A turf toe injury sidelined quarterback Joe Burrow for nine games and Cincinnati crawled to a 6-11 finish and a third straight season without a playoff appearance.

A healthy Burrow is paramount to the success of the Bengals, whose Super Bowl trip in the 2021 season is becoming a distant memory. A revamped defense, including acquiring defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, should help. So it'll be on Taylor, in his eighth season with Cincinnati, to break the playoff slump or that might be someone else's task next year.

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

After throwing three scoreless innings in relief and earning the win at Baltimore, he was immediately designated for assignment.

“I hate it, to be honest with you,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “I wish the rules were different.”

What Atlanta did is fairly common now. If a pitcher works several innings of relief — even if he does so effectively — keeping him is essentially wasting a roster spot for the next couple days. So a fresher arm is brought in to replace him.

Baseball's union is proposing rule changes related to this type of roster churn. The players want pitchers optioned shortly after an outing of at least nine outs or 50 pitches to get major league pay and service time for the four days following the appearance. The union is also proposing to reduce the number of optional assignments to the minors from a maximum of five per season to three.

That wouldn't necessarily have helped Hernández, since he was designated for assignment, not optioned. Weiss didn't mention the option rules but instead took aim at the limit of 13 pitchers on a roster.

“I wish the number of pitchers weren't restricted,” Weiss said Saturday. “I think if you were able to carry an extra pitcher here and there, you wouldn't have to do those things — have to DFA a guy that was one of the heroes of the game last night. We want to be able to reward those guys, not DFA them.”

Trivia time

Jacob Misiorowski of the Milwaukee Brewers struck out the first seven hitters he faced — and 12 of the first 13 — on Sunday against Colorado. He's now up to 185 strikeouts this year, an average of 13.88 per nine innings.

The single-season record for strikeouts per nine innings (with a minimum of 100 innings) is 13.82. Who holds it?

Performance of the week

Dylan Cease threw a one-hitter in Toronto's 6-0 win over Boston on Saturday. He was the first Toronto pitcher to throw a one-hit shutout since Brandon Morrow in 2010.

Cease threw a no-hitter two years ago, but he was with San Diego then.

Earlier this month, he took a no-hitter into the ninth at San Francisco, but he was pulled after it was broken up.

Comeback of the week

Houston trailed the Chicago White Sox 5-0 before scoring eight runs in the top of the sixth Friday night. The Astros went on to win 9-5.

Christian Walker hit a three-run double to make it 5-4, and one out later Cam Smith hit a two-run homer that put Houston ahead to stay.

Team of the week

(This honor goes to the team with the best record over the past seven days, using run differential as a tiebreaker if need be. A tiny sample, yes, but this is basically the amount of time it takes to win a playoff series.)

The Tampa Bay Rays went 6-1 this past week and are still holding off the New York Yankees atop the AL East. The Rays lead by three games.

Tampa Bay took three of four at Toronto before sweeping three against Cleveland, shutting out the Guardians in the final two games.

The Rays are extremely likely to make the playoffs in some fashion for the first time since 2023. The question now is whether they can pull off a deadline deal that helps them outlast the Yankees and the surging Red Sox for a division title and first-round bye.

Trivia answer

Gerrit Cole of the Houston Astros struck out 326 in 212 1/3 innings in 2019.

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