Hamas said in a statement that Mohammed Odeh died Tuesday along with his wife and two of his children in an airstrike. It came after Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that the Israeli military had targeted and killed Odeh.

At least five people — including Odeh and his family members — were killed and 12 injured in Tuesday’s strike on a market in Gaza City, local hospitals said. The attack came on the eve of Eid al-Adha, a major Muslim holiday.

Thousands of people gathered Wednesday for the joint funeral of Odeh's family in Gaza City. Mourners covered the four bodies with green Hamas flags and marched from a mosque through the city, chanting and firing shots in the air. Some carried posters with Odeh's poster emblazoned with the words “one of the chiefs of staffs of the Qassam Brigades,” referring to Hamas' military wing.

Hamas condemned the strike, and said Odeh had been active with the group for more than three decades and was part of the first generation that helped establish the movement’s military and armed wing.

Katz called him “one of the architects” of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks that triggered over two years of war in Gaza and said it was the fourth time Israel has killed the head of Hamas’ military wing since that massacre. Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the previous head, was killed on May 16.

Katz said that Israel would continue to target Hamas leaders involved in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack. “We pledged that Hamas will not hold civilian or military rule,” he wrote on X.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is preparing for elections in the fall, also threatened that Israel will target everyone involved in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack.

A grim Eid in Gaza

The attack came as Muslims prepared for Eid al-Adha, normally a joyous time of family gatherings and large meals.

The holiday once again is subdued this year in Gaza, where the vast majority of people remain displaced and live in tents or temporary shelters after a devastating war. Around 90% of Gaza’s more than 2 million people have lost their homes, according to U.N. estimates, with most of them now sheltering in huge tent camps with rat infestations and pools of sewage. They are dependent on aid to survive.

Eid al-Adha, or “Feast of Sacrifice,” is an Islamic holiday celebrated by millions of Muslims across the globe. The four-day holiday, which begins during the Hajj pilgrimage, also is known for being a joyous occasion during which families gather, and children are given new clothes and gifts.

“This is not Eid ... we’re dead,” said Mahmoud Saqer, a displaced man from Khan Younis, who described people as being distressed by the ongoing human suffering and killings in the territory.

In Khan Younis and Gaza City, amid destroyed buildings, including a ruined mosque, people gathered for Eid prayers with few signs of celebration beyond a few clusters of balloons lining one street. Tahrir al-Khatib said the joy that accompanies Eid has been silenced in Gaza.

“There’s no Eid. My children were killed. Eid is only for the people who lost no one,” said Ayda Al-Banna, a displaced women from Gaza City, who prayed Eid prayers with her granddaughter.

Fragile ceasefire holds in Gaza

A ceasefire reached between Israel and Hamas in October remains fragile. Israeli attacks have killed more than 880 Palestinians since the ceasefire took effect. Israel says its attacks are in response to violations by Hamas or threats to its soldiers, but Palestinian health officials say scores of civilians have been among the dead. Four Israeli soldiers have also been killed during this period in Gaza.

Israel launched its offensive in Gaza in response to the Hamas attacks in October 2023, which killed some 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage.

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza says over 72,803 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire. The ministry, part of Gaza’s Hamas government, does not give a breakdown of civilian and militant deaths. ___

Associated Press writer Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut and Fatma Khaled contributed from Cairo.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres ruled in February, after Timothy Hudson was initially arrested and charged as a juvenile, that the 16-year-old could live with an uncle and be electronically monitored. But after the case was transferred to adult court, prosecutors requested that Hudson be held in custody until the case's conclusion.

Hudson has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse. Minors are rarely prosecuted in federal court. Hudson’s federal public defenders have declined to comment on the charges.

Hudson's stepsister, Anna Kepner, had been traveling on the Carnival Horizon ship in November with her family, including Hudson. Before the ship was scheduled to return to Florida, her body was found concealed under a bed in a room she was sharing with Hudson and another teen, a criminal complaint said.

The cause of Kepner's Nov. 6 death was determined to be mechanical asphyxia, which is when an object or physical force stops someone from breathing.

Kepner's father, Christopher Kepner, previously released a statement, saying the family was placing “trust in the justice system to pursue the truth with care and integrity.”

“The situation is deeply painful and complex for the entire family,” Kepner said.

Anna Kepner was a high school cheerleader at Temple Christian School in Titusville, Florida, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) east of Orlando. At her memorial service in November, family members encouraged people to wear bright colors instead of the traditional black “in honor of Anna’s bright and beautiful soul.”

A local Ebola task force led by Vice President Jesca Alupo made the decision after a rise in Ugandan health workers exposed to the virus by Congolese patients who crossed the border before the outbreak was declared on May 15.

“No country should close its borders or place any restrictions on travel and trade. Such measures are usually implemented out of fear and have no basis in science,” the World Health Organization said in its declaration of this outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern, while acknowledging that neighboring countries are at high risk.

The WHO added: “They push the movement of people and goods to informal border crossings that are not monitored, thus increasing the chances of the spread of disease.” It said infected people or those who have been in contact with them should not undertake international travel unless it’s a medical evacuation.

The border between Uganda and Congo is several hundred miles long and crossed by numerous footpaths beyond formal border posts.

Health authorities in Congo are struggling to contain the outbreak that the WHO has said is outpacing them, after the rare Bundibugyo type of Ebola was confirmed weeks late as tests were carried out for a more common type.

The number of suspected Ebola cases in eastern Congo is nearing 1,000, with at least 220 suspected deaths. Congo's health ministry on Tuesday said 101 cases have been confirmed, and they are looking into over 3,000 possible contacts.

Challenges include the threat of armed groups in eastern Congo, a large number of displaced people and poor infrastructure.

Uganda has reported seven cases of Ebola, including the first case of a 59-year-old man who died in Kampala, the capital, on May 14.

While the Ebola case load in Uganda is not spiking, the number of locals exposed to infection via health workers has been rising.

“They have families, and so the number has been increasing,” Dr. Diana Atwine, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Health, said of health workers.

Travel across the Congo border will be authorized only in emergency cases, including for the Ebola response, cargo or security reasons, she said.

She said she was dismayed to see some Ugandans forming crowds to celebrate Arsenal as British Premier League champion. The team has a large following in Uganda.

“I don't understand,” Atwine said, urging Ugandans to be vigilant, avoid shaking hands and use sanitizer.

Anne Keast-Butler, director of the communications intelligence agency GCHQ, said Britain and its allies are in “a space between peace and war” as Russia increases its “daily hybrid activity.” She said the West risks losing a conflict in cyberspace against Russia and other adversaries unless citizens, companies and governments treat cybersecurity with much greater urgency.

“I’ve spent three decades working in national security, and the risk of miscalculation is as high as I’ve ever seen it,” Keast-Butler said in a speech at a World War II code-breaking center near London.

She said that “tech companies are releasing AI-driven innovations at a remarkable pace, with untold consequences, as algorithms are weaponized often just below the threshold of traditional warfare.

“AI is an unstoppable force with great opportunity,” she added. “But it is also a force with risks.”

Keast-Butler singled out Russia as a threat, accusing Moscow of “relentlessly targeting critical infrastructure, democratic processes, supply chains and public trust” in Britain and Europe, as well as stealing technology and plotting sabotage and assassination attempts.

“Russia is scaling up its daily hybrid activity against the U.K. and Europe, stretching from the seabed to cyberspace,” she told an audience of computing experts, diplomats, journalists and senior officials.

“One area in sharp focus for us is protecting the data and energy flowing through the critical cables and pipelines in and around British waters,” she added. “We do this by exposing Russia’s intent, motive and underwater capabilities.”

The speech is the latest in a string of warnings from Western spies and intelligence experts that Russia is stepping up hostile activity in a “gray zone” that falls just below the threshold of war.

In recent months, authorities in countries including Sweden, Poland, Denmark and Norway have alleged that hackers linked to Russia targeted their critical infrastructure, including power plants and dams.

The head of the U.K.’s National Cyber Security Centre, Richard Horne, warned last month that hostile states including Russia, China and Iran are behind the most serious cyberattacks the country faces. He said such attacks could increase dramatically if Britain becomes involved in an international conflict.

Keast-Butler said rapid advances in artificial intelligence mean that “the ground beneath our feet is shifting” and there is a “narrowing window for the U.K. and allies to stay ahead” of countries such as China, a science and technology “superpower.”

She argued that there must be an effort “from boardrooms to living rooms” to make cybersecurity “10 times more urgent.”

The spy chief said that GCHQ is developing a plan to “hardwire cutting-edge agentic AI into machine-speed cyber defense.” Harnessed responsibly, she said, AI can help spies “enhance algorithms, translate foreign languages, and find needles in haystacks quicker than ever before.”

Keast-Butler also stressed the importance of international partnerships as U.S. President Donald Trump’s “America First” foreign policy and disregard for longtime allies strains the relationship between London and Washington.

She said the U.K.-U.S. intelligence partnership is “fundamental for the security of both our nations.”

GCHQ, short for Government Communications Headquarters, is the U.K.’s electronic and cyberintelligence agency. It works alongside the domestic security service MI5 and the foreign intelligence agency, MI6.

Keast-Butler, the first woman to head the agency, delivered the GCHQ director’s annual lecture speech at the agency’s World War II headquarters of Bletchley Park, a manor house 45 miles (72 kilometers) northwest of London where hundreds of mathematicians, cryptographers, crossword puzzlers, chess masters and other experts worked to crack Nazi Germany’s supposedly unbreakable secret codes.

Their work both shortened the war and hastened the birth of modern computing.

The search of the office in central Madrid is another blow to the party of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, whose Socialists have been hammered by a series of corruption scandals to his some of its leader's closest confidants, his wife and brother and the previous Socialist to hold his office.

“We respect the justice system, we will collaborate with the courts and there is the commitment in the Socialist Party that if there are new episodes of improper behavior, we will act with the same firmness we always have,” Sánchez told a news conference in Rome.

Sánchez, who has been Spain's leader since 2018 and is a major critic of U.S. President Donald Trump, has not been directly named in any investigation.

A court statement issued on Wednesday said that judge Santiago Pedraz ordered the Civil Guard to “confiscate diverse documentation and electronic archives in an investigation of a ring designed to destabilize judicial processes that were affecting the ruling party.”

The searches were strictly limited to that case, and not a wholesale raid of the offices, the police said.

The case against started in 2025 when audio recordings appeared in Spanish media of then party member Leire Díez apparently involved in attempts to discredit a member of the Civil Guard’s anti-corruption unit. Further reports linked Díez to alleged attempts to influence the work of state prosecutors. The judge's probe is targeted on seeing if she received payments to allegedly carry out these efforts.

The Socialist party said she was acting on her own. Diez, who has left the party, has denied wrongdoing.

The judge said that in addition to Díez, he is now also probing the alleged involvement of former Socialist heavyweight Santos Cerdán — who is already under investigation in a separate corruption case — as well as a former member of the regional government of Andalusia, a police officer, a business owner and two lawyers. The judge is investigating them on suspicions of bribery, making false testimony, forging commercial documents, influence peddling, and corruption.

Legal woes mount

The searches add to a growing list of legal cases that are hounding Spain's Socialists.

A separate court said last week it was investigating former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero in connection with a government airline bailout. Zapatero, who was in power from 2004-2011 and is a major backer of Sánchez, has denied any wrongdoing.

Cerdán and José Luis Ábalos, who held two ministerial posts under Sánchez, were placed under investigation in 2025 on allegations they played a part in a kickback ring that started during the COVID-19 pandemic, which they have denied.

Ábalos has been tried for one case of alleged corruption along with two other cohorts. A verdict is expected to come soon.

Ábalos and Cerdán were early Sánchez supporters inside the party and both rose to be the party’s No. 3 ranked official before they were forced out of the party when their scandals broke.

Sánchez’s wife, Begoña Gómez, has been charged by an investigative judge for inappropriately using her position to be named to an academic post at a university, while his brother, David Sánchez, and other local officials in Badajoz have been charged with having created a civil service post for him to occupy unrightfully. Gómez and David Sánchez, whose trial starts on Thursday, deny any wrongdoing.

Cases ‘do nothing to stain the work of government ’

Sánchez has called the cases against his family a “smear campaign.” But the corruption case against his former cohorts led him to ask the nation for “forgiveness.”

His minority government depends on the support of a junior coalition partner, which for now has stuck with it despite the judicial actions.

The search of his party's offices came while Sánchez was in the Vatican for an audience with Pope Leo XIV, who is set to visit Spain from June 6-12. The prime minister said he delayed his news conference so that he could be informed of the searches before speaking to reporters.

The leader of Spain’s leading opposition party, conservative Alberto Núñez Feijóo called for snap elections. “There is no other solution other than immediately letting the Spanish people voice their opinion,” the Popular Party leader said.

Sánchez brushed off calling early elections, which will have to take place next year at the latest.

While acknowledging the “seriousness” of the events in Madrid, Sánchez insisted that the cases of corruption “do nothing to stain the work of this government that, with progressive parties, is working for a social and economic transformation.”

The banks would bear the cost of installing electronic jamming systems on their premises while selected employees would shoot down incoming drones, according to the draft bill passed in its third and final reading Tuesday.

Since there are banks in almost every town, their incorporation in air defenses could help expand Russia’s cover.

The bill, which state news agency Interfax said was first presented last August and later expanded in scope, must still be approved by the upper house Federation Council and signed by President Vladimir Putin before coming into force.

Russia is finding it hard to protect its large land mass from a growing number of attacks by increasingly sophisticated Ukrainian long-range drones. Smaller drones are also holding back Russian troops along the 1,250-kilometer (780-mile) front line and disrupting the supply lines of Russia’s invading army, Western analysts and officials say.

As the intensity and depth of Ukrainian drone attacks have increased, Russian authorities have encouraged businesses to contribute to protective measures against aerial strikes.

Russian banks are not known to have been a prime target for Ukrainian drones over the four years of war that followed Moscow's invasion. The plan encompasses Russia’s central bank and other top institutions, including majority state-owned Sberbank.

With little detail included in the bill, it has raised questions about how such a project would work. The widespread installation of equipment and training of staff in how to use it would require a huge organizational effort.

With Putin keen to shield Russians from the war, the plan could work against his efforts by involving regular citizens in it and making the consequences of the invasion more visible.

The proposed measure reflects growing problems for Russia against Ukraine’s increasingly sophisticated drones, according to Thomas Withington, a researcher at the Royal United Services Institute in London.

The draft bill “seems to indicate that … military-level drone defense capabilities in Russia are failing, because if they were working you wouldn’t need to do that,” he told The Associated Press.

“This situation is not improving for Russia,” he said, noting that Moscow is battling to keep up with Ukrainian drone innovations.

The measure seeks to “try and offload some of the burden of drone protection to the non-military, non-law enforcement sectors,” which are under strain, he said.

Under the bill that passed in its second and third reading by the Duma, bank employees may jam or intercept drone control signals, and damage or destroy uncrewed aerial, underwater and ground vehicles threatening their facilities, without waiting for a response from security services.

“Jamming will be used to make it more difficult for (the drones) to target and attack the relevant targets,” Anatoly Aksakov, chairman of the State Duma Committee on Financial Markets, told Russian media outlet RBK. “Plus, we’ll also use means to shoot down these drones, thereby protecting the relevant targets.”

Each organization will determine which employees are authorized to deploy the measures.

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

The four-time champion eliminated 35th-ranked Sara Bejlek 6-2, 6-3 to reach the third round on Wednesday.

Swiatek won Roland Garros in 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

With a heat wave still a factor in Paris, seventh-seeded Elina Svitolina extended a run of solid form with a 6-0, 6-4 victory over Kaitlin Quevedo.

Svitolina is on an eight-match winning streak after raising the Italian Open trophy.

Also, 11th-seeded Belinda Bencic beat American opponent Caty McNally 6-4, 6-0.

For the fourth straight day of this year's tournament, the temperature was forecast to rise to at least 32 degrees Celsius (90 Fahrenheit).

Later Wednesday, 39-year-old Novak Djokovic faced 74th-ranked French player Valentin Royer, while second-seeded Alexander Zverev was playing Tomas Machac in the night session on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

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

The S&P 500 rose 0.1% and added to its all-time high set the day before. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 171 points, or 0.3%, as of 9:35 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.1% higher.

Stocks of companies with big fuel bills again helped lead the way on hopes that lower oil prices will remove a big burden for them. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings rallied 6.8%, and United Airlines climbed 6%.

The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil fell 3.7% to $95.88 as the ceasefire between the United States and Iran appeared to hold despite the U.S. military launching what it called “self-defense” strikes in southern Iran.

A barrel of benchmark U.S. crude fell even more, 4.5%, to $89.72 on hopes that the United States and Iran can reach an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to oil tankers and allow them to exit the Persian Gulf again to deliver crude to customers worldwide.

Stocks have been able to run to records largely because companies have delivered strong profits for the start of 2026 despite the painful inflation and uncertainty caused by high oil prices, and the forecast is for them to continue.

Companies benefiting from the artificial-intelligence craze have been at the forefront, and Micron Technology rose another 2.9% to help lead the market a day after it surged 19.3% to become the latest Big Tech company worth more than $1 trillion.

Micron's stock has more than tripled already in 2026, and analysts at UBS said Tuesday it could soar even more because of how AI has fundamentally changed demand for computer memory.

Bath & Body Works rose 14.5%, and Abercrombie & Fitch climbed 12% after both reported profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. That's even as U.S. consumers continue to say they're feeling discouraged about the economy and inflation.

On the losing side of Wall Street were stocks in the oil-and-gas industry, which were hurt by the falling prices for crude. Exxon Mobil dropped 2.2%, and Chevron fell 1.5% to cut into their big gains for the year so far. Both are still up roughly 20% since the start of the year.

In the bond market, Treasury yields eased after falling oil prices took pressure off inflation. The yield on the 10-year Treasury slipped to 4.47% from 4.50% late Tuesday and from 4.67% roughly a week ago.

It’s a respite following recent gains for yields in bond markets worldwide, which threatened to slow economies and undercut prices for stocks and all kinds of other investments. High yields have already forced the average long-term U.S. mortgage rate to its most expensive level since last summer, and they could curtail companies’ borrowing to build the artificial-intelligence data centers that have supported the U.S. economy’s growth recently.

In stock markets abroad, European indexes ticked higher following a more mixed finish in Asia. South Korea's Kospi jumped 2.3% after SK Hynix soared 9.3%. It's also benefiting from the AI boom.

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AP Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed to this report.

The weapons systems are Tomahawk cruise missiles, which are used to strike targets deep inside enemy territory, and Patriot and THAAD interceptors that defend against incoming missiles and drones.

“The United States has enough munitions for any plausible scenario in the Iran war, but the depleted inventories have created a window of vulnerability for a potential Western Pacific conflict,” the Center for Strategic and International Studies said in its new report, provided to The Associated Press. “The time needed to rebuild those inventories has thus become a major concern.”

China has a stated goal of ensuring its military is capable of taking Taiwan by force if necessary by 2027, which experts see as more aspirational than a hard deadline. But Chinese President Xi Jinping warned this month that if Washington mishandles its relations with the self-governing island, the U.S. and China could end up clashing or even in open conflict.

Trump administration is boosting funding, but production takes time

The analysis by the Washington think tank factors in the Republican Trump administration's historic defense budget proposal of $1.5 trillion for 2027, which significantly accelerates spending on high-end munitions that began during the Democratic Biden administration. While there's bipartisan agreement in Congress to boost inventories, “the problem today isn’t money; it’s time,” the report said.

“It takes time to expand production capacity and to build these complex systems,” the report said, adding that the window of vulnerability will last “for several years until inventories return to their previous levels and another several years before they get to the levels that war planners desire.”

Although munitions inventories are classified, CSIS said sufficient public information exists in Pentagon budget materials to estimate production timelines.

President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have insisted the U.S. is capable of fighting any war. They have pushed defense contractors to speed up munitions production, with Hegseth telling lawmakers last month that military spending under Trump will help manufacturers double or even triple their capacities.

Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement that the military “has everything it needs to execute at the time and place of the President’s choosing.”

“We have executed multiple successful operations across combatant commands while ensuring the U.S. military possesses a deep arsenal of capabilities to protect our people and our interests,” Parnell said.

Some military experts have pushed back. Pentagon officials “knew the reality of our military stockpiles and hopefully told someone, ‘Hey, if we go to this fight, even in the most conservative estimates, we are drawing down our stockpiles to a critical level,’” said Virginia Burger, a senior defense policy analyst at the Project On Government Oversight watchdog group and a former Marine officer.

Concerns about diminished stockpiles were a theme at recent congressional hearings. For Democrats, the munitions supply is a damning metric against the Iran war, which Trump launched without lawmakers' approval. Some Republicans argue that the problem stems from the U.S. sending Patriot missile defense systems to Ukraine after Russia invaded in 2022, although several American allies use those systems.

The roots of the predicament can be traced to the end of the Cold War, said Mark Cancian, a retired Marine colonel and senior adviser at CSIS who co-authored the study with research associate Chris H. Park.

After the fall of the Soviet Union in late 1991, the U.S. assumed future wars would be short and regional with little need for large numbers of such high-end weapons, Cancian said in an interview. The Pentagon ordered relatively low numbers, assuming the military would not need many of them. Military contractors responded in kind, relying on a relatively small manufacturing footprint to build them.

Russia’s war with Ukraine showed that wars could be protracted and require deep inventories of advanced weapons, Cancian said. At the same time, U.S. military strategists were war-gaming possible conflicts in the western Pacific.

“The thinking started to change, but it just takes time to build inventories,” Cancian said, adding that part of the challenge is bringing up to speed a complicated web of supply chains and subcontractors that produce very novel components.

President Joe Biden's administration should get some credit for starting conversations with the defense industry, putting money into the industrial base and ramping up production, said Cancian, who oversaw acquisitions of military hardware at the Office of Management and Budget under Presidents George W. Bush, a Republican, and Barack Obama, a Democrat.

“A lot of people in the Trump administration are inclined to say that everything was terrible until they arrived, and that’s not true,” Cancian said. “Now, it is true that the Trump administration really increased funding.”

How long it will take to rebuild key stockpiles

The U.S. fired 1,000-plus Tomahawk missiles at Iran, and it could take until late 2030 to fully replenish the prewar inventory, CSIS estimates show.

Fewer than 200 Tomahawks are made a year because of small orders in the past, the report says. However, manufacturer Raytheon has a goal of ramping up capacity to more than 1,000 per year.

RTX, Raytheon's parent company, declined to comment on the CSIS findings because it had not yet seen the report. But RTX pointed to investments of several billion dollars to boost production, including expanding facilities in Alabama and Arizona.

For in-demand air defense systems, replacing as many as 290 THAAD, or Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, interceptors that shot down incoming Iranian drones and missiles could take until the end of 2029, CSIS estimates. Replenishing more than 1,000 Patriot interceptors should wrap up in mid-2029.

Lockheed Martin is significantly boosting production of rounds for both systems, while deliveries of THAADs “were apparently re-sequenced to prioritize U.S. needs over those of allies and partners,” CSIS noted.

"Patriot deliveries pose a dilemma for the United States because of the need to replenish its own inventories, help Ukraine defend against Russian missile attacks, and meet the needs of 17 other countries that use the interceptor," the report said.

Lockheed Martin said in a statement that it's investing $9 billion through 2030 and “is already delivering tangible results to meet heightened munitions demand, including a new facility in Alabama announced last week along with more than 20 others across the United States.”

In the meantime, CSIS said a potential conflict with China is “not all bleak,” with the U.S. military recently displaying its capabilities against Iran, Venezuela and the Houthi rebels in Yemen.

“China is deeply aware that it has no recent combat experience and that it performed poorly in its last war — against Vietnam in 1979," the report said. "That difference in experience may preserve deterrence until munitions inventories are restored.”

The median employee at companies in the S&P 500 earned $89,744, reflecting a 4.7% increase year over year. While that gain outpaced the rate of inflation in 2025, many workers were still feeling pinched by the accumulation of higher prices over the past few years and had to cut corners to make ends meet and run up credit card debt to pay for everyday necessities.

The Associated Press’ CEO compensation survey, which uses data analyzed for The AP by Equilar, included pay data for 337 executives at S&P 500 companies who have served at least two full consecutive fiscal years at their companies, which filed proxy statements between Jan. 1 and April 30.

Here's a look at some highlights from the survey.

The pay gap

At half the companies in AP’s survey it would take the worker at the middle of the company’s pay scale 200 years to make what the CEO did in one, up from 192 years in last year's survey. Companies have been required to disclose this so-called pay ratio since 2018.

While the biggest gaps occur at companies where the CEO received compensation loaded with one-time awards of stock, the pay ratio also tends to be highest at companies in industries where wages are typically low. For instance, at Coca-Cola, its CEO earned nearly 1,739 times the median pay of $17,947 for its workers. The CEO at the retailer TJX Cos. makes about 1,774 times what a worker making the company’s median pay does.

Sarah Anderson, who directs the Global Economy Project at the progressive Institute for Policy Studies, noted in an email that there are ballot initiative campaigns in San Francisco and Los Angeles to raise taxes on companies with sizable gaps between CEO and worker pay.

“At a time when working families are struggling with rising costs, it’s obscene to see CEO pay continuing to skyrocket,” Anderson wrote.

Overall, wages and benefits netted by private-sector workers in the U.S. rose 3.4% through 2025, according to the Labor Department. The average worker in the U.S. makes $67,000 a year. That figure rises to $96,000 when benefits such as health care and other insurance are included.

The nature of CEO pay

While many people may think of a pay package as consisting of salary, bonus and some perks, those components make up only a small percentage of pay for the modern CEO.

Many companies have heeded calls from shareholders to tie CEO compensation more closely to performance. As a result, a large proportion of pay packages consist of stock awards, which the CEO often can’t cash in for years, if at all, unless the company meets certain targets, typically a higher stock price or market value or improved operating profits. And if the CEO delivers on those metrics, companies often give them one-time rewards as incentives to stay on and not look for a bigger payday elsewhere.

Shareholders can weigh in on a CEO's pay package through “say on pay” votes at a company's annual meeting. But the votes are non-binding and most pay plans pass with overwhelming support. The average “yes” vote at companies in this year's survey was around 90%.

Big rewards, lofty goals

As CEO pay has grown significantly over the past few decades, criticism of the lofty payouts has largely come from worker advocates and certain members of Congress.

Elon Musk's pay package is so extraordinary that even the pope weighed in.

Musk, the CEO of Tesla, received compensation valued at $132.3 billion, all in the form of stock awards. To actually get the shares, Musk must meet ambitious targets over the next 10 years for the company's market value and Tesla's electric vehicles, as well as his futuristic goals of developing a fleet of robotaxis and an army of humanoid robots.

Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Shankh Mitra of Welltower received the second-largest compensation package in the survey at $821.1 million, the bulk of it in stock awards. Since October 2020, when he became CEO of the healthcare real estate investment trust, and October 2025, Welltower's stock price tripled. Mitra can only receive the full compensation, beyond a $110,000 annual salary, after a 10-year period.

CEO Hock Tan's pay package at Broadcom, valued at $205.3 million, covers the years 2028-2030 — companies assign a value at the time the package is awarded — and is tied to Tan's ability to greatly increase the revenue Broadcom generates from artificial intelligence, making it one of the few companies at this time to use AI as a benchmark in its compensation plans.

“Use of AI considerations or metrics in incentive plans has not yet taken hold as a majority practice,” said Kelly Malafis, founding partner at Compensation Advisory Partners, in an email, although she expects that could change going forward.

David Zaslav was at the center of a takeover battle that ended with him selling Warner Bros. to Paramount Skydance for $31 a share, up from $12.54 before reports of Paramount’s interest in a deal came out. For negotiating the deal at a premium and also exceeding certain financial and strategic goals, Warner gave Zaslav a pay package valued at $165 million, fourth largest in the survey. Since becoming CEO in 2007, Zaslav's compensation has totaled $1.1 billion, according to Equilar.

Big payouts for bankers

CEOs of three the nation's biggest banks got rewarded for yearslong efforts to retool their companies and revive a stagnant stock price.

Goldman Sachs’ David Solomon's pay package totaled almost $119 million — including stock valued at $80 million he can receive after five years. Goldman's board pointed to the 57% gain in the company's shares, as well as a hefty increase in its earnings per share. Solomon also sold off the company's Apple Card portfolio after an unsuccessful effort to expand Goldman's consumer-focused business.

Jane Fraser of Citigroup received a pay package valued at $95.8 million — tops among the 27 women CEOs in this year's survey and the highest-ever for a woman CEO in the survey's history. Fraser received a one-time award valued at $25 million in restricted stock and options after being elected Citi's chairman. She also got a one-time award for overseeing a wholesale reorganization of Citi into a leaner company, including laying off thousands of workers.

Overall, the median compensation for women CEOs in the survey fell 2.6% to $18.1 million, compared to a 6.4% increase for their male counterparts to $17.7 billion.

Wells Fargo gave CEO Charles Scharf a pay package worth $94.5 million after his yearslong effort to lead the bank back from a scandal involving fake bank accounts that landed Wells under federal supervision. And new scandals emerged along the way. The Federal Reserve finally let Wells leave the penalty box last year.

Other notables

In his last year as CEO of the conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett received compensation worth $389,488 — down 4% from the year prior.

Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg's compensation was valued at $25.1 million and almost all of it involved costs for the company to provide security for him and his family, as well as the use of corporate aircraft.

Jensen Huang of Nvidia, the most valuable publicly traded company, got a pay package valued at $36.3 million. He didn't make the AP survey because Nvidia filed its proxy after April 30.

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Editors Dorothea Degen and Paul Harloff, and reporters Bernard Condon, Matt Ott, Alex Veiga, Ken Sweet and Chris Rugaber contributed.

Pilgrims in Mina, Saudi Arabia, at the annual Islamic pilgrimage chanted “Allahu akbar,” or God is great, while throwing pebbles in a ritual seen as a symbolic stoning of the devil. The act also is seen as a symbol of rejecting evil and a commemoration of the Prophet Ibrahim’s rejection of temptation when the devil tried to dissuade him from submitting to God’s will.

Large crowds of pilgrims moved through the sprawling Jamarat complex after arriving from Muzdalifah, where they collected pebbles overnight following a day of worship and prayer at Arafat on Tuesday.

Pakistani pilgrim Aamar Shakur said he saw the pebble throwing as a symbol of confronting personal struggles in which he was “throwing the stone to my own devil.”

The last days of the Hajj in Saudi Arabia coincide with Eid al-Adha, or “Feast of Sacrifice,” which marks the willingness of Ibrahim, known as Abraham to Christians and Jews, to sacrifice his son. During the holiday, Muslims typically slaughter sheep or cattle and distribute some of the meat to poor people.

The Hajj, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, is required once in a lifetime of every Muslim who can afford it and is physically able. Performed over several days, the Hajj can be a deeply moving spiritual experience and a chance to seek God’s forgiveness.

This year, the physically demanding Hajj has been held in intense heat, which appeared to take a toll on some as they moved between holy sites. Medical teams stationed across Mina were seen treating several pilgrims.

Many poured water over their heads and faces to cool themselves under the scorching sun, while others carried umbrellas. Some pushed elderly relatives and loved ones in wheelchairs through the crowds toward the pillars so they could complete the ritual.

More than 1.5 million pilgrims have arrived from abroad, a Saudi official said Friday.

This year's Hajj takes place against the backdrop of a tenuous ceasefire in the Iran war and related uncertainty throughout the region.

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Fam reported from Winter Park, Florida.

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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.

The argument served as the rationale for raising the U.S. refugee cap, but only for white Afrikaners. The Trump administration said Tuesday that it will admit an additional 10,000 white South Africans into the U.S. as refugees this year, increasing its annual cap, but blocking people from other countries from entering through the program.

U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement on the Federal Register that he was increasing the refugee cap because of “an unforeseen emergency refugee situation.” He blamed the South African government for “recent increases in the incitement of racially motivated violence,” but Trump gave no specific information.

The South African government’s international relations department said Wednesday that accusations of systemic persecution of white Afrikaners are unfounded, pointing out that some beneficiaries of an immigration program have chosen to return to South Africa.

“This reality is further corroborated by the actions of individuals who, despite having availed themselves of this preferential immigration program, have since resolved to return home,” spokesman Chrispin Phiri said.

Afrikaner trade union, Solidariteit, argued that refugee status isn't a viable solution for Afrikaners, who should thrive in South Africa instead. Spokesman Jaco Kleynhans said that the organization hadn't discussed any “unforeseen emergency refugee situation” with the Trump administration, but respects the autonomy of U.S. refugee policy toward Afrikaners.

The union “is in no way aware of anything that the Trump administration could be referring to,” Kleynhans said.

AfriForum, a lobbying organization for the country’s white Afrikaner minority with more than 300,000 members, said it “does not have information” regarding the specific assertion that there's an emergency refugee situation.

The organization’s CEO, Kallie Kriel, said the group’s focus is “fighting to create the circumstances in South Africa where there is no need for Afrikaners to leave.”

Trump suspended the U.S. refugee program on his first day in office and, since then, has turned it into a vehicle to allow Afrikaners — a group of white South Africans descended mainly from Dutch settlers — into the United States. Advocates say the decision to focus a decades-old program on one group has left people around the world fleeing war and strife stranded and with few options.

Refugee groups have questioned why white South Africans are being prioritized ahead of people from countries facing war and natural disasters. Vetting for refugee status in the U.S. often takes years.

The Trump administration’s preference for white Afrikaner refugee admissions, according to Dr. Bryony Fox, a social justice researcher at Stellenbosch University, raises questions about selective humanitarianism, inconsistent refugee protection and favoring privileged groups, while ignoring other refugee populations experiencing severe hardships.

“This risks politicizing refugee protection in a way that may ultimately weaken the legitimacy and universality of the refugee regime itself,” she said.

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AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

Steyer — a former hedge fund manager turned liberal activist — has spent or booked more than $195 million in ads for broadcast TV, cable and radio with the tally still growing, according to data compiled by advertising tracker AdImpact.

His torrent of ads has opened the one-time presidential candidate to criticism that he is trying to buy the governor's chair, and his ad total represents more than 20 times the amount spent by his nearest rival, fellow Democrat Xavier Becerra, as the two duel for a spot in the November election.

Nationally, his spending is unparalleled — no one is even close.

In Georgia, Republican health care executive Rick Jackson has spent about $83 million on advertising in his primary race for governor, which is headed for a June runoff, ranking him second. The third place spot is held by his Republican rival, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who has President Donald Trump’s endorsement and has spent nearly $31 million on ads, according to AdImpact.

Following Jones was Democratic U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, who spent over $28 million on advertising in a failed bid for U.S. Senate.

Trying to ‘buy the governor’s office?’

Katie Porter, a former U.S. House member who is among seven established Democrats in the California race, has repeatedly criticized Steyer for dipping into his personal fortune to keep ads in front of voters with scant competition from rivals.

“She isn’t spending hundreds of millions of dollars of personal wealth trying to buy the governor’s office,” her campaign wrote in an email to supporters.

In raw numbers, Steyer's ad blitz has eclipsed the 2010 record set by Republican Meg Whitman, who spent $178.5 million in total on a losing bid for governor, much of it her own money. At the time, it was the costliest campaign for statewide office in the nation’s history. When adjusted for inflation, however, Whitman still holds the state record, but that represented spending for the full election, not just the primary.

A crowded field with no clear leader

Steyer's record-level output has lifted him into contention in the crowded race, but he's not breaking away from the field. He's among a leading group of several candidates — including Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton — as the campaign heads toward a June 2 primary. Mail voting started earlier this month.

Still, Steyer's cash advantage is giving him a publicity edge as the contest enters its crucial final days. He's maintained a steady flow of advertising and online posts questioning Becerra's credentials and record, with Becerra, a former state attorney general and Biden administration health secretary, lacking the funds to reply in kind.

One Becerra ad sought to connect with voters who might be getting bleary-eyed from the cascade of Steyer advertising. It used tranquil scenes of Joshua trees, waves curling on a beach and soaring redwoods, with a gentle prod: “You can stop the endless Tom Steyer ads. Vote Xavier Becerra.”

Steyer’s financial edge has allowed him to stretch the boundaries of his campaign far beyond traditional TV and radio ads, with steady posts on online platforms like YouTube and Instagram. The New York Times reported that his campaign paid a progressive Texas influencer $100,000 to help Steyer win the election. The Sacramento Bee reported that Becerra, too, had hired an influencer.

In a statement, Steyer spokesperson Kevin Liao did not directly address the campaign's spending but pointed to millions of dollars pumped into ads by independent groups backed by Pacific Gas and Electric Co., real estate agents and others seeking to defeat the billionaire, who has promised to “break up the electric monopolies in California.”

Many voters have been slow to vote in a race without a star candidate and no clear leader. More than 50 names will be on the ballot. California uses a “top two” primary system that puts all candidates on one ballot, with only the top two vote-getters advancing to November, regardless of party.

“In a race this close, it all matters,” said Democratic consultant Andrew Acosta.

Money doesn't always make the difference

History shows that money doesn’t always translate into votes.

Billionaire developer Rick Caruso spent over $100 million in 2022 in his bid to become Los Angeles mayor, much of it his own money, but he was handily defeated by Mayor Karen Bass, who spent a fraction of Caruso’s total. Billionaire former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg spent more than $1 billion of his own money on his 2020 presidential bid before dropping out. And Steyer’s money was unable to lift him into contention in the 2020 presidential contest, from which he dropped out early in the year after a poor finish in the South Carolina primary.

Democratic San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan's campaign for governor was supported by independent committees bankrolled by millions of dollars from tech leaders and venture capitalists, yet he failed to gain traction in the race.

Steyer has never held elected office.

In a 2019 interview with The Associated Press, Steyer was asked what he would say to people who think he’s trying to buy the presidency.

“I don’t think that’s possible,” Steyer said at the time, before adding, “I’m never going to apologize for succeeding in business. That’s America, right?”

The contest is unfolding as California struggles with a long-running homeless crisis, wildfire insurance shortages, projected budget shortfalls and housing costs that are out of reach for many working-class families. Voters, meanwhile, are saddled with growing everyday bills for groceries, utilities and gas.

The AdImpact data does not include ads on some popular streaming services, like Hulu and YouTube, or mail advertising.

During his career, Newhouse served as president of The Star-Ledger in Newark, New Jersey, and head of Advance Publications' newspaper group, which he navigated into the internet age.

“You reveled in his company. He filled you with energy and humor when you felt doubtful and weak,” Anna Wintour, the global editorial director of Vogue and Conde Nast's chief content officer, said in an obituary released Tuesday night by the Newhouse family.

Newhouse, who lived in New York, spent nearly 50 years overseeing the 35 newspapers of Advance Publications, the media business started by his late father, Samuel Irving Newhouse Sr., in 1922. His older brother, S.I. Newhouse Jr., was chairman of the company and oversaw Conde Nast magazines. He died in 2017.

Louis D. Boccardi, retired president and CEO of the AP, said Newhouse was an extraordinary chairman for the cooperative.

“His voice was never the loudest in the room, but it was often the wisest,” Boccardi said. Newhouse was instinctively private, but behind that, Boccardi said, was a generous man, at home anywhere and curious about everything.

“He could come across as self-effacing and deferential, but in Don's skilled hands those were qualities that made him an enormously strong and effective leader,” Boccardi said.

A man who didn't chase the spotlight

Newhouse, born in 1929, was known for staying out of the public eye. A reporter once asked him to list the biggest chances he took in his career. The answer: “Inviting your questions.”

The usually reserved Newhouse did step into the spotlight when he took on the role of chairman of the Newspaper Association of America from 1993 to 1994 and then chairman of the AP board of directors from 1997 to 2002. He had served on the AP board for nine years before becoming its chairman.

“My dad believed in the journalistic mission of the AP,” said Michael Newhouse, Donald E. Newhouse's son. He added that his dad and the publication's then-CEO would travel around the world to meet AP journalists.

“He was a smart and shrewd businessman but as thoughtful and kind a man as you'll find. Being in his presence was always a joy,” said Doug Clifton, editor of one of Newhouse's papers, The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, from 1999 to 2007.

Newhouse attended Syracuse University but never graduated, heading into the family's newspaper business instead. In 2016 he finally received a degree from the school and gave its commencement address.

Newhouse would regularly visit his newspapers but left the ultimate authority of running them to his publishers.

“Each of our newspapers operates independently, with publishers who are strong, who set policy for their individual organizations and who have the authority and responsibility of carrying out the policies they set,” he said in 1993 when taking over as chairman of the newspaper association.

Newhouse was known for spending money to make sure that papers got the best stories. Jim Willse, editor of The Star-Ledger from 1995 until 2010, said they “added staff, modernized the design, took on investigations and other major projects.”

Newhouse's philosophy of spending money to produce quality coverage and a hands-off approach toward his editors led to many successes. From 2001 to 2012, Advance’s newspaper group was awarded a dozen Pulitzers.

Many of those newspapers were able to thrive and remain profitable because they dominated their market, but Newhouse said he was very much aware of what he called the “dramatically changing media landscape” and how people get their news.

“The 15th-century revolution was epitomized by the printing of the Gutenberg Bible; ours by Ted Turner's cable news network and by web-based news sites — news in real time from anywhere to everywhere,” he said in 2004 at the rededication of a communications school named after his father at Syracuse University.

Three years later, he told one of his papers, The Post-Standard of Syracuse, New York, that newspapers can survive “by producing content that is relevant, interesting, accurate and entertaining for newspapers and the internet.”

He steered through financial struggles

Yet the papers did ultimately struggle financially.

Advance was known in the industry for a pledge that employees who weren't in a union would have jobs regardless of economic downturns or technological advances. In 2009, the company announced that the pledge would be withdrawn.

The company also moved away from daily publishing of several papers. In 2012, it announced that the Post-Standard; The Times-Picayune in New Orleans, Louisiana; the Patriot-News in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and the Birmingham News, the Press-Register of Mobile and The Huntsville Times, all in Alabama, would cease daily publication and would only offer print editions on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Those changes were accompanied by hundreds of layoffs.

“His conservative approach left both the papers and its employees somewhat unprepared for the realities of the internet,” said Thomas Maier, who wrote a 1994 biography of the family.

Newhouse's eldest son, Steven, spearheaded the company's growth on the internet and on mobile devices. Steven Newhouse is currently co-president of Advance Publications.

“My dad spent his life in the newspaper business and was devoted to it, built it up and enjoyed many good years. When it became more challenging, he was first in line to work through, finding solutions to keep the local journalism franchise going,” he said.

While Newhouse was dedicated to Advance, his true passion was his family. His daughter, Katherine Mele, said his favorite pastime was 3-mile (4.8-kilometer) walks with them.

In addition to his children, Newhouse is also survived by his grandchildren. His wife, Susan, died in 2015.

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Mayerowitz is a former Associated Press journalist. AP reporter Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed.

As he prepares to huddle with his top aides, Trump is projecting confidence that he's closing in on a deal that will reopen the Strait of Hormuz and provide him a credible argument that Iran’s nuclear capability has been diminished enough to declare victory, winding down a conflict that's been politically unpopular for Republicans.

But as things stand, Trump also risks finding closure to his war of choice comes with an unsatisfactory ending.

The emerging deal puts off many critical issues to be resolved later and has already exposed the Republican president to fierce criticism — even from some of his own supporters — that Iran's hard-line leaders will emerge from the conflict battered but emboldened. It all comes to a head just as the midterm elections to determine control of Congress come into focus and as Republicans worry that rising costs and fuel prices are darkening the American electorate's mood.

Talks were further complicated after U.S. forces carried out what the Pentagon called “defensive” strikes on missile launch sites and mine-laying boats in southern Iran on Monday. The U.S. said it acted with “restraint” in light of the weekslong ceasefire, while Iran decried the action as a sign of “bad faith and unreliability.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that talks with Iran on reopening the strait and extending the ceasefire — a period that the administration says could be used to hash out the finer details of a nuclear agreement — will take several more days. “He’s either going to make a good deal or no deal,” Rubio told reporters.

Trump took to social media on Tuesday to grumble that even if Tehran were to offer a complete surrender, the media would paint the end of the conflict as Iran scoring “a Masterful and Brilliant Victory."

Some Trump backers are skeptical

While Trump insists a deal is within reach, there appears to be daylight between the U.S. and Iran on several key issues. The president is also facing scrutiny from Republican allies, including Sens. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Ted Cruz of Texas, who have said the terms seem too favorable to Tehran.

They're balking at aspects of the deal that have emerged publicly that they say too closely resemble the nuclear agreement reached with Iran by Democratic President Barack Obama, which Trump scrapped during his first term.

Under the potential deal, Tehran would agree to give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium — a key Trump demand — in return for sanctions relief. That's according to two regional officials and one senior Trump administration official, all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive negotiations.

One regional official, with direct knowledge of the negotiations, said how Iran would give up the uranium would be subject to further talks during a 60-day period. Some would likely be diluted, while the rest would be transferred to a third country, the official said.

Iran has 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium that is enriched up to 60% purity, a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Iran has not publicly committed to giving up its uranium.

Trump on Monday said in a Truth Social post that the uranium, which is believed to be buried under nuclear sites battered by U.S. airstrikes last year, would either be turned over to the U.S. or “destroyed in place or, at another acceptable location, with the Atomic Energy Commission, or its equivalent, being witness to this process and event.” The comment signals a softening of Trump's previous insistence that the U.S. take control of Iran's uranium stockpile.

How Trump's plan affects Israel's war in Lebanon

Another key issue unresolved is whether the ceasefire will also cover Israel’s operations against Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militant group in Lebanon. Iran has insisted that Lebanon must be covered by any ceasefire agreement negotiated with the United States.

The administration appears to leave some wiggle room on the Lebanon question. The emerging memorandum of understanding calls for a ceasefire between the U.S. and its allies against Iran and its proxies, such as Hezbollah, but also underscores Israel's right to act against imminent threats and in self-defense.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday announced that the Israeli military is “deepening its operation” in Lebanon. Overnight, Israel's military clashed with the Iran-backed militant Hezbollah group along a strategic river in southern Lebanon as Israeli troops pushed farther north.

Jonathan Conricus, a former spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces, said Israel expects that Iran would quickly move to direct any sanctions relief to restore its military capability and boost proxy groups, including Hezbollah and Hamas in Gaza.

“We’re not done fighting, because the Iranian regime isn’t done,” said Conricus, who is a senior fellow with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a hawkish Washington think tank.

‘Stunned silence’ as Trump ties Abraham Accords to Iran deal

Trump on Monday said any agreement to end the Iran war should include a requirement for several additional countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan, to join the Abraham Accords, the U.S.-brokered agreements from Trump’s first term aimed at normalizing diplomatic and economic relations with Israel.

Trump’s optimism that the other Middle Eastern and majority Muslim countries could soon sign on to the accords might be overly ambitious.

For example, Saudi Arabia, the most significant power in the Arab world and long seen as the biggest prize for the normalization effort, has insisted that establishing a guaranteed path to a Palestinian state remains a precondition. It's something that Israel vehemently opposes.

Trump made the Abraham Accords push during a call with leaders of Mideast allies over the weekend.

Barbara Leaf, a retired U.S. ambassador to the United Arab Emirates and senior State Department official during President Joe Biden's Democratic administration, said officials from Gulf countries who were on the call told her that Trump's pitch was greeted by “stunned silence." A person familiar with the call disputed that characterization and said that some regional allies responded positively to the president’s call to join the accords. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity about the private conversation.

Leaf, a distinguished diplomatic fellow at the Middle East Institute, said that Middle Eastern allies of the United States recognize that Iran will likely use any money from sanctions relief to bolster its military capabilities. Still, they have been supportive of Trump pursuing an end to the conflict.

“They see no other way out,” Leaf said of American allies in the region. “And they see no other way out because of many of these early mistakes that the president and the administration made in conducting the war.”

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AP writers Matthew Lee and Darlene Superville in Washington, Samy Magdy in Cairo and Melanie Lidman in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

“This album in particular is what I think fans would say is the most recognized time in our career,” says Maines.

And so, they expect the shows — which will feature them performing “Taking the Long Way” in full as well as additional songs — will also have them reminiscing about the album and the very unusual time that led up to it, on stage.

The moment that changed everything was back in 2003, when then-President George W. Bush was preparing to invade Iraq. The Chicks were playing a show in London when Maines announced that they were ashamed that the president was from Texas. The backlash was swift, and the stuff of industry lore. They were booed on awards shows, radio stations pulled their music and fans destroyed their CDs. There was an apology, and then in 2006, a rescinding of the apology — with the best revenge served in the form of a multiplatinum selling single, “Not Ready to Make Nice.”

“It was definitely inspiring for songwriting,” said Maines of that period. “It felt like life was happening to us, like we weren't steering the ship.”

“Those were hard times for us,” adds Maguire. “It's all the stages of grief … I think we were kind of in that misunderstood, angry, but also really upset and needing an outlet (stage.)”

And so, they wrote the triumphant “Taking the Long Way,” produced by Rick Rubin, after “licking our wounds,” as Strayer puts it.

“Not Ready to Make Nice” came out of that. “It was like, ‘This is solely selfish. This is our lives,'” Maines says of the song. And they were shocked when it connected — but now, they recognize that “people have their own ‘Not Ready to Make Nice’ story to tell.”

The album went on to earn them five Grammy Awards, including album, song and record of the year, and marked a transformative moment for the band. And its themes still resonate.

“Re-listening and rehearing those songs, I was surprised how relevant they still seemed and how universal they still seemed even though they were such personal stories,” says Strayer.

Later this year, fans will have the opportunity to relive the “Taking the Long Way” era for a 16-night run that starts at the Fox Theatre in Detroit on Sept. 30 and ends in Los Angeles at the Dolby Theatre on Nov. 1 and 2. They'll also do two nights in Chicago, New York, San Antonio, Seattle and San Francisco. They'll hit Washington, Nashville, Tennessee, and Austin, Texas, for one night only.

Tickets will go on sale June 4 at 10 a.m. local time on LiveNation.com.

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The Chicks' ‘Taking the Long Way’ 20th Anniversary Tour Dates

Sept. 30: Detroit — Fox Theatre

Oct. 3: Chicago — The Auditorium

Oct. 4: Chicago — The Auditorium

Oct. 6: Washington — The Anthem

Oct. 12: New York — Beacon Theatre

Oct. 13: New York — Beacon Theatre

Oct. 15: Nashville, Tennessee — The Truth

Oct. 17: San Antonio — Majestic Theatre

Oct. 18: San Antonio — Majestic Theatre

Oct. 20: Austin, Texas — Bass Concert Hall

Oct. 25: Seattle — Benaroya Hall

Oct. 26: Seattle — Benaroya Hall

Oct. 29: San Francisco — The Masonic

Oct. 30: San Francisco — The Masonic

Nov. 1: Los Angeles — Dolby Theatre

Nov. 2: Los Angeles — Dolby Theatre

The topic of the news conference at the Hilton Garden Inn Tampa Airport Westshore hotel has not been released.

News4JAX will stream the news conference live and update this article after it ends. Press play above to watch.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton easily defeated four-term Sen. John Cornyn in the latest contest where Trump sought to oust an incumbent he saw as insufficiently loyal. The scandal-plagued Republican now faces Democratic state Rep. James Talarico in November, with control of the Senate an open question.

The 79-year-old president emerged from another medical exam saying “Everything checked out PERFECTLY” after working to dismiss concerns about his age and stamina. The White House said his more than three hours at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center were spent doing preventive medical and dental checkups.

Here's the Latest:

Congress could get a record number of new faces next year

It’s starting to look like an exodus.

Out of 535 voting members of Congress, 73 will not return to their seats next term — the most at this point in the calendar since President Barack Obama’s administration, according to an Associated Press analysis of congressional turnover going back to 2013.

Some are seeking other offices. Others are retiring after decades of service. A few are departing instead of running in unfamiliar territory after an unusual flurry of redistricting. Around two-thirds of the outgoing members in both houses are Republicans.

▶ Read more

A UFC fighting cage rises on the White House lawn

Yet another White House construction project is underway. Crews are erecting a temporary octagon-shaped cage on the South Lawn for next month’s UFC bout, timed to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary — and President Donald Trump ’s 80th birthday.

Online renderings depict what the completed, wire-mesh-fence-ringed fight space is expected to look like ahead of the June 14 event, ringed by a red, white and blue stage under a towering arch featuring stars and stripes patterns and two large screens carrying the action live. Thousands of temporary seats will surround the cage and stage, including ringside space for a full marching band.

“I have never seen anybody want anything so much as people want those tickets,” Trump said recently. “That’s gonna be something.”

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Trump congratulates Paxton on Texas GOP Senate primary win

In a social media post, Trump congratulated Paxton on a “tremendous win” and promised that “I will do some nice, big, beautiful rallies for Ken. Texas, this will be FUN!

Trump also congratulated Cornyn “for having run a strong and powerful race but, more importantly, having had a truly great career.”

In his endorsement of Paxton, Trump said Cornyn “was not supportive of me when times were tough” and that “John was very late in backing me.”

But Trump said Wednesday that, “John will remain my friend for a long time to come, as we both watch Ken become a fantastic, common-sense Senator.”

Biden sues Justice Department to stop release of audio and transcripts tied to special counsel probe

Joe Biden sued the Justice Department on Tuesday in an effort to block the release of audio recordings and transcripts of the former president’s interview with a ghostwriter that were obtained by the special counsel who investigated his handling of classified documents.

Biden’s lawyers said in a lawsuit filed in Washington’s federal court that the Justice Department plans to release the files to Congress and a conservative group, the Heritage Foundation, after the department had previously argued that they were exempt from disclosure under the public records law.

Biden’s lawyers argued that the disclosure would “constitute an unwarranted invasion of President Biden’s privacy.”

“Every American, including a sitting or former Vice President, has a right to privacy in the personal conversations he has within his own home,” his attorneys wrote. “And when the U.S. Department of Justice obtains that private information through a criminal investigation, the Department bears a particular responsibility to protect it from disclosure.”

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Trump administration proposes NDAs for federal employees to stop media leaks

The Trump administration wants all current and future federal employees to sign nondisclosure agreements, part of a continuing crackdown on leaks to the media.

A proposed notice, announced Tuesday on the Office of Personnel Management website, is expected to be officially published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, seeking comment on a draft NDA to be used by federal agencies for “both new and existing employees.”

“The form is intended to document Federal employees’ acknowledgment of, and agreement to comply with, current legal obligations to safeguard nonpublic, confidential, or proprietary information, created or obtained through their official duties, while expressly preserving the right to make disclosures authorized by law,” the notice said.

The proposed notice seeks comment on several questions, including whether the NDA should cover only unclassified information and what appropriate actions, if any, agencies should consider for new or current employees who choose not to sign the agreement.

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Trump is getting the Republican Party that he wants. But can he win in the midterms?

Trump is on a winning streak in Republican primaries, but his tightening grip on his party could make it harder to win in the November midterms, when Republicans face a broader electorate that has soured on the president’s second term and the economy.

The risk is compounded, Republican operatives say, by how cavalier the billionaire president has been in addressing Americans’ financial worries, which have been exacerbated by Trump’s trade roller coaster and his ongoing war against Iran.

Republican strategist David Urban, a Trump ally, acknowledged the president’s approach is making things harder for his party.

“It’s going to be a tough fall unless things dramatically change,” Urban said.

He warned that Trump cannot afford a haphazard exit from the war with Iran to resolve a conflict that has created a chokehold on global oil supplies and driven gas prices higher for Americans.

“I think the president wants to help,” he said, but “you do not want to give the Iranians a win just because of the midterms.”

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Paxton dominates Cornyn in Texas US Senate runoff, the latest sign of Trump’s hold on GOP

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, easily defeating four-term Sen. John Cornyn in the latest contest where Trump sought to oust an incumbent he saw as insufficiently loyal.

Trump endorsed Paxton last week, calling him a “true MAGA warrior.” Paxton’s victory in Tuesday’s runoff makes Cornyn — who was first elected to the Senate in 2002 — the first Republican senator from Texas to lose the party’s nomination for reelection.

Cheers rang through the ballroom at Paxton’s election night party when the race was called, and he took the stage to supporters chanting his name. He quickly gave credit to Trump.

“When everyone in Washington told him to abandon me and abandon the people of Texas, he didn’t listen,” Paxton said. “President Trump is the leader of our party, and his endorsement is the most powerful force in politics.”

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Trump gathers Cabinet as he looks to seal deal to end war that some backers worry will embolden Iran

President Donald Trump will meet with his Cabinet on Wednesday at a precarious moment for talks aimed at ending the war with Iran, just days after insisting that his administration and Tehran had “largely negotiated” a settlement but with the negotiations still in a state of flux.

As he prepares to huddle with his top aides, Trump is projecting confidence that he’s closing in on a deal that will reopen the Strait of Hormuz and provide him a credible argument that Iran’s nuclear capability has been diminished enough to declare victory, winding down a conflict that’s been politically unpopular for Republicans.

But as things stand, Trump also risks finding closure to his war of choice comes with an unsatisfactory ending.

The emerging deal puts off many critical issues to be resolved later and has already exposed the president to fierce criticism — even from some of his own supporters — that Iran’s hard-line leaders will emerge from the conflict battered but emboldened.

▶ Read more

We want to say thank you to everyone who has chosen to give and share an inside look at how your generous donations are transformed into care packages.

At the USO outside NAS Jax, volunteers combine various donations into snack packs, hygiene kits and more for service members.

Travel kits include a postcard thanking them for their service.

“We have a couple of different options that we can do (for distributing the care packages). A lot of times, I love to take them on a pre-deployment, said Zola Foret, operations manager for USO. ”They’ll put in a request to USO, and they’ll ask for however many they need, and it can be a pre-deployment little pick-me-up or little morale boost.

And it’s not too late if you would like to donate! You still have a few days left.

Visit a local Navy Federal in Jacksonville and drop off some items.

Click here to find locations and a list of what’s needed.

www.prioritybicycles.com

Huracan 300: The Hard Way Through Florida

Not even close.

Before the tournament even begins, Curaçao has already crafted a story like none other in World Cup history. A tiny island country — autonomous territory, if you prefer — of about 156,000 residents in the Caribbean is now the smallest, both in terms of population and land mass, to make it to soccer’s biggest stage. And if that wasn’t enough, it's doing so under a coach in Dick Advocaat who, at 78, is about to become the oldest the tournament has ever seen.

They know what the world is probably thinking: Their country is too small, their coach is too old, they don’t have a chance.

They heard all that through the qualifying process as well — and here they are.

“We have made history,” Curaçao defender Sherel Floranus said. “We are writing our own history, for this island.”

The way they see it, they’ve already won.

They rolled through qualifying, going 4-0-0 against Haiti, Saint Lucia, Aruba and Barbados in their opening round, then going 3-0-3 against Jamaica, Bermuda and Trinidad and Tobago in the next round to grab their spot — one of three that were available for 32 teams who went to qualifying from North America, Central American and the Caribbean.

Just how small is Curaçao? Its first World Cup stop — a June 14 match against Germany in Houston — is to a city with 15 times as many people as the island. The stadium in Houston could hold about one-half of Curaçao’s entire population.

It has been a perfect storm to get here. First, the three host nations for this World Cup — the U.S., Mexico and Canada — were exempt from qualifying and already were in the tournament field. And this inaugural edition of an expanded 48-team tournament made it inevitable that there would be some surprise teams getting to the World Cup.

Like, for example, Curaçao. Surprise! With odds of +250000 at some sportsbooks, Curaçao is the longest of long shots in the field. And on the island, they do understand the reality of what that means.

“We know there is a big chance that we don’t win the World Cup, but that we (made it) there ... for Curaçao, a very, very, very good moment,” said Remko Bicentini, a former pro player and Curaçao’s former national team head coach. “We are proud of that.

“It is a party for the whole Curaçao. It’s a big level and all the players ... we worked years, for years, for years, very hard to become where we now are.”

Curaçao’s sports history is sometimes masked by its Dutch ties

The island was part of the Netherlands Antilles until October 2010, when it became a more autonomous “constituent country” of the Netherlands. The Dutch monarchy still reigns, the citizens remain Dutch nationals and the Netherlands government oversees defense and foreign affairs. And this week, Curaçao’s World Cup preparations are happening in the Netherlands — a nine-hour direct flight away, but a place where the team was greeted with “welcome home” signage.

The sense is clearly that the results at the tournament won't mean much. Winning a match would be magical. Tying one would be cause for celebration. Just being there, for those from Curaçao, is a victory in itself.

“I always saw other countries play the World Cup,” said Michael Stokkel, a policeman. “I was a fan of Brazil, but now I will be a fan of my own country. It’s an incredible feeling.”

He’s going to the World Cup, but by himself. It's just too expensive to bring others, he said.

It's not unheard of for athletes from Curaçao to compete on the international stage. The rare part here is that they're doing it actually as “Curaçao.” There have been unsuccessful attempts for the nation to be recognized as its own Olympic team; athletes compete in the Summer Games either for the Netherlands or independent athletes. At the World Baseball Classic earlier this year, players played for the Netherlands.

Ozzie Albies of the Atlanta Braves, a native of Willemstad — the island's capital and biggest city — said his nation getting to the World Cup is "history for the guys and the accomplishment is super special for Curaçao.”

“Soccer has always been a sport we play but never made it to the World Cup," said Albies, one of three Curaçao natives currently on a Major League Baseball roster. "So, to be able to do it is very, very, very special.”

The Dutch are a World Cup contender with their own national team. Curaçao, which will have its base camp at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida, when it shifts its full operation to the U.S. in the coming days, is simply savoring its moment.

“I think it’s been amazing for the whole island,” said Tahith Chong, one of the national team’s top players. “Just seeing how the island has lived with it and just knowing, I think that a lot of people don’t know about Curaçao. It loves football and it’s quite big here. So, to be present this year at the World Cup is obviously something amazing for the island.”

‘So the world knows who we are’

The hope, politically, is that the team will be a unifying force.

At 171 square miles, Curaçao has roughly as much land mass as New Orleans. There are at least 125 U.S. cities with larger populations than the entire island. Its population is about the same as Hollywood — no, not the one in California, but the city in Florida that sits between Miami and Fort Lauderdale.

Curaçao’s Prime Minister, Gilmar Pisas, sees this World Cup as an opportunity. The team known as the Blue Wave — a nod to the shimmering turquoise water that surrounds the island — and blue is a theme for everything in the country, right down to the Blue Curaçao liquor that is popular around the world (even though it has an orange flavor).

For the next few weeks, Pisas wants the nation to be Blue Nation as well.

“We will become part of something larger than ourselves, something that, despite our differences, brings us together,” Pisas said. “We share a single anthem and a single flag ... rather than being divided into separate camps. We are, finally, truly united. It is a project dedicated to the construction of a nation. It acknowledges that your people, and you yourself, are an integral part of this collective mission — the ‘Blue Nation.’”

This will not require Brenton Balentien to change much about his regular day-to-day routine.

If you see a bald, bearded, muscular man with his head and face painted blue for Curaçao games, you’ve likely found Balentien — simply known around the island as “Blue Face.” He’s a longtime soccer fan who took notice of how fans in Brazil, Colombia and other places would show up at matches in wigs and elaborate costumes.

“I said, ‘Curaçao needs that,’” Balentien said. “Curaçao is a very passive island. We watch the games and clap, sure, but we’re not the kind of fans who go out there and scream for the full 90 minutes. And I said, ‘No, we have to change that.’”

So, in 2015, Blue Face — someone who began chanting in largely empty stadiums and now has a huge following — was born. He applies the paint himself before every match. He’s basically a national mascot; a bartender, influencer and event organizer in real life, a soccer superfan when the paint comes out. He’s become a motivational speaker, someone whose home overlooking Willemstad has Curaçao’s flag waving in the wind and whose car has two more flags attached to that.

“We do this for this island,” Balentien said, “so the world knows who we are.”

The underdogs hope to be ‘giants in the World Cup’

If the world doesn’t know yet, they’ll see soon enough.

Curaçao, currently ranked No. 82 in FIFA’s global rankings, opens World Cup play against global power and 10th-ranked Germany. It then plays No. 23 Ecuador in Kansas City on June 20 and finishes group stage play against No. 34 Ivory Coast on June 25 in Philadelphia.

It will be underdogs in all three matches, barring something very unusual.

No problem. The Blue Wave is coming, the pressure is off and confidence is high.

“For us, this is the biggest World Cup because our flag will be there in America,” said Ricardo Martinez, a radio broadcaster who calls the matches. “Germany, watch out. Curaçao is coming. We are small — but giants in the World Cup.”

___

AP Sports Writer Charles Odum in Atlanta contributed to this story. Reynolds reported from Boca Raton, Florida.

___

AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

As I continue sharing my personal experiences while fighting cancer, today, I’m talking about how consuming that can be.

How your mind wanders, and you start thinking about things that perhaps you shouldn’t.

This is all tied to the first visit I had with one of my sons after getting my diagnosis.

Watch the video above to hear, from the heart, how I wrestled with the worry my cancer was causing my kids.

For decades, families have been told there was no cure and few treatment options. But today, new treatments and gene-based therapies are beginning to change what life with Duchenne can look like.

Fourteen-year-old Creed Kolasa is funny, competitive, and, like most teens, just wants to have fun. And Creed is doing it all while living with DMD.

“It’s where my bones aren’t as strong as everybody else’s,” he explained.

DMD is usually diagnosed in early childhood and can change the course of a family’s life in an instant.

“I remember just, I couldn’t breathe. I’m looking down at this little five-month-old precious little boy and thinking what am I gonna do here?” recalled Creed’s mom, Jessica.

For years, options were limited. Duchenne is caused by a missing protein called dystrophin. Without it, muscles weaken over time, with life expectancy historically in the mid-20s.

“I have had several families describe it as robbing you of your child and the life you expected for them, which is really hard,” said Dr. Natalie Katz, a pediatric neurologist at Duke Health.

Now, one of the biggest advances in treatment is being done at Duke Health: it’s a weekly IV infusion called exon-skipping.

“It will help rejoin those ends so that you get a mostly functional protein,” explained Katz.

It doesn’t cure DMD, but doctors say they’re helping many kids, like Creed, stay stronger, longer.

“When I met him a couple of years ago, he was still and is still walking,” recalled Katz.

For Creed, it allows him to keep up with friends and push forward not only for himself but for others.

“Being strong when not everyone else can,” he told Ivanhoe.

New options now include updated steroid treatments, non-steroid medications designed to help prevent muscle scarring, and emerging gene therapies aimed at delivering a working version of the missing protein that causes Duchenne.

Researchers around the world continue testing these new drug and gene-based treatments, with the goal of slowing, and one day stopping, the disease.

The first bee was held in 1925, when the Louisville Courier-Journal invited other newspapers to host spelling bees and send their champions to Washington. After a long run at a convention center in suburban Maryland, the bee returns to the nation's capital this year at Constitution Hall, a few blocks from the White House.

Another change for this year: ESPN NFL analyst and recent “Celebrity Jeopardy!” champion Mina Kimes has joined the bee as its television host.

This is the 98th bee; it was canceled from 1943 to 1945 because of World War II and again in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s champion will be the 111th, because the bee ended in a two-way tie several times and an eight-way tie in 2019.

Thirty of the past 36 champions have been of Indian heritage, including last year’s winner, Faizan Zaki.

How can I watch the Scripps National Spelling Bee?

The bee is broadcast and streamed on channels and platforms owned by Scripps, a Cincinnati-based media company.

Wednesday's quarterfinals will stream on Scripps Sports Network and spellingbee.com from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the semifinals can be watched on those platforms from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tape-delayed semifinals will be broadcast on ION from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The finals will be broadcast Thursday on ION from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. The semifinals and finals will also air or be streamed on these Scripps-owned channels or services: ION Plus, Bounce, Grit, Laff, The Spot, Bounce XL, Grit Xtra, Laff More, Scripps News and Scripps Sports Network.

What are the rules of the Scripps National Spelling Bee?

Spellers qualify by advancing through regional bees hosted by sponsors around the country. In order to compete, spellers must not have advanced beyond the eighth grade or be older than 15.

Competitors must get through two preliminary rounds, where they are quizzed on words from a list provided in advance. There is one spelling round and one multiple-choice vocabulary round.

Those who make it through the preliminaries sit for a written spelling and vocabulary test, with the top 100 or so finishers advancing to the quarterfinals. The words for the test, and for all subsequent rounds, are taken from the Merriam-Webster Unabridged dictionary.

Throughout the quarterfinals and semifinals, spellers are eliminated at the microphone through oral spelling or vocabulary questions.

About a dozen spellers advance to the finals. When only two remain, Scripps has the option to use a lightning-round tiebreaker known as a “spell-off” to determine the champion.

Who is competing in the Scripps National Spelling Bee?

This year's bee has 247 spellers representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, three U.S. territories and five other countries: The Bahamas, Canada, Ghana, Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates. After the preliminary rounds, 167 were left, and that field was cut to 95 quarterfinalists after a written spelling and vocabulary test.

The top returning finisher from 2025 is Sarv Dharavane of Dunwoody, Georgia, who finished third last year as an 11-year-old fifth-grader and got a perfect score on the written test. Even if he falls short this year, he has two years of eligibility left.

Three other potential contenders had perfect test scores:

— Shrey Parikh, a 14-year-old eighth-grader from Rancho Cucamonga, California, who finished third in 2024. He has dominated the bee circuit in the past year, winning the South Asian Spelling Bee, the SpellPundit National Spelling Bee and the Words of Wisdom Spelling Bee.

— Oliver Halkett, a 14-year-old eighth-grader from Los Angeles who finished in a tie for seventh last year.

— Esha Marupudi, a 14-year-old eighth-grader from Chandler, Arizona, who also tied for seventh last year.

What are the prizes for the Scripps National Spelling Bee champion?

The winner receives a custom trophy and more than $50,000 in cash and prizes. Here are the prize payouts:

— First place: $52,500 in cash, reference works from Encyclopaedia Britannica and Merriam-Webster, a custom trophy and commemorative medal, and $1,000 in flight credits from Delta Air Lines.

— Second place: $25,000.

— Third place: $15,000.

— Fourth place: $10,000.

— Fifth place: $5,000.

— Sixth place: $2,500.

— All other finalists: $2,000.

___

Ben Nuckols has covered the Scripps National Spelling Bee since 2012. Follow his work here.

A high risk for rip currents continues at the Northeast Florida beaches, with a moderate risk along the Southeast Georgia coast, so beachgoers should use extreme caution and stay near lifeguards.

Inland this afternoon and evening, scattered thunderstorms are expected to develop, especially along and west of the U.S. 301 corridor.

Some storms will produce very heavy downpours, frequent lightning, and localized flooding in poor drainage and urban areas.

Temperatures will climb into the lower 90s today, but with high humidity, it will feel more like the upper 90s to near 105 degrees at times.

Looking ahead, waves of showers and thunderstorms will begin overspreading the area from south to north starting Thursday and continuing through at least Tuesday.

A rich tropical moisture feed from the Gulf will support repeated rounds of heavy rainfall, with widespread totals of 2 to 4 inches expected and isolated amounts over 5 inches possible.

While this rain will be beneficial overall, repeated heavy downpours could lead to localized flooding concerns, especially in flood-prone and low-lying locations.

Stronger storms Thursday afternoon may also impact areas along the I-95 corridor with gusty winds and torrential rain.

The unsettled weather pattern is expected to persist through the weekend and into early next week as a stalled frontal boundary remains north of the area and upper-level disturbances move overhead.

Expect periods of showers and thunderstorms each day, along with cloudy skies and slightly cooler temperatures by early next week.

Until then, conditions will remain hot, humid, and stormy, so keep the umbrella nearby, stay hydrated, and remain weather aware if you have outdoor plans.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn tried for more than a year to show Donald Trump and Texas Republicans that he and the president were on the same team.

Cornyn posted a photo of himself reading Trump's “The Art of the Deal.” He proposed legislation to rename a stretch of interstate in Trump's honor. Perhaps most glaringly, the Senate institutionalist who long supported the filibuster reversed his position in a failed effort to advance voting restrictions that are a priority for the president.

None of it worked. On Tuesday, Cornyn became the latest in a line of Republicans who lost their primaries after falling out of favor with a president with little tolerance for dissent and a seemingly insatiable appetite for retribution. The four-term senator lost by double digits to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who Trump endorsed last week as “a true MAGA Warrior.”

Cornyn, on the other hand, “was VERY disloyal to me,” Trump wrote on social media.

Trump's intervention in the Texas runoff came after weeks of successfully backing primary challengers in Indiana, Louisiana and Kentucky as revenge against incumbents who broke with his agenda.

Cornyn’s attempt to avoid the same fate made even some of his supporters wince.

“You look at the positions he took to please the president and the groveling and whatever,” said former Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, a Republican and Trump critic who didn't seek reelection during the president's first midterm in 2018. “It was rather painful to watch.”

Trump took an uncommonly equanimous approach to Tuesday’s results the following morning.

“Congratulations to Ken Paxton on such a tremendous win, and to John Cornyn for having run a strong and powerful race but, more importantly, having had a truly great career,” he wrote on social media. “John will remain my friend for a long time to come, as we both watch Ken become a fantastic, common sense Senator, one who is respected by all.”

Cornyn started early with ad touting pro-Trump voting record

Cornyn's loss wasn't for a lack of political gymnastics and astronomical campaign spending.

His campaign began running an advertisement last summer — part of an astounding nearly-$100-million air war by the senator and allied groups — with Cornyn looking into the camera and saying, “I voted with President Trump 99% of the time.”

On Cornyn's campaign homepage, Trump and Cornyn stand side-by-side with thumbs pointed upward in an image aimed at projecting solidarity. Deeper in the website, the category titled “The Trump-Cornyn Record” notes the senator's role securing votes for Trump's signature 2017 tax cut bill.

Cornyn has also been championing provisions in Trump's signature tax-and-spending legislation to finance work on the U.S.-Mexico border wall.

The senator had dismissed the project as “naive” during Trump's 2016 campaign. But in January, he stood along a section of completed wall in Texas' Rio Grande Valley touting the measure's $11 billion for Texas contractors' work at “the direction of the president of the United States, to whom I am very grateful.”

Cornyn's 2023 dismissal of Trump's return glares in background

Cornyn's praise for his party's leader and president were not unusual, but they clash with a statement Cornyn made in May 2023, when Trump was mounting his presidential comeback campaign.

“Trump’s time has passed him by,” he told reporters. “I don’t think President Trump understands that when you run in a general election, you have to appeal to voters beyond your base.”

Trump would go on to easily win the nomination and carry every battleground state in the general election.

Cornyn would hew closely to the president for the first 16 months of his second administration, hoping at the outside chance of his endorsement or to keeping him from weighing in at all.

But Trump did not forget the past slights.

“John Cornyn is a good man, and I worked well with him, but he was not supportive of me when times were tough,” he wrote on social media while endorsing Paxton.

Smaller gestures, and one big one

Cornyn has playfully worked to promote Trump fandom, last year posting a picture on social media of himself thoughtfully peering into the pages of Trump's 1987 memoir and business advice book, “The Art of the Deal.”

In a more obvious gesture, he proposed designating a section of a U.S. highway from the Texas Gulf Coast to Montana as “Interstate 47,” to honor a 47th president with a well-documented love of naming things after himself. In a news release about the proposal, filed just over two weeks before Tuesday's runoff, Cornyn said it would be known as the “Trump Interstate.”

The more tectonic shift occurred in March, after Trump had teased a possible endorsement of either Cornyn or Paxton in the runoff.

Paxton swiftly said he would consider dropping his candidacy if the Republican-controlled Senate lifted the filibuster and passed the SAVE America Act, a series of voting restrictions that Trump has described as an essential part of his agenda.

The following week, Cornyn wrote an op-ed in the New York Post — Trump's favorite hometown newspaper — backing away from his previous support of the filibuster. He vowed to “support whatever changes to Senate rules that may prove necessary” to get the bill “through the Senate and on the president's desk for his signature.”

Flake watched with unease.

“I know John and his long-held positions on the filibuster and the Senate’s institutions,” he said. “No office is worth that.”

___

Bedayn reported from San Antonio. Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington contributed to this report.

But Trump's tightening grip on his party could make it harder to win in the November midterms, when Republicans face a broader electorate that has soured on the president's second term and the economy.

The risk is compounded, Republican operatives say, by how cavalier the billionaire president has been in addressing Americans’ financial worries, which have been exacerbated by Trump's trade rollercoaster and his ongoing war against Iran.

Republican strategist David Urban, a Trump ally, acknowledged the president’s approach is making things harder for his party.

“It’s going to be a tough fall unless things dramatically change,” Urban said.

He warned that Trump cannot afford a haphazard exit from the war with Iran to resolve a conflict that has created a chokehold on global oil supplies and driven gas prices higher for Americans.

“I think the president wants to help,” he said, but “you do not want to give the Iranians a win just because of the midterms.”

Trump revealed no second thoughts after Paxton trounced Cornyn on Tuesday night. Although Senate Republican leadership feared Paxton would be the more vulnerable nominee, the president insisted he will “become a fantastic, common sense Senator, one who is respected by all.”

“I will do some nice, big, beautiful rallies for Ken. Texas, this will be FUN!” Trump wrote on social media. The travel itinerary suggested the president believes Paxton will need an extra boost to get through the general election — or is another reminder of how Trump simply wants to do things his own way as he approaches the back half of his second term.

Trump brushes off economic troubles

Not only are prices higher after Trump’s tariffs and his Iran war, but the president has repeatedly described affordability concerns as a “hoax.”

Trump mused that increases in gas prices — up more than 50% in the U.S. since Trump and Israel launched attacks on Iran — amount to “peanuts.” He said he does not consider Americans’ personal finances “even a little bit” when mulling options in Iran, insisting that preventing the country from obtaining nuclear weapons is his only priority.

All of that comes as Trump badgers Congress to spend $1 billion on his White House ballroom project and allocate $1.8 billion to pay restitution to people who believe they were prosecuted for political purposes — potentially including those who violently attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

It’s a cascade that Republicans in every battleground House district, Senate election or statewide contest will have to navigate in the fall.

“You keep the House and Senate by having a message, by dealing with the issues voters are clearly complaining about,” said Republican strategist Rick Tyler, a Trump critic. “The administration has utterly failed to do this.”

It has been more than two weeks since the Republican National Committee distributed talking points to surrogates that mention the economy, according to messaging documents reviewed by The Associated Press.

The only talking points sent out last week focused on defending Trump’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund.”

“Democrats and the fake-news media are deliberately ignoring the fact that this fund is not limited to Republicans or Trump supporters,” said the message on May 23.

Two weeks earlier, the RNC encouraged surrogates to praise the president and his party for “delivering lower costs.”

The messaging ignored the exploding cost of gas, but noted that the price of eggs, school supplies and butter was down significantly over last year.

“President Trump promised to lower prices, and he is doing just that,” the talking points said.

Democrats see opportunity in Trump’s struggles

Republicans began Trump’s second presidency with a 220-215 advantage in the House. They’ve boosted their chances to hold the majority by redrawing congressional maps in several Republican-run states. But Democrats are still confident they can flip enough seats to reclaim a majority.

Republicans have a more significant 53-47 advantage in the Senate. However, leaders of both parties agree that control of the chamber is in play. Some Republicans blame Trump for backing candidates like Paxton, who has faced years of scandals and could prove more vulnerable in a race against Democratic nominee James Talarico in the fall.

Viet Shelton, a spokesman for House Democrats’ campaign committee, said Trump’s redistricting push shows that he understands his party’s troubles.

“They’ve given up on trying to win over voters fair and square, so they’re resorting to rigging the midterms through illegal gerrymanders and voter suppression,” Shelton said.

Democratic advisers said Trump’s struggles have shifted the dynamics in multiple races. Their list of Republican-held House targets now includes many districts that Trump carried by double digits. In special elections and odd-year elections since Trump’s second inauguration, Democrats have consistently outperformed their 2024 results.

Voters can expect to see clips of Trump's comments on the economy featured in Democratic advertising this fall. However, party operatives said the broader strategy is to acknowledge the president's appeal as a populist but argue that he and his Republican loyalists have failed to deliver.

In U.S. House districts in Iowa, for example, that means emphasizing how tariffs have affected the farm economy and how the Iran war has increased the prices of diesel fuel and fertilizer. In the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, that means talking about how Trump’s immigration crackdown has roiled the local economy in Latino communities.

Republicans are frustrated behind closed doors

Republican strategists are worried by Trump’s lack of focus on the economy — and the lack of transparency from Trump’s team about how it plans to deploy its massive campaign accounts.

The pro-Trump super PAC known as MAGA Inc. held more than $356 million at the end of April. Yet many Republican strategists say they’ve received no clear indication of how, where and when Trump’s team plans to spend the money, according to several operatives who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.

They see one bright spot in James Blair, Trump's political general, leaving the White House to focus on the midterms.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment on the president’s strategy and confidence about the midterms.

Perhaps underscoring Republicans’ conundrum, Trump remains a fundraising juggernaut. He helped House Republicans rake in $36.8 million in a single fundraising dinner last month, a committee record.

Mike Marinella, spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said Trump “puts House Republicans in the strongest possible position to defy history and win in November.”

Of course, a candidate must win the Republican nomination to even be around for the fall campaign.

“The president has chosen to be aggressive in endorsing candidates he believes are the best advocates for his agenda and have been loyal to him,” Republican campaign veteran Chip Lake said.

Lake is leading an independent expenditure effort on behalf of Georgia Republican Burt Jones, the Trump-endorsed candidate in a June 16 primary runoff for governor.

“It’s difficult, if not impossible to win a primary in today’s environment if the president is working against you,” Lake said. And whatever the general election consequences, he added, independents and moderates “make up a very tiny, even minuscule portion of Republican primaries.”

___ Barrow reported from Atlanta. Peoples reported from New York.

The villagers entered the cave in Xaisomboun province on May 19, but heavy rain triggered flash flooding that blocked the exit and trapped seven people, according to Lao and Thai rescue teams involved in the operation.

Bounkham Luanglath of the Lao organization Rescue Volunteer for People, which has been working closely with local authorities in the rescue efforts, told The Associated Press that five people were found safe and alive but two more are still missing, and the search for them will continue.

“I’m still shaking. Our team made it happen,” he said in a voice message.

A video posted by a Thai rescue group involved in the mission appeared to show the moment divers emerged from the water and discovered the trapped villagers. In the footage, the villagers, each wearing a headlamp, were sitting on a rock surrounded by floodwater.

Other videos showed rescuers inside and outside the cave cheering, jumping around and hugging each other in joy after the discovery.

Rescue workers from neighboring Thailand arrived at the site over the weekend. Those helping out include divers from several nations who took part in the complicated 2018 rescue in northern Thailand of 12 schoolboys and their soccer coach who were trapped for more than two weeks in a cave before being safely extricated.

The cave is located in a rugged, remote area in Xaisomboun province’s Longcheng district, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of the capital, Vientiane. Rescuers at the scene have detailed on social media the challenging mountainous terrain and heavy rain that has hampered their work.

Videos shared online by Thai rescuers showed that reaching the cave’s entrance requires a steep hike on foot of roughly 4 kilometers (2.5 miles). The entrance is also steep and rocky, and barely wide enough for a single person at a time to climb through.

There has been no official confirmation on why the villagers went into the cave. However, Bounkham has said that the cave was frequented by local residents looking for gold, even though authorities had repeatedly warned them against entering the cave because of safety concerns.

Deputies said they were called to a reported shooting just after 10 p.m. Tuesday at the McDonald’s at Palm Coast Parkway and Belle Terre Parkway.

They said one person was taken to a hospital with critical injuries and a suspect was detained.

“At this time, the incident appears to be related to a road rage incident. There is no threat to the community,” deputies said in post on social media.

The shooter is still on the run, police said.

JSO said officers responded around 10 p.m. to a reported shooting at the Sanctuary Walk apartment complex on East 21st Street, a few blocks east of Phoenix Avenue.

Investigators said the tow truck driver went to the complex to repossess a vehicle, and an argument started with the vehicle’s owner. JSO said a man then came outside and fired multiple shots, hitting the tow truck driver.

The driver was taken to a hospital but died from his injuries. The shooter fled the scene and has not been arrested.

JSO said there is no threat to the community at this time.

The sheriff’s office has not released the name of the driver or the company he worked for. They also do not have a description of the suspect, and have not indicated any possible relationship between the suspected shooter and the person involved in the repossession dispute.

Rico Jones, who owns a local tow truck company not involved in the incident, said the violence against the driver concerns him.

“Why would you shoot a man for doing his job? If you was at your job and a customer came and you said something and you got shot at your job, how would you feel?” Jones told News4JAX reporter Briana Brownlee. “So as a person who owns tow trucks and deals with a lot of local businesses, if we have people just shooting you because you run your business, how would you feel?”

Jones said his granddaughter has connections to the apartment complex where the shooting took place, which is why he initially stopped when he saw the crime scene tap on Wednesday morning.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office by phone at (904) 630-0500, by email at jsocrimetips@jaxsheriff.org, or via CrimeStoppers at 866-845-TIPS

“Leaving the training ground and walking to my car with a box full of bobbleheads to take home to my kids,” the 38-year-old defender recalled, “my WhatsApp started to go a little bit crazy.”

Ream was among 26 players who received a video in a group chat from Sam Zapata, the U.S. national team administrative manager, informing those selected for the World Cup roster.

“Guys, if you are watching that video, it is because you are in,” U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino told them. “I am so excited to communicate that you are going to be on the roster for the World Cup 2026, in the World Cup that you are going to host.”

“It made me stop on my tracks,” said Ream, hoping to become the oldest U.S. player to appear in soccer's top tournament.

Midfielders Gio Reyna and Sebastian Berhalter, sons of a former captain and an ex-coach, were picked by along with forward Alejandro Zendejas.

Midfielders Diego Luna and Tanner Tessmann were left off.

Holding American jerseys with wavy red and white stripes, players were introduced Tuesday at a made-for-TV event on the roof of the South Street Seaport’s Pier 17 with the Brooklyn Bridge as a backdrop. They were announced in the numerical order of jersey numbers assigned by equipment manager Kyle Robertson, taking seniority into account. All were on hand except for defender Chris Richards, in Germany with Crystal Palace for Wednesday’s UEFA Conference League final.

“We want this so bad,” said forward Christian Pulisic, the biggest American star. “If you're not a little bit nervous, you don’t feel a little, you don’t care. So, we care so much.”

Defender Sergiño Dest, midfielder Tyler Adams and forward Haji Wright were added after missing March friendlies because of injuries. Zendejas was bypassed for the March roster after a knee injury last fall.

A few minutes after the Friday video arrived, emails were sent to all 55 players on the preliminary roster informing them of their fate. Pochettino didn't give explanations to those omitted, comparing the rejection with how he felt when Tottenham executive chairman Daniel Levy fired him as manager in 2019 and then asked to speak.

“What do you want to talk about (with) me?” Pochettino said. “I don't want to hear nothing.”

Luna missed the March matches because of a knee injury after playing in 17 of 18 international games last year.

“It’s painful because I really know what it means to be out of the roster,” said Pochettino, who failed to make Argentina's roster as a defender in 1994 and 1998, then was chosen in 2002.

“During two weeks I didn’t sleep," the coach said. "And today still I cannot enjoy the 26 guys that are in front of me because I am thinking in players that are out.”

Final rosters are submitted to FIFA on June 1 and injuries could cause a change until one day before the U.S. opener against Paraguay on June 12.

“Things can happen. They need to be ready because maybe we can call,” Pochettino said.

Reyna, a son of former U.S. captain Claudio Reyna, nearly was sent home from the 2022 World Cup by then-coach Gregg Berhalter for lack of hustle and made just four starts this season for Borussia Mönchengladbach — none since Dec. 19.

“I don’t say that he’s going to play the game, but he can help,” Pochettino said. “He can help because he’s a different player, different talent, and I think in all the roster you need to have a player like him.”

Sebastian Berhalter, a 25-year-old son of the former coach, made his national team debut last June and became the Americans' best corner-kick taker.

Players dropped who had been on the March roster included goalkeeper Patrick Schulte, Tessmann and fellow midfielder Aidan Morris. Two players were sidelined by recent injuries: midfielder Johnny Cardoso (right ankle surgery) and forward Patrick Agyemang (torn right Achilles). Defender Cameron Carter-Vickers is recovering from a torn Achilles in October.

Who is back from 2022?

Half the roster returns from the last World Cup: goalkeeper Matt Turner; Dest, Ream and fellow defenders Antonee Robinson and Joe Scally; Adams and fellow midfielders Weston McKennie, Reyna and Cristian Roldan; and Pulisic and Wright at forward with Brenden Aaronson and Tim Weah.

Richards and Miles Robinson were picked after injuries sidelined them ahead of the 2022 tournament.

Richards is a health concern after tearing two left ankle ligaments on May 17. Pochettino said he won't know Richards' status until he arrives in the U.S. for training because clubs “hide things.”

“Was really, really tough to have the real information to make our best decision,” Pochettino said. “How selfish, no, is the people in soccer or in football?”

Among the final cuts four years ago, Ricardo Pepi made it this time.

Players from 2022 left off included goalkeepers Ethan Horvath and Sean Johnson; Carter-Vickers and fellow defenders Aaron Long, Shaq Moore, DeAndre Yedlin and Walker Zimmerman; midfielders Kellyn Acosta, Luca de la Torre and Yunus Musah; and forwards Jesús Ferreira, Jordan Morris and Josh Sargent.

This year's average age of 26 years, 332 days as of the U.S. opener is up from 25-216 four years ago and the fifth-youngest for an American World Cup roster.

Where are players from?

Just eight players were taken from Major League Soccer, the fewest since four in 2010. Five players are based in England, three each in Germany’s Bundesliga and France’s Ligue 1, two apiece in Italy’s Serie A and the Dutch Eredivisie, and one each in Mexico, Scotland and Spain.

Pulisic ended his AC Milan season scoreless in 19 games since Dec. 28 and has gone eight U.S. matches without a goal since November 2024.

Pochettino's three strikers finished their club seasons in form, combining for 56 goals: Folarin Balogun and Pepi scored 19 each and Wright 18.

For the first time since 1990, no American goalkeepers are from European clubs.

Ream will be 38 years, 250 days on the day the U.S. plays its opener, older than defender Fernando Clavijo when the U.S. was knocked out by Brazil in 1994.

Defender Alex Freeman, a son of former Super Bowl champion Antonio Freeman, is the youngest American this year at 21.

No. 3 goalkeeper Chris Brady is the first player on the U.S. World Cup roster with no international experience since backup goalkeeper Juergen Sommer in 1994.

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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

Lloyd wasn't sure what to tell them, but she knew the confusing new policy would slow down applications.

“It has a chilling effect because we have some cases that we were going to proceed and I can tell already, we should wait and see what’s going on," she said.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced Friday that foreigners in the U.S. who want a green card will need to leave and apply in their home country, barring some unspecified exceptions.

The announcement, which potentially affects hundreds of thousands of green card applicants a year, was the latest immigration policy unveiled by Trump's Republican administration to stun and confound lawyers, advocates and immigrants. It's also part of a pivot by the administration to target legal pathways to immigration, after focusing since last year mostly on migrants in the U.S. illegally.

“This is simply an attempt to try to limit and scare people away from the legal immigration process,” immigration attorney Charles Kuck said, adding that he expected legal action against the change. “This is a scare tactic.”

As worried immigrants and their employers flood immigration law offices with questions, it's unclear what the effect will be, what exceptions might be allowed and how the policy will play out on the ground.

Some green card seekers were already facing questions about why they should be allowed to apply from the U.S.

A confusing rollout for the new policy

For more than half a century, foreign nationals with legal status have been able to apply for and complete the process for permanent residence in the United States — including people married to U.S. citizens, holders of work and student visas, and refugees and political asylum-seekers, among others.

That appeared to change suddenly on Friday, when USCIS announced the shift on its website.

“From now on, an alien who is in the U.S. temporarily and wants a Green Card must return to their home country to apply, except in extraordinary circumstances," the agency said. In response to questions by The Associated Press, USCIS said only people who provide an “economic benefit” or “national interest” could likely apply from the U.S.

It said nonimmigrants, such as students or temporary workers, are in the U.S. temporarily and should leave when that time is up.

USCIS also issued a more detailed policy memo designed as guidance for its staffers who decide these cases. Immigration experts who were trying to decipher the news said the memo was more nuanced, leading to confusion over what the change actually entailed.

One immigration law firm, Boundless Immigration, in a blog post on its website stating its interpretation of the policy, said officers were being instructed to “apply existing discretionary standards more rigorously” but surmised that the policy doesn't completely stop the adjustment of status process for “eligible applicants” depending on the category of visa they have.

The company cited previous policy memos about citizenship acquisition that had not prompted harsher steps in practice.

Immigration firms and advocates left guessing who'll be impacted

Shev Dalal-Dheini, senior director of government relations at the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said the guidance may be targeting people who overstayed their visas, such as the parent of a U.S. citizen who remained after a visa expired, an employee of a company who transferred to the U.S. or people in the country on visas specific to clergy and other religious workers.

“It seems like maybe who they’re targeting is potentially those whose period of stay lapsed while they were here,” she said.

Kevin Miner, a partner with the immigration law firm Fragomen, said he expected that people on employment-based visas, like H-1Bs, would be exempt. Known as dual-intent, these visas allow people on nonimmigrant visas in the U.S. to seek a green card. Those dual-intent visas were specifically mentioned in the memo as areas of possible exception.

“Those probably are cases that will continue to precede business as usual and that we won’t see a significant impact,” said Miner, who said the announcement Friday took people by surprise.

Matthew Soerens, the U.S. director of church mobilization for World Relief, an organization that helps resettle refugees in the U.S., said language in the memo referring to cases in which immigrants have to adjust their status in the U.S. gives the organization “hope” and “expectation” that the guidance doesn't apply to refugees.

Refugees are people who are fleeing their homeland who meet a specific set of criteria to be admitted to the U.S. after lengthy vetting. They are required to do that green card processing a year after arriving in the U.S. and can't go home because of the risks they'd face there, Soerens said.

Trump's administration has slashed the number of refugees admitted into the U.S. this year and limited them to white South Africans.

People who entered the country under humanitarian parole, which allows presidents to admit people for humanitarian reasons and which President Joe Biden's Democratic administration expanded dramatically, could also be impacted, Soerens said.

Many of those people might have already had family in the U.S. or they married a U.S. citizen — both of which potentially give them pathways to apply for a green card that could now be complicated.

All of these nuances make it difficult to provide general legal advice to people, said Dalal-Dheini.

“It’s going to be a very case by case specific thing," she said.

Immigrants facing questions about their applications, group says

The American Immigration Lawyers Association said several people in green card interviews under the new guidance faced questions Tuesday that haven’t previously been asked of applicants.

One person who was applying to get a green card based off their marriage to a U.S. citizen was asked why they applied to adjust their status in the U.S. instead of going back to their home country and applying at the embassy there. They were asked if there were any factors that would prevent them from applying back at their home country and if they still had family there.

Another person was asked to file a form demonstrating why they should be allowed to apply from the U.S. and were told evidence should prove they wouldn't be a financial burden or a “public charge” on the U.S. and could include their 2025 tax return, a letter from an employer stating their salary and bank statements.

Lloyd, the immigration attorney, said she has sent emails to her corporate and noncorporate clients telling them that she is monitoring the situation and she will reach out to them as soon as she has more guidance and practical applications.

She said she thinks the policy will deter some companies from pursuing green cards for their clients.

“I don’t want everybody to panic,” she said. “My advice to them is wait and see.”

The shortage and high prices are largely due to a blockade of Bamako announced earlier this month by fighters from Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, an al-Qaida-linked group. The militants regularly attack convoys of trucks and vehicles transporting goods to the capital, often setting them ablaze.

Landlocked Mali depends heavily on fuel and goods trucked in from coastal neighbors like Senegal and Ivory Coast. The militants' blockade is designed to strangle the country's economy and undermine the military government’s legitimacy, analysts say.

The blockade is not total, as the armed groups avoid holding roadblocks for long, fearing retaliation from the Malian army, and goods continue to trickle into Bamako, staving off an outright food shortage for now.

Nonetheless, it has driven up prices for some goods like meat and led to fuel shortages, forcing residents to line up at the few gas stations still selling fuel.

Since September 2025, the group had already enforced a stifling road blockade on oil imports.

Mountaga Touré, 38, a teacher, said he visited several livestock markets before ultimately giving up on buying a sheep for the feast, saying the price of sheep has almost doubled since the blockade was announced.

“The small sheep that used to cost $177 are now $266 or more,” Touré said.

In some neighborhoods of Bamako, residents have swapped the traditional sheep for cows, pooling money to purchase one so they can have meat during the important Muslim holiday in West Africa.

The blockade follows sweeping, coordinated attacks by separatist and jihadi forces across Mali last month, the largest in the country in over a decade.

Mali has been plagued by insurgencies fought by militants affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, as well as a separatist rebellion in the country’s north for over a decade.

Following a 2020 military coup, the ruling junta turned from Western allies to Russia for help combating Islamic militants. But the security situation has worsened in recent times, analysts say, with a record number of attacks by militants. Government forces and Russian mercenaries have also been accused of killing civilians they suspect of collaborating with militants.

The Malian army and its Russian Africa Corps mercenaries are circumventing the blockade by escorting convoys of trucks carrying goods and fuel to supply markets in Bamako. The military also regularly says it struck positions held by armed groups.

But the escorts and strikes have not been enough to adequately supply the capital, residents say.

“Usually, I bring up to 200 sheep to Bamako to sell during Tabaski," said Amadou Cissé, 45, a livestock trader specializing in Eid sheep, using the West African word for the holiday. "But this year I barely brought 50 because there is not enough space in army-escorted trucks.”

Cissé said the sheep he ordered are still in Diema, a town some 345 km (215 miles) west of Bamako, where many animals bound for the capital originate.

“I was told more escorted convoys would be organized, but so far none have left Diema, so I doubt the sheep will arrive before the holiday,” he said.

Drissa Traoré, who has been selling sheep in Bamako for over a decade, said supply has dropped significantly recently. “This year, we have barely half the number of sheep we usually have during Tabaski,” he said.

The insecurity has also affected the travel plans of many.

Sidi Diarra, an employee at a major financial institution in Bamako, said he usually celebrates the holiday with his parents in Segou, around 240 km (150 miles) from the capital.

“This year, I am afraid to go because of attacks by extremist groups. It is safer to stay in Bamako,” he said.

While there are certain qualities that you’re just not going to find in a budget-priced vehicle — powerful acceleration, for example, or leather seating — the five vehicles here all come with a respectable amount of features for the price. In Edmunds’ evaluation testing, they also earned average or better overall scoring. Another bonus is that each one gets good fuel economy, helping you save money when it comes time to refuel. All listed prices below include the destination fee.

Hyundai Venue

The Venue is Hyundai’s subcompact SUV that also happens to be the least expensive vehicle for the 2026 model year. The base Venue SE trim isn’t as well equipped as some of the other entry-level vehicles listed here, but it does have an 8-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. In testing, Edmunds found the Venue has a useful interior fitted with easy-to-use controls. You also get a long warranty and an EPA-estimated 31 mpg combined city/highway average. One thing that isn’t available is the option to add all-wheel drive, however. Edmunds’ overall evaluation score: 6/10

2026 Venue starting price: $22,650

Chevrolet Trax

Like the Venue, the Trax is a five-seat subcompact SUV that serves as Chevrolet’s smallest and least expensive model. It’s also strictly front-wheel-drive; all-wheel drive isn’t available on any trim. Edmunds praised the surprising amount of interior space given the Trax’s tidy proportions. Another cabin highlight is the easy-to-use 8-inch touchscreen with wireless smartphone connectivity that comes on the base LS trim. Higher trims are outfitted with an 11-inch screen. The EPA estimates you’ll get up to 30 mpg combined with the Trax. Edmunds’ overall evaluation score: 7/10

2026 Trax starting price: $23,495

Kia K4

The Kia K4 is Kia’s least expensive small car. It comes as a sedan or, as a new entry for 2026, a sleek-looking hatchback. Edmunds praised the K4’s generous rear legroom and long lineup of standard features. Even a base LX trim includes a big 12.3-inch touchscreen and adaptive cruise control. Another plus point is the K4’s attractive cabin. It looks and feels like it belongs in a car with a much higher price tag. The K4 can get up to an EPA-estimated 33 mpg combined. Edmunds’ overall evaluation score: 7.5/10

2026 K4 sedan starting price: $23,535

Nissan Sentra

The Nissan Sentra enters the 2026 model year completely redesigned inside and out. This small sedan has a bold new look and an impressive roster of standard driver aids. The base S trim has adaptive cruise control, blind-spot warning and lane keeping assistance. During testing, Edmunds gave the Sentra high marks for its comfortable seating, big trunk and modernized 12.3-inch touchscreen. The Sentra also gets up to an EPA-estimated 33 mpg combined. Acceleration is leisurely, however, even for this group of cars. Edmunds’ overall evaluation score: 6.2/10

2026 Sentra starting price: $23,845

Hyundai Elantra

Coming in at No. 5 of the 2026 class of least expensive new cars is the Hyundai Elantra small sedan. It boasts one of the largest interiors in its class, a roomy trunk and a long warranty. The Elantra’s entry-level SE trim is equipped with the basics plus a few nice extras such as wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Its standard 8-inch touchscreen isn’t as big as the Sentra’s or K4’s, however. The EPA estimates the Elantra can get up to 35 mpg in combined driving. Edmunds’ overall evaluation score: 6.8/10

2026 Elantra starting price: $23,870

Edmunds says

The five cheapest cars will surprise you in terms of how much you get for your money. Far from being the no-frills economy vehicles of yesteryear — when wind-up windows were the norm and air conditioning was often optional — they overdeliver in terms of style, tech touches and safety features.

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This story was provided to The Associated Press by the automotive website Edmunds.

Nick Kurczewski is a contributor at Edmunds.

“When my contract with Celtic expires in June, my career as an active footballer stops,” Schmeichel said in an interview with TV2 in Denmark broadcast Wednesday. "I think this is the right time now to announce that I have played my last professional football match.”

The 39-year-old Schmeichel has been sidelined since February.

Schmeichel – the son of former Manchester United great Peter Schmeichel – revealed in March he required two surgeries but that he wanted to try to salvage his career.

The former Manchester City, Leeds, Nice and Anderlecht keeper, who played at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, said “it’s not how I would have wanted my career to end.”

Schmeichel’s last appearance for Denmark was in its World Cup qualification defeat against Scotland in November.

DBU, Danish soccer’s governing body, posted on X: “From debut in Skopje to World Cup debut against Peru, big saves against some of the world’s best nations, a Euro semifinal at Wembley and much more. 13 years. 120 matches for the National Team. Thanks for unforgettable moments, Kasper.”

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

Crews are erecting an octagon-shaped cage on the South Lawn that will host next month's UFC bout, helping mark the nation's 250th anniversary — and President Donald Trump 's 80th birthday.

Online renderings depict what the completed, wire-mesh-fence-ringed fight space is expected to look like ahead of the June 14 event. It will be ringed by a red, white and blue stage under a towering arch featuring stars and stripes patterns and two large screens carrying the action live.

The cage and stage will themselves be surrounded by thousands of temporary seats, including ringside space for a full marching band that can set the entire scene to blaring music.

The project is part of a series of events celebrating the semiquincentennial of the Declaration of Independence's signing on July 4, 1776. Other planned functions include an IndyCar race that will pass by the White House and the Great American State Fair taking place on the National Mall.

Trump has said that the finished UFC project will feature “a 5,000-seat arena right outside the front door of the White House.” Additional large screens broadcasting the fights will be set up in a park at the nearby Ellipse, and the UFC has said it plans to issue as many as 85,000 free tickets to accommodate spectators at both locations.

“I have never seen anybody want anything so much as people want those tickets,” Trump said recently of demand to attend the UFC fight, adding, “That's gonna be something.”

The card has been panned by fans online as underwhelming, featuring just two championship fights. Brazil’s Alex Pereira will meet France’s Ciryl Gane for the interim UFC heavyweight title. Then Spanish-Georgian lightweight champion Ilia Topuria takes on interim champ Justin Gaethje, one of just two Americans who currently hold even a share of the UFC’s 11 championship belts.

The octagon and surrounding structures are the latest project in the White House building boom Trump is leading.

The president's other efforts to leave his mark include tearing up part of the Rose Garden to make room for a patio space reminiscent of his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, affixing partisan plaques to the wall of the colonnade for a Presidential Walk of Fame, redoing the bathroom attached to the Lincoln Bedroom and renovating the Palm Room, placing new flag poles on the north and south lawns and demolishing the entire East Wing for a sprawling ballroom.

The president also wants to repaint the Eisenhower Executive Office Building beside the White House and build a 250-foot arch at the nearby Lincoln Memorial — the same monument where weigh-ins for the upcoming UFC fight are scheduled to take place, bout organizers say.

Officers responded around 11 a.m. to the Preferred Materials Inc. asphalt plant on New Berlin Road after reports of a traffic incident. Upon arrival, they found an adult male who appeared to have been run over by a piece of heavy equipment. Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department responded to the scene and pronounced the man dead.

JSO says the victim was approximately 60 years old. He was not an employee of the facility but was there as a contract dump truck driver making an asphalt pickup.

What happened

Detectives from the JSO Homicide Unit and Crime Scene Unit responded to investigate. Based on preliminary interviews and video surveillance — gathered from both the facility and cameras mounted on trucks at the scene — investigators believe the victim approached the front of a moving front-end loader.

“The position of the bucket was such that the driver was unable to see the victim,” said Sgt. Highfill of the JSO Homicide Unit.

The front-end loader’s driver, an employee of the facility, was not aware he had struck the man until he turned the equipment around and returned to the area.

“The driver wasn’t even aware that he had run over the individual until he turned the tractor around and came back — and that’s when he saw it,” Highfill said. “So, it’s just a tragic accident at this point.”

Investigation ongoing

JSO is classifying the incident as an industrial accident, and investigators say it does not appear to pose any danger to the public.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) also responded and conducted its own independent investigation.

Highfill said investigators will continue to review all available video footage.

“At this point, it does not appear that [it could have been avoided], but we will continue to investigate and comb over the video to see if there was any way that this could have been avoided,” he said.

Family notified

Investigators spoke with the victim’s family at the scene. Highfill offered condolences during the news conference.

“They are suffering at this time,” he said. “This doesn’t appear to be anybody’s fault — just a tragic accident. And these kinds of things happen from time to time, and it doesn’t bring them any solace. But we are praying for him.”

Preferred Materials Inc. released a statement Tuesday afternoon saying, “We are deeply saddened to confirm that an accident occurred this morning at the Preferred Materials asphalt plant in Jacksonville, Florida.  Our thoughts are with the individual’s family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time. The safety and well-being of our employees and anyone coming into contact with our operations are our highest priority. We are working closely with the authorities to support their investigation.”

Coventry’s reassurance to the annual meeting of Summer Games sports bodies came after she warned in February of “uncomfortable” talks ahead to make future Olympic hosting more efficient.

The International Olympic Committee aims to finalize within months the list of sports on the Brisbane program that Coventry previously told their leaders will be fewer than the 36 being played at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

“There is a path (back), it’s not just an end,” the IOC president told The Associated Press on Wednesday on the sidelines of the assembly of the summer sports group known as ASOIF.

Brisbane also could have fewer than the 353 medal events being competed for at Los Angeles.

“I know that not everyone will be happy,” Coventry acknowledged to ASOIF members Wednesday, adding "the goal is not to destroy any sport.”

Coventry also met Tuesday with ASOIF members and assured them “we don’t have specific numbers” as targets for the sports and events program for Brisbane.

The most important metric shapes to be the number of venues needed as the IOC looks to manage costs for hosts.

“The cost and complexity comes when you start adding additional venues for single purpose events,” Coventry told the AP. “That’s where we need to look and say: ‘How could we change that?’”

A major step toward streamlining the program for Brisbane and beyond is a June 24 meeting of the full IOC membership in Lausanne that should agree a process for evaluating sports and events.

A list of sports at Brisbane could be confirmed in September, with a longer timeline to confirm the detailed program of medal events.

Sports at risk?

Modern pentathlon has long been seen as vulnerable to losing its historic Olympic status, while sports added to the LA program — including flag football, lacrosse and squash — will be competing for their place in Brisbane before having their showcase in 2028.

The 2036 Olympics hosting contest was paused by Coventry last year in the first big decision of her new presidency. Qatar is widely seen as a strong contender for a project likely to be spread in the Middle East region, which has been targeted during the conflict between the United States and Israel against Iran.

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More AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

But the more apt comparison might be to three years ago when Vegas — in not nearly as much of a surprise — won the Stanley Cup.

Carolina or Montreal, who are playing in the Eastern Conference Final, will have a lot to say whether the Golden Knights complete the task and win another Cup.

But Vegas is back for the third time in its nine seasons to cement itself as potentially the greatest expansion franchise in North American sports history. The Golden Knights got there by beating Colorado 2-1 on Tuesday night for a stunning sweep of the Presidents' Trophy-winning Avalanche.

This team, like the one in 2023, has won with depth scoring, bruising defense and a hot goalie.

“I think we've always built our teams with good depth at the forward position, defensive position and goaltending position,” captain Mark Stone said. “I guess the similarities are that's just the way we build our teams.”

On the 2023 team, 18 players scored goals in the playoffs and 12 had at least 10 points over 22 games. So far through 16 games this postseason, 15 players have scored goals and six have produced 10 or more points.

The depth showed itself in the clincher against the Avalanche when both goals came from the third and fourth lines, with Cole Smith scoring the decisive goal with 5:45 left.

“The third and fourth lines, the five- and six-D, that's how you continue to move in the playoffs,” coach John Tortorella said. "Those are very important pieces as you go through these series. I'm happy for Smitty. I was going to kill him; he's taking so many penalties.

“But I'm happy for him and (Dylan Coghlan and Kaedan Korczak). I mean, how well did they play. Playing against that team with the amount of speed that they bring, they weren't intimidated by a thing.”

Coghlan and Korczak form the third pairing on the Golden Knights' defense, which shut down an Avalanche offense that averaged a league-high 3.63 goals per game during the regular season and in the first two rounds upped that to 4.11. It was 1.75 against Vegas.

Colorado went the final 14:23 of the second period in Game 4 without a shot on goal and more than 25 minutes with just one shot.

The Golden Knights spent the series blocking one Avalanche shot after another, and for the postseason, four of the top nine players in blocked shots play for Vegas, topped by Shea Theodore's 46. Four of the top five in 2023 were Golden Knights, including leader Alec Martinez with 57.

And then there's the goalie play.

Adin Hill shined in 2023, coming off the bench in the second round and then going 11-4 with a .932 save percentage and 2.17 goals-against average. Hill remains on the team, but has been watching from the bench as Carter Hart has taken hold of the position. Hart is 12-4 with a .924 percentage and 2.22 GAA during the postseason.

“Hartsy’s been amazing this whole series, whole playoffs really,” Mitch Marner said. "Made some massive saves throughout all these games and again tonight. Made some massive ones for us to keep the game where it was. Hell of a game by Hartsy again.”

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

A U.S.-brokered ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict appeared more nominal by the day, complicating efforts at a broader peace in the Iran war as Tehran wants an agreement to include an end to the fighting in Lebanon.

The Litani River has been a de facto boundary in Lebanon, with large areas to the south under Israeli military control despite the ceasefire that's been in place for over a month.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after meeting with his defense minister and senior military officials that Israel will expand its operations in Lebanon.

“The (Israeli Defense Forces) are operating with large forces on the ground and seizing strategic areas,” he said, adding that Israel is trying to fortify an area of southern Lebanon under its control, which it says is necessary to protect residents in its northern border towns from Hezbollah rocket and drone attacks.

Israeli strike kills 12

Meanwhile, an Israeli security official said the military had called up an additional battalion to Lebanon, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

Israel's military said it struck more than 100 Hezbollah sites across southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley area overnight, adding that it targeted storage facilities, command centers and observation points used to attack Israeli troops and residents in northern Israel.

One strike hit the eastern village of Mashghara, killing 12 people including several members of the same family, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said.

Israel in recent days has intensified strikes in the city and province of Nabatiyeh, just north of the river. On Tuesday it warned city residents to leave.

Hezbollah, meanwhile, said it launched several rocket, artillery and exploding drone attacks on Israeli troops and vehicles mobilizing along the river toward the Nabatiyeh villages of Yohmor al-Shaqif and Zawtar al-Sharqieh. Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV said the militant group repelled attacks along the river banks.

Elsewhere in eastern Lebanon, Israel struck an area near the Qaraoun Dam, the country's largest along the Litani River. The Litani River Authority said there was no direct damage to the dam.

Beirut, the Lebanese capital, has been spared from strikes since the start of the ceasefire, but Israel's latest moves have caused fear.

“By just saying a few words on TV, (Netanyahu) causes everyone to panic and flee their homes,” said Tony Aboud in Beirut’s bustling Hamra district. “I don’t know what’s going to happen and how long we can live like this.”

Lebanon hopes for an agreement that will see Israeli withdrawal

The Lebanese government, which came to power on a platform of reform and disarming Hezbollah and other armed groups, hopes that the direct talks with Israel — which Hezbollah opposes — will lead to a permanent ceasefire and withdrawal of Israeli troops.

Israel says it will not withdraw until Hezbollah no longer poses a threat to residents of its northern towns. Hezbollah has vowed to fight until Israel stops its daily airstrikes and withdraws its troops from Lebanon.

In recent weeks, Hezbollah has boasted that it is using new fiber-optic drones that Israeli troops have struggled to intercept, hitting both Israeli forces and northern Israeli villages.

Israel has told people there not to gather in large numbers.

“What this requires of us now is to increase the blows, to increase the intensity. We will smite them hip and thigh,” Netanyahu said Monday.

Over 1 million people in Lebanon have been displaced in the war, sparked when Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel on March 2 in solidarity with Iran, two days after the Iran war began.

At least 3,213 people have been killed in Israeli strikes since the start of the war, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry, with over 9,700 wounded.

According to Netanyahu’s office, 23 Israeli soldiers and a defense contractor have been killed in or near southern Lebanon, and two civilians have been killed in northern Israel, the vast majority by drones.

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Associated Press writers Sam Mednick and Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel; Koral Saaed in Herzliya, Israel, and senior video producer Malak Harb in Beirut contributed to this report.

Testifying before the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, which is investigating the spread of antisemitism in Australia ahead of the Dec. 14 attack at Bondi Beach, New South Wales Police Deputy Commissioner David Hudson described a firepower imbalance.

The police force has responded with a plan to establish an Armed Response Command, equipped with semiautomatic rifles, and by reviving a priority-resourced operation that focused on antisemitic crimes and retaliations against Muslim targets, Hudson said.

Rifles within the force have been largely restricted to two specialized paramilitary squads, he said.

Father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram allegedly opened fire with two shotguns and a hunting rifle on hundreds of people celebrating Hanukkah in a beachside park. Only four police officers were present. They were armed with Glock pistols, which are only accurate for a short distance.

“On Dec. 14, our police officers were placed at significant risk being in a gunfight armed with 9 mm Glocks against long arms,” Hudson told the inquiry.

Within five minutes of the Akrams allegedly opening fire, 11 police officers had reached the scene. Three of those officers were among the dozens wounded in the massacre. Police shot the father dead and apprehended the wounded son less than eight minutes after the first shot was fired, the inquiry heard Monday.

In response to the shooting, police also revived Operation Shelter, which had been established in response to escalating community tensions days after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel Hudson said.

Hudson had established Operation Shelter as a “high visibility” proactive police operation to ensure there was no escalation of street violence in Sydney. At its peak, 200 officers had been assigned daily to the operation, which had authority to bring in outside staff from other duties as required.

Operation Shelter existed “in name only” when the Bondi massacre occurred, Hudson said Wednesday, explaining that the program was quickly revived after the shooting and elevated to an “active policing resource” that will remain until the armed response squad is fully operational in the next 18 months to two years.

Camp leaders say they tell residents to wash their hands before eating — with soap for the lucky ones who have it. For the rest, the advice is to use oatmeal or sand.

“My fear is that we are here with nothing to protect ourselves. We have no protection, no water or soap, and we live near garbage," Francine Leve Janguzi, a resident of the so-called ISP camp told The Associated Press, as she opened an empty tap in a sea of tarpaulin roofs.

Supplies are being rushed to Ituri province as aid groups and healthcare workers try to stem an outbreak of the infectious disease that has been declared a global health emergency.

But front-line responders are concerned the disease might spread to the large displacement camps located near Bunia, where thousands of people are crammed into limited space, without access to basic hygiene.

“Eastern DRC’s years of conflict and displacement have left health systems on their knees, and that makes containing this outbreak all the harder,” said Heather Kerr, Congo director with the International Rescue Committee.

Almost a million people have been displaced from their homes by conflict in Ituri, according to the U.N.

That means this Ebola outbreak is “unfolding in communities already facing insecurity, displacement and fragile healthcare systems,” said Gabriela Arenas, a regional coordinator at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

The majority of residents of the ISP camp — which owes its name to its proximity to the Higher Pedagogical Institute, or Institut Superieur Pedagogique in French — were forced to leave their villages in the Djugu territory following attacks by CODECO, one of the multiple armed groups which operate in the region.

“I’ve been here for eight and a half years. Now we’re hearing about Ebola,” camp resident Janguzi said. “Look at the state of where we’re sleeping. We don’t have any help whatsoever. We don’t have soap or water, yet we’re told to wash our hands regularly and be clean.”

There is no vaccine or treatment for the rare Bundibugyo type of Ebola, which has been spreading undetected for weeks in eastern Congo. Standard tests struggle to detect the Bundibugyo.

Over 1,000 suspected cases and at least 220 deaths had already been recorded as of Tuesday, including seven confirmed cases in Uganda. But the World Health Organization and aid groups on the ground say the outbreak is much larger.

Ebola is a highly contagious virus and can be contracted from bodily fluids such as vomit, blood or semen. The disease it causes is rare but severe and often fatal. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle pain, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain and unexplained bleeding or bruising.

Eastern Congo has for years seen attacks by dozens of separate rebel and militant groups, some of them with links to foreign countries or the extremist Islamic State group.

The Rwanda-backed M23 rebels are in control of parts of the region. While the Congolese government still largely controls the northeastern Ituri Province, the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak, that control is tenuous. The Allied Democratic Forces, a Ugandan Islamist group linked to IS, is one of the dominant rebel groups there and responsible for violent attacks against civilian targets.

Before the outbreak, humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders said in an assessment that the insecurity in Ituri had worsened recently, causing doctors and nurses to flee and leaving overwhelmed health facilities and in some parts, “catastrophic conditions.”

Gérard Maki, a community leader in the camp, told AP the disease is very frightening. "I’ve learned that there’s no cure, which is why it scares me. ... Our government should also do everything possible to find a solution to this disease.”

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Pronczuk reported from Dakar, Senegal. Associated Press writer Jean-Yves Kamale contributed to this report from Kinshasa.

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For more on Africa and development: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse

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The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The 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.

Tsering, 58, has led the exile government based in Dharamshala, India, since 2021. He secured another five-year term in elections held in February among Tibetans living in India and overseas. Tsering was first elected to the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile in 1996 and served as speaker from 2008 until he rose to the top executive post.

Formed in 1959, Tibet’s government-in-exile, now called the Central Tibetan Administration, has executive, judicial and legislative branches.

Tsering said Wednesday that the Central Tibetan Administration “remains firmly committed to the ‘Middle Way Policy’ envisioned by His Holiness the Dalai Lama,” adding that the policy seeks resolution through nonviolence, dialogue and lasting mutual benefit.

“Until a resolution is achieved, we will continue the back-channel communications with caution and steadiness with the Chinese government,” he said.

Tsering's swearing-in ceremony took place in the presence of the Dalai Lama, who was escorted to the venue by red-robed monks among the sounds of beating drums and chanted prayers. The audience included hundreds of monks and Tibetans who looked on as the Chief Justice Commissioner Yeshi Wangmo of the Tibetan Supreme Justice Commission administered the oath of office.

The February vote marked the fourth direct election of the Tibetan exile leadership since the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, formally ended his role in the administration’s governance in 2011.

China says Tibet has been part of its territory since the mid-13th century and its Communist Party has governed the Himalayan region since 1951. But many Tibetans say they were effectively independent for most of their history and the Chinese government wants to exploit the resource-rich region while crushing its cultural identity.

China does not recognize the Central Tibetan Administration and hasn’t held dialogue with the Dalai Lama's representatives since 2010. India considers Tibet as part of China, but hosts the Tibetan exile government.

Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama of seeking to separate Tibet from China, which he denies. Some Tibetan groups advocate independence for Tibet, since little progress has been made in talks with China.

Yu Jing, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in India, on Sunday dismissed the legitimacy of the exile administration, saying it was “not recognized by any sovereign country” and had no authority to represent Tibetans or oversee the reincarnation process of the Dalai Lama.

On his 90th birthday last year, the Dalai Lama insisted Chinese authorities would have no role in identifying his successor and the institution of the Dalai Lama would continue after his death.

The space agency outlined the first phase of its moon base plans on Tuesday, awarding hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts to four U.S. companies.

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin will provide a pair of landers to deliver moon buggies to the lunar surface, at a spot near the moon’s south pole. These so-called lunar terrain vehicles will be built by Astrolab and Lunar Outpost. Firefly Aerospace, which landed successfully on the moon last year, will deliver the first drones to the moon.

All this hardware is ideally supposed to arrive before the first Artemis astronauts land on the moon, planned for as early as 2028.

During April's Artemis II mission, four astronauts flew around the moon, traveling deeper into space than the Apollo moon crews did during the late 1960s and early 1970s. For next year's Artemis III, another team of astronauts will practice docking NASA's Orion capsule in orbit around Earth with the lunar landers being developed for crews by Blue Origin and Elon Musk's SpaceX.

NASA is targeting Artemis III for mid-2027, with a landing by two astronauts following as soon as 2028. The moon base's second phase, from 2029 into the early 2030s, will start building up the permanent infrastructure, including a power grid. As for when the base will be ready to support astronauts for extended periods in specialized permanent habitats, that's expected sometime in the 2030s, during the third phase.

“Then we'll be able to say, 'Hey, we're permanently here and we're not giving it up,'” said NASA's moon base program executive Carlos Garcia-Galan.

Garcia-Galan envisions a moon base sprawling over hundreds of square miles, with a perimeter marked by drones, dubbed MoonFall, stationed at the corners.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said these territory markers are meant to be respectful of other countries' spacecraft and equipment that might be nearby. He expects reciprocity in the matter.

The goal of the moon base is to encourage a lunar economy while conducting scientific research and laying the foundation for a Mars expedition, Isaacman stressed.

“For those waiting patiently, the grand return is close at hand and we will not slow down,” Isaacman said. “We are really just getting started.”

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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.

Video posted on social media by U.S. Southern Command shows a boat speeding through water before exploding into flames. Southern Command said it “immediately notified the U.S. Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivors.”

The Trump administration’s campaign of blowing up alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters, including the eastern Pacific and the Caribbean Sea, has gone on since early September and killed at least 194 people in total. The military has not provided evidence that any of the vessels were carrying drugs.

The Pentagon watchdog said last week that it will evaluate whether the U.S. military followed an established targeting framework when carrying out the attacks on alleged drug-smuggling boats. The six-phase Joint Targeting Cycle include a military commander’s intent, target development, analysis, decision, execution and assessment.

The Pentagon inspector general’s office said the review was “self-initiated.” It will not probe the legality of the strikes, which have drawn intense scrutiny from some Democratic lawmakers and military legal scholars.

The Trump administration says the U.S. is at war against the Latin American drug cartels, which it says are responsible for the scourge of fatal drug overdoses plaguing many American communities.

While Mexico has accepted these types of deportations for years, the deportees under the Trump administration are older and have lived in the U.S. for longer than in the past, making it more difficult for them to find work and increasing the urgency of the need for medical care.

The report, which is based on more than 50 interviews in the southern Mexican cities Tapachula and Villahermosa, comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has expanded immigration enforcement to carry out his mass deportation plan.

This has meant that immigrants who were not previously targeted, such as Cubans with years or decades living in the U.S., have been caught up in the immigration dragnet. Some countries, such as Cuba and Venezuela, limit deportation flights or don’t accept deportees at all, so they are instead sent to Mexico or other countries with which the U.S. has struck deals.

“Imagine being 60 or 70 years old, uprooted from your life overnight and sent to a country you don’t know, where authorities leave you out to dry without access to even the most basic services — shelter, healthcare. Imagine being dropped in dangerous cities with nothing but the clothes on your back,” said Alcira Hava, Leonard H. Sandler Fellow at Human Rights Watch, who worked on the report.

“That’s the reality for many Cubans deported to Mexico,” Hava said.

Cubans represent the largest group sent to Mexico, according to the report, with more than 4,300 deported. More than half the 41 Cubans interviewed had lived in the U.S. since the 1980s or 1990s, arriving during the Mariel boatlift or lottery program in the 1990s. Most had a green card but had lost it.

More than half the Cubans deported had a criminal record, but only 16% were for violent crimes, according to the researchers. One-fourth had no criminal history.

Most were detained at routine check-ins with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but some were detained at their workplace or in public spaces. None were taken before a judge to contest their deportation to Mexico, even when they expressed fear for their safety.

The Cuban diaspora, with access to a fast-tracked pathway to residency and citizenship through the Cuban Adjustment Act, has been shocked by the extent of Trump's immigration crackdown.

Once in Mexico, these deportees are sent to southern cities with few job opportunities, limited access to medical care and where cartels prey on them. They face a complicated logistical process to receive refugee status in Mexico, if they even qualify.

A shelter in Villahermosa has received Cuban deportees as old as 83 in the past year, a departure from the young men and families it usually receives, according to shelter worker Josué Leal.

“The U.S. discards them. Cuba discards them,” Leal said, calling it a form of “double punishment.”

How the third country deportations are being carried out is unclear, since neither the U.S. or Mexico has made the agreement public. HRW called for both countries to publish the agreement and to ensure that due process and international law is respected in these cases.

It called on Mexico to ensure access to medical treatment and a pathway to legalize immigration status for those who can’t return to their home countries. It called on the U.S. to suspend these deportations, barring these guarantees.

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

The Golden Knights limited the Avalanche's high-powered offense all series and then suffocated it Tuesday night.

That defense, aided by goals from Stone and Cole Smith, led to a 2-1 victory and an unthinkable sweep of Colorado for the Knights' third final in nine seasons.

“It's by far our best game," said Vegas coach John Tortorella, whose team was 30-1 at Caesars Sportsbook at the beginning of the series to sweep. “(Checking is) something we've been concentrating on, and I think we've gotten better and better through the rounds. But tonight's game was our best checking effort, and that's a hell of a hockey team we played over there.”

The Golden Knights will get a break while they watch to see whether Carolina or Montreal emerges from the Eastern Conference Final.

This is a crushing end for an Avalanche team that won the Presidents' Trophy and had blown through the playoffs with an 8-1 record. Chicago in 2013 was the last team to claim the Presidents’ Trophy and the Stanley Cup in the same season.

“We ran into a buzz saw in Vegas,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “I think they deserved the credit. It’s not a knock on how hard they played, but they’re a well-oiled machine right now, peaking at the right time. I look at their series and man-to-man they’re playing at the top of their game. We’ll have to regroup and reassess and reflect on our season and the series and go from there.”

With several Las Vegas Raiders players looking on, including quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza, the Golden Knights got on the scoreboard when McNabb delivered a perfect pass to Stone. Not known for elite skating ability, Stone nevertheless got behind the Avalanche, caught the puck and scored.

“I'm not winning a ton of races,” Stone said. “I think I can create angles to get into those positions. That's probably why I've had quite a few breakaways in my career.”

That was the only goal until Smith tipped in Dylan Coghlan's shot from the point with 5:45 left for a critical two-goal margin.

Carter Hart stopped 20 shots, coming within 2:03 of his first playoff shutout in six years.

Gabriel Landeskog ended that shutout, one of the few highlights of the night for the Avalanche, who went the final 14:23 of the second period without a shot on goal and more than 25 minutes with just one shot.

Hart said he thought the Golden Knights defense “100%” frustrated the Avalanche.

“I think once we scored that first goal, in the second and third period we just kind of locked it down and kept pressure on them,” Hart said. “We did a great job. We had some huge blocks tonight.”

It wasn't just this night. Colorado center Nathan MacKinnon, who led the NHL with 53 goals in the regular season, failed to hit the back of the net in any of the four games. Martin Necas, who had 100 points, totaled just two in this series.

The Avalanche averaged a league-high 3.63 goals during the regular season and in the first two rounds upped that to 4.11. Against the Golden Knights? It was 1.75.

“I think you look back at the four games, there are definitely times where we found our game,” Landeskog said. “I think the problem was we found ways to lose hockey games. I think over the course of the regular season, in the first two rounds, it was the opposite. Even if we didn’t have our A-game, we were finding different ways to win hockey games, and against this good of a hockey team in the Golden Knights, they’ll make you pay for your mistakes.”

Mackenzie Blackwood, making his first start in the series, gave the Avalanche a chance to win with several dazzling saves en route to 24 saves overall. His best stop came late in the second period when he lunged to glove a power-play shot from Pavel Dorofeyev.

The journey to the final isn't quite the Cinderella story of the Golden Knights’ first team that made the Stanley Cup Final in 2018 before losing in five games to Washington, but Vegas’ voyage to this point was far from expected.

The Golden Knights faced the possibility of not making the playoffs for just the second time in franchise history when management fired coach Bruce Cassidy, who led the club to the 2023 title, with eight games left in the regular season.

In came Tortorella, who validated the controversial decision by leading Vegas to a 7-0-1 record to close the regular season and then series victories over Utah and Anaheim. Then the Golden Knights faced an Avalanche team on a roll and without any sign of slowing down.

At least until facing Vegas.

Bednar searched for answers against the Golden Knights, even changing goalies on Tuesday. The Avalanche also dealt with injuries to their top two players this series — reigning Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar and MacKinnon, a Hart Trophy finalist.

The Golden Knights had their own injury issues, winning the first two games of the series without Stone.

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

Kenneth Iwamasa, 60, is set to be sentenced Wednesday in the Los Angeles federal courtroom of Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett, who has sentenced four of his co-defendants in the past year.

He was the first of them to reach a deal with prosecutors, pleading guilty in August 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine resulting in death. Wednesday will be his first court appearance since the case became public knowledge.

Iwamasa became the most important witness for the prosecution. They are asking Garnett to sentence him to three years and five months in prison, significantly less than what he might have faced without cooperating, but still more than all but one of his co-defendants.

Iwamasa’s lawyers said in a court filing that he was an employee doing his employer's bidding and had a “particular vulnerability” in his relationship to Perry. “In short, he could not ‘simply say no.’ That inability had tragic consequences.”

Perry's family members, some of whom may speak in court, made it clear in letters to the judge that there is no one they blame for his death more than Iwamasa — a longtime friend they thought would help the actor maintain sobriety but instead indulged the worst impulses of a lifelong addict.

“Mathew trusted Kenny. We trusted Kenny. Kenny’s most important job — by far — was to be my son’s companion and guardian in his fight against addiction,” wrote Perry's mother, Suzanne Morrison. “We trusted a man without a conscience, and my son paid the price.”

Perry had hired Iwamasa in 2022, and he was paying him $150,000 a year to live at his Los Angeles home and act as his assistant.

The actor had been taking the surgical anesthetic ketamine legally for depression, an increasingly common off-label use. But he wanted more than his doctor would give him.

According to Iwamasa's plea agreement, he bought off-the-books ketamine from another doctor, Salvador Plasencia, who taught him how to inject it. Plasencia was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison in July.

Iwamasa also began buying ketamine from Perry acquaintance Erik Fleming, who was getting it from a street dealer. Fleming was sentenced to two years in prison two weeks ago.

The dealer, Jasveen Sangha, dubbed “The Ketamine Queen,” was sentenced to 15 years on April 8.

In the final days of Perry's life, Iwamasa was injecting him six to eight times per day. On Oct. 23, 2023, he shot the 54-year-old actor full of a large dose and left to run errands. He returned to find Perry dead in the Jacuzzi. The LA County Medical Examiner found that ketamine was the primary cause of death. Drowning was a secondary cause.

At first, Iwamasa lied to police, omitting ketamine from the list of medications Perry was using, and saying nothing about his injections. But when investigators served a search warrant in January of 2024, he began coming clean.

Perry became one of the biggest stars of his generation along with Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer and Lisa Kudrow on “Friends,” NBC’s megahit sitcom that ran from 1994 to 2004.

The two-way superstar was struck by Rockies starter Kyle Freeland in the fourth. Ohtani left after grounding out in the fifth. He was 0 for 2 with a run scored in the team's 16-5 win.

Manager Dave Roberts said the ball mostly hit the pad on Ohtani's hand before clipping his pinkie finger.

“We're in a good spot,” he said, adding that given the Dodgers' big lead he wanted Ohtani to rest ahead of his scheduled mound start in the series finale on Wednesday.

“I haven't decided yet if he's going to hit,” Roberts said. “I just want to kind of make sure how he comes in and physically how he feels because I want to make sure he feels really good on the pitching side of things.”

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

Another nine people were injured, some severely, in the spill at Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. in Longview. The cause remained unclear.

“At the moment we are not aware of any rescues that are yet to be made," Cowlitz Fire and Rescue Chief Scott Goldstein said during a Tuesday evening news conference in which officials repeatedly referred to the situation as a recovery effort.

That effort would not resume until Wednesday morning, when emergency responders planned to work on stabilizing the collapsed tank, which still had about 90,000 gallons (more than 340,000 liters) of a chemical brew known as “white liquor" inside, and then search for the missing, Goldstein said.

The severity of the injuries ranged from minor to critical, with some suffering burns or inhalation injuries, authorities said. Among those injured was a responding firefighter.

Officials said they would only work during daylight hours because there was a risk of the tank leaking more caustic liquid and potentially collapsing.

“We don’t know until we know, hopefully tomorrow, how we can stabilize the tank. Do we remove the product first? Do we stabilize the tank first or the vice versa?” Goldstein said.

Authorities said there was no threat to the public.

Community waits for more information

At a community vigil Tuesday night, dozens gathered at a local park to pray, light candles and embrace teary-eyed loved ones.

Crystal Moldenhauer, a Longview resident who served on the school board, said she has friends who work at the plant and remained unaccounted for. She described the stress of the day as people called and texted each other trying to figure out what happened.

“We’re all still waiting for answers,” she said. “There’s families that have been torn apart, and we don’t know why.”

Two upset parents who said their two sons worked at the plant interjected at the end of the news conference, saying they hadn’t been contacted. While officials including Gov. Bob Ferguson, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez addressed those gathered, no one from the company spoke at the news conference.

Some people waited at the company’s visitor entrance earlier Tuesday, seeking information about loved ones. They declined to comment to an Associated Press reporter. At a nearby union hall that was serving as a family assistance center, three women shared a tearful embrace before heading inside. Others coming and going were also in tears.

Facility is central to the community

The Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. facility is a pulp and paper mill and liquid packaging plant along the Columbia River in Longview, a city of about 38,000 that has had a relationship with the paper and lumber industries since its founding by a Kansas City timber baron in the 1920s.

The facility, which employs about 1,000 people and dates to 1953, makes material for tissues, printing paper, cups, plates, cartons and other goods. It is located in an industrial zone shared by other timber, paper and chemical businesses, and it remains central to the community.

“The people who are responders here have friends and relatives that work on site,” Cowlitz Fire and Rescue Chief Scott Goldstein noted. “It is something that is impactful, and we have support networks to support the workers as well as the emergency responders.”

Officials initially reported that the tank had a capacity of 80,000 gallons (303,000 liters), but later revised that number to say it was holding about 900,000 gallons (3.4 million liters) of the "white liquor.” That's nearly enough to fill a typical Olympic-sized swimming pool one and a half times. The liquid, which consists mainly of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide, is used with heat to break down wood to make kraft paper, a durable material used in packaging, shopping bags and other products.

Cause is not yet known

It was too early to determine the cause of the implosion, Goldstein said.

Following the tank's rupture, the white liquor spilled into a drainage ditch, said Brittny Goodsell, a state Ecology Department spokesperson. The department sent a team to evaluate the impacts, Goodsell said.

“I know there’s a lot of questions about how all of this happened and I want to assure you that we will all continue to pressure to get answers to those questions,” Murray said during the Tuesday evening news conference. “This community deserves that.”

The implosion came as thousands of residents of Southern California remained evacuated Tuesday due to a damaged chemical tank at an aerospace plant. All evacuation orders were lifted Tuesday night.

Just over 40 people died between January 2021 and mid-October 2023 as a result of hazardous chemical incidents, according to a paper released by a network of environmental justice organizations in late 2023.

Previous health and safety violations

Safety complaints were filed against Nippon Dynawave on March 4 and May 6. The state’s labor and industries department said on X that both are unrelated to the current situation and remain open. The former was an anonymous complaint about a valve on an aqua ammonia clarifier tank, according to the department, which noted that “it was not the tank that imploded.” The other was opened about a sinkhole created by a drain that failed, according to the department.

Nippon Dynawave, a subsidiary of Japan-based Nippon Paper Group, has been fined a total of $3,400 for three separate health and safety violations found by Washington Department of Labor and Industries inspectors since the start of 2021, according to the department’s online database.

In one inspection, the company was cited because face coverings were not worn by every employee when required. In another, the inspector determined that an employee was exposed to the risk of falling while working on a platform more than 4 feet (1.2 meters) off the ground.

In the third incident, the department determined that equipment involved in a work-related accident — an amputated finger — was moved from its original position before the state’s investigation into the accident was complete.

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Boone reported from Boise, Idaho. Associated Press reporters Gene Johnson and Hallie Golden in Seattle and Christopher L. Keller in Albuquerque, New Mexico, contributed.

He wasn't the best player on the floor Tuesday night.

That was not the only reason why the Spurs fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5 of the West finals — there were many — but it was certainly among them. Wembanyama, who has had 41-point and 33-point outings in winning efforts during the series, never seemed to get fully rolling and the Spurs lost 127-114.

Now down 3-2 in the series, they'll try to extend the matchup — and save their season — in Game 6 at San Antonio on Thursday night.

Wembanyama scored 20 points, his lowest of the series, and only a 12-for-12 effort from the foul line helped him get there in Game 5. He was 4 for 15 from the floor, missing all five of his 3-point tries, never seeming to get into any sort of rhythm.

“He’s got to take more than 15 shots, even with the free throws,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said in his postgame news conference in Oklahoma City. “He’s going to have to score more than 20 points, for sure. ... OKC did a good job. We’ve got to do a better job.”

Wembanyama did not speak with reporters after the game.

The first halves have told much of the story. In San Antonio's two wins in this series, Wembanyama has gone 7-for-15 and 6-for-11 from the field. In the three losses, his halftime shot numbers — 2-for-4, 2-for-5 and 2-for-6, the last of those what he did in the first two quarters on Tuesday.

Wembanyama offered an impassioned speech to teammates during a timeout barely two minutes into the third quarter, after the Thunder opened an 18-point lead. And it worked — to a point. Oklahoma City scored again to get the lead up to 20, but the Spurs closed within eight later in the third.

It seemed like there was hope. But the Spurs didn't get any closer. The deficit was 10 going into the fourth, the Spurs scored only two points in the first 4:02 of the final quarter, and whatever momentum that seemed like it was building after Wembanyama's timeout speech appeared to be gone.

And on a night in which the Thunder just kept throwing different bodies — Isaiah Hartenstein, Chet Holmgren, Jaylin Williams, Alex Caruso and more — along with different looks at Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 French star just didn't have enough answers.

“It's a team defense,” Thunder guard Jared McCain said. “We talked about it. We made adjustments to it. We know that when he gets going, their whole team gets going."

Obviously, the Spurs know what's coming from the Thunder on Thursday — more of the same. San Antonio has two days to figure out how to counter.

“I think they sent so many bodies towards him, it’s hard at times,” Spurs guard Stephon Castle said. “I think he just wants to make the right play and wants to win. ... He’s our best player. We need him to be aggressive. I feel like him being aggressive opens up shots for other guys.”

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

It appeared that the minibus drove through the closed crossing barrier, officials said. A security camera showed the bus, carrying nine people, was moving when the train hit it. The collision happened during morning rush hour near Buggenhout town, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) northwest of the capital, Brussels.

The bus driver and an escort were killed along with two children aged 12 and 15, said Lisa De Wilde, spokesperson for the East Flanders public prosecutor’s office. She said the injured children were hospitalized in serious condition.

De Wilde told journalists the cause of the crash hadn't been established.

“What we do know is that the barrier was closed and the red light was on,” she said.

Federal Police spokesperson An Berger said the minibus driver appeared to have plowed through the barrier. Infrabel said the crossing was working correctly.

The train had been traveling at an estimated 120 kph (75 mph) as it approached the crossing and had “no time to brake," said Frédéric Sacré, a spokesperson for Belgian rail operator Infrabel.

“The impact was extremely violent,” Sacré told the RTBF public broadcaster.

An Associated Press journalist at the scene said the bus was toppled on its side with its front section crushed. The train was relatively unscathed.

It was believed about 100 passengers were aboard the train and that none were hurt. Rail traffic in the area was halted. Local officials stood for a minute's silence after a news conference.

In a post on social media, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said he was “deeply moved by the horrific accident in Buggenhout. My thoughts go out to the affected families.”

Children played basketball and rode bicycles at a school not far from the scene.

——

Cook reported from Brussels. Mike Corder contributed to this report from The Hague, Netherlands.

O'Hara, who led local police during the recent federal immigration crackdown in the city, was under investigation on accusations that he was engaging in intimate relationships with city employees.

While those allegations were never substantiated, Frey said investigators found that O'Hara had interfered with the probe. He is accused of deleting a contact card from his city-issued cell phone in an attempt to shield evidence and telling another city employee about the investigation after he was instructed to keep it quiet, according to a written reprimand obtained by The Associated Press.

The mayor told O'Hara he would be disciplined, which could include his termination. He chose to resign instead, Frey said.

“It was an extremely painful decision, obviously, but I concluded that that was necessary to maintain public trust, and this was the right way to move forward as a city,” Frey said.

“Trust is not secondary to the job. It is the job,” he added.

The city still has 17 open complaints against O'Hara — separate from the investigation that resulted in disciplinary action — and will continue investigating, mayor's office spokesperson Jennifer Lor said. Lor could not comment on the nature of those complaints.

O'Hara did not immediately respond to a LinkedIn message seeking comment.

O'Hara became the chief in 2022 as the department was at the center of a nationwide reckoning over racism and brutality in policing. Two years prior, Floyd, a Black man, was killed by a white officer in Minneapolis, igniting global Black Lives Matter protests and calls to defund the police.

Last year, Minneapolis entered an agreement with the federal government to overhaul its police training and use-of-force policies in the wake Floyd's murder. The U.S. Department of Justice under President Donald Trump canceled the agreement months later.

O'Hara oversaw the law enforcement response to the deadly Annunciation Catholic School shooting last August.

He criticized immigration enforcement tactics in December after a federal agent kneeled on a woman's back during an arrest and then tried to drag her to a car. Minneapolis police faced scrutiny from all sides during Trump's immigration crackdown by people who thought the officers were helping or hindering federal agents and protests.

Assistant Police Chief Katie Blackwell has stepped in to lead the department during the search for a new chief, Frey said.

One humanitarian duo wants to ensure conflict-stricken children get funding for an often-overlooked need: education. Under an agreement announced Wednesday, the LEGO Foundation committed $97 million to expand International Rescue Committee programs that use play to help millions of children learn and recover.

“Children who are born in conflict have their childhood stolen from them," IRC President David Miliband told The Associated Press. “But what’s remarkable about children is that if you give them a bit of their childhood back, they make the most of it. And this is about giving the best of childhood back.”

The five-year partnership aims to reach 5 million children across East Africa and the Middle East. Who, exactly, they serve will change as conflicts evolve. LEGO Foundation CEO Sidsel Marie Kristensen pledged to focus on those “in the most dire contexts." Currently under consideration are Ethiopia, Lebanon, the Palestinian territories, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Uganda.

Kristensen said the “truly agile” framework is designed to bring play-based learning wherever it’s needed most, rather than funding individual place-based grants that might become outdated as conflicts evolve in real time.

“In the world we are living in right now, nobody knows honestly what is happening tomorrow or in two months,” Kristensen said. “That (flexibility) is what we need right now.”

The investment will introduce more classrooms to an IRC-led program called PlayMatters that offers training for teachers of 3-to 12-year-olds to integrate what they call “playful learning" into lessons. The goal is not to tell educators what they should teach but help tailor their instruction to the needs that arise in schools serving children traumatized by crises. Program leaders also act as a policy advocates for education funding at the national level, working with government officials to embed their materials into their curriculum.

Teacher says ‘playful learning’ reduces absenteeism

At a primary school serving refugees in western Uganda’s Nakivale settlement, one teacher credits PlayMatters with reducing absenteeism. Sister Kasingye Secunda said attendance used to be an issue. Teachers try their best to make students "feel at home,” she said. But many students don’t understand both the local language and English, the language of instruction.

Children learn colors through one game where they select mangoes, bananas and other fruits to share with their classmates. They build confidence through class presentations, she said, and develop leadership as they take turns guiding small groups through activities.

“Learners enjoy the lessons,” Secunda said. “They are eager to come to school.”

From Ethiopia to Tanzania, a radio show helps children name their emotions through episodes offered in multiple languages featuring culturally familiar characters. PlayMatters Project Director Martin Omukuba said they are expanding such digitally delivered multimedia lessons. The radio show, for example, helps them remotely reach schools in South Sudan that are made inaccessible by flooding for half the year.

The LEGO Foundation provides flexible funding so that IRC can respond to the fluid nature of conflicts. A refugee class size can quickly jump from 25 to 150 students, Omukuba noted, creating new demands for sanitation, nutrition or other classroom needs not traditionally classified under education. Omukuba credited the LEGO Foundation for trusting them to move grant money around in emergencies.

“We need first to make sure that children are alive,” he said. “We can introduce the education when they are stabilized.”

The partners first collaborated in 2019 when the LEGO Foundation committed $100 million to “Ahlan Simsim,” the show by IRC and the nonprofit Sesame Workshop that helps kids affected by the Syrian and Rohingya refugee crises.

Kristensen, who leads the Denmark-based corporate foundation that funds early childhood development, said they've been scaling up their donations in these settings. The LEGO Foundation recently announced a separate $30 million partnership with global funding collaborative Co-Impact to support locally led solutions to issues of learning and wellbeing among children impacted by conflict and crisis.

She wants Wednesday's announcement to inspire greater collaboration among governments, civil society and the private sector. “That is so needed in a world right now where the development aid is decreasing,” she said, referring to international assistance cuts by the United States and many European nations.

Those cuts have stretched the humanitarian system's capacity over the past year. Already, Miliband said, the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Congo provides “a graphic demonstration of the short-sightedness of aid cuts for activities that are considered marginal." He pointed to sanitation and handwashing programs in the Congo's Ituri province, where the global health emergency is centered, that lost U.S. funding last year as part of the Trump administration's dismantling of international development.

“We warned at the time what the risk was,” he said. “And sure as night follows day, we end up with an under-detected Ebola outbreak.”

International Rescue Committee officials similarly see early childhood development not as a luxury, but a necessary intervention to toxic stress that alters brain development and delays learning.

Education was an underfunded part of humanitarian responses even before wealthy countries slashed their aid budgets, according to Patty McIlreavy, the president and CEO of the Center for Disaster Philanthropy. “Life saving” assistance was too narrowly limited to “what do you actually need to keep the body alive,” she said," a definition that excluded “life sustaining” efforts such as children's education.

She pointed to Wednesday's announcement as an example for donors, who often ask her how they can actually help in complex conflicts without clear ends in sight.

“It's not our role as philanthropy to fix what's broken in a country," she said. "That's politics. That's bigger than us. But there's so much we can do — even by offering six months or a year of education.”

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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.

Trump endorsed Paxton last week, calling him a “true MAGA warrior." Paxton's victory in Tuesday’s runoff makes Cornyn — who was first elected to the Senate in 2002 — the first Republican senator from Texas to lose the party’s nomination for reelection.

Cheers rang through the ballroom at Paxton's election night party when the race was called, and he took the stage to supporters chanting his name. He quickly gave credit to Trump.

“When everyone in Washington told him to abandon me and abandon the people of Texas, he didn’t listen," Paxton said. "President Trump is the leader of our party, and his endorsement is the most powerful force in politics.”

Cornyn's loss followed primaries this month where Trump successfully backed challengers to Republican lawmakers who had displeased him in Louisiana, Kentucky and Indiana, a sign of his enduring influence among primary voters.

The candidates that Trump endorsed in those states are expected to easily win against Democratic opponents. However, the president’s decision to boost Paxton, who won Tuesday with a sliver of the Republican base who shrugged off his past scandals, may be a bigger gamble in the general election.

Democrats are hopeful that their nominee, state Rep. James Talarico, has a rare opportunity to win a statewide race in Texas — and help the party retake control of the Senate — with Paxton as his opponent.

Tuesday’s runoffs also decided Democratic U.S. House nominees for districts in Dallas and Houston that overwhelmingly support Democrats, and a San Antonio-area seat the party wants to flip.

‘I will be the Democrats’ No. 1 target'

In Austin on Tuesday night, Cornyn gave a short concession speech tinged with emotion to a room of only reporters.

“Tonight we’ve come up short,” Cornyn said, adding that he’d support Paxton in the general election. “I’ve always supported the Republican ticket, and I intend to do so again.”

Cornyn said in 2023 as Trump was running to return to the White House that his time “has passed him by," a statement that came back to bite him. He also was an early critic of Trump’s plan for a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico — a project he now supports.

Cornyn had the backing of Senate GOP leaders who said he would be the stronger general election candidate against Talarico, which was also the senator's argument to voters before Tuesday.

That's not lost on Paxton, who said in his speech that “without a shadow of a doubt, I will be the Democrats’ No. 1 target in November.”

Talarico's campaign hit back Tuesday night on the social platform X, highlighting what they — and some Republicans — see as Paxton's weakness, including an FBI investigation and impeachment for corruption in which he was later acquitted.

The primary was long and costly

Cornyn led Paxton in the March 3 primary but failed to win a majority. That was after Cornyn and his supporters waged a monthslong advertising campaign, mostly attacking Paxton over ethical and personal questions.

The two-term attorney general was acquitted on corruption charges in a 2023 impeachment trial, where allegations of extramarital affairs surfaced. Paxton’s wife filed for divorce last year, citing “biblical grounds.”

It gave Cornyn fodder for an ad campaign that, along with allied groups, spent roughly $109 million between the primary and runoff elections.

Immediately after the primary, Trump promised to endorse but didn’t act until after early voting began last week.

“Ken Paxton has gone through a lot, in many cases, very unfairly, but he is a fighter, and knows how to win,” Trump wrote in a social media post endorsing him.

Retired Dallas-area resident David Jacobson, 70, said Trump's endorsement was a factor in his decision to back Paxton on Tuesday. While Cornyn has for the most part been a strong Trump supporter, Jacobson generally thinks most politicians have remained in office too long.

“Maybe it’s time for a change,” he said after voting.

Linda Williams said she voted for Cornyn, calling him “the lesser of two evils.” She thought Cornyn had a better chance to beat Talarico this fall.

“Because Paxton is a crook," Williams said after voting in Plano, outside Dallas.

Trump snubbed Cornyn amid retribution campaign

Trump, in his endorsement, poked at Cornyn, saying he “was not supportive of me when times were tough” and that “John was very late in backing me.”

Cornyn said Tuesday on Fox News Radio's “The Brian Kilmeade Show” that the president's ire was misplaced. He said, “grifters” are "claiming that I am opposed to the president's agenda, and I think that’s caused some confusion with the president himself. But I’ve been supportive.”

Some GOP strategists have argued that a Paxton nomination would cost millions of dollars more to promote in the fall, when money could be spent defending Republican seats in more competitive states. Democrats need to gain a net of four seats to take the majority. Cornyn had the support of Senate GOP leaders.

Democrats choose US House nominees

Newly elected Rep. Christian Menefee defeated veteran Rep. Al Green in Texas' 18th District, dispatching a longtime House incumbent who was one of Trump's most outspoken critics. The Republican-led Texas Legislature redrew the district when it approved a new House map last year. The new map led to a runoff between incumbents and marks the end of a dizzying series of elections in the Houston area.

Former Rep. Colin Allred beat U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson in the Dallas-area 33rd District's Democratic primary runoff. Johnson was elected to the seat in 2024, the year Allred lost his U.S. Senate challenge to Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. Allred was running for Senate again this cycle but dropped his bid and instead sought a return to the House.

Near San Antonio, Johnny Garcia won the Democratic primary for Texas’ 35th District against against Maureen Galindo, a candidate who has expressed antisemitic views. While Texas lawmakers redrew the district to help Republicans, Democrats view it as within reach and didn't want Galindo's past comments to impede them.

Garcia will face Republican Carlos De La Cruz, who defeated John Lujan in the GOP primary.

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This story has been corrected to show that voter David Jacobson is 70, not 71.

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Bedayn reported from Austin, Texas. Associated Press reporter Jamie Stengle contributed from Sasche, Texas.

The crisis that began Thursday had forced 50,000 people to evacuate in and around the Orange County city of Garden Grove. A crack that formed by chance on the tank relieved pressure and helped avert a catastrophic explosion, allowing most evacuees to return home over the Memorial Day weekend. Authorities announced they were lifting the final orders after the temperature on the tank remained stable for four hours without intervention from sprinklers.

“All residents will go home,” Orange County Fire Authority Division Chief Craig Covey said during a meeting that grew raucous at times as residents questioned why the chemical was allowed in a densely populated area and urged city officials to hold the company that operates the tank accountable.

The tank contains methyl methacrylate, which is highly flammable. Health officials have assured residents that no contamination or fumes were released, and that they will keep monitoring the air for several months and checking the sewer and storm drains. Exposure to the chemical can cause serious respiratory problems, neurological issues and irritation to the skin, eyes and throat, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

The tank at GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems, which makes cockpit windows, canopies and windshields, contains 6,000 to 7,000 gallons (22,700 to 26,500 liters) of the chemical.

Separately, an implosion of a chemical tank Tuesday at a pulp and paper mill in Washington state killed one worker and left nine others accounted for, with authorities saying they were working on recovery efforts. Nine others were injured.

Residents call for accountability

Angry residents spoke at the city council meeting after the crisis interrupted Memorial Day plans, graduation ceremonies and daily life in central Orange County, which is made up of a cluster of cities including Garden Grove.

Karen Nguyen, a 29-year-old Garden Grove resident, said she will be able to go home now that the evacuation order is being lifted but is concerned about what the chemical might do to her three cats, which already have health issues. She told the city council she wants stricter regulations to ensure nothing like this happens again, and she doesn’t want to see these plants in her community.

“They’re not welcome in our neighborhood,” she said.

Bobbi-Lee Smart said she was evacuated from her home in nearby Anaheim but many of her neighbors were too poor to get out. She said this never should have happened as the company had a record of violations. She demanded the city take action.

“Please shut them down, please take care of our residents," she said.

Mayor Stephanie Klopfenstein pledged to hold the company accountable.

In a statement earlier Tuesday, GKN said it was working closely with authorities.

“We apologize for the ongoing disruption this incident is causing, and our priority remains the safety of our neighbors and our community,” the statement said.

GKN agreed to pay state regulators more than $900,000 in 2025 to settle violations involving recordkeeping, permitting issues and nitrogen oxide emissions, according to a report on the South Coast Air Quality Management District website.

Authorities scrambled to minimize risk

Crews at the California plant had worked to ensure two nearby tanks were neutralized and would not be affected by the compromised tank, Orange County Fire Capt. Brian Yau said.

The tank overheated because a valve on the cooling system failed that kept it at 50 degrees, (10 degrees Celsius), Covey said.

Crews sprayed water on the tank until the interior temperature stabilized to 92 F (33.3 C), down from 100 F (37.7 C) over the weekend, the fire department said earlier Tuesday. A sprinkler system was used to douse the tank, and the company said its technical specialists and firefighters removed insulation from the tank to help cool it.

Officials will remain to continue monitoring, he said.

So far testing has found no contamination, officials said.

Orange County Health Director Regina Chinsio-Kwong tried to reassure people returning home over the holiday weekend, saying "you should feel comfortable going home even if you’re across the street from that new zone line.”

Isabel Mendez, 34, said she broke out in a rash on her face and had tingling lips and a sore throat while she was getting ready to leave after an evacuation order was issued Thursday. Her symptoms disappeared a few hours later, she said. She was among the last people allowed back to her home, which is a mobile home close to the site of the leak.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District will monitor the air for several months and the EPA will be checking sewer and storm drains for spills, Orange County Supervisor Janet Nguyen said.

The California crisis is reminiscent of a 2014 chemical spill in Charleston, West Virginia when storage tanks failed. The disaster inspired a new state law requiring more inspections and registrations of aboveground storage tanks.

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This story has been updated to correct a quote’s attribution to Orange County Fire Authority Division Chief Craig Covey not TJ McGovern, an interim fire chief of the Orange County Fire Authority.

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Weber reported from Los Angeles and Bellisle from Seattle. Associated Press journalists Leah Willingham in Boston; Jamie Stengle in Dallas; and Ethan Swope in Garden Grove, California, contributed to this report.

It turned out to be a genius move.

McCain scored 20 points — 18 of them coming in the second half — and the host Thunder beat the San Antonio Spurs 127-114 in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals on Tuesday night, a victory that put the reigning NBA champions one win away from a return trip to the NBA Finals.

“We just thought he could give us some good stuff, just based on where we are right now with a couple guys out,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “He was really good. ... Great mental toughness. I never take it for granted when somebody steps into a role like that in a game like this, but certainly not surprised. He's got great moxie and confidence and he showed that tonight.”

Williams was downgraded to out by the Thunder for Game 5 about an hour before game time Tuesday. after being listed as questionable throughout the day because of his ongoing issues with a strained left hamstring.

Mitchell, who typically starts in Williams' place, was ruled out earlier by the Thunder with a strained right soleus.

And that created a moment for McCain — who delivered. He wasn't shy, either, with his 19 shot attempts in Game 5 tying Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the most on the Thunder.

“Coming into this game, I just literally wanted to play as hard as I can on the offensive end and rebound and everything else will flow," McCain said after the game on NBA TV — where he disclosed that Daigneault hinted Monday that he'd be the starter, then confirmed it to him Tuesday. “Everything else comes together.”

McCain was making the first playoff start of his career. He averaged 8.8 points in 12 playoff games off the bench for the Thunder entering Tuesday.

It's unknown how long he'll remain in the starting five. Game 6 is Thursday in San Antonio, but his effort Tuesday certainly was one heck of an audition.

Williams returned for Game 1 of the West finals, scoring 26 points in 37 minutes in Oklahoma City’s 122-115 double-overtime loss. He had four points in seven first-quarter minutes in Game 2, including an alley-oop dunk with 2:12 left in the period, and hasn't played since.

Williams has now missed 58 of the Thunder’s 95 games this season, including playoffs. Of those absences, 19 were for a right wrist issue and the other 39 were related to his hamstrings — the right one costing him 30 games during the regular season, the left one now costing him nine during the playoffs.

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

Jared McCain — getting the call with Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell both sidelined — scored 20 in his first playoff start for the defending NBA champion Thunder, who lead the Western Conference finals 3-2.

Chet Holmgren had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Thunder, while Isaiah Hartenstein had a 12-point, 15-rebound night in Oklahoma City.

The Thunder, who were held to 82 points in a Game 4 loss two days earlier, had 82 points on Tuesday before the third quarter was 3 1/2 minutes old.

“We obviously played a lot better, in terms of our process and then also the outcome,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “It's a playoff series. If you look at any playoff series that goes to six games, at least, there's going to be some tough games. We had a tough game the other night. This team does a great job of just coming back in the next day in a very neutral way, taking whatever the lessons are, applying them forward and getting into the next opportunity.”

Stephon Castle scored 24 points for San Antonio, which got 22 points from Julian Champagnie and 20 points from Victor Wembanyama — who was held to 4-of-15 shooting.

Keldon Johnson scored 15 off the bench for San Antonio, which missed 29 of its 41 3-point tries.

“It just felt like it was a little bit of everything in terms of we did not put ourselves in position enough to be successful on each possession,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “And so, to beat a team of this caliber, in their building, with the stakes, we'll need to be a lot better to give yourself a chance.”

Game 6 is Thursday in San Antonio. If there's a Game 7, it'll be back in Oklahoma City on Saturday — and while this series winds down, the New York Knicks are waiting to see who emerges.

The Knicks will visit either the Thunder or Spurs in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on June 3.

Oklahoma City scored 40 points in the second quarter to take control and kept the lead the rest of the way.

“We just played to who we were tonight,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.

It took nearly 10 minutes for the first free throws to be awarded. But when the parade to the foul line started, it didn't stop.

The teams combined to make 29 free throws in the second quarter alone, the most in the second quarter of any NBA game since the bubble playoffs nearly six years ago. It wasn't a one-sided thing — the Spurs were 15 for 17 in the quarter, the Thunder 14 for 14.

Oklahoma City went up by 20 in the third, before San Antonio closed within eight. The Spurs might have had some chances to cut even further into the deficit, but were fuming — and rightly so, it seemed — over some missed calls in the final minute of the quarter.

A tip-in try by San Antonio's Luke Kornet with about 56 seconds left was knocked off the rim by Oklahoma City's Cason Wallace and should have been goaltending. And on the next Spurs' possession, an out-of-bounds call that should have gone their way — replays showed the ball went out off of Holmgren — did not. Johnson tried to challenge the call, got ignored, then got a technical foul for arguing.

“They just said they didn't see me,” Johnson said.

After all that, Oklahoma City's lead was 101-91 going into the fourth. The Thunder kept a double-digit lead for all but 25 seconds of the final quarter — a huge turnaround from a 21-point loss in San Antonio on Sunday.

“We definitely got better from the last game,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.

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

He didn't know until afterward that it was something historic.

Yes, there were six home runs, including two from Amed Rosario. And the Yankees put up 24 hits in the 15-1 romp, their most since a game against Baltimore in July 2011. But what set the performance apart from all others Tuesday night — including all those games played by Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle — was this simple fact: For the first time in their storied history, the Yankees got at least two hits from every single player in their starting lineup.

“I did see all the hits on the board,” Boone said afterward, “and I was like, ‘Man, you don’t see that very often.'”

The Yankees had the benefit of facing the Royals on a designated bullpen day. Struggling reliever Bailey Falter was first on the mound, and he allowed as many hits (seven) as he record outs. Luinder Avila wasn't a whole lot better when he replaced him.

The last of the hits came against outfielder Tyler Tolbert, who threw a steady diet of 44 mph pitches to get through the ninth inning.

Yet that doesn't take away from one of the impressive hitting performances in Yankees history. Their hit total tied for their eighth-most ever, and the 24 hits were their most in a road game since Aug. 31, 1974, in a game against the White Sox.

The six homers were the most by a team in the majors this season.

“The performance they put up today,” Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler said, “that was awesome to watch.”

The barrage began with Cody Bellinger's second homer in as many days, a two-out shot in the first. But it really gained steam after Paul Goldschmidt's double, when Ben Rice hit a sinking liner to right field that Royals outfielder Jac Caglianone lazily grabbed at grass level. Boone challenged the out call, and a review confirmed that the ball had touched the ground for an RBI single.

Rosario came to the plate next and belted a two-run homer an estimated 420 feet to left field.

Anthony Volpe added his first homer of the season in the second inning, and the Yankees piled on four more runs on a steady stream of singles in the third. Aaron Judge provided an RBI double in the fifth, Trent Grisham went deep in the seventh, Jazz Chisholm Jr. — the last of the starters to get two hits — homered in the eighth and Rosario hit his second of the game in the ninth.

He sheepishly admitted that he was just trying not to strike out against Tolbert's languid lobs to the plate.

“It feels good to be part of history,” Rosario said through a translator. “It's a team effort and being part of it is great.”

The Yankees have now hit 82 home runs this season, by far the most in the majors. The Royals, by comparison, have hit 51, including the solo homer that Bobby Witt Jr. hit in the third inning for their only run of the entire game.

Meanwhile, the 24 hits that the Royals allowed were the fourth-most in a game in franchise history. Rosario finished with four hits while Grisham, Rice, Volpe and Austin Wells had three apiece. The rest of the starters each had two.

“Look,” Boone said with a smile, “as hard as hitting is — as hard as it is now, night-in and night-out — to have a day where everyone, you know, can fatten up a little bit, it's good.”

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

A temperature of 35.1 degrees Celsius (95.2 degrees Fahrenheit) was recorded at London's Kew Gardens, Britain's Met Office weather service said, breaking the 34.8 C (94.6 F) record set a day earlier at Kew. The provisional readings smashed the long-standing record of 32.8 C (91.4 F) set in 1922 and matched in 1944.

London also recorded a rare “tropical night,” defined as one in which the temperature does not fall below 20 C (68 F).

Records also fell in France, where temperatures reached 36 C (97 F) on Monday in the country's southwest and widely remained above 20 C at night.

The national weather service, Météo-France, said a “heat dome,” with heat held in place by a high-pressure weather front, was producing temperatures more than 10 degrees Celsius above what is usual for this time of year.

Unpredictable and extreme weather is becoming more frequent as Earth warms. Experts say unprecedented and deadly weather extremes that sometimes strike at abnormal times and in unusual places are putting more people in danger.

“We know beyond a shadow of a doubt that heat wave events such as this have been made more likely and more severe due to climate change arising from our emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases,” said Peter Thorne, director of the ICARUS Climate Research Centre, at Maynooth University, in Ireland.

“But, nevertheless, many of the records being set, particularly in the U.K. and France, are mind-bogglingly crazy,” he said.

After a long weekend that sent people in Britain flocking to beaches, pools and shady parks, London commuters sweltered on Tuesday in subway carriages without air conditioning. Trains to and from the busy Waterloo station were disrupted by a report of smoke on the tracks.

In Scotland, firefighters worked through the night to douse a grass fire that sent smoke billowing from Arthur’s Seat, the rocky hill that looms over Edinburgh.

The U.K. Health Security Agency issued an amber health alert for large parts of the country through Thursday, warning of a potential health risk, particularly among older people, at the hottest times of the day. The U.K. is used to moderate temperatures and many homes, schools and businesses do not have air conditioning.

At least four teenagers died in apparent drownings in U.K. lakes and reservoirs, and a 60-year-old man died in the sea in southwest England, authorities said.

French government spokesperson Maud Bregeon said there have been reports of at least seven deaths potentially related to high temperatures, including five drownings and two deaths in sports competitions.

The early heat wave has struck before the annual summer window when lifeguards watch over bathers at popular beaches, increasing risks.

On France’s Atlantic seaboard, where magnificent beaches have powerful riptides, officials reported a rash of emergencies in the surf, with two drowning deaths on Sunday at popular resorts in the Gironde region in the southwest.

The top regional administrator, Sophie Brocas, urged beachgoers “to exercise the utmost caution.”

The unseasonable heat extended to Spain, where weather service spokesperson Rubén del Campo said: “We find ourselves with temperatures we normally see in the middle of the summer now in the month of May.”

He said Seville hit 38 C (100 F) over the weekend, while large parts of the Iberian Peninsula saw temperatures 5 to 10 degrees Celsius higher than normal.

And in Rome, temperatures were expected to reach 32 C (89.6 F) on Tuesday.

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Associated Press writers John Leicester in Paris and Joseph Wilson in Barcelona, Spain, contributed to this report.

Paxton was endorsed by President Donald Trump last week, and his victory showcased the president’s power over his party as he seeks to punish Republicans he sees as insufficiently loyal.

Paxton will run against Democratic state Rep. James Talarico in November.

Democrats also voted to choose U.S. House nominees on Tuesday at the polls.

Here is the Latest:

House Majority PAC congratulates Garcia’s win over candidate condemned for antisemitic remarks

“Mike Johnson and Republican leadership wasted millions of dollars supporting an avowed antisemite, and failed,” House Majority PAC spokesperson Katarina Flicker said in a statement. “HMP is proud to support Johnny Garcia, and we look forward to seeing the GOP dummymander backfire in November.”

A super PAC that backed Galindo, Lead Left, was accused by Democrats of being funded by Republicans.

Galindo has made several remarks that were condemned by national Democrats, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, as antisemitic and unwelcome in the party.

Allred is getting his old House seat back

Allred left the House to run for U.S. Senate in 2024, when he lost a challenge to GOP Sen. Ted Cruz.

He was running for Senate again this cycle but dropped his bid on the same day Rep. Jasmine Crockett announced she was running.

He then said he would run again for the House. He defeated Rep. Julie Johnson, who had replaced him in Washington.

Trump celebrates Paxton’s win and touts his endorsement

The president posted a graphic depicting himself and Paxton on his social media platform, Truth Social, with the words “Ken Paxton wins! Endorsed by President Trump!”

Trump’s picks dominated their runoff elections. Each Trump-backed congressional candidate won their runoff with double-digit margins, continuing Trump’s winning streak with his endorsements.

Republicans’ Senate campaign arm attacks Talarico without mentioning GOP runoff candidates

“A state President Trump won by nearly 14 points isn’t going to elect James Talarico — a radical leftist who thinks God is nonbinary and that Texas should be a welcome mat for illegals,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee spokeswoman Samantha Cantrell in a statement.

“He is the most dangerous flank of the far left. Texas isn’t swapping brisket for open borders,” she added.

Cornyn is a former chair of the NRSC. He was endorsed by Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Sen. Tim Scott, the current NRSC chair.

Johnny Garcia wins the Democratic primary for Texas’ 35th US House District

National Democrats stepped in to help Garcia win House nomination as the party was seeking to defeat Garcia’s rival, Maureen Galindo, who has repeatedly expressed antisemitic views.

Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York called her comments “disgusting” and said it shouldn’t be near “our politics.” Democratic leaders Hakeem Jeffries and Suzan DelBene also weighed in.

Republicans redrew the 35th District to help the GOP win more House seats, but Democrats think they may have a chance to flip it. They worried that if Galindo won, her past comments would hurt the party.

Cruz congratulates both Paxton and Cornyn after divisive Senate runoff contest

Texas’ junior U.S. senator said Paxton “has my full support and endorsement as the Republican nominee” in a social media post. He called Paxton a “fearless conservative who spent years taking on Texas’s toughest battles as attorney general” and said he expected Paxton to prevail in the general election.

“I look forward to fighting alongside him,” Cruz wrote.

Cruz then he went on to commend Cornyn’s years of service.

“I also want to congratulate and thank my friend Senator John Cornyn for his many years of dedicated service to Texas and our country. It has been an honor to serve alongside him for over a decade.”

He then called on Texans to oppose Talarico’s Senate race, arguing the Texas Democrat “is radical, dangerous, and does not represent the values, ideas, or principles of the Lone Star State. Defeating him is critical.”

Paxton supporter: His ‘warts’ will not be an issue

Rick Swarts, a Paxton supporter who drove from his home in Austin to see the candidate, isn’t worried that the ethical and personal questions the attorney general faces will do any damage to him in the general election.

“James Talarico is such a weak candidate, any warts Paxton has will not be an issue,” Swarts said outside the ballroom where Paxton’s supporters were celebrating. “He always lands on his feet. Like Trump.”

Swarts said Talarico is so out-of-step with mainstream voters, “Beto O’Rourke is going to look like a hardcore conservative when it’s all over.” O’Rourke, a former Texas congressman, ran a competitive Senate race against Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018.

Paxton ends his speech

The victor finished his remarks much like they began.

“Thank you for making history,” he said, before wading into the crowd to shake hands and greet supporters.

Paxton attacks Talarico as a ‘radical’ and urges Republicans to unify ahead of general election

“This campaign is not about red versus blue. It’s about so much more. My opponent is the most extreme radical the Democrats have ever nominated,” Paxton told the crowd.

“The reality is James Talarico is going to be nothing more than a Texas-faced puppet for Chuck Schumer and the national Democrats,” Paxton warned.

Paxton also predicted Talarico is “going to raise more money than any Democrat in America” and urged his followers to donate to his campaign.

“If Republicans lose this state, we lose the country,” Paxton warned.

Paxton takes the stage

“Tonight we just made history,” he told cheering supporters.

The state attorney general paid tribute to Trump for his endorsement despite the objections of Senate Republican leaders.

“When everyone in Washington told him to abandon me and abandon the people of Texas, he didn’t listen,” Paxton said. “Instead he gave his complete and total endorsement. President Trump is the leader of our party and his endorsement is the most powerful force in politics.”

Paxton draws Trump comparisons at victory party

Aidan Shull, in a cowboy hat and jeans, called Paxton “a really good change of pace.”

The 21-year-old Paxton supporter was attending the candidate’s watch party-turned celebration with his fiancee, Brooke Peters.

“He’s not new but he feels new. It’s very similar to Trump 2016,” he said. “He’s giving us hope for change at a time when we really need it in Washington.”

Peters credited Paxton for his long list of lawsuits as attorney general as proof he cares about people.

“He’s very strong-headed. We’ve seen what he’s done, and he’s gone after people,” the 19-year-old said. “And he’s going to keep doing that for Texas.”

Talarico wastes no time launching attacks on Paxton as ‘corrupt’

Within minutes of Paxton being declared the winner of the Republican primary runoff for U.S. Senate, the Democrat called him “the most corrupt politician in America” in a social media post.

“He embodies the broken system we’re running against,” Talarico wrote on X. In another post, he invited Cornyn’s supporters to vote for him.

“You have a place in our campaign,” Talarico wrote.

Cornyn says he ‘kept the faith’

“Serving others is a high purpose. And while much about politics is ugly, we choose to serve through the good, the bad and the ugly,” Cornyn said of his time in office.

He cited a speech from President Teddy Roosevelt about “fighting in the arena” and a verse from the New Testament that reads: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

Cornyn says he’ll support Paxton in the general election

“Tonight we’ve come up short,” Cornyn said to the gathered reporters. “A few years ago, I had a friend of mine say, ‘You know what makes God laugh?’ he said, ‘When we make plans.’”

Cornyn thanked his campaign staff and family, and said he’s spent his career building the Republican Party in Texas and the U.S. Senate.

“I’ve always supported the Republican ticket,” he said, “and I intend to do so again.”

Club for Growth backs Paxton and attacks Talarico

The conservative organization endorsed the Texas attorney general on Tuesday night and released an advertisement arguing that Talarico is out of step with Texan culture.

“Texas is a conservative state and deserves a real conservative in the Senate. Ken Paxton has consistently stood up against Democrats and the establishment in Austin to defend the rule of law and freedoms for every Texan,” said a statement from Club for Growth PAC President David McIntosh. He argued Talarico “has spent his career promoting woke gender ideology, fighting against meat consumption, and opposing the values Texans cherish.”

The ad includes multiple videos of Talarico’s past comments on faith, activism and gender, including one clip where the state representative said he sounded “like a crazy person” and another where he said that people should “try to reduce our meat consumption” to fight climate change.

Cornyn’s unusual watch party goes quiet as race is called

The room was full of journalists and no supporters, so as the race call that Paxton won went out, the only sounds were fingers tapping at keyboards and television reporters shuffling in front of cameras to prepare to go live.

Then the murmur of those reports filled out the silence. Cornyn is expected to speak shortly.

Paxton’s supporters celebrate

Cheers rang through the ballroom as Van Halen’s “Jump” throbs through Paxton’s election night party, while the stage filled with people holding the candidate’s campaign signs.

Paxton wins Republican Senate primary runoff

The win also marks another victory for Trump, who endorsed Paxton as part of his effort to dislodge GOP officeholders he views as less than devout in their support of him.

Cornyn is now the first Republican senator from Texas to lose the party’s nomination for reelection.

Paxton will face Talarico in November. It’s the matchup that Democrats wanted, and some in the GOP are nervous about how much it will cost to try to keep the seat in Republican hands.

Cheers at Paxton event when Texas comes on screen

A cheer erupted among the roughly 50 supporters of the Texas attorney general in the Plano hotel ballroom when the large TV screen flashed to CNN’s coverage of the Republican Texas Senate runoff.

The crowd is awaiting returns for their candidate in his challenge of four-term Republican Sen. John Cornyn, snacking on tacos and drinking beer.

The mood is festive and upbeat, as Paxton staff have projected optimism, especially in light of Trump’s endorsement of Paxton a week ago.

Cowboy hats and boots, on women and men, are common, as are suits and cocktail dresses in the Dallas-Plano Marriott at Legacy Town Center in the upscale shopping and dining area near Dallas where Paxton is expected to speak later.

Cornyn’s watch party isn’t typical

That’s because it’s almost exclusively journalists packed in an austere hotel meeting room in downtown Austin. There aren’t crowds of excited supporters or the pomp of champagne glasses and white tablecloths. A few small campaign signs are stuck to the walls, and a lone podium is backdropped by a screen emblazoned with the candidate’s name.

The senator is expected to enter the room to speak once the race is called. Otherwise, reporters are milling around chairs, going live on their television channels and reloading the voting results online.

Most polls are closed

Most of Texas is in the Central time zone, where polls closed at 7 p.m. local time, or 8 p.m. ET.

A far western part of the state is in the Mountain time zone, so polls there will close an hour later, at 9 p.m. ET.

Angela Paxton doesn’t endorse in Texas Senate race

The Texas state senator posted several endorsements on social media for the Republican primary runoff. But there was no mention of the U.S. Senate campaign between her husband, Attorney General Ken Paxton, and incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn.

Angela Paxton was a key fixture in Ken Paxton’s previous campaigns. She stood by him throughout his Texas Senate impeachment trial in 2023 and allegations of an extramarital affair. But she’s now seeking a divorce and has cited “biblical grounds” among her reasons for the split.

Angela Paxton urged Republicans to vote in several statewide offices, including the one her husband is leaving behind.

Democrat votes for Paxton to boost Talarico’s chances

Jessica Shaw, 46, who swung out of a polling place in a brightly colored dress in the hot Austin sun, had a strategy in mind.

“I voted for Ken Paxton because I think he is most likely to lose against Talarico,” she said, because Paxton is “such a morally bankrupt person” that he’ll turn general election voters away.

It’s an argument that Cornyn has made frequently on the campaign trail, saying he’s the better contender to face Talarico. In this case, a registered Democrat agreed.

“If this strategy doesn’t work and (Paxton) wins” in the general election, said Shaw, who then raised her hands in a shrug. “Something needs to change, or I think people will move out of Texas.”

Shaw gave a parting message before loading into her Volvo: “Vote against Trump at all costs!”

Cornyn voter: Trump’s endorsement 'doesn’t have any effect'

Debbie Burdeaux strode out of the Haggard Library in Plano sporting a fresh “I voted” sticker. Her choice in the Texas Republican Senate runoff? John Cornyn.

“Because he’s done a good job for this state, and I am not a fan of Paxton,” she said.

Trump endorsed the four-term incumbent senator's opponent, Paxton, last week.

“I don’t have a problem with Trump,” she said. “But he doesn’t have any effect on my vote.”

Burdeaux, a 69-year-old retired substitute teacher and geologist, expressed what others who have voted for Cornyn have said in this precinct: a strong distaste for Paxton.

Some Republicans have said Paxton's previous scandals could discourage GOP voters from backing him in November.

“He is a disgrace,” Burdeaux said. “I want nothing to do with him.”

Trump’s endorsement is enough for this Paxton voter

Paul Olson was quick to say why he voted for Paxton: “He’s conservative and backed by Trump.”

The 72-year-old retired finance executive elaborated a little, saying, “I just think he represents more of what middle-class America needs.”

Olson said he was perturbed that Cornyn, the incumbent, had been airing ads projecting himself as a Trump devotee despite Trump’s endorsement of Paxton.

“He claims he’s got Trump’s backing, and he most certainly doesn’t,” he said.

Olson was among a steady stream of voters arriving over the noon hour at the Haggard Library in Plano.

Confident in his choice, Olson still expressed some worry that some conservatives might be less inclined to vote in November if costs for daily expenses, most notably fuel, remain elevated.

“If they end this war soon, then good. Energy drives the cost of everything, and prices will settle,” he said. “But they have to end this war quickly.”

‘He’s just a toady for Trump’

Lee Rodriguez, a 76-year-old registered independent, said he planned to vote for Cornyn outside a polling place in Austin, Texas, mainly because he is a “stable person; he’s willing to reach across the aisle.”

To Rodriguez, that’s in stark contrast to Paxton, who “is too corrupt” and an “extremist,” he said, echoing Cornyn’s talking points about past Paxton scandals, including allegations of an affair.

Trump’s endorsement of Paxton reaffirmed his fears that “he’s just a toady for Trump,” said Rodriguez, who did not vote for Trump in 2024.

Cornyn ‘definitely the lesser of two evils’

Linda Williams walked into the steamy, sundrenched parking lot outside of Haggard Library in Plano, outside of Dallas, on Tuesday around noon.

“Paxton is a no-go!” she said of the state attorney general, but was little more enthused about Cornyn, for whom she voted and who is fighting for his political future in the Republican Senate runoff.

“It was definitely the lesser of two evils,” the 73-year-old, retired administrative support staffer from Plano said.

“Cornyn has not been the check on Trump we need. He used to be more respectable,” Williams said. “But the way he has coddled Trump and bragged about voting with him? It’s an embarrassment.”

It was all out of Williams’ sense of pragmatism.

“At least he’ll have a better chance against Talarico,” she said with reference to the Democratic nominee, state Rep. James Talarico.

“Because Paxton is a crook.”

Trump is wrapping up a month of reshaping the GOP

This has been a big month for Republican primaries and Trump’s influence over his party.

On May 5, he successfully campaigned against five out of seven Indiana state senators who rejected his redistricting plan there.

On May 16, he helped dislodge Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who voted to convict Trump in the Jan. 6 impeachment trial five years ago. Cassidy finished third in the primary, failing to make the runoff, while Trump’s choice, Rep. Julia Letlow, finished first.

On May 19, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky lost his primary to Ed Gallrein, who Trump endorsed. Massie had frustrated the president by voting against his signature tax legislation and pushing to release the Jeffrey Epstein files.

If Paxton wins, it would be a dramatic punctation mark on the month.

Paxton’s supporters brush off years of scandals

The attorney general has faced an impeachment effort and criminal investigations, but his supporters say they’re not concerned.

“He’s had his flaws, but so have we; we all make mistakes,” said Daniel Vega, 18, adding, “He’s repented; let’s move on.”

Others said they appreciated his aggressive conservative politics.

“He’s a fighter. He’s a person of action. He’s proven that as attorney general,” said Jeffrey Sonnier, 72.

Cornyn and his allies have dumped money into the race

Throughout the campaign, Cornyn has had the cash advantage. The senator and his allies have spent roughly $90 million in advertising, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact.

That includes more than $20 million since the March 3 primary.

Paxton is supported by a single super PAC, and combined they’ve spent about $10.5 million on advertising. Roughly $6.1 million has been spent since March 3.

In a letter sent to more than 250 companies, members of the Black Caucus urge them to condemn the redistricting efforts, which the lawmakers describe as “coordinated efforts to silence Black voices at the ballot box.” Some of the companies had cosigned their own message to Congress five years ago urging lawmakers to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, a Democratic proposal to restore and update the Voting Rights Act.

That 2021 coalition, Business for Voting Rights, was backed by many of the country’s most valuable and influential companies, including Apple, Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Tesla, Salesforce, Target, PayPal, Intel and Starbucks.

Tuesday's letter is the latest effort by the Congressional Black Caucus and its allies to gather support for preventing more Republican-led states from redrawing their legislative maps in ways that would dilute Black political representation. Several states have moved to eliminate congressional districts represented by Black Democratic lawmakers after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last month that severely weakened a key provision of the Voting Rights Act.

“Corporations that have profited from Black consumers, relied on Black workers, and amassed wealth in part from Black communities cannot look away while Black political power is dismantled in plain sight,” Rep. Yvette Clarke, chair of the Black Caucus, said in an interview.

Clarke described the letter as “putting corporate America on notice,” but she said the caucus was not seeking an adversarial relationship with corporations. Among those receiving Tuesday's letter were companies based overseas that have a significant presence in the U.S.

The caucus last week called for Black athletes to boycott public universities in states that are gerrymandering their congressional maps to eliminate districts held by Black lawmakers. The 59-member Congressional Black Caucus consists entirely of Democrats, including more than a third from Southern states.

Some lawmakers have said mass protests and federal legislation might be necessary to undo the efforts underway in Republican-led states. Any new federal voting rights law would almost certainly require Democrats to secure majorities in both chambers of Congress and win the presidency.

It is unclear how companies will respond to the demands. One firm, the outdoor clothing company Patagonia, said that it had received the caucus' letter and endorsed its message.

“A healthy business depends on a healthy democracy,” said Corley Kenna, an executive at Patagonia. “Patagonia stands with those who work to increase representation and defend free and fair elections.”

The Associated Press reached out for comment to dozens of companies that were sent a letter by the caucus, but did not receive a response from most firms. Microsoft declined to comment.

“Many companies that previously issued statements after the murder of George Floyd, pledged billions toward racial equity initiatives, and spoke forcefully in defense of democracy following January 6 now face a defining test of whether those commitments were rooted in principle or convenience,” the caucus' letter states.

It also represents the latest instance of the caucus expressing frustrations with corporate America. A 2024 Black Caucus report noted that lawmakers were “troubled that some corporations that made pledges in 2020 have taken several steps in the opposite direction,” such as rolling back or failing to follow through on pledges to diversify their workforces.

“We understand who the occupant in the White House is and the reality of Republicans being in charge,” Democratic Rep. Steven Horsford of Nevada said of the caucus’ message. “But what corporate America also understands is that there will be a shift at some point.”

The letter calls on companies to publicly condemn the redistricting plans, meet with Black Caucus members to discuss corporate America's role in protecting voting rights and disclose their political donations to Republican politicians in states that are redistricting their congressional maps.

President Donald Trump last year kicked off the unusual mid-decade round of congressional redistricting when he pushed Texas lawmakers to redraw their maps in a way that would add Republican seats. Democratic-led California responded, but it has been mostly Republican states redrawing their lines since as the party tries to maintain its majority in the U.S. House during this year's midterm elections.

The effort was supercharged by the Supreme Court decision, which allowed even more Republican states to redraw congressional maps that previously had protected minority communities.

Horsford, who chaired the Black Caucus during President Joe Biden's Democratic administration, said the caucus is demanding that companies “stand on the side of democracy, fairness and equal representation.”

“This is about power, who holds it and what it’s used for,” he said. “And when you’re diluting Black economic and political power, we need to know where these companies stand in this moment, and what side of history they’re on.”

Biden's lawyers said in a lawsuit filed in Washington's federal court that the Justice Department plans to release the files to Congress and a conservative group, the Heritage Foundation, after the department had previously argued that they were exempt from disclosure under the public records law.

Biden's lawyers argued that the disclosure would “constitute an unwarranted invasion of President Biden’s privacy.”

“Every American, including a sitting or former Vice President, has a right to privacy in the personal conversations he has within his own home,” his attorneys wrote. "And when the U.S. Department of Justice obtains that private information through a criminal investigation, the Department bears a particular responsibility to protect it from disclosure."

At issue in the case are audio recordings and transcripts of Biden's interviews at his home in 2016 and 2017 with Mark Zwonitzer, who worked with Biden on his two memoirs. The files were scrutinized by special counsel Robert Hur as part of his investigation into the president’s improper retention of classified documents, from his time as a senator and as vice president.

Hur's yearlong investigation led to a 345-page report that questioned Biden’s age and mental competence but recommended no criminal charges against the then-81-year-old. Hur said he found insufficient evidence to successfully prosecute a case in court.

Biden has separately fought the release of the audio of his interview with Hur. The House in 2024 voted to hold Biden Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over that audio after the White House exerted executive privilege, shielding it from Congress.

The transcripts of five hours of Biden interviews with federal prosecutors was released that same year. While Biden was adamant that he treated classified information seriously, the transcript shows that he was at times fuzzy about dates and details and he said he was unfamiliar with the paper trail for some of the sensitive documents he handled.

Republicans have argued Biden was being given a pass by his own Justice Department and that Trump had been unfairly victimized by prosecutors. Democrats, for their part, stressed Biden’s cooperation in the investigation and strongly contrasted that with the separate criminal case against Trump, who was accused of refusing to return classified documents requested by the National Archives that he had at his Florida estate.

The markers highlight key moments tied to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who spent significant time in North Florida during the Civil Rights Movement, including frequent visits to nearby St. Augustine.

Marker near the State Attorney’s Office

Near the state attorney’s office in the LaVilla neighborhood, one marker marks the site where King appeared before a U.S. District Court in 1964. The court appearance was connected to civil rights demonstrations taking place in St. Augustine.

Marker near the St. Johns River

A second marker, closer to the St. Johns River, marks the site of the old courthouse — a building that was recently demolished. According to the marker, King was arrested and processed there on June 11, 1964, after attempting to integrate the lunch counters at the Monson Motor Lodge in St. Augustine. He stayed overnight at the jail.

Marker at the Clara White Mission

Back in LaVilla, a third marker stands at the site of the Clara White Mission. Eartha Mary Magdalene White provided King with a place to stay, food, and support during his time in the area. During segregation, the nationally known preacher and civil rights leader could not go everywhere — but this was a safe place for him to rest.

The three markers offer a glimpse into the national civil rights history that played out across Northeast Florida more than six decades ago.

Officer Jennifer Scott sat down with me to explain why she chose to forgive the man who attacked her — and why she told him so in court last week, during his sentencing hearing.

It was the first time she had faced Joseph Merrill since the 2023 attack outside a Walmart on Philips Highway that left her with a broken jaw and and a traumatic brain injury.

‘Today, I choose to forgive’

During the hearing, Scott, whose last name was Johnson at the time of the attack, read a victim impact statement that stunned many in the courtroom:

“Today, I choose to forgive the defendant because I refuse to let my life be defined by anger. Instead, I choose healing, resilience, and moving forward in peace,” Scott said.

RELATED: JSO officer who survived brutal assault while on duty describes painful journey since 2023 attack

Scott told me that she’d felt a “tug” toward forgiveness for a long time — and that she needed it in order to heal.

“I didn’t want to walk out of that courtroom with any more anger, resentment, any bad feelings,” Scott said. “I wanted to move forward in life without the anger.”

Scott said standing at the podium and making eye contact with Merrill was something she hadn’t been able to do in the three years since the attack — and that finally speaking directly to him felt like reclaiming her voice.

“It felt good,” she said. “To look at him in the eyes and say, ‘Look, I forgive you… I choose forgiveness.’ I will never forget the look that was on his face.”

Scott said Merrill didn’t stop looking at her as she spoke — and that it did not feel like an attempt to intimidate her. Instead, she said, she hopes her words reached him.

“I truly felt like maybe for just a split second even, that he was maybe sorry for what he did,” she said.

Why she stopped to watch him leave

After Scott finished speaking, court was adjourned. But she said there was one more moment she wanted to see before walking back over to her family.

As Merrill was led away in handcuffs, Scott stopped, turned around, and watched Merrill being taken out of the courtroom. She told me it was intentional — and emotional.

“I just remember I had that moment by myself standing there in that courtroom, knowing that I was watching him walk away for the very last time,” Scott said. “Knowing I will never see you again for the rest of my life… I just wanted to watch him walk out.”

Merrill was sentenced to 28 years in prison after pleading guilty May 13 to aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, carrying a concealed weapon by a convicted felon, resisting an officer with violence, depriving an officer of means of protection or communication, and felony petty theft.

Scott said that moment, watching Merrill leave the courtroom, was the moment she truly released what she’d been carrying.

“It was in that moment where I just really released everything and that was when I forgave him, right then and there,” Scott said.

Her husband, Roy Scott, was in the courtroom too — watching as Jennifer spoke to the man who nearly killed her three years ago.

He said her strength was hard to put into words.

“Our God, He forgives, and we’re forgiven,” Roy Scott said. “I think when you are, it’s a little bit easier to forgive others when they’ve wronged you. I think that’s the motivation behind Jennifer… and the strength that she showed that day.”

How their children are coping

But even after sentencing, the impact on the Scotts’ family continues — especially for their children. Officer Scott said their kids still ask questions that show the fear hasn’t fully gone away.

“When we’re driving, and we’re near the jail… the kids will say, ‘Is he still in there? Is the bad guy still in there?’” she said.

Scott said she reassures them that Merrill is not getting out anytime soon.

“Yeah, he’s in there. He’s not getting out. And he’s not going anywhere,” she said. “28 years.”

A new purpose

Officer Scott remains with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office — and says she’s found a new purpose after everything she’s endured.

She recently moved into a new position focused on health and wellness, where she hopes to help others in law enforcement who are struggling.

“For a while there… I felt like I lost purpose,” Scott said. “You lose a sense of your identity.”

But she said the new assignment feels like the right fit — and a chance to use her experience to support others.

“I have found my purpose, and that is to help my… brothers and sisters at the agency,” she said. “If you’re struggling, going through a hard time… I’m here for you… It’s all about changing the stigma… knowing that it’s OK to say, ‘Hey, I need help.’”

Scott said she will always remember the attack — but she refuses to allow it to define the rest of her life.

Violent assault

On Feb. 23, 2023, Officer Scott responded to a shoplifting call at the Walmart on Philips Highway.

That’s where she first encountered Merrill.

Scott said that when she approached Merrill in the parking lot about the shoplifting report, he suddenly punched her in the mouth, knocking her to the ground.

At that moment, JSO Sgt. Steven Rudlaff happened to be driving by the business on his way to work and saw the sucker punch.

And what came next.

“I was driving this way, and I looked over, I was like, ‘Oh, she’s got somebody stopped.’ Next (thing) I know, he punches her in the face. She falls down, and he’s punching her,” Rudlaff said previously.

RELATED | ‘I think God put me there at the right time’: Jacksonville sergeant honored one year after saving fellow officer’s life

Rudlaff saw Merrill jump on top of Scott on the ground and continue to pummel her. The sheriff later said Merrill had also tossed Scott’s radio away from her during the beating -- making it impossible for her to call for help.

Other officers who responded after Rudlaff caught the aftermath on their body cameras.

“I was comin’ this way,” Rudlaff says while pointing on the body cam. “I saw him start punching. I f***ing pulled across the median and left my car in the middle of the road!”

Merrill ran when he saw Rudlaff, but was taken into custody after a foot chase.

Sheriff T.K. Waters said Rudlaff’s intervention is credited with saving Scott’s life because, according to prosecutors, Merrill “was on top of the police officer, bashing her head in.”

RELATED: JSO officer awarded Purple Heart, her ‘guardian angel’ recognized at monthly awards ceremony

The force of the blows actually shifted Scott’s bottom teeth into two rows, although her adrenaline was so high that at first, she didn’t realize the extent of the damage to her mouth.

That damage is still being repaired three years later, Scott explained during the sentencing hearing.

“I continue to undergo surgeries and medical treatments with no end in sight,” she said. “This was not an injury from which I could simply recover and move on.”

Watch our full interview

Officer Scott currently wears braces on her teeth – a far cry from having her jaw wired shut for three months soon after the attack.

Scott details the painful physical recovery she’s endured over the last three years, and what doctors say are her next steps.

You can watch our full interview in the video player at the top of this article.

This story originally published at GatorsBreakdown.com

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The 37-year-old Kimbrel came on in the eighth inning of the Rays' 6-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. He struck out Leody Taveras and Jeremiah Jackson before giving up a single on a soft grounder by Colton Cowser. Kimbrel then retired Blaze Alexander on a groundout.

The Rays placed right-hander Jesse Scholtens on the 15-day injured list with a right wrist strain to make room for Kimbrel on the active roster.

The New York Mets designated Kimbrel for assignment last Friday after the nine-time All-Star allowed 10 runs over 15 innings in 14 appearances. He signed a free agent contract with the team in January.

Kimbrel has 440 saves with 10 teams in his 17-year career. He won a World Series with Boston in 2018 and was the 2011 NL Rookie of the Year.

The Rays have the AL's best record at 34-18, but their bullpen's ERA of 4.40 entering Tuesday night ranked 21st in the majors.

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

The resolution, introduced by Councilmember Jimmy Peluso, was framed as a way to set “guardrails” as Jacksonville begins the early process of considering a replacement or relocation of the Duval County Jail in downtown Jacksonville.

What the resolution proposed

The resolution would have put City Council on record recommending that any future pre-trial detention facility or corrections center not be located in areas labeled “hazardous,” or Grade D, on 1937–1940 Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) residential security maps — a system widely linked to redlining and discriminatory housing practices.

The legislation also encouraged environmental justice, equitable development and community engagement in any site-selection process.

In its background section, the resolution referenced neighborhoods including LaVilla, Durkeeville, Mixon Town, Sugar Hill, Eastside, Long Branch and Moncrief.

RELATED: ‘Transparent and methodical’: Jacksonville begins early planning to move Duval County Jail; no site or price tag yet

Public comment: ‘We are trying to be proactive’

Dozens of people signed up to speak during public comment, urging council members to draw a clear line before potential jail sites are publicly discussed.

“We are trying to be proactive,” Rev. R. L. Gundy said.

Isaiah Rumlin, president of the Jacksonville NAACP, told the council, “We all know what gerrymandering and redlining has done to this area in the past.”

Other speakers questioned whether any district would be willing to host a new jail.

“Give it to somebody else,” one public commenter said.

Council debate: ‘Guardrails’ vs. ‘premature’

Peluso argued the resolution was meant to set expectations early — before a list of possible locations comes back to council.

“To me, it’s to provide guardrails,” Peluso said during the meeting. Later, he added, “We need to put a line in the sand now.”

But several council members pushed back, arguing it was premature to draw boundaries before the city completes its initial planning work and identifies options.

“It’s premature because it precedes the report,” Councilmember Tyrona Clark-Murray said.

Councilmember Ken Amaro also criticized the measure, saying, “This legislation does nothing to protect these communities.”

The vote

The resolution failed on a 5-12 vote.

What happens next

The vote comes as Jacksonville moves forward with a consulting process expected to identify three potential sites for a future jail — results city leaders have said they hope to have by January.

Friday marked six months since 18-year-old Matthew Jackson was shot and killed while breaking up a fight at a westside Burger King restaurant where he worked. His mother walked in his place during Riverside High School’s graduation ceremony, determined to honor his memory.

“It was gratefulness, and also just the impact of it to see how many hearts that he’s touched, how many people that he influenced,” his mother told News4JAX on Tuesday.

RELATED: ‘Celebrating from a higher place’: Mother of senior fatally shot at Westside Burger King accepts his high school diploma

Natasha also walked alongside Matthew’s twin sister, Madison Jackson. She described the moment the crowd reacted to her crossing the stage.

“When I got up and walked across the stage, just the standing ovation and to hear the hollers, the love, the claps, the yells and screams and saying his name, it was everything.”

Despite grieving the loss of her son, Natasha said she continues to push forward.

“I miss him every day. His absence is felt every day,” she said. “I have my good days. I have my bad days, but I’m just pushing through.”

But ultimately, it’s the love for her son that keeps her motivated to keep his legacy alive. She planned to continue to work on starting a foundation in Matthew’s honor.

She is working to establish a foundation in his honor and plans to partner with Silent Women Speaking for a back-to-school event this summer.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office arrested Dawud Burrit in connection with Matthew’s murder in November. Burrit’s next pretrial hearing is set for June 16, and his trial is scheduled to begin Nov. 16.

In a joint statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defense minister, Israel Katz, said the strikes had targeted the new leader of Hamas' military wing. They identified him as Mohammed Odeh and called him “one of the architects” of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks that triggered over two years of war.

The strike came less than two weeks after Israel killed the previous head of Hamas' military wing, Izz al-Din al-Haddad.

There was no immediate comment from Hamas. The bodies of the dead were taken to Gaza's Shifa Hospital, which confirmed the deaths.

The attack came on the eve of Eid al-Adha, normally a joyous time of family gatherings and large meals.

The holiday once again is subdued this year in Gaza, where the vast majority of people remain displaced and live in tents or temporary shelters after a devastating war.

A ceasefire reached between Israel and Hamas last October remains fragile. Israeli attacks have killed more than 880 Palestinians since the ceasefire took effect. Israel says its attacks are in response to violations by Hamas or threats to its soldiers, but Palestinian health officials says scores of civilians have been among the dead. Four Israeli soldiers have also been killed during this period.

Israel launched its offensive in Gaza in response to the Hamas attacks in October 2023, which killed some 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage.

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza says over 72,700 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire. The ministry, part of Gaza's Hamas government, does not give a breakdown of civilian and militant deaths.

Phuoc died Saturday in Southern California after collapsing suddenly, his nephew, Van Nguyen, said.

Phuoc was hired in 1965 by AP’s former photo chief, Horst Faas, to replace another local hire who had been killed on assignment. He quickly gained a reputation among other journalists and the U.S. and South Vietnamese troops for his uncanny ability to find the thick of the action.

Phuoc was born in a Vietnamese village near Quang Ngai, south of Da Nang, in 1935 and was the youngest of many siblings. When he was about 10, his father was killed by local members of the Viet Cong insurgency. A few years later, his mother died, leaving him homeless.

“He was a really very extraordinary man who grew up from very bad treatment when he was a boy,” Nguyen said.

As a young man, Phuoc volunteered to help carry equipment at a Saigon film studio where Nguyen’s mother worked as a cook. It was there that Phuoc first picked up a camera and taught himself photography, his nephew said.

Phuoc, who was dubbed the AP’s “secret weapon” by his boss, was known for walking with the “point man” on combat patrols, putting him in position to get excellent photographs — but also exposing him to grave danger.

He was wounded at least five times during his 10 years with the AP in Vietnam, the first time just five months after he was hired. A grenade explosion left him with shrapnel in his chest and leg, but he was back on duty within a few months covering the drawn-out civil war between the Communist forces of North Vietnam and the U.S.-backed South Vietnamese military.

In 1968, he sustained a concussion when he was hit in the head by a rocket while covering street fighting in Saigon. That same year, Phuoc risked sniper fire to carry a wounded U.S. soldier to safety and received a commendation from the Ninth U.S. Army Infantry Division for saving the man’s life.

Phuoc lost his right eye in a grenade explosion in 1969 while on patrol with a Ranger battalion south of Da Nang, along Vietnam’s central coast. He learned to shoot with one eye and returned to work.

In a 2011 interview for AP’s archives, Phuoc described the difficulty of working with one eye when he had to look through the camera while also watching for silent hand gestures from the soldiers with whom he was patrolling.

His colleague in AP’s Saigon bureau, Huỳnh Công “Nick” Út, described Phuoc as fearless and resourceful in the field. Behind the scenes, he was a giving man and loyal friend who treated Út like a brother.

“Everyone loved him so much,” Út said. “When I heard, I cried, ‘My brother, he’s gone.’”

Despite his reputation for shooting action, the photos that touched Phuoc were those that evoked the plight of civilians caught in the crossfire. In the 2011 interview, he compared himself to a “small grain of sand” who used his pictures to bring their stories to the world.

When Saigon fell in 1975, Phuoc fled with his family with little more than the clothes on their back and a bottle of milk. His family was rescued from a refugee camp in Guam with the help of AP reporter Linda Deutsch, who was covering the tent city, and flown to Camp Pendleton.

Phuoc then returned to Asia and worked briefly for the AP in Hong Kong before leaving the company and settling permanently in Southern California with his family.

He went on to become a professional portrait photographer in Orange County, which is home to Little Saigon, the largest single community of South Vietnamese refugees in the world.

His great-nephew, Kim Nguyen, looked back Tuesday at the portraits Phuoc shot of him as a baby and reminisced about bringing his own son to see Phuoc’s work on display at a museum in Vietnam.

In California, Phuoc was a founding member of The Artistic Photography Association and trained young photographers. He also was a civilian volunteer for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and in 1994 was named the county’s volunteer of the year.

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Schoenbaum reported from Salt Lake City.

Inspired by Gisèle Pelicot ’s decision to make her harrowing drug and rape trial public, the parents of the children agreed to open the proceedings. In France, trials involving children are usually held behind closed doors.

According to their lawyers, some parents said they were following the example of Pelicot and her motto that “shame must change sides” to abusers, not victims.

The Paris case emerged in April 2025 after several children told their parents they allegedly had been sexually abused at a nursery school.

The defendant, 36, who has not been publicly identified, is accused of assaulting children while supervising them in bathrooms, during lunch breaks and in after-school care between August 2024 and April 2025. He has denied any sexual abuse against children.

The children were between 3 and 5 years old at the time. They do not have to attend the trial. A judge has read their testimonies to investigators.

The defendant is also accused of sexually harassing two co-workers and sexually assaulting one of them. He faces up to 10 years in prison. His lawyer would not speak with The Associated Press before the trial.

Barka Zerouali, co-founder of parents' group MeToo Ecole, or MeToo School, said at a protest outside the courthouse that “there needs to be a national wake-up call at some point." Protesters carried a banner reading: “Because no child should be afraid to go to school.”

Families said the trauma of the alleged assaults was compounded by what they described as a struggle to be taken seriously by authorities. An initial warning raised by a mother months earlier was apparently ignored by the school.

Rebecca Royer, a lawyer representing several families, said that “what we are expecting is a real turning point in child protection, meaning we expect the government and municipalities to implement real measures to protect children, but also to provide real resources."

Similar cases in Paris and across France have drawn media attention in recent months.

Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau last week said investigations were underway involving 84 nursery schools, about 20 elementary schools and about 10 daycare centers in the capital.

Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire said 78 school and after-school staff members have been suspended in the city since the beginning of 2026, including 31 over suspicions of sexual violence.

While teachers in France are employed by the government in state-run schools, school assistants and after-school activity leaders are hired by city authorities.

Grégoire, elected in March, has made combating child abuse an “absolute priority” and unveiled a 20 million euro ($22 million) plan to address what he described as “major dysfunction” in the city’s school supervision system. He pledged to immediately suspend any school employee suspected of abusing children.

Before being elected, Grégoire publicly revealed that he had been sexually abused as a child while attending elementary school between the ages of 9 and 10.

Child abuse became a major issue in the mayoral campaign after a series of allegations involving public schools emerged earlier this year.

___

Associated Press journalists Nicolas Garriga and Masha Macpherson contributed to this report.

The Alabama-based nonprofit was indicted in April on fraud and money laundering charges that accuse it of misleading donors by paying informants inside white supremacist and other extremist organizations to obtain inside information about their activities.

Lawyers for the SPLC have already argued that law enforcement agencies have long known that the nonprofit paid informants to report on the movements of hate groups. They have also said acting Attorney General Todd Blanche made a false statement at a news conference when he said the organization had not shared with law enforcement information it had learned from informants. Blanche later appeared to walk back that claim in a television interview, saying it was true that the SPLC had “selectively” shared information with law enforcement over the years.

The attorneys for the center expanded on those arguments Tuesday, saying in a legal brief seeking to dismiss the case that the prosecution was the “culmination of a top-down, retributive campaign" in which Trump pushed the Justice Department "to go after those individuals and groups he deemed his political enemies, including the SPLC.”

Defense says indictment fits broader retaliation campaign

The brief was filed against the backdrop of other politically charged prosecutions that have raised concerns that the Justice Department is operating as a weapon to target Trump's opponents. It drew a parallel between the SPLC indictment and the human smuggling prosecution of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, which was dismissed Friday on similar vindictive prosecution grounds by a judge who called the case an “abuse of prosecuting power.”

The SPLC has said its now-defunct program of paying informants to infiltrate hate groups was developed to glean key insights into their activities so that potential victims could be protected. An earlier federal investigation into the practice was closed without charges, but the brief paints the current Justice Department as pursuing the case with renewed — and rushed — vigor.

The department decided to pursue the indictment without having interviewed any current SPLC employees, and did not seek any documents from the group until after it had told defense lawyers that criminal charges were forthcoming, defense lawyers say.

During a meeting requested by defense lawyers who hoped to avert to indictment, Justice Department officials informed them that the decision had already been made to pursue charges, according to the brief.

“These procedural irregularities show that the charges against the SPLC were a foregone conclusion based on prosecutorial vindictiveness — driven by the White House and FBI leadership’s retribution campaign — rather than the result of a good faith examination of the evidence,” the document states. It says the indictment was “premised on conclusory accusations but devoid of provable facts or a proper statement of the law.”

The motion also cites whistleblower accounts that accused top Justice Department officials of rushing forward with an indictment despite internal concerns about the merits of the case and the strength of the evidence.

“For weeks, we have been arguing against these false allegations levied against the SPLC — an organization that for 55 years has stood as a beacon of hope fighting white supremacy and various forms of injustice to create a multiracial democracy where we can all live and thrive,” Bryan Fair, the interim president and CEO of SPLC, said in a statement.

“The government can’t prosecute the SPLC as payback for its protected speech — it violates basic constitutional rights," he said.

The administration has painted SPLC as partisan

Founded in 1971 as a civil rights organization, the SPLC over the decades has used litigation to fight white supremacist groups. It also tracks the activities and locations of domestic extremists. But its work has made it a popular target among Republicans who see it as overly leftist and partisan.

The center, for instance, received fresh attention last year after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk because the SPLC had included a section on the group that Kirk founded and led, Turning Point USA, in a report titled “The Year in Hate and Extremism 2024."

FBI Director Kash Patel announced in October that the bureau would be severing its relationship with the SPLC, saying it had turned into a “partisan smear machine,” and he accused it of defaming “mainstream Americans” with its “hate map” that documents alleged anti-government and hate groups inside the United States.

The defense motion says “animus” from senior levels of the administration helped shape the indictment.

It cites, among other comments, a statement from Trump himself deriding the SPLC as “a total scam run by the Democrats,” as well as a news media interview in which Harmeet Dhillon, the Justice Department's top civil rights official, said the indictment was “personal” to her because she had “a lot of journalist friends ... and groups that I’ve represented who have been targeted by the Southern Poverty Law Center.”

The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion was created in response to two gunmen allegedly inspired by the Islamic State group slaying 15 people at a Sydney Hanukkah celebration in December. Royal commissions are Australia's highest form of public inquiry.

The commission's head, former High Court judge Virginia Bell, said Jewish witnesses who testified about their experiences of antisemitism since public hearings began on May 4 have been subjected to online “harassment and intimidation.”

“We have received reports from a number of witnesses concerning a dramatic increase in online hate messages after they have given evidence,” Bell said.

“Quite what this undiluted level of hatred and bigotry directed towards members of the Jewish community is thought to benefit by those who post these remarks is lost on me,” she added.

The commission was recording the “offensive social media posts,” Bell said, and in one case the harassment has been referred to police.

“The commission has, as one of its principal objects, understanding and assessing the lived experience of antisemitism by members of the Jewish community and it is being informed by conduct of this character,” she said.

The first two weeks of hearings scrutinized the nature and prevalence of antisemitism in Australia’s institutions and society.

During the first week of hearings, a 68-year-old man was charged with wearing a shirt emblazoned with a “prohibited Nazi symbol” outside the commission in Sydney, a police statement.

The design appeared to incorporate a Star of David superimposed over a swastika with the slogan: “Antisemitism. Proud to be accused. Speak up!”

The commission said in a statement at the time it was “appalled” that an “antisemitic shirt” had been worn in its vicinity. The commission assured witnesses that safety protocols were in place around the building.

“The royal commission is determined to investigate antisemitism in Australia without fear or intimidation,” the statement said.

Wednesday will feature more of the same. We will see a partly to mostly cloudy sky with highs near 90 degrees. Isolated showers and storms are likely in the afternoon and evening.

Heavy rain, gusty wind and frequent lightning will be possible in any storm. Make sure to keep an eye to the sky as showers and storms could develop rapidly in the afternoon and evening.

A front will approach our area later this week and at the same time an area of low pressure could develop to our south. This pattern would favor more tropical moisture over our area and will likely keep widespread rain and storm chances in the forecast later this week into the upcoming weekend.

Temperatures will drop into the low to mid 80s during this period due to more cloud cover and storm coverage.

In terms of rainfall, accumulation will depend highly on where storms develop. Several inches of rain are possible during this period. Any rainfall will be very beneficial due to the ongoing drought across our area.

Regarding the drought, the latest drought monitor reflects the overall pattern over the past few months. Most of our area remains in an extreme drought. An exceptional drought classification remains over the same locations.

Portions of Nassau and Camden Counties in FL/GA were downgraded to a severe drought due to the rainfall received over the past week.

TONIGHT: Mostly Cloudy. Patchy Fog. Low 74.

WEDNESDAY: Sun & Clouds. Scattered Rain & Storms. High 91, Low 74.

THURSDAY: Sun & Clouds. Scattered Rain & Storms. High 90, Low 73.

FRIDAY: Sun & Clouds. Scattered Rain & Storms. High 88, Low 73.

SATURDAY: Sun & Clouds. Scattered Rain & Storms. High 85, Low 72.

SUNDAY: Sun & Clouds. Scattered Rain & Storms. High 84, Low 70.

Luc Brisebois, director-general for the Centre for Border and Travel Health at the Public Health Agency of Canada, said the measures are being implemented out of an “abundance of caution” and will stay in place until Aug. 29.

Travelers who have symptoms will be transferred to hospital for further medical assessment. The stricter border measures are being implemented starting Saturday, and those who do not have somewhere to isolate will be provided with a place.

Canadian officials also said that starting Wednesday, they are pausing final decisions on immigration applications for people from affected countries for 90 days, though that could be extended or lifted based on the evolution of the outbreak.

The outbreak is centered around northeastern Congo and is of a rare type of Ebola that is outpacing response efforts, the World Health Organization says, with more than 900 suspected cases and more than 220 deaths. Aid efforts have intensified, and WHO says the outbreak could last for months.

Hobart/Lawrence (Wisconsin) Police Chief Michael Renkas said that Jacobs was arrested Tuesday and booked into Brown County Jail on charges of strangulation and suffocation, battery-domestic abuse, criminal damage to property-domestic abuse, disorderly conduct-domestic abuse and intimidation of a victim.

Renkas said police had been dispatched to a complaint involving Jacobs on Saturday at 8:37 a.m.

“This remains an active and ongoing investigation,” Renkas said in a statement. “No further information will be released at this time.”

The strangulation and suffocation charge is a felony and the other four charges are misdemeanors, according to the charge information in the Brown County Jail's online record of this case.

Jacobs' lawyers — David Chesnoff, Richard Schonfeld and Clarence Duchac — issued a joint statement on his behalf.

“Josh vehemently denies the allegations, and this matter is in the early stages of investigation with important evidence that has not yet been made public,” they said. “We ask for fairness and restraint while the judicial process takes its course.”

Jacobs is the Packers’ top returning rusher after running for 929 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. That followed a 2024 season in which he ran for 1,329 yards and 15 touchdowns while earning his third Pro Bowl selection.

He's the only player on Green Bay's roster who rushed for as many as 200 yards for the Packers last season. Emanuel Wilson, the Packers' second-leading rusher last year, signed with the Seattle Seahawks in the offseason.

The Packers began their organized team activities Tuesday. Packers coach Matt LaFleur has a scheduled availability with reporters Wednesday.

“We are aware of the matter involving Josh Jacobs,” a Packers spokesman said. “As it is an ongoing legal situation, we will withhold further comment.”

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said that “we are aware of the report and have been in contact with the club.”

Jacobs spent his first five seasons with the Raiders. He earned All-Pro honors and had an NFL-leading 1,653 yards rushing with Las Vegas in 2022.

He has rushed for 7,803 yards and 74 touchdowns in his seven-year career. The only active players with more career touchdown runs are Baltimore's Derrick Henry (122) and Buffalo's Josh Allen (79).

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

“I don't need it,” he said back in March. “I think it's a stupid award.”

On Tuesday, Mazzulla won a stupid award.

Mazzulla was announced as the NBA’s top coach for 2025-26, after the Celtics earned the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference — despite playing most of the year without Jayson Tatum while he recovered from Achilles surgery and amid rebuilding expectations from many following the departures of players like Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday.

To be very clear, Mazzulla's dismissal of the award in March was for one reason — he thinks it should be more of a “coaching staff of the year” than a “coach of the year” award, and that is a noble approach. He repeated that during Tuesday night's announcement of his win, beginning his remarks on NBC by thanking those who made it possible.

“The long nights, the trips, game plans, the video guys that are clipping up the film and coding it, the assistants who are putting in the game plan, I think there’s so much that goes into winning one game,” Mazzulla said. “It starts with the players, but it goes to our staff. I feel bad that they’re not here — but forever indebted to the guys that we have that give up time with their families and their time to give us a chance to win every day.”

The 37-year-old Mazzulla is the youngest winner of the award since Phil Johnson in 1975, the NBA said.

Fittingly, the Celtics coach will get the Red Auerbach Trophy — which is named for the legendary Celtics coach. Mazzulla becomes the fourth Boston coach to win the award, following Auerbach in 1965, Tom Heisohn in 1973 and Bill Fitch in 1980. Auerbach, a Hall of Famer, guided the Celtics to nine NBA championships, including eight in a row from 1959 through 1966.

“This is well deserved recognition and a testament to both Joe and his staff,” Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens said. “With all of our unknowns entering the season, Joe did a fantastic job building and growing a team. He pours everything he has into competing at a high level, while helping players find the best versions of themselves within the framework of a team."

Detroit's J.B. Bickerstaff — for the second consecutive year — finished second, and San Antonio's Mitch Johnson placed third.

The award is based on regular-season results only. Votes from the panel of 100 reporters and broadcasters who cover the NBA were turned in during the play-in tournament, which was more than a month ago.

The Coach of the Year award — the one handed out Tuesday is separate from the one presented earlier this spring by the National Basketball Coaches Association, which Bickerstaff won — is the last of the major awards given out by the NBA to commemorate the best of the 2025-26 season.

The rundown of awards:

— Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City: Most Valuable Player and Clutch Player of the Year.

— Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio: Defensive Player of the Year.

— Cooper Flagg, Dallas: Rookie of the Year.

— Keldon Johnson, San Antonio: Sixth Man of the Year.

— Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Atlanta: Most Improved Player.

— Bam Adebayo, Miami: Social Justice Champion.

— Derrick White, Boston: Sportsmanship Award.

— DeAndre Jordan, New Orleans: Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year.

— Brad Stevens, Boston: Executive of the Year.

— Moussa Diabaté, Charlotte: Hustle Award.

— The All-NBA, All-Defensive and All-Rookie teams.

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

University president Lawrence Schovanec wrote in a letter to the Texas Tech community that the school would appeal the ruling. Sorsby also has a court hearing scheduled in Lubbock County District Court next Monday on his request for a temporary injunction that would allow him to play for the Red Raiders this season.

“We believe that given the facts and the context of Brendan’s case, the NCAA’s ruling should be reversed or modified,” Schovanec wrote. “As a generation of college athletes face the legalization and rapid proliferation of sports betting in our country, gambling addiction is rising to the point of epidemic among college aged men in particular.”

Sorsby was one of the top players to enter the transfer portal after last season. At stake is the multimillion-dollar deal the Texas native signed with the Red Raiders for what was supposed to be his final season of college football.

Athletic director Kirby Hocutt said he expected Tech’s appeal to the NCAA being submitted by the end of this week.

“We believe the right thing to do is to not ruin this young man’s college career for something that happened four years ago,” Hocutt said Tuesday while attending the Big 12 spring meetings in Frisco, Texas. “There’s penalties for everything that you do, and we would accept that and expect that, but at the same time, let’s help this young man who has been very vulnerable and has admitted to some wrongdoings. Let’s give him a second chance and help him.”

Schovanec said the 22-year-old Sorsby last week completed an inpatient gambling addiction treatment program and is preparing to return to campus. The quarterback can participate in offseason activities with the Red Raiders.

Schovanec noted the NCAA's stated mission includes the lifelong well-being of athletes and to promote a “culture of care” for their mental health.

“Brendan himself has been open about his struggle with severe gambling addiction, and we believe his vulnerability deserves to be met with the full weight of this institution’s support,” Schovanec wrote. “Our foremost priority in contemplating Brendan’s future with Texas Tech is his continued health and well-being.”

Hocutt said Tech wants to help Sorsby and hopes that "the NCAA would look at it from a different lens than they traditionally have.”

In his lawsuit seeking an injunction, Sorsby acknowledged that in his first year at Indiana, he wagered between $5 and $50 on the Hoosiers football team to win and made prop bets on teammates to exceed statistical predictions. He said he did not bet on the one game in which he played. Sorsby said he never bet on a game involving Cincinnati after he transferred there in 2024, but he continued to bet on other sports.

According to Schovanec, Sorsby will receive ongoing treatment, monitoring and support at the school. He will receive outpatient clinical care, participation in group and individual therapy, mentor resources, treatment for his related anxiety disorder and active monitoring of his technological devices. He also will have a custodian to oversee his personal finances and and periodic compliance checks.

“This is not a symbolic commitment,” Schovanec wrote. “Each element reflects our conviction, and Brendan’s, that nothing matters more right now than his continued recovery. It is our duty to provide that support and that is support we are uniquely well-positioned to provide.”

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

The victory could provide a model for similar campaigns gaining traction in states including California and Illinois, where labor organizers are increasingly targeting app-based industries as drivers also grapple with the rapid expansion of self-driving technology.

As drivers waved signs and chanted with the gold dome of the Massachusetts State House providing a backdrop, labor leaders described Friday's certification as the largest private-sector organizing win since Ford autoworkers unionized in 1941.

Jean Fredo, who has driven for Uber for more than seven years, said he hopes the union will bring better pay, stronger protections against sudden deactivations and more stability for drivers.

“With the union, it will not feel like we’re working for nothing,” he said in French through a translator. “Now the money will not only stay in the billionaire’s pockets. The money will actually come to the workers who work very hard.”

Uber and Lyft said they planned to work with the new bargaining framework as negotiations move forward. Uber said it would work with the union and regulators while preserving “driver flexibility and hard-won benefits,” while Lyft said it was committed to “engaging in good faith” and “helping drivers succeed while keeping rideshare affordable and dependable for everyone who counts on it.”

The certification became possible after the state’s voters approved a 2024 ballot measure creating a first-in-the-nation framework allowing ride-hailing drivers to unionize and bargain collectively while remaining independent contractors — a model some business groups and legal scholars argue could face antitrust challenges under federal law. Organizers say the union will ultimately represent nearly 70,000 drivers statewide.

Drivers hope for relief on wages, deactivations

“Without the support of the drivers, we wouldn’t be here,” Victoria Acosta, a mother who drives for both Uber and Lyft, said in Spanish through a translator. She said she hopes the victory inspires drivers in other states.

Uber and Lyft drivers are generally classified as independent contractors rather than employees, meaning they are not covered by many traditional labor protections under federal law. Drivers typically use their own vehicles, pay for expenses such as gas and maintenance themselves and can choose when and how long they work through the apps.

Fredo said when he started driving for Uber he appreciated the flexibility and the ability to make his own schedule while still being present for his family. But over time, he said, he found himself working longer hours while earning less as gas and maintenance costs climbed.

Drivers can also lose access to the apps with little warning, he said.

“I live with stress — always scared to lose my app. This is not a way to live," said Fredo, who helped sign up hundreds of other drivers at airports and gathering spots around the Boston area.

“This is my family,” he said, holding up a photo of his four children. “I’m fighting for a better life for them — just like everyone else is fighting for their families. My dream is to save and send my kids to college, and I believe we will get there.”

A labor fight shadowed by automation fears

Supporters say rising vehicle costs, fluctuating pay and opaque app algorithms have fueled frustration among drivers who pay many work expenses themselves. Uber and Lyft have argued that drivers value the flexibility of app-based work and have opposed efforts that could reclassify workers or alter the industry’s business model.

Massachusetts regulators are considering new ride-hailing rules involving safety standards and driver oversight. Days before the union certification, Uber warned in a blog post that some of the proposals could raise costs and reduce flexibility for drivers, while supporters said the changes are intended to strengthen safety and accountability.

The organizing effort has also unfolded alongside the rapid expansion of autonomous vehicle technology. Massachusetts still requires a licensed human operator inside autonomous vehicles tested on public roads.

Waymo has expanded driverless taxi operations in cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles and Phoenix, heightening anxiety among some ride-hailing drivers about the future of their jobs.

Julie Blust of the App Drivers Union said drivers across the country regularly communicate with one another about changing conditions in the industry, including the expansion of autonomous vehicles.

“Drivers now have an official organization and can speak with one voice about what’s happening in this industry,” Blust said. “We cannot let billions of dollars leave Massachusetts and go to Silicon Valley. That money feeds people’s families, that money pays the rent."

But there will be savings for campers, gun owners and professional tennis fans if the measure (HB 7031E) is approved by the Legislature on Friday. The Legislature plans to vote on the bill along with the $114.5 billion budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal year.

The bill is estimated to cut state and local revenue by $146 million in the next fiscal year.

With the average gallon of gas in Florida at $4.32 on Tuesday, House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa, said Democrats will continue to push DeSantis to suspend the state’s gas tax.

“Floridians are feeling the pain at the pump and suspending the gas tax would provide some real relief for families and even small business owners just trying to keep their doors open in the communities they serve,” Driskell told reporters Tuesday in a media conference call. “This is non-negotiable when it comes to affordability.”

On Friday, DeSantis said he’d sign a tax package that included a reduction in the state’s 22-cents per gallon gas tax. But he questioned its effectiveness in providing relief for Floridians’ finances.

“When we did that last time, I think the Legislature was less than impressed on the results,” DeSantis said during a bill signing event in Jacksonville.

The state lifted the gas tax in October 2022, but due to market fluctuations and supply chain pricing, the average savings was about 13 cents per gallon.

As for the tax package now before lawmakers, the biggest part of the bill is a three-year exemption from sales taxes on impact-resistant windows and doors. The home hardening effort is expected to cut state and local revenue by $45.3 million in the next fiscal year.

Another $25.8 million in revenue will be cut by lifting taxes on admissions to Association of Tennis Professionals’ ATP Masters 1000 and Women’s Tennis Association’s WTA 1000 tournaments through July 1, 2029. Both tours have events at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.

The proposal moves the back-to-school sales tax “holiday” on select clothes, supplies and personal computers priced at $1,500 or less to July 20 through August 20 rather than for all of August, as was set in state law last year.

The plan also revives a hunting, fishing and camping sales tax “holiday,” set to run from September 1 through Dec. 31. It’s projected to save consumers $32.2 million.

During that time taxes would be lifted on ammunition, pistols and rifles, and an assortment of firearm accessories that include range bags, holsters, magazines, mats, sights, slings, stocks, cleaning kits, silencers and triggers.

When the House initially approved its tax package during the regular session, it drew some criticism for lifting taxes on firearms accessories.

Ways & Means Committee Chairman Rep. Wyman Duggan, R-Jacksonville, said on March 5 the inclusion of gun accessories is tied to the 2024 measure approved by voters that enshrined the right to hunt and fish into the state constitution.

Camping gear that will fall under the holiday includes sleeping bags and camping stoves under $50, flashlights under $30 and tents under $200. Sales taxes would also be lifted for fishing rods and reels individually sold under $75, tackle boxes under $30 and bait priced $10 or less.

Efforts to exempt some taxes for the full fiscal year on American-made beer and some property being leased for Space Florida projects failed to make the final package. But there are reductions for both the pari-mutuel tax on cardrooms and the tax on slot machine revenue, and an increase from $40 million to $53.1 million in the dollar-for-dollar tax credit businesses can receive when donating to select charities aiding vulnerable children and families.

The Florida Strong Families Tax Credit provides a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for donations to eligible charities aiding vulnerable children and families. Individuals have to apply to the Department of Revenue to be eligible for the tax credit.

The practice was closed to reporters, but the Chiefs posted a clip on social media that showed the two-time MVP making throws with his left knee in a brace. The Chiefs are scheduled to work again Wednesday before speaking with reporters on Thursday.

“He's in a good position to do some things,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said earlier this month. "There’s some rules and regulations that go with that, so we just have to make sure we’re on top of that part. But if he can do some things — phase 2 (of the offseason), remember, is there’s no contact, no offense versus defense. It’s phase 3 that you get into that.

“So you just have to evaluate what you want to do there,” Reid said. "He’s in a position where he can do everything, I think.”

Mahomes hurt his knee in the waning minutes of a loss to the Chargers last Dec. 14, which effectively eliminated the Chiefs from playoff contention. He underwent surgery the next day in Dallas, and the hope all along — through every video clip Mahomes posted to social media of himself working out — is that he would be ready for Week 1 of the upcoming season.

Kansas City faces AFC West rival Denver on Sept. 14 in a marquee Monday night matchup.

Mahomes typically spends the first part of the offseason at his home in Texas, and wide receivers and tight ends will usually join him there for a voluntary, player-led set of workouts. But this season, Mahomes elected to do his rehabilitation work at the Chiefs' practice facility with longtime trainer Julie Frymyer, which allowed the organization to keep a close eye on him.

“He's throwing the ball,” Reid said, “and he does it on his own, so he's not getting in any trouble here.”

___

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

The chants: “We want Wemby! We want Wemby!”

The Knicks have done their part, getting to the NBA Finals. And now, they'll have to wait until at least Thursday to see which team comes out of the Western Conference — either Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs, or the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

Before Game 5 of the Spurs-Thunder series on Tuesday night, San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson was asked if he has heard about the chants from those Knicks fans.

He hasn't — but didn't seem surprised that they're happening.

“I know New York's on fire. They won so that city is obviously enjoying it and they've had a heck of a playoff run,” Johnson said. “But unfortunately, I've been pretty locked-into what we've got going right here in front of us.”

The Knicks have won 11 consecutive games, rallying from a 2-1 deficit to beat Atlanta in Round 1 and then sweeping Philadelphia and Cleveland in the next two rounds.

And in fairness, some Knicks fans were captured on videos that got posted to social media chanting “We want Wemby!” after Game 1 of the East finals against the Cavaliers.

“Tip your cap to New York, for sure,” Johnson said. "They're having a heck of a run."

___

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

Skirting the weather was a small inconvenience for head coach Liam Coen, but it’s far different than last year. Coen was a rookie head coach trying to put his version of the Jaguars in place. Everything was new, and everything was a bit chaotic.

“Yeah, new year, new team, everything about the way we’re attacking this is fresh and there’s a lot of things that we can lean into from last season in terms of just scheduling, operation, things like that,” Coen said.

“But the entire message is we’re attacking this season with a relentless pursuit. And the way that we’re going to go about is, man, we’ll play any place, anytime, anywhere.”

The Jaguars surged to a 13-4 record and the AFC South title in Coen’s first season. Both coordinators are back after making the interview rounds for head coaching positions. The expectations are not only significant, but they are justifiably high.

Next step for Trevor

Trevor Lawrence had a career season under Coen in 2025, including a spot as an MVP finalist. The staff simplified things in the playbook and Lawrence responded with some of the best football of his career. The biggest growth for Lawrence this spring and summer will be building that rapport with his receivers even stronger.

“So, this year to have the system down, a bunch of guys that have played together, obviously there’s a few new pieces but majority of us really know it,” Lawrence said. “We can focus on talking about all the details of each route and how it’s going to adjust versus certain coverages and then also making tweaks to the concepts and to the plays that we already have in.”

Added Coen: “Working on that chemistry. It was nice to see a great start to that today live and in person. I think those two have worked at it this spring thus far throughout phase one, phase two and then showed up in a nice way today. Just getting to that page where, he, BT, Parker [Washington], Jakobi [WR Jakobi Meyers] specifically, they all really know what each other is doing, right?

Sights, notes and notables

• OTAs are voluntary and not mandatory. Only two players of merit weren’t spotted. Edge Josh Hines-Allen has typically skipped the voluntary portion of OTAs, electing to get in work on his own. Free agent signee running back Chris Rodriguez was not on the field for the OTA. “The injury report will come out at some point here,” Coen said. That sounded pretty ominous from the head coach.
• Eric Murray looked like the vet making plays. He took a beautiful angle for the interception in front of Brian Thomas Jr.
• Preston Hodge knows how to make a splash. Cornerback is a spot where an undrafted free agent has a chance to make the roster. Hodge, a University of Colorado product, made a nice interception on day one.
• Walker Little was back taking reps at left tackle with Cole Van Lanen not at practice.
• Linebacker Ventrell Miller, battling for a starting spot after Devin Lloyd’s departure, made two big plays in passing situations. Miller prevented Brenton Strange from making a catch and also had a diving pass breakup.
• The Jaguars announced that the June 10 mandatory minicamp will be open to fans. Gates will open at 8 a.m. and practice will be from 9:15 to 10:55 a.m. Fans can secure their tickets beginning May 27 at this link.

Coen happy with Hunter’s growth

Travis Hunter was on the field Tuesday but only watching during portions of OTAs. Hunter is still recovering from knee surgery and hasn’t been cleared to return. The Jaguars still expect Hunter to be available for work on both sides of the ball this year, but he’s likely to see more of a role at cornerback. Despite Hunter still limited in what he can physically do, Coen said that the former Heisman Trophy winner has been consistently working in team’s virtual room and getting constant reps there.

“I’ve been very pleased with Travis in that way he looks, his upper body, the way that looks,” Coen said. “He runs outside of my office in the mornings and he looks like he’s been in the weight room, so I’ve been very pleased.”

Three joint practices this year

Coen said that the Jaguars will take part in joint practices for all three preseason games this year. That includes the away game at the Saints (Aug. 15), and home games against the Panthers (Aug. 21) and Buccaneers (Aug. 28). That’s the most the Jacksonville will have taken part in joint practices.

Typically, teams hold joint practices during the week of preseason games to get in more structured work with their starters.

“Well, we didn’t have any of the luxury last year of picking those and having those opportunities. We only had the one opportunity presented to us based on the schedule and the teams that we were playing, it just didn’t work out,” Coen said.

“So yeah, year two from a schedule standpoint and the teams that we’re playing against, we were able to get on it earlier as well in terms of trying to set things up and communicate with some of those teams we may be playing in those preseason games, so I feel a lot better about it in year two.”

Skirting the weather was a small inconvenience for head coach Liam Coen, but it’s far different than last year. Coen was a rookie head coach trying to put his version of the Jaguars in place. Everything was new, and everything was a bit chaotic.

“Yeah, new year, new team, everything about the way we’re attacking this is fresh and there’s a lot of things that we can lean into from last season in terms of just scheduling, operation, things like that,” Coen said.

“But the entire message is we’re attacking this season with a relentless pursuit. And the way that we’re going to go about is, man, we’ll play any place, anytime, anywhere.”

The Jaguars surged to a 13-4 record and the AFC South title in Coen’s first season. Both coordinators are back after making the interview rounds for head coaching positions. The expectations are not only significant, but they are justifiably high.

Next step for Trevor

Trevor Lawrence had a career season under Coen in 2025, including a spot as an MVP finalist. The staff simplified things in the playbook and Lawrence responded with some of the best football of his career. The biggest growth for Lawrence this spring and summer will be building that rapport with his receivers even stronger.

“So, this year to have the system down, a bunch of guys that have played together, obviously there’s a few new pieces but majority of us really know it,” Lawrence said. “We can focus on talking about all the details of each route and how it’s going to adjust versus certain coverages and then also making tweaks to the concepts and to the plays that we already have in.”

Added Coen: “Working on that chemistry. It was nice to see a great start to that today live and in person. I think those two have worked at it this spring thus far throughout phase one, phase two and then showed up in a nice way today. Just getting to that page where, he, BT, Parker [Washington], Jakobi [WR Jakobi Meyers] specifically, they all really know what each other is doing, right?

Sights, notes and notables

• OTAs are voluntary and not mandatory. Only two players of merit weren’t spotted. Edge Josh Hines-Allen has typically skipped the voluntary portion of OTAs, electing to get in work on his own. Free agent signee running back Chris Rodriguez was not on the field for the OTA. “The injury report will come out at some point here,” Coen said. That sounded pretty ominous from the head coach.
• Eric Murray looked like the vet making plays. He took a beautiful angle for the interception in front of Brian Thomas Jr.
• Preston Hodge knows how to make a splash. Cornerback is a spot where an undrafted free agent has a chance to make the roster. Hodge, a University of Colorado product, made a nice interception on day one.
• Walker Little was back taking reps at left tackle with Cole Van Lanen not at practice.
• Linebacker Ventrell Miller, battling for a starting spot after Devin Lloyd’s departure, made two big plays in passing situations. Miller prevented Brenton Strange from making a catch and also had a diving pass breakup.
• The Jaguars announced that the June 10 mandatory minicamp will be open to fans. Gates will open at 8 a.m. and practice will be from 9:15 to 10:55 a.m. Fans can secure their tickets beginning May 27 at this link.

Coen happy with Hunter’s growth

Travis Hunter was on the field Tuesday but only watching during portions of OTAs. Hunter is still recovering from knee surgery and hasn’t been cleared to return. The Jaguars still expect Hunter to be available for work on both sides of the ball this year, but he’s likely to see more of a role at cornerback. Despite Hunter still limited in what he can physically do, Coen said that the former Heisman Trophy winner has been consistently working in team’s virtual room and getting constant reps there.

“I’ve been very pleased with Travis in that way he looks, his upper body, the way that looks,” Coen said. “He runs outside of my office in the mornings and he looks like he’s been in the weight room, so I’ve been very pleased.”

Three joint practices this year

Coen said that the Jaguars will take part in joint practices for all three preseason games this year. That includes the away game at the Saints (Aug. 15), and home games against the Panthers (Aug. 21) and Buccaneers (Aug. 28). That’s the most the Jacksonville will have taken part in joint practices.

Typically, teams hold joint practices during the week of preseason games to get in more structured work with their starters.

“Well, we didn’t have any of the luxury last year of picking those and having those opportunities. We only had the one opportunity presented to us based on the schedule and the teams that we were playing, it just didn’t work out,” Coen said.

“So yeah, year two from a schedule standpoint and the teams that we’re playing against, we were able to get on it earlier as well in terms of trying to set things up and communicate with some of those teams we may be playing in those preseason games, so I feel a lot better about it in year two.”

Skirting the weather was a small inconvenience for head coach Liam Coen, but it’s far different than last year. Coen was a rookie head coach trying to put his version of the Jaguars in place. Everything was new, and everything was a bit chaotic.

“Yeah, new year, new team, everything about the way we’re attacking this is fresh and there’s a lot of things that we can lean into from last season in terms of just scheduling, operation, things like that,” Coen said.

“But the entire message is we’re attacking this season with a relentless pursuit. And the way that we’re going to go about is, man, we’ll play any place, anytime, anywhere.”

The Jaguars surged to a 13-4 record and the AFC South title in Coen’s first season. Both coordinators are back after making the interview rounds for head coaching positions. The expectations are not only significant, but they are justifiably high.

Next step for Trevor

Trevor Lawrence had a career season under Coen in 2025, including a spot as an MVP finalist. The staff simplified things in the playbook and Lawrence responded with some of the best football of his career. The biggest growth for Lawrence this spring and summer will be building that rapport with his receivers even stronger.

“So, this year to have the system down, a bunch of guys that have played together, obviously there’s a few new pieces but majority of us really know it,” Lawrence said. “We can focus on talking about all the details of each route and how it’s going to adjust versus certain coverages and then also making tweaks to the concepts and to the plays that we already have in.”

Added Coen: “Working on that chemistry. It was nice to see a great start to that today live and in person. I think those two have worked at it this spring thus far throughout phase one, phase two and then showed up in a nice way today. Just getting to that page where, he, BT, Parker [Washington], Jakobi [WR Jakobi Meyers] specifically, they all really know what each other is doing, right?

Sights, notes and notables

• OTAs are voluntary and not mandatory. Only two players of merit weren’t spotted. Edge Josh Hines-Allen has typically skipped the voluntary portion of OTAs, electing to get in work on his own. Free agent signee running back Chris Rodriguez was not on the field for the OTA. “The injury report will come out at some point here,” Coen said. That sounded pretty ominous from the head coach.
• Eric Murray looked like the vet making plays. He took a beautiful angle for the interception in front of Brian Thomas Jr.
• Preston Hodge knows how to make a splash. Cornerback is a spot where an undrafted free agent has a chance to make the roster. Hodge, a University of Colorado product, made a nice interception on day one.
• Walker Little was back taking reps at left tackle with Cole Van Lanen not at practice.
• Linebacker Ventrell Miller, battling for a starting spot after Devin Lloyd’s departure, made two big plays in passing situations. Miller prevented Brenton Strange from making a catch and also had a diving pass breakup.
• The Jaguars announced that the June 10 mandatory minicamp will be open to fans. Gates will open at 8 a.m. and practice will be from 9:15 to 10:55 a.m. Fans can secure their tickets beginning May 27 at this link.

Coen happy with Hunter’s growth

Travis Hunter was on the field Tuesday but only watching during portions of OTAs. Hunter is still recovering from knee surgery and hasn’t been cleared to return. The Jaguars still expect Hunter to be available for work on both sides of the ball this year, but he’s likely to see more of a role at cornerback. Despite Hunter still limited in what he can physically do, Coen said that the former Heisman Trophy winner has been consistently working in team’s virtual room and getting constant reps there.

“I’ve been very pleased with Travis in that way he looks, his upper body, the way that looks,” Coen said. “He runs outside of my office in the mornings and he looks like he’s been in the weight room, so I’ve been very pleased.”

Three joint practices this year

Coen said that the Jaguars will take part in joint practices for all three preseason games this year. That includes the away game at the Saints (Aug. 15), and home games against the Panthers (Aug. 21) and Buccaneers (Aug. 28). That’s the most the Jacksonville will have taken part in joint practices.

Typically, teams hold joint practices during the week of preseason games to get in more structured work with their starters.

“Well, we didn’t have any of the luxury last year of picking those and having those opportunities. We only had the one opportunity presented to us based on the schedule and the teams that we were playing, it just didn’t work out,” Coen said.

“So yeah, year two from a schedule standpoint and the teams that we’re playing against, we were able to get on it earlier as well in terms of trying to set things up and communicate with some of those teams we may be playing in those preseason games, so I feel a lot better about it in year two.”

“I’ve been dancing my whole life, it’s the best,” said Ross, who founded the Rodeo City Wreckettes group 23 years ago at an age when many people are getting ready for retirement.

Now 87, Ross and her husband and lifelong dance partner John, also 87, have long known what more older adults are now discovering: Moving to music is one of the best ways to stay healthy. Medical professionals say it doesn’t matter if it’s Western line dancing, ballroom steps, salsa, tap, Zumba at the gym, or with a group like the Wreckettes.

“Dancing is one of the most powerful activities for older people,” said Julio Loya, a nurse and geriatric program coordinator at the Tucson Medical Center.

Why dancing helps balance, strength and more

Dance, like other exercise, can help people lose weight, get stronger, reduce fall risk, increase mobility and flexibility, and even improve brain health.

“ It engages their brain, it changes their mood, and it connects them socially while getting them moving,” said Loya. “And it’s fun. Everybody has a good time.”

Dr. Thomas Johnson, a geriatrician at the UCHealth Seniors Clinic in Aurora, Colorado, said he remembers one man in particular whose passion for dance was so strong that he willed himself to attend one last class before he died in his late 80s.

“His No. 1 priority was that he danced until the day that he died," Johnson said of his patient.

Johnson said dance can improve the balance of his patients at the clinic, which serves about 2,500 people 75 and older a year.

He said older patients can benefit from adding two to three dance sessions to the 150 minutes of aerobic exercise he recommends for them each week, because dancing often involves movements that help with balance, such as walking backward or standing on one foot.

Meeting people by dancing together

The Wreckettes practice their routines during two-hour sessions at least twice a week in a rented dance studio.

After studying ballet as a girl, then moving on to everything from ballroom to tap as an adult, Ross said it made sense to keep dancing when she and her husband moved from Philadelphia to retire in Tucson.

John Ross is a key part of the Wreckettes' routines, typically joining his wife for at least one number. At one recent practice, it was a saucy saunter to Merle Haggard’s “Let’s Chase Each Other Around the Room.”

“I learned early on that dancing was a great way to attract the chicks,” joked John Ross, who slid across the floor like a much younger man.

Wreckettes member Cindy Soffrin said that watching her mother suffer as she aged convinced her to stay active as she got older.

“My mom was sedentary the last 20 years of her life. It was pretty rough,” said Soffrin, 74.

For 67-year-old Gail Kowalski, joining the Wreckettes three years ago meant finding new friends after her husband died and she moved from Utah to Tucson.

“Plus, it’s so dang fun,” Kowalski said.

The fun of performing

The Wreckettes perform throughout the year, from holiday events to rodeo shows, dressing up in a series of matching sparkly costumes.

But they all said what they love the most is being hired by retirement homes to perform for memory care patients. Wreckette members take turns picking a favorite charity to donate their earnings.

“When we first arrive, people will be distracted or sleeping,” said Soffrin. “But once the music comes on, they perk up right away.”

A similar dance group for older women in Las Vegas, the Vegas Golden Gals, also performs at retirement homes, said Cheryl Cortez, the group’s president. They add pompoms to their routines.

“I must now know close to 40 routines,” said Cortez, 69. “And that alone has to be great for the memory.”

How to begin dancing when you're older

If you want to start moving to music, here are some tips from health professionals and dance instructors:

BEFORE STARTING: Check with your health provider before starting a dance or any exercise program. Choose something simple to start, like line dancing rather than intricate tango steps.

FIND A CLASS: Check with a YMCA, parks and recreation department, or senior or community center. Community colleges often have dance classes, sometimes tailored for older people. Local dance studios and YouTube videos are other options. If you have Medicare Advantage insurance with the Silver Sneakers benefit, find out if your local gym has Zumba or other dance classes you can attend for free.

BEFORE THE SESSION: Dress comfortably for easy movement, and warm up and stretch before class.

MOST IMPORTANTLY: Have fun! You are doing great things for your mind and body.

__

For more AP stories about healthy aging, go to https://apnews.com/hub/aging

The vote was driven by a hard deadline: the Culinary Institute’s board of directors is scheduled to meet June 15-16 to vote on whether Jacksonville will serve as the institution’s southeast campus.

According to our news partner Jax Today, Corner Lot Development Group and Aspect Holdings LLC want to sign the school as an anchor tenant for 25,000 square feet of office space in its $160.5 million hotel and convention hall proposal at 330 E. Bay St. on the Downtown riverfront.

What the vote does — and doesn’t — do

Aundra Wallace, president of Jacksonville-based development firm JAXUSA, addressed the council before the vote to clarify what the legislation actually authorizes.

“You’re not — this legislation [is] authorizing any funds to be expended at this respective point in time,” Wallace said. “You still have to go through the Downtown Investment Authority’s disposition process, term sheet negotiation, as well as a redevelopment agreement that has to come back to you for final vote.”

Wallace acknowledged the process was unconventional, noting that funds are being set aside before a term sheet or redevelopment agreement has been finalized — the reverse of the typical order. He said the timeline was necessary to meet the Culinary Institute’s board’s schedule.

“If you take this step this evening, this gives us, the Downtown Investment Authority and others, the opportunity to continue to negotiate with the Culinary Institute of America,” Wallace said.

Culinary Institute touts San Antonio success as Jacksonville blueprint

Robert Jones, vice president of strategic partnerships for the Culinary Institute of America, addressed the council and pointed to the Culinary Institute’s San Antonio campus as the model for what Jacksonville could become.

“What began in 1946 as a bold mission by two visionary women to train returning GIs from World War II has today grown into a global institution shaping the future of food,” Jones said.

Jones said the Culinary Institute currently operates campuses in New York, California, Singapore and Texas, and highlighted the economic transformation San Antonio experienced after the Culinary Institute’s arrival there just over a decade ago.

“Today, just over a decade after opening the campus in San Antonio, it is a UNESCO creative city of gastronomy, has three Michelin stars, and dozens of James Beard Foundation recognized chefs that are CIA alumni,” Jones said.

He added that the hospitality industry in San Antonio has grown to more than $21.5 billion annually, fueled in part by food tourism tied to CIA programs.

Jones also highlighted the Culinary Institute’s work with military veterans — a point of particular relevance for Jacksonville, home to one of the largest military populations in the country.

“Through our ProChef certification program, service members and veterans receive industry-recognized certification to create a more seamless pathway into civilian life after they leave the service,” Jones said. “The same can be true for Jacksonville in the months and years to come.”

Council President Carrico noted the bill was fast-tracked to the floor to meet the CIA’s board meeting timeline and thanked fellow council members for their alignment on the issue.

JEA is conducting an internal survey of its more than 2,000 employees about their workplace experiences. Committee members questioned whether the utility’s survey will provide enough detail to address the allegations and said they plan to move forward with a separate committee survey.

RELATED: Texts show JEA CEO, former chief of staff discussing Ballard Partners contract as investigations continue

The JEA survey includes statements employees are asked to rate from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree,” including “I feel genuinely appreciated at JEA” and “JEA operates at strong values.” Council members said they want their own questionnaire to more directly assess concerns about workplace culture and allegations involving senior leadership.

Council member Ron Salem said references to the “senior leadership team” should be removed from the committee’s draft survey and replaced with specific names, including CEO Vickie Cavey’s. Salem also said he wants to include JEA Human Resources Officer Diane Moser in the survey because her name has come up repeatedly in conversations with employees.

Council member Ju’Coby Pittman said she continues to hear from employees willing to testify publicly about their experiences at JEA, but some want assurances they will be protected from retaliation and can keep their jobs.

The committee voted to adopt its own survey, which will be reviewed by city attorneys.

As early in-person voting began Tuesday in South Carolina’s primaries, the state Senate rejected a Republican plan to cancel those congressional votes and instead schedule a new primary under revised districts designed to help the GOP oust a longtime Democrat.

Some senators said it was simply too late to make a change.

“South Carolina citizens are going to the polls today. And neither my conscience or common sense is going to let me stop an election that is already underway,” Republican state Sen. Richard Cash said.

The political drama in South Carolina is part of a Republican strategy — propelled by Trump — to redraw voting districts to the GOP’s advantage in an attempt to hold on to a slim House majority in the midterm elections. Republicans have moved quickly to try to leverage a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that weakened minority protections under the federal Voting Rights Act.

But in Alabama, a three-judge federal panel issued a preliminary injunction blocking the state from using a Republican-drawn congressional map that could help the GOP win an additional seat. The court said the plan “intentionally discriminated based on race” by including only one Black-majority district, and it ordered the continued use of a court-imposed map that includes two districts with a significant proportion of Black residents.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, a Republican, vowed a quick appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court and predicted an eventual victory.

Republicans, who remain ahead in a national mid-decade redistricting battle, also notched some victories in lower courts on Tuesday.

A state judge in Florida declined to block new congressional districts passed by the Republican-led Legislature from being used in the midterm elections. Republicans stand to gain as many as four seats under the new map. The judge said voting rights groups that sued hadn't shown they were likely to succeed on their claim that the map was drawn with political intent in violation of Florida's Constitution. The groups said they were quickly appealing to a higher court, and vowed to keep pursuing the case all the way to the state Supreme Court, if necessary.

A federal court also declined to issue a temporary restraining order in a lawsuit contending that Tennessee's new U.S. House districts are racially discriminatory. The new Republican-drawn map carves up a majority-Black district in Memphis, giving Republicans an improved chance to win the state's only Democratic-held seat. The case is one of several brought against the map.

A redistricting battle that has spanned 10 months

Voting districts typically are redrawn after a census at the start of a decade. But Trump has urged Republican-led states to redistrict ahead of the November elections to try to rebuff political headwinds, which typically result in lost congressional seats for the president’s party in midterms.

Since Trump first urged Texas to redraw its voting districts last summer, Republicans also have enacted new House districts in Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Florida and Tennessee. Republicans think they could gain as many as 14 seats from those efforts, and perhaps 15 if they eventually win the ability to use a different map in Alabama.

Meanwhile, Democrats think they could win five additional seats from new voter-approved districts in California, plus one more from a new court-imposed map in Utah. Democrats suffered a setback earlier this month in Virginia, where the state Supreme Court invalidated a voter-approved redistricting plan that could have helped Democrats win additional seats.

Redistricting discussions are ongoing in Louisiana following an April high court ruling that struck down a majority-Black congressional district as an illegal partisan gerrymander. The Louisiana House could vote later this week on a new map that could eliminate a seat held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields and improve Republicans' chances of winning six of the state's seven seats.

The Congressional Black Caucus on Tuesday called on major corporations, including those that previously expressed support for voting rights and racial justice, to oppose redistricting efforts by Republican-led states that seek to eliminate majority-Black U.S. House districts. The caucus last week called for Black athletes to boycott public universities in states that are gerrymandering congressional maps to eliminate districts held by Black lawmakers.

Clyburn decries White House role in redistricting

More than 55,000 ballots were cast Tuesday on South Carolina's first day of early voting for the June 9 primary after Democrats called for people against a proposed new map to turn out in force. In the 2022 midterms, about 125,000 early votes were cast in the entire two weeks.

Among the first to cast an early ballot in the small city of Orangeburg was U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, the Democrat whose district Republicans were trying to reshape in their quest for a clean sweep of South Carolina’s congressional seats. A defiant Clyburn insisted he would run for reelection, regardless of what the district looks like.

“I’m OK if it’s Trump plus 20,” Clyburn said while describing the potential Republican advantage in a reshaped district. “I would be running where I live.”

The Republican-led House already had passed a plan that would reconfigure Clyburn's district, void the results of current congressional primaries and instead hold new U.S. House primaries in August.

Trump had lobbied for the plan, making at least two phone calls to Republican state Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey and also phoning in to a private meeting of Republican senators earlier this month. He also had maintained the pressure on social media.

But debate stalled in the Senate, where Democrats were staunchly opposed and some GOP lawmakers were concerned that aggressive redistricting could backfire by making some Republican-held seats vulnerable to losses because of the addition of Democratic voters.

Clyburn noted that when state lawmakers last redrew congressional districts, after the 2020 census, they spent months holding meetings across the state to gather public suggestions. Although that map resulted in a 6-1 seat advantage for Republicans over Democrats, the process was orderly and fair, he said.

“When the map was challenged, the U.S. Supreme Court said, yes, this is constitutional,” Clyburn said. But now, “this White House says, to hell with the process, to hell with the Constitution, just do what we want done.”

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Chandler reported from Montgomery, Alabama, and Lieb from Jefferson City, Missouri.

Jones died Friday at a senior living community in the San Francisco Bay Area suburb of Cupertino, according to a statement released by the family, who was at his side.

“Our father lived a life of conscience,” the Jones' family said Tuesday. “He believed, until his final days, that an idea" is "more powerful than the march of any army. We are grateful beyond words for the love, the prayers, and the friendships that sustained him, and us, across this long and remarkable life.”

As King's personal attorney, Jones was heavily involved in some of the key moments of the Civil Rights Movement. He is credited with smuggling pages of King's “Letter from Birmingham Jail” out of his cell and writing many up until the assassination of the civil rights icon in 1968.

He helped craft King's 1967 “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence” address given at Riverside Church in New York exactly a year before King's death. It was considered a hallmark speech for King's condemnation of the Vietnam War and U.S. militarism in general. He argued that the U.S.'s participation in the war exacerbated poverty across the country.

Born on Jan. 8, 1931 in Philadelphia, Jones had parents who were domestic workers for a wealthy Quaker family several miles away in New Jersey, according to the Clarence B. Jones Institute for Social Advocacy. Jones was class valedictorian of an integrated high school in Palmyra, New Jersey. His knack for speechwriting became apparent in 1949, when he gave a graduation speech about breaking down racial barriers.

Jones went on to graduate from Columbia University in New York. He then was drafted by the U.S. Army but was honorably discharged almost two years later. He went on to earn a law degree from Boston University.

In 1960, in what would be the start of a seminal friendship, Jones was approached by King to be on his legal team in a tax evasion case brought by the state of Alabama. Jones pivoted from a career in entertainment law in California and moved his family to New York City. There he could be closer to King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and serve as a full-time adviser, attorney and speechwriter for him.

He was a member of the legal team on the 1964 case New York Times v. Sullivan. The nation's highest court overturned a libel case against the newspaper, which had run an ad condemning police treatment of civil rights demonstrators in Montgomery, Alabama.

After King's death, Jones went on to work for a Wall Street investment banking firm and became the first Black American with the designation of allied member of the New York Stock Exchange.

He later ventured into academia. In 2012, he joined the faculty at the University of San Francisco where he taught law students as well as undergraduates in courses such as “From Slavery to Obama.” In 2018, he co-founded the Institute for Nonviolence and Social Justice at the school. Around the same time, he also became a scholar-in-residence at Stanford University's Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute.

Jones published a book about those years with King in 2023 titled “Last of the Lions: An African American Journey in Memoir.”

The following year he received the nation's highest civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, from then-President Joe Biden. A few weeks later, a tearful Jones appeared at a San Francisco Giants baseball game with Golden State Warriors basketball star Stephen Curry to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Curry has produced and co-directed a short documentary on Jones.

“The Baddest Speechwriter of All” won an award at the Sundance Film Festival in January and will stream on Netflix later this year.

Jones is survived by his five children and longtime partner Lin Walters.

Plans for funeral services and a public celebration of life are still being finalized.

Hammon made her initial comments on ESPN in December 2023, saying the Knicks couldn't win the championship if the 6-foot-2 Brunson was their best player.

“If your best player is small, you're not winning,” Hammon said at the time.

Those comments have generated some buzz after Brunson received the Larry Bird Trophy for MVP of the Eastern Conference finals after the Knicks swept the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night. He averaged 25.5 points and 7.8 assists in the series.

The Knicks will face defending champion Oklahoma City or San Antonio in the finals.

“I speak from experience,” Hammon said Tuesday. "Allen Iverson got MVP and he lost in the finals. I think the two best teams are probably in the West, but I'm up for being proven wrong. That's the other thing, I think Jalen Brunson's a hell of a player, a hell of a player. I'm speaking historically on the NBA with what I said. I don't know why everybody's so stuck on that. I said it two years ago.

“I said what I said. If he proves me wrong, he proves me wrong.”

Hammon, who has coached the Aces to three of the past four WNBA championships, has a clear rooting interested in the NBA playoffs.

The Hall of Famer played for the San Antonio Silver Stars — who eventually moved to Las Vegas and became the Aces — and later was a Spurs assistant under coach Gregg Popovich.

“Oh, you know who I'm cheering for,” Hammon said.

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

James Mulvey, 47, a social studies teacher at the school, was arrested Friday morning by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office on a charge involving offenses against students by authority figures. According to jail records, Mulvey bonded out of jail Saturday.

In the days following the arrest, students began circulating what one student called “The Mulvey Files” - a Google Drive compiling what appeared to be inappropriate emails exchanged between Mulvey and a student.

News4JAX reviewed portions of the website but is not publishing the contents of the messages because the investigation is ongoing, and the student involved may be a minor.

The student who created the website said the goal was to organize information that had already been circulating among students.

“I want people to see the things that he was saying and doing,” the student told News4JAX.

The student previously had Mulvey as a teacher and described him as someone students generally trusted.

“He was the chill teacher who everyone thought of as a ‘dad,’” the student said.

The student who reviewed the alleged messages said they initially tried to interpret the conversations as innocent before becoming alarmed.

“I was trying to play it off as a father-daughter relationship,” the student said. “But after I read through them, it was like, OK, this is weird.”

In a message sent to families Friday, Principal Mike Townsend described the allegations as “deeply concerning” while emphasizing that Mulvey is presumed innocent as investigations continue.

Townsend told parents Mulvey had been removed from campus and reassigned to a position without student contact pending both a criminal investigation and an internal district investigation.

Duval County Public Schools confirmed Mulvey remained employed by the district but was reassigned away from students while the investigations are active.

News4JAX shared the student-created “Mulvey Files” website with the district and asked officials to confirm whether the communications occurred on a school platform. The district was unable to provide additional details, pointing ot the active investigation.

On Monday afternoon, News4JAX obtained Mulvey’s arrest report. Much of the report was redacted, but it states that Mulvey and the student exchanged emails and that Mulvey asked for an additional email address so they could continue communicating over the summer.

News4JAX has also requested Mulvey’s personnel file and additional records from the school district, but has not yet received them.

The proposal from parents' group Protect Girls Sports in Maine was slated to go before voters in November. It would have asked voters if they wanted to require public schools to restrict access to bathrooms and sports based on the gender denoted on a child's birth certificate.

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who is running for governor as a Democrat, said Tuesday her staff found that more than 12,000 signatures on the petition for the referendum were invalid. That leaves the petition drive a few hundred short of the 67,682 required for the initiative to make the ballot, Bellows said.

Bellows' decision is a setback for the nationwide movement to limit or ban transgender students in sports. Maine emerged as a battleground for the issue last year following a public disagreement between Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, who is in her final year of office due to term limits, and President Donald Trump.

“We take the integrity of the petitions just as seriously as we take the security of voting. It's really important that anyone seeking to place a initiative on the ballot follow the law,” Bellows said.

Leyland Streiff, principal officer of Protect Girls Sports in Maine, said in a statement that the group “disagrees with the secretary of state’s decision declaring the Protect Girls Sports initiative ineligible for the November ballot.” The group “is working to ensure full judicial review of the secretary’s decision with the understanding that the courts, not the secretary, should have the final word on this important matter,” Streiff said.

The petitioners have 10 days to appeal Bellows’ decision. The group will also have the ability to try to get the initiative on a future ballot, Bellows said. The secretary of state’s office released a recommended decision about the initiative last week that said the petition “does not meet the constitution threshold” of valid signatures.

At least 19 states have laws banning transgender girls and women from using girls’ and women’s bathrooms at public school, and in some cases, other government facilities, private schools or public places. Enforcement of one of the laws – in Montana – has been put on hold by a court.

At least 30 states have laws or other statewide policies that seek to keep transgender girls and women from competing in girls and women’s sports. Courts have blocked enforcement of some of the laws.

None of the laws on bathrooms or sports restrictions came about through ballot measures. Two other Democratic-controlled states – Colorado and Washington – have sports-related laws on the ballot for November.

The restrictions on both fronts have been adopted in the past five years, and have been championed by Trump. Since his return to office last year, he has terminated agreements with school districts to protect transgender students and signed an executive order to limit sports participation by transgender athletes.

Opponents of the Maine ballot initiative said Tuesday they agreed with Bellows' decision. The petitioners “failed to follow the rules,” said David Farmer, campaign manager for the Campaign for Free and Fair Schools, which opposed the question.

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Mulvihill reported from Haddonfield, New Jersey.

Kennedy shared the clip of himself grabbing the tails of the non-venomous black racer snakes on his personal social media accounts, noting in the caption that he was removing them from the patio of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz.

An avid outdoorsman, Kennedy has posted numerous photos and videos over the years of himself interacting with wild animals. He's also shared tales of such interactions, including admitting once planting a bear carcass in New York's Central Park as a prank.

Internet users reacted with joy, incredulity and outcry at Kennedy's latest clip, which shows the snakes biting in the direction of his fingers as Oz asks questions about the snakes. Kennedy’s wife, actress Cheryl Hines, can be heard saying “Why?” and telling her husband to let them go.

Herpetologists said the species in the clip is largely harmless to humans, even if it bites. But they said people should be mindful of the stress that handling snakes can put on the creatures, and to avoid grabbing them by the tails as Kennedy does in the video, because it can cause injuries to their spines.

“That is not how I would handle the snakes, but I’m a trained professional,” said Bonnie Keller, a herpetologist and former board member of the Virginia Herpetological Society.

Sean McKnight, director of programs at the nonprofit Rattlesnake Conservancy, said he encourages people to minimize the duration that they’re handling any kind of wildlife, because they are “potentially stressing out the animals more than needed.”

Earlier this month, Kennedy posted a snapshot of himself holding a bird in his enclosed hand in what he wrote was the rescue of a starling at Dulles Airport in northern Virginia.

In 2024, while running for president, he posted a video of himself using a small net and a trowel to capture a rattlesnake in his California driveway. In that video, he cautiously secures the venomous snake in his bare hands and displays its fangs to the camera. McKnight said he doesn’t advise anybody to handle rattlesnakes like that, because there’s no way to restrain them safely with your hands.

Also in 2024, Kennedy generated criticism when he admitted to taking a bear carcass from the side of the road and placing it in Central Park as a prank in 2014. He said at the time that he had been picking up roadkill his “whole life” and once had a “freezer full of it” at home. His campaign spokesperson Stefanie Spear, now a top adviser at the nation's health department, said roadkill was how Kennedy, a longtime falconer, fed his birds.

For people who live along Argyle Forest Boulevard, the dangerous driving is hard to ignore.

“Do people drive fast out here?” Jessica Amonette, an Argyle resident, was asked. “They do,” she replied. “It depends — sometimes people go from 45 to 50 to 60.”

Neighbor Adam Chiarelli said the speeding happens around the clock. “Oh, all the time,” he said when asked if people speed on the road. “I never got a ticket myself, or my wife, or my sons. But they do it all the time. I like when the cops are there. The mornings are the worst.”

When News4JAX posted the story online about a crash at Spencers Trace Drive, viewer comments flooded in.

“I drive Argyle every day. Too many treat it like the Daytona 500,” one viewer wrote. Another said: “People drive on Argyle as if it were Daytona. Every week, I hear about accidents happening in this area.”

The data shows the problem is concentrated at specific spots along the corridor.

JSO has tracked 12 crashes near Rampart Road since the beginning of the year — what Johnson described as “perhaps the most dangerous part of the road.” Nearby Cheswick Oaks has recorded nine crashes so far this year.

Johnson previously covered the road in 2024 following a deadly motorcycle crash. At the time, he said, the complaints from residents matched what he is hearing now.

Resident Matt Simmons said the road’s transformation has been years in the making.

“Everybody who lives around here has basically become an interstate — from the new First Coast Highway to Blanding,” Simmons said.

Drivers who spoke with News4Jax suggested two possible solutions: more law enforcement presence during morning hours and an additional traffic light along the corridor.

JSO said they were aware of the speeding issue in the area.

The agency invited residents to the District 4 Town Hall on July 16 at 6:30 p.m. at Hillcrest Baptist Church, located near Argyle Forest Boulevard, to address the concerns in person.

For now, residents continued to stress that the posted speed limit of 45 mph is routinely ignored — with some drivers pushing 80 — and the frustration shows no signs of slowing down.

In Washington, the president is scheduled for a medical checkup. The redistricting war also continues as the Congressional Black Caucus is urging corporate America to get involved to save voting rights, ending a collective retreat during Trump’s second presidency. In Texas, the Trump-backed, scandal-plagued Ken Paxton is favored over Sen. John Cornyn in Tuesday's GOP primary runoff election.

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Trump says his administration should regulate prediction markets, not states

The president said the Commodity Futures Trading Commission should continue to have “exclusive authority” over prediction markets, as he attacked state leaders who seek to restrict the use of the online markets that can hinge on insider information.

“Under my leadership, we are setting ‘rules of the road’ that are the Gold Standard for the States,” Trump posted on social media. “We cannot have SCUM like Chris Christie, Letitia James, Tim Walz, and JB Pritzker setting the rules!”

Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., has invested in the prediction market Polymarket through his venture capital firm and he has been a strategic adviser for another market, Kalshi.

The CFTC currently regulates prediction markets, and that federal oversight enables them to operate in all 50 states, even those where gambling is illegal.

“It is a major Industry, and we must protect it,” Trump said in his post.

Trump calls off holding a Cabinet meeting at Camp David

The president wrote on his social media site that Wednesday’s planned meeting with his Cabinet had been set to take place at the remote presidential retreat in the mountains of Maryland but would instead be happening at the White House.

“Based on the possible bad weather conditions tomorrow, we will be having our Cabinet Meeting in the White House,” he wrote “and will be postponing the Cabinet trip to Camp David.”

Trump has visited Camp David sparingly, making just one visit there so far in his second term last fall.

Chinese foreign minister says he hopes US-Iran ‘stay committed’ to a deal as progress remains murky

At a press conference at the United Nations in New York, Wang Yi told reporters that despite the uncertainty between Washington and Tehran after a series of U.S. strikes this week, “every step forward in the negotiations brings more hope to peace.”

“We hope that the parties concerned can stay committed to pursuing a ceasefire and continue to meet each other halfway, so that peace can return to the Middle East as early as possible,” Wang said.

He added, “As we have been saying, it takes more than one cold day to freeze three feet of ice, and longstanding issues cannot be resolved overnight.”

Vance praises pope’s AI message as ‘very profound’

The vice president made the comment in a Tuesday interview with NBC News, saying he had read excerpts and summaries of Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical.

“What I read of it sounds very profound, and the sort of thing that you would expect and hope from a leader of the church,” Vance said. “The thing about morality is that the principles never change, but the way you apply those principles does, because the world changes, right?”

He said with new technology “you have to kind of rethink the entire Catholic social teaching in light of the new world that we live in. And I think that’s exactly what the pope is trying to do.”

Vance, who is Catholic, previously said the Trump administration is trying to strike a balance that encourages innovation in AI while protecting data and privacy. The American pope’s message calls on AI developers to work for the common good over profit.

South Carolina Senate rejects President Trump’s call to redraw congressional maps

The South Carolina Senate on Tuesday rejected President Donald Trump’s push to redraw the state’s congressional district in hopes Republicans could gain an additional seat in the midterm elections.

Senators had political concerns, worrying that any map in a state where Democrats got at least 40% of votes in the past eight presidential elections couldn’t guarantee Republican wins in all seven districts.

And there were logistical worries. Statewide primaries are June 9, with early voting starting Tuesday. The plan had called for throwing out any congressional votes already cast and holding another statewide primary just for U.S. House races in August.

Election officials said holding three statewide elections in five months would require employees to work around the clock to prepare voting machines and ballots and to meet legal requirements.

The proposal passed the South Carolina House last Wednesday after two days of long debate.

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Trump says everything checked out ‘PERFECTLY’ at his medical exam

The president made the comment after spending more than three hours at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for what the White House described as annual preventive medical and dental checkups.

Trump called it a “6 month physical” and thanked the medical center’s doctors and staff. He returned to the White House shortly after.

The White House did not immediately release results from his physical. It was Trump’s fourth publicly disclosed medical exam since he returned to office for a second term.

Top Rubio aide moves to White House

One of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s top aides is moving to the White House to serve in a position he has held informally since Rubio became Trump’s national security adviser last year.

U.S. officials said Tuesday that Mike Needham would leave his post as director of policy planning at the State Department to work full-time at the White House as a deputy national security adviser.

Needham, a veteran of the conservative Heritage Foundation who served as Rubio’s chief of staff at the beginning of Trump’s second term before moving to the policy planning position, had already been spending large amounts of time at the White House with Rubio.

Dan Holler, Rubio’s current chief of staff, will take over the policy planning post at the State Department, officials said.

Rubio set to testify in Congress on June 2

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to testify before Senate and House committees on June 2 as the conflict in Iran remains a top concern for lawmakers.

Although the hearings are officially focused on the State Department’s budget, lawmakers are expected to press Rubio on a broad range of issues tied to the war.

News over the weekend of a potential deal to end the conflict drew mixed reactions from Republicans in Congress, with some — including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz — urging Trump not to ease pressure on Iran. Cruz sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, before which Rubio is scheduled to testify.

Rubio told reporters Tuesday that negotiations over extending the ceasefire and reopening the Strait of Hormuz could take several more days.

Jeffries implores Supreme Court to ‘do the right thing’ after Alabama ruling

The House Democratic leader said his party “will continue to fight the corrupt Republican scheme to racially gerrymander congressional maps in order to rig the midterms.”

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York issued the statement after a federal court blocked Alabama’s plan to use a Republican-backed congressional map that the three-judge panel said “intentionally discriminated based on race” by including only one Black-majority district.

Alabama is expected to swiftly appeal to the Supreme Court.

More clashes outside an immigration detention center in New Jersey

Several dozen people were demonstrating Tuesday outside the Delaney Hall Detention Facility in Newark, where advocates say some detainees have been on a hunger strike to protest conditions since last week. The Homeland Security department denied any hunger strike, abuse or poor conditions inside the center.

Protesters, including a woman draped in a Mexican flag, kneeled and chanted “ICE out” in front of a line of federal officers who stood alongside an armored vehicle. At one point, an officer appeared to tackle a protester as he and other officers started walking slowly toward the crowd, attempting to have it move back.

It was a tamer scene than what U.S. Sen. Andy Kim said he experienced on Monday, saying he was pepper-sprayed as he and Gov. Mikie Sherrill led a delegation of Democratic officials seeking to meet with detainees.

Homeland Security rejects Democrats’ protest outside detention center as ‘political stunt’

“Instead of engaging with me and others about the poor conditions, ICE sent in an armored vehicle and a line of armed agents that only poured gasoline on the fire,” Kim posted on social media after Monday’s clashes. “Civilians were tackled and restrained, and agents fired pepper balls and spray into the crowd.”

Federal officials denied entry to the newly elected governor, who joined the first-term senator in demanding that Delaney Hall be shut down. “In New Jersey, we believe in the rule of law and that everyone deserves to be treated with basic dignity,” Sherrill’s statement said.

“This is nothing more than a political stunt by New Jersey sanctuary politicians for fundraising clicks,” Acting Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement.

Alabama will appeal voter discrimination ruling to US Supreme Court

The federal judges’ ruling says Republicans “intentionally discriminated based on race” by redrawing the state’s House map to remove a Black-majority district.

“Ultimately, we cannot see our way clear to requiring Alabamians to cast their votes in the 2026 elections under a districting plan tainted by intentional race-based discrimination,” the judges wrote.

Attorney General Steve Marshall, a Republican, described the GOP-drawn map as “blandly unobjectionable” and said Alabama will immediately appeal.

“Know this — in my mind, it is not a matter of whether we win this case, only when,” Marshall said.

Republicans in several Southern states, including Alabama, have sought to reshape voting districts with large minority populations that have elected Democrats following the Supreme Court’s ruling that struck down a Black-majority district in Louisiana and weakened the federal Voting Rights Act.

Rubio says Iran deal talks will take several more days

Secretary of State Marco Rubio says talks with Iran on extending a ceasefire and re-opening the Strait of Hormuz will take several more days.

Speaking to reporters before leaving India on Tuesday after the U.S. launched new strikes against Iran in the south despite the ceasefire, Rubio said there is “a lot of talking back and forth going on about specific language in the initial document.”

“So, it’ll take a few days,” he said. He added that Trump would not accept a bad deal and said the critical point at the moment is reopening the Strait of Hormuz without Iran being allowed to charge a toll for ships to pass through the crucial waterway.

“The straits need to be open, unimpeded, without tolls,” he said.

FCC’s sole Democrat warns media companies against yielding to Trump

Anna Gomez wakes up every morning and checks her phone to see if Trump has fired her yet.

The sole Democrat on the Federal Communications Commission is urging urge media companies fight back against efforts to silence free speech. In an extraordinary four-page letter to Josh D’Amaro, the CEO of Disney, which is the parent company to ABC, Gomez described the FCC’s “sustained, coordinated campaign of censorship and control” against the company under Chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump ally.

She noted probes touching on diversity practices, ABC’s moderation of a 2024 presidential debate, guest bookings on “The View” and calls for late-night host Jimmy Kimmel to be fired. She said the FCC’s move for early reviews of ABC’s local broadcast licenses is “the most egregious assault on the First Amendment this FCC has taken to date.”

▶ Read more from her Q&A with the AP

Iranian World Cup team will play in US but sleep in Mexico

The Iranians will return each night to a base in Tijuana, Mexico, after their U.S. group stage matches, President Claudia Sheinbaum has confirmed.

Sheinbaum said at a news conference Monday that she was told by a FIFA representative that the U.S. was reluctant to have the Iranian soccer team spend time in the U.S. outside the stadiums while the war launched by the U.S. and Israel continues.

“The United States doesn’t want the Iranian national team to stay overnight in the United States,” Sheinbaum said. A FIFA representative then asked, “Can they stay overnight in Mexico?” “And we said, ‘Yes, no problem. We have no issue with that’,” she said.

A U.S. State Department statement Monday said Trump made it clear the Iranian team is welcome to participate. The statement did not address where the team might stay, or Sheinbaum’s comments.

Lebanon hopes for an agreement that sees Israeli withdrawal

Israel’s military clashed with Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants Tuesday along the strategic Litani River in Lebanon as Israeli troops tried to push farther north, just three days before Lebanese and Israeli military delegations are set to meet for direct talks in Washington.

A previously reached ceasefire appears more nominal by the day, complicating efforts at a broader peace in the Iran war, as Tehran wants an end to the fighting to include Lebanon. Israel says it will not withdraw until Hezbollah no longer poses a threat to residents of its northern towns. Hezbollah has vowed to continue fighting until Israel stops its daily airstrikes and withdraws its troops from Lebanon.

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Trump turns 80 next month as more Americans express concerns about his age

A Washington Post/ABC News/Ipsos poll in April found that less than half of U.S. adults think Trump has the mental sharpness or physical health to serve effectively.

“I think concern for the president’s physical health is probably at an all-time high, and I think advanced physical age is the No. 1 concern,” said Dr. Jeffrey Kuhlman, who served as a White House physician under Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

Kuhlman said a complete physical would include advanced heart testing, screening for common cancers and a cognitive assessment. The White House has not disclosed what Trump’s checkups will entail.

“President Trump is the sharpest and most accessible President in American history who is working nonstop to solve problems and deliver on his promises, and he remains in excellent health,” White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said in a statement.

US consumer confidence is dented as gas prices remain high

U.S. consumer confidence declined slightly as gas prices remained at or above a national average of $4.50 a gallon in May and inflation remained elevated, a sharp contrast to soaring stock prices that have neared record levels.

The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index slipped 0.7 points to 93.1 in May, the first decline after three months of gains.

The index follows a separate gauge of consumer sentiment compiled by the University of Michigan, which fell to a record low this month. Spikes in gas prices as well as higher food costs have worsened inflation, which has outpaced the growth in average paychecks in recent months, reducing most Americans’ purchasing power. Polls show Americans have soured on Trump’s economic policies, which could harm Republicans in this year’s elections.

Iran denounces US strikes as a sign of bad faith, with impact on peace talks unclear

Iran on Tuesday denounced U.S. strikes a day earlier as a sign of “bad faith and unreliability” as negotiations continue toward a possible deal to end the war.

The U.S. military said it acted with restraint in defensively targeting missile launch sites and boats placing mines. Iran’s foreign ministry called the strikes a ceasefire violation and warned that “The Islamic Republic of Iran will leave no act of aggression unanswered.”

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard on Tuesday said it had shot down and deterred drones and a fighter jet that entered its airspace, according to Iran’s official Mizan news agency, which did not say when this happened.

Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf went to Qatar as part of the talks. The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations Center said an explosion was reported Tuesday morning aboard a tanker in the Gulf of Oman. No one was injured and there was no immediate information on the cause.

Federal court blocks Alabama’s plan for new US House map

The new congressional map would give Republicans an advantage in a key House race this November. But the preliminary injunction issued by a three-judge panel requires the state, at least for now, to instead use the same court-ordered districts under which congressional representatives were elected in 2024.

Lawyers representing Black voters argued that Alabama’s map intentionally discriminates against Black voters and that trying to change lines in the middle of an election year creates chaos.

The state could appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Republicans want to use a new map that will give the GOP a chance to reclaim the seat now held by Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures.

US stocks rise, oil falls after Trump said Iran talks are ‘proceeding nicely’

The price for a barrel of U.S crude oil fell 3.8% to $92.99 on Tuesday after resuming trading following the Memorial Day holiday, and U.S. stocks were catching up to others around the world that climbed after Trump said Iran talks were “proceeding nicely.”

The S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq composite all rose Tuesday to near their all-time highs even though fighting continued in the Mideast and the U.S. military said it struck Iranian missile launch sites and boats placing mines on Monday. Markets have rallied in the past on hopes for a coming end to the war with Iran, only to see the conflict drag on, causing painful inflation around the world.

Congressional Black Caucus presses US corporations to oppose Republican redistricting push

The Congressional Black Caucus is calling on major U.S. corporations to oppose Republican-led redistricting efforts that seek to eliminate majority-Black U.S. House districts.

Their letter sent Tuesday urges more than 250 companies to condemn “coordinated efforts to silence Black voices at the ballot box.” Some had cosigned their own message to Congress five years ago urging lawmakers to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, a Democratic proposal to restore and update the Voting Rights Act.

That 2021 coalition, Business for Voting Rights, included Apple, Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Tesla, Salesforce, Target, PayPal, Intel and Starbucks.

“Corporations that have profited from Black consumers, relied on Black workers, and amassed wealth in part from Black communities cannot look away while Black political power is dismantled in plain sight,” the caucus chair, Rep. Yvette Clarke, said in an interview.

Trump arrives at Walter Reed military hospital for his latest physical

The White House said Trump would participate in a greeting with service members and hospital staff before he spends hours being examined by a team of doctors.

It is the Republican president’s fourth publicly disclosed medical exam since he returned to office in January 2025, and it comes as the nearly 80-year-old Trump tries to project strength going into November elections that will test his sway with voters.

The White House says the visit is an annual preventive medical and dental checkup. Trump was last at Walter Reed in October and also had a physical there in April 2025.

Last July, the White House said he’d been diagnosed with a condition common in older adults that causes blood to pool in his veins, causing the swollen ankles seen in some photos of Trump.

The White House also has blamed handshaking for visible bruising on Trump’s hands.

Presidents aren’t required to disclose health information

There’s no law requiring these disclosures and the degree of transparency varies.

Presidents for decades have released medical test results to try to reassure the public that they are up to the high-pressure job.

But the president signs off on what is released, which raises questions about what isn’t being shared.

Trump’s past medical reports have been criticized for offering scant detail and including statistics that some medical experts eyed with skepticism.

It will be several hours before the White House releases any information about Tuesday’s exam.

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